Disclaimer: Sailormoon isn't mine, but the idea is. -- Chapter 6 -- Clang! Clang! The sound of two swords clashing echoed through the Rose Garden. It was nothing out of the ordinary to see Prince Endymion, along with his four generals - General Kunzite of Byakko (1), General Zoisite of Seiyuu (2), General Nephrite of Genbu (3) and General Jadeite of Suzaku (4) - practicing their skills against each other on such a fine day. The five spent most mornings perfecting their combat and sword fighting abilities, and the duel would not be declared over until the winner was announced. That was exactly how it was for Prince Endymion and General Kunzite when the four ladies came to join them. "Good morning, boys." The greeting distracted the generals watching the scene as it unfloded before them, but not Endymion and Kunzite, for they were too absorbed in their duel to notice they had guests. The two combatants had been at each other's throats for hours now, and still the winner was yet to be determined. This was not new to the generals because both Endymion and Kunzite were considered the finest swordsmen on a battlefield. Each general had their own expertise. As the second General in Command, General Kunzite was often seen carrying his short sword around with him. He was often described as confident and was loyal to his Prince and comrades. He was also considered to be the most reliable person in the group. General Zoisite, who came next, was the Head Commander under his realm, the Eastern part of Elysian. Although he was not the best fighter; but with his intelligence along with the skills of his companions, he was just as important as the other three. General Nephrite, on the other hand, was proficient in martial arts. He was the all year round champion in Genbu of the North, and so far, none of the competitors had ever beaten his score so far. He might have seemed unbeatable and a very strong-willed type of person; however, one should not be deceived by his appearance, because underneath his masculine features was a family-type (5) of man. Last but not least, was the youngest of the group, General Jadeite. He was someone who gave an eye for an eye to the offender if provoked. Also, he was someone who could not control of his temper, and usually it was people who he respected the most, like Kunzite, to cool him down. "Give up, Kunzite. You have no chance winning against me." The general did not offer a retort to the prince's arrogant words, neither did he feel insulted by them. Instead, he was thinking of how to disarm his opponent. Prince or not, he treated his opponent without prejudice. He knew it would be disrespectful to the opponent if handicaps were given in a duel. He did not want to play dirty tricks either because that would be considered disgraceful, not only to his character but to his country as well. Moments later, the struggling general had gotten a chance to release an unexpected under-kick, successfully earning a slight distraction allowing him to pin the the prince down. "You were saying?" the general questioned, after thrusting his sword to the by-now-had-his-back-on-the-ground prince. As for Prince Endymion, he would not dare move, now that the tip of Kunzite's sword was dangerously close to his throat. Even a small movement like gulping, he would find himself one-step closer than he intended to be with his late grandmother. Finally, the weapon withdrawn, he graciously accepted the general's outstretched hand and climbed to his feet, each sliding their swords back inot their sheaths. Together, he men in their early twenties soon joined the rest of the group, as the prince dusted off his Renaissance clothing on the way. After walking back to the seat, Prince Endymion noticed they were one person short. Since he did no intent to have, his friends' girlfriends label him as an uncaring fiancé, he decided to ask where Princess Serenity was. "She is in her room, still asleep." Without realizing why, the prince glanced up to the second floor seeking confirmation regarding answer given by Princess Minako. Rather than correcting her mistake, he kept his own council on what he saw. Somehow, he felt good about knowing what the others did not acknowlege; only he knew the truth. The truth being the princess was not in her bed. Instead, she was standing outside on her balcony watching them. ---------- Before they knew it, there came the lunch hour. Once taking their respective seats, each party had their own subject to talk about while the food was being served. It did not take them very long to emptied their plates, for they had been engaged in intense practice before then. "How was lunch?" the Earth Queen asked while fidgeting. As royal protocol required, it was still a difficult task to go straight to the core of without a leading question to begin with. However, the significance to it was not based on any of those considerations, but rather, how to lead to a subject regarding her friend, who was 384403 km (6) away. "It was delicious, your majesty." "Do you like it here?" "As a matter of fact, we do." "That is the overstatement of the year." the Venusian princess nodded. She could not agree more. "Minako-chan, it is supposed to be the 'understatement' of the year," hissed Ami under her breath. The Earth Queen could not help but grin at the commotion in the Royal Dining Room. She was delighted to know to know that the suggestion of sending them to Earth was not at all a bad idea, especially at the sight of them making themselves comfortable in a new environment. "You have been on Earth for one and a half months now, have you not? Has your mother contacted you by any chance?" King Solaris, as if on cue, decided to join the conversation. Princess Serenity stiffened at the question. The sadness flashing within her eyes faded as quickly as it had come. After putting her cutlery down on the table, she answered with a softer tone. "No, she has not, my Lord." "That could not be helped then. Duties always the first priority, even for you right, my dear?" the Queen reassured the poor child before meeting her husband's gaze out of the corner of her eyes. They shared a cryptic message only the two of them knew: they needed to talk; privately. ---------- Outside, the high moon was peeking through one of the windows. It wanted to know why a dark solitary figure was shutting himself inside theprivate room on the West Wing and what he was doing there. His handsome features showed signs of fugitiveness; and since he was so preoccupied by his own thoughts, he failed to hear a knock on the door. On the other side of the door stood Queen Gaia, who let herself in when she heard no response. She was worried for her best friend, who came and went on the same day, leaving the princess and her ladies in waiting to their cares. "How was she?" King Solaris had not moved from his previous position. He was unfocused, but had his eyes fixed at the black curtain outside, where there were no stars. He was not good at breaking news to people, especially when it came to something devastating. Therefore he chose not to say a word, only to do a poor job of concealment by showing the grim in his eyes. Queen Gaia's heart was thumping so hard that it almost suffocated her. When the message - that she had not been doing so well had finally gotten through to her, she would have trembled and collapsed to the floor if she was not standing by the door that supported her. "We have to help her. There must be something we can do. We can send our best healers..." her hoarse voice and the rattling speech were the first signs of a nervous breakdown. "No, there is not." "But..." she wanted to say something, but her husband had beat her to it. "She does not want our help. 'This is my destiny' was what she told me when I said exactly what you told me to say. I have made a promise, Gaia. I have made a promise to Tranquility before he died in my arms that I will watch over her for him, but now..." King Solaris was as desperate as his wife, and wanted to help their friend. Yet at the same time, he felt hopeless. He knew by forcing Selene to accept their help would push her farther from them; a consequence neither he nor Gaia had any intentions of allowing. As much as she wanted to grieve, as was her husband, Queen Gaia went to him and hugged him from behind. Her eyes became wet. She knew he was endeavoring to be brave and not shred a tear, but seeing how vulnerable he now, brought her heart down in an arc. "She is dying. Selene is dying, and she declined our help. There is nothing we can do." The queen heard him saying. She did not bother to fuss about her crying as she noticed her husband's emotionally fragility. After realizing that she should be soothing him instead of being influenced by her husband's emotions, she vigorously brushed off her anxiety, and pulled his face towards her before verbalized her unyielding response. "Yes, there is. Serenity is still with us, so too the girls. Selene sent them over to have us watch over them. That will be enough, Solaris. Tranquility will understand. I know he will. I promise." -- End of Chapter 6 -- Glossary: (1)Byakko: during the Han Dynasty, a white tiger is believed to be the King of all beasts. When a tiger reached 500 years old, its tail would turn white. Byakko represents direction West and Autumn season, and the element it holds is Mental. Tokaki (Foot), Tataro (Lasso), Ekie (Stomach), Subaru (Unity), Amefuri (Net), Toroki (Snout) and Kagasuki (Visiting) are its constellations. (2) Seiryu: is an azure dragon, which has the symbol of an Emperor's power. The guardian of the East is connected with season Spring, and its element is Water. The 7 stars are Suboshi (Horn), Amiboshi (Throat), Tomo (Root), Soi (Chamber), Nakago (Heart), Ashitare (Tail) and Miboshi (Basket). (3) Genbu: depicted as snake coiling around a tortoise. The tortoise and the snake are the symbolism of longevity in ancient China. It protects North, is corresponds to season Winter, and the element is Earth. Its 7 stars includes Hikitsu (Dipper), Inami (Ox), Uruki (Woman), Tomite (Void), Umiyama (Rooftop), Hatsui (Room) and Namame (Wall). (4) Suzaku: Vermilion bird is a mythology spirit creature in Chinese constellation. The guardian of South has the element of Fire, and is represents season Summer. Like the others, it has 7 stars, and they are Chichiri (Well), Tamahome (Orge), Nuriko (Willow), Hotohori (Star), Chiriko (Net), Tasuki (Wings) and Mitsukake (Chariot). (5) is a term used for a man who is once married gone back home after working, and often stays at home with his family when he is off from work. (6) that's the distance from Earth to Moon ---------- Cdgal: Thank you all, dear readers, for taking time to read the chapter. Thank you! Thank you!! If you have realised, I adapted the names of the quadrants and their constellations from Watase Yuu's famous work, Fushigi Yuugi (otherwise known as the Mysterious Play) and Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden. Thanks to wikipedia search that I've managed to get the information I need. Also, here I wish you all a very Happy New Year, and wish every each one of you have a great 2010.