Disclaimer: I don't, nor will ever, own Sailor Moon. Iam making no profit whatsoever off this. I just got a lot of time. Actually not so much time. I'm just persistent. LOL Author notes/ramblings at the end!

Chapter Ten

Lita woke with eyes upon her. She knew because, as a princess she had been granted utter privacy, and, as a fugitive she had learned to be a light sleeper. The smallest thing disturbed her and the heavy gaze that was glued to her was enough to wake Mina! Mina... Kunzite...Beryl... Nephrite... Lita forced the fog of exhaustion away as she sat, swaying, trying to determine her surroundings.

One large, gentle hand caught her elbow and steadied her. She flinched at the touch, at the hand roughened much like hers, from swords and the work of a warrior. She blinked and found the man who's stare had awakened her. Nephrite regarded her gravely, blue eyes dark within the confines of the sky carriage.

"What happened?" he asked softly, voice coaxing. Lita started to answer and stopped as memories slowly returned. She closed her eyes and thought hard when a finger touched her chin. Startled her eyes snapped open and she stared for a moment at Nephrite, trying to work up indignation in the face of his intrusions.

She had no time for Nephrite though, or for petty squabbling, for Venus, slumbering Venus woke. Nephrite cursed as Lita's eyes shone gold, light radiating from her form as the sky carriage lit with the release of magic. He reached instinctively for his own magic, reacting instead of thinking, and instead found the stars.His mentors, his friends if he dared to name them so, his teachers, did what they had not since he was a boy, full of power that he couldn't control, they controlled it for him. Had it been any other entity, any other being, he would have fought but for the stars... He allowed himself to become a bystander as his magic was taken and redirected towards the princess at his side.

Only his magic, magic fueled by the stars, was deflected by a shield of sudden emerald light. Through the flaring powers Lita reached out blindly and grasped his hand in a hold that was in no way intimate.

"No," she called through the maelstrom that was barely under her control. "This is the power of the planets, not the stars. Venus will obey me!" He didn't understand he words but he knew that the stars did. He felt their surprise, their momentary confusion, and then, in a flash so fast he almost missed it, their admiration. A smile, fierce as the desert wind, touched his mouth as the stars, rebuked, gave back what they had taken.

And before his eyes the magic calmed as gold and emerald mingled and softened into a muted white and pale green. It glowed softly as it surrounded Lita in a steady halo of light. She looked beautiful, face composed in a mask of concentration as she clutched his hand, unconsciously anchoring herself to the world of the living. Then, even the halos melted away and left Lita. She opened her eyes slowly and, while there was still gold in them, green ruled.

"How?" he asked as she looked at him. Lita shrugged, the movement made akward by her stiffness.

"Kunzite," she replied softly. Nephrite lifted one brow.

"Kunzite?" he asked, trying to piece together what role his former commander had taken in this bizarre turn.

"Yes," Lita responded slowly, drawing out the affirmative.

"He... he is on our side Nephrite, he just can't bring himself to do what you have claimed to." Nephrite stiffened under the implication of her words.

"Claimed to?" Lita dropped his hand as a flush built across her features.

"If you've lost as much as I have would you be so willing to trust in the word of former enemies as easily as you ask me to?" Nephrite shrugged, angry.

"I don't know princess. After five days I will be forced away from everything I've ever known to stand by the side of a woman I once swore to kill. Ask me then, when we're even." Lita flinched from the ice in his words before replying.

"Very well then, in five days if we're still alive you'll have all the trust I'm willing to give someone who's not one of the princesses." Nephrite growled.

"And if that isn't enough for me?" Emerald flashing Lita, eyes snapping, met his unwavering gaze, piqued.

"Then prove yourself to me."

"And what did Kunzite do to prove himself to you?" Nephrite snapped, irrationally furious at his leader. Lita smiled, teeth bared.

"He gave Mina a chance at life and he gave me her magic. We have a chance now Nephrite, don't you see?"

"And what difference could that much more magic possibly make?" Eager for him, her only ally, to see what she saw she reached up and pulled his face down to eye level with hers. He stiffened but allowed it; curiosity overcame the fury. The angry line of his mouth thinned and opened in amazement as he stared into gold tinted emerald and saw the universe. The universe but as he had never been meant to see it.

Planets glowed with fire and spirit and stars flashed before arcing across jaded space to leave trails like diamond tears. He sensed more than saw the power inherent in every planetary body, every part of the galaxy reflected in Lita's eyes. Nephrite swallowed and Lita, with a blink, released him from her spell. He gazed at her quietly, awestruck and unsure.

The Princess of Jupiter bowed her head. "Pluto has protected her planet from Earth with the magic of her planet. Mine is weak yet, being torn from Serenity and Serena wounded it. But Mina's... It is not yet what it was but it is strong, stronger than Pluto's will ever be. I could destroy Earth if I wanted to, in time." She fell silent and licked dry lips before raising her head.

"Then why don't you?" he murmured, cobalt glued to her face. Lita sighed, so softly he was barely sure he heard it, before replyingslowly.

"Because... because Kunzite told me, before we left, when I was too tired to think clearly. He said that I should not judge Earth by its ruler but by its people. You told me much the same when you said that you, that Earth was not the one to kill Serenity and Serena and our future.

I cannot destroy Earth because then I would be no better than Sol, than..." She trailed off and he heard the unspoken words that she stopped, just in time. 'than you...'

"And Sol?" he asked, voice hard with renewed anger. The princess smiled grimly.

"Sol will die and I pray that it is by my hand."

"Is that the mercy of the princess of Jupiter?" Lita snorted, face cold.

"No, that is her justice." Nephrite wanted to press the point but left it alone, for now.

"We will be at my manor and lands in several hours. What plans do you have, if any?" His voice held slight contempt, contempt for her and for their situation, but Lita surprised him by smiling.

"We've done more than run these five years General Nephrite. I have friends who can be contacted."

"And then?"

"Then we try to survive long enough to win!" He looked at her, astonished.

"And you have so much hope when before you held nothing but despair?" Lita laughed in the face of his shock, eyes glowing with a fire that shone golden.

"I do," she replied simply, breathlessly. The sign of Jupiter flared brightly upon her brow and, wonderingly, Nephrite reached up to touch the mark that proclaimed to the world who she was and all that she was meant to be.

"What?" he murmured. Lita grabbed his hand, caught in the moment, and grinned fiercely.

"Battle Nephrite, I live for the battle!" she proclaimed. He raised one dark brow and drew his hand away before bowing clumsily from the waist from his sitting posistion.

"Perhaps we are not so different after all Lady." Lita shook her head.

"Not Lady," she rebuked softly, "Princess, broken senshi, ally, and perhaps one day... friend." Nephrite's brows rose still higher.

"Friend?" he asked in a disbelieving voice. Lita shrugged, the motion hard and quick.

"Perhaps..." Nephrite hid a smile and nodded serenely.

"As you will." She blushed harder and glared.

"You really are a bastard you know?" Shocked by her bluntnesshe stiffened before smirking, to cover his surprise and his confusion.

"Yes," Nephrite agreed amiably enough, "I am." Lita only snorted again and lay back against the satin cushions of the sky carriage. Nephrite echoed the gesture but his eyes widened as a beam of light pierced the curtains of the windows to strike the rose earrings that the princess wore. He swallowed and looked away.

Jadeite paced the small round chamber, furious. He clasped his hands behind his back as he wore a path around two marble tables. His unfocused gaze disregarded the two forms that lay there; he had grown use to them over the months. This was his private sanctuary, his escape from the world. His mouth curled into a bitter smile at the thought and his stride grew longer to match his anger.

Oh he had lands that rivaled the other Generals. Though Jadeite didn't match them in magic and brute strength he bested them in wealth, as Zoicite bested them all in knowledge. His lands lay in the heart of the Sol's seat of power; it was one of the reasons why he had been chosen to help Sol directly with governing. It also denied him any of the peace that a traditional home might offer.

Oh where had Sol been when this whole catastophe had started, when Beryl had attempted to control that wild princess? In the capitol wooing a new toy, his sixteen year old cousin. Not that she couldn't take care of herself. Jena was about as timid as a lioness, besides, her heart was set upon some lucky oaf who ran a small merchant house on Mercury, a lucky oaf who had family that was well known enough to make even Sol pause before attempting to shame them. But Jena was spitting mad at her older cousin 'Jade' for dedicating his life to a man who was willing to try to destroy her beloved's life for a small affair and, even more furious with him fordoing nothing to stop it. Since her parents had died she had lived with him and the other assorted cousins and relatives who had no lands of their own. Jadeite loved her, bless her soul, but the atmosphere in the house had been rather chill of late.

Usually Sol lost interest by now, or Beryl intervened. The Sorceress knew she had few real ties to bond Sol to her but, while she didn't mind sharing him for a time, she would never take second place to another lover. Jadeite growled in annoyance and abruptly stopped and glowered at the sleeping forms of the princesses.

Princess of Mars and Princess of Mercury, Rei, Ami, lay where they had lain since Earthen troops took them, bloody and torn from a desperate battle of survival. Their skin was pale, and the wounds that were both received and self inflicted still showed red against the rest of their bodies. They no longer wore the warrior outfits that they had sported in their last battle, after being sealed away from Time they had been cleaned and dressed in simple cotton dresses, maroon and blue. Their necklaces still hung from their necks, though their weapons and other personal items were in Beryl's keeping, because they held slight magic, sleeping yet aware. Beryl had proclaimed that the jewelry was harmless but that it might prove of use in later ventures. They were left on their wearers for keeping; it wasn't as if their mistresses were going anywhere.

Brooding Jadeite rocked back on his heels and stared before leaning closer to the princesses, eyes widening. He had spent a lot of time in this room and by the thick layer of dust in it he knew he was the only one and yet... The princesses had moved. Shocked blue eyes narrowed and hesitantly he reached out to touch the hand of Princess Rei.

His fingers touched hers and he leaped as a small shock passed through their bodies, from her to him. Shivering he drew back from the warmth of her hand. The Princesses, taken from the time stream by Beryl, had always, as long as he had come here, been cold. Jadeite, licking dry lips, started to call Sol or Zoicite through the gem embedded in his arm when he stopped. Jena's face flashed through his mind, her accusing eyes, her anger, and the pain there, in eyes shadowed from living through the death of her parents and the apparent abandonment of her favorite cousin. Jadeite's hands clenched into unconscious fists and Kunzite, cold imperious Kunzite, flashing silver eyes and all, joined Jena in his mind's eye.

His commander, and Jadeite would bet Zoicite too, was walking a very thin line between heorism and a traitor's death. There were games afoot, games that everyone but Jadeite was playing, a game for Nephrite and Princess Lita, a game for Beryl, one for Sol, and another for his fellow Generals. Games within games, filled with intrigue. Jadeite laughed, the sound forced, before retrieving a wooden chair from the hall, brining it in the secluded room. He set it down roughly, raising dust, before straddling it, muscled forearms resting on the back. Sapphire eyes darkened and narrowed into thoughtful slits as his gaze bore holes into the slumbering forms.

There was a new game now and it was his own. Ami, Princess of Mercury, sighed and clutched the necklace she held in tight fingers closer to her beating heart. Jadeite watched lazily, willing himself patience. In this room, sealed with the Dark Sorceress's power away from the world and its scientific demands, time was all the princesses, all that he, had.

Author's Notes: I know, I know, a whole month between updates. I'm a baaaadddddd fanfic writer. I should have a bit of a break where I can write now and hopefully get somewhere with this. hehe Ummm... There was something I was gonna say but I forgot. Oh well. LOL... Email, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, and visit my page! Later!!

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