Hello, Sailor fans, and welcome to the latest edition to this story. Sorry it's a little short, but the X-Paper's (another thing I write for) editorialist has to get her butt in gear now that the season has started again. Also, I had essays to write. Isn't that just blah? We are finally into the part where Beryl starts taking action. Enjoy the romance, then enjoy the violence. I think this story may only end up having five chapters, and if I organize my time properly, I will have it done in three weeks. Or less, if I REALLY organize my time properly. DISCLAIMER time... A) I do not own Sailor Moon, nor do I lay claim to any of the characters presented here in the story. They were thought up by other peoples who I admire greatly, but not by ME! No creative infringement intended. B) Spord=spear + sword. I seem to remember no one quite knowing what weapon Nephrite had, so I took what I thought it had been refrenced to and maid a "portmandeu" word out of it, as Lewis Caroll said. (Spelled wrong--I know!) C) I don't think my spelling and grammer are quite so awful on this story as they have been before. My space bar sticks, though, so that could've been a problem here. D) I do believe that's it. Author reads: Okay, right after this, you can either go look at Tim Nolan (right below me) or Lianne (above me a ways) and read everything by both of them and FLOOD THEIR MAILBOXES. And while your at it, read Amethist's works, too. FEEDBACK: I don't crave it quite as much anymore, since some people have sent me some really nice stuff about these stories, but if you really feel you must comment: jkc1984@niia.net, and I guarantee a reply, all right!! Onto to it, then! THE FOUR LOVERS HAPPINESS IS A PHOENIX Chapter One Nephrite The quarters of the Generals on the planet Earth were tailored to their individual tastes. Kunzite's, for example, were subdued, with plenty of nooks and crannies to store the various weapons he had collected. Jaedite's on the other hand were done in bright splashes of color and fashionable flair, and it seemed that when you walked in that the room merged with him until his presence was so overpowering that you swooned. Or, at least, that's what some of the ladies had reported. Nephrite's, though, were meant for comfort, and while he'd indulged in a little luxury here and there, it wasn't overdone. He now sat on his low slung, dark colored couch, staring at the green wine goblet in front of him, eyes shaded a deep brown in thought. he wondered. He had not seen his love in three days. Normally the pan's of loneliness would not hit him for near a week. Yet these were the times of the Negaforce, the black mass that was reaching out slowly for the moon. Where she was... He had to stifle the pang that wrenched his heart, the urge to get up and teleport himself to the Moon. He could--he'd practiced enough with Jaedite when they'd arranged midnight rendezvous with those they loved. Yet...now was not the time. The Prince had gone in fear for his lover, and had cautioned them to stay behind and protect the Palace and themselves. He seemed strangely grave at the time, and his eyes had been dark, like he knew something and didn't want to talk about it. Kunzite and Zoicite were out on the watch now, making the rounds; they'd agreed to take overlapping watches, and soon he'd relieve Kunzite and go on duty with Zoicite. They'd agreed that neither Jaedite or Zoicite would be placed together; though they were the wiliest of the Generals, they were also the weakest, and they couldn't leave the big a weak point in their defenses. After he left duty, he would walk the lines of men waiting to defend their capital. Ever since Priam had died, the Sea had declined and the Earth had become the most powerful place on Earth, with Endymion at its head. Most young men took more of fancy to the dashing, roughened prince, and came to help in droves; the more men, the more supervision, though. Their last true rest had been when they'd escorted Endymion to the Moon. He remembered his meeting with Jupiter (Kato to him), in the Library of all places. It was a near maze of knowledge and contained volumes on the wonders of every planet, every speck that existed in Sol almost. He'd found her in a section of mysteries, paging through the last sheets of a book. "How sad," she sighed. "What?" he asked quietly as he sat near her, holding a book on the wonders of Jade. She sat back, a sad contentedness dancing in her deep green eyes. "The book...it's about a man whose evil twin takes over his life, and before he can stop him, kills his beloved." "That is sad," Nephrite replied, cautiously taking her hand in his. "There's no one around." "I suppose I shouldn't worry so much," he sighed. "I just don't want to see you in trouble." "I can take care of myself," she retorted lightly. "But it's nice for you to be so protective of me. After all, no one else is." "But the Senshi..." "Yes, we watch out for each other," she sighed. "But besides that...no one." "It's my duty then, luv," he said in reply, fingers gently rubbing the hand he held. She smiled at this, and her eyes seemed to lose that trace of sadness they held. He leaned into kiss her gently on the cheek; she turned and caught it on the mouth, surprising him a little. "My dear," he said when he finally drew back, "we cannot do that in public." "Afraid of being caught?" "Yes." Now she turned her emerald eyes full on him, and he shivered at the intensity of her gaze. It was not quite a shudder-shiver, but not quite a pleasure-shiver either. "Love," she said softly, "why are you afraid of being caught with me? We could pass ourselves off as friends exchanging a platonic hello, or dismiss it as a trick of vision. Why, your starfield protection could shift and make us appear common!" He didn't smile, though he felt the urge, but merely faced her completely and took both of her hands. "My Lady," he said quietly, "its not that I doubt what you have said. All are true ways to avert public knowledge of our affair, and my mind has mulled over these as well. Yet...how many platonic kisses can true friends exchange before they shy away from it and become lovers? Could we honestly dismiss ourselves in front of others before they began to suspect? Also, my starfield is unable to hold an illusion for length amounts of time, nor can it cast a complete on like Serenity's pen or Venus' crystal. No, my love, I fear that publicly we will have to have more discretion than, say, Mars and Jade." A brief smile at what he talked of flittered over her face; at the last ball, the two had been their usual flirty selves--that is, until the last few dances. Then, they'd suddenly noticed each other, and seemed to fall in love at first sight--again. The room had filled with their heated exchanges, and it wasn't because they were throwing fireballs at each other. Yet the smiled waned and her eyes held worry again, and she fidgeted in her seat before softly asking, "Why love? Why are they so paranoid?" Nephrite took only a moment to think and a breath before answering, "You know that I'm not the greatest supporter of your politics?" "Yes," she replied. "It's never bothered me, though." "But it bothers others," he said. "Powerful people in this court loathe me with a passion. My fear is that if they discovered us together, they would bring some sort of...I don't know, foolish charge against me and force Selenity to forbade me to come here ever again. And then I'd never be able to see you again, Kato, and my heart would shatter into a million pieces." His eyes melted into soft brown at the words, and the peculiar hoarseness in his voice grated against her soul, and tears came to her eyes. For eternity it seemed she stared deep into those eyes, searching the emotions within them and finding not a grain of a lie, but nothing but tremendous, overwhelming love. "I love you, Nephrite, and as long as I live I will never leave you," she finally said. "I promise." She clasped his hand tighter now, and a trace of tear stained the corner of her eye. He in turn stared into her eyes, and found quicker the love he knew was there. "I love you as well, my lady," he whispered, the hoarseness gone yet the words making her insides quiver. "And I swear to you, on my life in my honor, that I will never hurt you nor leave you." He withdrew his hands from hers and presented the right one, palm up; a dark velvet box appeared in front of her. "They're yours." She opened the box and her eyes widened; automatically she brushed the lingering tear away and reached out to touch them. It was a pair of rose earrings, both of a dark coral pink, and they shimmered and winked in the sudden light like a pair of stars shining together. And now she had a feeling why he'd given them to her, and not just because she'd once expressed a like for roses. She looked up at him, and into his brown eyes, and whispered softly, "Thank you." "You're welcome, my love," he replied as she set the box down on the table. He leaned over and violated his own rule by gently kissing her...which had led into an evening he would remember for years to come. Suddenly, a lightning bolt across his brain snapped him from his reverie, and he jumped from his couch and looked across the room. Nothing. Yet something had just violated his quarters; it had breached the grid he'd set up in order to tell him when visitors and/or intruders showed up on his doorstep. "Hello?" he called out. "Jade, Kunzite?" He checked his clock; he still had fifteen minutes before he was to go on watch with Zoicite. "I have time!" "No you don't, Nephrite!" The voice exploded out of a far corner, and he turned quickly to see a wave of water come rushing at him. He teleported himself out of the way and into the air, hovering so that his head nearly touched the ceiling. From above he saw a watery women slither into the room, her skin and eyes a bright blue, with very little hair. he thought-- or some type of Negaverse creature, comparing it to the descriptions he'd heard. Automatically a whirl of white tinged black power swirled in his left hand, and his spord appeared in his right, and with a roar of "BEAST!" he swooped down upon the creature. "Heh-heh," the water creature said, and a pillar of water immediately began to launch itself toward him. He slid out of the way with ease and launched the power attack at it, clipping its shoulder. A cry of pain surged through the room, and he followed it up with burst of static, which surrounded and imprisoned the creature. His feet landed in the water, and he surveyed the room with disgust... ...before whirling to catch the end of a trident aimed at him. "I think not, fiend," he growled, and the fight was on. This creature was a snaky, slimy thing with green skin and a red tongue that matched its orange, flaming eyes. A spark flew from it's mouth, and the star shield flicked beneath it before responding with a white flame. The creature tried to duck, and soon found the tip of his spord at its throat. Then another attacker came, and another. Soon, Nephrite was facing off against four, and doing pretty well for the amount of people he faced. He was about to teleport out and bring back Kunzite, and then do some serious damage. Yet it was then the smooth point of a lance speared his shoulder, and with a cry of pan he dropped his sword. The youma advanced, seeking blood, but bursts of star power flared at them, and they stepped back. "Don't hurt him anymore!" The voice was dark and feminine, and saturated with power and arrogance. The youma fell silent before it, and the lance point came out of his shoulder, which he quickly covered with his hand. He growled then, and drew upon the star field to help patch the injury as he called out, "Who are you?" There was a laugh, and no reply. Yet in front of him appeared a women, clothed in purple and a mane of red falling down her back, eyes red, with pointed ears sticking from beneath the aforementioned mane. She looked down at him and laughed again, then advanced. The star field sparked in front of him...until she drew out a dark crystal and drained enough energy away from it so it collapsed. A strange heaviness came over him as he looked up over her, and he felt his eyes role back into his head as he slumped to the floor, passing out cold. "Nice to meet you as well, Nephrite," Beryl whispered evily, then looked up at the shadow behind him. "Take him away! We have plans to carry out." The shadow behind him grunted, then leaned down to touch him, both disappearing in a flash of purple. The youma followed Beryl, leaving behind an empty, destroyed room were there was once peace.