Rated G

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The Legend of Serenity
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by: Spatula Gurl

-- Chapter Seven



	Artemis hurried across the dimly lit hallway and pushed open 
the door into the bedroom.  Looking around him twice, he slipped 
inside and closed the door behind him.
	Sitting quietly by the fireplace were all four girls.  Rei 
was sitting closest by the warm, crackling fire, her head slightly 
bowed and her eyes closed in deep meditation.  The other three 
surrounded her in a tiny circle, and looked up from whatever they 
were doing earlier as soon as they heard Artemis' entrance.
	"Did you pass by anyone on your way here?" Minako was quick 
to ask in a whisper.
	"None that I know of," the silver-haired Mau replied.  He 
sat down on the floor beside her.  "What are you trying to find 
out?" he asked, referring to the fire reading Rei was obviously 
doing.  He was, after all, quite familiar with the young miko's 
frequent consulting of the sacred flame.  The girl's gift for 
accurate interpretations of the fire had always been a valuable 
asset to the senshi.
	In response, Rei's eyelids fluttered open.  She turned to 
Artemis and answered, "The usual.  But this time, I was searching for 
patterns that might give us a clue.  I thought about what Ami 
suggested."
	"And what did you find out?" Artemis asked.
	"That it is highly possible.  I've been feeling a vague, 
elemental sort of link.  I'll be doing a more thorough look on it 
tomorrow."  Then she turned to Makoto.  "You've been around the 
grounds, haven't you?  Perhaps you can point me to a nearby temple 
where I could do it without disturbance."
	Makoto nodded in reply.  "One of them is just near the dojo.  
We could go there first thing tomorrow, around four, if you like.  
I've been itching to put these limbs to practice.  In fact," she 
said, turning to the rest of her friends, "I think we could all use 
a bit of exercise.  Aren't you all worried that we're probably 
rusting up?"
	Ami opened her mouth to agree, but Minako inercepted with a 
groan.  "Trust Mako-chan to remind us of that.  I haven't got enough 
sleep as it is, and that's about five hours of rest.  But--" she 
paused briefly, with a grin as she straightened up, "--you're 
probably right.  It's not my idea of fun, but this body's got to 
toughen up for 'encounters' we're bound to have."  Then to herself, 
she added, 'Ha!  And that will teach General Kunzite not to 
underestimate me so much.'
	"Well?" Artemis said, his voice cutting through Minako's 
thoughts.  "How is everything so far?  You didn't come across any 
trouble when you got here, did you?"
	"Actually," Makoto sighed, "We've been tripping along nothing 
but trouble the very moment we got here..."
	"Let's not dwell on unpleasant thoughts, shall we?" Minako 
interceded, shuddering at the remembrance of her experience before 
all four of them got to the camp to meet with the generals for the 
first time.
	Makoto snorted in laughter while the two others hid a slight 
smile at remembering the same thing.  Minako glared at them before 
adding, "Okay, so we had quite a run of bad luck."  Then she turned 
to Artemis.  "When we got to the camp, we weren't exactly looking 
our uh, best..."
	At Artemis puzzled look, Rei explained.  "We fell into a 
muddy swamp on the way to the generals' camp."
	His eyes widened.  "You mean you walked into camp looking 
like muddied haggards?"
	"Something like that," she replied straight-faced.
	"It's a wonder they didn't accuse you of being imposters," 
Artemis said, shaking his head.  "What about the generals?  Are they 
giving you any trouble?"
	Minako thought for a moment then replied, "Not really.  But 
General Kunzite is being very cautious.  I think he senses that 
we're hiding something from them."
	"I think perhaps General Jadeite has almost the same 
sentiments.  He hasn't said or done anything yet, however," Rei 
said.  "But he's very perceptive."
	"I'm not sure about General Nephrite."  It was Makoto's turn 
to speak.  "It is difficult to read his thoughts.  He almost never 
lets his guard down," she admitted grudgingly.  Under her breath, 
she muttered, "But he does give me a hard time."
	"General Zoicite hasn't said anything.  I think he finds the 
whole arrangement strange enough, but accepts it without questions, 
nonetheless," Ami stated with a nod.  "He does admit to finding us 
quite different, though, but I think he surmised that it can be 
attributed to us being noblewomen from the Lunarian Kingdom."
	"Well," Artemis said, his expression turning quite serious, 
"We might never have another chance to talk this freely without the 
presence of outsiders, so we might as well be done with it.  Tell me 
everything else have learned so far from the moment you got here."
	The girls filled him in on everything that had happened since 
their arrival on Earth.  They related all in careful detail, from the 
ambush in the Suzumeno Himitsu forest to the guardian encounter in 
the Mikazuki cavern.  Artemis was especially disturbed with the 
girls' tale of the latter, more so when Ami voiced out her own 
suspicions.
	"I never knew that Queen Serenity had created such a powerful 
guardian force, and here on Earth, nonetheless," Ami admitted.  "Did 
you know about this?"
	Artemis frowned, as he thought for a moment.  "I don't think 
so, but it doesn't really surprise me as much as it should.  I do 
know that Her Highness has always taken similar precautions on 
everything else which she thought would be a target for outer 
invasions, but never as complicated as this one.  This is the first 
time I have heard of a force implanted with artificial intelligence 
and Lunarian magic of the fifth tier."
	Minako shook her head.  "The Queen was truly amazing.  She 
must have foreseen the plan for the ginzuishou's theft."
	"Yes," Rei agreed.  "She knew the enemy would go through her 
daughter to acquire the silver crytal, so she separated it into 
seven parts.  These nijizuishou must have been made to scatter as 
soon as an attempt on extraction or some other method to get the 
silver crystal was done."
	"Let's not forget the Generals," Ami intercepted in a quiet 
voice.  "These men...the guardian made some cryptic warning about 
them."  She took a deep breath.  "It can't be mere coincidence.  
Chiba-sama's four generals must have something to do with this 
puzzle, but I doubt if they know more than we do."
	"We've already suspected at first, you see," Makoto explained 
to Artemis.  "General Zoicite had already said as much to Ami."
	"I asked him why he and his fellow generals were looking 
for a prince that has been missing for as long as Chiba-sama was," 
Ami said.  "And he replied that it was not out of duty to the throne.  
He could not explain it, but he knows that Chiba-sama is alive."
	"We regarded this information with little significance, but 
we kept note just the same."  It was Rei who spoke again.  "After 
all, all four of them shared the belief.  And it did seem as if they 
were somewhat linked with the prince, although it could not be proven 
as of yet.  But now, this force of a guardian who gave us the first 
of the seven rainbow crystals, confirmed our initial suspicions about 
them."
	"This could only mean two things," Artemis concluded grimly.
"They could be our enemies, out to get hold of the crystal for 
reasons we're not sure of.  Or," he said, as he eyed each of them 
carefully, "they could be the persons we are looking for.  And if so, 
we should consider ourselves very, very lucky to have the job half 
done even before we knew it."
	"And if they're not..." Makoto trailed off.
	The room was silent for a moment.  Then, Minako spoke up, 
"Either case, they are not to know of the vital details of our own 
mission until we are sure of the roles they play.  We shall go on 
as before, but with extra caution."
	Artemis nodded in agreement.  "Yes," he said, "And it seems 
that you girls have no other way to stop your inherrent power from 
coursing its natural path.  That incident in the forest was a close 
one, and I'm actually quite surprised to hear you all say that no 
one seemed to notice.  You must be very careful--we have no way of 
stopping it until we have Usagi-chan back to balance out your 
elemental tiers.  Until then, imminent danger will unleash these 
powers of yours, and if that happens--" he paused with a sigh, 
"--the generals will want an explanation."


				*	*	*


	Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, and she absently 
brushed back the locks of chestbut brown curls that were loose from 
her ponytail.
	It was still very early; the sun was yet to peek from its 
resting place, and the dark skies overhead only hinted of the morning 
to come in streaks of pink and violet.
	At a quarter before six in the morning, Makoto was in the empty 
dojo within the palace grounds, east of the temple where Rei was 
currently meditating.  They had gone together forty-five minutes 
earlier, about an hour later from what they had originally planned.  
The two other girls were sound asleep; Makoto and Rei didn't want to 
disturb their contented slumber, so they went without them, Makoto 
making a mental note to persuade them the following day.  But for now, 
she and Rei agreed that the two deserved a good sleep.
	For the longest while, she was aware of nothing else but her 
own kicks and thrusts that cut through the cold, silent air.  She was 
sweating from all the effort of her practice, and her heart was 
pounding within her chest, but it did not matter.  In a rhythmic pace 
she took big gulps of fresh air as she made each calculated move.  It 
was quite some time before she finally took a rest and wiped her face 
clean of sweat with the small towel she brought with her.
	Pausing by the entrance steps, Makoto looked at the early 
morning sky.  She took a deep breath, and smiled to herself, feeling 
quite refreshed.  If course, it would've been better if she had 
someone to spar with, but under the circumstances, it was better that 
no one knew much about their own activities.  They never claimed 
themselves helpless, true, but they never denied it, too.  The 
generals have seen and experienced first hand that they were not 
working with frivolous noblewomen, so they probably wouldn't be 
surprised if they found out that they could actually fight better 
than expected.  And besides, it was getting pretty common for royalty 
to be trained in at least one defensive art.
	Makoto began retracing her steps back to the temple, and 
wondered how Rei was doing.  She guessed that there would be soon 
enough palace servants who would be assuming their daily duties any 
time now, so she hoped that Rei would be done by then.  In half an 
hour, the palace grounds would surely awaken.
	Sure enough, when she reached the temple grounds not far 
away, a slim, raven-haired figure slipped quietly out onto the front 
steps.  With a small smile still on her lips, Makoto rushed forword 
to meet Rei.
	"Was it any good?" Makoto wanted to know.
	Rei bit her lip.  "There's a more distinct presence here 
than from the last time I tried to search for something within the 
blue crystal," she said.  She lifted her right palm, and in it was 
the nijizuishou they got from the Mikazuki cavern.  "There is raw 
energy inside of it, of that I am sure.  But it is barely tangible.  
Ami-chan may be right about using a medium to draw out a similar 
crystal or force.  I have found nothing else besides that, but I am 
certain we will get answers soon enough with just a few more tries."
	The two continued to walk back towards the main hall, passing 
quietly so as not to gain any notice from anyone nearby.  Indeed, no 
one seemed to be around yet, although both of them could hear the 
soft, rousing bustle of early activity within the grounds.  As they 
entered the narrow hallway leading to a flight of stairs, they were 
surprised to see an undoubtedly masculine figure approaching.  More 
so when they suddenly realized that it was General Jadeite, still 
handsome even in what Minako would call an "ungodly hour".
	Jadeite was also surprised to see them, and he could see in 
their expressions that they weren't expecting to see him around so 
early in the morning either.  He smiled, a lopsided curve to his lips 
which Rei rather thought gave him a charming, roguish look.  "Good 
morning, ladies," he greeted them, nodding to acknowledge their 
presence.  Giving them a quizzical look, he continued, "I didn't know 
that you women woke up this early in the morning.  I had assumed 
that you would want to catch up on lost sleep."
	"Oh, we're early birds," Makoto said, as casually as she 
could, with a small laugh.  "Fresh morning air is good.  And you?"
	"It's a habit of mine, not waking up later than six in the 
morning," he admitted sheepishly.  His eyes were inadvertently drawn 
to the quiet, raven-haired girl, Rei, who gave him her usual slight 
smile.  
	'Nothing more than her enigmatic, polite smiles,' he remarked 
to himself, the thought drifiting so faintly inside his head it was 
almost unnoticed.  He stared a moment longer than he intended, but 
neither women took heed of it.
	"Well, we better go now," Makoto said, giving him a warm 
smile of her own.  "We still have to change.  See you at breakfast!" 
she said, then waved.
	As soon as the two were out of hearing distance, Makoto gave 
a sigh of relief.  "He didn't say anything about our clothes," she 
said, referring to their unusual garb.  Rei was wearing a simple 
cotton kimono best for her long hours before the fire, and Makoto 
was wearing a loose outfit suitable for rigorous training hours.  It 
was a far cry from the usual attire they wore around the palace most 
of the time, so Jadeite could've easily taken notice.  But he did not, 
apparently being occupied with his own thoughts.


	Minako sat up with a yawn, rubbing her eyes as she did.  She 
squinted through her half-open lids at the figure by the dresser.  
	"Mako-chan?" she asked groggily.  "What are you doing up so 
early?"  Then, as an afterthought, she said, "Oh, that's right.  I'm 
sorry I overslept..."
	Makoto tried to look stern, but she ruined it by grinning.  
"Forget it.  I'll let this one pass.  But tomorrow--"
	"I promise, I promise," the blonde said, turning over her 
head with a pillow, intending to go back to sleep.  To her annoyance, 
Makoto pulled the pillow off, together with the sheets.
	"Get up, you sack of lazy bones!  You owe me!"
	Grudgingly, Minako sat up again, muttering under her breath, 
"Why did I ever get stuck with you?"
	Makoto gave her a quelling look.  "Hurry up.  Wash and get 
dressed.  We're going down for breakfast."  After hearing Minako 
still muttering, she added, "If you keep that up, you'll never trim 
down those fat hips."
	Scowling, Minako snapped, "I do not have fat hips!"
	Trying hard not to laugh, Makoto threw a feigned patronizing 
glance her way, which made Minako growl and throw a pillow back at 
her.
	"Hurry up and get dressed!" Makoto repeated, finally giving 
in to laughter.
	"Only if you take back what you said," Minako retorted 
hotly, but did get up anyway.


	"Did you say General Kunzite is the one you're assigned to?"
Artemis asked Minako in a whisper, as they exited the dining hall.
	When the blonde nodded in reply, Artemis shook his head 
gravely.  "You'd better watch what you do around him.  He does 
look like a cold, suspicious starch bag."
	Minako stifled a giggle.  "He's not that bad, really.  But 
what can you expect from the likes of him?  He's just the same as 
the rest of them, only a little colder."
	"Hmph.  If he could be colder, they'd use him to keep polar 
bears happy," Artemis snorted.  "And that Zoicite guy doesn't seem 
the same way to me," he pointed out.
	"True," Minako agreed.  "He's the one exception.  Charming 
man, really."  She thought for a moment.  "But I'm alright with 
Kunzite, I guess."  A pause.  "He...makes me feel safe."
	Artemis looked at her with a raised brow, but she did not 
notice.
	"Well, of course, he keeps chiding me for my impulsive 
behavior--"
	"He said you were impulsive?"
	"Not in those words, but if you've ever seen the way he 
frowns at me, words are hardly necessary."
	"And are you?"
	"What?"
	"Acting impulsively?"
	Minako waved a dismissive hand in the air.  "Who cares, as 
long as I get the job done?"  At Artemis stern look, she added hotly, 
"I'm not doing anything rash, okay?  It's just that Kunzite thinks I 
should stay put at all times and obey whatever he tells me to do!"
	"And maybe you should."
	"Don't give me that!  He treats me like a child!"
	"Minako-chan, that's completely understandable.  He's just 
doing what he thinks he should be doing.  Of course he's concerned 
for your safety!  And isn't that what you said earlier?  He may treat 
you like a child, but at least you feel secure with him.  Don't you?"
	"I guess so," Minako said and sighed again.  "He may be cold 
and distant most of the time, but I think I'm starting to trust him."
	They continued along the hallway in companionable silence.  
Then, Artemis, with a thoughtful expression on his face, turned to 
Minako.
	"Does that man ever laugh?" he asked in pure wonder.
	Minako was so surprised by the question that she burst into 
a fit of giggles, catching the attention of a few servants passing 
by.  "He's probably afraid that he'd crack his face if he did," she 
replied, smiling amusedly.  She imagined it for a moment, and then 
paused.  "But I imagine he'd look even more handsome with a real 
smile on his face."
	Now Artemis raised both of his eyebrows at that comment.  
His face formed into a teasing one as he remarked, "So you think the 
starch bag's handsome, eh?"
	"What?" Minako turned to him in surprise, her cheeks flushing 
pink.  "Of course I--no, he--I mean, come on, a woman would have to 
be blind and deaf not to notice and hear the way the maids titter and 
fawn irritatingly around him..."
	"Oh ho, and we don't like that, do we?"
	"Stop it, Artemis," she snapped, her cheeks becoming redder.  
"And wipe that stupid grin off your face.  It's not like that!  I 
told you, the man treats me like a child.  And besides," she said 
haughtily, "The generals are all equally handsome.  If I were to be 
attracted to any of them, it might as well be General Zoicite."  
	Which was a lie, of course.  She thought Kunzite was the 
most handsome of them all, charming or not, but she'd die first, 
before admitting that out loud in front of Artemis.
	"Ah, but he isn't the one you're assigned to, is he?"  At 
Minako's dark look, Artemis finally laughed.  "Alright, I'll stop.  
You're just too easy to tease, it's irresistable."
	"You shouldn't have said that.  Now I'm going to get even.  
I'm sure Luna would appreciate the dozen stories I have to spare.."
she deliberately trailed off.
	Artemis' face turned scarlet almost immediately the moment 
Minako uttered the name 'Luna'.  "They're not true, and you know it!" 
he exlaimed angrily.
	The blue-eyed blonde merely tossed her head back.  Now it was 
her turn to laugh.


	Ami was humming to herself as she walked.  She smiled 
pleasantly to the servants who bowed deep in respect to her as she 
passed by.
	She was in a good mood, something that had not yet happened 
since Usagi's disappearance.  She savored the feeling, refreshed by 
the energy it was giving her.  She felt confident that they would be 
do much progress today.
	She wondered if General Zoicite would be accompanying her 
again in their research.  The man had certainly been gracious and 
gentlemanly in keeping her company, and she was a bit embarrased to 
be consuming so much of his time.  He probably had other work to do 
with his fellow generals, but instead, he was helping her with hers.  
Well of course, the mission was his responsibility, too, but it 
wasn't necessary to assume her duties if it would be interfering in 
his own.
	Turning now at the corner of the corridor, she stepped into 
the parlor.  And there he was, Zoicite, with his back turned to her, 
sipping tea quietly and reading a couple of papers in his hand.  But 
he was not alone.
	There were three other maids in the large room, milling about 
with gamine-like smiles on their faces.  Ami's steps slowed down, and 
she frowned slightly at their blatant flirtation.  It was obvious 
from the look of their faces that they were turning all charms to the 
fullest, as they catered to the handsome general's comfort.  She had 
seen the way these maids flocked about the men, especially Zoicite, 
and it had disturbed her.  Too many of them seemed very familiar with 
him.
	But why should that bother her?  Given, Zoicite was a very 
attractive man, good-natured and utterly charming.  It wouldn't be 
very surprising if he had women by the dozen.  He looked just the 
type...a formidable rake.
	He saw one of the maids make some sort of a gesture with her 
hand as she came close to him , and it caught his attention.  He 
looked up, simply smiled at her and said something Ami couldn't 
quite hear, which made the woman giggle delightedly.
	As Ami came nearer, she forced a smile on her face and made 
her presence known by clearing her throat.  The woman jumped back, 
so did the other two maids, who quickly bowed low and uttered a 
greeting.  With a promise to bring her tea, the three made their way 
out of the room, leaving only herself and Zoicite inside.
	Upon seeing her, Zoicite's whole face brightened.  He put 
down the papers he was holding, stood up, and gallantly took hold of 
her hand and brushed his lips lightly over her knuckles.  After 
returning her greeting, he helped her to a seat.
	"I'm just going over these papers concerning reports on my 
properties in the south.  I haven't been able to manage these things 
carefully since Mamoru-kun disappeared, and I think I've neglected 
them long enough."  He smiled at her.  "This will be just for a 
while.  I'll be helping you with the maps right after I finish this 
last one."
	"Oh, there's no need, General," Ami said, with a small smile.  
"I only came here to apologize.  I realize that I've been too much of 
a bother to you.  I can understand if you need to attend to other 
matters--I can do this by myself.  I'm very sorry."
	Zoicite frowned.  "No, don't apologize.  It's quite alright 
with me."  He thought she looked quite stiff this morning, even when 
she smiled.  And he noticed she started addressing him quite formally 
again.  "Is something the matter?" he asked.
	"Oh, no, nothing's wrong.  It's just that--"
	"If you're worried about getting in the way of my work, don't 
be.  I help you because I choose to."  He looked at her, puzzled.  
"Please don't think that I'm only helping you because I feel 
obligated to.  I'm not, and I'm sorry you feel that way.  I enjoy 
your company, Ami."
	That statement seemed to startle Ami, and to her horror, she 
could feel herself blushing.  "I...I'm glad you feel that way."  
Then she stopped herself.  He probably says the same thing to every 
female acquaintance.
	"And besides, this is my responsibility, too," he said.  
"The quicker we take care of it, then the better.  And we work best 
together, don't we?" he added teasingly, grinning widely as he did.  
	Ami just stared at his handsome profile, bemusement written 
all over her face.  She didn't quite know what to say, nor did she 
know what to think nor feel about that.  She suddenly felt strangely 
light-headed, and when his expression grew a little more serious, 
she found herself feeling a bit apprehensive.
	Once again, she was gazing into sparkling pools of light 
green.  He inched himself closer, unknowingly worsening her anxiety.  
And when he spoke, it was in the same soft voice that felt strangely 
familiar to her.  "I do enjoy your company, Ami," he said at last.  
"Probably more than you know."
	At that point, she half-expected him to break into one of his 
teasing, boyish grins, but his expression did not change.  "Quite 
frankly, you're about the only woman I know whom I can converse with 
in that way.  And, well, you're..." he broke off, turning his head 
away for an instant.  Ami was still at a loss for words, wondering 
what he was about to say before he cut himself off.
	When he returned his attention to her, he was smiling again.  
"Well, you're...the only one who has ever beaten me at chess.  
Twice."
	Ami was startled for a moment, and her mouth hung open in 
surprise.  Then suddenly, she laughed, the sound of it reminding 
him of windswept chimes.  "Zoicite, you've beaten me just as much.  
Twice," she said at last, breaking into another fit of laughter.  
"And truth be told," she continued, wiping at the corners of her 
eyes, "You're about the only one who has ever beaten me at it, 
too."
	"Good!  Then we both don't have to feel that badly over it, 
having beaten each other so soundly."  He grinned, and Ami returned 
it with a smile of her own.  He was so pleased at seeing her relaxed, 
more cheerful and carefree than her usual disposition, that his grin 
grew even wider.  "And you haven't forgotten about our deal, have 
you?"
	She tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled at him 
sweetly.  Hell, did she even know how incredibly lovely she was when 
she looked at him like that?  Probably not.  "Of course," she 
replied.
	"Then you have something in mind for me to do?  You've got 
two favors from me."
	She thought for a moment.  "No, nothing yet.  But I'll make 
sure to come up with something within this week," she answered, her 
eyes twinkling.
	He laughed again.  "Alright, just as long as you remember we 
agreed on harmless ones," he said.  "And don't forget.  You owe me 
two more, too."
	Ami looked at him askance.  "Then you have decided on 
something?"
	Zoicite just shook his head, and gave her an enigmatic smile.  
"Maybe.  Maybe not."  Then he winked at her.  "I'll let you know when 
it's time."


	"So they aren't really betrothed?"
	"No, not at all!"
	"That's good news...very good news!"
	"Stop those giggles!  And take that grin off your face, 
Yuriko!  Have you girls no shame for yourselves?  Why--"
	"When it comes to those generals, none at all!"
	"Make sure Lady Glynis doesn't hear you, or she'll have you 
for dinner.  You know how she feels about General Nephrite-sama."
	"That's what I hate about married men.  Can't have their 
wives around banging at your door.."
	"Did she--?"
	"What about Gen--"
	"I served General Zoicite-sama in the parlor earlier, and 
he was with Lady Mizuno."
	"You don't think they're together, do you?"
	"Who cares?  I'm available to any of them!  General 
Kunzite-sama is--"
	"That handsome man is rarely seen outside.  He keeps 
himself so busy--"
	"Yes, yes, and what about General Jadeite-sama--?"
	The maids continued their noisy chatter, unaware of one 
mischievous boy hiding behind a wine barrel...
	Prince Yokio was having a fine time of it.  He steathily 
crept across on the dirty kitchen floor to move under the table 
where the food lay.  So far so good...none of the maids had taken 
notice.  He licked his lips eagerly as he waited for the right time 
to stick his arm out and reach for the nutbread.  He was told 
earlier to wait for it to be served in the dining room, but he 
didn't want to do that.  He still wanted to play outside, and 
besides, there were too many grown-ups at the dining table for him 
not to be restricted to whatever was proper again.  He'd steal the 
nutbread then dash his way out to the gardens to hide for awhile.  
Then he'd do whatever he wanted, without any adults to interfere.  
Yes, that was what he'd do.  He stuck his arm out, his fingers 
searching for the plate...
	He grabbed hold of the bread in one hand, and rushed out of 
his hiding place in an instant.  The noise he made while doing so 
gained the attention of several maids, and they turned towards him in 
vain.  "Young master!" they echoed, but already Yokio was out of 
sight.
	With the loaf of nutbread in his tiny mouth, he ran as fast 
as his little feet would carry him, away from the kitchen.  On and 
on he went, not really caring where he took himself, just as long 
as the maids kept out of his way.  He glanced over his shoulder to 
check if they were still hot on his trail.  He was already out in 
the gardens, and not one of them was in sight.  A self-satisfied 
grin crept up to the corners of his mouth.
	But his triumph was short-lived.
	Only seconds after taking his eyes off his path did he 
bump into something that caused him to tumble backwards, his nutbread 
rolling down on his shirt.
	Or was it a 'someone' he bumped into?
	Little Prince Yokio looked up from where he was sprawled on 
the ground.  A lady, a tall one at that, was looking down at him with 
warm green eyes, full of concern.
	"I'm quite sorry!  Are you alright?"
	He gaped.  But he couldn't help himself.  It was one of the 
women who had come to reside in the palace for awhile.  She found 
him out!
	The lady knelt beside him.  "You're not hurt, are you?"
	"No," the boy said, standing up, an expression of defeat in 
his handsome young face.  He dusted his shirt and held out the 
nutbread in his right hand.  "Okay, you got me good," he said 
grudgingly, his head bowed in surrender.
	When he got no reply, he looked up to see the lady staring 
down at his hand, puzzled.  "Err, what do you want me to do with it?" 
she asked, looking at him.
	"You're not here to catch me for the nutbread?"
	Looking bewildered, but amused nonetheless, the lady asked 
him again.  "Prince Akio, isn't it?"
	He nodded numbly in reply.
	Her smile widened, and her eyes sparkled with hidden mirth.  
"Well, Your Majesty, I'm not here to catch you for anything.  I was 
actually looking for your sister.  But you did look like you were 
in a hurry back there.  Is that--" she motioned to the nutbread with 
a pointed look, "--the reason why you seemed to running away from 
someone in particular?"
	"Well..." he looked up at the lady warily, and hesitated.  Was 
it proper to admit to such behavior?  And to a lady?  But he was not 
given time to answer, for she interceded quickly, and quite 
cheerfully, with a conspiratorial grin.
	"Good!" she said.  Then in a lowered voice, "Because I'm out 
here hiding from someone, too.  Maybe we should go hide ourselves 
together."
	Yokio stared up at the lady incredulously.
	She just grinned down at him.


	"Minako, are you alright?"
	Minako turned her attention to Artemis, who had asked the 
question.  She sighed.  She was feeling a bit woozy.
	"Well?" he cocked a brow, waiting for her answer.
	"I am feeling a bit light-headed," she admitted, then frowned.  
"I don't understand.  I was feeling a bit tired yesterday, but I got 
enough rest this morning."
	Artemis leaned forward and examined her face closely.  "You do 
look a little pale, but it doesn't look serious."  He glanced at the 
clock behind her.  "Well, we have a half-hour break right now.  You 
can rest in your chamber for a while."
	She shook her head.  "If I did, Mako-chan would wring my neck.  
She had enough trouble getting me up this morning already.  Let's 
just take a rest outside, and get some fresh air at least."
	Artemis looked doubtful, but shrugged.  "Alright, whatever you 
want."
	She sighed again.  "Well, we should get these back first," she 
said, motioning to the books stacked in front of them.
	"No, just leave them there.  We'd have to get them back again, 
anyway, so it'd be pointless to return unless we've finished on them.
I'm certain  no one would mind," he assured her.  "They all know 
we're in the middle of some important research here."
	As they stood up to leave, the large library door opened.  It 
was Nephrite, looking around the room with a puzzled glance.  Minako 
and Artemis saw him mutter something underneath his breath before he 
turned to leave.  The two looked at each other and shrugged.  General 
Nephrite was behaving strangely today.  But before they themselves 
moved from their postions, the general turned his back again, and 
faced them.  He looked at both in askance.
	"Makoto is not with you?"
	They shook their head no.
	"Do you happen to know where she is?"
	Again, they each gave a negative shake of the head.
	Nephrite frowned, not liking his situation at all.  But he 
thanked the two on his way out.
	The two followed the general with their eyes as he exited the 
room.  Then Artemis turned to her.  "What was that all about?"
	Minako merely laughed and shook her head.  "I have no idea.  
But knowing those two, it's probably not something you should concern 
yourself with."  She smiled to herself and was wise not to mention 
her own thoughts.
	

=====================================================================
This story was written by Spatula Gurl. All comments and suggestions 
should be sent to ucchan@gurlmail.com.  Naoko Takeuchi owns 
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its characters.  I am not making any 
profit from this fanfic.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
---------------
ginzuishou = silver crystal (refer to SM 1st series).
nijizuishou = rainbow crystal; 7 of them makes 1 silver crystal
Mau = planet from where Luna and Artemis originated before they came 
to live on the moon as advisers of Queen Serenity.  This is also 
the origin of Tin Nyanko (refer to SailorStars series).

As you may have probably noticed, I am focusing more on Makoto and 
Minako's cases here, in this part of the story.  Rei and Ami 
fans, don't despair!  You'll get much more of them later on.

Thank you to all the readers!  By mail count, "The Legend of 
Serenity" has more than 60 readers already!  Thank you for writing!  
I appreciate the e-mail!
I will be posting my fanfics soon at my own website, Chocobuckle.com.
Watch out for it!  ^_^