Jadeite couldn't imagine a hell worse than this.
The Moon was alive with song and dance as two great houses came together to celebrate a moment in history. The Earth was just weeks away from initiation into the Silver Millennium, and tonight was the first time the royal family of the Golden Kingdom set foot on this alien world. It was a great leap of fate, everyone knew, as the Earthen royals disregarded rumors of espionage and apocalyptic signs from the heavens all for this moment of peace. He only hoped it wouldn't come back to bite them on the arse.
He watched from the corner of the circular ballroom as his comrades lost themselves in the crowd. Zoicite danced foolishly with a lovely girl, his designer clothes, especially tailored for the occasion, flashed emerald light across the room. He thrived on such social gatherings. He was always up for a good night of dancing and singing, or whatever the activity whenever he was off duty. Jadeite wasn't sure, and he didn't really care to find out. Nephrite fluttered around the table with the endless fountain of fine red wine flowing off plateaus of fine crystal. He knew it was the best place to be for Nephrite's intentions, for everyone would eventually wander to the watering hole. He was supposed to be asking questions about the kingdom in hopes of gaining some leverage over their ethereal hosts, but Jadeite could tell the wine was getting to his head with the childish passes he made at blushing women.
Kunzite was the one that made his blood boil the most. He stood not far from the prince and princess, for one eye was always pinned on his charge. The other was concentrated on the Venusian vixen before him whose lips never seemed to stop moving. Jadeite knew Kunzite felt the same hesitant and pessimistic thoughts about this union that everyone else seemed to ignore. But it was Endymion's wish this be carried out, and if Kunzite was anything, it was loyal to the monarch. He would do what his prince asked of him, and wear his fake smile without a word of protest. Jadeite hated him for that. Didn't they all see what was happening? Jadeite turned his back on the entire façade, exiting via one of the many staircases within the white stone palace. This exit led to a spectacular view of the Sea of Serenitas, and Jadeite let his eyes wander to the small harbor lit with golden lights. The Moon had many wonders to behold, but he longed for clear blue skies and forests with life pouring from their veins. This world offered nothing but safety; safety in a cage where life would be monitored and kept sedated. His kind longed for adventure and danger, fame and fortune, heartbreak and hope, the threat of death and the thrill of the escape. They would grow restless under such peace, and in the end, it would drive them mad -- a life of choices and consequences. That was his utopia.
He needed to leave. He could escape now, and no one would notice until the night ended. He would deal with his reprimand in the morning and accept his deserved punishment. He could run away from all this and have things be the way they used to be, so long ago.
"It wasn't always like this, you know," the voice assumed the form of a wisp of smoke, floating on the soft breeze behind him. From the corner of his eye, he saw a black silhouette disentangle itself from the sea of party goers. He turned his head ever so slightly and cast his bright eyes on her. To Jadeite, most women were an undesirable distraction, an illogical voice, and a nuisance in his field. But this maiden, with hair as dark as the night sky and strange eyes hidden behind smoky eyelashes, caught his attention. Of all the princess' guards, Jadeite found Sailor Mars the most intriguing. He knew as well that she disapproved of this union, and silently praised her for that. She was dark, mysterious and didn’t take the foolish words of Nephrite idly. She was guarded and poised, but underneath, Jadeite could sense hesitation and doubt, fear and anger. Amongst all the stone-like perfect Lunarians, she held the most human qualities he could find. And for that, she was beautiful.
"War had once ravaged even this place," she continued on, every word sounding like a quiet prayer. "It consumed everything, thousands of people's homes -- my home. Here we made our last stand; here we protected what was left. We stood together, knowing so many had already died, and knew that many more would if it was not stopped. We had at that point seen so much blood, so much suffering. I think we have begun to forget exactly how hard we once fought, and how much of a price we paid. So long we have lived in peace; we have become complacent, we have become naive."
"Something is coming, sometimes I wish I could simply run away. But my part in this isn't over yet."
And neither is yours. She had not said the words, but Jadeite knew it was what she was implying. He knew the princess of Mars had telepathic abilities, and silently cursed himself for dropping his defenses. She must have been watching him, waiting for his mind to ease into absent thought so she could catch him off guard.
"If I didn't know any better, I would say you were stalking me."
She turned to him then, capturing him with amethyst eyes full of nothing and everything at the same time. His wry comments stuck in the back of his throat as if he had swallowed a wad of cotton.
"I'm warning you. When the end finally comes you will make a choice: To fight and die, or to run and live." Her eyes softened then, turning into pools of sad reflection. "I wish that I could run with you."
She left him, and his eyes followed her until she was once more consumed by an ocean of endless faces. Her words echoed through his mind -- haunted and prophetic. He could feel her power, ancient and terrific, lingering in the air, hanging over his shoulders like a heavy cape. He found his comrades in the crowd, for now they had all congregated around their prince, and were sharing words and laughter. Everything was fine and perfect, and the evening would be transcribed as a momentous success for ages to come.
He mulled her words over in his head, and each time he came to her last utterance, he felt his heart growing angrier. For all her mysticism and otherworldly sight, the princess of Mars knew nothing. He was a heavenly king of Earth, a frightening and skilled soldier, who never backed down from a battle. There was no chance in Elysian or Hades that Jadeite would ever run from any fight. No, she was mistaken.
In her words though, Jadeite had sensed a silent acceptance of the war slowly creeping up on them from the shadows. Again, the Martian showed her human-like qualities, and Jadeite had to smile. She too felt a longing for a life full of uncertainties, a life he wasn't so willing to give up anymore. And for the moment, Jadeite was finally vindicated, for hope was his as he wasn’t the only one seeing things clearly. With this war, the false pretense of peace and understanding would fracture, and no longer would anyone be able to hide themselves away from the truth. It would shatter the Silver Millennium's ideals of peace, leaving them broken and disoriented. Earth alone would gain the ability to rise above it all, and in the end, Jadeite would find the glory he had sought for so long.
Jadeite turned back to the glimmering scenery and could see the sliver of the Earth at last starting its trek across the satellite's sky. In a way, he had to admit she was right. Jadeite would never stand and fight for this ignorant life. If it meant choosing his home over this world, he wouldn't think twice, and he knew, though distracted, the remaining Shitennou would do the same. If it came right down to it, this frilly union would fall apart, and even his prince would protect his own. Perhaps she was right, and for some dark reason he welcomed the night, welcomed the chance to prove humanity's worth when the utopia of the Moon fell because of their peaceful mantra. The time would come and Jadeite knew the road would lead him somewhere he should not go. But the commander Far East found comfort in one fact; he would not be running alone.
