A Truth Among Lies
By Etoile Mignon



"In the end, everyone forgets someone."



Chapter Two
The Carving and The Key


"The obstacle is the path." - Zen aphorism




       Zoisite's eyes fluttered open, awakening in a familiar room. He lay on a large, comfy mattress, stripped 
of his clothes. The sheets were made of fine cotton and spread wildly over the bed. Without moving, he 
observed the room. It had a large arch that led out to a small terrace on one wall, which was flanked by two 
large windows with white curtains that he had forgotten to draw shut last night. Upon the cold flagstones of the 
floor, there was a large red carpet resting in the center with his clothes laying carelessly discarded on it. A small 
but heavy-looking bureau sat against an adjacent wall, and next to it laid his two bags that he had brought. This 
room had no chandelier, but rather an excess of sconces and a few candelabras placed around the room. 

       There was no need for the candles to be lit anyhow, as dawn would break in mere moments. The hazy 
blue sky seemed ready to ignite as Zoisite stared out the windows, and he was glad he had woken before the 
daylight. With a swift jerk, he sat up in bed and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain shot through his 
temples, forcing his eyes shut. The pain lingered, quickly turning his stomach sour with agony. 

       "It must have been a good night, then," he said to himself, trying to remember the evening. He 
recalled that the four of them sat and continued to drink with the King, even after the rest of the court was 
done, which was all the more likely why he was being punished for it now. It felt like forever since he had been 
hung over, but he remembered it well. He flopped his legs over the side of the bed and took a rather deep 
breath before willing himself to stand on them. They felt wobbly and weak but somehow still held him. 

       He spotted a pitcher of water and a goblet sitting on a table, and when he reached it, drank three full 
cups before he decided to do anything else. Beyond the pitcher was a small mirror, which Zoisite seemed less 
than shocked to discover his own reflection. His long tresses of strawberry hair were a mess, falling into his face 
and over his shoulders freely. His beard was beginning to grow in, and he made a note to shave before he went 
anywhere. His bright green eyes seemed greener than usual as the white surrounding it was now red and 
bloodshot. "What a sight you are, general," he murmured, shaking his head disgracefully as he turned away.

       After several excruciating moments on trying to put his trousers on, during which he had to lean upon 
several tables and walls for added support, Zoisite stumbled out onto his terrace. A cool dawn had exploded, 
filling the world with a bright light that was not wholly welcomed. With the goblet full of fresh, cool water, 
Zoisite stretched himself out in the morning light. The terrace looked to the North, and he could see the 
morning reach across the land as the sun rose. He saw well beyond the castle's wall and into the grounds. Some 
servants were working in fields, and he had a lovely view of the gardens. He could even see the stables that sat 
just before the northern entrance. The Elysian Peak sat so high, he could also gaze upon the actual city of Elys, 
where there were great fields of crops and scattered farmhouses everywhere. Rural folk had begun their work as 
Zoisite took another gulp of the water. 

       There was a small chair and a table on the terrace, and Zoisite fell into it. He placed the water down 
and let his hands cradle his throbbing head. It was such a poor decision to start a quest with this kind of ache, 
but he had to admit that he had felt much worse on more than one occasion. Allowing this to pacify him, he 
slunk into his chair and leaned his head back. Focusing on his breathing, he let the sunlight's warmth flood his 
bare chest. 

       He had not known he fell back asleep until he was awoken by a frightfully cold splash of water to his 
face. A sharp gasp in as he shot forward in his chair, gripping the arms with surprise. As he exhaled, several 
curses left his lips, as he blinked through droplets to find Jadeite standing in front of him with his empty 
goblet. "Bastard," Zoisite said. "I was drinking that."

       Jadeite smirked at him. Jadeite was barely dressed, save for some undergarments. "Found him, 
Kunzite!" he called out to his left. It was just then that Zoisite noticed that there were multiple terraces next to 
him, all of which led to guest chambers. Each of them must have gotten neighboring rooms, which explained 
how the others found him napping outside.

       "Oh, must you shout," Zoisite squeezed his eyes shut, as he gathered his now half-wet and half-dry 
hair behind his shoulders. He felt a dry towel land on his lap, and looked up to see Nephrite with them as well, 
who at least had the decency to put on pants. 

       The other two generals looked no better than Zoisite. Jadeite looked very tame in the morning light. 
He was just older than Zoisite, although Zoisite outranked him, but obviously he could tolerate the spirits 
better. Jadeite's hair was matted down to his scalp on one side, with large dark circles under his own bloodshot 
eyes. Other than a paler than usual color, he seemed to be fine on his feet. Nephrite seemed fine but had an 
uncomfortable air about him. His dark complexion hid his sickness well, if he had any, and his dark eyes were 
barely bloodshot although rather tired looking. His hair was, for the most part, simply unkempt, but no more 
than any man who had just roused.

       Patting himself dry with the towel, Zoisite thanked Nephrite. "You look much better than I do."

       Nephrite raised his brow and offered a weak smile. "I assure you, I feel worse. Congratulations, you 
were the first one to wake up."

       "Yes, and see how much I've accomplished." Zoisite held his hands out and gestured to his seated 
position. Rubbing his brow, the youngest man felt his disadvantage. This wasn't the first time the four had 
drunk together, and always, Zoisite looked the worst in the morning. "What hour did we retire last night?"

       "About three," Kunzite came walking over, dressed in a breathable tunic and pants, but barefoot. His 
tan skin looked cool, and his hair was smoothed and fell neatly over his shoulders. He had deep shadows against 
his skin, although his eyes seemed to be in better shape than the rest. Yet his body seemed rather adjusted to the 
heat of his desert, and he seemed chilled in the still cool morning. "Just after we finished devising the plan to 
find Endymion."

       "Oh good," Zoisite leaned back in his chair again, placing the towel over his eyes. "We did come up 
with a plan. I was afraid this morning that we were just going to wing it."

       "No, you were quite adamant last night about discussing the order of events for this morning." Jadeite 
chimed in. 

       "Sounds like me. What did I decide?"

       "Nothing but nonsense. You were ready to leave last night. If we hadn't stopped you, you were ready 
to go get your horse."

       Zoisite laughed at this. "I'm glad I'm so devoted when I'm drunk."

       "You're an idiot when you're drunk."

       "No more so than you sober."

       Jadeite's hand met the back of Zoisite's head with a thud. The victim let out a yelp of agony. 

       "You're both idiots," Kunzite determined. The two younger ones shrugged it off, and Jadeite took a 
seat on the ground, his legs weary. Kunzite's eyes scanned the eastern sky, judging the sun's position. "Well, 
we've lost enough of the morning hours already. How do we go about finding Endymion?"

        The four men fell into a pensive silence. Each of them pushed aside their aching and put their minds 
to work. As they thought, Zoisite's eyes wandered to everything. Jadeite stared down at the ground. Nephrite 
walked to the edge of the terrace and watched the sky move. Kunzite paced with great, slow strides. As time 
passed, the morning's heat increased as well. The day brightened, and as it did so, the land beyond the castle's 
wall teemed with life. No one outside knew of the Prince's disappearance yet, although eventually word would 
spread. Kunzite hoped to bring Endymion back before that happened.

       "Where would he even go?" Jadeite whined, breaking the silence. All but Nephrite turned to look at 
him. The sandy blonde tilted his head up, squinting in the illuminated daylight. "None of the other planets 
would welcome the Prince of Earth. Earthen people aren't very well liked around the Silver Millennium."

       "True, our relations are tense." Kunzite returned to a slower pace. "Wherever he went, he'd have to go 
as a commoner. He would have to leave all royalty and any sign of Earth behind."

       Zoisite's brow furrowed. "Would he really do that? Surely he would have taken weapons. Endymion is 
not stupid enough to go unarmed."

       "No, and he's far too cocky to do so. We'll have to check his chambers. Once we determine what's 
missing, we'll know what he has with him. But that still leaves the question of where he's gone to."

       "The stars may know something," Nephrite said. He always spoke very directly and never without a 
purpose. He merely glanced over his shoulders at the other three. "I will commune with them and see if they 
can track him."

       "How would they track one tiny life in this galaxy?" Jadeite asked doubtingly.

       Nephrite turned back to the sky. "Don't doubt the power of the stars. They see all. The stars can track 
him, I'm sure. However, they might not be willing to tell me where he is."

       "Might not be willing?" Jadeite glared. "Demand answers from them! This is important!"

       "It doesn't work like that. I cannot command the stars." Nephrite retorted, almost disgusted. "I hear 
whatever they are willing to tell me. I may ask but I may not always receive direct answers."

       "It's worth trying." Kunzite jumped in. He took on the commanding air about him again, his icy eyes 
narrowing at Nephrite. "Can you commune with them today? How long do you think it will take?"

       The dark haired general held Kunzite's gaze for a silent moment. "Yes, I can do it today, but I can't 
tell you how long I'll be. Sometimes I can convince the stars to share more with me the longer I commune with 
them."

       "Do it." Nephrite nodded, and Kunzite turned to the two seated ones. "Zoisite, search Endymion's 
quarters, the stables, even the sparring arena. Ask any servants you must, but I want a list of everything that's 
gone missing. Jadeite, you're coming with me."

       "What are you two doing?" Zoisite inquired, rising very slowly from his chair.

       "We're going to the Earth's Teleport. I feel as if the guards know more than they've told the King." 
Kunzite began to walk over to his own terrace to return to his quarters, which were two rooms away from 
Zoisite's. "And I may need Jadeite's unique skill in persuasion. Get ready, everyone. Wear your Imperial 
uniform; we are now on a mission for Earth." He slipped into his own room and out of sight.

       Jadeite was on his feet, wearing a wide grin. He beamed proudly at the other two as he stepped off in 
the direction of his room, which sat between Kunzite's and Zoisite's. "Have fun searching through drawers, 
Zoi." 

       "Shut up and go get dressed," Nephrite said before Zoisite could answer. He entered his room, on the 
other side of Zoisite's, and disappeared.

       Zoisite had slipped into his room without remark to Jadeite. He did not care for Jadeite's form of 
persuasion. Despite how ever much he enjoyed a good battle, Zoisite only fought when absolutely necessary, 
which was a far cry from how Jadeite. The latter, left alone on the stretch of terraces, puffed out his chest and 
bounced happily back into his room. 


       
       
       Jadeite was the first to be ready, perhaps because he had the least amount of hair to tend to. His sandy 
locks were still damp, but were settling into gentle curls at the ends. His blue eyes seemed reenergized, and, 
being too excited to wait, had arrived at the stables to ready his horse. It had been almost half an hour since, 
though, and Kunzite was abnormally late.

       He wore the uniform of the Imperial Guard, elite soldiers that were far more skilled and trained that 
Earth's Army. The Army consisted of mere grunts that were not good for anything but marching, in Jadeite's 
opinion. Those with refined skills were part of the Guard and commanded the inferior military men during 
wars. The Army did mundane tasks, such as standing at gates, guarding the Teleport, and delivering messages. 
Everything that required true fighting skill was taken care of by the Guard.

       The uniform was made of very thick but breathable silver cotton. The trousers were easy to move in, 
with two stripes of white, shimmering lining down each leg. A simple white tunic was worn under the jacket, 
but it was barely ever seen. Over the tunic, there was a heavy chest plate of armor made of earth's strongest 
metal. There were also plates of armor tied to the upper arms, forearms, and on the thighs and calves under his 
knee high black boots. It was part of the Imperial Guard's agenda to always be ready for battle but rarely look 
armed to the teeth; it was frowned upon as distasteful. This was also the reason that white gloves were required 
as well. The jacket itself buttoned over the right side of his chest, with a raised collar that encircled his neck. 
The piping on the jacket still shimmered, but did not match the white lining of the pants. The color of the 
piping was unique to each region's color. Jadeite's was a deep navy blue, which indicated that he was part of the 
Southern Isles' Guard. On the shoulder of his jacket, he had epaulettes that indicated his rank, which was the 
least of the four generals.

       Jadiete's broadsword hung bare on one side, but on the other hung a much thinner sheath. What it 
held was an Imperial Long Sword; each of the generals always armed themselves with this as evidence of their 
status when they were not in uniform. It was made of the finest of Earth's meals and also forged by the Earth's 
finest blacksmiths. With a slightly longer and thinner blade than normal long swords, they were quite easy to 
spot. The hilt was adorned with ornate metalwork, and at the cross, a large circle held Earths' crest. They were 
made only for the Imperial Guard and buried with their owners, so that no man could honestly own one unless 
he was an Imperial. Anyone else who had one was a thief, and the highly recognized sword would earn more 
hatred than respect.

       Jadeite was just finished checking his sand-colored horse's newly adorned black armor when Kunzite 
came striding down the hill. Kunzite, too wore the same uniform, but the piping of his jacket was the deep gray 
of the Middle East's Guard. His epaulettes were much more adorned than Jadeites, indicating he was of the 
highest rank. Also, his uniform came with a long white cape, attached to each epaulette. The cape flowed 
gracefully behind Kunzite, giving him a regal look that only the highest generals attained. At his side, Jadeite 
saw Kunzite's own Imperial blade. The multiple hilts of Kunzite's gladius and scimitar crowded the man's 
waist. Clearly, the weight of two swords on his belt was a common burden for him because he walked with ease. 
As he neared, Jadeite could see that Kunzite's face was even more icy that his usual cool countenance. 

       Jadeite had already called for Kunzite's horse to be readied and had checked the pure white stallion's 
straps previously to his own. The desert steed was a taller breed, with large, powerful legs. It had very short fur, 
and a thin mane, which was just as white but was cut short to keep it off its neck due to the pounding heat. 
The animal's tail, however, was longer than any Jadeite had ever seen. The bright steed wore dark armor over its 
chest and down its snout. Long black eyelashes covered the black pools that were the animal's eyes, a natural 
defense against the glaring desert sun. Kunzite immediately patted the animal's neck as he arrived.

       "Already checked the buckles," Jadeite said, mounting his horse. 

       Kunzite barely acknowledged him as he pulled himself onto his own horse, but just nodded. With a 
quick squeeze of his legs, he commanded his horse to take off. There was a moment of disbelief as Jadeite 
watched Kunzite ride off in a furious gallop. With a confused stare, Jadeite set off after him.

       The northern gates were open for the two of them, so Jadeite had no hope of Kunzite being delayed to 
catch up to him. They rode swiftly out of the castle grounds and ever quicker through the farmlands in the 
north of Elys. Jadeite's horse was nowhere near as fast as Kunzite's, who seemed to be very fast without mounds 
of sand to slow its feet. Still, the tan horse pressed forward, only a short length behind the white one. Kunzite 
was riding fiercely; he was a white streak along the landscape, causing farmers to stare as he flew across the road. 
Jadeite was caught up in the cloud of dust roused by Kunzite, but pressed on. 

       It took mere moments to reach the outer wall of the city. This gate was closed and forced Kunzite to 
stop. The white steed reared to a halt and Jadeite approached just in time to hear Kunzite's voice boom. 

       "Open the gates!"

       With heavy footsteps, Jadeite's horse fell into place beside Kunzite's. He stared at Kunzite with 
confusion, but the other did not spare him even a glance. Kunzite wore an expression full of cold infuriation, 
but there was also sweat lining his brow. Jadeite was about to blame the heat, but something else was making 
Kunzite sweat. This disturbed Jadeite. He had known the man on the battlefield and off, and rarely had ever 
seen him this stressed. "Kunzite," Jadeite began.

       Kunzite held out a gloved hand and narrowed his eyes. Jadeite understood.

       The gates had barely parted before Kunzite trotted his horse through. Jadeite followed, expecting 
another chase, but he was disappointed. The white horse was simply walking now, allowing the tan one to walk 
beside him without strain. Jadeite waited until they were a great distance away from the wall, a good way along 
on the northern road. 

       "So what was that?" 

       "There are things that I did not want to speak aloud within Elys." Kunzite adjusted himself in the 
saddle uncomfortably. "I spoke with Aethlius this morning. There are things he hasn't told us."

       "What are you talking about?" Jadeite stared in disbelief.

       "Well, the King has less time than he let on. He will not last the week. His health is deteriorating 
rapidly. Even today, he could not leave his bed. Aethlius has lived far beyond his years thanks to the crystal's 
power, but it seems even it he cannot sustain him much longer."

       Jadeite's heart broke. He had feared this when they had met Aethlius in the solar. When he saw 
Aethlius, he thought that the King looked bad but nowhere as close to death as Kunzite described. Now, Jadeite 
realized that Aethlius was dying sooner than he'd imagined. Even worse, Jadeite feared he would be away 
finding Endymion when it happened. 

       "Secondly, Earth's status in the galaxy is worse than anyone knows. Apparently, we've rejected joining 
the Silver Millennium enough times for some planets to get agitated. Aethlius summoned me solely to warn me 
about going to the Teleport."

       "Warn you?"

       "It seems not only Earth is standing guard. Apparently, several other planets have guards there as well. 
Using the Teleport isn't a quiet act. Aethlius suggested it was thanks to several of Earth's fugitives traveling to 
other planets and committing intergalactic crimes. But it seems that Endymion's escape attracted the attention 
of several foreign kingdoms. This, of course, may have traveled back to their home planets and well," Kunzite 
paused. "We might not be the only ones searching for Endymion."

       Jadeite ran a gloved hand through his hair and let out a slur of curses. There were several questions 
that came to his mind, but it took a moment to sort them out. "Why the hell would Endymion do this?"

       "Precisely what I'm wondering. Whatever reason Endymion has, it had better be a damn good one." 
Kunzite's eyes were focused. "I hope you realized that this will make getting answers about a royal intergalactic 
fugitive much more difficult."

       A confident smile spread across Jadeite's face. "Of course. But you know how I love difficult things."

       Kunzite nodded, knowing that he had chosen the perfect general to accompany him. He felt easier 
about their task, but he was fully prepared for a challenge once they arrived.

       The Teleport was a large circular building that stood in the gated clearing of a heavy forest. Only the 
northern rode stumbled upon it. It was made of marble from Earth's Far Western region, and looked more 
ethereal than anything else near Elys. The roof was a glass dome with a large crystal spire at the apex. There 
were three large steps that led up to the building, where two white doors that were smooth and shining. The 
building held no windows, but there was a bright light that escaped from under the threshold of the doors. 
Even the gates around the building were menacing, made of thick, heavy poles reaching tall and spiked on top. 

       Kunzite was right. As they approached, they could see several different uniforms in the clearing, and 
Jadeite feared if there were more inside. He could spot the two earthen guards flanking the doors quite easily; 
they wore the usual Army's steely armor with the short cape. The other uniforms Jadeite did not recognize, but 
Kunzite seemed as if he did. 

       The two men dismounted and left their horses outside the large circular gate. Kunzite stepped forward 
with Jadeite closely behind him. A pair of very tall and thick men stood on either side of the entrance and 
almost blended into the forest behind them. They wore dark green sleeveless tunics with dark brown pants and 
boots. Both of them had chin length brown hair, and with eyes even brighter and greener than Zoisite's, they 
watched them approached the gates. Both generals noticed, but chose to ignore them. 

       No more than two moments passed until a trio of men in a navy uniform that looked very formal 
opened the gates. Their tunics were cut low on their chests and were made of fine silk. Their torsos were 
wrapped with a golden sash, and they wore rather tight black pants. At their side, they held swords in elaborate 
curved scabbards. These men were just as tall as the first two, but certainly much leaner. Two of them had 
black hair, but the one in front, who glared at the generals with disapproval, had pale red hair. 

       "Are you two lost?" the red-haired man asked in a strange accent.

       Jadeite snarled behind Kunzite, who kept his face absolutely calm as he replied. "No, merely being 
delayed with this nonsense. Move aside; we have business with the earthen guards." 

       Their reply was not what the men wanted to hear, and both generals tensed as they watched the man's 
hand move to his sword. After he said something in a language neither recognized, he said, "And my planet is 
being plundered by you scum. Are you or are you not planning to teleport?"

       "We are not. Now, move."

       With this, the three stepped to either side, but stayed uncomfortably close as the two walked past. 
Kunzite chose to ignore the glares from the foreign soldiers, but Jadeite gave each one a bloodthirsty stare as he 
passed. Two of them held his gaze, but the third turned his nose up. 

       Another pair of guards, dressed in red robes and armed with bows and arrows, began to step towards 
them. Before they could, one of the earthen guards stepped down from his position at the doors, holding a 
hand up to the other guards. "These are Imperial Guard, highest warriors of Earth. They need not be 
questioned." As he approached the two to escort them further without interruption, the faces of the foreign 
soldiers were covered with visible repugnance.

       The earthen guard was younger than even Jadeite. His boyish face looked no more than sixteen years, 
and the helmet looked too big for his head. The boy was quite thin and lanky; compared to all the other 
soldiers, he seemed to the weakest and most incapable of doing any defending. He bowed to the two generals, 
who exchanged questioning glances. "Private Ryu Urawa, at your service, milord's," he said hastily.

       Kunzite tipped his head slightly as the boy rose. "Thank you for vouching for us to all of these... 
others. I am General Kunzite of the Middle East, and this is General Jadeite of the Southern Isles." 

       "Of course! Come with me, we can speak inside the Teleport. No will bother us there."

       The three proceeded up to the steps of the building and Ryu opened the door and went inside. 
Kunzite paused before entering and looked at the other earthen guard. This one was much closer, if not the 
same age as Endymion. He had a rather good build for a soldier, looking much more fit for the position than 
Ryu. Kunzite glanced back at Jadeite, who nodded, having also eyed up the other guard. "You," he said 
empathically. "We'll need to speak with you as well."

       When all four were inside, Ryu shut the door. The inside of the Teleport was a strange sight to 
behold. The round walls were smooth and bare, but were decorated with subtle arches. Around the top of the 
walls was a border that pictured space and each one of the planets and their moons were pictured. In the center, 
a faint ring of light shot up from the floor, fading as it reached upwards. A small floating disc hovered over a 
pedestal just before the pillar. On the disc were several divisions, each holding the symbol of a planet and one 
for the moon. It was only possible to visit the moons of a planet from the planet itself. 

       The second guard bowed in front of the two generals. "Private Motoki Furuhata, sires." As he stood 
back upright, Ryu fell into line beside him silently. 

       After Kunzite introduced them to Private Motoki, he silently but quickly judged the two guards. Ryu 
was smaller and more high-strung. Motoki seemed very calm and peaceful, and filled out his armor better. 
However, both looked ill trained and not very alert. It was no wonder that fugitives had been getting past these 
two; they seemed wholly incompetent for the position.

       "How is it with all of them out there?" Jadeite spoke before Kunzite got a chance. Jadeite's head tilted 
towards the doors as he crossed his arms nonchalantly over his chest. 

       "Very much the same, sir," Ryu almost shouted back. "We are holding our position; the Teleport isn't 
to be used."

       "So you would know if one was to use it, then?" Kunzite replied to the boy's over eagerness.

       "Oh yes, sir, without a doubt!" 

       Kunzite and Jadeite exchanged glances again before turning their attention to Motoki. "Private 
Motoki, you seem quiet." His tone was slow but sent shivers even up Jadeite's spine. Ryu turned his head 
slightly to gaze at his partner with wide, fearful eyes, but almost immediately caught himself and snapped his 
attention back forward. 

       Motoki didn't know what to say. "Yes, sir."

       "What about you?" Jadeite said, taking a step closer to Motoki. "Do you know when one uses this 
Teleport?"

       "If I did not try to, sir, I fear I wouldn't be doing my job very well." Motoki spoke very evenly.

       "Such a vague answer, Private Motoki," Kunzite said. "That won't do. Let's try again. Do you prevent 
the use of this Teleport, like your position requires, or not?"

       "I do not know, sir. I can tell you who I've stopped but not who I haven't." 

       Kunzite let out a chilling laugh. Jadeite was beginning to circle Motoki, who kept his eyes forward but 
dared not look at Kunzite directly. "Ryu, you're dismissed," Kunzite said. 

       Ryu looked as if he was disappointed in not being needed further, but knew better than to talk back to 
a general. He hurriedly made his way outside, closing the door on the three. 

       "Now, Motoki," Kunzite spoke very gently. Motoki still did not look at him and was doing a good 
job of ignoring Jadeite pacing in circles around him. "You're very good at giving vague answers to vague 
questions. We generals are on a time limit here, so I'm going to be very direct with this next question. I expect a 
direct answer. Did you see Prince Endymion use this Teleport?"

       "No, I did not see Endymion use this Teleport." Motoki answered calmly.

       Kunzite was smart enough to recognize the meticulous repetition of his own question as a truthful 
disguise. This boy knew something of Endymion's travel. The general sighed disappointedly. "We can do this 
all day if we must, Private, but trust me, you don't want Jadeite to get impatient." 

       Jadeite snickered behind Motoki. 

       "Have you ever met Prince Endymion?" Kunzite questioned.

       "Yes, sir."

       Finally, the general found a straight answer. "When?"

       Motoki kept silent.

       "Answer him," Jadeite barked from behind him. The force of his voice made Motoki jump. 

       "A- a few days ago." Motoki's calm was breaking. He clearly did not want to lie to the generals, but 
was trying to keep as much information from them as possible.

       "How?"

       Again, Motoki said nothing, but he was visibly sweating now. His eyes kept jumping from a spot on 
the ceiling to Kunzite. He smacked his lips as his mouth dried out, obviously struggling with finding an answer.

       Jadeite did not want to play this searching game any longer. He stepped to the side of the nervous 
soldier, glancing at Kunzite for confirmation. When Kunzite shrugged and looked away, Jadeite turned his 
attention back to Motoki with a sadistic grin.

       Motoki had noticed the exchange between the generals and also the frightening arousal of Jadeite's 
stance. He was trembling now as his eyes darted between Kunzite's forced ignorance and the wicked glee on 
Jadeite's face. 

       With a sudden movement, Jadeite had brought his elbow smashing into Motoki's temple. With a 
short outcry, the private keeled over, falling to all fours as a painful echo resounded in his skull. 

       "Maybe now you're ready to answer. How did you meet Prince Endymion?"

       Motoki seethed through his teeth. "He came here, almost a week ago. I spoke with him."

       "What did he say?"

       "I swore not to repeat it!" Motoki cried fearfully. 

       Finally, Kunzite understood why this boy was being this difficult. Surely an oath to a Prince would 
outrank the Imperial Guard. Kunzite looked at Jadeite with a sympathetic glare. Jadeite rolled his eyes; he 
comprehended as well, but did not care. To him, any higher-ranking official should be obeyed no matter the 
consequences.

       Kunzite squatted down so that he was face to face with Motoki. The injured soldier looked up at him. 
Blood was gathering to where Jadeite had struck him causing it to start swelling. The boy's eye was already 
being forced to a slight squint. "You're going to have to tell us what he said to you," Kunzite said composedly.

       Jadeite placed a heavy foot on the back of the boy's ankle. One fierce step could crack the boy's bone 
easily. As he stared at Kunzite, Motoki's eyes widened as he felt the pressure on his leg. 

       Answers started pouring out. "He said I wasn't to speak of our encounter, that any mention of it could 
ruin everything for the Earth. He said he was entrusting me with our future in the galaxy. I couldn't say a word 
to anyone. He said to act as if I never saw him, ordered me to! He told me that people would come asking 
about it, but no matter what I shouldn't speak of it! He-"

       "Where did he go?" Kunzite interrupted.

       "I don't know. He didn't say." Motoki's voice quaked out of fear.

       Jadeite removed his foot from the boy's ankle, causing a loud audible sigh of relief from Motoki. The 
comfort was short lived, however, as Jadeite' foot immediately slammed into Motoki's torso, knocking the boy 
sideways and robbing him of breath. He curled up on the ground, gasping for air. 

       Kunzite looked upwards, dissatisfied with Jadeite, who was surprised at the look. "What? He knows 
where he went!" Jadeite spurted, pointing at Motoki. 

       "I doubt that," Kunzite retorted, standing again. "Endymion wouldn't be stupid enough to leave a 
trail with a mere soldier. Motoki," he glared down as the boy met his stare fearfully. "You are going to have to 
tell us anything helpful that the Prince might have said. Anything you remember that might help us locate him: 
how he was acting, what he had with him, what he was wearing. Anything."

       With another frightened glance at Jadeite, who cracked his knuckles, Motoki took a weakened breath. 
His eyes darted back and forth in his head, searching for invisible answers. "I, I don't know..." he muttered.

       "Wrong." Jadeite barely finished saying the word before a swift kick was landed to Motoki's knee. The 
boy yelped as he gripped his knee to his chest, flopping over onto his back.

       Kunzite did not bother to even look at his fellow general. There was no point in trying to stop him. 
Instead, his eyes watched the soldier roll back and forth on the floor in agony. The poor guard had never seen 
the likes of battle, as his station was to guard the Teleport. This was probably his first taste of genuine injury 
since his training days. 

       Motoki was staring at Kunzite with a pleading look. It seemed to Kunzite that Motoki really didn't 
know any more. The private was probably solely trained for guarding the Teleport and wasn't even aware there 
were observational skills that could determine the Prince's destination from one look.

       Jadeite began to anticipate for another strike, but Kunzite placed a hand on his arm. "Enough," he 
began, but had no chance to finish.

       The ring in the center of the room became a full column of solid light. Motoki rolled away from it, as 
the two generals turned towards it. Immediately, Jadeite shut his eyes from the brightness and drew his 
broadsword, which he had to wield with two hands, slipping into a blinded, but ready fighting stance. Kunzite's 
arm shot up to his eyes to block the light, his other reaching to his side to the hilts of his gladius and Imperial. 
They both braced themselves as they felt a wave of energy be unleashed from the pillar of light, causing each of 
them to slide back on the marble floor. Motoki, having no footing, was pushed back against the wall. 

       When the energy pulse subsided, the light began to fade and revealed two blurry forms within the 
ring. Kunzite dropped his arm and Jadeite cautiously opened his eyes. Before them, stood two obviously 
younger women. One was slightly taller with long raven hair down to her hips. Her skin was very light, much 
paler than even Zoisite's. Exotic pools of vibrant violet stared out at the men with a fierce dislike. The smaller 
one had much shorter hair that ended at her chin and it was a dark but saturated blue! Her eyes were the same 
blue color as well, but were much wider and kinder than her companion's. She had thin, pursed lips, but they 
were a deep red color that made her complexion glow. One thing was unmistakable, though. They both wore 
the garb of Sailor Soldiers.

       These unique, exclusively female soldiers were the ultimate source of authority throughout the 
universe. Every planet's firstborn princess was endowed with the birthright and honor of being a Scout, as they 
were called. The Earth did not have a princess, however, and therefore had no Scout. Earth's Moon did have a 
princess, but it was unknown if she received the birthright instead.

       Their uniform of a Sailor Soldier consisted of a white body suit, a collar and a skirt of the same color, 
which indicated the planet of the Scout. Various color bows adorned the chest and lower back of the uniform, 
the color depending on the planet as well. Each Scout had unique shoes, but each wore long white gloves that 
were trimmed in the planet's unique color as well. On their foreheads was a sigil in the form of a tattoo of their 
planet's symbol, supposedly forged by pure energy from birth. As well as training in their planet's specific 
weaponry, the Scouts were endowed with mastery over specific elements of the universe. One Scout was a force 
to be reckoned with, and if two showed up together, it was a definite sign of trouble.

       A loud curse escaped Kunzite's lips as he recognized the Sailor Soldiers. One wore the color of 
Mercury, which was a royal blue that almost matched the girl's hair. Her bows were a very light sky blue. The 
more exotic looking one wore the vivid red of Mars, but had a violet bow in the front and a red bow in the 
back.

       "I suggest you put away your sword," The Soldier of Mars spoke with an effortless confidence. She 
looked at Jadeite without threat, and both her and her companion's stance indicated nothing but grace and 
elegance. They were not about to attack.

       "I suggest you make me," Jadeite snarled. He knew what they were but cared not. A birthright for 
power did nothing but make a weak warrior. Jadeite had trained for hours for every ounce of skill he possessed; 
there was no way of convincing him that they were better than he was solely because they were the firstborn 
female.

       Mars' eyes widened with shock at the response before narrowing to an even glare.

       Kunzite's hand never dropped from the hilt of his swords; instead, he gripped it tighter. The Soldier 
from Mercury noticed this. "We are not here to fight you gentlemen," she said with a peaceful voice.

       "Forgive my doubt, Sailor Mercury," Kunzite said and unsheathed both his gladius and his Imperial. 
The metal rung out in the small chamber as the swords were exposed. Kunzite wielded one in each hand, 
holding his gladius pointed forward above his head while his Imperial held out sideways across his form. "You 
must understand that I don't trust soldiers whose allegiance is sworn to a peace treaty that my planet is not 
involved in." 

       Mercury was slightly taken back at Kunzite's swords, disbelieving his brazenness. However, she started 
to explain why the general was wrong before she even thought about it. "And you must understand that our 
sacred order exists to protect the peace of the universe. It is our own choice to defend the Silver Millennium, 
but our jurisdiction does not end there."

       "We have to explain nothing to these rebel Terrans," Mars barked. "Threaten us again and you'll burn 
before you have a chase to even think about swinging your sword." 

       "I'd love to see you try," Jadeite seethed. 

       Mars' eyes glared furiously at him. 

       Mercury placed a hand on her companion's shoulder, gently shaking her head. Then, addressing the 
two men, said, "This is a waste of our time. We are here with a message for Aethlius, King of Earth." She 
looked at Kunzite and Jadeite, pondering for a moment. "Can you two deliver it for us?"

       Mars' symbol on her head seemed to glow for a brief moment. "They can." The two men did not 
deny nor confirm this, but both questioned how the Scout knew they could speak with the King. It was also 
strange that princess soldiers were acting as messengers for the Silver Millennium.

       "Good," Mercury said, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, the symbol of Mercury on her 
forehead was slightly glowing, and she began to read from a memorized speech in her head. Her voice had a 
slight echo. "Aethlius, King of Earth: Her Royal Majesty, Selenity, Queen of Theia, requests that Endymion, 
Crown Prince of Earth, return the Crown Princess of the Silver Millennium, to the Moon Kingdom Palace on 
the Sea of Serenity at once."

       "Return the Crown Princess?" Jadeite asked. It made sense now as to why they were the chosen 
messengers; part of the Soldiers' vow to the Silver Millennium was to protect the royal family of Theia.

       "Yes," her speech over, Mercury returned to a normal tone. "We know that the Prince has taken 
Princess Serenity, and require her return by the next stage of the moon or we will be forced to take action."

       " 'We?'" Kunzite repeated, forcing himself to keep quiet about Endymion's own disappearance.

       Mars rose proudly. "As you know, Princess Serenity is the Crown Princess of the Silver Millennium. 
The Sailor Soldiers have sworn to protect her, and we will be forced to act if she is not returned to safety."

       "How do you know she's not safe with Endymion?" Jadeite quipped.

       "Please deliver our message," Mercury said gracefully. She then bowed her head as the Mercury 
symbol on her forehead began to glow once more.

       Before either man could respond, the Teleport was activated somehow, and the bright pillar of light 
surrounded the two forms again. Both generals had to turn away, brace themselves for the energy pulse, and 
wait until the light returned to its normal state before the could do anything. 

       Firstly, Jadeite screamed a curse loudly.

       "I know," Kunzite replied, sheathing both swords with a swift movement that looked effortless. He let 
out another descriptive curse into the dead air. 

       Jadeite sheathed his broadsword in a wide arc, although his anger felt much more controlled when he 
had the weight of the sword to attend to. He stared at Kunzite, awaiting orders.

       The white-haired man was visibly upset, which was rare for the stone-faced general. Kunzite had a 
reputation for keeping his visage unchanging, but at the moment, his brow was slightly wrinkled with distress - 
a huge failure for the man. He took a breath and his countenance returned to an unknowing apathy, containing 
any emotion he might've let slip. "Come on," he said as he marched for the doors. 

       Although Kunzite ignored him, Jadeite stopped shook his head at Motoki as he exited. "You couldn't 
just give us some damn answers, could you?" 


       
       
       Communing with the stars was a talent reserved for few people in the whole galaxy and much fewer 
Terrans. Nephrite had been one of those select few and because of this had not only gone through military 
training but psychic training as well. This training was under the only master on Earth, who required Nephrite 
to travel to other planets to receive guidance from those masters as well. During these years of training, any 
leave time from the military was spent traveling to endure rigorous sessions with masters who barely spoke his 
language. 

       This skill had aided Nephrite on more than one occasion. It was a clear asset in battle, as sometimes 
the stars would reveal an enemy's plans before they were carried out. Even the traveling had proved to be 
rewarding; he was the only general who could understand and even speak at least some of every language in the 
stars. Nephrite never complained because it was made clear to him when he first discovered the gift how 
exceedingly rare the gift was.

       After his shower, he dressed in his Imperial Guard uniform. Fastening the offset button of the jacket, 
which had piping with the deep yellow color of the Western Continent, Nephrite contemplated himself in 
front of the mirror. His long mahogany tresses fell in gentle waves over his shoulders. Deep pools of mahogany 
stared back at him, though he barely recognized his own eyes. The orbs looked dull, lifeless, and bored; they 
held no sign of the vivacious young man who was a general under the Crown Prince of Earth during the Great 
War. There was no doubt that Nephrite was glad the Earth now lived in peace, but Nephrite felt useless as a 
region's lord. Regardless, his new mission was to bring back Endymion. He sighed, turning away from the 
mirror and walked over to his bed. Lying down prone, he closed his eyes and began to meditate. With a deep 
exhale, he let himself slip instantly into his dreamscape.

       Dreamscapes were the environment that every mind exists in, but only the gifted ones can access it 
consciously. Because of this, every dreamscape looks unique and can be altered instantaneously by the mind 
that wields it, but one with a very powerful gift can alter anyone's psyche by simply willing it. Nephrite had 
been able to change his for a long time although he never chose to. He was quite content with the atmosphere 
of his dreamscape since the first time he stumbled into it.

       Nephrite's dreamscape was a replica of the sol system. The mental image of himself, which was 
accurate down to the Guard uniform he currently wore, stood on nothing but empty space. He floated in the 
middle of the galaxy, enveloped by the dark vacuum of space. Speckled around him, both incredibly far and 
near, were the bright stars. Even the planets hung scattered around him, Earth, of course, being the closest. 
Nephrite took a full turn of his familiar dreamscape, and the stars brightened slightly as they noticed him. 

       The stars were acknowledging him, but by no means being friendly. They were sentient beings that 
chose to always remain neutral. They were not friends with Nephrite. The stars were never partial to him in any 
situation, nor had any of his masters received any partiality. It was one of his first lessons that the stars acted 
and spoke of their own accord and no human creature could will them to do otherwise, which is why what 
information the stars chose to reveal should be regarded with utmost respect.

       So the mahogany general stood and studied the ways the stars move, which they didn't truly do. What 
Nephrite was watching was how the stars' shared intelligence spread out knowledge from one star to all of 
them. The stars, from their infinite dwellings, knew everything. Even down to the most subtle human 
movement on any one of the farthest planets, all the stars knew of it because one star witnessed it, whether in 
the past, present, or future. It was also because of this that the stars couldn't lie. They were the faithful 
witnesses of the universe.

       The information spread through glowing starlight. When two stars glowed simultaneously, they were 
sharing information. Nephrite could see them communing with each other, but only if the stars were generous 
would they reveal the information that they had. He watched a million trails of witness accounts scour the 
spotted black abyss, and, as he always did, let himself get lost in the miracle he was allowed to watch.

       Finally, after a moment of reminding himself why the gift was so extraordinary, Nephrite opened his 
arms wide to the stars. "Endymion," he said. In the vastness of his dreamscape, his voice echoed, stretching over 
the expanse. And that was all he needed to do, was just to speak it. The stars were aware of his desire and now 
he must wait for them to decide. 

       One would think it was boring, but it was quite the opposite. Watching the stars twinkle with 
thoughts and the planets subtly move around was more entertaining that even the most thrilling sparring 
match. It was often the reason that Nephrite meditated so long, even when he didn't need any answer from the 
stars. He admired the universe for quite some time.

       He wasn't even sure how long it had been before a strange thing happened. All of the stars went out. 
Nephrite froze with confusion, as this had never happened before. His world went dark. 

       Nephrite, a voice called out from the darkness. It was a woman's voice, very timid and weak.

       "Who's there?" Nephrite's voice was quite the opposite, still exploding across vast space.

       A pale light glowed somewhere far away from him, captivating his attention. It illuminated the 
silhouette of a woman with long hair, holding a tall staff. It was too far to see anything else, though he strained 
his eyes to try. Nephrite, you must listen.

       "Who are you?"

       "I am one who has lived forever, and I have come to warn you."

       His jaw clenched. "Come closer," he commanded, though nothing changed. He tried to will his 
dreamscape to close in on the woman's figure, but it did not obey him. He had never encountered something 
like this.

       "Your prince is in great danger. Only you can protect him."

       "What? What kind of danger?" 

       The woman cried out in sudden agony, and the pale light illuminating her flickered. Nephrite shifted, 
unknowing of what he would be able to do, but wanted to help either way. This strange immortal woman knew 
about Endymion, and he was not about to lose her. 

       Nephrite willed his dreamscape to hold on to the woman, focusing on her distant form. His 
dreamscape obeyed and the pale light grew slightly brighter than it was before.

       "Thank you. I cannot be here long for it is taboo."

       Taboo? Nephrite grew more anxious to hear what this woman was speaking of. "Where is 
Endymion?" he called.

       "I know not where he is now, but I have seen him in the near future. Your prince is nearing his end. I can 
show you what I have foreseen."

       Without warning, the dreamscape shifted. Nephrite now stood on a silver balcony at the top of a 
curved grand staircase. Everything around him was destroyed and bathed in the Earth's glow. The balcony itself 
was broken and almost torn in two, with the still standing remnants of pillars. A few bars from a railing that 
was once whole stood erect just in front of Nephrite. Beyond the balcony, he beheld a long reflecting pool that 
mirrored the Earth that hung in the sky. The water was calm and untouched, as there was no breeze to stir it, 
but the grand walkway that surrounded the pool was shattered with a lattice of fissures. The tiles were made of 
unfamiliar material, but still shimmered gently in their destruction. Just beyond the walkway, a large 
semicircular courtyard rested in its own chaos. The stones were upturned and displaced, as if a great force came 
down upon it. 

       Despite the annihilated state of his surroundings, Nephrite found himself staring just below him. At 
the end of the staircase, cast down among the ruins was Endymion. He wore a black version of the Imperial 
Guard uniform, his royal garb. Although it too was shattered, Nephrite recognized his black armor plates with 
its silver filigree lying across his chest, arms, and legs. Sprawled out under him was the red lining of his cape, its 
bold hue was stained with a darker crimson that made Nephrite's stomach turn. Deep wounds that were still 
spilling life marred his torso. The prince's eyes were staring upwards, void of life.

       His royal sword rested inches from his limp fingers, useless and cold. Nephrite wanted to believe that 
this meant his fallen friend had gone down honorably, putting up a good fight until the end. He could see 
Endymion having it no other way, but the blade's silver was still clean. It had drawn no blood tonight. 

       Standing over his friend's body was a girl, her face obscured in shadow. Her head hung down weakly, 
letting her silvery hair pigtails over her shoulders and onto her lap, cascading onto Endymion's arm. Some of 
the ends were dipped in blood. She wore a gossamer white gown, which too was tainted with scarlet. In her 
hands, she held a bloody dagger.

       The curved blade dipped in red overpowered Nephrite's vision. He stared with his mouth agape, his 
eyes shaking with disbelief. Was he truly witnessing his prince's murder?

       "This cannot be," he whispered. His hands clenched into fists, his shock subsiding to his rage. With 
everything in him, he tried to will the girl to lift her head, to reveal her face so that he could see her eyes. It 
could not possibly be who he thought it was. This had to be a lie; Nephrite was fighting himself not to believe 
it. 

       The girl sat, staring at Endymion's corpse. With a delicate touch, she pushed a lock of his ebony hair 
away from his eyes. She laid her palm against his cheek, cradling his face softly. Nephrite thought he heard her 
whisper the prince's name. Her other hand gripped the handle of the dagger shakily, but failed to move. 

       And in the same sudden manner as all of this appeared, the dreamscape was empty again. Nephrite 
took a step to where his prince lay instinctively, but all he found was the black void and the distant outline of 
the strange woman.

       "What is this?" Nephrite shouted angrily. His voice was a roar in the abyss as he demanded answers.

       "It is what I have seen in the future. This will come to pass shortly; you must stop it." 

       His knuckles turned white under his gloves from squeezing his fists so hard. Thousands of thoughts 
were rushing through his mind and he could not seem to grab one to speak it. 

       "You must stop this from happening."

       The woman repeated herself and was gone. As if nothing had changed, Nephrite's dreamscape became 
the mirror of the galaxy once more. The stars were still twinkling, communicating to each other in their unique 
language. The planets continued to revolve.

       For a long moment, Nephrite stood still with his poor hands clenched. Action must be taken; there 
was no question. The action that would be the right one, however, depended on the answers to hundreds of 
questions. The first of them was whether or not to disclose this to the others. He had no knowledge of who this 
woman was, only that she had lived forever. The source was already unreliable, but gazing visions are very 
difficult to fake and what he saw was frighteningly real. Lost in his contemplation and trying to regain his 
emotions, Nephrite had turned his attention from the stars. 

       The stars regained his attention. With a bright shine, Nephrite turned to face the star. As the light 
entered his eye, he felt the knowledge fill up his head as if it was being whispered loudly into his ear. It was one 
word.

       Umbriel. 

       The unexpected message made Nephrite's eyes widen with awakening. He was unfamiliar with the 
word, and did not have the patience to press the stars for more. His mind was reeling with the echo of that 
strange woman's vision, and he could not focus on his commune with the stars at the moment. As always, the 
general remained calm but was never one to make rash decisions or opinions. More than answers, right now he 
needed time to think. 


       
       
       Zoisite had been searching for Endymion's missing affects for the previous three hours. He had 
already checked the armory, where there was but a few standard weaponry missing. The stables only proved 
that Endymion had taken his favorite horse, a black stallion, but it had returned a few days later abandoned. 
With the help of two chamber servants, he was now in Endymion's personal bedchamber and had managed to 
deduce that the Prince had on his Royal suit (what he would've worn to the coronation), three swords (one 
Royal Long Sword and his favored twin katana) and several short daggers, and his strongest set of royal armor 
plates. No other wardrobe had been taken. On the Prince's desk, Zoisite discovered several maps of several 
planets and their moons, which gave him no inclination as to which he'd chosen or why he'd gone. He had 
taken a seat in the desk's chair, careful not to disturb the position of the maps in case there was some hidden 
meaning or clue in their layout. 

       He had been staring at the maps for the better part of the hour, acquiring information on what was 
missing from servants that weaved throughout the room meticulously. Zoisite wore his Imperial Guard 
uniform, as Kunzite instructed. His jacket, however, was piped with a deep green, the hue of the Far West. He 
was armed with his Imperial Sword as well, along with his sabre strapped next to it. It was standard practice for 
a high-ranking official to be armed when he was in uniform. As he thought, he absent-mindedly twirled his 
dagger against the tip of a gloved finger. There had to be something that he wasn't seeing, he thought, although 
it might be easier to spot if he knew why Endymion had left in the first place.

       "Milord," a servant interrupted from behind. Zoisite turned to see the young woman bowing in the 
center of the room. "Nothing else is missing."

       Zoisite felt disappointed despite not expecting anything else to be gone. "Thank you. You may go."

       As they left, Zoisite stood from the chair and replaced the anelace to its sheath at his lower back. He 
took a good long look around Endymion's quarters. One entered his room through two great wooden doors 
that had been painted black, with pewter doorknobs. The walls were covered in earthen tapestries, most of past 
kings and great warriors. It had a grand four-poster bed, made up neatly with red sheets and white covers. A 
white curtain partitioned his wardrobe room from the rest, although the room was lined with several bureaus 
and the desk that Zoisite stood in front of. One full wall of windows, draped in layers of white and black 
curtains, had a large archway that opened up to a small balcony that overlooked the Southern fields. Many of 
the candles in the candelabras and sconces had untouched wicks, evidence that the Prince loved natural light. 

       Zoisite knew this about Endymion, and everything in the room made him itch for the presence of his 
prince. Ever since the four were chosen to serve as Endymion's general guard, it was easy to become friends 
with the young prince. However, since the King had bestowed the lordship of the regions to the generals, it had 
been difficult to see Endymion over the past four years. Blinking the fatigue from his eyes, Zoisite turned back 
to the desk. It was quietly mocking him; it held answers that Zoisite could not find. He clenched his fists, 
fuming with a sense of urgency to find his friend. He had been trying to trace his action for hours now and still 
showed up empty-handed. He cursed the Prince's natural craftiness before throwing the maps from the desk 
with an angry cry. The papers and scrolls flew across the floor with a clatter before falling silent again. 

       The general collapsed into the chair, even more upset at what he had done. Any clue in how they were 
laid out was gone now. He threw his head back, letting a curse escape him as he refused to stare at the maps 
anymore. His green eyes fell back to the desk and narrowed, surprised at what they found.

       Under the maps, there were a slew of untouched items. A few quills lay strewn out, dragged halfway 
across as the papers flew off the surface. There were scraps of paper, a seal stamp, a red candle that had been 
burned to produce wax for seals, and some small knifes to cut open received letters' seals. One of these letter 
openers was out of place, however, and had been placed close to the center of the desk over a carving. Zoisite 
ran over the carving with gloved fingers, tracing over the outline of a crescent moon that opened upward. 

       He had seen this design before. It was the symbol of the Moon Kingdom Royalty; they were born 
with a golden sigil of it upon their forehead. Finally, Zoisite had stumbled upon something, although he wasn't 
sure what it meant. Why would Endymion be carving a symbol of Theian Royalty on his writing desk?

       "The moon, Endymion?" Zoisite questioned aloud. His eyes had lit up with excitement and quickly 
began to search every inch of the desk, in case something else had missed his eyes. Unfortunately, the now 
barren desk held nothing as bold as the carving, which he kept looking at despite efforts not to. Still, he kept 
his eyes moving away from the carved moon as much as they wanted to return to it. 

       After a few minutes, he gave up. Still frustrated that he found something but had no clue what it was, 
he stood to his feet. With a sigh, he resolved to tidy up the Prince's desk before he left. So, he collected the 
letter openers, the seal, and the quills. 

       His eyes narrowed as he lifted a quill from the corner of the desk. It was far too heavy. Setting down 
the rest, he examined the quill with both hands. Tethered with a pink string to the feather was a key. It was a 
strange looking key, however. It resembled a skeleton key, but was far more complicated and much tinier than 
any key Zoisite had ever come across. The blade was a cylinder with several teeth of different lengths. The bow 
was an odd heart-shape, with a garnet stone in the middle of it. As Zoisite untied the string, the metal key was 
much heavier than he thought it would be. Trying to identify what type of metal the key was forged from, 
Zoisite failed. It looked like aged pewter, which should be relatively light, but it was as heavy as a sword's hilt. 
It didn't seem possible as the key was no bigger than his palm. Even with all the metal work he'd seen in the 
markets across the cities of his region, he had seen nothing so tiny that was ever so intricate before. Confused by 
the small key, he sat there and twirled it over and over in his hands. 

       What was it?

       He slipped the key into his pocket, and quickly tidied up the rest of the desk and the maps. He took 
care, however, to inspect the back of every piece of paper and search every item he put back. Once it was 
finished, he left the utensils on one side of the desk with the maps on the other, the crescent carving clearly 
visible now. With one last glance and his memorized list of missing items, Zoisite exited through the large black 
doors, closing them behind him. 

       The longhaired general whipped through the corridors of the castle, brushing past servants with a 
hurried step. His mind was focused wholly on the key that was a heavy burden in his pocket. Recalling the 
layout from training here and serving as Endymion's general, Zoisite took a shortcut through an outdoor 
courtyard, then passing through the kitchens before he reached the eastern exit to the castle grounds. He 
sprinted out past the animal pens, ignoring the noise of the chicken and pigs. He ran past the grazing lands of 
the dairy cows, more excited than pressed for time. 

       It was all the way against the outer wall of the grounds that Zoisite found what he was looking for. It 
was a small, open building with a large chimney that spewed gray smoke incessantly. The door was on the 
hinges, but it was stuck open as it was barely closed. There was a stench of metal work and fire that was always 
present at the blacksmith's.

       Zoisite exploded into the room, scanning the gaping room for life. Inside, bending over an anvil, was 
a man who was banging out a sword with expert precision. The burly man looked up with a furrowed brow.

       "Hello there, my good man," Zoisite waltzed in with confidence. The blacksmith looked confused as 
to why anyone would come in here with such poise. Usually, he just got orders barked at him. Zoisite did not 
notice his questioning look and continued debonairly. "I understand you are a busy man, I do, but I was 
wondering if you would be able to look at something for me."

       The man banged the glowing piece of metal with a hammer against the anvil one more time. He was 
not impressed with Zoisite. He had long curly hair that was tied back tightly. He wore long gloves, a dirty 
tunic, and trousers to protect him from stray metal, along with an apron that at some point used to be white. 
His arms were probably larger than Zoisite's neck, bulging with muscle and covered in soot. 

       "I would go elsewhere, but as the Royal blacksmith, I don't think I could find anyone with greater 
expertise or better skill than you."

       Zoisite's well-placed compliment turned the man away from his work. He did not let go of the tongs 
that held the glowing piece of metal, but dropped the hammer to his side. "What do you want?" he asked, 
annoyed. 

       Fishing out the tiny key, Zoisite raised his eyebrow at the man's etiquette. Clearly, he did not get 
pleasant visits from Imperial Guard officers often. In his gloved hand, he held out the key to the man. "Tell me, 
did you forge this quality piece of work? I am the Lord of Vulturnus, and never have I seen such handiwork in 
all of the markets in my region."

       The man's brow rose at the mention of the Far West's capital city; Zoisite was an expert at knowing 
when to let his title be known. He quickly placed his hammer down, and returned his current work back to the 
fire at the back of the room. As he waltzed back over, he removed his gloves and dusted his hands off on a rag 
tucked into the back of his pants. Zoisite, seeing the man's quality of service clearly change, handed over the 
little key. The man's hand clutched the key as it fell into his hand, clearly surprised by the weight of the tiny 
object. 

       "Nah," the man mumbled gruffly. "I didn't make this."

       "Would you know anyone capable of such skill? Surely you are the greatest in Elys, but is there anyone 
elsewhere?"

       The man fingered the key, which was smaller than most of his fingers, holding it up close to his eyes. 
After a moment, he pouted his lower lip and shook his head. "Nah, this is quality work, likes o' which I ain't 
seen before. Closest direction I could point you to would be the Far West, but I suspect ya'd know betta than 
me."

       "Yes, I was afraid of that." Zoisite's brow wrinkled. "Any clue as to what metal it's made of? Surely it'd 
be easier to find its maker if I knew what metal it was."

       "Aye, it would." The man appraised the key one more time. This time, he held it flat in his hand, 
rubbed it against his cheek to feel it because his hands were covered in calluses, and held it up to the light of the 
fire. "Sorry, milord, I can't place it. I've worked every metal one can work, and I've no clue." He handed the 
key back to Zoisite.

       "Are you sure?" Zoisite said, taking the key back, looking at its strange magnificence again. 

       "Anything with that color and tarnish would be hard to work so finely, but I've never encountered a 
metal that dense to be that heavy at such a size. Come t' think of it, the only metal I've ever seen that could be 
worked that small wasn't earthen metal. It's probably from some other planet."

       "Care to venture a guess as to which one?"

       "I'm an expert at earthen metal, sir. All the other planets might as well be the same one t' me."

       With the man's genuine apologies once more, Zoisite thanked him for all his help. He waltzed out of 
the blacksmith's hut, placing the key back into his pocket as he headed back past the animal pens to the castle. 
Whatever the key was, he knew now it was not from Earth and must not unlock anything on the Earth. It 
could be from the moon, which made sense with the carving on Endymion's desk. But if Endymion had gone 
to wherever the key was from, why didn't he take it with him? 

       Zoisite's mind was wheeling with possible solutions as well as other people who could provide him 
answers as he headed back to the hallway that held the guest quarters. He headed towards his own door, the 
second one in, but as he passed the first, his curiosity peaked. Had Nephrite finished communing with the stars 
yet? He let himself keep walking, knowing that the mahogany haired general hated to be disturbed when he 
meditated. 

       He entered his room and quickly moved to the small desk against a wall. Without taking a seat, he 
quickly scribbled down his mental list of things that had gone missing, just so he would remember everything 
when Kunzite and Jadeite returned. It took him what felt like no time at all, and when he was finished, it 
seemed as though the list was unfinished. With a look of consideration, he quickly realized what he'd forgot. At 
the bottom, he mentioned the two things he had found - the carving and the key. 

       With a grin, he felt finished and placed the quill back down beside the ink. The list was complete 
now, but Zoisite had no one to share his findings with. He was never known for his patience; in short, he hated 
to wait. Bored, he glanced around his room. What was he to do now?

       Perhaps there was something in the library that could identify the metal. No, Zoisite rejected his own 
idea. The earthen library probably did not have much information of the other planets, much less on their 
specific ores or metals. It was one disadvantage to not being part of the Silver Millennium, because information 
was not shared as willingly. The Earth was a self-appointed outcast, but Zoisite felt that this planet had enough 
to deal with on its own, without the interference of a distant kingdom on the moon or other planets. 

       His mind reeled as he ran through all his possible options, walking out onto his terrace for some fresh 
air. There had to be something he could do while he waited for the other generals to finish their assignments. It 
was annoying that he finished his task first, but still had no definitive information about Endymion's 
whereabouts. He stood out just beyond the terrace's edge, onto the grass, looking up at the vivid blue sky. Just 
where was his prince?

       Zoisite was alone with his thoughts for a mere half an hour before he heard a loud slam from Jadeite's 
room. He jumped to his feet, his hand instinctively reaching behind him for his sabre. However, it quickly fell 
back to his side as Jadeite came storming out onto his terrace, breathing furiously. 

       "What's the matter with you?" Zoisite questioned. 

       "Don't bother with him," Kunzite's voice rung out from the room beyond Jadeite's. The white haired 
leader walked briskly out onto the terrace, his icy blue cape flowing behind him regally. He walked over to 
Jadeite's terrace before exchanging a stern but knowing look with him. "We ran into difficulties at the 
Teleport."

       Zoisite approached the other two with a smirk. "Difficulties? I thought that was why you brought 
him," he said, tossing a nod towards Jadeite. 

       "No, these problems are more complicated." Kunzite said. He stripped his gloves off his hands with an 
annoyed maneuver. At Zoisite's inquiring look, he explained. "Sailor Soldiers."

       At the mention, Zoisite's eyes widened. Suddenly, he understood why Jadeite was upset. The Sailor 
Soldiers were another breed of authority; they did as they saw fit and there was no one to tell them not to. They 
had never done anything disagreeable, but Zoisite wasn't fully comfortable with their self-appointed supremacy. 

       Kunzite nodded. "Yes. They are under the impression that Endymion has the Princess of Theia with 
him."

       "Theia? The Moon Kingdom?" 

       "Also the head of the Silver Millennium," Jadeite interjected. "Forbidden territory for Terrans."

       "Well, this complicates things."

       "Indeed," Kunzite agreed. "We'll have to somehow convince the Sailor Soldiers that they're wrong. 
This rumor had to be expunged. Endymion's reckless, but he would never trespass onto the Moon."

       "No, it's more than that, Kunzite. I found a carving on Endymion's desk when I was searching his 
room. It was the crescent symbol of Theian royalty." 

       At this, the other two fell silent. Kunzite was staring at Zoisite; his face did not waver but Zoisite 
could see his thoughts racing behind his eyes. Jadeite turned away with a huff, walking in a wide circle as he 
flushed with anger at the new finding. 

       "So it's true? He's kidnapped the Crown Princess?" Jadeite exclaimed. 

       Kunzite turned to look sharply at Jadeite. His jaw was clenched as he sighed with frustration, before 
he looked between the other two with his usual calm. "We don't know that for sure yet. Apparently, there's 
more to Endymion's disappearance than we thought."

       "And I have worse news," Nephrite's voice came from behind them. 

       They all turned to find the dark general stalk out from his room with his brown locks draped behind 
him. His stern face watched them with his brow lowered. Approaching them, they found that he had bags 
under his eyes and his eyes were clearly strained. They had seen him like this before, before battles when victory 
seemed impossible. When he was concerned or stressed, Nephrite wore an austere presence. 

       The others were chilled as he drew near, knowing the general never worried more than he had to. To 
see him this shaken made them nervous. Kunzite was the first to speak.

       "What have you seen?"