"We're going to be posted to the Queen's Court?" Zoisite asked, bouncing up and down like a little kid, and not a seventeen year old teenager.

Kunzite laughed at this show of enthusiasm. "Yes. Now stop that before you make a crater in the floor. Why don't you start packing now? We leave in an hour."

Zoisite stared suspiciously at his love. "You did this on purpose didn't you? Not telling me until the last minute?"

"Well, it's to prevent your from packing the entire Academy in your bags. The last time we went on our 'honeymoon', you packed half the Academy with you. It's a wonder you could lug so many bags around."

Zoisite wrinkled his nose at Kunzite. "That's what magic's for," he replied impishly, then ran out of the room to pack his stuff. Kunzite chuckled, then glanced back at the letter in his hand and sobered. Their purpose in going to the palace was to be the Queen's bodyguard and protect her from any magical assassin. With her half sister out of exile now, the Queen couldn't afford to take any chances, especially since three attempts had been made on her life already. Apparently her General had thwarted all three assassination attempts, and Kunzite was curious to meet this formidable fellow.

Zoisite fidgeted restlessly at Kunzite's side as the Queen's herald went through the long list of formalities they had to observe once they were by the Queen's side.

":Zoi-chan, don't fidget so much. Pay attention!:" Kunzite chided, sparing a glance for the younger Mage. Zoisite heaved a very loud mental sigh, then forced his attention back to the herald. But the man droned on and on, and eventually, Zoisite decided to bail his butt out of there. Clapping a hand to his stomach, he suddenly doubled over in imagined pain, and made little appropriate noises.

"Are you feeling alright?" the herald asked rhetorically. Zoisite rolled his eyes and managed to squeak out, "no. I think my stomach's queasy."

"Perhaps you would like to go back to your rooms to lie down, Mage Zoisite? Your colleague can instruct you later on."

Zoisite hid a grin and hobbled off, leaving an amused Kunzite behind. ":Don't get into too much trouble, understand?:" he 'pathed. Zoisite gave him a mental grin.

":I'm not your student anymore, so you don't have to sound like a sensei you know. I'll try not to get into too much trouble!:" Zoisite slammed up his personal shields so that Kunzite wouldn't have a chance to retort, and dashed off once he was around the corner and out of the herald's sight.

The palace was rather convoluted, and the dark wood paneling along the sides gave the narrow passageways a very cramped feeling, and Zoisite was sure that anybody with claustrophobia would die the moment they stepped into this palace. used to the huge airy confines of the Academy, he felt more than a little uncomfortable. He wandered along, pausing to look at the ixora bushes planted along the outer edge of the corridors, and crashed into somebody.

The impact wasn't very hard, so Zoisite didn't find himself sitting on the floor. But the man was tall, and Zoisite had to crane his neck a little to look at the man's face.

Auburn hair, long and wavy, sapphire blue eyes, an aristocratic looking face, and the uniform of a General. This could only be the General Kunzite had been talking about before they reached the palace. The General hurried off without a word of apology, but Zoisite decided to let it pass. He wandered around some more, and for the second time in perhaps half an hour, the two collided, and something crashed into the floor. It was a wine bottle.

"Watch where you're going, lady," the General snapped, staring angrily at the spreading dark puddle on the floor. "That bottle cost a fortune!"

:Lady?: Zoisite snorted contemptuously to himself. :Not even a word of apology. He was the one who crashed into me! And he should've had a better grip on that bottle. Glass like that on the floor can cause serious damage.: "I'm not a lady," Zoisite began, and the General laughed.

"That's quite true, since you go around crashing into people."

"You're the one who crashed into me," Zoisite pointed out. "And you didn't even have a word of apology. You're shifting your blame onto me, and what's more, you insulted me! What happened to your manners?"

"You are the one who's raising your voice," the General shot back. "A shorty like you should pick on somebody your own size, you know."

Zoisite snarled. He was very sensitive about his height, and well, he didn't like this man's face. Combine this dislike with the mild claustophobic feeling the palace invoked in him and the 'lecture' he sat through earlier on, it was more than enough to make him pick a fight. A light glowed in his hand, and the taller man barely managed to dodge the spray of ice darts directed at him.

"Hey!" the General yelled, yanking his sword out of his sheath. He angled to handicap, not to kill, but Zoisite was too mad to give any quarter. Out came a crystal blade, and he engaged with the taller man, never mind the fact that he did not have an ounce of formal training in him.

Kunzite felt something buzzing at the back of his mind, and he excused himself from the herald once he figured what it was. A short sprint took him to the place of trouble.

"Zoisite! Have you gone mad?" he shouted when he saw the two fighting furiously. "You can get yourself killed!"

Zoisite laughed, a very eerie, not quite sane sort of laugh. "Don't bother yourself over this love, all I have to do is cut, and he'll be dead."

"Hell!" the General spat out. "Look, I don't want to hurt you-"

"The damage's done already. Why didn't you just keep your mouth shut in the first place then?" Zoisite retorted, shooting more darts at the other man. "I hate being insulted."

Kunzite swore under his breath and flung out a spell at both combatants, immobilizing them temporarily, and rushed forward to grab hold of Zoisite before he broke the spell. Pulling the younger Mage some distance away, he shook him roughly, trying to get some sense back into his mind.

"Get a grip on yourself," he hissed. "That's the Queen's General, and I don't think she'll be pleased to find out that you sautéed him to bits." To the General, he dismissed the spell and apologized on behalf of Zoisite. The General came closer, but not too close, and peered at the blond.

"Is he alright?"

Zoisite snarled and broke Kunzite's spell easily. "As soon as I have your neck under my blade. Watch out for yourself." With that omimous warning, he stalked away.

Kunzite exchanged looks with the General, who sighed and ran his hand down his long hair. "I suppose you don't know what's going on?" he asked a little hopefully. Kunzite shook his head.

"No, but I'd like to hear what happened. Zoisite doesn't swear to kill somebody unless that person really ticks him off. I heard you insulted him?"

"In that aspect, I owe him an apology. We collided, and my bottle of wine dropped. I think both of us were in a bad mood, and we just set each other off."

Kunzite shrugged. "It's between you and Zoisite. Since he's as bad as the proverbial avenging angel, I don't think you need extra pressure from me."

The General winced. "No I don't, and thank you for understanding."

Kunzite held out his hand. "You're welcome. Truth be told, I've been interested in meeting you. All the reports said that General Nephrite was the one responsible for saving the Queen's life on all three occasions. What have you found out from the last three assassination attempts?"

Nephrite heaved a relieved sigh, glad that the conversation thread was now linked to business, and shook the Mage's hand. "Come over to my office. It's more comfortable there, and we could always share another bottle of wine." Kunzite smiled to himself as Nephrite led the way. He'd heard about the General's only vice – his love of wines.

Zoisite fumed in his room. How dare Kunzite interfere with his affairs. Who cared if Nephrite was now the Queen's General? :He probably drank his way to the top. I'm going to fry Kunzite when he comes back! Talk about love! He didn't even know what happened, and he cast a spell on me!: A knock sounded on the door, and the older Mage entered the guests' suite.

"So, you're finally back?" Zoisite asked, pitching his voice to provoke, but the effect was lost on Kunzite.

"Have you finished your fit?"

"Finished with my fit?" Zoisite shouted angrily. "I don't believe you! You actually defended my enemy and left me alone! How dare you meddle with my affairs?"

"Zoisite, calm down, or you'll say something you'll regret later on," Kunzite warned. Zoisite glared at him, then spun around to sit down on the sofa. He heard a soft rustle of cloth, then Kunzite was behind him, massaging the tense neck muscles.

"You're not being rational. Our purpose in coming to the palace wasn't to indulge in a good time, but to protect the Queen, and we are working with General Nephrite on this. If you two are going to be at loggerheads, we are going to fail in our mission and shame the entire Academy as well. So could you please put aside this feud of yours until the larger business is concluded?"

Zoisite grumbled, but Kunzite was being very persuasive, so he gave a grudging nod. "I've spoken to Nephrite about it. Insulting each other's a tiny matter. What is it about him that ticks you off? All he did was accidentally mistake you for a girl."

"He was the one who crashed into me and didn't even apologise. Besides, I don't like his face, and he insulted me about my height. Fine. For your sake I'll leave him alone," the blond muttered grumpily. "For the moment." Kunzite laughed, and tickled his side.

"Since when have you learnt to bear a grudge?" he asked as Zoisite squealed, jumped into the air and gave him another of his 'medusa' glares.

"You can sleep on the floor tonight for that!" he retorted. "And as for bearing a grudge, you would too if you were my height and some lout ticked you off. What is it about you that I can't even stay angry with you?"

Kunzite tossed him a lazy smile. "I decline to comment for fear of angering you further, but now to the serious stuff. You're more streetwise than me, so I suppose you know how the assassin would think. Listen to this and tell me what you think."

"I like to know when streetwise equated to being an assassin," Zoisite said with a wry smile. "But tell me anyway."

Zoisite took one look at the diminutive figure on the dais with the ridiculous 'spaghetti and meat ball' style hairdo and turned wide, incredulous eyes on his lover. "Please tell me that's the Court jester." "That isn't the Court jester," Kunzite replied with a dry smile. "That's the Queen."

"You mean to say we are body guards to that sweet, vapid looking thing? If her looks matches her brains, no wonder everybody wants to assassinate her."

Kunzite frowned. "You're over-generalizing here. It's her half sister that wants to assassinate her, not everybody, and she's not stupid. At least wipe that skeptical look off your face. We're about to be presented."

The scarlet haired woman wandered around the streets, looking at the various buskers and shops. As she bent over a display of necklaces, a shadow fell over her. She didn't have to look up to tell who it was – the shape of the shadow was unmistakable.

"Endymion?" she breathed, hardly daring to turn around.

"Ah, my dear Beryl, still as lovely as ever," a suave voice replied, the very one she had been waiting for three years to hear. A hand turned her around gently, and the Crown Prince of Earth's face met hers. "How are you, my love?"

Beryl looked into those deep blue eyes which had snare many a woman, but held only her. "Fine, and waiting eagerly for the day when we can be married and freed of my half-sister."

"Have no fear, Beryl. Soon, the life-thread of Serenity will be cut, and you will rule the Moon Kingdom, with me beside you. And Earth will be united with her moon. A double marriage, how very auspicious."

Beryl's red eyes were shining with that vision. "Yes," she breathed. "And we will be together forever then."

"Here, this is for you. Stay only in the finest five-star hotels," Endymion said, pressing a bag of money in her hands. "I will send for you once the deed is done."

Zoisite yawned. "I'm sleepy, Kunzite, and not in the mood to meet Serenity's future husband or king or whatever. You go on without me." He turned to bury his head under a pillow. Kunzite sighed, used to the quirks of his lover.

"I suppose you'll get a chance to meet him later on. But don't use this opportunity to go and make Nephrite shorter by a head, hear me?" Kunzite cooled his heels with General Nephrite and the Queen's herald for more than an hour before Prince Endymion of Earth had the good grace to turn up. He strutted into view with an impressive train of servants and bodyguards, and swept past them with a haughty nod.

"Your Grace!" the herald called after the Prince. "This is Mage Kunzite, Queen Serenity's bodyguard."

Kunzite winced when he heard his introduction. It made him sound like her lackey or something. Prince Endymion turned back and stalked up to Kunzite, surprise in his dark eyes when he found that the Mage was taller than him by a head.

"I am quite capable of defending my betrothed from anything," he said curtly, glaring at Kunzite as if he was to blame for something secret that went wrong. Kunzite fielded the glare with equanimity, having had ample practice with Zoisite. He returned a cool calculating look, the one that he was best at, and under that calm, steady gaze, Endymion turned red, starting from the roots of his hair. With another haughty nod, he flounced off. Beside Kunzite, Nephrite whistled in appreciation.

"That's the first time I've seen him so intimidated. You must teach me that look one of these days," he laughed.

Kunzite returned a smile. "My pleasure, but there's something that I don't like about Queen Serenity's future husband. Something that transcends mere arrogance or discourtesy."

Nephrite rubbed his head. "There's very few people who like him either, whether it is on the Moon or in his home planet. Zoisite's not here today, what a pity. I would love to see his reaction to this man. That little guy would probably have torn his head off."

"Indeed," Kunzite agreed. "Zoisite hates pompous idiots, and this one is no exception. I think we better keep an eye on him. He's too sure of himself for my liking. Does he know about the three assassination attempts?"

Nephrite nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. He is the Queen's betrothed after all. You'll get to see him in action tomorrow when we hold another meeting to discuss Serenity's safety."

"Don't tell him about Zoisite. I have a feeling he'll be needed as a trump card later on."

"That should be easy, if Zoisite keeps to his rooms, and out of the Queen's suite. That's where Endymion stays every time he comes for a visit."

"So, what can you Mages do?" Endymion asked, lounging in a padded chair with his feet on the table. Kunzite hadn't thought that he was capable of hating anybody, but this insolent brat was testing him severely. He thought of Zoisite relaxing back in the suite and growled to himself.

"Many things. It depends on the individual Mage actually. But all of us are capable of truth spells, simple things like moving things around, and force blasts."

"And what is your specialty?" Endymion asked, leaning forward to lock eyes with Kunzite. The Mage smiled tightly. "Aggressive magic. I can take out a hair on your head without splitting the rest of it, or I can take down your retinue with one small blast."

The Prince bristled. "What are you implying?"

"Nothing," Kunzite replied, mock-innocently. "You did ask to know my specialty. I'm merely using simple comparisons instead of the usual Mages' jargon." Nephrite hid a grin at Kunzite's answer, then hastily asked Kunzite another question before the outraged Prince could do anything foolish. "So, what kind of protection can you provide should magic be used in the next assassination attempt?"

"What about illusions?" Endymion butted in.

Kunzite considered a moment. "Illusions? I'm afraid I don't have the Gift to do so, though I can detect most of them. I can augment Queen Serenity's personal magic so that she's safe from all forms of attacks, save the physical ones, of course. But as for poison, or even a simple knife in the dark, we'll have to turn to our good General here." He pretended to fiddle with a loose thread on his sleeve, but he was actually watching the Prince with his peripheral vision. He looked satisfied with himself, and even his mask of languid boredom wasn't enough to hide a glint of glee in his eyes.

"Queen Serenity will be most vulnerable during her Birthday, when the populace are invited to the palace to mix around and join in the celebrations. Kunzite, how long can your protections last?"

"It depends on the Queen's personal magic, but I believe I can make it last for life."

Nephrite clapped his hands with a pleased expression. "That's at least one less angle to worry about. Prince Endymion, what do you think?"

Endymion waved his hand with a bored expression. "Fine, whatever. Just give me your schedule on that day so that I can find a private time for me to give her my present." He got up from his chair and strode out of the room.

"And what are your plans, Mage Kunzite?" Nephrite asked, bending over to whisper in his ear.

"I'm going to test how loyal he is to the Queen. He knows how to shield his mind, but he has no magic. Somebody must have taught him that."

"The King, his father, does not approve very much of magic, so I doubt if he has a personal tutor in magic."

"I see." Kunzite set up a ward so that nobody would eavesdrop on their conversation. "Have you noticed who Zoisite looks like?"

Nephrite frowned, puzzled. "Zoisite? I don't kn-" Suddenly, his face split into a grin. "Somebody who's as small and has blond hair like his? Well, Queen Serenity wears hers in two ondangos and ponytails."

Kunzite nodded. "Zoisite refers to them as spaghetti and meatballs. Now all we have to do is convince him to adopt a similar fashion sense…."

Zoisite stared at his lover as if he'd gone daft. "You must be kidding. No, no, no, no, NO! I am not going to embarrass myself by dressing like her! Besides, my eyes are a different shade from hers!"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten how to weave an illusion, or Jadeite's hard work would have gone to waste. I told Endymion I didn't know to weave an illusion, and since I didn't mention you, he should fall for the trick."

Zoisite scowled. "I don't believe myself. If you ever let this leak out…ugh, never mind! You're lucky I kept my hair long, or we'll never be able to pass this off. Whatever small illusion I can weave can only change certain things." He accepted two rubber bands from Kunzite and tried to tie his hair into two long ponytails and ondangos. His first time attempt was a little flattened and out of shape. Next, he lifted a hand and passed it over his eyes, then his entire person. In a moment, an exact copy of Queen Serenity was standing before Kunzite. Well, almost an exact copy.

"Don't frown so much. Queen Serenity does nothing but smile," Kunzite chided.

"Yeah. But my mouth muscles, unlike hers, are not glued into place. Alright, so what do I have to do now?"

"Try to act like Serenity. Smile pleasantly, listen to everybody and basically be a goody-two-shoes."

The cornflower blue eyes rolled so hard, Kunzite was afraid they would drop out. "Great. This is my idea of an ideal body guard. Are you sure she wears stuff like this? It feels awfully insecure," Zoisite complained, looking down at the gauzy and slightly low-cut white bustier gown he was wearing to make the illusion more realistic.

Kunzite tactfully refrained from laughing and gave an affirmative nod. Zoisite's face fell. "Just promise me one thing," he begged.

"Depends on what."

"If that idiot Endymion is really the culprit behind all these assassination attempts, can I rip him to bits? After all, Nephrite's out of bounds."

Kunzite laughed this time. "Be my guest, and do everybody a favour while you're at it. But just don't maul him too badly, or we won't be able to explain to his father how he managed to get into that state."

Zoisite smiled sweetly, a credible imitation of Queen Serenity's smile, though his tone was positively devious. "Why don't you just tell his father somebody was jealous of his cute little face?"

"What are you implying?" Kunzite asked, half torn between shock and outraged amusement at the jibe, but Zoisite had already sailed out of the door.

Beryl returned to her rooms, more than a little drunk. The owner of the hotel she was residing in had decided to give a celebration in honour of the Queen, and following the true spirit of the celebrations in the palace, had given a buffet for free. She flopped onto the big bed, then noticed a slip of paper on the dressing table.

"Whush ish dish?" she mumbled to herself, picking up the paper and staring at it.

"Ooh, ish fom Edymiyawn. Be ash de palash ash swelve." She looked at the clock on the table and blinked a few times when she saw the long hand at 2. :Shime do geddoud,: she thought, forgetting the fact that her clock had stopped a day ago. Dragging herself out of the room, she managed to make it down the stairs without tripping on her long red gown, and into a waiting taxi.

"De palash," she told the driver, then started to purge the wine from her.

Zoisite stifled a yawn behind one delicately gloved hand and smiled at the gray-haired dignitary with his grandson. A few murmured pleasantries and his attention was snagged by a young tuxedo-clad man, about half a head taller than him, with the most artificial expression Zoisite had ever seen.

"Ah, my dear Serenity. You look more beautiful than ever," he flattered effortlessly. Zoisite managed to produce a blush, and resisted the urge to punch his nose in when the Prince wrapped his hand around his waist.

"I've got the most wonderful birthday present for you, and I know you'll love it when you see it."

Zoisite rolled his mental eyes. :I'm so sure of that. Let's see what you've got up your sleeve.: Something Zoisite identified as his gut feeling gnawed at him inside, and on impulse, Zoisite linked up with Kunzite.

":What is it?:" Kunzite asked, only half concentrating on his conversation with Nephrite.

":I can't exactly tell at the moment. Just stay with me for the moment, alright?:" Zoisite replied as Endymion led him to the Queen's private quarters. A lovely candlelight dinner was waiting for them, and with the muted glow of the candles as the only light source, it was rather dark, but also a little romantic. Zoisite wondered if Kunzite had missed his mark, and Endymion was really only an obnoxious royal brat who needed polishing in manners.

"Come and have some wine," the Prince invited, pouring out a glass of deep red wine for the 'Queen'. "It's a very rare, very old vintage I've been saving up for this occasion. I know you don't drink, but it's your birthday today, and you're eighteen already!"

Zoisite took the glass from the Prince, swirled it's contents once and sipped hesitantly. In his mind, Kunzite made a face.

":That's worse than the cheapest wine Nephrite stocks in his cupboards!:" the silver haired Mage exclaimed in distaste. ":Rare vintage indeed. It tastes more like vinegar!:"

":Thank goodness I linked up with you, or I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. Now we know that something suspicious is goin-:"

Kunzite started when the link snapped from his mind. Beside him, Nephrite asked a question. "Zoisite's suddenly broken off contact. And if he didn't do it on purpose, then the only time the link can be broken is when he's unconscious or dead." Kunzite shuddered, then started off on a brisk walk towards the Queen's quarters, worry written in every line of him. Nephrite caught up with him, purpose written in every line of him, but a commotion drew their attention.

"Where is Endymion?" a sharp voice shrilled, and when nobody answered, a blast gauged a respectable crater in the centre of the dining hall. Kunzite swore.

"That wasn't one of the Mages. Who in hell has magic that powerful?"

Nephrite turned to look at him. "Who else but the half-sister of Serenity? Beryl's here to create trouble."

Zoisite tried to keep a toehold on the realm on consciousness, fighting the poison that was invading his system. He was on the verge of driving it out of his system when Endymion sauntered to his side and hammered him at the base of his skull. Zoisite made a silent vow to kill this idiot, and he blacked out.

"Your Grace!" one of his guards called out. "The Lady Beryl is in the palace now!"

Endymion spun on his heels and swore pungently. "I told her to come at midnight! What the hell is she doing here at ten?" Regarding the 'Queen' at his feet, he thought for a moment, then decided not to kill her on the spot. If they captured Beryl, he could use her as a bargaining chip.

"Get out of here and tell whoever is in charge there that I will be there shortly to deal with her," he ordered. The guardsman saluted crisply and marched out of the room.

Beryl howled in outrage as she didn't manage to duck the silver-haired man's attack in time, and the nails on her fingers were chipped. In return, she flung a lightning bolt at him, and watched in satisfaction as it singed the edges of his robes.

"Where is Endymion?" she demanded.

Right at the edge of the 'safety line' Kunzite had drawn for the people in the palace, Nephrite hollered out his own question. "Why do you want him?" Beryl smiled nastily. "It's time for my dear sister to step down from her throne. We are going to be married, and together we will rule the Earth and the Moon."

"Beryl! I thought I told you to come at twelve!" Endymion shouted from the other side of the room. The scarlet haired woman turned her head towards him.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she called out. "I only found your message at two."

Endymion groaned and slapped his head. "It's only ten, my dear!"

Beryl spun, looked at the huge grandfather clock standing in the corner and swore. Kunzite seized his chance tried to knock Beryl unconscious, but he was a second too slow, and the attack crashed into a side pillar. Endymion stepped backwards then ran back down the corridor, leaving the two to battle it out with magic.

"Nephrite! Go and get Zoisite!" Kunzite yelled out before all his attention was devoted to countering the woman's magic. She was incredibly strong, a match for any of the senior Mages back at the Academy, including Kunzite, and he found himself wondering how she trained herself.

Zoisite woke up with an aching head, a vile taste in his mouth and found himself tied in the most uncomfortable way ever. He was suspended above the floor by his wrists, which were tied to lamp in the ceiling. :Thankfully I'm light enough for the lamp to support my weight. Now where is that idiot who tied me in this position?:

Endymion pounded into the room, breathless from his dash, and he took a few minutes to realise the 'Queen' was awake. He barely had time to scurry further into the room before Nephrite sprinted in himself.

"Come near me and I'll kill Serenity!" Endymion wheezed out, taking out a gun and pointing it at the 'Queen'. Nephrite held out empty hands in a placating manner and tried to signal to Zoisite that the masquerade was over. The skittish prince noticed the exchange, and fired his gun wildly. It was a lucky shot for Zoisite, for the bullet sliced through the ropes holding his wrists together, and he dropped down, tucked himself into a neat roll and jumped to his feet in one fluid motion. Endymion stared in shock. "Since when did you know how to do that?" he blurted out.

'Serenity' gave a very un-Serenity like smile. "Easy enough, when you spend the first half of your life in the streets." The bindings of the illusion ran off 'her' form like singed silk, leaving in place a slight, evilly-smiling man, with green eyes and slightly curly blond hair in two squashed ondangos.

"Who in hell are you?" Endymion asked in uncomprehending shock.

Zoisite advanced one step, rubbing his wrists, and waved Nephrite away.

"Somebody whom you crossed when he was in a very bad mood." One kick took the gun out of the prince's hands, and the second kick sent him crashing to the floor. "I hate being poisoned and trussed up like a turkey. And I hate traitors. And most of all, I hate you the way you look."

Nephrite hastily pulled Zoisite away before he caused permanent damage. "I don't think he's in any condition to escape." Zoisite's face fell.

"That's so sad. I was looking forward to rearranging his irritating features. But I'll settle for giving him a taste of his own medicine." He muttered something under his breath, and immediately, Endymion floated to the middle of the room, too dazed at the moment to notice.

"Let's go. Kunzite's in a little bit of trouble, I think."

Zoisite tried to locate Kunzite with his mind, and a blank spot in his mind told him that something indeed was amiss. He ran out of the door, tugging the rubber bands out of his hair and hitched up the ridiculously long skirt. The dining hall of the palace was a huge mess by the time Zoisite hit the scene, with both Beryl and Kunzite still going strong. By now, the people in the palace were too engrossed in the display of fireworks to bother about their safety, and Zoisite had to elbow and push his way through the crowd. He gave up a second later, and levitated above everybody's heads.

Kunzite was distracted by the bright figure in the air, and he missed a parry, the shock of Beryl's lightning bolts against his shields sent him to the ground on one knee. Zoisite gasped and flung his ice crystal darts at the scarlet haired woman, but not before she unleashed one final energy blast.

Kunzite saw the blast coming and knew that he wouldn't be able to block it fast enough, not with his shields still half damaged. He tried anyway, and was shocked when something hurtled down from the air and rammed into him, knocking him away from the blast. Zoisite gave his lover a huge, desperate hug.

":Don't scare me like that again, next time!:" Zoisite scolded.

Kunzite gave him a lop sided smile. ":Talk about pot calling the kettle black. You gave me an equally big scare with Endymion!:"

Nephrite coughed. "Um, Zoisite, where exactly did you throw your ice darts?"

Kunzite got to his feet, pulling up the younger man as well, who walked over to peer at the Queen's half sister. "Oh drat, I wasn't aiming for her head, only for her hands. Guess my aim is off today. At the worst she'll become a vegetable." Zoisite grinned and shrugged.

"This wasn't exactly a wonderful birthday party for the Queen, but it could have been worse. Thank you, Mage Zoisite, for your help. Err, perhaps you would like to go back to your quarters and change?" Nephrite asked hesitantly, not knowing if the other man would be insulted or not.

Zoisite looked down at the dirty, torn flimsy dress and blushed a flaming red. He was too embarrassed to curse, and sprinted off to his quarters, praying that nobody had a good look at his face.

Kunzite exchanged looks with Nephrite. "Does this mean that I'll have to guard my back from now on?" Nephrite asked mournfully. "I didn't mean to insult him a second time."

Kunzite smiled. "He wasn't insulted. He's only touchy because you're so much taller than him. If he chopped off your head, you would only be slightly taller, that's what the 'neck under his blade' thing he told you earlier on meant. I'm going to see if I can salvage any of his pride for him, and it's been a long day today. See you tomorrow General." His long legged stride took him from the dining hall, leaving the General to coerce some semblance of order back into the confused, milling crowds.

Zoisite smiled sweetly at Nephrite, presenting a dark bottle to him. The General took the present warily, not trusting the younger man's expression. "A bottle of rare vintage as a parting gift to replace the one we broke on our second meeting," Zoisite told him before he left in the coach with Kunzite. Nephrite was deeply touched.

"I'm afraid I didn't prepare anything for you," he said. "So we part as friends?"

"Um, yes. See you around and send my regards to poor Endymion."

Nephrite laughed. "Believe me, he was cursing you every minute he was here before they deported him back to Earth."

Later, when the two Mages were in the coach, Kunzite turned to Zoisite. "I'm glad you didn't pursue your vendetta with Nephrite. Wherever did you get that bottle of wine?"

Zoisite fluttered his eyelids innocently. "Wine? What wine? The person who sold me that bottle said it was quality vinegar. Rare vintage, he assured me." At Kunzite's start of surprise, the blond laughed. "What did you expect after Endymion gave me that idea? My only regret is-"

"Not slicing his head off?" Kunzite interjected dryly.

"Don't be so bloodthirsty. It's not being able to see his expression when he tastes the contents of that bottle."