A chapter long time in coming, wouldn't you say?
*grins and dodges whaps from her readers*
Enjoy reading!

Healer
Chapter 16
Author: Patch
E-mail: patchkhan1@hotmail.com
	kittiekat90@yahoo.com
Editor: Rei Kinneas *aka* Kaitou Comma
Rated PG

Insert standard disclaimer here.

	"I'm so worried for Endymion."
	"Hmm…"
	"What if this new lead ends up like all the others?
What if Potikin really has no answers? Your Prince will be
devastated… as will we."
	Zoicite opened his eyes and looked up at Ami
whose lap his head was resting on. She was looking off in the
distance and he could see that her gaze was troubled. He
sighed quietly, knowing that the Senshi was allowing the
tension to settle within her once more. He had hoped that this
small 'outing' of theirs would help her relax. They had been
working so hard in the past few days, a renewed sense of
determination running through their veins. And it was having
both positive and negative effects.
	All of them were reluctant to latch onto this
newfound hope except for Endymion. He had pushed himself
headfirst into this mission to find the ex-Lieutenant. He
seemed to firmly believe that Potikin would have their long
awaited answers. However the Generals and the Senshi had
another sort of attitude.
	They were more cautious and more wary this time
around. Life, they all knew, was full of disappointments, but
they had been through one too many! They all wanted Serenity
back but the odds seemed so much against them.
	Zoicite sat up and turned to face Ami. Her eyes
were now downcast and he gently cupped her face and made
her look at him. He searched her face before placing a kiss on
her forehead. He smiled at seeing a blush creep over her face
and was unable to resist kissing her nose and then her lips.
	"Have faith," he whispered when they parted. His
other hand threaded through her short hair comfortingly.
	"But it's so hard," she whispered back sadly.
	"I know. But Endymion seems so adamant this time.
Do you think that maybe this time, this lead just might be the
one we're looking for?"
	She shook her head slightly. "I don't know anymore.
But if we do find Serenity, I will be overjoyed yet…"
	"You know you'll have to leave. The Princess' home
is on the Moon as is yours." At her nod, he shifted and took her
in his arms. Her arms came around him and held him close as
they sat there in silence.
	"I love you Zoicite," came her muffled voice. "I never
thought I could feel such an emotion, but I do."
	He moved away and looked down at her. "And I am
honored," he replied in all seriousness. "You captured my heart
from the very first moment and it has been yours since then."
	She smiled and then her eyes fell shut as his mouth
descended upon hers, her lips captured in a kiss that expressed
all emotions they felt at that very moment. Love. Fear.
Happiness.
	"Ami!"
	At the sound of the new voice, they broke away hastily
and Ami looked up at the intruder and gasped. "Makoto!"
	The tall brunette stood a few feet away from them,
blocking the entrance to the small enclosed area the couple were
resting in. Her face mirrored stunned disbelief. Ami quickly got up,
Zoicite following her, and took a step towards Makoto, but the other
woman's words stopped her in mid-step.
	"I'm quite sorry for having disturbed your… private
moment. I had no idea you two were in a relationship and quite
frankly, I'm surprised that you, Ami, could even…" she didn't finish,
only turned around and walked away from them. Ami took a step
forward but Zoicite stopped her. She looked at him, her anguished
expression tugging something within him. He shook his head and
they both watched the figure of Makoto disappear in the distance.

*~*
	Nephrite was sitting on the wide railing of the terrace,
one leg propped up on the white marble, the other dangling. His
eyes were closed and he smiled when a breeze hit him, it's air
refreshing and cool. The weather was hot as it was the summer
season and any breeze was most welcome. He opened his eyes
when he heard a noise and turned to see Makoto striding through
the grass at a fast pace. She spotted him at the same time he took
notice of her and quickly climbed the steps of the terrace and
walked towards him. His muscles tensed, wondering who or what
had caused her to look so upset.
	She walked right up to him and what she did next
nearly had him toppling over. She placed her hands on his cheeks
and then raised her head to kiss him in one of the most hottest
kisses he had ever received. His eyes widened and then closed as
fire erupted within him. But he had hardly enjoyed the moment
when she pulled away and stepped back.
	"Tell me, did you feel any sort of drastic emotion from
that?"
	He did not trust himself to speak and only looked at
her in shock. She did not wait for him to say anything, and
continued.
	"I don't understand and I do not think I want to
understand. However, what is happening right under my nose I
cannot ignore. Minako and General Kunzite. Ami and General
Zoicite. Who will be next? You and Rei?"
	He suddenly began coughing violently and she glared
at him. "Is it true then?"
	"Actually," he gasped, "I do believe Jaedite is more
interested in her than I."
	"What? Has he claimed her then?" She stepped up to
him, her eyes flashing angrily. "Do you all discuss which one of us
you will pick off? It's absolutely disgusting and I will not stand for
any of it! If I could, I would take myself away from this planet but
no! I can't! I am stuck here, sitting and waiting listlessly for any
word on our Princess, my friend."
	She turned away from him and there was a silence
between them. Nephrite got off the railing and walked to Makoto who
had walked to the railing perpendicular to the one he had been sitting
on. He stood next to her and when he shot her a sideways glance,
he saw that she was fighting tears. "Would it be so hard for you to
accept the attentions of a man as a way of comfort?" He saw her
quickly swipe at her eyes and continued on when she stayed silent.
"I believe that is what your friends are doing and you cannot blame
them. Every man and woman ever created has always needed
someone other than their best friend. True, you Senshi all have a
bond so powerful that it is awe-inspiring however, it cannot fill the
void in Ami's heart or Minako's. Maybe it is the same for my
friends. And maybe… it is the same for me."
	She turned her head sharply, her eyes narrowed. "I
don't understand."
	He looked at her and smiled in amusement. "I think
you do." His eyes suddenly twinkled with mischief. He could very
well suffer badly for what he had in mind. But it would be well
worth it. "I have to ask you the question you asked me before."
He stepped closer to her and he was secretly glad that she didn't
take a step back. "Tell me Lady Makoto, do you feel any sort of
emotion from this?"
	And before she could say anything, his hands had
swiftly cupped her face and his mouth had placed itself on top of
hers. Makoto went stiff for a moment and then as the deep, hard
kiss became soft and searching, the hands that had been ready to
push him off, clutched the front of his uniform. His head slanted
over hers and his lips claimed hers again and again. And as the
pleasure rolled through both of them, each succumbed to the
unbelievable sensations neither had thought to ever feel.

*~*
	Blood trickled from his palm and it was a while
before he noticed it. Endymion stared at his closed fist dumbly
before letting the rose he had been holding drop to the floor of
the balcony. He looked out at the slowly setting sun once more
before turning to go back into his chambers. Finding a
handkerchief, he wrapped up his hand and then flexed his fingers,
wincing a little at the sting the action produced.
	But nothing was greater than the pain that constantly
throbbed within his soul. It was as though that part of him was
calling out for Serenity, demanding that she be there with him so
that he could feel whole once more. He longed for nothing more
than to take her into his arms and kiss her dizzyingly, reassuring
her over and over of his love. He longed for the peace he knew
he would feel when she was around him. He also longed to hear
her say that she returned his love, but he knew that would take
some time. The guilt had never left him from the day he had
turned her away. Everyday he was constantly reminded in some
way or another of how this situation could have been prevented
had he not been such an idiotic fool.
	But now was not the time to dwell in the past. He
was eager to learn if Kunzite had found anything about Potikin's
whereabouts. He strode down the hall in search of his second-
in-command, stopping to ask a few footmen for where he might
be. He neared the room where the last man he had asked
pointed him to. He heard low voices and slowed his walk. He
recognized Kunzite's voice and then recognized Minako's. The
seemed to be in a deep conversation and not wishing to bother
them, he turned around and headed for the War Room where he
knew he would find his father. As he passed a hallway,
something caught his eye and he walked a few steps backward.
His eyes widened when he saw two guards slumped against the
wall, unconscious. The black witch, Beryl stood above them,
her face in a triumphant smile.
	"Endymion, finally. I was hoping these two would
catch your attention." She kicked one of the men and walked
over them, coming towards him. He stayed where he was
although he had unsheathed his sword.
	"Stay where you are," he commanded when she
would have come closer. He did not want a repeat episode of
being trapped like last time.
	"And here I thought you would be glad to see me,"
she said, her lips forming a pout. "After all, my troops have
retreated and I am not a bothersome thorn in your side like I
once was."
	"You are an enemy and that is that. The battles
may have finished but the war will never be over. Not as long
as you are alive."
	She hissed angrily at his words and then smiled
once more. "Your words are always meant to draw blood, are
they not Endymion? I was hoping for a truce between us."
	"I could never side with evil."
	"And what makes you think I am evil?" she asked,
cocking her head. I only want what anyone in power wants.
Land and wealth. Can you blame me for fighting you for it?"
She gasped when the Prince unexpectedly pushed the tip of
his sword against her neck.
	"If I were to push my sword through your neck
right now, would the blood be red? Or would it be as black as
the intentions of your heart?" She did not say anything and he
smiled coldly. "I think it would be neither and you know why?
It is not blood that runs in your veins. It is the murder and
slaughter of thousands of men that keeps you alive. You survive
on carnage and until I am sure of the death of all that you are,
there can be no peace in this universe."
	With that he shoved the sword through her flesh.

*~*
	"I would like to take you up on your offer, Kunzite."
	The silver-haired General looked at the woman
before him. For the first time, she did not meet his gaze head on.
Her head was bent slightly and her eyes were averted. He
crossed his arms and leaned against the desk he had been
working at when she had entered. He had actually been very
surprised at her entrance and he distinctly remembered
dropping his pen in astonishment. If given a chance his mouth
would have dropped too. He smiled at that thought and then
realized a bit too late that Minako was looking at him angrily.
	"Do I give you something to laugh about?" she huffed.
	He shook his head to placate. "I assure you my humor
is not directed towards you. Is there something I can help you
with?"
	She looked at him hesitantly before nodding. "You
said if I ever needed to talk to someone, then I could come to
you. Will you go back on that statement now?"
	"No, of course not," he answered. "I don't say
things like that for no reason at all, Lady Minako. I know
you're under a lot of pressure, and you're still under such
stress. I can also see that you're reluctant to talk to your
Senshi lest you burden them with your problems."
	She smiled when he finished. "So you know that
much about me, do you?"
	"No, up till now I was just going on my guess," he
replied, smiling also. "Would you care to confirm or
refute what I've said?"
	Her smile fell away and she sighed heavily. "It is
all true and there's still so much more." She looked at him,
tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "It's not easy
being a leader."
	He chuckled at that. "I can certainly agree with
that. You see, there's something we can work with. Both
of us have been given the position of leader and both of us
have many responsibilities to fulfill. Do you see why I
offered?"
	She nodded. "I understand. I have wanted to
talk to someone other than my friends. They all seem to be
battling their own demons and I just don't think it would be
fair for them to trouble them further." She turned away from
him and threw her hands up in frustration. "I just don't know
what to do anymore! I don't know what to think, what to
believe, what to hope for. Sitting here and feeling completely
useless is hardly encouraging. I try to get the others to
engage in mock fights but their hearts are not set in them and
I can see that and it brings me down also. Why do we
bother practicing? Why do we power up and train ourselves?
What is the use? Who are we to protect if we could not
even ensure the safety of the Princess?" She whirled around,
her face distorted with grief. "Why can't I do something
about this? Why am I not good enough?!"
	"Wait." Kunzite pushed away from the desk and
walk towards Minako. "Who said you weren't good enough?
And why did you put such a burden upon yourself?" She
said nothing and he knew he had been right from the
beginning. Although the kidnapping of the Princess wasn't
her fault, she had made it her fault. As any leader would have.
Kunzite grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. "You
will kill yourself with the guilt, do you know that? Every day
that passes increases the burden on your back, your
shoulders, your mind, your heart."
	"But Potikin has given us new hope," she said
quietly.
	"And you don't grab onto it," he replied harshly.
"Having faced too many disappointments, you've probably
come to the conclusion that it just isn't worth it. Because if this
lead does turn out to be another false one, you will be the
one who will have to report back to the Queen. You will
have to face the disappointment of Serenity's friends and
mother. It destroys you every time, doesn't it?"
	"Of course it does!" Minako cried. "Don't you ever
feel that you're going about your duties all wrong? I was never
meant to be a Senshi, never mind being a part of Serenity's
guard."
	"But you are the Senshi of Love and Beauty. No
one else can fill that position."
	"And why do you say that?" she asked, sniffing.
	Kunzite looked at Minako, wondering how he could
say what he wanted to say. He took a deep breath and let it out
slowly. "Minako, not only are you beautiful but the love that you
have for others, that you express through your actions and
words, is admirable. You perfectly fit the role of a Senshi
because it is through your qualities, that people realize how
important love is in one's life."
	 She looked at him for a moment, assessing him
through teary blue eyes. "And have you, yourself come to this
realization?"
	The air was sucked out of the room and Kunzite
found himself having trouble breathing. Everything fell silent
and the two stared at each other, unconsciously drawing
closer until there were only a few inches of space between
them.
	And that was when they heard a horrific scream.
It was a chilling sound and the two leaders looked at each
other before running to the door. Minako flipped open her
computer and shouted a few words as Kunzite and she flew
down the hallways. They halted to a stop at the sight of
Endymion stepping back as Beryl collapsed to the floor,
holding onto the sword that had been plunged into her
neck.
	"Endymion! What happened?" Kunzite rushed to
stand beside the Prince, his sword already drawn and at the
ready. Endymion was about to say something when a cloud
of black smoke encircled Beryl's body, covered her and then
rose upwards, dissipating as it reached the high ceiling. Beryl's
body had disappeared.
	The others had reached the area in time to see
such a spectacle and when everything had cleared, they came
forward, Ami checking on the two guards.
	"What happened?" Jaedite demanded.
	Endymion turned around, his eyes blank. "I wanted
to see the color of her blood and do you know? It was black."

*~*
	Silver light erupted from the Moon Maiden's hands,
sending people rushing to cover their heads, their mouths,
their eyes, anything. Startled and amazed gasps echoed
throughout the small area as older people mumbled about things
unholy. When the brightness had dimmed, everyone's eyes
widened as the man who's leg had been previously broken in
three places, got up and walked around the Moon Maiden
without the aid of crutches.
	A wide grin appeared on his face and he walked to
the small door to be let out of the large cage. Yes, that's what it
was. A large cage with room enough for two people; the Moon
Maiden and her 'patient.' It was furnished quite nicely, with a
carpeted floor laden with silks and pillows. However, the large
iron bars in front ruined the effect but they did allow the
onlookers to see the Moon Maiden at work.
	"One of our best displays ever, folks! She'll amaze
you, stun you, shock you! Where does she come from? A
mysterious and beautiful land that has no illness, no death, no
sickness! Why? Because of people like her! The Moon
Maiden! Beautiful and exotic, strange and exquisite…."
	The announcer's loud and booming voice became a
droning noise to Maiden. What she could hear clearly was the
sound of her heartbeat and her heavy, labored breathing. She
swallowed a few times and closed her eyes, ducking her head,
so that her hair fell forward, hiding tears that she was not
allowed to show. Her hands clutched the pale colored silk
sheets underneath her so that she could stop the trembling that
shook her body.
	She was completely exhausted and she knew she
had surpassed her limit for the day. But the day did not stop
until the Master said so. She blinked the tears back and
raised her head, her expression calm and composed, her eyes
looking nowhere but forward.
	She raised her face to look at the announcer who
was currently flapping his arms like some large bird that
couldn't fly. What was his name? Potin? Pokin? Something
like that. She saw him talk to someone who had stepped
forward from the crowd. She saw the exchange of coins and
knew that her next 'patient' would be coming through that
small brown door any moment. And one day, she would step
out that door for the very last time.

*~*
	The clinking of knives and forks was the only
noise in the large dining room until the sound of a glass
shattering broke the monotony. Heads turned and someone
pushed back a chair, the legs scraping against the floor.
	"Rei, are you alright?"
	Makoto had been closest and she had stood up
in concern. The other girl currently had her eyes closed tightly,
one hand clutching her scalp.
	"Rei? Rei!" Makoto placed a hand on Rei's
shoulder, shaking her slightly. Jaedite got up and ran around
the table to stand on her other side as everyone else began
standing in alarm.
	Finally, after a long and tense moment, Rei opened
her eyes, her breath coming out in short pants. "I… I felt
something. Determination. It was a feeling of strong will and
determination." Her hand dropped to her side and she looked
at everyone. "I think I just experienced a moment with Serenity.
I felt what she felt…"
	"Stop! How did you know?" Endymion yelled.
When she didn't answer right away, he slammed a fist on the
table, making the plates clatter. The others looked at him in
surprise.
	"Prince, calm down…" Kunzite said slowly before
Rei broke him off.
	"And how should I know?" she yelled back. "I do
not question what I see or feel and neither should you! It was
your denial of the love between you and Serenity that got us
in this mess!" She turned and ran, leaving behind a very
stunned audience. In another moment, Jaedite was running
after her.
	Endymion watched his General leave and then
fell heavily into his chair. He held his head in his hands and
did not say anything. Finally he lifted his head and everyone
saw the misery stamped in his face.
	"I just don't know how much longer…" he trailed
off but everyone knew what he wanted to say.

	"Rei, stop! Hold on!" She was just out of his
reach and he sped up, trying to catch her. He realized she
was heading for a room she had designated as hers. She
had declared that she needed a room similar to one that
she had had in the Moon Palace. It was a place where she
could be alone, with no disturbances, so that she could
focus in on anything that might lead to Serenity.
	She ran into the room and he took hold of her
hand, forcing her to a stop. She whirled around and the fire
that she kept going on a platform in the middle of the room
flared to life, it's flames reaching higher than normal.
	"What do you want?" she asked, her voice low
and her tone clearly showing just how close to the edge she
had been pushed.
	He pulled her closer even though she went most
unwillingly. "What do you feel?" he asked simply.
	She inhaled sharply, the time from the garden
flashing through her mind. The first time he had asked the
question, she had responded with emptiness. But now it was
very different. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "I
feel half-full."
	He smiled right back and in a move that surprised
her, kissed her forehead. "And soon enough, you will feel
complete. Your princess will be with you soon and the pain
you feel will go away."
	She smiled sadly. "Can you promise me that?"
	"No, I really can't. But if it will give you hope,
then I will promise you anything."
	She averted her eyes and bit her lip. It was now
or never. "Will you promise to be with me forever?"
	She saw his eyes widen a bit before they looked
at her tenderly. He took a strand of her hair and pushed it
back behind her ear. With two fingers, he pushed up her
chin and bent his head to brush a soft kiss across her lips.
"I will do my best," he whispered, closing his eyes and
coming in closer again. But a shout stopped him and he
raised his head. A guard stood in the doorway, his face
red with excitement.
	"They've found Potikin!"

*^*End*^*
Aaah Senshi romance. I'm not that great with it as you
can see, but I'm trying! Some of you have asked me
how many more chapters are left and truthfully, I
really don't know. If the story is dragging, please
let me know because I have all these ideas in my head
and well, hehe, I might go a little crazy if no one holds
me back ^^;;

Lavender
http://www.geocities.com/patch_kana/