Hello everyone! Hope you all enjoyed that
last itty bitty cliffy I left you at in
Chapter 5. You all liked it, right? *Silence*
Right??? *Hears grumbling*
Weeelll, whatever. ^^;; A special thank you
to all that have written to me on this fic.
Enjoy reading!
Patch:-)(-:

Healer
Chapter 6
Author: Patch
E-mail: patchkhan1@hotmail.com
	kittiekat90@yahoo.com
Editor: Rei Kinneas
Rated: PG-13

Insert Standard Disclaimer Here.

	Serenity gasped at Endymion's question and
tried to pull her hand away. He would not let go and
she looked to Zoicite for help.
	"He's not himself," Zoicite said, carefully
prying off the fingers that had held her delicate wrist
in a grip that would surely leave bruises. "It's normal
for victims to suddenly lapse into a feverish and
excited state and blurt out things they are unaware of,
but this is the first time Endymion has done so."
Zoicite injected the Prince with a clear liquid that
quieted him down. The General then set his eyes on
the pale woman who sat before him. "Maybe you and
the sort of background you come from induced
something out of him? I would not find it surprising
at all."
	Serenity could say nothing in response.
She sat shaken to her very core, trembling once again.
She was reminded once more of the daunting task that
lay ahead of her. Brushing an unsteady hand through
her bangs she breathed in deeply. To think she had
hoped to meet Endymion one day... she certainly had
not wanted to meet him like this!
	"I have no idea if it was my presence that
caused the outburst from him," she said finally. But if
it was her presence, she thought, just maybe there was
hope that there could be something between them.  "How
long will they take to come back?" she asked suddenly.
The faster they came back, the quicker she could begin,
and then from there she would see how life would turn
for her.
	"Well, considering how easy it was for
the two to slip in and take you, they should be back
soon."

	"This was not supposed to happen."
	Jaedite could only curse softly in response
to Nephrite's quiet statement. Why they had not thought
of this, was beyond him. He mentally smacked himself
for not thinking about the Princess' bodyguards. The
two Generals were currently surrounded by four very
beautiful, very angry women in some very short skirts;
that one in red seemed to have a *really* short
skirt... but that was besides the point. He stole a
glance at Nephrite who had his arms crossed, a bored
expression on his face. Bored? If only he could feel
the same way. He could feel the sweat at the back of
his neck and he knew he must have some sort of
panicked expression on his face.
	"You did not answer our question," the
woman in red said. She really was a pretty thing, he
admitted to himself. Lustrous black hair that fell to
her waist, blazing eyes framed with thick lashes,
red lips... he really could not think like this. What
was the question?
	"Who are you and what have you done to
the Princess Serenity? Answer quickly or be
prepared to pay the price for your dawdling."
	"Your Princess is safe and that is all we
will say until we see the Queen personally," Nephrite
answered casually. Jaedite nodded, his resolution
hardening as he realized that showing any sort of
weakness would do no good. He turned to Naru, the
Healer's friend who was staring at the scene with
wide eyes.
	"Naru, if you would be so kind to tell
these ladies that they may trust us and have them
show us to the Queen," he said.
	The old woman nodded and turned
beseeching eyes to the girls who had yet to let
down their guard. "Please, Senshi, listen to me.
Serenity is in good hands, I swear it on my own
life. I would not let her go if I knew she would
fall in danger. Take these men to Her Highness, it
is for the best."
	The girls stared at each other, not
saying anything until Naru spoke once more, this
time with more firmness. "Minako, time is of the
essence. Escort these men quickly, the sooner
they are able to return to Earth, the faster Serenity
may return."
	Jaedite looked at the blonde haired
one, Minako and saw the nod she gave to the
others. The other relaxed their stances but the
scowls and looks of anger still remained on their
faces.
	"They will have to ride together on
Juniper," Minako said. She motioned the girls
closer and they spoke quietly amongst themselves.
Jaedite looked on with curiosity while Nephrite
turned to Naru.
	"Can you gather the things the Princess
will need? She spoke of herbs and the like that
would purge Endymion's body."
	"I know what she needs. If you come
back here, I will have them ready."
	"We will come back here," Nephrite
said determinedly. There would be no way that
they would stay here longer than they had to, he
thought. They had to get back to Earth; the
Prince's life counted on it.
	Finally the girls broke up and the tall
one, the one clothed in green and the one in blue
came to stand behind him and Jaedite.
	"Start walking," the one in green
ordered. The two men did and Nephrite threw
one last knowing look over his shoulder at Naru,
who nodded in understanding. He and Jaedite
were made to sit on one horse and they rode in
silence to the Moon Palace to which they
arrived to in a short time. They went through the
tall gates and in the courtyard, they were made to
dismount. They climbed the many steps that
would lead them to the main entrance of the
Palace and doors heavily laden with gold and
covered with intricate designs opened for
them. A long marbled hallway greeted them.
They walked most of the length of it, took a
turn into another equally long hallway and
soon came to another set of tall doors. These
too opened automatically and slowly. The group
entered a very large room with a high
domed ceiling.
	It was the throne room, the two
Generals realized and there in front of them
was the dais and standing in front of it was
a woman who looked very much like the
Healer. They walked to the Queen and when
they stood in front of her, Jaedite and
Nephrite bowed low at the waist. She nodded
her head slightly in response. The Senshi
took a step back and stood behind them.
	Queen Serenity gazed at them
and her eyes looked over them carefully,
scrutinizing them, before she spoke.
	"I will get right to the point," she
began. "Where is my daughter?"
	Jaedite exhaled and when he saw
that Nephrite was not going to say anything,
he spoke instead. "Your Highness, your
daughter is in no danger whatsoever. We have
heard of her unique abilities and we were
in great need of her help and she has agreed
to stay on Earth to heal the Prince from-"
	"Earth? You took her to Earth?" she
asked faintly, looking stunned.
	"Yes, the Prince was injured in
battle critically and nothing could be done
to-"
	"Prince?" the Queen interrupted
again. "You mean to say Prince Endymion?"
	"Yes," Nephrite said hesitantly,
wondering at the flash of emotions he saw
cross the woman's face. He pulled out the
letter that Kunzite had hastily written and
stepped forward to give it to her. "General
Kunzite, Endymion's second-in-command
has explained everything in this letter," he
informed her.
	Queen Serenity unfolded it and
read it quickly, looking up with resignation
of all things. "Pluto had told me and I
thought I knew," she mumbled, still shocked,
"but I did not know it would be now..."
	"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Minako said, coming forward.
	The Queen nodded. "It is nothing."
She suddenly stood straight and looked at the
two Generals. "Take whatever you need for
Serenity. I trust you and the other Generals
to guard her with your very lives."
	"But Your Highness," the red one
protested, "we should go also. We are her
guardians and we should be there for her."
	"No Rei, that would be the wrong
move to make. No one must know that
Serenity is the Healer," she said this looking
straight at Jaedite and Nephrite, "otherwise
the results would be disastrous. You four
would attract attention, as I believe Serenity
is in a campsite with all men. We cannot
take the risk." She saw that Makoto would
further argue and quickly stopped her by
holding up her hand. "Makoto, fear not. Once
Serenity is done with her business there,
you all will go to bring her back."
	No one said anything and it was
an awkward silence until Ami broke it. "How
is she adjusting to the Earth's environment?"
	"She is doing well. It was a bit
difficult to get used to at first but we think
she'll be fine," Jaedite answered.
	"Ami, one of the Generals is
well educated in the medical field like
yourself, he'll be able to look after Serenity's
health."
	 Jaedite and Nephrite looked
surprised that the Queen knew this. "Yes,
you're right," Nephrite said. "How did you
know?"
	The Queen did not answer the
question but walked forward, the two men
taking a step back to let her pass through.
"You may leave," she said, going towards
the doors. Turning around, she looked at
them one last time. "Please tell my daughter
that I love her and that I have faith in her. I
will be with her always, she must know
that."
	The Generals nodded and Queen
Serenity left the room. The Senshi took their
positions, two behind and two in front and
the group left the room also and then the
Palace.
	From atop a balcony, the Queen
watched them leave through the Palace gates,
the Senshi their escorts. She still held the
letter in her hand and hugged it to her chest,
her breathing becoming unsteady. Goddess of the
Moon, she was not prepared for this. She had
known but the reality was painful and she felt
a weight settle upon her heart.
	"Our time here is limited is it not?"
she asked, breaking the silence around her.
	"Yes."
	She did not turn around, instead
she clutched the piece of paper tighter,
feeling tears sting her eyes. "I wish I could
have told her, given her some sort of hint.
She is walking blindly on a floor littered
with broken glass. She does not deserve it."
	The figure behind her said nothing
and the Queen did not expect a response. She
looked forward where the Earth hung in
black space, unaware of what was to come.
	"I love you, Serenity. May peace
find you soon."

	Once again the group of six rode in
silence, not a word being spoken between them.
Jaedite looked at the two riders in front of him,
Makoto and Rei, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars
as he had heard one of the attendants call them.
The two behind him and Nephrite were Sailor
Mercury and Sailor Venus, Ami and Minako,
the golden haired one being the leader he
presumed from the scene at the cottage. He
wondered if any of them were spoken for. His
eyes gazed at Rei's back longingly, speculating
how many suitors had already asked for her
hand. He saw her back stiffen slightly and was
about to wonder at it, when Nephrite nudged
him. He turned his head to see his friend shake
his head slightly in warning. Well damn, he had
hoped he was not that obvious.
	"How is she?" Minako asked from
behind.
	Nephrite turned in the saddle to
answer. "She seemed to be doing well when we
left. It will take time for her to adjust, though,
because life on our planet is not necessarily an
easy one."
	"All the more reason for you to
protect and guard her well," Makoto declared.
"We will not tolerate any harm that comes to
our Princess, so take care of her. We will not
hesitate to come if we hear of any trouble, and
then you will pay."
	Jaedite rolled his eyes at Nephrite.
Such empty threats, he thought, coming from
that woman.
	"And they are not empty threats," Rei
suddenly said, turning around, looking straight at
the blonde-haired General. Jaedite's mouth
dropped open in shock and he quickly closed it,
not wanting to believe she had just read his
mind.
	They arrived at the cottage where
Naru greeted them at the door, the troubled look
from before still on her face. She had already
gathered the items that Serenity would need and
they were now sitting on the table for Nephrite
and Jaedite to take. The two did so and then
Jaedite took out the control that would take
them back to planet Earth. The Senshi gathered
around the two men, curious as to how they
would transport themselves and Jaedite noticed
that Rei was standing close to him.
	A heavy mist crackling with energy
began to rise around them and Jaedite looked at
Rei one last time. He saw her avert her eyes
when she realized he was watching her and
would have taken a step back had Jaedite not
suddenly shot out a hand to stop her. She gasped
as did the others and Jaedite heard the small
groan from Nephrite but chose to ignore it.
	"To hell with intergalactic wars," Jaedite
muttered, before pulling Rei in for a kiss. His
lips claimed hers for maybe two seconds before
he let her go. The last he saw before he
disappeared was Rei placing her fingers on her
lips, a look of utter confusion on her face.
	She must have thought him a boar.
	He thought she was irresistible.

	"Amazing..."
	Serenity smiled to herself at Zoicite's
hushed, yet amazed whisper. A few days ago they
had applied a herbal salve to Endymion's wound
and wrapped it first with leaves from a special
tree on the Moon and then wrapped it with gauze
and bandages. Serenity had just now unwrapped
everything and surprisingly no blood had leaked
from the wound. "No blood."
	"That's just unbelievable," Zoicite said,
straightening. "I had tried everything to stop the
flowing of his blood and I thought nothing could be
done until now. All you applied was... what was
it?"
	"Crushed Carpel."
	"Yes, all you applied was crushed
Carpel and the bleeding stops just like that!
Absolutely amazing."
	Serenity ducked her head in
embarrassment. "It didn't stop so suddenly. It
has been a few days, Zoicite."
	"That doesn't matter. What does is
that you stopped it. I must tell the others about
this. I have every bit of faith in you, Princess.
Endymion is in good hands."
	Zoicite left the tent and Serenity
covered her cheeks, knowing there was a blush
there. She should be used to praise like this but
this was different, she thought. This praise was
heartfelt and encouraging. She had a good feeling
that Zoicite trusted her abilities, with no
doubts, unlike Kunzite. Just knowing that gave
her the strength to go on.
	She sighed loudly and turned back to
Endymion. There had been no more sudden
outbursts and she almost wished there had been.
At least that would have told her that the Prince
was still with them. Lying still like he was now
caused her to worry and she had no idea if his
soul had already traveled elsewhere. She
prayed that that wasn't the case. He had to
awaken soon, Serenity needed that much of a
reassurance that he would be alright.
	Leaning over him slightly, she gazed
at the features of his face she had already
memorized quite thoroughly. It was almost time
for him to eat, she thought, glancing over at the
soup bowl that lay on her cot. Kunzite had
ordered that it be put perpendicular to the
Prince's, a move that surprised Serenity since
no accommodations were made for anyone else.
She had thought that at least one of the Generals
would be made to sleep in the same tent but no,
she alone shared the tent with Endymion, a fact
that she had been very nervous about in the
beginning. What if he awoke one night, and
found her there, sleeping so close to him? What
would happen? What would he say?
	But nothing like that had happened
and so Serenity's nervousness had subsided
only to be replaced by worry that he had yet to
awaken. She looked at his chest, which lifted
and fell with every breath he took. As Zoicite
had said, his breathing and heartbeat were
pretty normal and she had hoped that she would
only have to use the things that Jaedite and
Nephrite had brought back. She really did not
want to use the Silver Crystal unless necessary,
but it appeared she would have to use its
restorative powers after all.
	She lifted Endymion's hand and
rested it against her cheek. "Please wake up
Endymion. Give me a sign that my plant mixtures
have had some positive effect on you. Please..."
	"Move away from him, witch of the
Moon."
	Dropping his hand, Serenity turned
her head sharply to the entrance, not moving
from her position. Her heart began to race
wildly when she saw a woman standing there,
dressed in a blackish red dress that hugged her
thin figure.
	"W-Who are you?"
	The woman moved forward and
Serenity saw that she had wild, almost frizzy
hair that framed her sallow face. Black eyes
narrowed dangerously and Serenity could
only move closer to Endymion.
	"I have heard of you, Healer," she
emphasized the name with a sneer, ignoring
Serenity's question, "and I think you are
nothing better than an assassin, out to kill the
Prince with your potions and mixtures."
	"That's not true!"
	"Oh, but isn't it, Healer?" the woman
leaned in close, close enough for Serenity to
pull back. "You may have fooled everyone else,
but you haven't fooled me! I know the workings
of a deceitful woman's mind and I know you
intend to do what you will with Endymion and
then get rid of him."
	Serenity gasped at the woman's
accusations. She had no idea what she had said
or done to provoke such vicious lies. "You are
lying," she whispered to the woman's face. She
heard a menacing growl in return and prepared
herself for a fight.
	"I should get rid of you right now so
you can cause no more harm."
	Serenity saw a flash of silver and was
about to shoot out a bolt of energy when a voice
stopped her.
	"Move away from her Beryl, before I
cut you down right here, regardless of Prince
Endymion's orders."
	It was Kunzite with his sword drawn
and when Beryl turned around, Serenity saw the
other Generals standing behind him, all with their
hands on the pommels of their swords. The relief
that swept through her left her feeling weak and
she closed her eyes to stop the dizzy feeling.
	She opened her eyes to see that Beryl
had moved away from her and closer to Kunzite.
So this was the leader of the enemy. A very
dangerous one if the scene earlier said anything.
And how had she gotten in here without any of the
soldiers noticing?
	"You wouldn't kill a woman would you,
Kunzite?" Beryl asked, practically slithering up to
him.
	Don't test me, Beryl. What business do
you have here?"
	The woman shot Serenity a venomous
look before speaking. "She's a pretty thing, Kunzite
and she looks very familiar, what with that odd
hairstyle of hers. But don't let that innocence of hers
get to you, I do believe I smelt hemlock in that bowl
over there. You do know that hemlock can kill a
person, don't you?" Beryl's smile was sultry and
Serenity itched to slap it off.
	"I do, but you haven't answered the
question. Why are you here?"
	"That," she smiled at Serenity before
taking out a small, shiny black ball, "is none of your
concern." She threw the ball to the floor with
enough force to crack it and a black gas escaped
from it. Everyone began coughing and when it
cleared, Beryl was gone and Zoicite had already
begun to analyze the air.
	"It's not poisonous," he said, putting the
device away.
	"We should have killed her, forget
Endymion's orders. We could end this war if we
had wanted to." Jaedite turned away, frustrated.
	"She's evil," Serenity mumbled, her eyes
unseeing.
	Jaedite turned back and smiled amusedly.
"Well, of course. She's no angel, Princess."
	"No, no. She's not even human, I could
feel no sort of human presence within her. Another
entity has taken over her body, and it is pure evil."
She looked over at the wide-eyed Generals and
things clicked into place. "Endymion can feel it
too, thus his orders not to kill her. It would do
nothing. The entity would escape and place itself
in another's body. There has to be a special way
to kill that woman."
	"It makes sense," Nephrite said,
nodding thoughtfully. His eyes fell on Serenity's
posture and he smiled. "Endymion is safe,
Princess."
	"What?" she blinked and shook her
head quickly. Looking down, she saw that she
was practically sprawled over the Prince. She
had placed one hand on his hip and one right
above his chest was leaning over him much too
closely. She blushed and straightened, grabbing
the soup bowl.
	Kunzite walked over to the cot,
putting his sword away and sat down on
Serenity's cot. "If what you say is true, then this
'infliction' that has affected Endymion must have
been put there by Beryl. You must work quickly,
we cannot waste anymore time." He gave her a
meaningful look.
	Serenity nodded, understanding
perfectly. She had to use the Crystal, there was
no way to avoid it. She still had no clear idea of
what was inside Endymion's body and she did
not want to take any chances by waiting to find
out.
	"The soup has the purging mixture
that I spoke of once. After I have fed it to him,
we must wait until tomorrow to heal him." The
others nodded and one by one they left the tent
until Kunzite was left. Serenity looked at him
expectantly, wondering why he had stayed.
	He looked down at his hands for a
moment before looking up at her again. "Princess,
after you have healed Endymion and he is
completely well, your Senshi will come to escort
you back. This may not take too long which is
why before I lose my chance to do so, I'd like to
thank you for staying here. I am sorry that you
had to be taken from your home but I do not regret
it. Endymion is like a brother to me and..."
	Serenity's eyes brimmed with tears
at the sincerity in the normally stiff General's
tone and placed her hand on top of his. "Say no
more, Kunzite. I understand and I am glad to
have helped in any way possible."
	Kunzite looked at her carefully and
then smiled slightly. "You feel something for him,
don't you?
	Serenity took her hand away hastily
and busied herself with stirring the soup and
then feeding Endymion. "Endymion is attractive,
I'd be blind not to admit that," she said, laughing
forcefully. She knew Kunzite was still watching
her.
	"No, it's more than that, I don't know
how I know, but I do. What will you do when he
awakens?"
	Serenity fed the Prince another
spoonful and then bowed her head. "I... I don't
know right this moment." She heard Kunzite get
up and move towards the entrance and lift the
flap. She lifted her head, thinking he was gone
and was startled to see him still standing there,
his silver-gray eyes filled with seriousness.
	"Endymion has no time for such
feelings, Princess. It is best for you to forget
them and leave here with a clean heart." Saying
that he left. Serenity looked down at the
bowl in her hands. It was easier said than
done, she thought. Much easier.
	Tears fell into the soup, the plopping
noise loud in the silence. She sniffed, stirring
the spoon once more.

*^*End*^*
Now, I know I said I'm all for WAFF, hehe, I am!
I like overall WAFFness, and hopefully that's
what this fic will have. If not, you have my
permission to use my very own flamethrower
against me.

Next up, Serenity uses the Silver Crystal. What
happens? Ummm, lotsa shtuff -.-0

Lavender <-- Visit, por favor?
http://www.geocities.com/patch_kana