Part III

"Neph? Is there something wrong?"

"Um...iie...how did you know we were telepathing a conversation? Did you know what it was about? And iie, it's not usually our custom but here, most can't tell when others are having a conversation telepathically, much less actually have telepathy and know how to use it."

"Ah...as for your questions, I'm able to sense when there's a telepathic conversation going on, but I can't sense what they're about," she smiles a bit, "and, to my knowledge, the only one of my kind to have this talent."

Neph breathes a sigh of relief, glad not to have offended her.

"What was the conversation about?"

"Ah...they were just easing me is all," he answers with a smile.

HLM giggles softly, "You and those other men and the red-haired woman look like you're all very close."

"Hai, that we are."

"Can you tell me about them? We were never introduced," HLM requests shyly.

"Ah, of course! Where would you like me to start?"

"Hmm...how about the red-haired woman and her lover?"

Neph blinks, "How did you know that Diana and Jae are lovers?"

HLM raises a brow. "Well, I watched how they moved and held themselves. They seem to stay pretty close together when they were walking, and when they stood relaxed, they seemed to lean towards each other, just as the two copper and platinum haired men do."

"Ah...you're very observant, M-chan. Jadeite and Diana are lovers, as are Zoisite and Kunzite."

"And you?"

"And I what?" he asks, puzzled.

"Do you have a lover?" She covers her mouth, blushing deeply, "I'm sorry, that was to forward of me. I apologize."

She looks down at her folded hands, looking less like a mysterious, exotic dignitary and more like an embarrassed young woman, far away from home and unsure of herself. 

After a few moments of silence, Neph smiles with a mixture of sadness and amusement. "I can tell your relationship is going to be full of surprises, and I'm single." 

She smiles at him and their eyes lock. After a moment, she clears her throat slightly and looks away.

"Ahem, well anyway, about Jadeite and Diana. They're lovers, as we've determined. Jae's from the Earth kingdom, and one of Endymion's guardians, as are Zoisite, Kunzite, and I. Jae's the Guardian of summer and the summer storms. He's also Zoisite's younger brother by three years, the baby of the Guardians, as it where. Jae's lover, Diana, is about two years younger than he is and a child of the Moon and Earth Kingdoms." 

HLM blinks, "Both?"

 "Hai," he smiles gently, noting how pretty this alien truly is, "her mother was an Earth warrior, her father a Moon warrior. They met on the training grounds and slowly fell in love." 

"Was?"

"Unfortunately yes...her mother died during Diana's birth. Her father cared for her the best he could until she was 5 before dying in a horrible accident," he shakes his head sadly, "Sometimes, late at night, I can hear her in the gardens, crying softly. People who agreed to take care of her and train her, raised her. Thanks to them, her interest in the martial arts has been nurtured. In fact, that's how she fell in with us. She was at the same conference that Kunzite and Zoisite were at, and she and Zoisite were paired off as sparring partners. Zoisite is Jae's older brother, and the Guardian of Spring and healing. Being Kunzite's lover, he was the first one he introduced her to. Then she was introduced to Zoi and Jae's parents and finally to Jae. This was about two years back, so Jae was still living with his parents and was being trained to be one of Endymion's guards." 

"Wow, that's really pretty interesting, what about yourself and Kunzite? Is there anything I should know about either of you?" 

"Hmm, Kunzite is the Guardian of Winter and ice, dubbed by some as the Ice King because of his cold exterior." 

"I can see that." 

"Kunzite and Zoisite met when they were going to the same school. They didn't really get along well with each other in the beginning, but eventually they became friends. Their relationship progressed to what it is now. As for me...well, there isn't really much to say, except that I'm the Guardian of Autumn and the Stars." 

HLM's eyes light up, "The Stars?" 

"Hai..." he looks at her, brow arched at her reaction. 

"How did you find out?" 

"It was actually pretty gradual. Ever since I was a small boy, the stars fascinated me. My parents and brothers thought that one day I would be an Astronomer. Of course, my brothers, all older, thought that this was a wimpy thing for me to go into, and would beat me up. When I was younger, they'd succeed, but as I got older, the harder it got to beat me. I always seemed to see the next blow they were going to deal out to me before they actually threw it. And indeed, I did. I didn't know how at first, nor did I care. Though as the years passed, I figured out that the stars were speaking to me, and eventually I figured out how to use this power," he falls silent. 

"So you can tell the future?" HLM asks in a hushed voice. 

"I only know as much or as little as the stars wish to tell me." 

"Ah..." 

After a few moments, he clears his throat softly, asking, "Would you care to tell me a bit about yourself?"

Part II
Part IV
Beginnings and Endings Index