Part VII

Neph's hand finds HLM's under the table, and she squeezes it when they join.

"Hmm, we must be careful if this legend is true," Serenity says softly.

"You are all to be on your guard from now until this is all over," she continues.

"Yes," they all say, bowing.

A few hours later, everyone went his or her separate ways.

Diana's soaking in the bath, finally.

Jae steps into the doorway of the bathroom, wearing his uniform pants and his form fitting undershirt. He looks at his lover lying there in the tub, eyes closed, hair pinned up off of her shoulders. Tendrils of her hair gently curl down around her face, and her lips curve slightly in a small smile.

He leans on one side of the frame, resting his head to the side, arms crossed, and admiring her as she soaks away the soreness of her body.

After a few moments, she opens her bright green eyes and looks over at him.

"Love? Is everything ok? Stitches holding?" she asks in a soft voice, eyes concerned.

He pads over to the side of the tub, barefoot, and sits on the floor. He folds his hands, puts them on the side of the tub, and rests
his chin on the back of his hands, just looking at her.

"Love?" she asks again, straitening up a bit and caressing his cheek with one of her hands.

He tilts his head into her touch, finally answering in a soft voice, "I'm fine, beautiful one, just worried."

"Worried? About the possible war?"

"Hai. I don't want you hurt in any way! You have no idea how much I don't want to lose you! You mean the world to me," he tells her, passion in his voice as he takes her hand in both of his and holds it tightly.

Diana sits up completely, the water coming to her waist, and gazes into his eyes, whispering with just as much love and passion in her voice, "I don't ever want to lose you, either! You are  the world to me as well! If there's a war, there's a war and there's nothing that can be done about it, but one thing I'm sure of."

"What's that?"

"That no matter what happens, I will always love you," she answers, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"Oh, Diana," Jae says softly, and suddenly they're sobbing in each others' arms, realizing the intense tension, sorrow and worry of the past few hours.

The next morning, everyone goes about his or her duties as usual. The Senshi guarding the Princess and going about their princessly duties for their planets, Jae, Kunz and Zoi guarding Endymion, Neph guiding and protecting a very worried HLM, and Diana in the great library, finding anything and everything she can regarding youma, tall, slender, evil women or dark presences.

She had taken her uniform jacket off and is now in the pants, boots, and tank top that she usually wears under the jacket. Her sword is
still sheathed at her side as always.

Being surrounded by huge stacks of books, and concentrating so hard on the book she currently has in front of her, she doesn't hear or see Sailor Mercury slip in around three.

"Diana?"

She's so startled by the silent and soft-spoken Senshi that she unsheathes her sword and attacks at near lightning speed.

"Mercury!" she shouts, in the same motion halting the attack and sheathing her sword.

"Oh gods, Mercury," she says in a rush, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to attack you like that!"

The startled scout smiles at the distraught Diana. "It is ok, Diana, you're cautious, and that's good."

Diana sits back down with a thud and massages the back of her neck, which she suddenly discovers is very tight and painful.

"What can I do for you, Mercury?"

"Oh, nothing really. I'm here to check up on how you are doing. Jae has been worried, having not seen you at all around the palace."

"Huh? I thought he knew I was going to be here in the library."

"That he did, he just thought that you'd be through earlier."

Diana raises a brow, "What time is it now?"

"Three in the afternoon."

"I've been in here for eight hours already? That can't be right..."

"It is."

Mercury picks up one of the notebooks full of Diana's spidery handwriting.

"I didn't even realize," Diana shakes her head and leans back in her chair.

"Guess I should get something to eat," she says absentmindedly, "maybe Jae's hungry, too."

"He had lunch with Endymion, Kunzite and Zoisite at noon, and told me to tell you that  he probably won't be able to return to you until this evening and that he loves you very much."

"Oh," Diana tries not to show her disappointment, "well, if you happen to see him before I do, tell him that I send my love and that I miss him very much... and thanks, Ami."

"No problem, should I bring these notes to the Queen?"

"Could ya? Oh, I'd appreciate it, hang on a sec," Diana leans down and writes a brief note saying there will be more info on the way, "put
this on top for me?"

"Will do. Now, go get your food, you must be hungry."

"Famished," Diana says with a chuckle as she slides her jacket back on and buttons it up, "Thank you again!"

"You're welcome, Diana,. I'll see you later."

"See you later, Ami," Diana says, smiling at the Senshi as she takes the notes to Serenity.

Diana marks the page she was on with her unfinished page of notes she was working on and, making a mental note to get more paper, goes off to
get her food.

Part VI
Part VIII
Beginnings and Endings Index