Answers (Jadeite, Mamoru, Shitennou) Dec 27

[Chiba Mamoru]

After having left the shrine, Mamoru instinctively headed once more toward his chambers. He was now even more confused then he had been before talking with his Shitennou earlier that morning. Although he was very glad that Jadeite had reawakened, he was very well aware of how much more complicated his life with the senshi had just become.

As angry as he still was with Rei, he knew that most of his anger was coming from the fact that she had reminded him of an unpleasant time in his life, a time that he really didn’t enjoy thinking about. He knew why she was upset, it must have been a shock to see Jadeite standing in her shrine so suddenly and perhaps he could have solved that just by mentioning the fact that he did indeed have the stone/souls of his Shitennou in his presence. However, as he had mentioned to her a few moments before, he really hadn’t seen the need to do so. At the time, he had really only thought that it was a matter that would only involve himself and the Shitennou. He still felt rather strongly that until now it hadn’t really been anyone else’s business.

Mamoru sighed in frustration and glared at a few more people that he happened to pass in the hallway. He could see that perhaps his views had been mistaken and that perhaps he should have mentioned them. However, he had really had no idea that his Shitennou would ever be anything more then the rock forms that most of them were now. Truth be told, he had never really even considered the possibility that his friends could be reawakened.

Coming to a stop in front of his chamber doors, Mamoru turned back to Jadeite and asked, “Jadeite ... how did this happen? I mean, how are you here? I didn’t ever think something like this was possible ...”

While waiting for an answer, Mamoru entered into his sanctity for the second time that morning, gesturing for Jadeite to follow. He didn’t bother telling the palace staff not to bother him simply because he figured they would still be loath to invade his privacy with anything trivial, especially since he had made it so very clear on the way over here that he was not in the best of moods.

He glanced over at the other Shitennou still sitting in the opened glass case on the table and thought about calling for them once again. However, he decided to talk to Jadeite for a few moments before he did so. He still couldn’t even begin to fathom how Jadeite had managed to reawaken and he hoped that the younger man might have some of the answers he wanted. Turning back to his companion, Mamoru waited quietly for Jadeite to respond.

[Jadeite]

Calmly he followed in Mamoru's wake. A quirked brow arched here and there at nosy servants, once in awhile he even winked at the younger females, causing some to either glare at him or blush a deep crimson. Truthfully he could care less, he had a mission...which was whatever the soon to be King planned on having him do.

He was stopped rather abruptly and before he could answer he was beckoned inside after Endymion. His bright blue eyes scanned the people whispering and staring after them and because he thought it would be fun he licked his lips hungrily then scampered on inside so that he could speak to his Prince at his leisure. Let the servants think what they would, they rarely needed much provocation as it were.

"I got a job here, sire." The smirk plastered on his face said that yes, there was a lot more to it, but it was going to come out slowly while he walked about the room. "On my first day, I ran into the fiery priestess."

Stopping he brushed a few bits of who knows what off his shoulders, then straightened his clothing out. "We bickered but briefly. There was an intense attraction there, I kissed her and she let me. It was incredibly and explosive." His gloved hands made wide expansive gestures as he spoke, trying to get Mamoru to follow them.

"Then, it got much more wild. Out clothes we barely kept on! Once we were nicely ensconced in her shrine...we had at thee! Crazy wild sex for hours on end, some violent and some tender." Jadeite's eyes seemed slightly wistful as he peered skyward. "She was a virgin, I had no idea, she said nothing."

He hung his head for a moment, feeling only a slight bit of shame. "After that night I kept having violent and dangerous illusions until I could no longer take it. I insisted on seeing the head priest, believing it would be male." The smirk was back again, this time showing even a small bit of teeth. "Alas it was not, but she handled me well and professionally. Once we were touching again, everything seemed to stop...time moved slowly, and then there was an explosion of power."

Now he walked back up to Endymion and held his hands out wide. "So, here I am!"

[Chiba Mamoru]

A flicker of irritation crossed Mamoru’s eyes as Jadeite responded with a simple ‘I got a job here sire’. However, he didn’t say anything because he could see that Jadeite didn’t intend to stop there, he only intended to speak in his own time. He nodded impatiently when he was told that Jadeite had ran into the fiery priestess, this was information that he had already figured out ... what he really wanted to know was how Jadeite was standing in the same room as a flesh and blood person.

When Jadeite began to straighten his clothes out, Mamoru was just about to tell him that he needed more of an answer then what he had been given. However, before he could even open his mouth Jadeite had begun to speak once more. However, the information he was relaying now was definitely not the kind that Mamoru had expected.
Mamoru stared at Jadeite in mild surprise as the younger man continued to speak. However, that mild surprise turned into open mouthed shock as a kiss turned into much more. Mamoru forced his mouth shut and shook his head to try to clear away the sudden images that sprang to mind at Jadeite’s words. He really hadn’t needed to know that many details of how Jadeite had awoken and he certainly didn’t need the knowledge that Rei wasn’t a virgin anymore. He was fairly certain that the fiery priestess in question wasn’t going to be extremely happy for that sort of personal information to have been shared in such a method.

Groaning faintly, Mamoru shook his head once more before saying, “Jadeite, did you have to share quite so many details with me? There are some things that I just don’t need to know ... some things that aren’t suppose to be shared."

Once again Mamoru shook his head to get rid of the unwanted images that Jadeite’s words had called up before attempting to get things back to something he could more easily handle. “You are saying that you didn’t know who you were yesterday before you met Rei, but after today you did? How is that even possible, weren’t you a stone yesterday? I know your stone broke this morning, but ...”

The obvious answer would have to be that Jadeite had been reborn into this day and time somehow. The meeting with Rei must have triggered a reconnection with the part of his soul that had been trapped within the stone which would have been why the stone had broken. Mamoru was still uncertain how any of that could have happened though.

[Jadeite]

His Prince's reaction to the detail he had gone into was too much for Jadeite. First he cracked a bigger smile then he was already showcasing...then it leaked into silent laughter reflected in his eyes and body movements, finally ending in an all out laugh that was long and loud. Man, how much would he have spluttered if I would have gone into some serious description? It was almost tempting, but they had more important things to discuss...as in where were the others?

"Of course I had to share so much with you. I would never want there to be one tiny detail that could be important, not out in the open." This was after he had calmed down enough to actually speak again. So his words were slightly breathless but obviously poking fun at Mamoru. Something he could never, ever pass up and enjoyed far more then he should have.

A stone? What was he... oh, yeah. It was hard to think that he was trapped in a rock while he was also walking around in the world. "Well, I was reborn. It was hell but I was reborn in a way that my looks made more sense here in Japan." Now his face shut down and voice closed off, everything about him was stiff and almost emotionless. Obviously he was not fond of how he was reborn in the slightest.

"Enough about me, what about the others? Are they still stuck in half? It hurts when you reconnect." His bright gaze looked around the room once more, wondering where Endy-chan kept his stones, since he must have 3 that were still intact.

[Chiba Mamoru]

Once again a flicker of irritation crossed Mamoru’s eyes as Jadeite broke into laughter at his expense. However, after a moment he couldn’t help smiling just a bit even if the younger man was clearly poking fun at him. It was worth it just to have one of his old friends back at his side in something other then a rock form.

Mamoru listened as Jadeite spoke about how he had been reborn back into the world in a way that made sense. He was about to ask more about that, but he noticed the subject was not something that Jadeite seemed particularly keen on discussing. Mamoru had no desire to discuss something that obviously bothered Jadeite so very much, at least not at this time.

At the mention of the others, Mamoru gestured toward the glass case still opened on the table a few feet away and murmured, “There they are. I was talking with them earlier before I was called away to handle ... well you.”

Mamoru wondered if any of the other Shitennou were walking around in another body somewhere. If they were, would they really be reawakened like Jadeite had been? It would stand to reason that if one could reawaken then the others could as well. He was still a little uncertain as to how this had happened, but the longer he thought about it the more he didn’t particularly care. In the end, all that really mattered was that it was happening..

For a moment his mind wandered back to the intruder from the day before, the man that had looked so much like Nephrite. Was it possible that this person that had felt so familiar at the time had anything to do with any of this? That was a little coincidental, but perhaps he ought to look into it later just to be sure. At any rate, for the second time that day Mamoru closed his eyes and concentrated on calling for the Shitennou ...

[Khalid ibn Maleec]

Surprised to feel Endymion calling them again so quickly, Kunzite did not hesitate to manifest himself in response to his master's summoning.

As soon as he materialized, like before, he dropped to one knee and put his right fist over his heart bowing his head. "My Liege. You called?" Being called twice in so short a period had Kunzite actually curious, though he would not reveal that - at least not yet. It was entirely possible that Endymion simply wanted to continue the conversation from before.

Even though his head was bowed, Kunzite was well aware that there was someone else in the room with them. Without raising his head much, Kunzite raised his eyes to see who it was. What he saw caused him to straighten, "Jadeite, report!"

[Zacharie Babineaux]

"Absolutely not fair!" The words flew from the spirits lips before he could even stop them, hand materializing already pointed at the other blond standing in the room. Zoisite's eyes narrowed, lips twisted into something of a pout. "You lecherous bastard, where the hell do you get the nerve?!"

[Nathaniel Bernhardt]

"Chance favors the bold Zoisite. "

Nephrite's voice echoed through the room before the auburn haired Shitennou manifested, arms folded across his chest and one eyebrow quirked, mouth twisted up on one side in a derisive smirk.

"And Jadeite's particular brand of disrespect could fall under that heading. In her own shrine? I don't know whether to congratulate you or send you nightmares you miserable bastard."

The tall man sauntered over to where Jadeite now stood, circling the significantly shorter blond man as he looked him up and down. "Your face is a little different, but your eyes, those are all you. And you're still short."

He leaned in close, speaking very softly and slanting his eyes in a sidelong glare at the other man. "I think I hate you the most right now for making me agree with Zoisite. Curse you and your damnable luck!" The words were liberally laced with equal parts restless anger, envy, and long comraderie.

[Jadeite]

He waited patiently while his Prince called the other three into being. eyes watching him out of reflex and habit, and a slight bit of curiosity as well. Soon they started to materialize, Kunzite first. It figured. To say Jadeite was not fond of Kunzite would be putting it mildly. He could not stand Mr. Self Important most of the time, thought he was way too uptight and a few other things that he wasn't going to think about right now...

Then he ordered him about, the first damn thing he said was a fucking order?! Jade's eyes narrowed and he lips formed into a snarl, a low growl trickled from his mouth before he even spoke to the tall white haired apparition. "Excuse me? Do not think you can immediately start ordering me about. You, unlike I, are stuck in a rock. So shove it." He clamped his mouth shut on the rest of what he wanted to say, no use starting up an argument already...though Holier-than-thou would not be happy with what he said.

He then turned his attention to Zoisite. "My dear, it just happened. I was lucky that way. I don't hold back and look where it got me." Jadeite smirked but it had no malice in it, unlike the look he had given to Kunzite. "I am sure you all will be soon, just the right place and right time for me."

Ahh, and then there was Nephrite. While Jadeite was not exactly close to any of them, him and Neph's attitudes were along the same path that they got along the best. "My height doesn't bother me, I bet your hair will still be fluffy too." He continued to grin, which only turned conspiratorial when Nephrite whispered in his ear. "My my, you aren't even out of the rock yet and you start whispering naughty things to me. I bet you can't wait."

[Chiba Mamoru]

Mamoru had been about to respond to Kunzite after he had materialized. However, before he had a chance to do much more then open his mouth Kunzite had noticed Jadeite’s presence and demanded a report. The prince sighed softly as he watched Jadeite react badly to Kunzite’s words, mildly unhappy at the fact that his Shitennou couldn’t get along better then this.

At the blonde man’s words, Mamoru sent him a disapproving glance and murmured, “Jadeite ...”. His tone was not really a commanding one, more of a quiet request for the two of them to get along at least for the duration of this conversation. However, he lapsed into silence when Jadeite turned his attention to the other two Shitennou.

Mamoru closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the beginnings of a headache as he listened to the four men converse. He still didn’t entirely understand how any of this was happening, but he was becoming certain that fairly soon now he would probably be dealing with the return of the other three Shitennou as well.

[Khalid ibn Maleec]

Kunzite raised an eyebrow at Zoisite's entrance. A smirk appeared on his face at Nephrite's.

However, he was slightly taken aback by Jadeite's response. A tightly clenched jaw was the only outward sign of the anger that the leader of the Shitennou was feeling. Unfortunately, the now human Jadeite had a valid point. For the time being, at least, Jadeite was the only one of them who was in a position to actually help Endymion beyond advice.

A glance over at Endymion prevented Kunzite from giving Jadeite the lecture that he, in Kunzite's opinion, greatly deserved.

He listened to Jadeite respond to the other two, and tried to ignore the pang of jealousy he felt. He would not admit it to anyone, but envied the others their camaraderie, even if it was not friendship. The fact of the matter was that Kunzite had spent every day since Beryl had sentenced his soul to a rock trying to make penance, and he would continue to do so until he had. There was simply too much that he remembered to be able to relax, too much he had done for which he had to atone.

When he finally spoke again his words were crisp, and he knew that Jadeite would find them unnecessary, but for now it was as much of a peace offering that he was willing to make. "Take care of him until we can join you."

[Zacharie Babineaux]

Zoisite made a very rude noise and rolled his eyes. Arms crossed over his chest he leaned against the nearest wall. It actually took a lot more effort than one might guess, to lean against something when one was, technically, a non-corporeal entity. Damned lack of squishy bits. And damned Jadeite for regaining said squishy bits.

Damn him to Hell.

Not that that would work, the man apparently liked to be burned.

He opened his mouth to say as much and instead found himself saying: "How is this even possible? I know Mr. Letcher over there got himself barbecued crispy-style; his body shouldn't even be around to come back to."

[Nathaniel Bernhardt]

"Fluffy hair would be a small price to pay for a chance at a human form," Nephrite replied to Jadeite, his tone light, but with an undercurrent of bitterness. A second chance was more than a corporeal form; it was a chance at humanity.

Yes, damn Jadeite for being first. The idea of escaping purgatory was so tangible now, he could feel it pressing around him, seducing him with its closeness. Yes, Jadeite could be first, but would he be last? Even fate could not be that treacherous.

"He will," Nephrite answered Kunzite absently, though the question had not been directed at him. He tired, even now, of the enmity between them. Jadeite, though a firecracker, was loyal. As loyal as the lot of them really could be.

He snorted at Zoicite's question. "Does it really matter? It's obviously possible... If he can come back from that, we all should be able to."

It was almost too much to hope, but hope he did. Nephrite knew he hadn't greeted his liege yet, but he felt giddy, nearly wild with the developments at hand.

So close...

"Highness," he murmured in acknowledgment, but his eyes remained on the very physical, very present, very solid Jadeite that stood with them, yet apart, existing in the physical realm, while Nephrite only seemed to flicker, a manifestation of his former self.

[Iyashii Hiroki]

Jadeite rolled his eyes and waved off Mamoru’s disapproval. “Yeah, yeah. Behave. I get it.” His prince had always been the one to play peacekeeper among them, and it seemed that some things never changed.

Kunzite had spoken again, his words unneeded but understandable. It was his job to protect Endymion; it always had been. Considering he was the only Shitennou currently inhabiting a physical body, it was rather obvious Jadeite would be filling the role of guardian in every sense of the word. But before he could reply, Nephrite had answered for him. Deciding that now was not the best of times to be getting into arguments with Kunzite, he simply gave the man a solemn nod as an agreement to his request.

He rolled his eyes again as Nephrite once again interjected his own response to Zoisite’s inquiry. “Would you shut up for a goddamn minute so I can get a word in?” Turning to Zoisite, he continued. “I did not ‘come back’ to my former body. I was reborn. I’ve lived in this body for 25 long years.” ‘Long’ was putting it mildly. His life had not been an easy one, but that was something that would be left for another discussion. “It was only moments ago that the other half of my soul was freed from that stone and merged into this body.”

Jadeite crossed over to an empty chair, continuing as he sat. “I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if your other ‘reborn’ halves were out walking around somewhere at this very moment, not even knowing another half of their soul exists within a stone.”

He chuckled as he leaned back in the chair, resting comfortably with his hands behind his head. “Sucks to be you guys.”

[Chiba Mamoru]

Mamoru relaxed immediately when Jadeite agreed to get along for the moment. He glanced over at Kunzite when the other man spoke up. The words were crisp and he was very much aware that the situation was probably bothering Kunzite more then he was letting on, but for now Mamoru was grateful that peace had been made for the time being. He needed answers right now, that was the important thing, any arguments that were to be had could be dealt with at a later time.

He smirked just a bit when Jadeite told Nephrite to shut up so that he could answer for himself and then nodded briefly at Nephrite’s acknowledgment toward him. He stayed silent however, allowing Jadeite to finish his explanation most of which he was already aware of.

Ignoring Jadeite’s last words, Mamoru took a chair for himself before saying, “I might have already seen your other half Nephrite, remember the intruder I was speaking of earlier. The reason he had felt so familiar at the time is because he reminded me of you. I wasn’t certain of it at first, but the more I think about it the more certain I become.”