This story and its images can also be found at http://members.xoom.com/sailmoonSol/solitair3.html CHAPTER FOUR ****************************************** Crystal Tokyo - present time ****************************************** Pluto talked with Endymion about Diamond and Solitaire, while Serenity tried to comfort Neflite. She had agreed that it would be best if Diamond spoke to Solitaire first - he had known her last, and so much might have changed since anyone else had last seen her. "I don't think she could be under the control of the Negamoon anymore, since the Dark Crystal was destroyed. " Pluto contemplated Endymion's primary worry. "But there is no crescent symbol on her forehead." Endymion added. Pluto thought for a moment - "If she were here to harm, she would have destroyed the palace by now. Our defenses had no effect...only your rose..." Pluto replied. Endymion knew that Solitaire had not come to do harm. "It must her silver crystal. She was always working on it, ever since I had known her..." Endymion remembered. "Her silver crystal was absorbed into the Dark Crystal. When the Sailor Scouts destroyed it, it was returned to her." Diamond added quietly. He had entered the room, looking for Pluto. Endymion eyed him. "You mean?" Pluto began "The Dark Crystal was powerless against Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal, until Wiseman had taken Solitaire's crystal and combined it with the Dark Crystal." Diamond said with a hint of despair. Wiseman. "Now that she has it again, nothing can combat it....except, the force which it had never truly known - the force of love." "So her shield was then generated by her crystal?" Endymion asked, putting aside his anger towards Diamond to get to the truth. Diamond nodded. "And why did she attack Neflite, then?" Pluto asked. "I don't know. She had mentioned him once." "I know why," Endymion said dejectedly, facing the ground, his hand clenched in a fist. Pluto looked at him questioningly. "Solitaire thought he was going to hurt Serena." Pluto and Diamond looked at him puzzled. Endymion knew that what he was saying was a twist on the truth, but he didn't know if Pluto or Diamond had known that he had been romantically involved with Solitaire, and when she attacked Neflite, it was only partly for Queen Serenity's safety. "Why would he do that?" Pluto asked, looking at Endymion. "She must have thought Neflite was still under Beryl?s control," Endymion replied, adding "But Beryl was killed over a thousand years ago." Pluto's face changed with the understanding that she had just acquired. "Sailor Moon was only able to prevent Solitaire from dying in twentieth century Tokyo. Her Silver Crystal took her to Nemesis to find her fate. Its what she had wanted most, knowing that she could not live in Tokyo anymore." Pluto said, looking at Endymion for a moment. "After she had died, she ended up in the Time corridor through the power of the crystal, from where she traveled to the future to the Dark Moon." She hesitated a moment before adding "To Diamond. That explains why she thought Neflite was evil - she did not know how time had passed." Endymion was shocked. He didn't want to believe that Diamond was Solitaire's destiny. He could have accepted that they had once been in love, but this? A gentle breeze blew through the room, Endymion and Diamond looking at eachother, while Pluto watching them perplexed - the king and the former enemy sharing between them knowledge that she herself was unaware of. Diamond turned to Pluto, kissing her on the cheek, and went to where Solitaire was resting. He had been unable to go look at her since he had seen her arrive, afraid of the complications her presence brought. Now that he had talked with both Pluto and King Endymion, he felt he was ready to talk to her. He gently opened the door that led to Solitaire room. Inside, he saw her holding her crystal, eyes tainted with sadness. She had not heard him come in, and continued to be lost in the crystal's silvery glow. Withdrawal from the Dark Crystal's negative energy wasn't easy, but the power of Solitaire's silver crystal helped ease the physical pain that embedded itself in every muscle of her body. "Solitaire - " Diamond called to her hesitantly. He had almost forgotten how beautiful she was. Diamond noticed the sadness in her eyes - sadness that he had once succeeded to erase, like he had done for Pluto. Instinctively, he wanted to hold Solitaire, but remembered his life here and his objective in talking to her first. Solitaire's crystal stopped glowing when she heard Diamond's voice, her eyes warmed, muscles relaxed by the sound. "Diamond!" she cried, and like Serena had done so often with Darien, she rushed to Diamond, in complete abandon, holding him and kissing him. Diamond at first resisted her touch, but for less than a second before he gave in to his emotions and reciprocated her passion. Somehow, it seemed so right to him. Pluto's sad eyes flashed before him, and suddenly he pulled away from Solitaire. Her hurt expression reflected the harshness of the motion, Diamond stepping back and trying his best to control himself. "I'm sorry but...I can't - " Diamond said, carefully, trying to calm her. His voice succeeded partially, not because it soothed her, but rather because it had always had control over her. "I don't understand," She said, her voice a confused whisper. "Your here in Crystal Tokyo where you wanted to be for so long, and - you're happy. I thought we'd be together -". Her eyes pierced his with sadness that he had worked to erase. "You're right, Solitaire, I am happy." Diamond replied paradoxically, his face in a dejected expression. Solitaire looked at him questioningly, trying to find the underlying meaning in his words. She felt nauseous - how could this be happening? Pain began to return to her body. Guilt was written all over Diamond's face. Solitaire had not only cared for him like no one else had ever done, she had even been willing to give her life for him. In comparison, he had hardly given her much - and now his gratitude was expressed through his rejection of her. Diamond began to realize he had fallen in love with Pluto because she reminded him of Solitaire so much - both were reserved and cool-minded, intelligent, and loyal to their causes, but even more both had been exposed to so much pain in their lives that it was etched in their eyes. Diamond now felt that his engagement to Pluto had been the dream he had planned to follow through with Solitaire. His quest to replace her began with his infatuation with Neo-Queen Serenity, and was manifested in Black Lady, and eventually his pursuit of his ideal had led him to Pluto, by that time Solitaire was forgotten, and only his mission to find her remained in him. How could the short time he had spent with Pluto compare to what he had invested in Solitaire? "Then?" she questioned, not yet seeing his dilemma. "I have - " Diamond tried to avoid saying that he was in love with another woman "commitments." Solitaire still did not realize that Diamond had found another love, but his awkward behavior suggested that he had a good reason for acting this way. Just like the others before him. She thought it was her destiny - Diamond had made her happy in a way that she had forgotten her sadness, and her fate had not occurred to her until this moment, not even when she was facing death. She knew that if destiny was to blame, there would be no sense in fighting it. Solitaire put her hand to Diamond's lips, silencing him before he could say anymore. Perhaps if she didn't hear his voice, she would be able to collect herself. But Diamond's eyes burned with fiery emotions, and she couldn't look at him either. Solitaire rushed out of the room, gathering enough strength in Diamond's absence to avoid crying. ********************************** Moon Kingdom ********************************** Malachite's anger glowed through his gray eyes as he sat across from Neflite at the table in the War Room. It was bad enough that Neflite had allowed himself to be distracted from his duty by Solitaire, with the war coming, but now to leave her like this? Neflite looked pathetic sitting across from him, sipping more white wine as his blue eyes met Malachite's. He was furious that Neflite had been so irresponsible to toy with Solitaire's emotions like he had done. What could have possessed him to leave her - she was perfection itself; beautiful, cool-minded and quick-thinking, loyal...? Now, Malachite felt, he would have to pick up the pieces of the mess that Neflite had made. Just what he needed - another Endymion. Malachite looked over to Solitaire, who was standing with Endymion and Jaedite over a map, most likely discussing tactics. Surprisingly, she looked unaffected - the opposite of Neflite's demeanor. He admired her for being able to focus on her duty and her mission, despite the pain that she must be feeling. Solitaire noticed Malachite looking at her, smiling back to him a weak smile. Malachite, noticed it only for a moment, however, his attention turning to her sad eyes. It was more painful to look into them than any physical wound he could have imagined. Standing next to the Prince, she resembled Queen Serenity, but even though her eyes were the same color of her mother's, they were so different - Queen Serenity's emanated warmth and love. Solitaire's were full of intelligence and sadness, a combination that haunted him and made HIM feel guilty. He had to admit, nevertheless, that her beauty surpassed that of even the Queen. Malachite rose, joining the other three, but stood next to Solitaire. Jaedite admired the picture that they made, posing as perhaps husband and wife, but then remembered Neflite, who was looking at them sickly. Jaedite would have liked to see her leave, for the sake of Neflite and her own, but he knew that her input was a necessity to winning the war. Yet Jaedite didn't want to see tensions arise between the generals. Solitaire had already succeeded in taking away Neflite's attention towards the conflict - could Malachite be next? But Jaedite knew the general better. *********************************** 20th Century Tokyo *********************************** "Neflite, you have failed again!" Queen Beryl roared, her eyes flashing with energy. "Please forgive me, my Queen. I have another tactic that I know will work against Sailor Moon." Neflite replied, bowing. "I'm warning you Neflite - fail again, and you'll end up like Jaedite." Beryl cautioned. Zoicite appeared behind the two, snickering at Neflite. "I believe that using Sailor Moon's greatest weakness to our advantage will prove very successful for our cause. Without Tuxedo Mask, she will never be able to win another battle." Neflite continued, dismissing Zoicite. "You better not fail, Neflite!" Beryl yelled. "Of course, my Queen! This time, we shall go after Tuxedo Mask personally, with *his* greatest weakness." Neflite said, smiling wickedly. Beryl was intrigued. "Perhaps he'd enjoy a visit from our princess Solitaire". Beryl?s eyes flashed again - she had forgotten about Solitaire after she realized she was not Princess Serenity, because Sailor Moon existed. "Tuxedo Mask" Beryl whispered, smiling at the thought of him. Solitaire would be able to bring him over to her side. "Very well, Neflite - let her bring Darien to me. Then we shall go after Sailor Moon." Neflite smiled, taking a bow and exiting the room, Zoicite disappearing between heart-shaped rose petals. Neflite had already planned everything - he would wake Solitaire, and send her back to Tokyo. He reached the room where she had been resting for over a year. Finally he had worked out a way so that Beryl would allow him to bring her back. Little did he know that Beryl was planning to kill Solitaire after she had succeeded in her mission. With the black crystal that Beryl had given him, Neflite shattered the crystal that held Solitaire, a silver glow emanating from her body as a violent breeze blew through the room. Neflite realized that Queen Serenity's spell had been broken through the dark crystal, and Solitaire regained the memories of her present life and her past, her silver crystal appearing in her hand. "Neflite!" Solitaire cried, running to the general and embracing him. "What happened? Is Beryl dead? Where are the others?" she asked, looking into his eyes. Seeing Neflite triggered her memories of the Moon Kingdom and momentarily forget about her life in Tokyo. "No Solitaire." he replied, his voice unusually low and raspy. Solitaire stood back for a moment, shocked at the change. "What do you mean?" she asked with terror, Neflite grabbing her hand and pulling her back to him. "Beryl has defeated Queen Serenity. The Moon Kingdom is gone." he replied. "What about Endymion? Where is everyone?" Solitaire asked, unable to escape his grasp. "I no longer serve him. I am now a general of Queen Beryl." Neflite admitted, smiling. Solitaire was in shock. "Why?" she whispered, sadness washing through her expression. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Don't worry, Solitaire!" Neflite said, laughing. "You'll soon understand. Feel the power of the Negaverse, Solitaire, the power of Queen Beryl! Join us - " Neflite said, moving closer to Solitaire. He pressed his free hand against some of the broken remains of the black crystal, green blood flowing out of the wound. Solitaire froze, horrified. Neflite placed the wound against his mouth, then kissed Solitaire, pressing the liquid down her throat. "Welcome to the Negaverse." he said, smiling. Solitaire stood back, as the wind gathered around her and her crystal shone with a blinding light. Neflite shielded his eyes, until the light died down. He saw her dressed in a long black silk dress, the cloth held together by silken cord through the middle. From an angle, she might appear bare except for the cord. Neflite smiled, pleased, pulling Solitaire closer to him again. "You look so beautiful, Solitaire." he whispered in her ear. "I know. Is this what you had in mind?" she said, her voice taking on a more carnal decibel. Neflite smiled, admiring the dress. Solitaire kissed him sensually, pulling away from him eventually. "I have a mission to do." Neflite admired Solitaire's fleeting figure. It pleased him to see a woman so beautiful and powerful at the same time. She seemed even more desirable (if that was possible) now that she was free from her unavoidable reserve - that she was her true self. ************************************ Moon Kingdom - Earth ************************************ Solitaire sat on the stone edge of a pool in the gardens of the palace. In its reflection she could see a few wispy clouds in the blue sky, moving across the horizon. A shadow appeared over the pool, the clouds disappearing, as Solitaire turned to see Jaedite. He smiled at her, resting his sword against the stone and taking a drink from the cool water. "Endymion is getting better." Jaedite joked, the two looking over at the other generals practicing combat. Solitaire smiled, saying "I thought he's doing it quite well. It seems to me that he would always be able to win over you." Solitaire added in a whisper "When your mind is elsewhere." She was referring to Lady Mars. "I'm afraid I can't allow myself that luxury anymore, with the war coming. I just wish it didn't have to be happening now." Jaedite replied. Taking Solitaire's hand, he asked "And what about you?" "What about me?" she said, her eyes beginning to reflect pain. "What do you spend your time thinking about?" Solitaire turned her face to the sky, the wind blowing around her. "The future." she admitted quietly. Jaedite could see that Solitaire was being unusually vague. "Well, I don't want to see any tensions between Neflite and you." he said to her, circumventing her attempts to not talk about her situation. "I don't understand what happened." Solitaire sensed Jaedite's concern, replying "It was a misunderstanding. But we're alright now. Its best that all of us focus on the war." Jaedite frowned. He could see that something was still bothering Solitaire, but she would not admit to it. ?Are you sure? Do you want me to talk to him?" he asked. Solitaire sighed. "Its all my fault. I shouldn't have let the whole thing happen." Jaedite thought she was referring to the "fight" that Neflite and Solitaire had, when in reality she was referring to the entire relationship. "Please don't say anything to him for me. Really, I'm fine." Jaedite raised a brow to her, not believing a word of what she was saying. Solitaire eyed him, seeing that he was not going to dismiss the subject. "How about you teach me how to use one of those things." Solitaire suggested, pointing to Jaedite's sword. "What? Why?" he asked, shocked that someone like Solitaire, with all her beauty, elegance, and intelligence would be interested in learning physical defenses. Her allure alone could disarm any man. "You never know. Besides, I like having advantages." Solitaire said smiling, also happy that she was off the subject of Neflite. "What would Queen Serenity say? The princess of the moon engaging in sword fighting?" Solitaire's eyes brightened as she discovered another way to distance herself from and irritate her mother. "She wouldn't say anything. Besides wouldn't you rest better knowing that you didn't have to keep protecting me?" "What makes you think I ever cared what happened to you, Solitaire?" Jaedite joked, happy that he had been able to make her happy. "I never cared what happens to you either." Solitaire replied, lifting the heavy sword and admiring its metal sheen. She smiled somewhat disturbingly as she ran her finger across the sharp blade. Solitaire lifted her eyes to his, smiling playfully. "Well then." Jaedite replied, turning her hand to see if it was bleeding. The skin was unbroken. "Maybe I should get you something else to wear." he said to her, looking at her delicate royal gown. Solitaire nodded as they walked passed the fighting soldiers towards the palace. ************************************ 20th Century Tokyo ************************************ Darien sat in the cafe, drinking tea and flipping through one of his textbooks. He wasn't looking at the words, however, because his mind was elsewhere. He had been having the same dream again, with the girl. At first he thought it was Solitaire - but the voice, the gestures were different. Darien wished he could see the girl's face, but he always woke up before he got a chance. He felt she was the answer to his questions, to who he was and who Tuxedo Mask is. He was forced to imagine her being Solitaire, and thinking about Solitaire always brought back the painful memories. "Eww! It's Darien!" a voice said from the table across from him. Without needing to look, he knew it was Serena. "Get a life meatball-head." Darien said angrily to Serena, who was shocked that he was so harsh. For some reason, her presence always made him feel awkward. He remembered seeing her less than a year ago during that painful sunset, thinking it was Solitaire. The next time he saw her, though, he realized she was infact very different from Solitaire, although Serena's innocent expression was almost identical to the one Solitaire occasionally had. Serena's uncanny resemblance to Solitaire, nevertheless, brought back thoughts of Solitaire, and right now he was trying to forget about her. "You should talk!" Serena replied with all sincerity. "Spending all your time wandering the streets and always managing to bother me...why don't you find yourself a girlfriend or something." Darien rose, slamming his fist against the table, the tea flowing out of the over-turned cup onto his books. "That's enough, Serena!" he roared, the other customers turning and staring at him. His face flushed an angered crimson. Serena crouched back behind Ami, who had come with her to the cafe. Darien stormed out of the building, into the downpour, Serena looking after him. Her presence reminded Darien of what he had been missing for the past year - his anger towards Serena more a manifestation of the anger he had for himself for losing Solitaire. Darien fumbled for the keys of his car, and by the time he was thoroughly water-soaked he managed to start the ignition. The car sped off onto the road with the slightest touch of the pedal, as Darien cut through traffic. The rain had congested the main road, so he aimlessly sped into the more deserted parts of the city, tires screeching in the curves. Fog had formed on the windows; Darien's heavy breathing contrasting the cool outside air. Serena had made him so angry. If only she could be nicer to him, he thought, things would be easier. The alarms on the surroundings cars went off at the crack of thunder, as Darien sped past them. He wasn't watching where he was going, as his eyes glazed over thinking about Serena. A horn suddenly blew to his right, waking him up as he slammed the breaks to avoid hitting the car that had gone by infront of him, skidding behind it as he flew through the intersection. Eventually he recovered from the skid, slowly accelerating until what he saw before him made him stop suddenly again. ****************************** Crystal Tokyo ****************************** Solitaire ran out of the room, slowing down as she reached the end of the hallway. She was happy not to hear Diamond's footsteps behind her, as she walked aimlessly about in the maze of the crystal palace. She ignored the small footsteps before her, until Queen Serenity spoke to her in her soft voice. "Solitaire - " she called to her, Solitaire looking up annoyed at first but shocked when she saw Serenity. "Serena?" she asked hesitantly, having difficulty accepting how Serena had matured into her role. Serena smiled, tears forming in her eyes as she rushed and embraced Solitaire. "I can't believe you're here!" Serenity cried, looking up into her sister's eyes that were only two inches higher than hers. "You've changed." Solitaire said solemnly, emotion draining from her voice. Serenity blushed. "I know. You don't know how hard it was to grow up with you, Solitaire. You were always perfect - you are still perfect." Serenity said in a warm motherly tone, ignoring Solitaire's lack of enthusiasm. Solitaire stared into Serenity's eyes, seeing in her what she had, ironically, always wanted to become. All those years together on the moon, Serena had strived to be just like Solitaire, indeed it was difficult to be her shadow, but now the tables turned as Solitaire noticed the happiness pouring into the room out of Serenity - the happiness that she had always hoped for herself. "No one is perfect." Solitaire replied, not trying to come up with anything original. She wanted to be alone right now, if she couldn't be with Diamond. Serenity sighed, remembering how Solitaire could never handle emotions. Perhaps, she thought, it would be best if she backed off for a while, as she released Solitaire. "Everything has changed." Solitaire noted as she tried to digest the differences in this world from the one she remembered. ******************** Thankfully, Serenity decided to tell Solitaire everything that had happened since she had known her since the Moon Kingdom, allowing Solitaire to absorb the information over a glass of red wine in Serenity's room. Solitaire listened to the words like a child listens to her mother telling a story - indeed, Serenity was almost exactly like her mother. But there was no longer any reason to avoid Serena's presence, instead, Solitaire had to admit that she enjoyed the time she was spending with her sister A knock at the door revealed Endymion, who tried his best to smile pleasantly as he entered the room. Serenity resisted the urge to rush to him, as her childhood goal to become a lady like her sister rose in her again. Solitaire simply stared at Endymion - she had not seen him for so long, and not under such free circumstances. His response was the same; Solitaire had remained as stunning as ever, only her expression had lost any innocence that it had ever had. His eyes danced between Serenity and Solitaire, noticing the striking differences between the two, even though in reality they were very similar. Solitaire was like a statue - perfect in every way on the outside; seductive, alluring, powerful, but her expressions and voice threatened him with her intelligence and sadness. Serenity meanwhile, emanated innocence and happiness, as well as passion, which Solitaire lacked almost entirely. He couldn't resist looking into Serenity's eyes that enveloped him in their warmth. All of Solitaire's beauty was useless if she couldn't learn to be happy. But then again, Endymion thought, it wasn't really her fault after all. "How are you Solitaire?" Endymion asked tentatively. Solitaire smiled awkwardly at Endymion, although looking at him she realized she no longer loved him with the intensity that she had had for him before. Like Endymion, she had moved on - to Diamond. "I'm fine. Don't bother yourselves - I'll be leaving as soon as I get my strength back." Solitaire replied. Endymion was shocked, but couldn't think of anything to say. It would be better for Pluto if she left. "What? No, Solitaire! Where are you going?" Serenity anxiously asked, holding Solitaire's shoulder. "My life is - - no longer here. I'm sorry to have bothered you. Tell...Neflite...I'm sorry." Solitaire emotionlessly answered. Only her eyes revealed her pain, although even their ability to convey her emotions had faded through time. Serenity looked to Endymion, begging him to say something. "Solitaire - please, you don't have to leave," Endymion said, holding Solitaire like a child. Solitaire remained as cold as stone. "You think I can't see through you?" Solitaire whispered to Endymion so Serena could not hear. "Believe me, I don't want to stay here." Endymion let go of her, staring into her hurt expression. He knew Solitaire wasn't angry at him or Serena, not even at Diamond. Serenity watched the two sympathetically. Quickly the emotion disappeared on her face. "Solitaire - you don't have to do this." Endymion replied. Everything he was feeling urged him to tell her he wanted her here. "A life without a purpose is not a life." Solitaire said, looking at Serenity who had begun to cry. Endymion didn't know how to reply. He would have told Solitaire of how Pluto had found meaning in her life after the time corridor was destroyed, but decided against it when he remembered that her new role in life was to be Diamond's wife. "Where would you go, Solitaire?" Serenity asked, a tear slipping down her beautiful face. Solitaire tried to smile at her sister, not wanting to scare her with the fact that she was planning to not go anywhere that existed in the physical world. Despite her lack of physical aging, her soul had grown tired of trying to find a happiness that she knew could not exist for her. Endymion couldn't resist embracing Serenity, Solitaire meanwhile walking towards the corridor. "Serena - hold on to what you have - " Solitaire whispered as she left the room. ************************************ Moon Kingdom ************************************ Solitaire smiled contently as she admired herself in the mirrored walls. The uniform, didn't do her justice, of course, but she delighted at the thought of learning a new trade. Anything that would make her unlike her mother and Serena. Pulling the beads out of her hair, she wrapped the strands into two coils at the top. She thought it a shame that her mother wouldn't let her style her hair in another way. Jaedite knocked on the door, entering upon Solitaire's reply. Solitaire twirled around, showing off the uniform. "Well? What do you think?" Solitaire asked eagerly. Jaedite frowned, preferring the way Solitaire usually looked. The thought of her beating him in a duel was slightly off-setting,. "I think I should get you a helmet. Your mother would kill us if you went home looking like you had come from battle.? he said, wondering how he would acquire one after it had been so difficult to find a uniform slender enough for Solitaire. Seeing her smile, however, he felt he would go to any lengths to make her happy. Solitaire smiled into the mirror. "Don't go to any trouble." Taking her hand, Jaedite led Solitaire towards the gardens where the royal guards usually practiced. The moon still hovered in the clear autumn day as the two entered a conversation about the war they were trying to avoid. "I guess we'll just have to wait a while and see how Beryl reacts." Jaedite said. Solitaire nodded. "At least it looks like we'll have some time off for a while." Solitaire thought for a moment, replying with a hint of sadness and guilt "Maybe I should go home." "What? Why?" Jaedite asked, shocked. He thought the time off would give everyone a chance to enjoy themselves for a while. "Well, if there's no reason for me to be here, I should go where I'm needed." Solitaire replied. She didn't want to overstay her welcome. "Just because we're waiting for Beryl to make her move, doesn't mean that we won't have to plan ahead. I just meant that we wouldn't have to feel so guilty if we took time off for ourselves." Looking into Solitaire's downcast expression, he added, "Please don't feel like you have to go, unless you want to." Solitaire smiled at Jaedite's ability to say just the right things with the greatest of sincerity. "I'd really like to stay." she admitted. "Then do." Jaedite replied, as they reached the garden they were heading for. "Ready?" Jaedite asked. Solitaire smiled and stood awkwardly. Jaedite pulled his sword out of its hilt, handing it to Solitaire, who held it stiffly between her hands and looked towards Jaedite for guidance. "How is it?" Jaedite wondered. "I don't know - what do you think?" Solitaire answered. "I meant is it too heavy? We have lighter ones." Solitaire only smiled. "No, its fine. I just have to get used to it." Jaedite wondered how Solitaire could be so strong to use *his* sword. He remembered the day when he met Lady Mars, and how surprised he was that she could turn the heavy wheels by herself. Perhaps the same principle was in place here. "Alright, let me get you another one to practice with. I'll be right back." he said as he headed into the temple near yesterday's fountain. Solitaire admired the smooth metal, noticing an inscription near the base of the blade that read "With the Passion of Fire". She smiled, thinking about the young woman that Jaedite had told her so much about, although she did not know Mars in person. Solitaire tried to hold the weapon as she had seen the others do it, with only mild success. The sword was too heavy for her, but she did not want to admit it. Closing her eyes, and trying to relax the muscles in her arms, she ignored the pair of voices that approached the temple. "I think it would help if you held the sword a little looser, Lady Solitaire" a warm voice emanated ahead of her. Solitaire opened her eyes, their saphirrine expanses locking with Malachite's lavender ones. Malachite moved behind her, placing his arms around hers and his hands on hers, gently pulling them away from the metal. "Like this." Solitaire turned her head and smiled into his eyes. Endymion, meanwhile, who had come with Malachite, sought out Jaedite's company, as he didn't want to witness more of his guards fall for Solitaire. ***************************** 20th Century Tokyo ***************************** Darien stepped out of his car, engine still running, as the rain soaked him again. "Solitaire?" he called to the woman standing in the street ahead of him, shielding her body as if the car had been about to hit her. Darien was met with no response, rather, the woman unexplainably collapsed onto the ground.