DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine, they all belong to
Naoko Takeuchi, and everyone else who owns them.

Sorry this one doesn't have a title.  I decided to get it out
before Finals Week, and have been a little lazy researching Greek
Mythology (not when I've got other things to study).

Anyway, write if you like!  My email is zyren@wam.umd.edu

Enjoy!

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        FALLEN

        Part Three

Jadeite walked into the dining room, a piece of cooked chicken in
hand, to find Zoicite already there, delicately eating from a
plate of sweets.  "Indulging your sweet tooth while the prince is
away?" Jadeite asked, sitting across from him.

Zoicite offered the plate, which Jadeite turned down.  "Real men
eat meat," he grinned.  Shrugging, Zoicite set it back down, near
enough to Jadeite so he could eat from it should he want to.
After a few minutes of munching in silence, Jadeite gave Zoicite a
smirk.  "So, how was your night?"

"What do you mean?" Zoicite blinked.

"You know!  With Kunzite!"

Zoicite rolled his eyes.  That again, he thought.  Does he think
of little else?  "About the same as yours went."

Jadeite puffed up, a wide grin on his face.  "Talking about me
already, are they?" he asked.

"No," Zoicite gave him a teasing smile.  "You are just
predictable."  Jadeite deflated, chewing his lip.  "Oh, come,
now," Zoicite laughed.  "I'm sure they are probably talking about
you now."

Jadeite sat upright again.  "You're probably right.  After all,
who's the best looking man around here?"

"Aside from Kunzite, Endymion, Nephlite, and I, you."  Zoicite
ducked, laughing as Jadeite gave him a playful feint.  "What?
It's true!"

Jadeite growled, though his eyes belied the menace he wanted to
put in his voice.  "Enough small talk.  Did you find out anything
about that queen from the Exiles yet?"

"Nothing much.  Of course, Nephlite would rather not be disturbed
while he works, so prying any information out of him before he's
ready will take work.  Speaking of which, did Queen Beryl put up
much of a fight when she left?"

"Her?" Jadeite scoffed.  "No!  Her guards are so weak!  I don't
know what those Exile people are doing, but they sure aren't ready
for a fight with the Moon Kingdom.  By the way, what *are* we
going to do about her?"

"We don't know."  Zoicite sighed.  "It won't be easy to track her
because her horses flew over the ocean.  Therefore, we need magic,
and since we have no one here who can do magic, we are thinking
about asking Merlin."

"Him again!" Jadeite groaned.  "What can he do?"

"He *is* one of the most powerful magic users on Earth."

"He'd have to be, he's a Lunar."

Zoicite shrugged indifferently.  "Lunar or not, he is still the
ideal person to help us track down Queen Beryl.  Once we do that,
we'll plan our strategy."

"Why not have Merlin take care of her?  Or any of the other Lunars
on Earth for that matter?  I mean, they're all here *saying* they
want to protect us, but they sure aren't *doing* anything about
it."

"Perhaps they are more concerned with the Ravisher.  Besides,
Queen Beryl is a minor problem.  If you could slay her guards
easily, any seige she would be able to muster probably wouldn't be
successful.  If we can track her down, we will take care of her
discreetly, without the interference of the Moon Kingdom.  Prince
Endymion wishes that."

Jadeite made a derisive noise, doubt still lingering in his eyes.
 "I still say we should just wipe her out.  It's one less thing
we'll have to worry about."

Zoicite shook his head, smileing.  "Somehow, I knew you would say
that."  He rose from his seat.  "Start prepareing some of the
ground troops for anti-siege warfare .  Once we find out where she
is, and hopefully the power of her forces, we'll decide whether to
get the Moon Kingdom involved."

"What about the Sailor Senshi?"

"If we need them, and if Queen Serenity allows them to help, I'm
sure they will come."

"That's a pretty big 'if'."

"If is better than nothing."  Zoicite gave Jadeite a parting smile
before leaving the dining room.

        *****

Jadeite brooded on what his friend had said as he trudged to the
practice arena.  Merlin.  He had never met him, but he had heard
of the wizard.  Already the old man was a legend among his people.
 That still did not mean Jadeite wholly trusted him.

Jadeite had heard of glorious Camelot and the round table.  Who
hadn't?  Even a mere four hundred years after its collapse, the
stories were whispered.  But, if Merlin had served at that round
table, why did he let it collapse like that?  Surely, his magic
would have prevented it.

That was what Jadeite didn't like about magic-users.  They had
such great powers, but never put them to any real good use.  Even
the Senshi, with their extraordinary means of power sat around
doing nothing, waiting for the approval of a Queen in order to use
that power.  They never fought.  And what good did their magic do
them against the Ravisher anyway?  "If I had magic, I'd put it to
good use!" he muttered.  "Then, that Beryl would regret even
showing her face up here!"

"An interesting proposition," a sharp voice interrupted him.
"Perhaps you'd like to put it to the test?"

Jadeite whipped around to confront the much-changed Queen of the
Exiles.  "Boy, you've grown ugly," he smirked.  "I don't think
Endymion would like you now."

A feral snarl crossed her features before she schooled them back
down.  Instead, she gave him a predatory smile, controlling waves
of energy about him.  Jadeite found he could not move even an
inch, frozen in place by powerful magic.  He swore inwardly,
mustering all his strength to overcome this.

"It will do you no good," Queen Beryl told him as she almost
slithered towards him, unafraid.  She drew her pointed fingernails
ever so gently across his cheek, reveling in the fear lurking
within those eyes.  "But, I did not come here to battle.  Rather,
I came to enlist your aid."

"*My* aid?" Jadeite cried out, finding his tounge was not frozen
like the rest of his body.  "Don't be stupid.  If you think for a
moment that I'll join you..." he was silenced by something akin to
a hand grabbing his throat.  He started to gasp for breath as
those invisible fingers tightened, squeezing the life from his
lungs.

"You are the fool," said the queen, mocking him.  "But, you could
still be useful, stupid as you are.  You enjoy a good fight, do
you not?"

"That's none of your buisness," Jadeite managed to rasp.

"A warrior born, and raised I take it.  I need a person like you
to lead my armies.  One as brave, and as bold as you would not
refuse lightly, yes?"

"What's in it for me?  Looking at your ugly face day in and day
out?  No thanks."

Queen Beryl lowered her eyes, stareing deep within him.  "You are
a powerful warrior, but not the strongest in the world, correct?"
 She saw the unconsious flinch in his eyes, the scales within him
starting to shift.  "What a pity a strong man such as yourself can
be so easily defeated by women from other worlds!"

Jadeite winced.  It was true, he hated being second best to all
those Sailor Senshi.  It was rooted deep within, beaten in him
since birth, until he felt all women were inferior when it came to
battle.  But the Senshi were his betters, and they had proved it
time and time again.  Even the weak ones like Sailor Mercury were
able to best him in a fight.  It had been painful to swallow, but
would have been easier to accept had they not used their magic
against him!  And now he was helpless before this queen, this
Beryl, who again decided to weaken him with magic.  Just like the
Sailor Senshi.

Yes, she thought, watching the private war within through his
eyes.  "I can give you the magic you crave; the magic denied you
by Queen Serenity.  With that magic, you can defeat even the
strongest of the Sailor Senshi.  But, it is only a gift if you
join me."  The scales were precariously close to even, now.  She
needed to give him a last push.  "There are many beautiful women
in my realm.  Perhaps you could pick a few suitable ones...?"

Women.  Magic.  The chance to battle!  All this fired Jadeite's
blood as his warrior side screamed "Take it!  Take it!" at him.
He wanted to give in, to accept the magic she offered him on a
silver platter.  But, he was still a General of King Endymion.  He
had duties to his lord and liege.  And what did he *really* know
about this Queen Beryl?

The scales teetered, Queen Beryl saw that even a simpleton such as
this would not be seduced so easily.  But, she had three others,
and she had made the offer.  He would turn.  Yes.  She had offered
him his dreams.  "Think about it, if you like," she crooned,
releasing her magical hold on him.  "I shall return to hear your
answer."  She vanished, sinking into a pool of darkness.

Jadeite stood, alone in the heat of the morning sun, staring after
the Queen who had left him.  "Magic-users," he scoffed.  "I hate
magic-users.  But if *I* had magic..."  The sun was high.  It was
time to practice.