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A Woman Scorned
mbsilvana@yahoo.com
standard disclaimers
AN: This is rough draft... lemme know what ya'll think.  Seems some people were actually INTERESTED in the prologue- who'd've thought?
First season romance... done QS style!

Part One: Chika Ezura and Kae Satoshi

    Esmeraude had planned her arrival in 1992 more carefully then she had planned any of her other trips to the past.   After actually reading the reasearch Saffir had gathered about the time period, she had decided that the ideal time for her to surface would be about two months before the Dark Kingdom came- long enough to ensnare Mamoru in her trap, but enough time for her to pull out before Jedeite would begin his power-draining.   Even though she was confident in her abilities, she didn't want to tangle with any of the Four Kings.
    Before leaving, she had used a spell to turn her hair into a rich ebony, rather then leave it its usual verdant color.    She realized that the green hair would stand out, and she had little intention of attracting too much attention, aside from one special person's.
    Finding an apartment in the crowded Tokyo had been a challenge, but she realized the nessessity of appearing to be an ordinary mortal for her plan to work.   That included adapting her style and way of life.   Two months of a mundane life would be difficult, but it would be well worth it if she was able to find success on her project.
    The place she finally found was a three-bedroom penthouse.    It was done in various shades of green, which almost mollified her about her hair.   She really disliked the boring black.
    Esmeraude was just settling her belongings into the master bedroom when she heard a loud "thump!" from one of the other bedrooms.   With an angry curse, she stalked towards it, ignoring the possibility it could be an intruder- she was the highest-ranking General of the Nemesian Army, and she could damn well defend herself.
    Swinging the door open, her jaw dropped as she saw a pair of legs sticking out from underneath a desk.   They were clad in a pair of jeans and masculine, but she had no clue why that person would be messing with a bunch of wires that extended all over the floor.   She looked on top of the desk and noticed the computer, one that was too advanced for this time period.   Her mind automatically leapt to the correct conclusion.   Only one person would have such gall.
    "Saffir?!" she exclimed in confusion and no small amount of rage.
    He started slightly, hitting his head on the bottom of the desk.   "Itai!" he exclaimed.   "Hello to you as well, Ezzy-chan," he said, sliding out from underneath, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to allieviate some of the sting.
    "What are you doing here?" she demanded rather angrily.
    He rose to his feet with lithe grace, smiling at her wickedly.   "What does it look like?   Moving in, of course," he said as he started to unpack a suitcase.
    She really wished that she hadn't decided that her fan was too conspicuous.  She wished she had it so she could have the satisfaction on smacking him across the face.   Esmeraude had to settle for stomping her foot instead.   "And why are you doing that?   Shouldn't you be back on Nemesis tinkering with something?"
    He shook his head, rasing a careless hand to brush the hair that had fallen free away from his eyes.  "No, dear cousin.   I'm here to make sure you don't screw up the time line.   What the hell are you plotting, anyway?" he asked.
    She tossed her head, sending her dyed hair cascading over her back.   "That's none of your business.  Get out of here, you're not wanted."
    He frowned, and they stood glaring at each other.   Finally he broke the silence.   "I'm not going anywhere.   I don't trust you not to screw up."
    She looked at him, then a slight smile curved her lips.  "Fine.   Stay if you want.   You'll be bored out of your mind in a week."
    The smile that he gave her was surprisingly sweet and non-malicious.   "I'm looking forward to it, actually.   I signed up to take some classes at Tokyo University."
    "WHAT?!" she yelled again.
    "It seemed like a good idea.... I'm going to be an horticulture major.   I want to work with flowers," he said wistfully, then seemed to remember who he was talking to.   "Not that it's any of your business.   I'm Heir to the Pellucid Throne of Nemesis- I can do what I want.   You're my subordinate, technically."
    She stomped off, fuming.    Having the blue prince hanging around was not going to help her plan at all.    Especially since it seemed that they were going to be sharing classes.
    The next day, Chika Ezura registered with classes with her reluctant roommate Kae Satoshi.   He had wanted to pretend they didn't know each other, but Esmeraude had insisted that he actually acknowledge her- most likely it would come out that they were living together.
    Esmeraude had chosen to pursue pre-med, the same major as her prey.   She wasn't too worried about her grades; she had been a good student when she was younger, and knew that she could be so again.   Many of the forgotten books in her room had been non-fiction, full of information she had devoured once upon a time, when learning and knowledge had seemed important.   Then she had realized that her looks would get her further, and she had left her scholarly pursuits for more practical concerns.
    Saffir carried his note books and pens in an ordinary satchel, along with, what was to him, an antiquated lap top.   Esmeraude walked at his side, looking very different from the Esmeraude he knew.   The dyed hair was only part of it.
    She was wearing well-fitted jeans and a pale green blouse that was so sheer that she had put a spagetti-strapped camisole underneath it.   Silver jewelery hung from her neck, ears and wrist, and her pale hands were without gloves.      Above all, though, was that her "come hither" walk had been toned down to a slightly less-provacative sway.    She had left the fan behind, and Saffir suddenly remembered a time when they had actually gotten along- a time that was before Demando had ascended the Pellucid Throne of Nemesis.
    "We're not going to have any of the same classes," Esmeraude hissed at him before waltzing off with a smile on her face.   She was SO relieved to be getting rid of him.
    Saffir watched her leave, trying to decide if he even recognized her anymore.   Then he shrugged and started off towards his first class.   He was going to be here for a short time; he might as well enjoy it.   He'd always wanted to live on Earth, after all.   The world that held the flowers of his dreams....
    Esmeraude walked carefully towards her class, missing her high heels.    However, she had noticed that most Terran men seemed to be intimidated by tall woman, so was taking no chances with her ability to attract her victim.  Still, it felt decidedly odd not to be attracting outright stares of lust.   Men still admired her, but in a less obvious fashion, sneaking approving glances every now and then.   To her surprise, she decided she liked it.
    Her first class was basic biology, a prerequisite for every pre-med major.   She made a point of stepping in just as the bell was ringing, posing thoughtlessly in the doorway for a second to offer the professor her apology, which gave everyone in the class a good chance of looking her over.
    "Gomen nasai, sensei," she said.   "I just transferred, and I fear I had a slight difficulty finding the classroom," she said, bowing slightly at the waist.
    The professor, a man who was starting to run to fat at forty, wasn't immune to her obvious charms.   "It's not a problem this time.   Please do not make a habit of it," he said.
    She gave him a dazzling smile and walked forward, sliding into a chair in the front of the room.   She crossed her legs and started to take careful notes, ignoring the eyes that were on her.   Taking careful notes, she pretended to be interested in the lecture.
    Fifteen minutes before the end of class, the professor called a halt to the proceedings, pulling out a hat.   "I know not all of you are thrilled to be here, but I have a method of making sure you study.   I'm going to pair you up with study partners for the semesters, and the grade your partner recieves will reflect on your own... quite heavily, I may add.   Just so this is fair, I've already placed slips with your names on it and I'll be drawing it out of a hat.  After I call your names, find some seats together so you can decide on a strategy."
    This was just too perfect! Esmeraude thought, then her native sense of suspicion kicked in.   It seemed too ideal, and life on Nemesis had taught her that things were never what they seemed.    Still, she would be a fool to resist this opportunity.   Narrowing her eyes, she focused a little bit of magic to mess with the laws of probability.
    "Chika Ezura and Chiba Mamoru!" the professor called, and they rose to their feet to find some seats in the back to discuss study arrangements.
    For the first time, Esmeraude got a good look at the future Neo King.   He had eyes that were as brilliant a blue as Saffir's, and his build was almost (but not quite, to her mind) as attractive as her Demando-sama's.   His hair was a silky black that was just a touch too long, but all in all, he was a gogeous package.   She could see why Serenity was in love with him, and it made her task a little less unpalatable.
    They sat together in the rearmost seats, and she could hear some whispered comments among the other students.   The other students were rather jealous, and she realized that they must make a beautiful couple.   Still, Endymion -Mamoru as he was known now- was rather a cold fish towards other women, so she knew that moving carefully would be the best way to go.   There was no way that she would throw herself at his feet.
    She held a hand out in a business-like fashion.  "Chika Ezura," she said.   "I'm from Kyoto."
    He shook her hand with careful strength, not feeling the need to test her grip the way some men would have.   "Chiba Mamoru, from Tokyo,"    he said in a cool voice.   "I assume that you'll be wanting to meet to study?" he said in a resigned voice.
    She looked at him with  feigned shyness.   "Hai... maybe every other day?   I'm not that good at memorizing phylum," she said, a smile tracing her lips.  "I would have to insist that it would be either at my appartment so I can have my roommate there, or at the library," she said.
    She watched some barely noticible stress lines around his eyes relax as he recognized that she wasn't going to be all over him, which was what he was used to.   "We could meet at your house- you said you have a roommate?"
    She nodded, for once glad of Saffir's presense.   "Yes.   He's an old family friend."
    "He?" Mamoru asked, quirking an inquiring eyebrow.  "I'm sure your boyfriend won't like having a stranger around."
    She laughed, and it was a natural laugh, something she had forgotten in the dark reaches of her life.   The very idea of her and Saffir actually getting involved was enough to send her into fits of giggles, except she didn't giggle.   Giggling was too cute-sy.   "No, Satoshi and I, I mean," she managed to squeeze out, before falling into more laughter.   She was attracting stares from the other students who were obviously wondering what they were up to.   Getting a grip on herself, she calmed down enough to reply in level tones, "Satoshi and I can barely stand each other- we're only living together because of our circumstances."
    Mamoru nodded slightly.   "Well, then, I'll meet you at your appartment.   Is tonight a good night for you, or do you need to clear your schedule?"
    "Tonight is fine.   Satoshi and I usually eat around seven, so come around eight.   That'll give us time to clean up."
    Mamoru smiled and she wrote her address down on a piece of paper in an elegant script, handing it to him.   Rising to his feet, he bid her farewell, obviously relieved that she wasn't going to be throwing herself at him.
    Esmeraude had realized that her usual tactics wouldn't work from reading about the Neo King and his cold-fish tendencies, and had adapted her style before even meeting him.    Friendship first, then something more.    She was undeniably the prettiest woman on campus, and it would be inevitable that he would fall all over her once he got to know her.
    She collected her books and headed to her next class, which was Chemistry.  Chemistry was not her subject- never had been.   She wasn't good with numbers, and sometimes logic defeated her.   She had always been an intuitive person- go from a to c while skipping b, as Saffir had said once.  Still, she knew that the thoroughness of her disguise depended on taking the entire spectrum of courses.   She wasn't about to let her plans go to hell just because she couldn't be bothered with a class.
    She entered the class, ready to suffer, when her eyes caught on someone sitting in the second row.       Without concious thought, she slid into the available seat beside the young man.   Under the guise of shifting through her bag for supplies, she leaned over to hiss, "What the hell are you doing here, Saffir?"
    "Classes got switched, Ezzy-chan.   And it's Satoshi, remember?"
    She scowled at him.   "Fine.   Just don't get in my way."  With that, she turned her attention back to the professor, who was beginning a lecture of the wonder of moles.

END PART ONE

Quicksilver
Lady of the Labyrinth: http://www.homestead.com/quicksilverslabyrinth
Fyfic no Miko: http://fyfic.homestead.com/files/fyfic.html
Renaissance no Senkakusha: http://fyepic.homestead.com
"I'm a history book you never could write; poetry in paralisis, too deep to recite."

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