************************* A TOUCH OF EMOTION

By : Angel of Venus_l3

*************************

Chapter 1

"I'm never too far away…If we are reborn, I will find you and protect you again, princess… Aishiteru…zutto…I promise…"

The voice echoed in the grayish fog but she couldn't find anyone to whom the voice might belong. As soon as the voice faded, a figure began to form in front of her. The figure was clouded with thick fog but she could tell from the well built form that it was a man. She tried to make out his face but only managed to see his beautiful, forest green eyes. They were filled with emotions that seemed so familiar. What was that emotions? Love and happiness? Or pain and regrets? She tried to reach out to him, calling him as though he could hear her but he simply drifted away, slowly fading from her view and vanished into thin air.

Minako Aino woke up in a start. She was almost gasping for breath and her heart raced as she recalled back her dream. That voice…where have I heard it before? she wondered. And those eyes…the emerald green eyes were so familiar and yet she didn't have any recollection of seeing anyone with those pair of eyes or recognized that deep, fearless voice. His words sounded sincere and Minako found them very soothing.

"Mina?"

Minako almost gasped out loud but seeing it was only her cat guardian, Artemis, she instantly calmed down. Artemis hopped on the bed and sat on her lap.

"Are you okay?" he inquired softly. Minako smiled and pulled him closer to her.

"Yes," she murmured, stroking his fur gently. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"Bad dream?" he prompted in concern.

Minako hesitated. It wasn't exactly a bad dream since she found his promise appealing but it was sure confusing. However, it could just be another meaningless dream which she often had. The Senshi hadn't had any past life dreams in years ever since they had already found out things that they were suppose to know, such as about the war between Earth and the moon and other miscellaneous facts regarding their past loves. It would seem impossible if she started having dreams regarding her past life now….would it?

Minako's thoughts were broken as she felt Artemis's paw on her hand. "Mina, you haven't answer me for the past one minute," Artemis said, half jokingly.

"What's the matter? Did you have a nightmare?" Minako giggled lightly and pecked his head.

"Not really," she answered him with a smile. "Just another weird dream, I guess. No big deal."

Trowa Barton sighed as he peered out into the window and gaze at the beautiful sunrise. Streaks of yellow and orange filled the sky and birds were chirping merrily nearby. It's been awhile since he had enjoyed such a beautiful view. He didn't have any time to see the sunset or the sunrise during the war as his time was always occupied with battles and undercover missions.

The war…the sound of it almost made him shudder. He contemplated his thoughts with mix emotions. So many painful memories and yet there were still those precious times that he treasured. Especially those time which he'd spent with the other pilots. He had learnt a lot about trust and friendship ever since he had met them and never once regret that he had. They were now more like a family to him.

Since the war ended which was only a few weeks ago, Quatre had insisted that the five of them stayed at his new mansion on Earth. The rest agreed eventually since some of them had no where to go or any further plans what they were going to do now that the war was over. They tried to lead their life as normal as possible so they had agreed to go to school like any other teenage boys and get part-time jobs. Quatre was still maintaining his father's companies so he didn't need any extra job. Heero and Wufei were a full-time members of the Preventers Headquarter while the others were only part-time and Duo was still a full-time salvage dealer of used items. Trowa, too was still working at the circus but Catherine had insisted he take it as a part-time job, considering how he had school and another part-time job at the headquarter. The siblings had managed to convince their manager of Trowa's situation and came to the conclusion that Trowa will only work on weekend nights and certain weekdays only.

As soon as the sun had risen, Trowa grabbed his school books and sprinted downstairs. As usual, his friends weren't up yet considering they still had at least one hour before school starts. And there's approximately twenty more minutes before Duo began one of his morning wake up calls to either Wufei or Heero. Trowa quietly made himself a cup of coffee and took a sit at the table. He rarely had breakfast early in the morning unless it was at the café which his friends sometimes had to go to because of a certain pilot who had broke the stove.

Trowa stood up to put his empty mug in the sink until suddenly, he felt a jolt of electricity through his body. He gasped as his arms and legs froze. He barely realized that the mug he was holding fell on the floor and shattered into pieces. Suddenly, he felt darkness enveloped him and his eyes instantly squeezed shut. He drew in his breath in reflex to the sudden situation.

*Flashback*

Trowa saw a quick image of a girl sprawled lifelessly on the ground. Her clothes were soaked in blood and her pale skin was almost full with various wounds. A thin trail of blood from the side of her head made its way down her cheek and a small puddle of blood was forming underneath her body. Her long, blonde hair was slightly caked with mud and blood. He couldn't see her face clearly as it was dark but he knew she wasn't alive. The sudden realization felt so familiar to him and for a brief moment he felt a flicker of intense pain in his heart. But only for a brief moment.

*End flashback*

The vision vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. Trowa opened his eyes and tried to focus. His breathing became faster as his heart pounded furiously in his chest. He had never experience anything like that before and that thought almost sent shivers down his spine. What was that all about? he wondered silently to himself as his heart quicken its pace. He didn't remember ever seeing that girl in his life, he was sure of it. So why does she seemed so familiar? another part of his mind protested. And the brief feelings of pain and regrets ….why does he felt that since he doesn't even know her? She had obviously died because of the war, even though he wasn't quite sure of the surrounding. But was he the caused of the war or her death? Is that why he felt guilty? Or has he been studying too hard for school?

Unanswered questions pushed their way into his mind as he tried to form a single possibility of the purpose of his vision or whatever it was he had just seen. However, his thoughts were broken when he heard a sudden crash which was later followed by a loud curse and snickers.

"Maxwell!!!!!"

Suddenly Duo came running in, snickering and teasing Wufei endlessly. Wufei stormed in the kitchen in his dripping wet pajama and started chasing Duo who was running around Trowa like he was shield. Trowa just stood still as he was still dazed from his previous experience so it took him awhile to focus on the present situation.

"Maxwell!! That's the third time this week!! I told you if you ever do this again, I swear I will…." Wufei's loud bellow was immediately cut off by the braided pilot himself who was still being chased by the Chinese man.

"What? You'll cut my braid and shove it down my throat?" Duo challenged with a snicker. Wufei actually growled and he seemed so eager to make his threat real.

However before he could go any further to complete his task, Quatre and Heero who was still in his robe suddenly entered the kitchen and exclaimed, "Stop it, both of you!!"

At the sound of the 'Perfect Soldier's' irritated tone, the two boys instantly stopped their chase. Wufei was still glaring at Duo as the braided boy casually greeted Heero, "Hey, Hee-man, good morning! I didn't get a chance to wake you up today."

"Lucky you," Wufei muttered as he wiped his hair with a cloth. Heero scowled at Duo as he raked his disheveled hair and Quatre quickly intruded before Heero could reply, "Guys, let's just get ready for school, okay? We're going to be late if we're not out in half an hour. Right, Trowa? Trowa?"

Quatre frowned when Trowa didn't reply. He exchanged glances with his friends who looked puzzle as well. Trowa was still dazed and when Quatre tapped his shoulder lightly, the taller man almost gasped in surprise but still remained expressionless.

"Trowa, are you okay?" Quatre inquired, concern written on his face.

"Y-yeah," Trowa managed a reply. "I'm okay…"

"What happened?" Wufei asked which sounded more like a demand. "Did you just black out or something?"

"No…" Trowa asked, almost in uncertainty himself.

He then realized the shattered mug on the floor and quickly bent down to gather the broken pieces. He was still shocked at the sudden experience and tried to hide his trembling hands from his friends' view.

"I'm sorry, the mug just slipped out of my hand," he mumbled but loud and clear enough for his friends to hear. "I guess I'm still…tired from our project last night."

Duo slumped on the chair and frowned. "Geez, I thought I told you not to work that hard," he retorted. "After all, it's only a school project. One day your pressure will go up to your head and it looks to me, you're half way there." "Uh, Duo, those school projects will determine our grades this semester which we can't afford to fail because we hardly have any qualifications whatsoever to attend a good college," Quatre stated, briefly glancing at Duo before turning back to Trowa.

Trowa threw the broken pieces into the trashcan. He didn't want to start telling his friends about something that he wasn't sure of. To be exact, he figured it was none of their concern and he would rather settle his problem by himself, if that could be considered as one.

"Trowa, maybe we shouldn't have let you work on that project…." Quatre said.

"No, it's nothing. I just need a little rest, that's all."

Trowa's answer seemed to satisfy his friends. He decided not think about his vision and assumed he was just dreaming. Maybe I'm really tired, he decided, trying to shove the alien event off his mind.

Setsuna watched as the senshi chatted excitedly in the café from the outside window. Usagi and Mamoru were sharing a banana split together, both were laughing as she got the whip cream on her nose, Rei was obviously criticizing Usagi while her boyfriend, Chad grinned at her. Ami and Makoto were giggling at the scene with Greg and Ken while Minako managed a small smile. Setsuna could sense Minako's discomfort of the whole situation as she was the only odd one out without a boyfriend. That was because she had a personal background history which separated her from the others.

Setsuna knew Minako was cursed to never find love in her life and sadly, she knew the curse would prevail. Somehow, she figured that Minako knew from the start that the curse would remain forever but she still went on for dates and had a couple of boyfriends herself, though it obviously didn't last.

"How ironic," Setsuna remembered a time when Minako had said that. "Being the so-called Goddess of Love without being in love herself."

She could still remember how Minako had giggled at her own comment She took it quite well and didn't seem to care if she would die without feeling truly loved by anyone but Setsuna and the others knew Minako was still trying to accept the truth. Even though it had been almost four years since she was cursed by Ace, her former love who was also her enemy.

With a sigh, Setsuna slipped on her red shades and walked aimlessly along the sidewalk, her thoughts drifting towards the recent problem she had received. Lately, she felt a faint disturbance in the portal of time and knew that someone was tampering with it. However her attempts to resolve the problem were in vain as the source of energy was too faint to detect. All she could do now was monitored the other dimensions and portals so that no enemy would try to sneak in. She couldn't tell the Senshi about the current situation since she wasn't really sure how serious the problem was. But if the problem persisted, she knew she had to take some drastic actions that would eventually change a few things especially Minako's destiny.

Setsuna understood the consequences of breaking the rules but to ease Minako's pain and to guarantee that the peace would remain, she might need some help from someone in another world, although her next course of actions might changed the destinies of those two strangers, not to mention the danger she might put him in.

The Goddess of Love's past had always been a mystery to the blonde girl herself, even though she was the first one among the Senshi to get their memories back. However, weeks ago, Setsuna could sense Minako's past memories from her home planet reflecting in her dreams. Immediately Setsuna knew that no matter what happened, Minako's destiny would change anytime soon, though the outcome of the whole situation remained unknown, even to the Guardian of Time herself. But if given enough time and patience, Minako's curse would probably be broken provided they get their memories back before the enemy approached them in their own world.

Suddenly, Setsuna felt something unusual triggered her mind. She stopped her tracks and used her inner powers to focus on the faint energy. Her eyes widen in surprise and almost gasped as the realization hit her. She didn't know whether to dread the moment or felt relief for she didn't expect it to happen so soon. Too soon.

"He's awakening…" she murmured softly to herself.

He didn't know where he was or how did he get there but the ghastly scene ahead of him was all too familiar. He had been in the battlefield since forever and had seen various types of destructions caused by wars and this was obviously one of them. He couldn't tell where he was but he had faced these kind of situations numerous times, no matter where the places were.

The strong combination scent of blood and corpses stung his nostrils and he almost gagged. He had always hated war and these scene had explained all the possible reasons that he could and could not think of. Lifeless bodies of men, women and even children sprawled on the ground, some even laid in heaps. Their last moment of breath was written on their face, eyes wide open in fear and their mouth hung open in a silent scream for help or anguish. Their faces were contorted in pain and he had to look away. The place was half destroyed and everything was in complete mess. Curtains were torn, glasses were shattered, furniture was broken and he could even make out a large amount of blood splattered on the ground and some even on the walls and ceilings.

He wanted so much to leave this horrible place but his body refused to act on his will. Suddenly, he felt himself rushing forward. He was shocked for he had no control against his own body. From a distance, he could hear faint clangs of swords hitting against one another and excited cries breaking the silence of the night. The area grew darker as he made his way towards the unknown destination which his body seemed to know.

He tried to stop but his efforts were in vain. It felt as though something was forcing him to move and he couldn't do anything to fight it. Finally when he reached a certain room which he figured was also half destroyed, his body froze in spot. Ahead of him was a battle between two people which one of them he felt a sudden connection to. The room was dark and he could hardly see what was going on but somehow, he could tell what was happening. The clangs between the two swords had finally stopped and he could hear faint whispers from the two warriors. It was later followed by uncontrollable sobs. Judging from the feminine voice, he figured that one of them was a woman, even though he couldn't see the warriors. After a few minutes, the sobbing stopped and silence once again passed by.

He squinted his eyes, trying to get a better focus but the only thing he could make out was something gleaming in the darkness and it was later followed by cries of pain. The realization had instantly hit him and his heart began to race. The next thing he knew, he found himself running towards the unknown figure in the distance. He almost stumbled on a certain large object which he assumed was a broken chair but he just kept on going.

Before long, he felt himself cradling a fallen angel in his arms. From the moonlight which filtered through the shattered window, he could slightly make out her face. Despite the situation, he was amazed at her beauty which seemed to radiate even in the darkness. Her long blonde hair was soft and lifeless while her delicate skin was filled with battle wounds. Blood soaked her uniform and tiny drops of blood stained her cheek. As soon as he gaze at her, he was immediately flooded with emotions which were alien to him. Each feelings were intense than the other and his confusion was immediately overcome with pain and sorrow. Who could have done this to her? he wondered silently to himself, feeling burning anger rising inside but it was instantly replaced with guilt, despite his confusion towards the whole situation

His heart pounded furiously in his chest as he felt a sudden recognition towards her. He knew he had seen her before but he couldn't recall where or when. The girl slowly opened her eyes and he could tell that she was trying to bear the pain. When she tried to give him a smile, he felt his heart ached and his gaze softened. He didn't know why but he felt emotions building inside of him which threatened to burst if he continued to gaze at her.

Her blue eyes were dull and he could feel her pain just by looking in them. Somehow, he could tell those blue eyes were a beautiful shade of blue and used to sparkle with life. He tried to look away for it was hurting him deeply but he couldn't even blink, much less move. Seeing her face twisted in pain hurt him even deeper and he would do anything to ease her misery. However, when her breath began to slow, he knew she couldn't be saved.

Without even realizing it, he leaned forward and pressed his lips on hers. Surprisingly, he didn't seem at all shock at that moment, it was as though he knew that would happen. He could taste her blood in his mouth and felt his body pressing against hers. The sensation was all too familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time. Somewhere during the kiss, he felt her life slipping away and when he pulled back, she had her eyes closed and immediately hit with realization that she was gone.

For a moment there, he thought his heart had stopped beating and he just stared at her lifeless body in horror and shock. He didn't realize he was crying until he saw his warm tears fell on the girl's cheek, mixing with her blood. He was overwhelmed with pain, regrets and even fear, the mix feelings were so intense that it hurts. He suddenly let out a cry of rage as more tears streamed down his cheeks. The moment seemed to last for eternity and it took him quite awhile to stop crying over the girl.

"Princess…" he heard himself said, knowing well enough that he wasn't in control. "If we are reborn, I will find you and protect you again…princess. I promise…." He paused to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Aishiteru…zutto…"

Trowa woke up in a jerk and abruptly sat up. He felt his nightshirt stuck to his damp skin and he felt warm in spite of the chilly air. His heart was still racing in his chest. It took him a while to calm himself and another moment to recall back his dream. The dream seemed so vivid and familiar yet he didn't remember that event ever occurred before.

Sighing, he wiped his sweat from his neck and laid back on the bed. The girl in his vision earlier this morning was the same girl in his dream, he suddenly realized in shock. He tried to push her out off his mind but failing miserably at it as he was swarmed by questions of his current experiences on that very day.

The intense pain which he had felt earlier tugged his heart. He had never been so close to a girl before, let alone to kiss her and those words he said….Did I really said that? he wondered. He knew he wasn't in control of himself that time but those words felt so…right at that moment and surprisingly, he had expected those words to come out. Just like the kiss. 'If we are reborn again, I will find you and protect you again, princess…I promise…aishiteru…zutto…' the same sentence echoed in his mind over and over again but the words still doesn't make any sense to him. Sighing, he decided not to think of it anymore.

"It's just a dream, either that or my assignments has really gone up to my head…" he muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes.

Trowa tried to get back to sleep but his eyes were wide awake. He tossed and turned for almost an hour but sleep still hadn't claim him. Glancing at the alarm clock on his nightstand, he let out a groan as it was 5 o'clock in the morning and he was wide awake. He still had school the next day and he really need the rest since the pilots had been up the whole night last night at the headquarter, completing their back-logged reports and missions.

Figuring there was no point in his attempts to get back to sleep, he got up from bed and decided to revise back his studies which was actually pointless since he failed to concentrate when his mind kept drifting towards the vivid image of the girl to whom he called 'princess'.

Author's note: Thank you so much for those of you who had read, reviewed and even loved my story. I'm so sorry for some of you who expected this to be a Mina/Heero fic but it seems to me that there are a lot of those Mina/Quatre fics, Mina/Heero, Mina/Duo but seldom Mina/Trowa fic and so, I came up with this. If there's any suggestions, comments or even flames, please e-mail me at angelofvenus_l3@yahoo.com. Oh, yeah, and don't forget to review. I would really appreciate it. Thank you.