A Moment In Time 
 A Moment In Time
 ----------------


 Written by Kamenoko

 Edited by Kenobi and Adam Jones



Running away, I turn for one last look back. There she stands, in a
pool of light, transfixed, as if she were set in stone the moment we
parted. If only she'd realize how I feel... If I could only tell
her... Then, all of a sudden, she shakes her head as if to banish some
errant thought, or perhaps merely chill of the air. The moment passes.

I turn and walk away.

 ***

Night descends on Tokyo, the heavens a shimmering montage of beautiful
paintings, each one a different tale to tell. I find myself standing
alone on Rei-chan's balcony, mere meters away from her bed. I walk 
slowly towards the wooden doors, the last barrier between me and my 
love. Opening them without delay I step inside. I can see the outline
of Rei's body, barely visible in the light of darkness. 

The warm air welcomes me, such a wonderful change from the cold outside.
Nevertheless, I can't seem to stop shivering. I can hear her breathing
now, a delicate symphony of sighs. The thought of anyone else hearing it
brings a terrifying stab of jealousy.

What am I doing here? I've never done anything like like this
before... I've never felt anything like this before. What am I going to
do? A part of me longs to shake her awake, to hold her in my arms and
tell her a thousand times how much she means to me... but I can't. I'm
not sure I even have the strength to move anymore.

Suddenly there's movement from the bed, and Rei bolts upright, tears in
her eyes. My heart pounds in my ears. Does she know? It seems as
though everyone in the temple must hear it.

Moments pass... nothing moves, the sound of Rei's breathing filling the
room. She begins to sob quietly, her head cradled in her beautiful
hands. The sound feels like a blade of ice driven into my heart, and
I can't help but cry.

I've got to leave... I've intruded too much.

"Who's there?" a shaky voice asks, and suddenly I'm frozen in place for
the second time in less than a minute.

"Who's there?" she asks again, her voice becoming stronger by the
syllable. Firelight bursts before my eyes, and I have to squint
painfully in the glare.

"Minako!" she exclaims, "What are you doing here?"

As I open my eyes I'm blessed with a vision of Rei getting out of bed,
clad only in undergarments. She hurriedly puts on a kimono, cinching
the strap tight about her waist. Her eyes meet mine, a mixture of
confusion and impatience. Oh gods... what can I possibly tell her?
'Oh, sorry Rei, just here because I'm desperately in love with you,
 and I couldn't stand another moment without being near you.'

I try to speak, but the words refuse to come.

"Is there something wrong? Is someone in trouble? What are you doing
 here? Why didn't you call, or wake me up? Answer me!" Rei says, her
anger growing rapidly.

This is wrong... so wrong...

My mind races, desperate for a way out; I come up blank.

Obviously fed up with my lack of reply, she begins walking towards me.
Instinctively I take a few steps backwards, until my back is against the
cold wood of the doors. She covers the distance quickly, her face
inches from my own.

I can see the anger burning in her eyes... and I turn frantically away,
unable even to look at her.

"What are you doing here?" she repeats for a third time, stressing each
word, making no attempt to hide the anger in her voice. I can feel the
tears begin to form in my eyes. I've never felt so trapped or helpless
in my life.

Rei doesn't take kindly to my silence. Grasping my chin in her hand,
she forces me to meet her gaze.

"Look at me Mina-chan," she says, tempering her voice somewhat.
"Tell me what's wrong."

Opening my eyes, I can feel a tear escape... and then another.

Rei steps back quickly, shock written on all over her face. My legs
refuse to support my weight as I slide down the door, and I end up
huddled against it, chin resting against my knees. Covering my
eyes with my hands, I begin to sob quietly. This is all so terribly
wrong...

Warm hands gently grasp my wrists, guiding them to my knees. Her
beautiful violet eyes seem to fill my world, fear and concern plain to
see. I can feel myself drawn helplessly in... sinking, drifting
endlessly down beneath warm, dark waters.

Perhaps I can tell her. There's nothing else to hold on to.

I clear my throat, choking slightly on a lingering sob.
"I love you Rei-chan" I tell her, my voice barely a whisper.

"You what?" she asks, her voice almost screaming in shock and disbelief.

"I love you." The words seem to have a life of their own, a desperate
plea for absolution.

She turns away.

My heart shatters.

Somehow I force myself to stand, barely noticing the tears streaming
down my cheeks.

"You're kidding, right?" She walks away, her voice shaking.

The next few steps seem borne of some strength I pray I may never have
again... Closing the distance, I put my hand on her shoulder and tell
her one last time, my voice cracked and broken.

"No I'm not... I love you Rei... I--" I can barely go on, my newfound
strength fading. "I don't know why... and I'm scared..."

"No..." she laments softly, turning to face me, her hair settling dully on her 
her shoulder. "This isn't right. I... We're not supposed to feel this
way. It's not right... It's not..." she hesitates for a moment, her
eyes closed tightly, "...right." she says, her voice barely a whisper.

She begins to back away, tears brimming in her beautiful eyes, every one
a silent accusation.

I step forward, one hand reaching desperately towards her face. She
backs away, the terrible fear in her eyes almost physically painful.
One more step, and she stumbles over the edge of the bed, collapsing to
the soft sheets with a shuddering cry.

Kneeling down beside her, I try to capture her gaze, lifting her face
towards me. The warm skin beneath my fingers seems like some exquisite,
fragile dream. Tearful eyes meet my own, and it's all I can do to
breathe.

"What's so wrong about it?", I ask her, the words I've been longing to
say flooding suddenly back to my lips. "If you love someone, why should
it matter who they are?"

She lies motionless, her eyes looking somewhere far away. She has the
same look on her face as she did on the steps earlier today, and my
heart aches at the memory.

"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of what people will think?
I don't care what they say... I just want you with me."

Still she says nothing.

"Why were you crying?" I ask softly.

In her eyes, I see the truth, and my heart sings at the thought. But
then the tears return, and sobs wrack her body once more. I put my arms
around her, and she offers no resistance, resting her head on my
shoulder. Her breath is so wonderfully warm on my skin, cold tears
soaking slowly through the fabric of my dress.

Moments stretch into minutes, her pain tearing at my soul. I've never
felt so helpless... all I can do is sit there waiting, my fingers
drifting through the silken darkness of her hair.

Eventually she draws a long, shuddering breath, lifting her head to
stare sadly into my eyes. Her eyes are swollen and red, the tracks of
her tears drying slowly on her skin. It's all I can do to not reach out
and smooth out those tears. She has never looked more beautiful.

"I love you too, Minako" she whispers, a small smile peaking through.
Never have I seen such a beautiful smile. 

I kiss her softly, and it is everything I've ever dreamed it might be.