A.N.: I apologize for taking so long to get this up, but I've been having more issues with this chapter than anyone but my poor, abused beta (the brilliant and probably very-sick-of-me Magician) will ever realize. I'm still not wholly satisfied with it, but please remember why you read my stuff in the first place, and try not to flame me too badly! It'll pick up and get better soon, I hope.
Relevant Story Info: For those of you who don't know, this story is the sequel to my other fic, "Roommates." I guess it might not be 100 percent necessary for you to read the first fic, but I'd recommend it. For those of you who wish to try anyway, I've included a brief recap of the first story.
Oh, and Reader Responses for the final chapter of RM are at the bottom. Don't forget to look for your names!
Brief Recap of RM: Malachite moves in with Mina, a very odd girl with more secrets than he can even imagine. Though Mal thinks Mina is both certifiably crazy and irritating beyond belief, the two of them eventually start falling for each other. Soon enough, however, Mina's secrets—and her resurfacing memories of their past lives and past deaths—get in the way of their burgeoning relationship, and Mina takes off just as Mal starts getting a few clues into his own past. A millennial old enemy also chooses this time to resurface, and even as Malachite begins searching the world for the enigmatic love of his life, Mina is thrown into a desperate quest to save all she holds dear.
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"Soulmates"
By Venus Smurf
CHAPTER ONE: Hunter
She prowled through the darkness, through empty, dimly lit city streets. She moved swiftly, silently, and not even the sharpest eyes could have seen her go. Her slender body had merged into the shadows pooling between trees and buildings, completely disappearing in spite of the white and gold uniform she wore, in spite of the bright shine of her blonde hair. Her entire body was taut with anticipation, and her golden eyes darted back and forth, searching for something nobody else would ever see.
She felt as though she had always been part of the shadows, always alone, always the hunter. She could only dimly remember a time when she'd had friends, companions. She had always been this way, it seemed, though technically she would have needed only one hand to count the number of months that had passed since she'd come to this place, since she'd abandoned her loved ones for a fight she'd never wanted any part of herself. She wondered, often, if the time seemed as long to them as it had to her, and if she'd been gone long enough for them to forgive her for leaving at all.
A door opened, not far away, and she froze, listening intently to the footsteps that came from somewhere behind her. She forced herself not to turn around, not to do anything that might reveal her presence. Was this an enemy? She frowned, still listening, and then decided that it wasn't. Whoever this was, he or she was moving in the opposite direction, and so could be safely dismissed. Besides, her real enemy, she knew, was in one of the office buildings in front of her.
She sighed as she turned back to her original watch, keeping the sound soft enough that it wouldn't be heard. It was difficult, she decided absently, being both hunter and prey. She was always looking over her shoulder, now, watching for the ones she knew would come after her sooner or later, but at the same time, she was also trying to look ahead for the enemies she herself was hunting. It was tiring, to say the least, because while she normally would have relished the challenge, the price she'd paid even to be here was far too high to make this anything but a punishment.
The door from behind had long since slammed shut again, but she didn't allow herself to relax until after the footsteps of whoever had come out had faded away entirely. Satisfied that her initial assessment had been correct, she went back to her solitary watch. The minutes stretched out while she waited, as did the silence, and she found herself frowning with impatience. Was it even worthwhile, her being here? She didn't know. She might be wasting her time, with this. Then again, what else could she do? In all the months she'd been here, this was the first real lead she'd had. Her enemies had been quiet since she'd left Tokyo for London, though she assumed it was only because they were still gathering their forces, or perhaps because they didn't yet know where she was. They were staying hidden, as she was, and it had been sheer chance that she'd found this particular opponent at all. If he hadn't brushed by her on the sidewalk one morning, if she hadn't realized just what it was that she had encountered, she would still be running around the city, delving into the worst it had to offer as she tried to find any clues that might help her.
Another door opened, this time in the right building, and she tensed again, wondering if her enemy was finally going to make an appearance. She wished he would; she'd been tracking this one for a solid week now, and so far she had nothing to show for her efforts. He was still an enigma to her, for all that she'd been trailing behind him for so long. She didn't know what his motives were, didn't know what he was supposed to be accomplishing. He'd done nothing, in the last seven days, to indicate that he was anything but completely human. Only his gait gave him away, told her that she hadn't been wrong about him or about what he was. She'd learned, before she'd left her home, that her enemies did not walk with the steady tread of the humans, or with the lighter grace of her own kind. Their steps skipped and lurched, and were heavier than they should have been. A human might not have noticed the difference, but she did.
She noticed everything.
The door was still open, and while she had yet to see anyone come through, she tried to press herself deeper into the shadows. Her first impulse had been to jump out, attack this thing while she still had the element of surprise, but she forced herself to remain hidden, knowing that it was infinitely more important to wait and see if he would betray himself or his cause. So she stayed where she was, went against her own nature and did nothing. She simply frowned into the darkness, eyes narrowing as she tried to see the face of her enemy.
The light spilling out from the doorway changed as a man finally stepped through, and her normally full lips thinned with distaste. The man's back was to her as he pulled the door shut again and then slid a key into the lock, and while he was doing nothing out of the ordinary, he could not have hidden what he was. His body, if nothing else, gave him away; this man was a little too tall to be human, a little too thin. Even from here she could see that his body was gaunt, almost skeletal. Had he been human, he couldn't have been this thin and survived, and she wondered again why he seemed to think he could pass himself off as one.
The man—or whatever he was—had been standing in front of the doorway just long enough to make his hunter's impatience grow, but now he spun, pocketing his key and pivoting on one heel with a strange sort of lanky grace that did nothing at all to hide the unnaturalness of his body. Then, without so much as the briefest of glances into the darkness behind him, he turned and walked in the opposite direction. He didn't seem to suspect that he was being watched, didn't seem to notice the young woman now slipping from her shadows to follow him. He didn't notice anything, and that only made her more suspicious. How could he not know she was here? He might not be able to read her mind, but he should have sensed something of her presence.
She'd expected better. Her enemies were capable of so many things—reading minds, creating monsters out of nothing more than their own energy, living forever just by feeding on the darker emotions of others—that she'd automatically assumed their senses would be as above average as the rest of their abilities. They'd had time to perfect themselves, over the centuries, time to hone their sight and hearing until even the slight movement of air sweeping in and out of her lungs should have alerted them. And yet, as far as she could tell, their senses were nothing special, possibly only the equal of a typical human's. She was almost disappointed, at that, because if she'd had to give up her home and her loved ones for this, she would at least have liked her enemies to be a challenge.
Not that being at war with an unknown number of alien mind-leeches she couldn't even find wasn't a challenge…
She told herself that maybe she should just be grateful for the peace. Her months spent fruitlessly searching for this enemy might have been beyond frustrating, but at least she'd had time to think things through for herself. She'd had time to make plans, to make choices. She'd been able to reflect and regain her composure, and even if her thoughts hadn't been particularly pleasant, she should still be grateful for that.
Only she wasn't. Of course she wasn't.
It was late, far past the hour when any taxis or buses might be running, but the walk didn't seem to bother her prey. His pace was steady, even languid, and he still had not noticed the slender figure darting from shadow to shadow just a few feet behind him. She trailed in his wake for several blocks, a pit of doubt growing in her stomach. Something, she thought uneasily, was not right. She knew, by now, that this not-human had taken an apartment in the other direction of wherever it was he was now going. He should not have been traveling this way, at least not this late at night, when every business was already closed and every rational person in bed. What was he up to?
She saw the trap long before it actually came, though she was still a little annoyed with herself for not realizing what would happen even sooner than she did. The man still had not turned around or given any indication that he knew she was there, but then he suddenly ducked into an alleyway, one that, after so many months of prowling this city and committing every building and every street to memory, she knew perfectly well did not lead anywhere. There was nothing in that alleyway but dirty, crumpled cardboard boxes, a few years' worth of trash and possibly a few stray cats. There was nothing there for anyone, so why was this man turning, disappearing into this space between the two buildings?
"Oh, please," she muttered under her breath, keeping her words just as soft as her sigh had been. "Does he really think I'm that stupid? And what is it with these guys and alleyways?" She sighed again, briefly wondering if she should just turn and walk away, leave this confrontation for another night. She really didn't see any purpose in walking right into his trap—she assumed that was his reason for coming here—or in getting attacked by whatever followers he'd arranged to have waiting for her inside. Then again, she thought tiredly, if she was truly lucky, he might be planning to attack her himself. It was entirely possible that he was stupid enough to take her on alone…or maybe he was just arrogant enough to believe he could actually win. Either way, she could beat him into the ground and still be home before dawn.
And even if the fight wasn't as easy as all that, she mused, a spark of interest flaring in her golden eyes, it might still be fun. After an entire week of toddling along after him with nothing to show for herself, she was ready for a little action.
She was still grinning as she ducked into the alley after her prey, the fierce anticipation in her golden eyes and the sheer grace of her movements the only concessions to her own inhumanity. And yet, as she moved slowly, cautiously into the tight space her enemy had chosen for their fight, the grin faded, stifled by the heavy, more-than-slightly smelly atmosphere in this corridor. Something about this still didn't sit right with her, and besides, even she couldn't maintain any real enthusiasm in a place as disgusting as this, especially when she knew the one waiting for her didn't exactly want to become her new best friend.
The young woman moved deeper into the alley, treading carefully to avoid the less savory items currently rotting on the ground beneath her. She found herself deciding that while her enemy might or might not be very bright, he'd at least chosen his battlefield well. There was very little room for movement, in this alleyway, and that couldn't possibly be a good thing, even for someone used to fighting in all conditions, as she was. It was also much darker than she'd expected it to be. Her foe wouldn't be able to see her all that well, but the lack of light affected her, too. She would have to rely a little more on her other senses, even to find him, and the knowledge that she would essentially be fighting blind was not something she appreciated.
There was also the fact that this man was unknown to her, in so many ways, and she didn't know how he would come after her. She'd only ever fought three of his kind—and one of those hadn't really counted—so while she had some vague idea of what to expect, anything was possible. She sighed, what little willingness she'd retained draining away from her with that thought. Facing down a man she couldn't see with powers she didn't know how to counter was somehow not as appealing as she'd initially thought it would be. Was it too late to turn around and go home? She could take a nice hot bath, get to bed a little earlier than she usually did. Would that be so bad? Of course, the enemy was on to her now, so backing down wasn't really an option anymore. He'd be more careful, after tonight, and if she didn't fight him now, the past week really would be a completely wasted effort.
Not worth that, she thought, and continued walking.
Her eyes had adjusted a little already, but she still couldn't see properly, and she hated that, if for no other reason than that she couldn't always avoid stepping on the rotted whatever-it-was on the ground. Still, there was nothing she could do about either the lack of light or the gunk on her shoes, and she swallowed her irritation quickly enough. Soldiers, she knew, didn't complain about things they had absolutely no control over. There wouldn't be any point in it, and, in any case, this wasn't the time. She'd found him, now, her other senses picking up the slack left by her nearly useless eyes. She could hear him breathing, could hear the scrape of a foot against the cement as he shifted his weight in his impatience. She could feel his eyes on her, too, could feel the hot anger that must have been smoldering in his expression, and she knew she had to pay attention or she would quite literally be killed. She turned her head to the side, moving slowly enough that he wouldn't notice, scanning for anything else that might either help or hinder her. She found nothing.
At least he's alone, she thought a little sourly and more than a little sarcastically. I'll never get the smell of this garbage out of my hair, and I might just have to burn my shoes, but nobody can say I'm not lucky. It's proof of my good luck, that he's alone.
The slender blonde tilted her head from side to side again, still trying not to be obvious about it. She might not have thought very highly of her opponent, but her every nerve ending was on fire with awareness, her muscles tensed in anticipation of the attack even though the man hadn't yet moved. One hand reached carefully towards the sword at her waist, her fingers flexing in the space just above the hilt. She forced herself not to draw the weapon just yet, knowing it would only alert the enemy to the fact that she was expecting the fight that was to come, and her lips twisted into a tight frown.
The man was finally inching forward, his movements just as slow and cautious as her own had been. She could sense that his eyes were still trained on her, or at least on whatever outline of her he could see in spite of the darkness. She glanced at him, moving her eyes to him and back again quickly enough that he wouldn't notice, and then her frown intensified. She hadn't seen any weapons on the man, but she knew how little that really meant. Her last opponent had created a sort of giant acid monster using just his energy and a few choice words, and she really wasn't in the mood to deal with something like that again. That monster had almost defeated her, actually, and she still had the scars on her back from where it had struck her. She didn't need a repeat of that particular fight, and she certainly didn't need any more scars.
She bit her lip, eyes narrowing as she finally allowed her fingers to close on the hilt of her crystal sword. She pulled the weapon from its sheath, a few of her doubts instantly disappearing once the blade was safely in her hand. Her weapon was something she understood, and it gave her confidence, knowing she could always resort to purely physical violence if she had to. Decapitating her opponents, for instance, was something that had worked well in the past, even if it wasn't a tactic she liked to use, and this sword of hers was perfect for that.
The man's hearing might not have been what she'd expected, but he obviously hadn't missed the sound of her blade coming free, because he didn't wait any longer to attack. He leapt at her, moving a lot faster than any human could ever have, his hands outstretched as though he planned to wrap his fingers around her throat and simply choke the life from her. Of course, Mina was prepared for the swiftness of his strike, and she certainly had no intention of letting him get near enough to strangle her, so that hardly bothered her. She only frowned, waiting a fraction of a second for him to get a little closer, and then dropped to the ground and lashed out with her sword. She aimed for his knees, knowing perfectly well that he would see her counter-attack in time to dodge but also knowing it would throw him off balance and put him right where she wanted him.
The tactic worked perfectly. He saw the blade coming at him, and he jerked his body a little to the side, just enough that her weapon would miss his skin. And just as she'd planned, the movement took away some of his speed, some of his accuracy. He needed only a split second to recover, but that split second was all she needed to move in for a second blow. She sidestepped his attack, twisting her body around until she was almost behind him. Her eyes were surprisingly grim as she brought her sword arm up and then down again, twisting her wrist so the flat of the blade, rather than the edge, would meet his spine. It cracked against his back, enough force in the blow to send him sprawling to the ground. His forehead impacted the cement as his body collapsed, his head jerking back hard enough that she thought he might have broken his neck. At the very least, he was out cold.
Talk about disappointing. She wasn't even tired, after that, but he was already down. No challenge at all…
The young woman with the sword walked over to him, keeping her blade out in case he was only pretending to be unconscious and she had to chop off his head after all. Her eyes roved over his inert body, checking for signs of life, checking for injuries. She pulled back after only a moment, though, satisfied that the blow to his head had been enough to eliminate the threat but not to snap his neck. If she decided to let him wake up, she mused, he'd probably have the mother or all concussions. She hadn't killed him, but then she hadn't exactly been gentle, either, and the man was bound to be in pain.
She bit her lip, crouched down beside the man. Caution, of course, kept her a few inches away from his body, and it kept her sword stretched as a razor-edged barrier between them. "That," she said, no longer bothering to keep her voice down but remaining tensed in case the man defied all expectations and opened his eyes again, "was way too easy."
A soft chuckle echoed through the alleyway from behind her, and while it held no humor and so was not exactly a pleasing sound, it was familiar enough that the young woman didn't even bother to turn around. "They don't make enemies like they used to," the blonde murmured softly, speaking to the newcomer even though she hadn't lifted her eyes from her fallen opponent. "One swipe, Sets, and he was down." She frowned again, her sword arm now becoming so lax that the tip of the blade was trailing in the dirt. "This guy was either a real amateur, or I've attacked the wrong person. Why didn't he put up a better fight?"
The woman standing behind her was silent for a moment, considering. She didn't seem at all surprised to find this young woman in this place, didn't seem surprised to see the crystal sword in the girl's hand or the thin man sprawled at her feet. "Maybe he didn't know who you are, Mina," she finally said, "and he didn't think he needed to. He probably only attacked you because he knew you were following him, not because he realized you were a senshi."
The blonde girl—Mina—only shook her head, not quite buying that but also unable to think of a better explanation. "Maybe," she said, giving a noncommittal grunt. "That still doesn't explain why I beat him so easily. I expected more."
Mina shrugged, finally glancing over her shoulder to the woman standing patiently behind her. She was a tall woman, with a strong, beautiful face and an elegant bearing. Her expression, however, was stern, her berry-colored eyes completely empty of warmth. She gazed at Mina, one dark eyebrow arching in question. "What will you do with him?"
The blonde shrugged again, not at all concerned by the lack of friendliness. She knew Setsuna was as much Mina's friend as she could be anyone's, and she knew the taller woman was only hiding her real emotions out of habit alone. "I don't know," she replied. "I don't want to take him as a prisoner or anything like that, but I can't exactly kill him, either. At least," she amended, grinning suddenly, "I can't kill him yet, not until he's told me what I want to know." She paused, features twisting thoughtfully. "I guess I don't have much of a choice, Sets," she said. "We'll take him with us. Maybe he can tell us why he's here, or at least tell us something more about his people. He might even be useful."
The other woman cocked her head to one side, eyes pensive but still emotionless. "You know he won't give us anything willingly," she remarked quietly. "You might have to…persuade him, Mina. Can you do that?"
Mina nodded again, her own expression just as empty as her companion's and not revealing anything of her uneasiness. "I'll do what I have to, Sets," she said. "Don't I always?"
The other woman didn't reply.
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Reader Responses:
The Setra Prince: If it makes you feel any better, that cliffie kind of annoyed me, too. I hope you stay with me, though, because I always love hearing from you.
And, to answer, your question…well, I can't answer your question. Raye's little errand will be explained later, though.
Koosei: Can't tell you. It'd give away too much, I think. If you're really that antsy about it, though, I can tell you to go with your third hunch, that Serena is being fooled but still knows more than the others. Thanks for reading, and I hope you stick with me!
Lupita: Well, I'm just glad you reviewed at all. It's always nice to hear from people who like what I write!
JadesRose: I'm truly sorry about that. Maybe I should have put the names into alphabetical order or something, but that was just too daunting a task for little ol' me. Know, however, that I could never, ever, forget you. Your reviews mean too much to me, as does your opinion. I could never leave you out of anything.
I'm always glad to hear from you, and I hope you still want to read the sequel in spite of this not-so-great beginning. And, yes, your words always make perfect sense, which is why I value your opinion so much. You're a talented individual, you know, so anything you say to me can only encourage/help me.
You suggested that I read SM: Interrupted Ambitions, but I wasn't able to find it. Maybe I'm just stupid, but who is the author? I'll definitely check that and your own story out as soon as I have time.
Ocianne: I'm not complaining. I'm just glad you're able to read at all. It really does mean a lot to me.
I thank you for your comments. Yes, my story did tend to 'meander,' and I'm glad you care enough to point that out. I hope you maintain that honesty about my fic in the future, because frankly I need all the help I can get.
As for your comments about the other senshi, I can only say that this is not a fic oriented on anyone but Mal and Mina. The other senshi only get cameo roles in this fic, and I'm sorry if you don't like that. I don't mean to make them sound useless, really I don't. I'll try to stop that.
And you never ramble. Your opinion is valuable, to me, and I love hearing from you. Thanks for all the support you've given me!
Sailor V-Babe: Wow. Talk about encouragement! What would I ever do without you? Thank you for all the support you've given me. From someone as talented as yourself, the fact that you like what I write means more to me than you will ever know.
Tema Krempley: A bestseller? Wow. That's one of the best compliments I've ever been given! You're so sweet!
And I thank you for the comments. If it makes you feel any better, I've never yet written a fic that didn't have a happy ending. Thanks for reviewing!
Adyen: Yes, there is a need to thank you. You've been a wonderful source of support for me, and I always loved hearing from you. Everything you say is so intelligent and insightful, and that just makes your comments mean that much more to me. I hope to keep hearing from you, because your reviews always make my day.
Hey, if you can tell me how to link my story onto my emails, I'll do it. I'm just a little too computer illiterate and haven't figured out how yet. Any ideas?
Sassy-Chan: Well, you didn't review on the actual story, but you've let me know what you think in your emails to me, so I'm gonna count that. I thank you, Sass, for your support and encouragement and blind devotion. You're a wonderful friend, and I always loved hearing from you.