That's better, much better. Thank you, loyal reviewers. I am pleased by your work. Just kidding, but thanks. : So fire is sort of a narrator for the first chapter. I know, you'll be sad not to see much of it for a while, but it'll be back soon. I promise, darlings. Here we go:
Heart's Desire
-Ki Ai Sky-
Fire's Feelings
Rei couldn't believe her ears and eyes as she studied fire's tale. Something was coming that would destroy the planet, and some ones were coming to try to save them. She sat there in front of the Sacred Fire that she worshiped daily. She treated the fire with great respect, and it helped her. For some reason, she had never been burned by a flame in her entire life. She felt so attached to her element, closer than most of the other Senshi. Being in the Temple made her more comfortable and helped her and her fellow warriors.
She shook her head, blinking her eyes. This was worse than anything they'd ever faired before, even worse than two years ago when they'd battled against Galaxia and Chaos. She watched the Earth become covered with a dark matter that swallowed everything and ended it like acid on anything. It was all swallowed. She gained a further view and saw that the Earth, at the point she'd seen, was only half of what it was. She then, with the vision back on the planet, saw four silhouettes of men appear, walking towards her and the Senshi that were around her.
She stared blankly into the fire, looking at the images that appeared to her. They vanished and she listened to the hiss of the fire as it told her its prophecy. The words were spoken softly, straight into her ears even though she was a few feet from the flame. The ashes glowed brightly and the flames kept tall and ablaze with life. Her vision ended, leaving her awestruck.
"Mistress, I have brought to you, someone old, borne anew.
You inner fire wishes to ignite, with a former lover before the plight."
Rei was confused by what the fire told her this time. 'A former lover'? She couldn't recall anyone who she'd have considered a lover. Mamoru belonged to Usagi, and that was meant to be. She never loved him like that anyways; they were close friends now who fought the same battles on the same side. Her heart had been alone for some time now, but that was okay. She fought with the Senshi, aided to the Shrine and her grandfather, and went to college.
She stared into the fire, awed by what she saw next. Slowly, an image of a man appeared in it. His features became more distinct. If Rei didn't know any better, she would have thought he was in the Sacred Fire. He was moving, blinking, his hands held out. He was staring straight at her with his stormy blue eyes gazing into hers with a confused expression. His pink lips parted, as if he were to speak. Rei had a hard time believing that she was staring at a fire-vision and not a real person. She moved closer to the fire, to stare at the man closer. Her face was mere centimeters from the warm flames. He was handsome, with his blonde hair and stormy eyes. His face was strong and delicate at the same time.
He lifted his hand, as if he could really see her, when she was almost certain. He lifted is hand as if to reach out and touch her. His hand left the flames and touched Rei's face.
"Rei…" he whispered, eyes wide and full of emotion. She stood, shocked. He was real, and not just a vision. Better, why was he in the Sacred Fire and alive, nonetheless? He looked so familiar, like she'd seen him sometime ago. "My Firebird," he said stepping out of the fire, putting the palm of his right hand on her cheek and the other on her neck.
"Jadeite?" she gasped, recognizing the blonde-haired boy. Her head was rushing with emotions, those of anger and sadness and love. Her eyes were wide with shock. "What are you doing here? Why are you alive again?" She was so confused, the man she'd fought to his death, fought again, centuries later, and then lost was here in the Shrine.
"I have come back to you, Firebird," he said softly. His face was in front of hers, only centimeters away from hers. He didn't understand what she meant by alive again. "I don't know what you mean, but I have returned for you. Nothing could keep me away."
Rei pulled away from his grasp. She held her hands against her chest, startled. "You, you attacked me. You helped end the Silver Millennium. You came back and fought us again. You tried to steal the Silver Crystal," she hissed. Her temper flared, enraged by the return of her 'former lover'.
Jadeite's jaw dropped, shocked by her accusations and her anger. She was practically steaming with rage. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. He hadn't the slightest clue what his beloved was talking about, why she was so furious with him. He wondered. He reached out toward her hands with one hand, trying to comfort her and make her understand that he would never consciously hurt her.
"You betrayed me!" she hissed, slapping his hand away with disgust. She couldn't believe that he dared to even try to touch her after all he'd put her through. She was torn between loving and loathing. She loved him still; she always would as much as ever. They'd made a promise that they would be together once more. She loathed him, for betraying her, for nearly killing her, and for what he was doing now. How could he not remember doing what he had?
"I would never!" he shouted back, getting angry. He didn't understand how she could be so angry with him, how she could feel that way. He softened his tone, his anger beginning to ebb as he realized he would never win the battle that way. "I would never hurt you. I would give my life to protect you from harm. I would never hurt you, not even if it would cost me my life."
"But you did! You and the Shitennou destroyed us. But not me, I lived only long enough to be killed by Beryl," she continued. Her eyes blazed with hate though they were violet. "How can you not remember something like that?" She was now so confused. That was something that no one could forget.
"I don't know! I don't know why you would think that?" Jadeite was growing more desperate for forgiveness. He was a soldier and would not cry, but he could feel the grief welling up inside of him. The only person he'd ever loved didn't love him and hated him. Tears began to build on the brim of his eyes. He struggled to hold them in, but he couldn't fight that. They fell onto his red cheeks.
Rei was heart-struck. The tears that fell from the man's eyes hurt her. She had never thought that she would ever see him cry. He was one of the tougher Shitennou, but she didn't know how delicate he was. She couldn't help herself from going over to her him and embracing him. She put her arms under his, which were at his sides loosely, and wrapped them around him. She felt his arms tighten around her and pull her close enough that her head rested on his strong, muscular chest. She looked up at his tear streamed face; his stormy eyes were now lined with red.
She leaned her red lips towards his pink ones slowly, uncertain if what she was doing was the right thing or not. She pressed hers against his, and the searing began. At first all Jadeite could feel were the warmth of her lips, but then the warmth became burning, like her fire red lips were the fire itself. Then there was more.
It hurt, more than anything else. All the memories began to seep into his head with agony. He could feel everything: the fire arrow piercing his skin, the passion of her lips, the blood flooding his lungs. He remembered it all now; everything she'd said was true. He'd betrayed her. But Rei now was able to see his side; he was tricked by the leper's words. If he hadn't have killed her, she would have. But little did he know that she would have anyways. Jadeite now understood why she hated him with her entire being; Rei now understood why he tried to kill her.
The kiss was long, over a few minutes. It was long enough for each of them to remember and relive parts of their former lives. They only got glimpses of the second time Jadeite and the Shitennou were put under Beryl's, only enough for Jadeite to remember what they'd done. When they broke, they were gasping for air, barely having been able to breathe. It was clear now.
"You did and do love me," Rei whispered at the same time Jadeite said, "It's my entire fault. You hate me." They both heard each other's words. Their faces were opposites of each other now. Rei's face was loving, and Jadeite's face was forlorn.
"Firebird, you're right. You should hate me. I would hate me," he sighed, sadly. She had every right to want him dead and out of her sight.
"Hate you? Sure, you get under my skin, but I love you. That leper told you she would kill me, but you didn't know she would twist everything around. Because of that, I love you more. Can you forgive me?" Rei asked, hopefully. He had few reasons not to, but she couldn't be sure. She looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes.
"For what?" he asked, bemused by her sexy expression. He felt amazingly better, now that he knew that Rei loved him once more. She didn't hate him. He didn't understand how she could ever ask him for forgiveness.
"For killing you," she answered with a blank face. There was nothing that seemed appropriate to say.
"It was kill or be killed. But I'm glad you killed me," he said, poking her nose with his index finger. He cracked a cocky smile. "Like I said, I'm still not finished with you yet." He made some sort of growling noise deep within his chest that Rei felt.
"Hah, we're in a temple you pervert," she slapped him lightly on the chest. She knew that her grandfather was lurking around somewhere, just waiting to come in and bust them at the wrong moment. She had other thoughts on her mind. "I want a ring on my finger before I give you anything like that."
Jadeite gave her a false frown, but he knew that she had certain morals to uphold. It was just like Martian women to make a man work for something they held to precious. "I see. Well, we'll have to see what I can do about that." Rei's eyes grew wide. Jadeite had just promised to marry her.
"We'll see," she nodded before giving him a brief kiss that still burned him with pleasure. She had a few other thoughts for him. "Are you- I mean- are the other Shitennou back as well?" If Jadeite returned to Rei, would Minako, Ami, and Makoto find their lovers and killers as well?
"Yes. We have yet to understand why, but we are." A thought came to his mind. "We need to find them and explain. They'll think exactly what you did. I also need to find the Prince," Jadeite explained his thinking. They had to hurry before they were at each other's throats.
"Oh shit, you're right," Rei said, snapping out of her wedding fantasies. They would fight the Shitennou unless they knew the truth. They didn't have the Sacred Fire on their side to clear things up. "But, you can't go out onto the streets like that. We have to get you some clothes that will help you blend in. Follow me."
Rei led Jadeite by the hand, hoping that none would see towards Yuuichirou's old room. He had left looking for work after the Shrine didn't need his aid. He'd left a few of his belongings behind because he couldn't take everything with him. Rei dug through the drawers, looking for his old uniform. She found it, and then was stuck.
"I don't know what to do. Do you transform to your battle wear or do you put it on?" she asked her blonde lover. She hadn't known him long in their former lives, so she didn't know. If he transformed, how did he do it, how did he undo it, and was he wearing anything after he undid it?
"Well, we could summon out battle gear whenever we found need for it by just manifesting our energy. We got rid out it by making some hand signs," he said trying to remember, while putting his hands in different positions. His armor and suiting glowed and seemed to pull off of him and into nothing. He stood in front of Rei completely naked.
"Cover yourself, Jadeite," she complained, turning away immediately. She didn't want to see him naked. But, from what she saw, he was quite good-looking and muscular, even underneath the armor.
"Alright," he said, taking the blue and white uniform from Rei's hands. He put it on slowly, surprised to find that it fit okay, but was a little small in certain areas. "You can look now Rei," he smiled. Such manners she had.
Rei turned to her lover, pleased to see him in clothing, and at the same time not. She walked up to him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Good boy," she grinned. "Let's go get them," she took his hand and headed towards the exit.
"Rei…" they heard Grandpa calling nearby, perhaps around the corner. Rei cursed under her breath. How could she explain Jadeite to him without sending him to an emergency room for heart attack? She didn't have time to react when Grandpa rounded the corner and was a few feet away from the pair, staring suspiciously at Jadeite. "Who is this? Why is he wearing our uniform?"
"Hello, sir, I am Jade-" he paused, trying to think of a name, "Jaden. I've come to work at the temple," he explained. He had no idea what he was saying, knowing he was lying to an elder.
"I asked him to Grandpa. We needed help, because you're getting old. I know you would work everyday, but I don't want you to strain yourself," she kissed up, knowing just what to say to please the old man.
"You care too much about me Rei. I'm not dead yet. You need to find yourself a good man to marry so that I can train him to be the next one to inherit the Shrine," he scolded.
"I'll get to work on that right away, Grandpa," Rei said, glancing quickly at Jadeite- Jaden. He, himself, carried a wide grin with shinning white teeth. Rei rolled her eyes at his cockiness. "We have to head out to, um, get some supplies for Jaden's new room."
"Goodbye, Grandpa," Jaden called as he followed Rei down the hall.
"I'm not your Grandpa!" the old man yelled back. But they couldn't hear him because they were already down the block, running as fast as they could to find Usagi, the Senshi, Mamoru, and hopefully the Shitennou.
Thanks for reading, please review. I know this one's kind of short, but I ran out of ideas and didn't want to drag it on any more than I already had. I know my characters had massive mood swings up there, but they're very moody. Rei has her temper and Jaden (Jadeite) is a little brat. Love you, REVIEW please!
-Ki