Chapter 11 - Immortality
Rei woke again and sat up in her bed only to find Jedite sitting beside her, his back to the door.
"Not long now my love," Jedite said softly smiling reaching out to caress her face but Rei turned away from him pushing his hands away.
"Don't touch me!" she spat at him in disgust and Jedite's look of adoration faded to one of fury.
"You are mine, you always have been and always will be," Jedite retorted cruelly looking at her crown and Rei felt herself turn and respond to him smiling.
"Your pathetic," she said through her smile but Jedite ignored her pulling her close for a kiss. Rei was powerless to pull away and all she could do was close her eyes and pretend she was elsewhere, pretend that it was Heero who kisses her.
'Heero, where are you?' she asked herself silently, willing him to save her.
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When Heero burst through the door and saw Rei in the arms of another man, all he saw was red. So great was his fury he couldn't think or aim straight. He pulled out his gun and fired three shots in Jedite's direction. Two of the bullets found their mark, one shot hit Jedite's arm and the other grazed by his cheek and Jedite cried out in pain turning to glare at Heero, before turning back to Rei and his face collapsed with devastation.
"What have you done Heero?" Jedite cried out before disappearing, teleporting out of the room.
Heero breathed deeply to control his emotions, sheathing his gun and turning his back on Rei, too angry to even look at her.
"Let's go," he said not bothering to look at her as he walked towards the door, but when he didn't hear her moving he turned around to look at her and his heart stopped.
One of his bullets had embedded itself in her crown, effectively freeing her from Jedite's control, not that Heero knew that, and one of his other bullets had buried itself deep in her chest. Blood was gushing from the wound just above her left breast. Heero didn't want to believe that he had killed her as he ran to the bed and pressed his fingers against her neck to feel for a pulse. Nothing. It didn't click immediately for Heero to realise she was dead and when it hit him, there was no way he could have stopped the silent tears that were running down his face, no matter how much he wanted to appear strong and unfeeling.
"Rei, Rei I'm sorry," Heero said softly burying his face in her neck, his hand finding her cold one.
"Phew, that was quite a work out," Makoto commented strolling into the room where Heero and Rei were dusting her hands off smugly and Serenity followed, drenched in slime.
"Its all fun and games until I get covered in slime," she commented grumpily looking down at her once beautiful dress with sadness. The maids would have a fit when they saw the state of her attire. They prided themselves so much on dressing her to perfection.
Wufei and Trowa entered next but froze in the doorway when they saw the scene before them. They saw the gunshot wound, and they saw Heero's tears. They couldn't only remember him looking this emotional one time before, when Rei had died the first time. Minako bumped into the back of them and fell onto her backside.
"Oww, what is the hold up?" Minako demanded and Ami and Quatre helped her to her feet.
"Its Rei, she's dead," Wufei said tightly, the words choking in his throat and Serenity cocked her head to one side confused.
"So what?" she asked and Wufei, Trowa and Quatre all looked at her in amazement, not comprehending how she could be so dense when her best friend was lying dead before her.
"Rei is dead Serenity," Quatre said slowly as though he were talking to a child and Ami stepped forward looking apprehensive.
"I guess now is as best a time as any to tell you," Ami revealed and the three men breathed in deeply wondering what could be so important and Ami turned to Serenity for assistance and Serenity obliged.
"When your immortal, death only lasts a couple of minutes," she said offhandedly and Quatre's mouth dropped open.
"No way," Wufei said in disbelief looking to Mina who nodded her affirmation and he turned back to Heero and Rei, still not quite convinced.
"Rei I love you, please don't die," Heero whispered and suddenly he felt Rei's body begin to warm. Pulling back, he was amazed to see her body engulfed in a red light and suddenly her body started to levitate. Everyone could feel it, the power in the room, and all stared, the senshi with respect and the guys with disbelief as the breath of life rushed into Rei's body and her chest rose as Rei awoke gasping for air. She fell back onto the bed and felt Heero's arms around her once more, and sighed with happiness.
"Heero…" she tried to speak, but her voice cracked and Heero cuddled her to his chest tight.
"Don't speak Rei, its ok," Heero tried to hush her but she wouldn't hear of it. She had to tell him what had happened, to explain herself.
"No, I have to tell you," Rei persisted and Heero knew better than to argue and so pulled back to listen, "the crown, Jedite kept me under his control using the crown, he forced me to kiss him because he knew that you would see, I didn't want to, I'm sorry Heero."
At her apology Heero buried his head in shame. How strange it was that she was apologising for something she couldn't control when Heero was the one who had nearly lost her for good.
"Rei, you need not apologise, I should apolo…" Heero started to say but Rei pressed her finger to his lips effectively silencing him.
Heero pulled her close and kissed her tenderly and Makoto gave a little wolf whistle for which Trowa scolded her for.
"Well hurray for happy endings and all that but we have got to get out of here," Minako interrupted the scene and Heero immediately swung Rei up into his arms nodding.
Serenity and Chibi-Usa took out their crystals as everyone gathered around them and transported everyone back into the throne room.
As soon as they appeared back in the palace, Jobez excused himself to return to his squadron and Minako went and hugged Keira tenderly before looking her in the eye.
"Keira, I want you to go straight to your room, and I want you to stay there no matter what ok?" Minako asked her daughter who frowned.
"But why?"
"No questions, just promise me you will stay there," Minako persisted and Keira glared at her mother.
"I promise mom, but I'm not a child, you can be honest with me," Keira tried to tell her and Minako smiled gently.
"Its ok baby, you'll be safe," Minako said not offering anymore information and Keira rolled her eyes, spun on her heel and trudged up to her room. Minako then turned to Small Lady.
"Small Lady, will you please go with her?"
"But…" Rini tried to protest wanting to stay for the meeting.
"Please honey, its important, I'd feel a lot better if you two were together, I'd feel that you were both more safe," Minako said, looking pitifully at Rini.
"Mina has been through a lot Small Lady, please do as she says," Serenity said and Rini looked at the state of Minako's dress and face and her resistance caved.
"Ok," she said turning and running after Keira and the others all gathered around Minako curiously.
"What's up Mina? You're acting really strange," Makoto asked Minako frowning and Minako finally told them the secret she had been keeping.
"Jedite want's them, he told me he is after Keira and Small Lady."
"Yes he wants their powers, the powers of a senshi," Rei confirmed remembering that Jedite had told her this and Minako nodded going on her elaborate.
"He needs virgin senshi, he needs their blood so that he can absorb their powers, so he is going after Keira and Small Lady," MInako said looking at Rei, Makoto and Ami and all looked at each other and burst out laughing, while Serenity joined in clutching at her sides.
"How is this funny?" Wufei asked looking at the men, who all appeared as confused as he was. Weren't they worried about the two girls?
"Lets just say, the only virgins left out of all the senshi is Ami, Rei, me and Setsuna," Makoto commented, amused by the whole situation and Wufei was up in arms his katana out ready to extract revenge.
"What? Who has touched her?" he demanded loudly and Minako reached for his hand to calm him.
"Easy tiger, the gentleman in question has already come forward to ask for her hand in marriage, and was to ask her tonight, but under the circumstances must wait a little longer," Minako sought to console him and it suddenly occurred to Wufei who it was.
"Jobez is a dead man," Wufei whispered to Trowa who caught his drift and nodded.
"So the question is, what do we do now?" Serenity pondered and Minako winked at all present to let them know she had already thought of this.
"Well, we know Jedite is after the girls, if we just keep an eye on their room, he will eventually turn up," Minako said smiling widely and Ami smiled.
"That's why you had them stay together," she said putting the pieces together and Makoto pulled Minako into a headlock ruffling her head.
"Sneaky Minako, very sneaky," Makoto complimented her as they laughed.
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Keira and Rini were sitting in front of the dresser, with Rini absently brushing Keira's long hair. They didn't even notice that they had a visitor.
"Well well well, hello pretty little princesses of Crystal Tokyo," Jedite said appearing in their bedroom and Keira's eyes widened in panic as she looked at Rini.
"Transform Usa!" Keira cried out and Rini pulled out her wand saying the words, but nothing happened.
"I..I..I can't," Rini said helplessly and Jedite laughed.
"Probably because of the spell I cast on this room, how fortunate that I have found the both of you together," Jedite commented rubbing his hands together, quite pleased with himself.
"Why is it fortunate?" Rini asked curiously and Jedite laughed again.
"Because now my mission is made easy, all I need is to take the blood of a virgin senshi and inject it into my own blood and I will become more powerful than ever! I will absorb your powers for my own!" Jedite burst into a fit of maniacal laughter, but his laughter broke off when he noticed that Rini and Keira were laughing with him. It took him a little while longer to realise that they weren't laughing with him at all. They were laughing at him.
"What is so funny?" Jedite demanded looking from one girl to the other.
"That fact…that you…think…" Rini couldn't say it as she bent over laughing and Keira finished her sentence for her before bursting into a fit of giggles, "that we are virgins!"
"What?" Jedite was dumbfounded.
"Let me put it in terms you can understand, if you are looking for virgin senshi, you are totally looking in the wrong place," Rini told him, as she collapsed into another fit of giggles.
"Yeah, you need to look at Ami or Rei or Makoto, they wanted to wait for their loves and took a vow of celibacy until they were together with Quatre, Heero and Trowa again," Keira suggested and it suddenly struck Jedite that the joke was very much on him.
"You're not virgins," he sais in realisation, kicking himself for not having made sure. He had had Rei in his grasp, her power had been in his fingers and he hadn't even realised.
"Bingo! Give the man a prize," Small Lady chuckled at his expense and Keira pretended that she was ringing an imaginary bell.
"How dare you mock me!" Jedite advanced on Small Lady of a mind to slap her when a cold voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Step away from my daughter!" Neo Queen Serenity cried out and Rini looked at her mother, thankful for her intrusion.
"Moon wench," Jedite cursed spinning rapidly as he shot out his attack and Serenity easily deflected the attack with her sceptre that she now held, the Imperial Silver Crystal glimmering with power.
"Lets take this to a place where you won't destroy my palace," Serenity waved her sceptre and suddenly they were all standing in the field just outside the palace and she nodded pleased wit herself, "Much better."
"I challenge you to a duel, if you lose you will surrender to Neo Queen Serenity without a fight," Heero spoke up for the first time since they had left the basement hideout, approaching Jedite unafraid, his head held high.
"And if I win?" Jedite queried and Heero gave a dry laugh.
"You won't."
"But if I do?" Jedite asked again and Heero looked over at Rei, before turning back to Jedite.
"You get Rei," Heero completed the deal and all the senshi looked horrified.
"What?" Rei asked in shock.
"I'll win, believe in me," Heero told her and Rei raised her eyebrows but said no more.
"I don't know whether to be pleased or angry," Rei whispered to Minako who considered the options and then smiled.
"Just be a little of both," she suggested and Rei sighed deeply.
"Wait!" Wufei interrupted the fight and Heero and Jedite both turned annoyed glares at him.
"What now?" Jedite asked in annoyance and Wufei took Heero aside.
"Heero, he will most likely want to fight by the sword," Wufei whispered and Heero raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
"I want you…to take my katana…you're defending my sister, it seems only right," Wufei said handing over his most prized possession and Heero was honoured. He understood how hard it was for the man to give up his katana willingly.
"Thank you Wufei," Heero said meaning every work and Wufei patted him on the back.
"Good luck."
"Well I guess there is no need to ask how this challenge will be settled," Serenity said as Heero and Jedite moved to face each other in the middle of the field.
"By the sword!" they both growled in response and the group moved back to give them some room.
The two men approached each other cautiously, watching each other carefully. Neither were willing to loose this battle. Jedite moved first, bringing his sword down across his body and Heero blocked the attack with his katana shoving Jedite's sword away forcing Jedite to stumble backwards. Jedite didn't pause, he spun sweeping the sword out and Heero just managed to suck in as the sword swiped pass his chest and Jedite advanced bringing the sword down towards Heero's head. Again Heero blocked the attack before pushed the sword away.
"Attack me coward," Jedite hissed furiously and Heero merely positioned himself again with the katana covering his face.
"As you wish," Heero said finally and he jumped and stabbed the katana down as he did so, and Jedite only just managed to block the attack, but the force sent him flying to the ground. Heero landed and stood still allowing Jedite to get to his feet.
Again they circled each other.
"You know brother, I remember this scene oh so well," Jedite commented grinning darkly and Heero frowned.
"I am not your brother," was Heero's blank reply and Jedite chuckled.
"Oh no? You are wrong about that," Jedite retorted waving his hand and an assault of memories flooded into Heero's head.
Memories of the Silver Millennium. Of he and Jedite growing up together on Earth. They had been best friends in their childhood, but had drifted apart as they became men. Memories of meeting Rei, the fiery Princess of Mars for the first time. Of falling in love with her, knowing that she had been promised to Jedite. Kidnapping her from the Earth Palace the day of her wedding and taking her to the Moon Kingdom for sanctuary. The almighty battle against Metallia and Beryl, and his final showdown with Jedite. So caught up by the memories Heero let down his guard and jedite took that opportunity to attack hitting Heero in the arm, slicing his shoulder to the bone. Heero let out a growl of anger as he came back to himself and spun quickly disarming Jedite and placing his sword at Jedite's throat.
"And I won the fight back then too," Heero said darkly and Jedite glared at him hatefully.
"You took everything that was to be mine! Father loved you more than me even though you were the second child, I did everything to please him, but it was always you! You were offered the position to protect the Prince, it was only given to me because you turned it down, and then just when I thought I had something, I had someone to believe in, you took her from me too!" Jedite spat at Heero with anger and emotion, his body shaking with anger.
Heero looked at his brother and remembered the times when Jedite hadn't been like this. When he had been kind, and charming and funny. When he had been his beloved older brother. Heero threw down the sword and knelt before his brother.
"I'm sorry Jedite, I could not help who I fell in love with, I'm sorry for any pain this caused you," Heero told him and Jedite looked taken aback by his words, his mouth open. Looking around everyone else seemed as shocked as he was and Jedite considered that Heero must really have been speaking from his heart. Jedite stared hard at his brother frowning and then suddenly before anyone could move Jedite wrapped his arms around his brother.
"Thank you," Jedite said softly before he pulled away and fell to his knees at Neo Queen Serenity's feet.
"I surrender to you my Queen," Jedite proclaimed as Rei ran forward to throw her arms around Heero's neck and kissing him on the lips.
"If all you wanted was an apology, you could have just asked," Neo Queen Serenity said dryly and Jedite looked up at her, pleading in his eyes.
"Please rid me of the evil and hate in my heart," Jedite begged and Serenity looked around to see everyone's reaction. Most were nodding, bar Wufei until Mina pinched his arm and he grunted.
"Very well, Moon Healing Activation!" Serenity cried out and the power from the sceptre flowed through Jedite and he screamed as all the blackness that was within him flew out into the air, leaving him free from their influence. Jedite collapsed to the ground and Ami ran over to check his vitals.
"He will be fine," she told them after a few moments and everyone gave a small smile, glad everything was over and that everything worked out fine.
AN: I'm sorry that was soooooo lame, but I am so over this story you have no idea. Just love me.