Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife
Chapter Fifty-Three
Usagi wiped a trickle of sweat sliding down her forehead with her arm and sighed with relief when Megumi took control over the pots boiling on the stove and walked out of the kitchen. The terran maiden chuckled softly as she turned off all the knobs, finally putting an end to the silver-haired princess' turmoil in the kitchen, "You did well Your Highness, dinner is ready to be served."
"Good... good..." Usagi smiled weakly and pulled out a chair, almost gasping for air and slouched tiredly on the dining table, "Cooking is very exhausting,"
With an endearing smile on her face, Megumi takes the seat across from the princess, "It is good to see you in a better mood, Princess." Usagi rolled her head resting on the table to look at Megumi and sighed with relief, "I feel like my soul has returned to my body—despite my appearance."
"Your Highness, it would not be a—"
A soft knock startled both women and turned to see Ami walking across the foyer carrying a pair of crutches with one arm, her blue eyes immediately lit up when she saw the princess out of the bedroom with flushed cheeks, "Usagi-chan!"
"Ami-chan," the princess greeted her friend sweetly. Ami leaned the crutches against a wall and walked over to her friend to give her a tight hug, one that clearly showed serious relief and quickly pulled back to look at her, "Are you alright? What's the matter? Are you feeling ill?" she placed her cool hand on Usagi's forehead, making her chuckle in response, "Yes, yes, I'm fine..." Usagi leaned back up in her seat and let out a puff of air, "I cooked,"
"Ah," Ami chuckled and put her purse on another chair, next to her friend, "That explains it all—it smells delicious though," she looked around, "And Mamoru? Zoisite told me he woke up,"
"Yes, he did," Usagi nodded weakly, "Finally,"
"Oh, Usa-chan, that is great news!" Usagi looked at her friend with a huge grin, "We woke up a while ago but he was being his usual stubborn self and insisted in taking a shower; no matter how much I tried, I couldn't talk him out of it so Kunzite went to help him move around the room."
Ami crossed her arms and gave her friend a doctor's analytical look, "And you? How are you feeling?"
"I was just telling Megumi that I felt as if my soul had returned to my body—despite my appearance." Usagi frowned, "I know what you're going to say, you are just like Motoki-oniisan and Mamo-chan, you're all doctors and it's natural for you to be like that but, don't treat me like a patient, you know I don't like it."
"Alright, alright..." Ami sighed and shook her head, "You do look a little pale, Usa-chan. I was thinking that maybe it would be a good idea if you—"
"Ah, see? You're doing it again?" Usagi blinked when she saw Ami turning to Kunzite, who was walking down the hallway towards the living room, "Kunzite," the bluenette greeted him with respect. The white-haired general gave her a soft smile and nodded with classic chivalry, "Good evening, Mercury—" he blinked, "I thought Zoisite was with you since he said he was also coming,"
"Oh," Ami blinked a little startled, "I came straight from the hospital as soon as I finished my shift—maybe he's there waiting for me or something,"
"Ah, well..." Kunzite chuckled as he crossed his arms, "He will figure it out, eventually."
"Let us hope so," Ami blushed. It was the general to shift his attention to Usagi, "I forgot to ask, Princess, are you having dinner here, or in the bedroom? Just so I know what to do with that stubborn husband of yours,"
"Here," Usagi smiled, "I can tell Mamo-chan is sick of being in bed."
"You know him too well, Your Highness—well then, I will go help him move,"
"Kunzite, wait!" Ami hurried to get the crutches and handed them to him, "I brought these from the hospital to help him move around with more ease—" she blinked in thought, "Actually, can I go in there and give him these myself?" she turned to Usagi, "If it's alright with you Usa-chan, of course."
Usagi chuckled, "Ami-chan, please, of course you can," she turned to Kunzite and quirked her brow jealously, "Is he decent looking?" Kunzite chuckled at the sweet princess' protective nature over her husband and nodded, "Yes Princess, he is,"
"Alright, I'll be right back," Ami chuckled and walked towards the room and knocked on the door before walking in and saw him sitting on the bed scrolling through the many messages on his phone, "Mamoru?" she asked in a sweet tone, loud enough for him to catch his attention without taking him off-guard. Mamoru looked up at her and smiled warmly, "Ami—"
"Can I come in?"
"Of course," Mamoru turned the screen off and put his phone on his nightstand again, "I was just checking my messages... a lot has happened, so I've seen..." Ami nodded, "Oh yes..." she chuckled, "Quite a lot, actually."
"Huh," Mamoru bit his lip, "You'll have to put me up to date—I feel like I was away for longer than it actually was..."
"Don't worry, I'll give you all the info you need to know to get back in the game," Ami sighed softly and gave him a big smile, "I'm so glad you're back." Mamoru chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Trust me, Ami, me too."
Ami nodded "Oh," she handed him the crutches, "I brought you these from the hospital—Motoki sent them. He asked me to tell you that it was about damn time," With a hearty laugh, Mamoru took the pair of crutches "Thanks so much," he started to adjust them to the right height and let out a soft sigh, "Kunzite was supposed to help me but he suddenly disappeared."
"He went to ask Usagi-chan if you were going to have dinner here or at the dining table,"
"Oh god, not here..." Mamoru shook his head effusively, "I'm tired of seeing these walls..."
"You were asleep the whole time!"
"Still, this is probably the longest I've been in this bedroom—ten freaking days."
Ami chuckled, given the point that he was the complete opposite to Usagi who, given other circumstances, she would have taken those ten days as a vacation and sleep without feeling any remorse, "How are your wounds? I guess you already examined my work very meticulously,"
"Can't help it, I had to see..." Mamoru smiled, "You did perfect Ami, although, I wasn't judging your work, I was judging my own stupidity for allowing getting hurt this much," he sighed, "I am very sorry for worrying you all—I know you stayed by Usa's side day and night and I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done,"
"The important thing is that you're here now. We were all very worried but you're finally here." Ami smiled and shook her head, "There is nothing to be apologizing for, and about never leaving Usa-chan's side, you better than anyone knows she is like a sister to us, I would never leave her side in such moments of stress." she blew her long bangs and bit her lower lip, "Actually Mamoru, that's why I asked her if I could bring these to you personally—I want to talk to you about something,"
"Of course," Mamoru nodded and pointed the door, inviting Ami to close it to give them enough privacy to talk. "I know Ami, and I know you have been trying to get her to eat," he sighed, "Usagi is anemic, I don't need a test to know that. I know what she's going through and I just wish she would open up and talk to me about it but I don't want to force her, she'll do it when she's ready. The ideal would be for her to get a medical screening, but, she hates it when I bring that up so the best thing I can do now is to get her to eat and ask Megumi to slip a multi vitamin supplement in her morning fruit smoothie without her knowing,"
Ami chuckled and crossed her arms, "My, you're strict."
"I'm worried," Mamoru gave his friend a sad smile, "I hate to see her like that, and I hate being the reason why she's like that." Ami walked over to her friend and patted Mamoru's arm in support, "She loves you and I am hopeful that she will be back to normal in no time, but, I promise I will talk her out of her stubbornness and make her take some tests."
"Thank you, Ami."
"And you?" Ami helped him stand and take control of the crutches, "How are you feeling?"
Mamoru grunted softly as he shifted his weight on his left crutch, "Sore, my leg still hurts if I put too much pressure on it but nothing to worry about. I will go to the hospital tomorrow—I need to justify my absence and see if I can ask for a medical leave." Ami turned to open the door and nodded, "Motoki has been taking care of that, he managed to grant me a short leave so I could stay on call in case you had any complications."
"I really don't have enough words to express my gratitude, Ami," Mamoru shook his head, "You are very good friends, thank you."
"No," Ami smiled, "It's been a long time since we stopped being just friends, Mamoru. We're family, and family sticks together."
Mamoru felt a knot forming in the back of his throat, no matter how much he heard the word over the years it still caused him deep emotion. Having all of them in his life, from Motoki and Reika to the girls and now the shitennou, it was like as if all that held an important value that as once taken from him had returned in the best way possible with the best people on the planet—no pun intended. Deep down, every time he heard the words 'we're family' he wished Mao was alive so he could tell her all the things he has done ever since he walked away from that part of his life, he wanted to tell her that he had found her—the owner of his heart, the one that takes his breath away, every day. With a smile that threatened to morph into a sob, Mamoru nodded and cleared his throat, "That's true."
"Just to give you a little heads up, Motoki and I said you fell and broke your ankle during your honeymoon." Ami chuckled when she saw Mamoru's grimace, "The truth is out, then..."
"Yep. Everyone knows you're a married man now." Ami tilted her head, "It was quite a surprise for everyone since no one thought you had a girlfriend in the first place."
"I can imagine," Mamoru chuckled, "I never mentioned anything—but you know me, I am not the talkative type... so I've been told." He sighed lightly, "So I should be expecting questions about what the hell I was doing to have broken my ankle during my honeymoon, right?" Ami pursed her lips in a joking manner, "That, and why the hell you never mentioned you were engaged—especially from Maki-san, who was one of the most shocked."
"Alright, I can take it. I'll deal with the pressure when I cross that bridge tomorrow,"
Ami smiled widely and tilted her head as he watched him move across the bedroom, towards the door, "It's so good to have you back Mamoru," Mamoru turned to look at her over his shoulder and gave her a genuine, thankful smile "It's good to be back, Ami-chan," he moved aside to let her walk out of the room first.
Back in the living room, Usagi jerked her head up from the table when she heard noises down the hallway and looked at her husband walk in looking impeccable after his much-needed shower wearing a basic white t-shirt and a pair of black cotton sweatpants. His hair still wet fell over his dark blue eyes but she noticed the ten-day stubble was completely gone and replaced by a soft and fresh looking face making her heart skip a beat and feel a rush of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "Mamo-chan..." she breathed, allowing her old-self pull back from her newly acquired anxiety. Kunzite nodded his head to Mamoru in reassurance, taking his private conversation with the prince with him and talk to the other shitennou to form a strategy and be prepared for any sudden circumstance. "I believe that now that you are fully back to your senses, my presence here is no longer fully required, Princess, as promised—I did my part of the deal, now it is time for you to do yours."
Ami turned to Kunzite and smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. They were all sharing one main concern and that was the sudden change in the princess' health, and thankfully, Mamoru was on board. The bluenette crossed and arms and nodded effusively at her friend, "That's right Usa-chan and I agree with Kunzite. Now that Mamoru is back, you two need your privacy, but, you also need to start taking care of yourself." she smiled and went to get her small crossbody purse, "So, I will leave you to it." she turned to Mamoru and smiled softly, "Let me know when you're at the hospital to come and greet you."
"I will," Mamoru nodded, "Thanks, Ami."
Usagi wrapped her arms around her friend before she turned to leave, followed by the first in command of the shitennou.
"Do you need assistance, Your Highness?" Megumi went to help Mamoru make his way to the table but he shook his head, "I'm alright Megumi, I can manage—thank you." his friendly tone was enough to let her know he had his temporary disability under control and went back into the kitchen to start serving what she had prepared with the princess' help. Usagi pulled back his chair and helped him sit, Mamoru smiled softly, "Usa, if you keep doing all these things for me I'll become spoiled." he looked at her with loving eyes, those deep blue eyes she missed so much to get lost into and made her feel like the only girl in the world.
"I do it gladly," Usagi took her seat next to him and intertwined her fingers with his and giggled, "But I really hope you don't change your mind once you taste the food."
"Why?" Mamoru looked down at the plate Megumi put in front of him, "This looks perfectly fine," he leaned close enough to catch the steam with his nose, "And it smells very nice,"
"Well yes, but do you remember the last time I tried to make curry?" Usagi looked at her plate with slight hesitation, "Remember what happened?"
"Oh..."
"What happened?" Megumi stood behind the princess with a pale face, Mamoru chuckled and turned to look at her "We got food poisoning," he wiggled his brows and laughed. Megumi widened her eyes horrified, "Y-Your Highness?" Usagi burst into laughter and nodded, "I told you I was a hazard,"
"B-But..." Megumi blinked, still very much startled, "I honestly thought it was a joke," Usagi shook her head and bit her lower lip, "No, I was serious—I'm the worst wife ever, I know."
"You're not." Mamoru shook his head and looked down at his beautifully garnished dish, "Did you make it all by yourself?" His voice held a more serious tone, showing a little concern; Usagi took a deep breath and nodded "The curry? Yes," she answered with a hint of worry and bit her lower lip "Megumi-san helped me chop and dice the vegetables because someone told her I wasn't to be trusted when handling knives."
"Well, Usa—come on," Mamoru gave her an incredulous glare; Usagi sighed and nodded with defeat when she remembered the carrot incident, "Yeah, okay..." she frowned, "Well? Aren't you going to taste it?"
Mamoru looked down and mimicked her hesitant gesture and nodded with defeat, "Yeah, okay..." He slowly grabbed his spoon and took a scoop, after a couple of seconds, he looked at her waiting for a response. "Well, aren't you going to taste it?" Usagi leaned closer to her husband and tapped her fingers on the table with expectancy. "Yes?" Mamoru gently nibbled his lower lip and took the first bite.
"How is it?" Usagi looked at him nervously, Mamoru arched his brow, "Seriously?"
"Yes, Mamo-chan, seriously."
Mamoru blinked surprised with a smile on his face, "It's good." Usagi gave him an incredulous glare, "Like, good good? Or as in—it's okay, but don't do it again—kind of good?"
"As in good, good—" Mamoru pushed her place closer to her and handed her a spoon, "But you will never know if you-don't-eat."
Megumi looked at them with a warm smile on her face. She loved to be witness of their complicity and their constant joking on each other but what she loved the most was to see how her prince looked after the princess in the most adorable way; the memory of them speaking back at the terran palace and when he confessed he had feelings for a woman he could not easily presume to the world came to her mind. The way his lips tried to compress the emotion and happiness every time he spoke about her and the way his eyes changed to a more serene shade of blue every time he saw her waiting for him in his room, away from the rest of the world. Contrary to what their guardians thought at the moment, she had been a witness of their dedication towards each other and the efforts they constantly made to keep seeing other until the very end of that chapter in their lives. She silently paid close attention to their gestures, the way they coexist around each other, how they look into each other's eyes every time they spoke. It was a declaration of love and a constant reassurance of their deep feelings and trust for one another. It was magical to see how after all that has changed, they have remained true to their selves.
With a soft smile, she realized what the prince was doing for his princess and understood his more discreet and smart approach to healing his wife and do some damage control over her health that was caused by his absence. They had tried everything to make her snap out of that trance she got herself into, she had tried many times to make her take anything with juices and fruit smoothies—her favorites; Rei had tried with herbal and flower teas, Minako with food from their favorite places, Makoto with a variety of comfort food while Ami had taken a more nutritious approach with the oatmeal but none of them, along with the effort and emotional support from the shitennou, was good enough to make the princess come out of her dark place.
Her eyes widened when she saw Usagi finally, after ten days of torment, put a spoonful of food into her mouth without any complaints. The maid had the sense of peace after a long battle and turned to the prince who quickly peered at her and winked his eye with complicity and softly let go a sigh. "Your Highness," she addressed herself to Mamoru, "May I be excused for the night?"
Usagi blinked and turned with a puzzled look on her face, "You are not going to eat with us, Megumi?" Megumi shook her head softly, "I already had dinner, Your Highness, before you came to join me in the kitchen."
"Megumi," Mamoru smiled, "You don't need to ask me anything, go get some well-deserved rest. You have done more than we could ever ask for, I am forever grateful for all your help." Megumi bowed her head in deep respect, "Anything for my Prince and Princess," she smiled, "I am very happy to see you are back with us,"
"Me too Megumi, good night," Mamoru leaned close to her and squeezed her hand softly in gratitude. With time, she had learned to read his emotions by his gestures. He was often misunderstood as a person who kept everything to himself, and even back then, the prince was always under speculation due to his hermetic personality, but the truth was that he had a more elegant and classy way show his endearment and appreciation for others. It was not as obvious or straightforward as it was with the lunar princess, instead, it was the little gestures and attention that made her feel special and a part of his family. She turned on her heel and walked back to the room she could now claim as her own to give them their much-needed privacy.
Usagi widened her eyes and took another bite of her dish with much excitement, "Oh my... I am good!" she looked at her husband with happy eyes, "The curse is broken! I can cook!" Mamoru laughed and nodded, "I guess it is—" he leaned forward and held her hand, "It seems we overcame another obstacle my darling Serenitati." Usagi blushed and nodded, the more he called her that, the more she loved the sound of it and what it represented. "Yes, we have, but don't think it will free you from keep making me shrimp tempura—" she pointed her finger at him and narrowed her crystal blue eyes, "—Or pancakes."
Mamoru half smiled, pleased to see her slowly coming back to her usual light humor and playful gimmicks, "Yes, Princess." Usagi nodded and continued eating her surprisingly delicious curry and wild rice, thinking this was all she needed. There were moments like these where they would eat quietly while she absently caressed his hand with the tips of her fingers or intertwined them with his and feel the closeness between them. Usagi smiled softly as she slowly twirled the ring on his finger, "You told Ami-chan you were going to the hospital?"
"Yes," Mamoru, used his napkin to clean the corner of his mouth and turned to look at her before taking another spoonful of food, "I need to justify my absence, I was supposed to be back to work by now—Motoki has been helping me with that, but I need to sign a few papers and ask for a medical leave to justify my accident so I don't lose my paycheck,
"Oh," Usagi bit her lip softly, "Are you feeling well enough to leave the apartment?" he nodded his head at her, "I'll be fine," he smiled but noticed the tension in his wife's hand, "Would you like to come with me?" Usagi looked up at him and gave him a shy nod but the tension didn't leave her face; Mamoru tugged her hand softly, "Usa?" he tugged her hand again and frowned, "Buns, you okay?"
Usagi looked up at her husband nervously. Since the attack happened and he fell unconscious she literally put her life on hold, not really caring about anything—not even her job which she loved so much despite her horrible boss and horrible co-workers. She let out a soft sigh and hoped for the best, knowing the reaction her overly mature husband might have once she broke her silence, "I was supposed to be back at work like a week ago as well..."
Mamoru took a deep breath and pursed his lips, Usagi quickly shook her head to defend her reasons as if he was asking for some justification, "I-I didn't want to—I couldn't leave you..." she moved her hand away from his and leaned back in her chair, "I am using my vacation days—so I'm safe. Mika-san has been of great help too but..." she finally had the courage to look at him in the eye, "I am not getting paid for the days I have missed—I'm so sorry." Mamoru frowned and shook his head, "Buns, why are you asking me for forgiveness?"
Usagi sighed, "Because I have been irresponsible, because—" she shook her head again and closed her eyes, "I am not helping in any way with the expenses around the apartment, I am not getting paid for the days I've taken off... I am lucky enough to have the liberty to take days off..."
"Well, did you explain to them why are you taking those extra days off?" Mamoru leaned closer and reached for her hand again, "Usako, look at me," Usagi opened her eyes slowly and did as asked, Mamoru sighed softly and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb gently, "Love, is this why you're so nervous?" he asked softly and noticed it was as if Usagi wanted to tell him more, her crystal blue eyes were wide and her rosy lips partly open, waiting for her words to come out. Usagi ran the tip of her tongue over her upper lip as a nervous reaction and exhaled softly, "I said I had a family emergency—I just—" she tried to look away but for some reason, him holding her hand was keeping her attention focused on him. With resignation and embarrassment, Usagi finally nodded, "I hate to let you down."
"Who says you have?" Mamoru frowned, catching Usagi by surprise "W-Well... like I said, I am not helping with any of the expenses and—"
"—Usa, we've talked about this before," Mamoru tilted his head and looked at her in the eye, "Haven't we?"
"Y-Yes..." Usagi nodded nervously, "But still… I don't—"
Mamoru sighed and shook his head, "Serenitati, I am no stranger to your boss' work policies—I know how that woman is but I don't care about her, I care about you. You are not letting me down, I have told you many times before that thankfully, our finances are good enough to give you the liberty to look for something else or do your own thing—if that is what you wish to do. You will always have my full support in whatever thing you want to pursue." he twirled a lock of her silvery hair around his finger and tucked it behind her ear, "I know how much you love what you do at your job, and yes, I think they should totally give you a paid leave, but that is their policy, my love, not mine." He intertwined his fingers with hers and brought her hand to his lips to kiss it, "Usa, everything you see here and even the things you cannot see but you know I have, are yours. If I need to say it more often so you can hold on to the fact, I will. What's mine, it's yours.."
Usagi exhaled, "You make it sound so easy,"
"That's because it is," Mamoru arched his brow, "You're my wife, my life companion, and Princess. There is no need for you to worry about a thing." Usagi looked at Mamoru with glossy eyes, "Y-you're really not upset about it?" Mamoru shook his head, "Come here," he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her protectively, "Buns, it's okay—we will figure something out." he kissed her temple, "If you need to go tomorrow and handle this situation, go, I can ask Megumi to come with me in case I find it hard to—"
"—No," Usagi shook her head with the same anxiety as before, "No... no, I want to be with you,"
"Okay," Mamoru smiled and tilted her head up to look at him, "The only way you would let me down, Usa, is if you stopped taking care of yourself." Usagi cuddled in his arms and shook her head, "I wanted to be strong, I tried to..." she closed her eyes and clung onto him to dear life, "I wasn't strong enough... I failed... and that is what breaks my heart,"
"Hearing you talk like that breaks my heart, so please stop," Mamoru pulled back and nudged her softly, "This isn't like you, why are you feeling so guilty?" his eyes darkened with concern, "Baby, we can go on for another millennium blaming ourselves for what we should have done but what good will come out of it? I will tell you what—nothing."
"Mamo-chan… but I—"
Mamoru shook his head, "Stop it," even though his voice was still warm and loving, it held a more serious tone to it. Usagi noticed the change in color in his eyes and how they slowly turned more sapphire and enigmatic; she felt his warm hand cupping her cheek and his thumb gently wiping her warm tears, "Serenity, in order to come back to you, I had to learn to accept my faults, swallow my disgusting ego, and learn how to let things go—things that didn't do any good for the soul. I blamed myself and carried a heavy guilt for too many things that didn't even depend on me to get fixed." he tilted his head, "It didn't matter how much I tried to convince everybody that I was alright, the truth was still eating me from the inside. I couldn't continue being what I thought was correct for me to be. I had been dragging too many grudges and regrets since way before I met you. It was because of you, that I stayed in one piece. You saw deep down all those heavy layers I had been carrying with me and for some strange reason, you saw beauty." His thumb caressed her swollen lips, "It's you who has saved me over and over again—and it's you who brought me back. It's because of you and the love I have for you, that made it possible for me to be here right now."
Usagi felt her eyes burn with fresh tears, she could feel the truth in his words and she noticed there was a different, more peaceful aura around him and it was soothing her too via his touch, "Endymion..." she breathed, feeling much more at peace. Mamoru smiled and traced her jawline with his fingers, "Do you remember asking me if I had followed the same path I chose back then?" Usagi nodded, "Yes..."
"The truth is my love, that I don't have to. One must learn from the mistakes we have made in the past so we can sort things out in the present and be better in the future. I don't have to do the same, all over again. That's behind me now and I want to forward. I want to head on to the future and I want to do it with you." he leaned down until his lips were just inches away from hers and closed his eyes, "I am not the same I was two thousand and twenty-one years ago—if you count this lifetime too."
Usagi took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, feeling a new wave of emotions taking over her, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Mamoru pulled her back into his arms and kissed her temple, "You're very strong, Serenity and you are not alone." Usagi felt her doubts crumbling around her fragile body; that is exactly what she was waiting to hear from him, that he was not the same and that he was not going down the same path; he was different—stronger, she noticed it and she was beyond happy to have him back with her. The princess moved her arms around his neck and pulled herself from her chair to his lap and closed the gap between them with a deep, meaningful kiss.
O—o—o—o—O
The sound of footsteps caught the Miko's attention as she finished reading the fire for the night and turned to see Jadeite at the other side of the door and widened her amethyst eyes with surprise, "H-How long have you been there?" The blonde leaned on the door frame with his arms crossed, "Long enough to know you should not be bothered." he tilted his head and gave her a small smile, "Is it allowed for me to step into this sacred place?"
Rei nodded and watched him come inside and take a seat next to her in front of the fire. His gray-blue eyes looked at flames dancing and crackling in a hypnotic dance, "Was there anything for us to know?" his voice was unusually low and distant. Rei brought her hands together and closed her eyes, "The fire speaks yet—I cannot have a clearer vision of when are they coming back. I cannot understand why such place like the Underworld has opened a path into this world."
"We know the reason," Rei opened her eyes startled by Jadeite's words, she turned and shook her head, still confused. The blonde shitennou pursed his lips, "Endymion," he turned to meet the Miko's mystical eyes, "The black Goddess left that clear, the question here should be what they will do if they capture him..." he narrowed his eyes in thought, "What will they achieve if they drag him down to hell." he sighed, "Nephrite was preparing himself to read the skies tonight, Zoisite went to monitor and purify the surroundings and Kunzite went to see Endymion and Princess Serenity—"
"You speak as if you were feeling left out." Rei muttered, "My, I didn't think of you as a sentimental." A chuckle escaped the blonde, "True, but I do not feel left out," he turned to look into the fire again, "I was granted celestial blessings just like the rest and I know perfectly well what I am and who I am—Nephrite was born with that gift, he has always been the strange one of the four, excluding the Prince, of course. Me, I have always been the strategist so I am just waiting for my moment." he exhaled softly, "But I believe we all are, I am just glad Endymion is back from his beauty sleep, although, I do not know under what conditions he returned."
"What do you mean?" Rei frowned, Jadeite shrugged his shoulder and turned to look at her "Endymion is the kind of person that would so anything to avoid a problem and save others. With that being said, at this point, I do not know what to expect—he is not the talkative type either." He smiled and looked down, "Seeing him fight that Goddess was really something, it made me feel confident that we can fight this and win, but it also makes me think about how different things would have been if he knew about his abilities—back then."
Rei sensed a little wave of nostalgia coming from the general's words. The way he spoke summed to the gloomy look in his eyes and the sound of his voice. It had been long now since she saw the usual sarcastic and playful Jadeite, lately, his smile no longer reached his eyes but it was clear why he was part of the four heavenly kings. The blonde was equally serious and mature as the others, and his skills were like he said, more strategic and less obvious than Kunzite's. His rank didn't measure his strength or abilities, instead, it gave a clear jurisdiction to his title, but to Rei, the question still lingered in the air every time they spent time together and she wanted to ask but she just didn't know how.
"I like it here," Jadeite interrupted Rei's thoughts, his eyes were still looking down but his voice had a more relaxed tone, "I can see why you are so devoted to your life as a High Priestess."
Rei smiled softly, "It hasn't always been that easy, not everyone understands in this day and age—I just followed my grandfather's steps and learned the craft. I suppose the gift was already there from my previous life."
"Previous life..." Jadeite looked up, "You make it sound as if you were no longer the same person." his eyes landed on hers, "And what I witnessed days ago just proved me otherwise. All of you are still the same, or even better." he shook his head with wonder, "What happened, Mars? What made you change so much?"
Rei turned on her seat to face the blonde general, "The enemies we faced after Beryl—they were stronger, more malicious and aggressive. It was almost a day to day battle but one day… it stopped, and life caught up with us. All of the sudden, being normal became something important to us—something we needed to be. Maybe because it was new to all of us—a new adventure. Having this life is not a bad thing, what was wrong is how we pushed ourselves to choose between both realities—this life or our side as sailor senshi, the one that has the essence of our existence." she smiled and looked away, "I suppose you needed to come and remind us how important is to be true to ourselves and embrace ourselves as a whole. We don't fit just anywhere—we're special. We're sailor senshi and we fight for a common good, we fight for peace and we should be proud because we can actually change this word for the better. We can really make a difference."
"That you are Sailor Mars, that, you are." Jadeite nodded, "Being the Soldier of War and daughter of War itself... that is not something you can easily ignore. It is something you hold up with pride." he sighed, "I am glad you all accepted your fate, maybe that was our true mission." Rei narrowed her eyes, "It's a little ironic to hear you speak about change..."
"Why?" Jadeite frowned, the Miko shrugged her shoulder "I would dare to ask you the same thing, what happened? What made you change so much?" Jadeite pursed his lips, "Change? I have not changed, this is who I am when I am not telling stupid jokes."
"Well, bring them back."
Jadeite arched his brow, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Rei crossed her arms, "You have been very gloomy lately, it's so unlike you..."
"Oh, Mars..." A chuckle escaped the blonde's lips and turned to the fire, "Lately, there has not been much to joke about." The look in Rei's face was more than enough to visualize the reality of their current situation. Jadeite moved his hand close enough to touch her cheek or play with her raven hair but something in him made him stop almost immediately and instead, curled his fingers to restrained himself and moved his hand away. His lips curved but again, his smile didn't reach his always playful eyes, "I shall leave you now—it is a little late." Jadeite turned and stood up, leaving a very anxious Rei on the floor, "Y-You can stay..." she blinked, silently wishing he would accept the invitation. Since the moment Yuuichiro's shadow dissipated along with his betrayal and bad habits, Rei felt like if a heavy mist had vanished from her beautiful eyes and decided to only keep the good things that relationship brought her during her time with the apprentice. She finally understood that she was not holding on to the idea of going back together with him but to the sentiment those memories brought to her and the fear of not being able to find someone better.
The irony of the situation was that she did and that someone better was part of her past, and now, after two thousand years, he was back into her present. Rei admitted she wanted to go back to the exact moment when he exposed his feelings and bring him with her to create a new future. Since that day and after her grandfather's passing, despite him being friendly, courteous, and approachable, it was not the same. Whatever that was between them was no longer there and maybe that was what made her stop to confess what she had been feeling ever since. Painfully, she realized what her fears had done to probably the most courageous man she has ever met; the only one that has never been afraid to push her buttons and put her patience to the test. Jadeite did in a couple of weeks what Yuuichiro could not do in more than ten years; despite the love that once existed, it was not the same. At the first test of loyalty, he cultivated a habit that would eventually lead to break the bond they shared. Rei felt her heart throbbing in her chest like never before, her amethyst eyes could not leave the blonde's face and deep down she wished to see him joke and smile and be the adorable man she remembered.
She wanted him to stay, she wanted him to stay with her—period.
Jadeite's smile widened, his appreciation and charisma were still there but there was something else that would always push him back. Maybe it was his own ego—he no longer knew. "It is better if I leave—I have to see what Nephrite has to say and start planning a strategy for what might come next."
"Because you are the strategist," Rei immediately kicked herself mentally for her silly comment, this time stealing a genuine chuckle from the general, "Because I am the strategist of the group, yes." he offered his hand to help her stand up from the floor but Rei shook her head, "I am going to stay here... it is still too early for me to go to bed." Her attempts to sound casual were not entirely working, this was a position she was not familiar being into since Yuuichiro had been her only boyfriend and he did all the work to win her heart. Slightly hurt both ego and heart, she turned to the fire and closed her eyes, "Are you afraid, Jadeite?"
"Yes,"
Rei blinked her eyes open and turned to look at him, totally not expecting his blunt response. Jadeite looked down at her with any trace of sarcasm or mischief, "Yes Mars, I am scared—"
The tension was there, the truth of their hearts was also there, so why was it so hard for both of them to come forward and break the barrier? Why couldn't he take another leap of faith? Why couldn't she take the leap? —Rei thought anxiously. Jadeite kneeled in front of her but maintained his stoic face as he looked into her amethyst eyes, "I believe I have never been so scared in my life." he shook his head, "But this is how things are and I must stay grounded."
"Why?" Rei dared to ask with a whisper, Jadeite gave her a sad smile and tilted his head to the side, "Because Mars, I feel like I could vanish if I don't."
"I understand," Rei nodded, "I know the feeling,"
Jadeite gave the priestess a soft smile and finally armed himself with enough courage to wrap his fingers in a lock of her hair and looked at it like a child admiring the stars in the night sky, "Destiny is funny like that," he whispered and tucked the piece of hair behind her ear before standing up again, "Thank you, for the tea and the company—it was lovely." Rei smiled, "It was nothing, next time I'll ask Jun to make some sweet steamed buns,"
Jadeite flashed her a toothy smile and nodded, "Now I am intrigued," he turned on his heel and waved his hand as he walked out of the room with his hands tucked in his pants' pockets, "Have a good night, Mars."
Rei looked at him disappear in the distance and took a deep breath before she turned to the fire and closed her eyes, allowing the tears holding onto her eyes slowly roll down the cheeks and be exposed to the fire in front of her. "Good night, Jadeite..."
O—o—o—o—O
An hour later, the sound of keys startled a half-asleep Zoisite on the sofa and turned to find his fellow blonde brother walk inside and toss the keys on the table with little interest on where they landed. "Jadeite?" he mumbled with a raspiness in his voice that proved he had fallen asleep; as he saw him walk past the living room, the man in question turned and frowned, "Zoisite, what are you doing here? "
Zoisite rubbed the tired muscles at the back of his neck as he pushed himself up and sit straight on the sofa, "Uh, this is where we live."
"No, this is where I live—you are barely here anymore." Jadeite's annoyance could not match his stoic face, Zoisite noticed and sighed, "Alright, first of all—calm down, and second of all, since when do you care where I am at?" Jadeite frowned, "I always care, you are my little brother—like it or not." he walked to join his friend and slapped the blonde's forehead before taking his place across from him on the round leather sofa, "But in all seriousness, what are you doing here? Why are you not with Mercury?"
"She went back to work—she had to take over an emergency at the hospital." Zoisite put the book he borrowed from Mamoru's apartment and that he had been reading feverishly before falling asleep on the table and turned to his friend, "Where were you? If I may ask, of course."
Jadeite blinked but continued staring at the ceiling without showing any sort of emotion, "The shrine, with Mars." he sighed and rolled his head to the side to look at his friend, "Where are the others?"
"Nephrite is meditating in his room—Kunzite is with Venus, I suppose. It has been long since he said he was going to see Endymion, I highly doubt he is still there." Zoisite leaned his back on the armrest and crossed his arms, "Do you want to talk about it or...?" he shook his head, waiting for an answer from his friend. Jadeite pursed his lips, "I do not understand your question—rephrase." Zoisite sighed, "I am talking about Mars."
"What about Mars?"
"Do you want to talk about whatever is happening between you two?"
"Ah, that again..." Jadeite glided his teeth over his lower lip and shook his head, "Nothing is happening between Mars and me, Zoisite, I think I made it clear last time we talked about this." he frowned when Zoisite chuckled, taking him by surprise "What is so funny?" Jadeite narrowed his gray-blue eyes. His friend shrugged his shoulders "You," the revelation made Jadeite widened his eyes, "Me? Why?"
"Because," Zoisite arched his brow "Your love for the fire senshi has been untouched for centuries; you were the only one brave enough to accept your feelings for her—you have always been very open to the idea of being with some—"
"—Nothing will happen between us Zoisite, that topic has been put to rest and I would appreciate it if you did as well," Jadeite interrupted his brother. He ran a hand through his sandy-colored hair and accompanied his action with a tired sigh, "I respect her decision and her position as senshi, all I can do is to be her friend for as long I am granted a life in this realm."
"What the hell is happening to you?" Zoisite frowned, "Listening to you speak this way, so somber—it is not like you." It was Jadeite's turn to arch a brow and cross his arms, "I find it ironic how you, the one that has always complained about my sense of humor is now questioning why I am not being stupid and sarcastic." Zoisite widened his green eyes, "Come on Jadeite, you are a brother to me—since when you have taken everything I say so seriously? I am worried about you, I care about you, and to be honest, I hate to see you like this."
"Do you think once all this is over we will be dragged back to that place?" Jadeite finally broke the seal to his secret, startling Zoisite by the dark and perturbed tone in his voice. "Jadeite?" The blonde shook his head, and lowered his gaze, "I am glad all of you have something meaningful with the girls, I am happy for you and I know what you are going to say but, in my case... I do not want to be hurt again." He shrugged his shoulders to show a little more casualty and lift the heavy tone behind his words, "I have been rejected three times now by three different women, and before you ask for the third woman, she rejected me before I joined the army—so save your little jokes for later."
Zoisite sighed, "Still, the three of them are completely different women,"
"That does not change the fact that I have been rejected," Jadeite quirked his brow, "Which made me think about how maybe it is something that has to do with me, something I do that repels women." he pursed his lips, "Kunzite is the bluntest, most unreasonable man I know and he still manages to be charming and be with a beautiful woman—I mean, there must be something wrong with me, right?" Jadeite sighed, "I will not say anything about you or Nephrite because you have your way to charm your ladies—you have always been neutral."
"Uh, thank you?" Zoisite arched his brow and crossed his arms, "You are welcome," Jadeite waved his hand dismissively, "What I am trying to say is that things lately have not been the same, we are under stress and I cannot keep joking around. I am one of the Shitennou and I must serve my Prince, then return to my emotional cocoon in Purgatorio."
"Is this why you are being so somber? Because you think your sense of humor is a women's repellent?" Zoisite widened his eyes, "Really?"
"What else do you want me to think Zoisite? I mean, look at Kunzite—look at Endymion! He's even more damn complex. He's stubborn, stoic, and sometimes inflexible and look how the Lunar Princess gives her life for him..." his cold blue eyes soon widened when he saw his friend broke into laughter, "Again, what makes this so funny to you?"
"You are being childish—really? If Endymion or Kunzite learn you are comparing yourself to them they are going to punch you so hard until you realize of your stupidity." Zoisite narrowed his eyes; he leaned closer to Jadeite and slapped him at the back of his head making him flinch, "Oi! What is that about?" Jadeite frowned and rubbed his head; Zoisite frowned with annoyance, "You are being stupidI am just doing their work in advance. Jadeite please, since when you fall into the petty wagon? Kunzite is like that because he had issues when growing up, but you better than anyone knows that he is very light-hearted when he is around the people he cares about, the same goes for Endymion—they're like that because that's how they grew up to be. If you are trying to mimic their personalities to get a woman's attention—"
"Who said I needed to get a woman's attention? I know how to do that—"
"Then what the hell are you doing?" Zoisite shook his head with frustration, Jadeite sighed with defeat, "I just—I want to see if I would be taken seriously if I had a similar approach and acted more like them."
"If nobody took you seriously, you would not even be one of the Shitennou in the first place,"
Both blondes widened their eyes and turned to see Kunzite standing by the door with his arms crossed, "W-What are you doing there!?" Jadeite asked surprised. Kunzite arched his brow, "Listening to all of your nonsense." Jadeite sweatdropped, "Oi, my life is not for your amusing."
"With all the stupid things you have been saying, it sure makes it entertaining." Kunzite frowned, "What the hell are you doing?" Zoisite frowned at Kunzite, "Me? I am trying to make him under—"
"No, not you—I am asking Jadeite," Kunzite cut his friend's words abruptly off while never leaving the young blonde's eyes, "What? Do you want to rejoice in pettiness?"
"No," Jadeite frowned, Kunzite's eyes narrowed and walked over who he called and treated like his little brother. After his rather unexpected afternoon with Minako resigning her job and everything that happened in between, he thought it was better for him to go home early enough to catch Nephrite before he went into his meditating trance and talk to his friends and comrades about the situation with the prince. As leader and Endymion's right hand, he had to take matters into his hands and start preparing them for what still was uncertain but most certainly going to happen.
The minute he crossed through the door, Kunzite was instantly attracted by the way Jadeite was speaking to Zoisite and his very unexpected choice of words. True, he had not been his usual self lately, just like everyone else but he did not know most of it was because aside from being worried for everything that had been happening, he was also broken-hearted. Of pains of the heart Kunzite knew his fair share, he has been in love and he has known the aggressive feeling of loss. He sat on the sofa across from Jadeite and crossed his arms again, "You are the last person I expected to go through an existential crisis."
"I am not having an existential crisis, I am just stating something obvious."
"By saying you have been imitating us to be taken seriously? Jadeite, you have never needed that to make yourself respected, your work, discipline, and loyalty are what makes you different from the rest." Kunzite took a deep breath, "Why are you doubtful and scared about something we are not even sure it is going to happen? You told me that yourself when all of you were mocking me for not speaking to Venus." He turned to Zoisite, "This is because of Mars, is it not?" The blonde gave his commander a silent response.
Jadeite shook his head "I wish to leave this matter behind."
"I worry about Purgatorio too, Jadeite, every day." Kunzite word's startle both men, but mostly Jadeite because it was the same insecurity he had been experiencing, "I make myself the same question, once I fulfill my duties here will I return to Purgatorio? Am I going to leave Venus again?" Kunzite shrugged one shoulder, "I cannot give you a straight answer but I can assure you that we will fight to stay where we belong—here. We had the right to live a normal life like they did and it was taken away from us, Beryl and Metallia took that away from us and made us live in the shadows. I have been separated from Venus three times, Jadeite, and I do not want there to be a fourth."
Jadeite widened his eyes, surprised to hear his leader speak with such emotion and truth behind his words. "If you made up your mind that is your decision and we must respect it, but do not let yourself become the shadow of a man you used to be—not you, leave that to us, the martyrs."
"Kunzite..." Jadeite blinked, Zoisite frowned confused "Martyrs?"
Kunzite nodded, "Unlike me or Endymion, Jadeite has been the rawest of us five. He never was afraid to speak his mind and that lack of filter is what balances this group. He has the courage and skills to be one of the Shitennou." he fixed his intense gaze on Jadeite, "Just keep that in mind, brother… do not ever feel less than any of us, not even the Prince."
Jadeite has always admired the white-haired general. Since his early days at the training camp and when he and the prince finally put their quarrel to an end, he was the most excited to have him on board and as a friend. He owed his knowledge and skills to the man, being the oldest, Kunzite took his position very seriously and continued training and teaching his fellow shitennou new ways of battle and strategies and looked after them like an older brother would do, and now, even with troubles of the heart he still shared valuable words of wisdom with him. Jadeite never doubted his place with them, he never questioned his own abilities but it was more of a question as to why he was always the last to be acknowledged by the women he liked, pushing him to think it was because he was too light-hearted and not somber enough. "Thank you, Kunzite." He finally spoke, with another tone in his voice; the white-haired general nodded. After putting the matter to rest, at least for the night, Kunzite turned to look around "Where is Nephrite?"
"In his room, meditating." Zoisite muttered and leaned his back on the couch, "He has been there since the sun went down."
"I see," Kunzite leaned forward and rested his arms on his lap while intertwining his fingers in thought, Zoisite noticed the gloom and worry in his face, something no one would usually see in him since he was the master of poker faces and frowned, "Did you see Endymion?"
"Yes," Kunzite looked at his friend; Jadeite propped one leg up on the sofa and leaned his arm on his bent knee, "How is he doing?"
"He is recovering faster than I thought, but he still has some way to go." Kunzite looked at the blonde, "As of now, he is focusing on something else,"
"Why do I have the feeling that there is more to know? Have you spoken to him?" Zoisite's said with worry and great curiosity. Kunzite sighed and nodded, "I need you all to be here—we need to see what information Nephrite can gather from his readings," he closed his eyes for a minute, thinking about the many variables that could happen from this moment on and exhaled, "And hope for the best, because right now, we need it—we need the fates to be on our side."
The Divinity series is rated M. Violence, intimacy and/or cursing may occur.
I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.
