A Second Chance-ffnet version
By: Ryu Niiyama
Chapter 6
AN: I meant to explain it last chapter but when Taiki refers to Zoisite with the chan suffix she/he's being really, really insulting. I don't know if anyone else noticed, but it is also a double attack on Zoisite (which Taiki doesn't realize) because the ice shitenno did the same to Mamoru before trying to kill him (and don't I wish he did… hides from wrath of Mamo-chump lovers) back in the first season. While this story is rated R, the main reason I originally gave this story its rating is that I love fight scenes…even if I can't write them very well.
I suppose I should put up a violence warning for this chapter as it gets a little gory in some places.
'Zoisite…chan?' "You dare mock me you bastard!" There were no words to describe the anger that the Lord of Ice felt. Had this alien no shame, no honor? 'Very well you arrogant abomination, I'll beat a conscience into you…' Taiki merely smiled at the blonde man's accusation. "Am I mocking you Zoisite-chan? You'll have to forgive me, I'm in a good mood today…" Zoisite growled in the back of his throat, his hands clenching into fists so tightly that his nails bit into his skin, crimson blood forming dripping rivulets at his knuckles. "A good mood, huh? Heh,I know all about your…. good mood, you bastard… and I can assure you won't live to enjoy it much longer!" the polar general ranted, his voice becoming more and more frenzied with every word.
Taiki, on the other hand basked in his rival's torment. He had never been a petty person by nature, but something about seeing Zoisite's pain gave him a perverse degree of satisfaction. Smirking, the starlight crossed his arms, amethyst eyes dancing in mirth. "Oh really? What exactly do you intend to do about it Zoisite-chan? She's obviously made her choice… and I don't think you were considered for the position." The starlight cast a decidedly dark look upon his broken rival.
The polar lord let out a growl and lunged at Taiki, the shitenno's fist aiming for the starlight's face. Taiki's eyes widened slightly, and he quickly altered his stance catching the thundering fist easily before answering with a backhanded fist of his own. Zoisite lunged with his other hand only to throw himself right into Taiki's knee. As the shitenno hunched over, Taiki shifted backwards and booted the blonde in the face, sending him sprawling backwards. Zoisite righted himself mid flight and landed on all fours, skidding on the ground, his slender fingers contorted like claws as they scratched the pavement.
Taiki wasted no time and launched himself into a sliding kick which threatened to bowl his rival over. At the last second Zoisite launched himself into a splitting pounce, his fists coming directly down to pound Taiki in the head as he slid under his missed target. The starlight staggered to his knees clutching his head and trying to will away the need to retch, when Zoisite ran up and punched him with enough force to throw them both to the ground.
Taiki hissed in pain as he felt himself being hauled to his feet, Zoisite striking him again hard enough to send him staggering back. The polar lord jumped upon his prey grabbing Taiki's silk shirt tight enough to tear it. Zoisite cocked his fist back to strike again, when the starlight's forehead rocketed into the bridge of his nose, blood spurting out as cartilage was broken.
"Son of a bitch!" Zoisite roared clutching his nose as he fell backwards momentarily. The polar general looked up to see Taiki Kou smiling cruelly, a very female Taiki Kou, to his chagrin.
"Ibelieve you meant daughter. And you're paying for this suit." The starlight corrected, even as she sped towards Zoisite, her elbow locked in a strike aimed for his throat. 'She's fast…faster than before' were the polar lord's thoughts as an elbow propelled by lean muscle plunged deep into his throat, crushing his larynx. Instinctively, his hands flew out in a double handed strike to the starlight's face which slowed Taiki's momentum somewhat but not enough to keep him from being thrown painfully to the other side of the alley, his back slamming into the brick and further winding him.
Taiki paused in her attack, clutching her eyes where the blow mostly landed. "Bastard…" She hissed uncharacteristically, the world pin-wheeling around her momentarily from the vertigo. "She never meant to hurt you Zoisite, but she doesn't love you. Why do you bind her with a memory….a duty one thousand years too late?" Taiki roared, still clutching her stinging eyes. Breathing hard she removed her hands, and stared at the battered shitenno, with reddened eyes the color of the robes chosen by countless descendants of noble blood. Yet despite her pain her eyes were bright, vibrant even, fueled by a love that she was sure was hers to protect…and hers alone.
"Why won't you let her go?" came the question.
Zoisite swallowed visibly testing his wounded throat, his eyes sliding shut as his mind was thrust into the past of his beloved's rejection of him, and the one she now favored. Time seemed to slow for the shitenno of ice as the world melted around him. Only one element of reality remained, only one obstacle, Taiki Kou. The world surged back suddenly and Zoisite's emerald eyes snapped open, unbridled rage written upon his face.
"Would you?" came the answer.
With a mighty roar, the blonde general lunged towards his enemy, his focal point of all his pain, and rage, hands contorted like claws. Taiki's eyes widened as the shitenno snapped and hurtled towards her at an unnatural pace. Just barely, the tall woman shifted to the side avoiding a strike that would have left lasting damage, the attempted blow sending shockwaves of excess ki hurtling into the darkness of the alley. Taiki frowned slightly as she heard a loud crash from where the energy impacted and knew with unwavering certainty that the time for games was over. This was a fight to the death now… a battle for dignity, honor, and the right to protect and love one woman. A woman they would both gladly die for.
"Maker Star Power…MAKE UP!"
"Minako! Don't do this… Minako!" Kunzite pushed his way through the crowd of pedestrians flowing against him, trying to hail his girlfriend who was quickly slipping away. The white haired general reached out towards her rapidly retreating figure, anguish and confusion filling his very being. 'Why is she doing this? Why won't she listen to reason?' The shitenno stopped chasing Minako, the golden haired woman too far gone for him to catch now. Kunzite looked around at the countless faces, as they swarmed around him and then flowed past, like a school of fish and he felt like the outcast. Minako was angry with him, angrier than he'd ever seen her. Though her words had been calm, her eyes flashed with such disgust and loathing, even the thought of it now scalded the pale haired man.
Kunzite had no choice now but to give his lover space, if she did not want to be found, none of his skills would aid him in tracking her down. With a dark sigh, the polar lord began walking, he had no set destination, merely putting one foot in front of another. Yet if it would allow him to escape this overwhelming pain…so be it.
Yaten detested running, almost as much as she detested sweating, mainly because running gave way to sweating. She'd never understood Seiya's fascination with sports; even as children Seiya had been the rough and tumble one, her charisma as well has her fists winning her popularity and many a fight. It confounded her even more so her leader's attachment to her male form, an illusion, nothing more than an empty shell. Their male forms were inferior to their true forms in every way, weaker (they were senshi after all), slower, and Yaten's least favorite, they sweat more. Yet in a world with defined genders, and defined gender roles they had no choice but to adapt, they were after all visitors in a strange land. Yaten had the hardest time with this however.
Gender roles, and genders, it was another thing that made no sense to the starlight. The Kinmoku galaxy evolved without a male gender in all species, and as such the need for such restrictive definitions such as femininity and masculinity had never been established. People were unique, varied and vibrant, free to explore every asset of their personalities without persecution. Even worse were the emotions displayed by these humans, males were angrier, baser, than anything she'd ever encountered, and women were fickle and superficial…at least most of them were. The starlight shook her head, steering away from that trail of thought. Still it made matters of the heart quite complex, love between two people on Kinmoku was seen as such, without any of the coloration by gender that humans seemed to delight in clinging to. Only a man could love a woman and vice versa here, humanity still lived by so base a mating drive, even as they choked the life out of their planet do to overpopulation and abuse of resources.
The starlight sighed, realizing that this line of thought would do little in helping her search for Taiki. The ashen haired starlight had been so lost in thought that when she refocused her empathic powers, she was nearly overwhelmed by an emotional pulse, the feeling actually giving her a mild headache. Without a doubt this was a senshi, but the white noise of the people around her and the shear volume of this senshi's emotions made it nearly impossible for her to tell who it was. Not wanting to leave anything to chance the starlight changed directions, following the echo of emotion to its source.
Yaten pulled up short, slowing to a walk as her search brought her to a park. Oddly enough the park was abandoned and forgotten, and seemed to have been for some time. 'What? Did I read it wrong? Impossible. That pulse was too strong for me to have gone to the wrong place.' Verdant eyes scanned the park, looking for any sign of the source that led her there. What she found staggered her.
Perched in an old swing, golden head resting upon a hand which curled around the swing's chain sat Minako Aino. The face of the goddess of love was hidden in her windblown hair, which leapt and writhed about her dejected form like a living thing, the golden strands beckoning and hypnotic. Her trademark hair bow was clutched in her other hand, its crimson length flapping violently in the wind.
This was not the insanely driven and annoyingly cheerful Minako Aino that Yaten remembered and Yaten's heart tightened in her chest as she continued watching unseen. Silver brows knitted in concern and confusion and Yaten stepped forward compelled by the thickly desolate emotions that hammered at her mind as they radiated from the blonde.
Minako grit her teeth forcing herself not to let her silent tears fall. Though she was disappointed in Kunzite's reaction to her news about her demo tape she somewhat expected it. The shitenno were obsessed with their duty, perhaps in an unconscious effort to undo the damage done as Beryl's slaves. The golden haired senshi sighed softly, she'd never felt so distanced from her lover before, she'd known he disapproved of her pursuit of stardom, but even then she still felt like he 'understood' her. Now she wasn't so sure. 'Maybe I should let go…' As if a physical echo to her thoughts, the ribbon in her had struggled from her grip to be carried off by the wind.
"I believe this is yours…"
Crystalline blue eyes widened and the blonde woman gasped and turned in the swing to see what illusion her grief addled mind sent to torment her. What greeted her eyes was the vision of a man she'd never thought she'd see again. His silver mane was unbound, as if he'd been in a hurry, the thick bangs falling into his jade tinted eyes. Gone was the arrogant set to beautiful features, his face clearer and easier to read, though concern lurked behind his mildly flippant gaze. He had not changed much in height, maybe gaining an inch, but his body seemed more defined despite his disinterest in physical exertion. Gently clutched in delicate fingers was her ribbon, the crimson material winding about his outstretched arm as if it sought to become one with him.
Hesitantly, Minako reached out a hand to this specter, wondering for a moment if her mind had finally cracked under the weight of her destiny. Minako, as the senshi with the most battle experience, save Pluto, was also the one with the most memories. She was truly alone among the sailor senshi, Pluto being far too guarded to be a confidant, not that the elder woman would have been much help anyway. Pluto clung to her duty as if it were an anchor, leaving the blonde senshi to wonder sometimes if Setsuna Meioh were the alter ego, and not Sailor Pluto. Minako herself could not live like that, if she were to be destiny's puppet she would at least be one with a soul. The blonde smiled grimly internally, realizing that was one of the deciding factors that contributed to her somewhat bipolar approach to things.
Returning her mind to the matter at hand, the goddess of love closed the distance to her cherished ribbon, letting out a small gasp as her fingers encountered warm flesh and blood. Eyes widening, Minako slowly rose, her hand sliding into his, the now half forgotten ribbon snaking around her arm as well. Blue eyes fell to their hands at the feeling of the cool fabric, and she was unable to ignore the image it presented. The man remained silent the entire time, allowing the blonde woman to reconcile his sudden appearance. When Minako's eyes met his, the azure depths were blurry with tears.
"…Yaten-san…"
Gentle blue eyes twinkled, as a moan escaped dry lips, and dark eyes blinked open. Blonde hair fluttered as the blue eyed woman stepped back, given her prone patient room to gather her muddled thoughts. Raven hair fell like a dark curtain around pinched features, as Rei Hino rubbed her hands over her face, hunching over as she tried to clear her head.
"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead!"
Rei looked up in confusion, her face clearing as she recognized who spoke to her. "Usagi? What… what are you doing here? What happened to me?" Usagi tilted her head, smiling at her senshi, there was something that struck Rei as odd about the smile, something not quite right. Wordlessly Usagi extended her hand, crystalline eyes twinkling. Rei hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take her sovereign's hand. Usagi easily pulled the other woman to her feet, retaining her grip on Rei's hand even as she pulled the miko so that they were nose to nose.
Rei blushed and tried not to flinch away even as she looked into crystalline eyes confused. "Usagi..?" the blonde merely stared back as if searching for something in Rei's astonished features. Finally the blonde leaned back slightly, the action giving her the appearance of looking down upon the miko even though she was the shorter of the two. "I'm disappointed in you Rei-chan…" Usagi purred finally, her voice tinged with something the miko did not recognize. Rei blinked and shook her sable locks, in part to express her confusion as well as deny whatever accusation Usagi could make. "Usagi…what are you-"
"Did you think I was stupid? That I didn't know your innermost heart?" the blonde questioned, cutting the miko off.
"Usagi..?" Rei tried again, utterly mystified by her princess' words and actions. Usagi frowned, shaking her head sadly at the miko as if she were some wretched creature, barely worthy of pity.
"Oh wait….you did. I've always been baka Usagi to you haven't I Rei-chan? Silly harebrained Usagi, too stupid to ever understand you, great miko-sama." Usagi mocked and accused, her voice uncharacteristically hard and scathing.
Rei gasped softly, Usagi's words cutting into her soul like daggers. It was true that she'd said those things, but had she ever felt an ounce of validity within those hollow words? Never. The miko whispered urgently in her mind, wishing that Usagi could read her thoughts as she now claimed to be able to do. Usagi's cheerful smile was back in place, as she once again bridged the distance between them. "Rei…chan…" the blonde half whimpered, half purred before bringing her lips to cover Rei's own. The miko's mauve eyes widened in shock and then slid closed in pleasure. As soon as it began the kiss ended, and Usagi kissed and nibbled along Rei's neck. Already thrown off kilter by Usagi's conflicting actions, the miko was helpless as she was swept away by her desire. Groaning, her hands reached for Usagi's odangos, deft fingers undoing the hairpins, before burying themselves in golden silk.
Usagi nipped sharply at the miko's neck, causing Rei to gasp and draw back slightly. "Ah ah ah, miko-sama. Patience." Usagi grinned a predator's smile at Rei before drawing back entirely. "Catch me if you can!" Usagi whispered, and then she was gone, lost in the shadows. Intrigued if not entirely confused, Rei stumbled after her sovereign, the darkness swallowing both of their forms. The miko ran blindly for an undetermined amount of time, before she reached her princess. Usagi stood alone in the dark, not facing Rei.
"Betrayer…" the word was rasped out from the very air around them, smothering Rei with its venom. Rei turned around to see who had spoken and gasped at what she had found. "Prince…" This was not Mamoru, but Endyminion, heir of the Earth kingdom and bearer of the kinzuisho, that stood before her, his eyes dark and intent. His searing gaze never leaving Rei, he held out a hand to the side and the miko tried not to flinch as she saw Usagi take it. Usagi was no longer in civilian form, but was now Princess Serenity and she bowed her head demurely towards her lover before looking into his eyes adoringly. As if to punish Rei, Endyminion pulled Serenity to him and clamped his lips over hers, the kiss devoid of love or passion. Rei staggered back, dismayed and slightly horrified at what she saw. Endyminion's eyes were open, almost blank, as he still stared at Rei off to the side. Abruptly he broke the kiss, and turned to face the miko giving her his full attention. "You dare take from me that which is mine?" Endyminion roared, and Rei absently noticed that his voice was different from the one that had originally spoken aloud.
"…Take…? Prince, what are you talking about?" Rei questioned, backing away slowly, her spiritual sense alerting her to danger. In response Endyminion drew his sword, leveling it at her throat, the tip of the blade precious centimeters from piercing tender flesh. Rei leapt backwards, her loyalty to her princess only. She was a member of Serenity's guard, and if the gentle princess felt that she should be punished for loving her in secret then so be it, but she would not die by Endyminion's hand. She ducked a horizontal swipe of the broadsword and reached into the folds of her hakama to pull out her henshin stick. Launching her body into a tight roll she narrowly avoided the steel that slammed into the space she formally occupied. Landing in a crouch, she held up the hand holding the stick and shouted out the incantation.
Mars Crystal Power! MAKE… Urk!
Rei let out a gurgle as she felt a hand quickly close around her throat, and then another clamp around her hand. She looked up and saw Endyminion smirking at her darkly… both of his hands wrapped around the hilt of his broadsword. Confused, Rei glanced off as best she could to the side to get a better view of her attacker. Unruly curly blonde bangs fell into eyes a shade lighter than her own. A large, sharply angled nose tapered of into lips pressed into a grim, thin line. "Jed…Jedite…" The miko managed to croak, and the blonde man nodded, acknowledging her words. The young lord's lavender eyes narrowed and he unceremoniously hauled Rei to her feet, wrenching the hand in his grasp painfully behind her. Plump tears pricked the miko's eyes but she refused to give either of the men the satisfaction of hearing her cry out.
"I'll let you two talk before I pronounce sentence." Endyminion purred, his voice anything but comforting. To give them some semblance of privacy, the Earth prince withdrew his broad sword and plunged it into the ground. Princess Serenity drifted to his side, as the dark haired man folded his hands over the pommel of the sword and rested his chin, obviously amused.
Jadeite ignored his master and turned to Rei his eyes flashing with anger. "Despicable whore! How could you betray me like this? I loved you! You and only you!" the blonde general hissed. Rei clawed at the hand crushing her throat, her vision becoming black around the edges. "Jade…ite…I" The miko's attempts to speak only further enraged the Fire Lord, as he removed the hand around her throat and slapped her hard enough to draw blood. "Shut up! I don't want to hear any of your excuses! The past life has promised you to me you loathsome bitch…and I will not be denied my destiny!" Rei's tanzanite eyes flared at the polar lord's words and she struggled to jerk away. "I'm so… fucking… tired of being told what my life has to be like…according to someone else's design. The past life, my bastard father… I'm sick of it all!" Jadeite sneered and struck her again. "Then why do you fight? Why do you still wear the mantle of Mars?"
"You wouldn't understand…but I fight because I choose to. I fight to protect those that I love. Grandpa, Yuuchiro-kun, the other senshi…"
The miko paused momentarily and her eyes met Serenity's for a moment but rather than comfort she only saw loathing in the princess' crystalline depths. "…for my princess…" she croaked out the final words, a sob caught in her throat. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jadeite's hand rise to strike her again, and she quickly turned and spat a mouthful of blood into his face. "Damn you!" the polar lord roared and he wiped at his face before striking her again. He frowned as he looked upon her battered face with some semblance of concern before sighing and shaking his head. "Pity. I couldn't tame you in this life…but I promise you I will rectify that error in the next…" Rei's eyes widened as he suddenly kissed her, their lips meeting like steel on marble. As they parted Jadeite bit into Rei's lower lip, and this time the miko did cry out in pain. Absently she could hear the metal hiss of Endyminon reclaiming his broadsword from the moist earth.
"Judge her my Master..."
Rei screamed as she felt Jadeite push her towards the waiting prince, three feet of steel aimed towards her belly. The miko's voice abruptly faded into a sickening grunt, as the blade pierced her flesh momentarily, before thrusting through her organs and exiting through her vertebrae. Blood blossomed like the most rare of roses around the entrance and exit wounds as she felt her body impact the hilt of the blade. The miko hunched over her murder, her eyes drawn to the princesses behind him. If she had possessed the strength she would have reached out to her princess, but all she could do was stand there feeling her life draining away as she was suspended by Endyminion's blade. She'd felt this once before, years ago in the middle of the artic, but even then it had been different, because then she had chosen to die… to die for the woman she loved…and apparently had misunderstood.
Her heart shuddered one last time before slamming to a stop, and as the darkness rose up to meet her, she could hear one last voice. "Rei Hino, Bearer of the Fire of Mars. For conspiring to destroy the will of Destiny and claim my bride for yourself, you have been sentenced to death in this life where in the next you shall take your rightful place as the promised of the Shitenno Jadeite…"
"Damnit."
A raven ponytail whipped around violently wrapping around a slender waist before sliding back to its customary place at Seiya's back as the starlight paused in his sprint and turned around. The leader of the starlights did not posses the natural empathy of Yaten or the tactical genius of Taiki and he felt his disadvantage weigh upon him as he searched for his lost sibling. Seiya was charismatic, athletic and determined but without a way to locate Taiki's starseed these attributes were useless to him. To make matters worse he had no idea where Ami lived now and her number was unlisted, so contacting her first was out of the question. The starlight groaned and pulled out his cell phone, hoping that the signal of Maker's star yell was no longer being blocked. "Damnit!" he swore again before snapping the phone shut and shoving the useless device into his coat pocket.
Frowning softly, the starlight resumed his frantic search for his sister but he couldn't shake the feeling of his skin crawling…it was almost as if he was being watched by something…sinister…
Ominous sapphire twinkled in the darkness, the great beast's form invisible to mortal eyes as it watched its prey. No, correction, while not his intended target, this lump of flesh was of particular interest to his master. "Damnit!" Rows of jagged teeth clenched as the curse drifted to the beast, the uncouthness of the word setting the massive abomination on edge. This? This was the creature that dare rival his master? The fool that dared to challenge destiny? The creature looked away momentarily and closed its misshapen eyes, smelling the air for the power of other chosen. If it could have lifted its eyebrows in shock it would have there was another…with the stench of a foreign galaxy and it clashed with one of the Balancers of Earth. It should intercede on their battle as nothing could be allowed to harm a balance but that would mean letting this usurper escape. However if the usurper were harmed She would come to protect its wretched life… and the master could reclaim her.
The beast frowned and shifted on its haunches as it watched the usurper run in pursuit of its vile kin.
'Let it happen?'
'Let it happen.'
AN: Well this chapter can probably be considered the first part of a two parter as I cut it in half. I won't make any promises, as I'm absolutely swamped with work right now… I just got saddled with entering my thesis on Sailor Moon into a collegiate conference by this Tuesday so that on top of my regular work means I will be MIA for a little bit…but wish me luck minna, and I'll get back on this ASAP!