Sailor Chibi Kamen's Theatre presents:
Destiny Takes A Hand
chapter 4
Dream Attack
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"Rei," Mas whispered, seductively, in her ear. "I love
you. I want every night to be like this, the two of us making
magic. Onegai, tenshihana, marry me? You already wear my ring.
Say you'll be mine and return to the States with me."
Rei twisted round in his arms. She spoke softly. "I love
you, too. Hai, I'll marry you, Toda Masazumi. Demo, I cannot
leave my duties. Will you come to live here, in Juuban? Can
you give up your life as you ask me to do for you? Can you
give everything up for me?"
"Hai. I can, and will." He cupped her face in his hand
and brought his mouth to cover hers.
Flames danced on the ends of the cherry boughs. Somewhere,
a lost soul screamed.
************
The sky filled with an orange glow that gave way to blue.
Birds burst into song, greeting the new day. The cacaphony woke
Ami, who was a light sleeper. She languidly rose from the futon
and walked outside. Raising her arms, she gave an almost
feline stretch, reveling in the sun's warmth after the cool
night. She noted with satisfaction that the lanterns she had
placed by the stairs were still lit. She tied her yukata
before slipping on a pair of sandals.
It's light enough out that the lanterns are no longer
necessary, Ami thought. I should bring them in. Maybe I can
give Rei a head start on her chores as well, she noted as she
surveyed the state of the grounds. There must have been some
wind last night to clear the leaves off of the trees like that.
As Ami got closer she could see that the cherry trees
were lightly scorched, as was the ground under and around
them. From her vantage point she saw two prone figures lying
at the epicenter of the burnt area, seemingly covered with
some black cloth. Ami broke into a sprint, her heart catching
in her throat. As she neared, it became apparent that the
blackness was Rei's hair, covering her and her lover's naked
bodies. The patch of ground beneath them had turned to glass.
Ami blushed, turning back towards the stairs. "Ohayo
gozaimasu, Reichan!" she called loudly as she darted past. She
stifled a giggle when she heard an exclamation that would make
a U. S. Marine blush.
Rei woke with a start upon hearing her name called. She
let loose a string of expletives as she simultaneously realized
who she was with, what they'd done and who had called her name.
She grabbed her blouse, but it crumbled to ash in her fingers.
Startled, she looked around, finally noticing the damage she
had wrought in her inebriated state. Dimly she recalled the
night's events.
Shimatta! What must she think of me? What will *they*
think of me? Rei thought wildly as she searched vainly for
some item of clothing that wasn't burned. Finding nothing, a
desperate idea came to her. She checked on Mas, who was still
fast asleep. She clutched her henshin pen and lifted it high
in the air.
"Mars Power, Make Up!"
The familiar bands of fire surrounded her nude body,
leaving her clad in her sailor fuku. She did not notice the
attention her lightshow had attracted.
The sudden light and subsequent heat woke Mas from his
slumber. He shielded his eyes with his hand to better see
through the fire before him. As he made out the figure within
his eyes widened in surprise and recognition. Reichan...
Sailormars?!?! He watched as she stumbled inside, grabbing
the doorframe for support.
Mas reached for his boxers and watched in horror as they
disintegrated in his hand. He looked around at the charred
trees and a wave of nausea washed over him. Gods! That fire
-- it was real! He looked down at himself, surprised yet
relieved not to find any burns. A yukata came out of nowhere
to land on his head.
The sunlight streamed through the window, hurting Makoto's
eyes though they were still shut. When she opened them she
could just make out Mars' form as she stumbled to her closet.
"Reichan! Daijobu?" Mako rushed to her friend's side, nearly
tripping over Minako and Usagi.
"Hai, Makochan, daijobu. I just had a little...accident."
Rei blushed a deep rose. She crossed to her closet, stepping
on Artemis' tail as he sprawled.
"MrreeOW!!!"
"Gomen, Artemis! Now don't peek, ecchi neko, or I'll fry
your whiskers. Wakarimasu ka?" Rei said as she detransformed
and put on her well- worn pink overalls and a white t-shirt.
She remembered Mina's tales all too well.
The screech woke Minako, who sat up on her elbow. Usagi
stirred in her deep sleep, flopping her arm onto Luna, who
slept at her side. Luna yelped, even as she saw Mars henshin.
"OWWW! Usagi, WAKE UP!"
"Huh? Wha...Luna? Whashappninisblackmoonfamlygin?" Usagi
mumbled sleepily, obviously awakened mid-dream. She turned
over and went back to sleep.
Luna growled in frustration.At the same time, Mako (at
Rei's request) balled up one of her yukata and tossed it
outside, an amused smile on her face. "Ya know, Rei, most
people just smoke a cigarette, not a whole grove of trees."
"Reichan, doushita no? Why did you henshin?" Luna asked,
stretching.
Rei picked up her hairbrush and began the task of
untangling her knee-length tresses. She sighed happily.
"Daijobu, nekochan. I'd rather wait till we're all awake and
together to explain, if you don't mind. It's nothing serious,
ok?"
Mina had been awake and watching quietly. Now she spoke
up from the shadows. "Rei, you've been out all night. You
turned off your communicator. You come in, stumbling, reeking
of alcohol and herb, in your Mars fuku, and you have the gall
to say 'it's nothing serious'?! As senshi leader, I *demand*
to know what happened!"
Rei closed her eyes and hung her head, a look of defeat
on her face. She inhaled deeply and turned to Mina, who was
near the door. She started to speak, but stopped when she saw
the figure who stood in the doorway.
Mas spoke softly, "I, too, would like to know what
happened. . . Sailormars."
Rei's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and fear. She
opened her mouth slightly, then closed it, biting her bottom
lip. Her midnight-sky eyes filled with tears. In her faded
overalls the expression made her look childlike and innocent,
completely unlike the self-assured woman from the previous
night. Seeing her so vulnerable, Masazumi's jade eyes softened.
He crossed the room and enveloped her in his embrace.
Ami entered the room, sliding the door shut behind her.
"Now that we're all here, Lunachan, please wake Usagi,"
Minako said authoritatively. Luna complied by biting Usagi's
hand.
"Yeow! Kuso, what was that for, Luna? It's barely light
out!"
"Gomen, Usagi. We needed you awake as quickly as possible,"
Luna explained. "Something has happened."
Usagi sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Nani?"
Seeing Rei standing in the shadows, her eyes lit up.
"Reichan, I waited up for you 'til nearly 1 am. What in the
name of the moon were you two doing?" She could not see the
pained expression on the miko's face. Usagi rose from the
futon, stretching her arms in front of her, fingers laced. As
she did, she noticed the others' expressions. She got the
feeling that whatever had happened was *very* serious.
Makoto moved to block the door that led to the rest of
the building. Even the cats took defensive stances.
"Mars, talk. Now," Minako stated in a way that made
Usagi's heart leap wildly. She started when she realized that
Mas was standing behind Rei. Waitaminnit! Minachan called
her Mars *in front * of him! Does that mean he knows who she
is? Why?
Rei stood with her hands clasped in front, looking down.
"Hai," she said in a voice that was little more than a whisper.
"I'm not really sure what happened. I guess I wasn't in
complete control, and I lost control of my fire. Gomen,
minna."
Mina snorted in disbelief. "You're *sorry*? That's *it*?!
He *knows* who we are! You fucking whore, don't you ever use
that lump you call a brain?" Her words stung like blows. Rei
broke into tears, collapsing against her lover's legs as her
knees gave out.
Usagi would stand for no more. "Minako, that's enough!"
"Himechan, demo...." Mina was cut off by Usagi's
imperious glare.
"I said *enough*." Usagi knelt at Rei's side. She placed
a finger under her chin and tipped her head up. Rei refused to
meet her gaze.
"Rei'neechan, onegai, look at me," Usagi pled. "Forget
about the rest of them. Talk to *me*. Tell me what happened.
Did Masazumisan hurt you?"
Rei shook her head no.
"Did someone else hurt you?"
Again Rei shook her head.
Usagi's brow furrowed, searching for the right query.
Half-joking, she asked, "Did you hurt someone?"
There was no response, save a muffled sob.
Mako spoke up. "She may have hurt all of us, Usachan.
*He* saw Rei henshin," she said, nodding at Mas.
"Rei, why did you transform? How did he see you?" Usagi
spoke directly to her, seemingly ignoring the others in the
room.
"...clothes got burned..."
"Nan? Wakarimasen, Reichan. Speak up."
Rei sighed deeply. " I said, my fire got out of control
and our clothes got burned. I henshinned because I needed
something to wear. I could have sworn Maschan was asleep...."
" I was," Mas interjected, "until there was a bright light
and I got really hot. At first I thought I was still tripping,
but a robe landed on my head."
Ami interrupted, "What do you mean, 'tripping?' Were you
two taking drugs?"
"Just some acid my cousin gave me," Mas said smoothly.
"Oh, *that's* reassuring," said Mina sarcastically.
Turning to Rei, she asked, "How could you be so irresponsible?
What if we needed you last night? What if Usagichan needed
you? You would have been *useless* if we could 've even
found you! We could have died because of you!"
Rei looked up quickly, her teary eyes backlit with anger.
"What do you want, blood? My head on a pike?!" she screamed
as she rose to her feet. "I *know* I failed in my duty! I
*know* everyone could have died if I'd made a mistake in a
battle that never happened." Her voice became very quiet.
"I know my apology is worthless to you." Her eyes welled up
as she looked around at her friends' disappointed faces.
Then she saw the concerned, forgiving look on Usagi's face
and she burst into tears once more. "Gomen nasai, himechan!"
she choked out between sobs. Hugging herself, she backed
against the wall.
The soft light coming through the window caused something
on Rei's left hand to glitter wildly, catching Ami's ever-
observant eye. "Reichan," she said casually, "is there anything
else you'd like to tell us? Like, what's on your hand?" At
Ami's words minna stopped and focused their attention on Rei.
"Ara, that..." Rei blushed a deep rose. "With all the
excitement I nearly forgot." She held out her hand, proudly
displaying Mas' gift to her. It's been in Maschan's family
for many generations. Since he has no sister, he has given
it to me. We still haven't decided on a date for the wedding,
though."
"NANI?!?!" the girls exclaimed at once.
"But your father..!"
"You hardly know him..!"
"He's a bad influence..!"
". . . . . "
"Minnachan, please!" Rei had to shout to be heard. "I
know this is sudden. Ano, I'm old enough to make my own
decisions. We've known each other for many years, and we love
each other. This isn't to please our parents, or because it
was foretold. This is, simply, two people in love, who want
to spend their lives together, 'til...." She paled, putting
a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened with the realization
of where her little speech was headed. Nausea hit her like a
Mack truck. She ran outside, stifling the urge to scream. Mas
started to go after her, but Usagi laid a restraining hand on
his arm.
Turning to Ami, she said, "Amichan, will you go and talk
to her before she does something rash? I need to talk to Maskun
right now."
Ami nodded and dashed after Rei.
Usagi turned to those left in the room. "Minna, we need
to talk, but now is not the time, ne? Luna, please stay. I may
need your help. The rest of you must leave. Put out the sign."
She referred to the sign which let worshippers know the jinja
was closed to the public.
"Usachan, you don't mean... you can't! You can't tell him!"
Mina was practically shouting.
"You forget yourself, Venus. And he already knows who we
are. He should know what they face."
"Um, excuse me? Would you mind talking *to* me, instead
of *around* me?" Masazumi spoke up, puzzled. "What do you mean,
'what *we* face?' What's still a secret?"
**********
Why? Why? Why?
Rei's mind reeled as she ran through the jinja grounds.
Why does *she* get a love that lasts her lifetime? Why
should *she* be the only one who's happy? Why... am I ...
running...?
She collapsed to her knees on the charred ground and
voiced her question to her Kami.
"WHYYYYYyyyyyyyeeeeeee...." Her cry of despair ended in
choked sobs.
"The senshi were never meant to marry."
Rei henshinned as she spun around, battle ready. She
relaxed her stance when she saw the other senshi. Then the
other woman's words hit her. "What... did... you... say?"
Pluto calmly stood, holding her Time Staff. "I said the
senshi were never meant to marry. It was considered too much
of a distraction."
Mars clenched her jaw. "So, I'm supposed to live a
thousand years in solitude? While Little Miss Moon gets
her man by her side, 'til death? What the *fuck* is up with
that?"
Pluto gave a hollow laugh. "What, indeed. You wanna talk
about solitude? Try living on the coldest planet in the solar
system for a thousand years with no one to talk to but your
memories. You have *no* idea how good you had it!"
Mars flushed with embarassment. "Gomen, Setsunasan. As
usual, I shot my big mouth off without thinking first."
"It's all right, Reisan."
Both women detransformed, Setsuna into a red pantsuit,
Rei into her robes.
Setsuna spoke first. "Rei, we were not *supposed* to
marry. That didn't mean we didn't have lovers. It just meant
we couldn't be open about it.
"Besides, that was then. This is now. You can't spend
your life contemplating what was, or what will be. Just worry
about what is."
"Coming from you, that's almost funny."
"Darn, Hotaruchan said I was improving." She quirked her
mouth in an uncharacteristic grin.
Rei just shook her head, a faint smile playing across her
face. Then she became serious. "Setsuna... out of curiosity...
I mean, I've heard that I was with Jadeite, before he fell
under Beryl's influence, but I just can't remember him back
then. What was he like?"
Setsuna looked shocked. "You really don't remember, do
you? Jadeite was just covering for you two. I knew, but I
wasn't going to say anything. It could have cost me my neck
if Queen Serenity had found out. "
"Found out what? Onegai, tell me!"
There was a quiet cough behind them. "Ohayo gozaimasu,
Setsuna-san. I didn't expect to find you here." Ami bowed.
Setsuna inclined her head. "Ohayo, Amisan. Could you
leave us, please?"
" I could, but I won't. Neither of them needs to know a
long-buried part of the past, especially now."
"Ami!" Rei was livid. "This is something I asked, and I
was about to get an answer! I want to know the truth about
who I was!"
"To quote a recent American movie, 'you can't handle the
truth,' Reichan." Ami leaned her back against a tree and crossed
her arms. "And right now, it would only complicate matters.
Ask me again in another hundred years and I'll tell you."
Rei turned her back on Ami. "Setsunasan, you were saying...?"
"You were 'involved' with Pygmalion, Crown Prince of Earth.
Endymion's older brother."
Rei was stunned, to say the least. As for Ami, she had a
look of mild surprise on her face. This, evidently, was not
the answer she had expected.
"E - e - Endymion had a b - b - brother?!" Rei stammered
in utter disbelief. She suddenly felt faint and leaned against
a tree for support.
Setsuna rolled her eyes. "Hai, of course he had an
*older* brother. Otherwise he could never have married Princess
Serenity. Their marriage was to forge an alliance between the
two kingdoms, not join them."
"And I wasn't Queen of Earth because...?"
Setsuna, exasperated, practically yelled, "Because the
senshi were forbidden to marry, baka! Sheesh! To his credit,
he refused to marry."
"Ya know, I'm starting to think being a senshi wasn't all
that much fun, ne?" Rei smirked as she crossed her arms. "So,
anyway, what did Pygmalion look like?"
Setsuna got stars in her eyes. "Verrrrry handsome. He
was of slender build. He had light green eyes and shoulder
length black hair --"
"-- that he liked to wear loose," Rei finished. "Shimatta!
Fuckin' destiny takes a hand again! I can't even fall in love
on my own!"
"Reichan, *do* you love him? Or are you just in love with
the idea of him?" Ami inquired. "Are you just so desperate for
a man to care about you? How many have there been since Mamoru?
Five? Ten? How many?!"
At Mamoru's name Rei looked up, anguish etched deep into
her face. "Wakarimasu ka? He was my *first*! And the whole time,
he was just using me --" she closed her eyes "-- to get to...
*her*." She whispered the last word, as if trying to keep 'her'
from hearing.
An impenetrable mask visibly fell over Rei's chinadoll
features, turning her face to stone. Her eyes narrowed to slits.
"Ara, gomen, Ami 'chan'," she sneered, her voice dripping with
sarcasm. "I forgot you wouldn't know what that's like, since
it's not in any of your textbooks. You wouldn't know what it
feels like to give a man your most precious gift and have him
walk all over you in return! How *dare* you judge me? You self-
righteous, sanctimonious bitch! Ippatsu yaroze!" Rei stalked
off, changing into a white sweatshirt and red leggings as she
descended the stairs.
Hmm. That's a neat trick. When she calms down I'll have
to ask her how she does it. Finishing her thought, Ami turned
to Setsuna. "I didn't remember Pygmalion until you mentioned
him."
"That's not surprising. All mention of him was forbidden
after his suicide. Ara, you thought.... Iie, I'm not going to
tell either of them about *that*. As you said, neither of them
needs to know right now. Rei's memories of the past will return
eventually." Setsuna henshinned, leaving Pluto in her place.
"Ja mata, Amisan, " she said as a portal swallowed her.
"Sayonara, Plutosan." Ami hesitated a moment before running
back to the jinja's living quarters.
************
"What's still a secret?" Mas repeated after the others
had left the room. "I know Rei is Sailormars. I'm pretty sure
that you're Sailormoon, and that Minasan, Makosan and Amisan
are Venus, Jupiter and Mercury respectively. You all have
magical powers and run around Tokyo in *reeeeally* short
skirts fighting youma. What else is there to tell?"
"There is much more to it than that." Usagi's features
blurred momentarily, then settled into Serenity's. Her crescent
moon glowed. She grasped her brooch in her right hand and put
her left on Masazumi's forehead. "Remember...!"
Mas' mind filled with images of his past, most too quick
to be seen. Some lingered a little longer than the rest ...
a raven haired nymph in his arms as they gracefully danced...
the same woman slipping into his chambers...
her tear-filled onyx eyes as she left his life forever....
"Ra'a." He whispered her name, still familiar to his
lips after so long. "I...remember. She was the youngest of
the Martian royal family, and the senshi of her planet. I was
Pygmalion, heir to Earth's throne. We loved each other. And
we were forbidden to marry. Why?"
"It was forbidden for the senshi to marry. The first
senshi of Jupiter was hurt trying to protect her husband from
a falling tree. Not much fuss was made at the time, but the
princess she guarded was later killed by an enemy whose weakness
was lightning. It was believed that if Jupiter hadn't been
'distracted' by her spouse she would have been there to protect
her ward," Serenity explained.
"There is something else you must know. While you will
age, Rei will not. We will all live well over a thousand years.
I can't tell you why or how, but I can tell you it will be
very hard for her to lose you."
"The decision is hers to make. I doubt she was thinking
very clearly last night when she accepted my proposal. I will
give her a chance to change her mind. I can live with having
the youngest looking wife in the neighborhood, as long as it's
*her*. I never believed in love at first sight...until now."
Ami ran breathlessly into the room where Serenity was
holding conference. "Hime, gomen, but Rei's run off. I may
have said something I shouldn't..." she twiddled her fingers
nervously "...and she *really* got pissed when Pluto told her
that Masazumisan was Prince Pygmalion."
"Pluto told her what? Oh, dear." Kuso! Serenity sighed.
"Maskun, gomen nasai. I'd better go after her."
Ami cleared her throat. "You wouldn't know how she does
that trick with her clothes, would you, Serenity? You know,
changing their form?"
Serenity looked up, startled. "Iie, Amichan, I wouldn't."
Kusooo!!!! She promised me she wouldn't flaunt her powers
like that!!
Her features shifted and Usagi raced outside and down the
steps as if all the hounds of hell were on her heels.
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nothing in this world
can touch the music that i heard
when i woke up this morning
it put the sun into my life
it cut my heartbeat like a knife
it was like no other morning
chorus: i don't belong to no one
but i wanna be with you
i can't be owned by no one
what am i supposed to do
i can't see the sense in you leaving
all i need is your love to believe in
don't look into the sun
it's not for me or anyone
to steal the light out of the sky
is it really such a sin?
cuz if it is then i'll give in
i can't live without your love
(chorus)
for you i will do what i can
but i can't change the way that i am
New Order (anyone remember them?)
vocabulary : doushita no = what's wrong?
everything else is in a previous chapter!
A red curtain covered with lavender roses comes down, closing the Theatre. Ja mata, minna. O daijini.