A few brief but necessary punctuation notes, minna:
" This is Japanese. "
This is a thought.
^ This is Lunar Common, spoken during the Silver Millennium. ^
See you at the bottom for the notes and vocab! ^_-
Sailor Chibi Kamen's Theatre presents:
Destiny Takes A Hand
chapter 7
You're Lost, Little Girl
WARNING: this contains a slightly disturbing depiction of child
abuse. If this disturbs you, gomen. This chapter also contains
the mushiest, most romantic stuff I've ever written. IMHO, I've
outdone myself.
**********************************************************
The small group stared in shock and disbelief. They
knew the figure before them should be, had to be, Rei. Yet
clearly she was not.
"W-what did you say?" Usagi queried in a shaky whisper.
^ Don't you remember me, Ren? ^ the dark-haired woman
asked Usagi in an unfamiliar tongue that only Sailorpluto
would recognize.
"Mataka!" exclaimed Ojiisama. "You can't be here, demon."
The onyx eyes settled on Ojiisama. ^ I am no demon,
grandfather, ^ she spat out in that alien language. ^ You
know that well. ^
Ami tapped on her computer, working to find a linguistic
match in her database. To her surprise, she did. She dropped
her computer in shock.
At the loud clatter minna looked to Ami. Mako was the
first to ask, "Doushita no?"
"She-she-she"
"Spit it out, Ames," Mina piped, "what's up?"
Ami took a deep, centering breath before continuing.
"She's speaking Lunar Common. With a strong Martian accent."
"You mean, we're looking at Sailormars as she was in
the Silver Millennium?"
Ami nodded thoughtfully. "Hai, I think so."
Everyone turned to regard the girl on the bed. She,
in turn, regarded them with an air of amusement, resting her
chin on her hand. After a minute she tapped her index finger
on her lips and smiled. She closed her black eyes.
Usagi was the first to feel the slight tingling at the
base of her skull. "Hey! Anyone else feel that?" The others
responded in the affirmative.
The young woman opened her eyes. "Gomen... na...sai?
^ Is that...? ^ yes, gomen nasai, minna," she spoke in
stilted Japanese. "I forgot you were no longer used to
telepathy. I did not mean to cause you any discomfort; I
merely wished a quick lesson in language and, um, information.
Unfortunately I do not retain many of this body's memories."
Usagi whimpered, eyes wide and tearful. "Rei, yamete.
You're scaring me."
Dark eyes grew hard and piercing. "Don't you *dare* play
the fool with me, Ren. I *know* you."
"Why do you keep calling me that?!" Usagi screamed near-
hysterically.
The strange girl looked at her, puzzled. "It is what
I've always called you...Ren."
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!"
A sadistic smile played across the lips of Usagi's
antagonist. "You always *did* hate that particular nickname."
She stuck out her lip in a fake pout. "And you said you
remembered, my heart."
Serenity's crescent flared a brilliant gold upon her
brow. "Ra'a? Is it truly you?" she asked in awe. "My fire...!"
With a joyous cry the fair Lunar flung herself upon the dark
Martian princess and toppled her off the bed. Serenity's
fingers caressed her most beloved senshi's face. "You look
so different, sister."
The light in Ra'a's eyes faded. She suddenly looked
very old. ^ Exile was hard, sister. Coming back was even harder. ^
Serenity's azure eyes filled with tears. ^ Oh, Ra...
beloved. Had I but known.... ^ She leaned over to kiss the
other girl, who pulled away.
^ That's how we got into trouble, remember? ^
Serenity's eyes misted as she sat up. ^ I do remember,
Ra. Forgive me? ^
^ Always. ^ Ra'a's jet eyes softened. ^ I've missed
you, beloved. ^
Ami cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt this reunion,
but what exactly is going on?"
"Ara, gomen," Ra'a said, blushing slightly. "We're
being horribly rude, Ren."
"I thought you weren't going to call me that anymore?"
Serenity crossed her arms and pouted.
Ra'a's eyes sparkled mischievously. "You prefer 'odango
atama?' "
Ojiisama interrupted, "What have you done with my
granddaughter, witch? Bring her back!" He grabbed Ra'a's wrist.
Ra pulled away. Her dark eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Watch yourself, Ojiichan. I won't warn you again.
"I cannot bring her back. She left of her own volition,
tired and in pain. I took her place, nothing more."
"Took her place?" Minako asked.
"She sits in a corner of her psyche, crying for her lost
prince. She is so blind with rage that she cannot see he is
right in front of her face. Their auras are so similar, it's
no wonder she was confused."
"Now *I'm* confused," Mako said. "Who're 'they?' "
Ra'a looked to Serenity. "You haven't told them yet?"
"Told us what?" demanded Mina.
'tsk tsk' "Ladies," came a baritone voice, "it's rude
to talk of someone behind their back."
Masazumi leaned against the door frame, arms held open.
His green eyes twinkled brightly. ^ Miss me, angelflower? ^
^ Of course, my prince. ^ The raven-haired beauty walked
to her love. As she did, her bandages shed their bloodstains
and rearranged themselves into a none-too-modest dress.
"How the hell do you do that?" Ami yelped.
Ra'a did not answer right away. Instead she put her
arms around her lover's neck and kissed him with the passion
of thousands of lost years. His arms wrapped around her torso
and pulled her as close as possible.
Ojiisama shifted, suddenly uncomfortable in his heavy
robes. Then he blushed crimson, realizing that was, after all,
his granddaughter. He coughed loudly into his hand.
When the couple parted for air, both were flushed. Ra'a
turned in Mas' arms to face Ami. "Telekinesis."
For once, Ami was confused. "Nani?"
Ra'a rolled her eyes impatiently. "You asked how I
changed the gauze into clothing, ne?"
"Kakkoii." Ami twiddled her fingers nervously. "Ano...
do you think you could teach me?"
The Martian smiled and inclined her head in agreement.
"We will try at another time. I am tired, and anxious to get
home."
"Home?" Ojiisama was incredulous. "You don't mean the
jinja?"
"Of course. Where else would I go?" Ra'a asked, puzzled.
Where else *can* I go? I am practically a stranger to these
people and in this land. Before Ojiisama could speak, she
had seen his thoughts. Her eyes filled with tears. "I see. As
unstable as she is...though she could kill you with a thought...
*she* is still your child. And I am an unwelcome stranger."
"That's not it..." the priest began, but he fell silent
when he looked into the Martian's omniscient eyes.
"You can't lie to me, Ojiichan. You're projecting your
thoughts so strongly that it's no effort to read them."
Ra'a hung her beautiful head in a vain attempt to hide her
tears. "Again I am exiled. ^ Farewell, beloved. ^ " She
closed her eyes. Her limp, unconscious body slumped to the
floor.
"Beloved, IIE!" Unaware she had screamed in Japanese,
Serenity ran to her fallen 'sister' and gathered her into her
arms. Crystal tears streamed from her sky-blue eyes as she
cradled the still form. She turned her hate-filled face to
Ojiisama. "What have you done, old man?" she hissed through
clenched teeth.
Masazumi stared at the scene playing itself out at his
feet. An ancient part of him recognized the expression on the
Lunar's face--heartbreak. He had seen just such pain on Ra'a's
face millennia earlier when he'd broken off their relationship.
Makoto was the first at her princess' side. "She really
meant a lot to you, didn't she?" she asked softly, laying a
hand on the blonde's shoulder.
Serenity nodded without looking up. "Ra'a was everything
to me. I loved her more than life itself. Indeed, more than
Endymion. She came to live at the Lunar Palace after her family
was slaughtered in a bloody coup d 'etat. A civil war turned
her planet into a wasteland. The survivors took to living in
underground caverns and lava tubes. We were best friends...
sisters...(quietly) lovers. A crime for which she was exiled
to what was left of her homeworld."
"Demo...I thought Mars died on the moon with the rest
of us, fighting Beryl and Metallia?" Mina asked.
"She did, " Serenity answered." Sailorpluto brought
her...to die."
"I brought her to fulfill her destiny," came the cool,
toneless voice from the corner of the room. "Had she not died
on the moon, she could not have been resurrected."
"That she brought me here should make it clear her
intentions are not malicious," Sailorsaturn said quietly.
"It is good to see you again, Pygmalion," said Pluto.
"I must admit, it is a bit of a surprise."
"For me, too," he replied.
Dr. Mizuno and Ojiisama stared in wide-eyed awe at the
imposing senshi before them. Ojiisama composed himself enough
to interrupt the reunion. "Sumimasen, which of you is Saturn?"
The jet-haired young woman turned to the priest and
bowed quickly. "Atashi."
He did a double-take at the girl's appearance, so similar
in coloring to Rei's. "Can you heal my granddaughter?"
"Wakataimasen. I will try." She knelt next to her
princess. "Hime, you should have kept your oath. Her original
injuries would have been easier for me to heal."
Usagi's azure eyes caught hers, bespeaking a pain from
the depths of her soul. "Onegai, Saturnchan...."
A faraway look came to Saturn's amethyst eyes as she
took Rei's hand. She concentrated for a few unending moments.
A lavender glow enveloped both girls briefly before flickering
and dying. Saturn's eyes focused on Usagi's. "There is nothing
I can do. You healed her physical infirmities, and I cannot
heal mental ones."
"What do you mean?" Ojiisama inquired. "What are you
implying?"
"Nothing that you don't already know." She stood and
faced the green-haired guardian of time. "It is time to take
our leave, Pluto. There is nothing we can do here."
Pluto nodded and opened a portal. "Sayonara, minna."
The two women bowed and slowly faded into the timestream.
"What did Saturn mean by that?" both Mizunos asked simultaneously, turning to Ojiisama.
"Nani? Oh, heh heh..." He put his hand to the back of
his head nervously. "I, eh, haven't the foggiest...."
The others exchanged suspicious looks.
"Out with it, Ojiisama." Makoto's hazel eyes grew hard.
"Heh...out with what?" he feigned.
"The truth."
Six pairs of eyes bored accusingly into the priest's.
Fearful of the price of silence, he finally spoke. "You all
know Rei's mother -- my daughter -- passed away when Rei was
five. You probably heard that she died from pneumonia, or a
weak constitution. Neither is true.
"Psychic abilities run in our family. My daughter had
visions from an early age. In later years she began to see
what she would only describe as armageddon. When I pressed
her for details she would say, 'The Silence is coming, and
*she* will bring it.' " The senshi glanced at one another
in understanding. Ojiisama continued. "The visions became
more violent and frequent during her pregnancy, so she returned
to the jinja, seeking help. I could do nothing except try to
comfort her while the gods she'd abandoned offered her nothing.
I believe it was during this time that she went insane.
"After Rei was born, things changed. For a time the
apocalyptic visions stopped and my daughter seemed truly happy
in her new role as mother. Then one autumn day, when Rei was
four, the family came to visit. I noticed the child hid her
hands from sight. I took her aside on the pretense of giving
her some sweets. When she finally held out her hands they were
covered, front and back, with blisters. I held the treat just
out of reach until she finally confessed, ' 'Kaasan told me
not to play with her pearls. I was bad and didn't listen so
she put my hands in the fire. She said I had to learn respect.' "
Everyone gasped in horror. The old man could no longer
meet their eyes, but he went on. "I confronted her parents
and demanded the truth. While her husband continued to proclaim
their innocence, my daughter went outside to 'have a talk with'
Rei. I could hear her berating the poor girl, but I couldn't
make out what was said. The next thing I heard was a loud
thwack, then another. I ran outside to find the child standing
quietly, head bowed, as her mother rained blow after blow
across her back with a cherry switch. Her eyes looked so
old...." The priest slowly sank to his knees, overcome.
"I could have stopped it once I knew what was happening,
yet I turned a blind eye. I fooled myself into believing it
was their right to discipline her as they saw fit. I left my
granddaughter in that hell until she took matters into her
own hands."
"What do you mean?" Usagi asked, her voice shaky, her
eyes wet with tears for her friend's pain.
"I only know what occurred because I envisioned it in
the fire as it happened. She filled the bath with scalding
water and held Rei in it, face down, 'til she should have
drowned. Some force protected her from death. The same force
shoved the tubful of water down my daughter's throat,
essentially boiling her from the inside. Thankfully, Rei
remembers none of this--" Ojiisama was cut short by a
childish giggle.
Rei sat cross-legged on the floor. Again she giggled.
"She doesn't. But I do. And you're going to wish I diiidn't,"
she sang to the tune of 'See Saw, Margery Daw. ' A flame
formed on her outstretched fingertip.
Ami's tactician mind whirled with the sudden realization
of what was going on. "I'm surprised you two weren't integrated,"
she addressed the other.
Chibi giggled. "There's four of us, actually. By the
way, we don't like being called a whore." She fired at Minako,
who barely dodged in time. "And it's none of your business
who we've slept with, or how many." The blast singed Ami's
sweater, although she was unhurt.
Ojiisama opened his mouth as if to speak, but thought
better of it. Instead he whispered something to Dr. Mizuno,
who nodded and left the room.
Chibi stood and slowly walked to Usagi. "Now, about
Mamoru...for someone who's supposedly our best friend, you've
got a really crappy way of showing it. You didn't even like
him until we were dating him." She grabbed the blonde's chin.
"You thought he was a jerk!" She dug her nails into the
other girl's cheek. "I believe your exact words were, 'You
can waste as much of your time with this creep as you want!' "
Her nails drew blood. Usagi whimpered, her eyes a mixture of
love and fear.
Seemingly from nowhere, Sailorjupiter crashed into the
two, sending both to the ground. Sailorvenus helped her
princess to her feet while Jupiter pinned Chibi to the ground.
Chibi's eyes flashed with crimson flame as she raised her body
temperature. Jupiter clenched and bared her teeth as her
gloves began to smolder. "Reichan, dame yo! I know you're
in there somewhere. For the love of the Gods, yamete!"
"Don't you get it?!" Chibi shrieked. "The firechild is
gone and she's NOT! COMING! BACK!!! "
Jupiter felt the other girl's presence in her head.
"Onegai, don't make me hurt you."
Chibi snorted derisively. "Don't make me laugh." She
pushed harder, trying to break through the blocks in her
opponent's mind.
"Gomen nasai, Rei," Makoto whispered as she summoned
up her power. "Supreme Thunder!"
A feral screech rose from Rei's throat as electricity
surged through her. Her body arched and spasmed uncontrollably
beneath the larger girl. Too late, Jupiter tried to reign in
her attack. The backlash tossed her through the air and into
the far wall, denting it. She lost consciousness and detransformed.
"Makochan!" Usagi screamed. "Reichan! IIE!!!" She
started toward her only to be restrained by Mina and Ami.
"Iie, Usagichan!" Ami told her. "The current is still
going through her. Look...!" As they watched blue-white
lightning ran down Rei's still convulsing frame and snaked
down her limbs. It arced audibly between her body piercings.
Her delicate features contorted in pain as she moaned. Her
makeshift dress fell apart.
Dr. Mizuno reentered the room with her hand concealed
under her coat. Two hulking orderlies followed her. Quickly
surveying the scene, she sent the men out of the room. She
withdrew her hand and placed a hypodermic syringe on the table,
remarking, "I guess we won't need this after all. Good
thinking, Jupitersan."
Jupiter was slowly regaining her faculties and shook
her head to clear the fuzziness. "Nan...?"
"Shock treatment Sailorsenshi style, ne?"
"Self defense." Giving the doctor an odd look Makoto
staggered to her feet.
Slowly, and in great pain, Rei ( once again in control )
rolled over and tried to get to her feet. She failed miserably.
After a third attempt she gave up and collapsed back to the
floor, shivering uncontrollably. A cry of frustration escaped
her lips.
Keenly aware of his beloved's predicament, Masazumi
grabbed a heavy blanket from the small closet and wrapped it
around her balled-up form. His jade eyes held no fear, only
concern for the miko. "Rei, daijobu desu ka?"
Minna held their breath, not knowing who or what now
inhabited their friend's fragile psyche. After a torturous
silence there was a barely audible whisper only Mas could
hear.
"Well, how is she?" Minako prompted.
Mas drew Rei to him, wincing as the remnants of Jupiter's lightning ran through them both. "She'll be fine, I think."
I hope.
"As fine as I've ever been," Rei murmured. Silver
tears glittered on her thick, black lashes. "For what it's
worth, minna, gomen nasai. I'll understand if you all hate me
and never want to talk to me again." Kami know I hate myself
enough for minna.
Usagi knelt and threw her arms around the other girl.
"I can't speak for minna, 'neechan, but I could never hate you.
Especially for something that isn't your fault." Her words
were nearly lost as she buried her face in Rei's shoulder.
As one, the other senshi also knelt and embraced their
friend and teammate, murmuring agreement.
"Hime, how can you say it's not my fault?" Rei stared at
her, incredulous. "Of course it is. If I hadn't been so damn
jealous--oh, Kami, what did I do to you?" Her dark gaze came
to rest on the scratches on Usagi's face.
Usagi waved it aside. "It's nothing. Rei, you've been
your harshest critic and worst enemy for as long as I've known
you. Onegai, let it go. What's done is done. Besides, you've
been hurt much worse." Her azure eyes spoke volumes to her
soulsister.
Rei looked to her grandfather. "Ojiichan, what did you
tell them?" she asked quietly, fearing the answer.
"Only what they needed to know." His vague answer told
her all.
"I would have told them if it were necessary," she said.
"Um, Rei, no offense, but you weren't in any shape to
talk," Mina remarked.
"Reichan no baka. You can always talk to us," Mako
reassured her. "That's what friends are for, ne?"
"Reichan, you can tell us *anything*, no matter what,"
Ami put in her two cents' worth.
Usagi just grinned. "Only you would be so stubborn as
to keep all that in."
"Stubborn?! At least I don't cry every time someone
calls me 'odango atama,' " Rei baited her imouto.
"Nobody calls you 'odango atama,' bakashojo!"
"Takes one to know one, bitch!"
"Slut!"
Thhhhhhhpt....
For once everyone laughed at the childish display,
rather than shaking their heads in disbelief. Mas was puzzled,
having never witnessed a Tongue War, so Ami quickly filled him
in.
Their laughter could be heard in the hallway, where Representative Hino stood in shock, holding a bouquet of
Casablanca lilies. He inhaled deeply, steeling his nerves
before tapping on the door.
At the knock the group turned to see who disrupted them.
The open hatred and disgust on their faces would have frightened
off a lesser man, but...
"You've got some nerve showing your face again," Makoto
hissed as she stood, itching for a fight.
"I came to see my daughter. It is no business of yours."
As he approached the group the other girls rose and formed a
barrier of sorts. He was unable to see past them to the figures
seated on the cool tile floor.
"No, but as her physician, it *is* mine," Dr. Mizuno
stated, "if I feel you are a threat."
"A threat?! I'm a concerned father. My daughter is
dying, and you're all sitting around laughing. I want to see
my daughter." He sensed something had changed and pushed
through the crowd.
A wall of pure force held Rei's father at bay. "I'm not
dying, and I *don't* want to see *you*," she spat out. "I
thought I made that clear the other day."
"Rei, we were both angry--could minna leave? I wish to
speak to my daughter alone."
They stepped aside, giving him a clear view of Rei, but
did not leave the room. Usagi was the last to move, her bluer-
than-blue eyes glaring sheer anger.
He sighed. "So. Rei, we said some things in anger--"
Without looking up Rei held up her hand to silence him.
"As I recall, you backhanded me and I nearly killed you. Then
I said I never wanted to see you again. Get out."
A panicked expression came over Rep. Hino's face as he
found himself being propelled through the open door. He was
just able to turn himself and look at his daughter's face. He
gasped loudly as her features rippled slightly. "What are you?"
he whispered fearfully.
"What you and 'Kaasan never tried to understand." As
she spoke there was a quick flash of gold upon her brow as her
tiara appeared and disappeared in the same instant.
"Demo--"
"Get out before I kill you." Rei's eyes narrowed, and
she slammed the door in his face.
Everyone suddenly looked very pale.
"Reichan?" Usagi asked hesitantly.
"Hai?" Rei turned to face her.
"Just checking." The pigtailed girl smiled lopsidedly.
Dakara, is this what you'll look like from now on?"
"Nani?" The jet-haired girl ran her hand over her face.
Her eyes rolled in exasperation. "It figures. She just *loves*
to screw around with my face, the narcissistic little brat."
She concentrated, and her features returned to those of Hino
Rei, with notable exceptions.
Usagi, being closest, was the first to notice. Her hand
flew to cover her mouth. "Kamisama!"
"Nan?" Curious, Rei wrapped the blanket tighter and got
to her feet. She entered the small bathroom and looked into
the mirror. The sound of breaking glass was heard as her fist
slammed into it.
Mas ran to his love's side. "Doushita no, tensh--" The
pet name died on his lips.
Blood trickled from the lacerations on Rei's fist, still
resting on the shattered mirror, and dripped into the sink
she stood before. What was left of her once luxurious hair
hung dull and matted, hiding her face from sight. The blanket
lay in a heap at her feet where it had fallen. Anguished sobs
wracked her scarred, nude form.
Mas came into the lavatory, closing the door behind him.
He wrapped his arms tightly around the shaking miko. She
collapsed back against his chest, her hair falling back from
her visage.
The left side of Rei's face was a mass of scar tissue.
Her ruptured eyeball remained in its socket, encrusted with
yellowed ooze. Tears glistened on her pale, smooth right cheek.
"I'm a freak."
"Iie, tenshihana." He gently kissed the top of her dark
head. "You are as beautiful as ever."
"Don't lie to me. I'm not completely blind. I look like
one of the bomb survivors, like the pictures they show in
school." She turned away, crossing her arms over her bare
chest.
An idea came to Mas. "I'm not sure how your powers work,
but can't you fix that yourself?"
"Probably, but I deserve worse. I betrayed my princess
and my sisters-in-arms." She wiped the tears with her long
fingers. "This will serve as a reminder of my darker side.
Hopefully I can keep a lid on it from now on."
"You shouldn't 'keep a lid' on your emotions. It isn't
healthy. Neither is martyrdom."
"What do you mean?" She twisted around in his arms.
"Don't keep the scars if you can help it." Their eyes
met and locked, each one's love for the other showing plainly.
"No matter what you decide, I love you for who you are, not
who you were or what you look like." Mas leaned down and
kissed Rei with all his love for her.
There was a soft knock at the door, disrupting the
tender moment. "Rei'neechan? Unlock the door so I can give
you this."
Rei did, and peeked her head out. "Nan, imoutochan?"
Usagi held out a bag full of clothes. "Kumadasan brought
this for you. He's in the waiting room. He muttered something
about not wanting his head ripped off?"
Rei laughed. "Ah, I'd forgotten about that. He caught
me changing after a bath once and I threatened him." She
took the parcel. "Arigato. I'll be out in a minute." The door
closed.
"It's good to hear you laugh, tenshihana," Mas smiled.
"It's good to be able to laugh, love." She returned his
smile with one of her own. "You really don't care what I look
like?"
"Iie, as long as you're comfortable with your looks."
Rei braced her arms on the sink and stared at her
reflection, concentrating. The scars seemed to smooth out and
pale, as if by magic. Except for her eye, she almost looked
like her old self. "Better?"
"Whatever makes you happy, beloved." Mas embraced her
from behind. She clasped his hands in hers, enjoying the feel
of his body against hers, savoring his musky cologne. She felt
safe from the world of pain that had comprised her young life,
and truly loved. It felt like it would last forever.
"Rei, I have to leave tomorrow."
"Nani? Doushite?" She blinked rapidly, trying to hold
back her tears. I knew it! I *am* a freak.
Mas sensed what she was feeling. "It's nothing to do
with you. I have to return to school. The semester is paid
for, and I've got a 3.75 GPA. Mom and Dad will kill me if I
just throw everything away, even for you. I'll transfer here
for the fall semester. I'll even take summer classes if I
have to. Whatever it takes, I will come back to you." He
turned her around to look her straight in the face. "I love
you, tenshihana, and all your little mysteries just make
you more irresistible. I want to spend my lifetime trying
to discover them all. So, I ask you again, now that we're
both thinking clearly and better informed...will you marry
me? Will you make me the happiest man alive?"
"You mean...after all that's happened...you still--"
Rei was cut off as Mas wrapped his arms around her tightly
and pressed his lips to hers. All her fears and doubts
evaporated like mist.
After about a minute he pulled his head back slightly
and looked down on her with his soft green eyes and gentle
smile. "Well?"
"Hai. Kamisama, hai!" Silver tears of joy streamed down
her cheeks.
"Aishiteru, Hino Rei, miko and senshi and princess from
a lost kingdom." Jade met amethyst.
"And I love you, Toda Masazumi, my prince, with all my
heart and soul." She stood on her tiptoes and laced her fingers
behind his head, pulling down slightly.
Two souls, once torn apart and cast adrift in time,
found each other again and kissed.
Two lonely teenagers with interfering parents fell in love.
************
"...and that's the whole story, minna," Usagi finished,
just as the couple emerged from the bathroom. Along with the
others, she turned around at the sound of the door. "I thought
those were destroyed," she commented upon noting Rei's attire.
Rei smirked. "I have--had two pairs of overalls, baka."
"Dakara, you're a prince, ne?" Makoto said to Mas.
Wow, he really looks a lot like my sempai.
"Was, not is," corrected Ami.
"Makochan," Rei gave her a smile sweet enough to give
anyone diabetes, "he looks *nothing* like your sempai.
Wakarimasu ka?"
"eep!" was all Makoto could squeak out as the dreamy look
left her eyes.
Ojiisama cleared his throat, finally attracting Rei's
attention. "Who is this?" He motioned the man who still had
not released her hand.
They walked to Ojiisama and knelt, so as not to tower
over him. "Ojiichan, this is Toda Masazumi...my fiancé," Rei
said quietly.
"Fiancé, eh? I guess this means you're not my little
girl anymore," he replied, his eyes misting.
"Ojiichan no baka. I'll always be your little girl.
*Always.* " She threw her arms around the man she considered
her father. When they separated both had wet trails on their
cheeks.
The priest faced the young man who knelt before him.
"You'd better take good care of my Rei."
"I will," Mas promised, and all could see he meant it.
Simultaneous squeals came from Minako and Usagi. "We
get to be bridesmaids! Sugoi!!" They grabbed hands and danced
in a circle. Everyone laughed.
Mas looked down at his love, nestled in his arms. "Are
they always that excited?"
Rei tipped her head back, her dark eye looking into her
love's light ones. "Just about. You'll get used to it."
"For you, my tenshihana, I could get used to anything."
Rei again looked at her grandfather. "Ojiichan, gomen
nasai. I should have told you I'm Sailormars a while ago."
"There's no need for your apology, Reichan. I knew. The
fire showed me your Arctic battle." Tears came to the old man's
eyes. "I am the one who should apologize. I should have
intervened--"
Rei laid a delicate finger on Ojiisama's lips. "Shh.
*Never* blame yourself. It has been said that what does not
kill us makes us stronger, and I am living proof of that. Let
the past remain in the past." She laid her head on his shoulder.
"Let's go home. It's been a long day."
*************************************************************
you're lost, little girl
you're lost, tell me, who are you?
think that you know what to do
impossible, yes, but it's true
i think that you know what to do, girl
sure that you know what to do
you're lost, little girl
you're lost
The Doors (as if minna didn't already know ^_- )
Vocabulary for the gaijin:
sumimasen = excuse me
atashi = I (informal)
dakara = so (?)
doushite = why
aishiteru = I love you
everything else is in a previous chapter!
Minna, I'm going to get serious for a second. Every day, in this and many other countries, children are abused by a parent, guardian or caretaker. This can be as simple as calling a child stupid, or as horrific as rape, and anywhere in between. If you are a parent, go and give your child a hug and tell her/him how much you love her/him. If you are a child (goddess forbid, but I know some are going to be intrigued by my warning) go and tell your parents how much you love them. Above all, minna, learn from your parent's mistakes and vow never to repeat them. Break the cycle.
One more chapter to go, minna.
" This is Japanese. "
This is a thought.
^ This is Lunar Common, spoken during the Silver Millennium. ^
See you at the bottom for the notes and vocab! ^_-
Sailor Chibi Kamen's Theatre presents:
Destiny Takes A Hand
chapter 7
You're Lost, Little Girl
WARNING: this contains a slightly disturbing depiction of child
abuse. If this disturbs you, gomen. This chapter also contains
the mushiest, most romantic stuff I've ever written. IMHO, I've
outdone myself.
**********************************************************
The small group stared in shock and disbelief. They
knew the figure before them should be, had to be, Rei. Yet
clearly she was not.
"W-what did you say?" Usagi queried in a shaky whisper.
^ Don't you remember me, Ren? ^ the dark-haired woman
asked Usagi in an unfamiliar tongue that only Sailorpluto
would recognize.
"Mataka!" exclaimed Ojiisama. "You can't be here, demon."
The onyx eyes settled on Ojiisama. ^ I am no demon,
grandfather, ^ she spat out in that alien language. ^ You
know that well. ^
Ami tapped on her computer, working to find a linguistic
match in her database. To her surprise, she did. She dropped
her computer in shock.
At the loud clatter minna looked to Ami. Mako was the
first to ask, "Doushita no?"
"She-she-she"
"Spit it out, Ames," Mina piped, "what's up?"
Ami took a deep, centering breath before continuing.
"She's speaking Lunar Common. With a strong Martian accent."
"You mean, we're looking at Sailormars as she was in
the Silver Millennium?"
Ami nodded thoughtfully. "Hai, I think so."
Everyone turned to regard the girl on the bed. She,
in turn, regarded them with an air of amusement, resting her
chin on her hand. After a minute she tapped her index finger
on her lips and smiled. She closed her black eyes.
Usagi was the first to feel the slight tingling at the
base of her skull. "Hey! Anyone else feel that?" The others
responded in the affirmative.
The young woman opened her eyes. "Gomen... na...sai?
^ Is that...? ^ yes, gomen nasai, minna," she spoke in
stilted Japanese. "I forgot you were no longer used to
telepathy. I did not mean to cause you any discomfort; I
merely wished a quick lesson in language and, um, information.
Unfortunately I do not retain many of this body's memories."
Usagi whimpered, eyes wide and tearful. "Rei, yamete.
You're scaring me."
Dark eyes grew hard and piercing. "Don't you *dare* play
the fool with me, Ren. I *know* you."
"Why do you keep calling me that?!" Usagi screamed near-
hysterically.
The strange girl looked at her, puzzled. "It is what
I've always called you...Ren."
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!"
A sadistic smile played across the lips of Usagi's
antagonist. "You always *did* hate that particular nickname."
She stuck out her lip in a fake pout. "And you said you
remembered, my heart."
Serenity's crescent flared a brilliant gold upon her
brow. "Ra'a? Is it truly you?" she asked in awe. "My fire...!"
With a joyous cry the fair Lunar flung herself upon the dark
Martian princess and toppled her off the bed. Serenity's
fingers caressed her most beloved senshi's face. "You look
so different, sister."
The light in Ra'a's eyes faded. She suddenly looked
very old. ^ Exile was hard, sister. Coming back was even harder. ^
Serenity's azure eyes filled with tears. ^ Oh, Ra...
beloved. Had I but known.... ^ She leaned over to kiss the
other girl, who pulled away.
^ That's how we got into trouble, remember? ^
Serenity's eyes misted as she sat up. ^ I do remember,
Ra. Forgive me? ^
^ Always. ^ Ra'a's jet eyes softened. ^ I've missed
you, beloved. ^
Ami cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt this reunion,
but what exactly is going on?"
"Ara, gomen," Ra'a said, blushing slightly. "We're
being horribly rude, Ren."
"I thought you weren't going to call me that anymore?"
Serenity crossed her arms and pouted.
Ra'a's eyes sparkled mischievously. "You prefer 'odango
atama?' "
Ojiisama interrupted, "What have you done with my
granddaughter, witch? Bring her back!" He grabbed Ra'a's wrist.
Ra pulled away. Her dark eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Watch yourself, Ojiichan. I won't warn you again.
"I cannot bring her back. She left of her own volition,
tired and in pain. I took her place, nothing more."
"Took her place?" Minako asked.
"She sits in a corner of her psyche, crying for her lost
prince. She is so blind with rage that she cannot see he is
right in front of her face. Their auras are so similar, it's
no wonder she was confused."
"Now *I'm* confused," Mako said. "Who're 'they?' "
Ra'a looked to Serenity. "You haven't told them yet?"
"Told us what?" demanded Mina.
'tsk tsk' "Ladies," came a baritone voice, "it's rude
to talk of someone behind their back."
Masazumi leaned against the door frame, arms held open.
His green eyes twinkled brightly. ^ Miss me, angelflower? ^
^ Of course, my prince. ^ The raven-haired beauty walked
to her love. As she did, her bandages shed their bloodstains
and rearranged themselves into a none-too-modest dress.
"How the hell do you do that?" Ami yelped.
Ra'a did not answer right away. Instead she put her
arms around her lover's neck and kissed him with the passion
of thousands of lost years. His arms wrapped around her torso
and pulled her as close as possible.
Ojiisama shifted, suddenly uncomfortable in his heavy
robes. Then he blushed crimson, realizing that was, after all,
his granddaughter. He coughed loudly into his hand.
When the couple parted for air, both were flushed. Ra'a
turned in Mas' arms to face Ami. "Telekinesis."
For once, Ami was confused. "Nani?"
Ra'a rolled her eyes impatiently. "You asked how I
changed the gauze into clothing, ne?"
"Kakkoii." Ami twiddled her fingers nervously. "Ano...
do you think you could teach me?"
The Martian smiled and inclined her head in agreement.
"We will try at another time. I am tired, and anxious to get
home."
"Home?" Ojiisama was incredulous. "You don't mean the
jinja?"
"Of course. Where else would I go?" Ra'a asked, puzzled.
Where else *can* I go? I am practically a stranger to these
people and in this land. Before Ojiisama could speak, she
had seen his thoughts. Her eyes filled with tears. "I see. As
unstable as she is...though she could kill you with a thought...
*she* is still your child. And I am an unwelcome stranger."
"That's not it..." the priest began, but he fell silent
when he looked into the Martian's omniscient eyes.
"You can't lie to me, Ojiichan. You're projecting your
thoughts so strongly that it's no effort to read them."
Ra'a hung her beautiful head in a vain attempt to hide her
tears. "Again I am exiled. ^ Farewell, beloved. ^ " She
closed her eyes. Her limp, unconscious body slumped to the
floor.
"Beloved, IIE!" Unaware she had screamed in Japanese,
Serenity ran to her fallen 'sister' and gathered her into her
arms. Crystal tears streamed from her sky-blue eyes as she
cradled the still form. She turned her hate-filled face to
Ojiisama. "What have you done, old man?" she hissed through
clenched teeth.
Masazumi stared at the scene playing itself out at his
feet. An ancient part of him recognized the expression on the
Lunar's face--heartbreak. He had seen just such pain on Ra'a's
face millennia earlier when he'd broken off their relationship.
Makoto was the first at her princess' side. "She really
meant a lot to you, didn't she?" she asked softly, laying a
hand on the blonde's shoulder.
Serenity nodded without looking up. "Ra'a was everything
to me. I loved her more than life itself. Indeed, more than
Endymion. She came to live at the Lunar Palace after her family
was slaughtered in a bloody coup d 'etat. A civil war turned
her planet into a wasteland. The survivors took to living in
underground caverns and lava tubes. We were best friends...
sisters...(quietly) lovers. A crime for which she was exiled
to what was left of her homeworld."
"Demo...I thought Mars died on the moon with the rest
of us, fighting Beryl and Metallia?" Mina asked.
"She did, " Serenity answered." Sailorpluto brought
her...to die."
"I brought her to fulfill her destiny," came the cool,
toneless voice from the corner of the room. "Had she not died
on the moon, she could not have been resurrected."
"That she brought me here should make it clear her
intentions are not malicious," Sailorsaturn said quietly.
"It is good to see you again, Pygmalion," said Pluto.
"I must admit, it is a bit of a surprise."
"For me, too," he replied.
Dr. Mizuno and Ojiisama stared in wide-eyed awe at the
imposing senshi before them. Ojiisama composed himself enough
to interrupt the reunion. "Sumimasen, which of you is Saturn?"
The jet-haired young woman turned to the priest and
bowed quickly. "Atashi."
He did a double-take at the girl's appearance, so similar
in coloring to Rei's. "Can you heal my granddaughter?"
"Wakataimasen. I will try." She knelt next to her
princess. "Hime, you should have kept your oath. Her original
injuries would have been easier for me to heal."
Usagi's azure eyes caught hers, bespeaking a pain from
the depths of her soul. "Onegai, Saturnchan...."
A faraway look came to Saturn's amethyst eyes as she
took Rei's hand. She concentrated for a few unending moments.
A lavender glow enveloped both girls briefly before flickering
and dying. Saturn's eyes focused on Usagi's. "There is nothing
I can do. You healed her physical infirmities, and I cannot
heal mental ones."
"What do you mean?" Ojiisama inquired. "What are you
implying?"
"Nothing that you don't already know." She stood and
faced the green-haired guardian of time. "It is time to take
our leave, Pluto. There is nothing we can do here."
Pluto nodded and opened a portal. "Sayonara, minna."
The two women bowed and slowly faded into the timestream.
"What did Saturn mean by that?" both Mizunos asked simultaneously, turning to Ojiisama.
"Nani? Oh, heh heh..." He put his hand to the back of
his head nervously. "I, eh, haven't the foggiest...."
The others exchanged suspicious looks.
"Out with it, Ojiisama." Makoto's hazel eyes grew hard.
"Heh...out with what?" he feigned.
"The truth."
Six pairs of eyes bored accusingly into the priest's.
Fearful of the price of silence, he finally spoke. "You all
know Rei's mother -- my daughter -- passed away when Rei was
five. You probably heard that she died from pneumonia, or a
weak constitution. Neither is true.
"Psychic abilities run in our family. My daughter had
visions from an early age. In later years she began to see
what she would only describe as armageddon. When I pressed
her for details she would say, 'The Silence is coming, and
*she* will bring it.' " The senshi glanced at one another
in understanding. Ojiisama continued. "The visions became
more violent and frequent during her pregnancy, so she returned
to the jinja, seeking help. I could do nothing except try to
comfort her while the gods she'd abandoned offered her nothing.
I believe it was during this time that she went insane.
"After Rei was born, things changed. For a time the
apocalyptic visions stopped and my daughter seemed truly happy
in her new role as mother. Then one autumn day, when Rei was
four, the family came to visit. I noticed the child hid her
hands from sight. I took her aside on the pretense of giving
her some sweets. When she finally held out her hands they were
covered, front and back, with blisters. I held the treat just
out of reach until she finally confessed, ' 'Kaasan told me
not to play with her pearls. I was bad and didn't listen so
she put my hands in the fire. She said I had to learn respect.' "
Everyone gasped in horror. The old man could no longer
meet their eyes, but he went on. "I confronted her parents
and demanded the truth. While her husband continued to proclaim
their innocence, my daughter went outside to 'have a talk with'
Rei. I could hear her berating the poor girl, but I couldn't
make out what was said. The next thing I heard was a loud
thwack, then another. I ran outside to find the child standing
quietly, head bowed, as her mother rained blow after blow
across her back with a cherry switch. Her eyes looked so
old...." The priest slowly sank to his knees, overcome.
"I could have stopped it once I knew what was happening,
yet I turned a blind eye. I fooled myself into believing it
was their right to discipline her as they saw fit. I left my
granddaughter in that hell until she took matters into her
own hands."
"What do you mean?" Usagi asked, her voice shaky, her
eyes wet with tears for her friend's pain.
"I only know what occurred because I envisioned it in
the fire as it happened. She filled the bath with scalding
water and held Rei in it, face down, 'til she should have
drowned. Some force protected her from death. The same force
shoved the tubful of water down my daughter's throat,
essentially boiling her from the inside. Thankfully, Rei
remembers none of this--" Ojiisama was cut short by a
childish giggle.
Rei sat cross-legged on the floor. Again she giggled.
"She doesn't. But I do. And you're going to wish I diiidn't,"
she sang to the tune of 'See Saw, Margery Daw. ' A flame
formed on her outstretched fingertip.
Ami's tactician mind whirled with the sudden realization
of what was going on. "I'm surprised you two weren't integrated,"
she addressed the other.
Chibi giggled. "There's four of us, actually. By the
way, we don't like being called a whore." She fired at Minako,
who barely dodged in time. "And it's none of your business
who we've slept with, or how many." The blast singed Ami's
sweater, although she was unhurt.
Ojiisama opened his mouth as if to speak, but thought
better of it. Instead he whispered something to Dr. Mizuno,
who nodded and left the room.
Chibi stood and slowly walked to Usagi. "Now, about
Mamoru...for someone who's supposedly our best friend, you've
got a really crappy way of showing it. You didn't even like
him until we were dating him." She grabbed the blonde's chin.
"You thought he was a jerk!" She dug her nails into the
other girl's cheek. "I believe your exact words were, 'You
can waste as much of your time with this creep as you want!' "
Her nails drew blood. Usagi whimpered, her eyes a mixture of
love and fear.
Seemingly from nowhere, Sailorjupiter crashed into the
two, sending both to the ground. Sailorvenus helped her
princess to her feet while Jupiter pinned Chibi to the ground.
Chibi's eyes flashed with crimson flame as she raised her body
temperature. Jupiter clenched and bared her teeth as her
gloves began to smolder. "Reichan, dame yo! I know you're
in there somewhere. For the love of the Gods, yamete!"
"Don't you get it?!" Chibi shrieked. "The firechild is
gone and she's NOT! COMING! BACK!!! "
Jupiter felt the other girl's presence in her head.
"Onegai, don't make me hurt you."
Chibi snorted derisively. "Don't make me laugh." She
pushed harder, trying to break through the blocks in her
opponent's mind.
"Gomen nasai, Rei," Makoto whispered as she summoned
up her power. "Supreme Thunder!"
A feral screech rose from Rei's throat as electricity
surged through her. Her body arched and spasmed uncontrollably
beneath the larger girl. Too late, Jupiter tried to reign in
her attack. The backlash tossed her through the air and into
the far wall, denting it. She lost consciousness and detransformed.
"Makochan!" Usagi screamed. "Reichan! IIE!!!" She
started toward her only to be restrained by Mina and Ami.
"Iie, Usagichan!" Ami told her. "The current is still
going through her. Look...!" As they watched blue-white
lightning ran down Rei's still convulsing frame and snaked
down her limbs. It arced audibly between her body piercings.
Her delicate features contorted in pain as she moaned. Her
makeshift dress fell apart.
Dr. Mizuno reentered the room with her hand concealed
under her coat. Two hulking orderlies followed her. Quickly
surveying the scene, she sent the men out of the room. She
withdrew her hand and placed a hypodermic syringe on the table,
remarking, "I guess we won't need this after all. Good
thinking, Jupitersan."
Jupiter was slowly regaining her faculties and shook
her head to clear the fuzziness. "Nan...?"
"Shock treatment Sailorsenshi style, ne?"
"Self defense." Giving the doctor an odd look Makoto
staggered to her feet.
Slowly, and in great pain, Rei ( once again in control )
rolled over and tried to get to her feet. She failed miserably.
After a third attempt she gave up and collapsed back to the
floor, shivering uncontrollably. A cry of frustration escaped
her lips.
Keenly aware of his beloved's predicament, Masazumi
grabbed a heavy blanket from the small closet and wrapped it
around her balled-up form. His jade eyes held no fear, only
concern for the miko. "Rei, daijobu desu ka?"
Minna held their breath, not knowing who or what now
inhabited their friend's fragile psyche. After a torturous
silence there was a barely audible whisper only Mas could
hear.
"Well, how is she?" Minako prompted.
Mas drew Rei to him, wincing as the remnants of Jupiter's lightning ran through them both. "She'll be fine, I think."
I hope.
"As fine as I've ever been," Rei murmured. Silver
tears glittered on her thick, black lashes. "For what it's
worth, minna, gomen nasai. I'll understand if you all hate me
and never want to talk to me again." Kami know I hate myself
enough for minna.
Usagi knelt and threw her arms around the other girl.
"I can't speak for minna, 'neechan, but I could never hate you.
Especially for something that isn't your fault." Her words
were nearly lost as she buried her face in Rei's shoulder.
As one, the other senshi also knelt and embraced their
friend and teammate, murmuring agreement.
"Hime, how can you say it's not my fault?" Rei stared at
her, incredulous. "Of course it is. If I hadn't been so damn
jealous--oh, Kami, what did I do to you?" Her dark gaze came
to rest on the scratches on Usagi's face.
Usagi waved it aside. "It's nothing. Rei, you've been
your harshest critic and worst enemy for as long as I've known
you. Onegai, let it go. What's done is done. Besides, you've
been hurt much worse." Her azure eyes spoke volumes to her
soulsister.
Rei looked to her grandfather. "Ojiichan, what did you
tell them?" she asked quietly, fearing the answer.
"Only what they needed to know." His vague answer told
her all.
"I would have told them if it were necessary," she said.
"Um, Rei, no offense, but you weren't in any shape to
talk," Mina remarked.
"Reichan no baka. You can always talk to us," Mako
reassured her. "That's what friends are for, ne?"
"Reichan, you can tell us *anything*, no matter what,"
Ami put in her two cents' worth.
Usagi just grinned. "Only you would be so stubborn as
to keep all that in."
"Stubborn?! At least I don't cry every time someone
calls me 'odango atama,' " Rei baited her imouto.
"Nobody calls you 'odango atama,' bakashojo!"
"Takes one to know one, bitch!"
"Slut!"
Thhhhhhhpt....
For once everyone laughed at the childish display,
rather than shaking their heads in disbelief. Mas was puzzled,
having never witnessed a Tongue War, so Ami quickly filled him
in.
Their laughter could be heard in the hallway, where Representative Hino stood in shock, holding a bouquet of
Casablanca lilies. He inhaled deeply, steeling his nerves
before tapping on the door.
At the knock the group turned to see who disrupted them.
The open hatred and disgust on their faces would have frightened
off a lesser man, but...
"You've got some nerve showing your face again," Makoto
hissed as she stood, itching for a fight.
"I came to see my daughter. It is no business of yours."
As he approached the group the other girls rose and formed a
barrier of sorts. He was unable to see past them to the figures
seated on the cool tile floor.
"No, but as her physician, it *is* mine," Dr. Mizuno
stated, "if I feel you are a threat."
"A threat?! I'm a concerned father. My daughter is
dying, and you're all sitting around laughing. I want to see
my daughter." He sensed something had changed and pushed
through the crowd.
A wall of pure force held Rei's father at bay. "I'm not
dying, and I *don't* want to see *you*," she spat out. "I
thought I made that clear the other day."
"Rei, we were both angry--could minna leave? I wish to
speak to my daughter alone."
They stepped aside, giving him a clear view of Rei, but
did not leave the room. Usagi was the last to move, her bluer-
than-blue eyes glaring sheer anger.
He sighed. "So. Rei, we said some things in anger--"
Without looking up Rei held up her hand to silence him.
"As I recall, you backhanded me and I nearly killed you. Then
I said I never wanted to see you again. Get out."
A panicked expression came over Rep. Hino's face as he
found himself being propelled through the open door. He was
just able to turn himself and look at his daughter's face. He
gasped loudly as her features rippled slightly. "What are you?"
he whispered fearfully.
"What you and 'Kaasan never tried to understand." As
she spoke there was a quick flash of gold upon her brow as her
tiara appeared and disappeared in the same instant.
"Demo--"
"Get out before I kill you." Rei's eyes narrowed, and
she slammed the door in his face.
Everyone suddenly looked very pale.
"Reichan?" Usagi asked hesitantly.
"Hai?" Rei turned to face her.
"Just checking." The pigtailed girl smiled lopsidedly.
Dakara, is this what you'll look like from now on?"
"Nani?" The jet-haired girl ran her hand over her face.
Her eyes rolled in exasperation. "It figures. She just *loves*
to screw around with my face, the narcissistic little brat."
She concentrated, and her features returned to those of Hino
Rei, with notable exceptions.
Usagi, being closest, was the first to notice. Her hand
flew to cover her mouth. "Kamisama!"
"Nan?" Curious, Rei wrapped the blanket tighter and got
to her feet. She entered the small bathroom and looked into
the mirror. The sound of breaking glass was heard as her fist
slammed into it.
Mas ran to his love's side. "Doushita no, tensh--" The
pet name died on his lips.
Blood trickled from the lacerations on Rei's fist, still
resting on the shattered mirror, and dripped into the sink
she stood before. What was left of her once luxurious hair
hung dull and matted, hiding her face from sight. The blanket
lay in a heap at her feet where it had fallen. Anguished sobs
wracked her scarred, nude form.
Mas came into the lavatory, closing the door behind him.
He wrapped his arms tightly around the shaking miko. She
collapsed back against his chest, her hair falling back from
her visage.
The left side of Rei's face was a mass of scar tissue.
Her ruptured eyeball remained in its socket, encrusted with
yellowed ooze. Tears glistened on her pale, smooth right cheek.
"I'm a freak."
"Iie, tenshihana." He gently kissed the top of her dark
head. "You are as beautiful as ever."
"Don't lie to me. I'm not completely blind. I look like
one of the bomb survivors, like the pictures they show in
school." She turned away, crossing her arms over her bare
chest.
An idea came to Mas. "I'm not sure how your powers work,
but can't you fix that yourself?"
"Probably, but I deserve worse. I betrayed my princess
and my sisters-in-arms." She wiped the tears with her long
fingers. "This will serve as a reminder of my darker side.
Hopefully I can keep a lid on it from now on."
"You shouldn't 'keep a lid' on your emotions. It isn't
healthy. Neither is martyrdom."
"What do you mean?" She twisted around in his arms.
"Don't keep the scars if you can help it." Their eyes
met and locked, each one's love for the other showing plainly.
"No matter what you decide, I love you for who you are, not
who you were or what you look like." Mas leaned down and
kissed Rei with all his love for her.
There was a soft knock at the door, disrupting the
tender moment. "Rei'neechan? Unlock the door so I can give
you this."
Rei did, and peeked her head out. "Nan, imoutochan?"
Usagi held out a bag full of clothes. "Kumadasan brought
this for you. He's in the waiting room. He muttered something
about not wanting his head ripped off?"
Rei laughed. "Ah, I'd forgotten about that. He caught
me changing after a bath once and I threatened him." She
took the parcel. "Arigato. I'll be out in a minute." The door
closed.
"It's good to hear you laugh, tenshihana," Mas smiled.
"It's good to be able to laugh, love." She returned his
smile with one of her own. "You really don't care what I look
like?"
"Iie, as long as you're comfortable with your looks."
Rei braced her arms on the sink and stared at her
reflection, concentrating. The scars seemed to smooth out and
pale, as if by magic. Except for her eye, she almost looked
like her old self. "Better?"
"Whatever makes you happy, beloved." Mas embraced her
from behind. She clasped his hands in hers, enjoying the feel
of his body against hers, savoring his musky cologne. She felt
safe from the world of pain that had comprised her young life,
and truly loved. It felt like it would last forever.
"Rei, I have to leave tomorrow."
"Nani? Doushite?" She blinked rapidly, trying to hold
back her tears. I knew it! I *am* a freak.
Mas sensed what she was feeling. "It's nothing to do
with you. I have to return to school. The semester is paid
for, and I've got a 3.75 GPA. Mom and Dad will kill me if I
just throw everything away, even for you. I'll transfer here
for the fall semester. I'll even take summer classes if I
have to. Whatever it takes, I will come back to you." He
turned her around to look her straight in the face. "I love
you, tenshihana, and all your little mysteries just make
you more irresistible. I want to spend my lifetime trying
to discover them all. So, I ask you again, now that we're
both thinking clearly and better informed...will you marry
me? Will you make me the happiest man alive?"
"You mean...after all that's happened...you still--"
Rei was cut off as Mas wrapped his arms around her tightly
and pressed his lips to hers. All her fears and doubts
evaporated like mist.
After about a minute he pulled his head back slightly
and looked down on her with his soft green eyes and gentle
smile. "Well?"
"Hai. Kamisama, hai!" Silver tears of joy streamed down
her cheeks.
"Aishiteru, Hino Rei, miko and senshi and princess from
a lost kingdom." Jade met amethyst.
"And I love you, Toda Masazumi, my prince, with all my
heart and soul." She stood on her tiptoes and laced her fingers
behind his head, pulling down slightly.
Two souls, once torn apart and cast adrift in time,
found each other again and kissed.
Two lonely teenagers with interfering parents fell in love.
************
"...and that's the whole story, minna," Usagi finished,
just as the couple emerged from the bathroom. Along with the
others, she turned around at the sound of the door. "I thought
those were destroyed," she commented upon noting Rei's attire.
Rei smirked. "I have--had two pairs of overalls, baka."
"Dakara, you're a prince, ne?" Makoto said to Mas.
Wow, he really looks a lot like my sempai.
"Was, not is," corrected Ami.
"Makochan," Rei gave her a smile sweet enough to give
anyone diabetes, "he looks *nothing* like your sempai.
Wakarimasu ka?"
"eep!" was all Makoto could squeak out as the dreamy look
left her eyes.
Ojiisama cleared his throat, finally attracting Rei's
attention. "Who is this?" He motioned the man who still had
not released her hand.
They walked to Ojiisama and knelt, so as not to tower
over him. "Ojiichan, this is Toda Masazumi...my fiancé," Rei
said quietly.
"Fiancé, eh? I guess this means you're not my little
girl anymore," he replied, his eyes misting.
"Ojiichan no baka. I'll always be your little girl.
*Always.* " She threw her arms around the man she considered
her father. When they separated both had wet trails on their
cheeks.
The priest faced the young man who knelt before him.
"You'd better take good care of my Rei."
"I will," Mas promised, and all could see he meant it.
Simultaneous squeals came from Minako and Usagi. "We
get to be bridesmaids! Sugoi!!" They grabbed hands and danced
in a circle. Everyone laughed.
Mas looked down at his love, nestled in his arms. "Are
they always that excited?"
Rei tipped her head back, her dark eye looking into her
love's light ones. "Just about. You'll get used to it."
"For you, my tenshihana, I could get used to anything."
Rei again looked at her grandfather. "Ojiichan, gomen
nasai. I should have told you I'm Sailormars a while ago."
"There's no need for your apology, Reichan. I knew. The
fire showed me your Arctic battle." Tears came to the old man's
eyes. "I am the one who should apologize. I should have
intervened--"
Rei laid a delicate finger on Ojiisama's lips. "Shh.
*Never* blame yourself. It has been said that what does not
kill us makes us stronger, and I am living proof of that. Let
the past remain in the past." She laid her head on his shoulder.
"Let's go home. It's been a long day."
*************************************************************
you're lost, little girl
you're lost, tell me, who are you?
think that you know what to do
impossible, yes, but it's true
i think that you know what to do, girl
sure that you know what to do
you're lost, little girl
you're lost
The Doors (as if minna didn't already know ^_- )
Vocabulary for the gaijin:
sumimasen = excuse me
atashi = I (informal)
dakara = so (?)
doushite = why
aishiteru = I love you
everything else is in a previous chapter!
Minna, I'm going to get serious for a second. Every day, in this and many other countries, children are abused by a parent, guardian or caretaker. This can be as simple as calling a child stupid, or as horrific as rape, and anywhere in between. If you are a parent, go and give your child a hug and tell her/him how much you love her/him. If you are a child (goddess forbid, but I know some are going to be intrigued by my warning) go and tell your parents how much you love them. Above all, minna, learn from your parent's mistakes and vow never to repeat them. Break the cycle.
One more chapter to go, minna.