Usagi stared straight at me, not even blinking. At that very moment, it was hard to tell whether or not she was accusing and threatening of being a witch, or she was just remarking.
"You're a witch?" Makoto echoed from behind Usagi, attempting to get up from that incredible blow from the bear. "I would've never known.."
"That's the way I was planning on keeping it," I mumbled to myself, praying that they wouldn't go rat on me.
"When.. I mean, how.. did you become a witch?" Ami inquired, walking up to my slowly.
"It's weird, actually," I started, in a rather solemn tone of voice. "Ever since I was a child, I've always had this feeling within me. I feel a fiery sensation from it, and I can't deny it. When I consult the fires, all it reads is 'Mars'. I have absolutely no idea what it means, but I think it's something to do with a reincarnation in the future."
"Reincarnation?" Minako repeated. "What does that mean?"
"It's when someone is reborn," Ami answered quickly, proud that she knew.
I looked one by one at the girls, and I was quite surprised. They were all almost scared of me. Not even one of them was within an arm's reach. I'm sure they thought that I changed into an entirely different person. The thought scared me. Would they not want to be around me anymore, since they found this out?
Usagi leaped into my arms and hugged me. I was startled, and slowly embraced her. "Oh thank God, Rei. You've come to save us from danger, I just know it. If it wasn't for you.. Well.. we all would've died just now for sure." She sobbed, clutching onto me with her life.
The girls smiled and nodded in agreement, all slowly, one by one, accepting that I was different from them. Still, for some reason, I felt as if they had a power similiar to mine, deep and hidden inside..
- - - -"I wonder what that creature even was," Ami murmured, as we sat on the steps of Usagi's house. "It surely wasn't real, was it?"
Minako placed her chin in her hands in thought. "Did you see the eyes? It was glowing red.."
Makoto nodded sternly, commenting, "I don't like it. I have a strange feeling that's not the last we're going to see of its kind."
Usagi whimpered, saying, "I don't like the sound of this.. I don't want any of you to get hurt again."
"I won't let it happen," I hastily replied, patting my pouch full of powder. "Not if I can help it."
Minako poked at my pouch curiously, mumbling, "What is that stuff anyways, Rei?"
I chuckled, as I grabbed a bit of it in my hands to show the girls. "It's harmay. A special powder that was given to me by the fires."
"By the fires?" Makoto repeated, with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes," I said, as I carefully placed the powder back into the pouch. "Sometimes, when I'm in intense concentration, instead of burning ashes, the fire burns this. At first, I didn't really know what to do with it, but it all just comes naturally."
"Does Lady Hino know?" Usagi inquired, looking at me with sympathetic eyes.
I glared at the thought of my mother, and shook my head. "If she was to find out that I practice magic, she'll probably be the first one to turn me in, anyways."
The girls exchanged uncomfortable glances, as they all knew that I wasn't on good terms with my mother. When they first met her, they wouldn't believe that she was harsh with me. But when they came over one time, and my mother thought they weren't looking, she whipped the back of my hand, because I had disobeyed her demands.
"Well, we'll be your fighters, Rei!" Makoto shouted happily. Everyone, including myself, looked at her oddly as she stood up from the steps. "Your backup, your comrads, your whatever you want us to bes! If there's trouble in sight, we'll make sure that you aren't hurt!"
And somewhere off in a dark and eerie land, a woman narrowed her eyes. She held a crystal ball in her hands, as she watched Makoto's speech. A sneer appeared on her face, and she snickered.
