Chapter 2 of When The Fire is Red Hot
Rated PG13
By Miaka Hime
Gomen for taking so long to get this chapter out minna-san, it's just that I don't feel very motivated to write this one when I don't get too many reviews, with my crossovers people go crazy and with my Sailor Moon ones no one EVER reads my fanfiction so it's hard to stay focused on writing them but I really like this fic, in fact a friend of mine was flipping through my files and was telling me how much they liked this one, I felt special so I decided to get the next chapter written for you guys. Please remember to review if you want the next chapter out soon.
Disclaimer- I do not own sailor moon, it belongs the talented Naoko-sama and Toei animation and whomever dubs Sailor Moon, I do however own Tanaka and Kiyoshi so no stealing!
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Setsuna was quiet the rest of the evening, it wasn't unusual, but it was unusual that Setsuna wouldn't notice when someone spoke to her. Rei took note of this and decided to question her when the rest of the senshi left, Setsuna liked to stay after meetings and have a cup of green tea with her before leaving so it was likely that Rei could question her on her silence.
By eight o'clock the senshi had left, and as predicted Setsuna stayed behind and went to the kitchen to help Rei make tea. Setsuna was the one who really made the tea now that she knew where things were in the kitchen, Rei just poured the hot liquid into the cups.
"Setsuna-san." Rei said, watching Setsuna as she moved toward a cupboard to take down the cups. "Hai, Rei-san?" She asked starting to heat the water. "Why were you so quiet? I mean, it's not unusual, but you didn't notice when you were spoken too did it have something to do with Tanaka and Kiyoshi-san?" That did it, Setsuna faltered when she said the name of Kiyoshi and Tanaka, for the tea bag she had taken out had dropped to the floor and she stooped down to pick it up. "G-Gomen Rei-san." Setsuna said quickly. "Setsuna, you don't have to call me Rei-san anymore, Rei-chan or Rei is fine, we've known each other for centuries you probably know me better then Usagi-chan and she's my best friend." Setsuna let a smile tug at the corner of her lips. "Now what is wrong? Do you know Tanaka or Kiyoshi-san?" Setsuna's garnet eyes met with Rei's violet ones. "I KNEW them." She whispered. "Were they from somewhere in our past lives?" She asked softly. "Hai, they were very important to me." Setsuna said sadly. It was the first time Rei had ever seen the lonely senshi show a lot of emotion. "Setsuna-chan, who were they?" She asked timidly. "If you don't mind me staying longer then usual I'll revive the memories you seek, while giving you a few of mine." Setsuna said softly. "I don't mind." Rei said. Setsuna smiled and turned off the water. "Let's just skip this for tonight, the memories may take awhile and it will put you in a deep sleep." Setsuna said walking toward Rei's room. Rei nodded and followed Setsuna into her room and laid down as instructed when she had came into the room. Setsuna faded into Sailor Pluto. Pluto took her staff and waved it over Rei and she fell instantly into the deep sleep that Setsuna had told her of.
~* Dream/ Memories *~
Rei walked through the dark corridor. Her deep purple, almost black hair swinging behind her as if it had a life of its own. "Serenity-Hime!" She called angrily. This had been the third time since she'd lost her. Serenity was always getting lost in the great palace that they had been brought to, to learn about fighting. They had already topped their classes, so it was often that the young princess of the moon was found missing when it came to practice.
"Serenity!" She called, this time more angrily. Rei looked to her right into a room and continued to stare as she walked. That was until she walked strait into a hard chest. "I-I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going." She quickly apologized to his feet, for she was blushing to madly to apologize to his face. "It's alright, I wasn't paying attention either, Rei-hime I presume?" His voice was deep and silky smooth and made Rei's knee's buckle. Rei's eyes slowly trailed up his body, from his shiny black boots to his deep blue pants and shirt, along with the silver and green armor, locked with two emerald green eyes and navy blue hair, almost black.
Rei almost fell over, she was already in love with the man, whom she didn't even know.
"Hai, I am Rei-Hime, you may call me Rei though." Rei said softly, her cheeks tinted pink. "I'm Tanaka." He said with a smile.
"Rei-chan!" Rei was snapped out of her daze as she was tackled by a blond haired princess. "I was looking for you! I got lost again, but Mako-chan found me in the gardens." Rei was about to tell Serenity off for interrupting her when she noticed Tanaka had disappeared. "Come on Rei-chan! We've got to get ready for the ball, it's our last one here and I want to look perfect!" Rei shook her head. "I was supposed to help Setsuna, it's her first ball in a long time, she says she wants me to help her with her hair." Serenity's face lit up. "Setsu-chan's coming to the ball tonight? She hasn't been to a ball since my fifth birthday!" Said happily. "Hai, and I'd have Minako do her hair for me, but she's helping Ami-chan." Usagi nodded. "It's ok Rei-chan, I understand." She said with a understanding smile. "I'll find you later at the ball ok?" Rei nodded and Usagi ran off while Rei continued down the hallway and took many twists and turns until she reached a door with the symbol of Pluto on it. Rei rapped softly on the door until she heard Setsuna's soft voice say come in.
Setsuna gave Rei a small smile. Her hair was down from it's usual style and seemed to flow around the senshi of time. "What do you think I should do with it?" She asked softly. "Why don't you wear it like so, only with the ends curled? Serenity's hair does that naturally, but I think it would look nice on you too." Rei said with a smile while she began to heat the curling iron for Setsuna. "That sounds nice." Setsuna said with another smile.
With that said, the two young girls began to get ready until they were finished completely and they met the other princesses out by the entrance of the royal family where Serenity and inner senshi were introduced. Serenity had gotten asked to dance right away along with Minako, but Rei and Setsuna, both exotic looking and a little intimidating weren't, but that didn't keep them from enjoying themselves. Since the others were off dancing the two walked around looking for someone who would be interesting enough for a dance partner.
Rei handed Setsuna a drink of wine and the two sipped daintily from the slender crystal glasses. "I feel so out of place here on Jupiter." Rei said. "Mako-chan is greatly liked though, she seems to be the popular one with the lords and princes here." Setsuna observed. "Hai." Rei agreed. "Excuse me." Interrupted a deep male voice. The two girls turned to the voice and they both swooned, although not noticeably.
"Would you like to dance hime?" The man said to Setsuna, he had long pink tinted hair that was tied back, and amber eyes. He was truly handsome. Setsuna nodded and was taken to the dance floor with the amber eyes man.
Rei sighed, she wasn't going to get to dance with anyone tonight was she? Not more then two seconds after she thought this her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar male voice. "May I have a dance with you hime?" Rei turned to see the man from before, he wore fancier armor, meaning he was a soldier there for duty, he probably would get in trouble if he danced. "Are you allowed too?" She asked before she thought about it. "No, but for you I'll make and acceptation." She smiled and took his hand shyly and they danced slowly to the song that was being played. They continued to dance the entire evening up until the end when another soldier drove him away.
~*~*~*~*
Rei walked tiredly to her room, dancing with the soldier all night had taken its toll on her. She cursed suddenly when she realized she had forgotten to ask his name. They had talked all the night, but she hadn't bothered to ask his name.
She was still cursing herself when she felt hands encircle her waist and she let out a squeal of surprise, but when she turned around she saw the deep emerald eyes of the soldier. She didn't even have time to question him as to why he had done such an intimate thing for his lips were on hers, making her knees feel like jelly and her heart beat so fast she thought it was going to explode.
They pulled apart sadly and she realized she liked the way his hair fell into his eyes. "I'm Tanaka." He said softly before turning and walking swiftly away.
~*~*~*~*
Rei didn't see Tanaka again until she was visiting Pluto, for it was the day of Setsuna's eighteenth birthday party, and she was engaged to Kiyoshi, the man she had met at the ball, he happened to be a general in Jupiter's army.
Rei was surprised when she felt his arms around her waist again, but they had the air of familiarity around them so she didn't jump. She just turned to see his deep green eyes. "Kiyoshi invited me, I may be able to be transferred to the moon soon." She smiled and he kissed her hand that she hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I was hoping you would be interested in learning a few tricks if I get there, I have a few attacks that I could teach you in your senshi form." Rei smiled. "I'd like that."
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Tanaka was transferred to the moon like he had hoped and she learned more about him, like his love for the his home planet, Mars. She learned he was greatly skilled in energy attacks, and only slightly lower then Mars was in physical, he loved to read, he had a short temper like herself, he could fix anything, and he was one of the only people that could calm her when she was angry, and he most of all loved her.
~*~*~*~*
She was looking forward to the ball of Serenity's sixteenth birthday party, for Tanaka had been granted permission to be there. She had spent all day trying to look perfect, trying to find little errors in herself to fix, for she knew he would be staring at her all night.
She groaned when the grandfather clock in her room struck eight, and she quickly stood from her vanity and left for the ballroom, it was too be very informal for the senshi, so she went right in without being announced.
She grinned when she saw Tanaka near the buffet table waiting for her. She ran up, to him and flung her arms around his broad shoulders and buried her head into his clothing. She knew she had been immature, and silly, much like Serenity was when it came to Endymion, the earth prince that she was so smitten with but was not allowed to touch, but she loved his smell and everything about him and she got so excited when he came near her.
"How is my fire today?" He asked, using his nick name for her. She loved it, for it matched her personality and her element. "I'm great now that you're here." She said with a smile. He leaned in for a kiss but it was interrupted by a load crash and the sounds of cackling laughter. "We're under attack! All military to the combat room and ready for battle!" Rei cried out as Tanaka was ripped from her arms, when a higher officer had grabbed him and dragged him toward the combat room.
"Tanaka-chan!" She called out over the crowd. "Go protect the princess!" He called before she lost sight of him. Rei quickly transformed and joined the battle after making sure to lock the princess in a closet where she would be safe. She had flung countless attacks but they were too strong, she was slowly being beaten down, but her will to survive for her love and princess wouldn't let her die without a fight so she tried harder, that was until she felt the pain of her princess and then the bond between them was gone. She almost gave up when another youma attacked but she lashed out at it in anger instead and decided she would do it for Tanaka then.
She had sliced through another youma when she felt the pain seer through her. "Tanaka!" She managed to scream as a dark kingdom soldier imbedded a sword into her stomach. She fell to the ground thinking only of him, until her dying breath.
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Sadness I know! Plus a little corny! I think I may have even rushed it a little, so gomen if it's bad. I may revise this chapter eventually, but until then it'll have to do! Please review!