Another chapter! Yes! Hope all you of enjoy! And by the way…My sister had to upload a few chapter for me because of my inability to get to a computer. She seemed to have skipped a chapter…so the proper chapter is in place. It's called Bones and Skulls. It was rather difficult to get them all straightened out, so if one is out of place, please let me know. And how come nobody mentioned the fight scene? Did you just miss that in chapter 4? Since it was Chapter Five I skipped please let me know if that cleared anything up. Terribly sorry.
~Ravyn~
Disclaimer: Do you really need one?
Ami looked at the wonderful smelling pasta, the same pasta she had been more than thrilled to smell, and it know gave her a sick feeling in her stomach. She had managed to move it around to give the impression of eating, a trick she had learned from babysitting four year olds, and sat there.
And sat there.
And sat there.
Until her mother looked at her in concern and Zach looked like he was going to say something sweet and charming about eating your food. Ami calmly looked up and gave him a look that could freeze hell.
And promptly went back to eating, or not eating, her food. It was one of the most mortifying moments of her life. She could remember the first time she had seen Zoicite, she had been trying to kill Nephrite, succeeding in it actually, and she had prayed never to see her again.
Well it seemed like she was back and in a male body. That was one of the many things that baffled her about him. That and his damn cute smile.
And he flashed it to his absolute benefit. It was quite apparent that he had her mother charmed within an inch of her life. But she, Mercury, genius of the Senshi, was not going to be made a fool of. It would take more than a cute smile and nice butt, NOT that she had looked, to make her loose her guard.
Which was why she was starring at a cold dish of food and wondering how long it would take for her to grab her transformation stick, she would have to ask Rei how she transformed with no voice, and turn into Mercury. And if she could do it without him grabbing her mother.
The angles that they sat at allowed a high prohibition that it would not be possible. Her best bet would be to through the spaghetti sauce at his face, and THEN transform.
Which was probably why she was left speechless when he offered to do the dishes. And when he gave her that incredible wink. She would NOT be gainsaid. She WOULD not fall into the trap that his evil brain had to be thinking up.
It did not matter that he kissed her mothers cheek and thanked her warmly for the food, that he threw her a playful bow, and that he left with no signs of trouble. Not even her mother could change her mind.
Then why was there this unknown feeling of sadness at having him gone, and that the very thought of his lips on her cheek left her slightly breathless?
"He is one ver sweet young man. Cute." Her mother said simply.
Ami watched her go and wondered if she had missed a piece of the puzzle.
~*~
Rei stared moodily into the window that looked out into the grounds of the temple. Her sheets where pooled around her cotton clad body and her expression was darkly angry.
Rei had, in her opinion, the unfortunate luck of being gifted with the ability to see into the future. It was not like Pluto's gift; she had no idea of what she saw or where it fit. But what she saw normally left her screaming into the night.
Rei tucked her chin in between her knees as she starred into the night. This was the first time that she could remember having visions of the past. And the images haunted her more than any that she could remember.
When she had the dream about mistress nine it had been something they could have stopped. It had not worked out that way, been it had been something they could stop.
Even now the images haunted her mind. And there seemed to be nothing she could do to dispel them. It seemed like her very soul had rebelled and there was nothing she could do but sit back and suffer through the ride.
Rei laughed as she was spun around the well-lit room. The man whose arms held her laughed as well. Rei looked up, smiled, and said something softly. A dark blue mask that was the same color as his eyes hid the man's face.
Rei allowed herself to be spun closer.
Rei found herself running, branches tearing at her gown, pulling at her arms and legs, and she desperately knew she was going to be to late. That no matter how far she ran, or how fast, she would never be able to get there.
"WAIT!" Rei screamed, as she hit the clearing. A tall blond man stood there, shadows hiding his face. Rei launched herself into his arms and she sensed other people moving away to give them a few moments alone.
"Don't go." Rei begged, her voice muffled by the shirt he was wearing.
" Listen Firebrand, you know I have no choice." His voice was distant, almost cold, and Rei got the sickening feeling she had already lost him. The arms that held her where loose, as if they had not any
desire to hold her. Rei felt her body tremble.
"Please." Rei begged, her voice breaking. The man moved as if to leave and Rei desperately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her lips were desperate to convey some type of emotion. Anything to make him stay.
Still he did nothing. Rei pulled back, her face shuttering. The man looked at her, and Rei felt her heartbreak. Reaching up Rei touched his face one more time, as if memorizing it.
" Good bye, Rei." He said, his voice cold. Rei felt a single tear, trinkle down her cheek.
"Good bye." Rei watched his back turn. "I love you." Rei whispered. Her voice broken. He stopped as if he had been shot. His body jerked, but Rei did not see it, for she had already turned to head back to where she had come from.
Rei almost screamed when she felt someone turn her around. He stood above her, his face and eyes completely hidden in the shadow of earth.
"Say it again." His voice demanded.
Rei looked at him with large eyes and smiled. " I love you…J" Her words where cut in half as his lips crushed her.
Rei rolled over into her pillows. Her body was trembling from the implications of the nightmares, for her they where nightmares, meant. The man in her dreams reminded her of Jason. And that scared her.
Rei slipped out of bed and grabbed her robe. Heading to the freezer Rei dug for the container of Dutch Chocolate ice cream she kept in there for emergencies. Tonight called for it.
~*~
Minako hummed as she pulled her dull yellow sweats on. One yellow sports bra and a yellow tank top later and she was ready for her morning run. It was a great way to work off steam. Or questions. Which is what she found herself with this morning.
There where several reasons as to why the Generals where sticking around, and the fact that they where concerned about them, the Senshi, that bothered her. She had seen the bonds that linked them to Endymion, so it was not just a question of why they where there anymore…but a what for?
She saw the links and knew what they meant, but her heart refused to believe them. She saw the one that not only bound them to Endymion, but also the ones that bound the Generals to them.
It was slightly ironic at that. How she had always looked for her long lost love, the one that appeared like a knight in shinning armor and saved her. How she believed that she had what Endymion and Serenity had. But when it bit her in the butt and she wanted to run as far as she could as fast as she could.
Right now it was just too dangerous.
"Yes, that's the way it normally goes." A curiously accented voice commented.
Minako spun and felt her jaw drop. If she had been a cartoon character then her eyes would have popped out and her tongue would have rolled on the ground. Luckily, for her, all she did was a wonderful fish out of water look.
"I am sorry if I startled you, but the Boss decided it was time you had something that would help you in this battle." The woman said simply. Her long golden hair was thick and braided. The braid was barley above her knees. " You are one of her favorites I guess." The woman shrugged.
Her face was tilted and delicate and her nose was pert. A long blue shirt stitched in a bright gold thread hung to her knees. Tan breeches folded into dark boots. A long sword in a black worn scabbard hung to her knees. A bow and a group of arrows was sat delicately at her back.
But the most interesting part of her assembly where her ears. They where long and pointed. The word Elves came into her mind. Somehow she knew she was not far off the mark.
"Who are you?" Minako said softly. The face looked, in an odd way, like her.
" A part of you. A part of your past." The woman said simply. Her face was smiling her hundred watt smile, but the golden eyes where not hers. " But not quite."
Minako blinked. " That is most defiantly over my head." The woman laughed, a tinkle bell sound.
" You know more than you think you do, Warrior of Venus. Trust in those feelings and know that no matter what happens, those instincts are correct." The woman pulled the scabbard from her hip.
Handing the scabbard to Minako she smiled. " This is yours by right."
Minako pulled the blade out and looked at it curiously. It fit her hand like an extension of her arm. " What is it?"
" You mean besides a sword?" The woman questioned mirth in her face.
" Well, obviously." Minako grumbled, used to being refereed to a dumb blonde without it being said. She was just not used to it being done by another blonde.
" It is called in my time Glaharandia." The woman said in mirth. Minako blinked and groaned. " You may call her, for it is a her, Glahara." She grinned. " It means Sword crafted of Light, or Sword of Love and Light."
Minako grumbled under her breath. " Not only is it a sword but it's a tongue twisting sword." The woman laughed, and it could have been her imagination, but when a single beam of light hit the sword a yellow fire raced up the blade. It left a buzzing in her arm.
Minako looked up and the woman was gone. Minako looked around and shoved it into her space pocket. People where going to think she belonged in an asylum if they saw her wielding a sword in the middle of a park.
" Okay, from now on, running along the subway. This place is creepy during daylight, I would HATE to be here at night." Minako whispered. Her smile lit up the sky when she felt the damn on her memory break. Looking down at the sword she watched the yellow fire retract.
Looking up and the smiling sunshine she grinned. "Thank you!"
~*~
Makoto measured out flour to make the double layer fudge cake Usagi had asked for, and wrinkled her nose when a cloud of it came up and hit her nose. Makoto turned her head and sneezed.
It was the six-year anniversary of them being together. Or as Minako put it, ' Six years since mini skirts came back into fashion and the Negaverse took a head dive into no mans land.'
Of course they just liked to call it a get together where they all ate themselves sick. And there was an added bonus to the whole thing. This year she was not taking the brute of the food load. And sine they where going to have 4 new people, she needed help.
Which was why she was surprised the Nate had offered to assist her in the food. Not that she minded, but if he made something the Inners did not like, she felt sorry for them. She was still amazed at the amount of food they all could pack. Food bills always went up when one of them was around. Makoto really felt sorry for Mamoru.
Actually Nate was a nice surprise, though she would never admit it to the others. Not a fat chance, a snowball had a better chance in hell.
When she had invited him in for coffee they had sat in silence for many minuets. Until he broke the silence. He had wanted to know what he had done in the Negaverse since his memory of that particular time was hazy.
Then Makoto had been forced to admit that she only remembered what he had done in the silver millenium. That she had not fought him in this life and if he wanted to know he was going to have to ask Rei, Ami or Usagi.
The conversation had gone from their, Makoto pestering him about the Silver Millenium, he answering what he could. Then it had gone to sports, cooking, and everything else. It was several hours later before he left, and then it was with a list of things he could bring to the get together today.
And so she was found icing her cake when the knock on the door had come. He had offered her a ride, since she normally bummed one off Minako and had not been able to locate the girl, and came in.
" It will be a sec Nate." Makoto called. Makoto shoved a stray curl behind her ear. She had hoped to get this done before he came, because she knew she looked at mess. Flower covered bits and pieces of her face, and she knew her apron was COVERED in it.
" Its all right." Nate said walking into the kitchen. His eyes roomed her form and he had to hide a smile over how cute she was. " Everything is pack into ice chests or covered in tin foil."
Makoto grinned at him in friendship. She had a long talk with Usagi, and had come to the conclusion that it was best if she had least try to be friends with them. Although with Nate it was not that hard.
" I am going to let this sit in the fridge for about 15 minuets," Makoto said as she put the masterpiece in the fridge, " And change."
Nate nodded. " Care if I turn the TV on?" He questioned her retreating back.
" Go ahead." Makoto said over her shoulder. Nate smiled to himself and settled down on her comfortably old couch.
A few minutes later Makoto came out in a knee length dark green dress with yellow stitching. Her hair was pulled into a French twist instead of a ponytail and a pair of sandals finished the look.
Nate had to bite back a whistle instead her offered her an honest smile. " You look very nice." He told her softly. Makoto, for the first time in years, had to fight a blush back.
A few minuets later they where in his car, food packed, and music going. Makoto wondered what the other Senshi's reactions where going to be.
~*~
" Does everyone have their orders?" Usagi demanded. Her gaze was sharp as she starred the Generals down. They all nodded crisply and saluted.
" No particle of food she hit the ground marm." Jason said, his shoulders arrow straight.
" The cake shall be guarded," Zach said in a firm voice. His green eyes where sparkling in laughter.
" We shall not allow the evil forces of starvation to corrupt our food supply." Keaton teases, his gray eyes grinning. Usagi barley managed to hold a straight face.
" Twenty lashings for ever piece of food tampered with." Mamaru finished. All four men saluted and marched over to window and waited. As soon as the car was parked, an army of men took over.
In a matter of minutes the food was unloaded and Usagi's precious cake was placed in the fridge for safekeeping.
Jason walked over and grabbed the back of Usagi's hand. " Mission accomplished, fair lady."
Mamoru glared and muttered. " Idiot."
Keaton and Nathan laughed. The sound of another car pulling up came to there ears and they all turned and saw Rei getting out of a car. Waving Rei walked in with her easy grace.
" Why did Chad bring you?" Usagi demanded, surprise on her features. " I thought you where not speaking to him?"
Rei looked at Usagi with a shrug. " Your and Minako's Apartment is a little far to walk, and he offered." Rei shrugged again and hung her jacket up.
Jason landed on the couch in a sulk.
Minako come strolling in a cream colored pair of short and a bright yellow T-shirt. Ami was right behind her mini computer in palm as both women talked about something. Usagi wrinkled her nose and gave Zach and Keaton the thumbs up.
Zach smoothly removed the computer from Ami's fingers and Keaton steered Minako off. " No work today."
Minako opened her mouth to tell him he had changed, but thought better of it.
Usagi looked around the apartment, filled with her best friends and protectors, and a smile graced her lips. " Welcome to the six year anniversary of the finding of the Senshi." Her eyes twinkled. " We are happy to say we have friends now to help share the burden. Welcome to our small group, generals."
Makoto smiled at Nate and Minako punched Keaton lightly in the arm. Rei nodded at Jason, which caused him to grin like a idiot, and Ami hesitantly looked at Zach.
" Now, lets eat!" Usagi demanded. Laughter broke out in the room.
Rei wiped her hands on the napkin she had in her lap and leaned back in contentment. Jokes had been cracked and laughter shared. Maybe these Generals where not so bad as they all had once thought.
Minako looked up suddenly and Rei recognized the look on her face. It was the 'I hate to be serious' one. Rei had the itchy feeling that whatever she was going to share would startle them all.
But Minako said nothing. Just pulled at a huge, glowing, sword.
Nathan summed it up nicely.
" Oh shit."
Okay that's it! Review, Review, and Review! And a shout out to all those who have reviewed. You make my day!
If you want more Sailor moon, got to Waterlilly's Dark night. Its' on my Favorite stories. A very good story bout vampires!