Soon enough they were at school and they went about their studies. Bunny kept drifting off from the teacher's lectures, her thoughts going back to having Marcus' lips pressed against hers. The daydream felt as real as the actual event, warm and tingling, lulling her into a fuzzy world of oblivion... She woke up with a jerk as she felt her head getting ready to have a sharp collision with her desk. She sighed as she struggled to stay awake.
Now that she knew that she had loved Fane in the past, could she really deny the love she felt for Marcus in the present? Was he not the same man, just as she was Serenity too? She felt like she had loved him for an eternity already. The memories of her love with Mamoru were starting to feel like only a minute of time in the span of her life.
She shook her head slightly, a wry smile crossing her face. Ironic. She had tried to escape her life and ran smack dab into her past. She remembered so much, and yet... parts of it were fuzzy.
@~~~~~~
How can there be fuzzy parts, when everything else is crystal clear? Marcus thought in irritation to himself. He knew of Fane and Serenity, and the past they shared together. He even saw Endymion holding the girl he loved more than anything in his arms, and knew without a doubt he was the man who had broke Bunny's heart in this life. And still, a part eluded him. It felt almost as if someone was missing. Some vital part was left uncovered.
He glanced over at Bunny, wondering if she felt the same.
@~~~~~~
"You looked kind of distracted in class," she said as she leaned up against the faithful convertible as they waited for Essence.
"I was thinking," was his reply.
"Me too."
"Did you come to any decisions?"
She smiled at him slyly, deciding to be playful. "Maybe. How about you?"
He sighed and tilted his head upward to look at the sky as he lazily lounged against the car. "Yeah. I think I have. I think that I am glad to know what my past is, and that I am fortunate to have found you again."
Bunny nodded her head. "I agree with those."
Marcus turned to her then. "I also think we were brought back together for a reason. Maybe Endymion was meant to love you in that life. And maybe... maybe I am meant to love you in this one."
Fear and excitement coursed through her at the same time, sending goose bumps dancing on her arms. "What are you saying Marcus?"
Marcus wrapped his arms around her and dipped his face close enough to her that their noses were almost touching. He stared intensely into her eyes. "I'm saying I need you. Want you-"
"Love you." Bunny finished their mutual thought for him.
He grinned with a small chuckle. "Yes. Exactly. I love you," And the rest of his thoughts he conveyed in a deep kiss.
@~~~~~~
"God. This day has sucked," Essence muttered in irritation as she walked to the parking lot. Fell asleep in three classes due to no sleep. Got suspended for the next day after getting into an argument with Mr. Matthews and cussing at him. Not to mention she couldn't make sense of those dreams she was having.
"Damn dreams," she continued to walk, her journal held firmly in her hands. She got ready to growl out another complaint as she raised her gaze from the ground to look ahead of her. She stopped dead in her tracks at what she saw. "Wha-?"
Kissing. They were kissing. His hand was cradling her head of soft brown hair. Her arms were wrapped around his waist. She didn't even notice as the journal dropped from her hand. Emotions flooded through her. Anger. Sorrow. Disappointment. A tear rolled down one of her cheeks as she stood frozen.
"Oh, Fane..."
Losing composure, she turned and bolted in another direction, not caring where it led her. She ran back into nearby abandoned hallway of the school and crumbled to the ground, immersed in her feelings. Her soul felt like a raw wound, screaming out in pain.
"Yes, I feel the energy in you. Truly, you must be the main source of the great power in this area."
Essence looked up, startled, still crying. A woman stood in front of her, clad in a tight bodysuit that was a shade off of being ruby. She had hair of a similar color and eyes a dark jade color. "I'm sorry," Essence started, slightly confused as to why this woman was talking to her. "But I am not feeling alright at the moment. Maybe we can talk later or something Ms. ..."
"The name is Garnet and I think we will talk now."
Her eyes widened as it dawned on her. In an instant she was scrambling to her feet, running in the opposite direction. "Someone help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Must we do this the hard way?" Garnet said as she took off after her.
@~~~~~~
"Someone help!"
The couple pulled apart at the yell.
"That sounded like Essence." Marcus said worriedly.
"Come on," said Bunny, running in the direction of the screams. Dread started to build up inside of her. What were they going to do? She could not summon her powers anymore due to she had left her broach in Japan. They came into the hallway to find Essence and a woman dressed in red struggling on the floor. Essence was screaming, and then the woman hit her, knocking her unconscious. She placed her hands on her chest in a manner that Bunny knew she planned to drain her of her energy. Suddenly the woman was thrown backwards from the younger girl. A purple aura radiated around Essence as she raised off the ground. Her eyes opened as a symbol appeared like purple flames on her forehead.
"Such power," gasped the woman with a mixture of awe and shock.
"Song Essence Cascade!" Essence yelled as she raised her arms as if in a trance. Energy danced on her fingers and suddenly a bolt of purple light was emitted from her. The woman barely dodged the attack as it incinerated the wall a couple of yards behind her.
"Looks like I've underestimated her," Garnet said out loud. She looked at Essence one more time and then spared a glance at Bunny and Marcus. "I will have your power." With that, she disappeared from sight.
Essence floated for a moment longer, still seeming to be in battle mode. Slowly, the glow around her faded and her eyes slipped shut.
"Essence!" Marcus shouted as he reached her just in time to catch her exhausted form as she collapsed into his arms.
She managed to crack her eyes open for a second and looked up at him disoriented. "Fane...?" She asked in a weak whisper before she passed out again, going limp in his arms.
Bunny stared at her, dumbfounded. Everything had just been turned upside down once more.
