Once Lost, Now Found
Rei-1
PG-13
Serenity Sea
(Serenity_Sea@yahoo.com)
Author's notes: Serenity Sea here. I have the privilege of doing Rei and Ami, so there won't be any notes from my crazy editor Fleur-chan. Yes, you can all breathe sighs of relief, I won't be offended. I don't know if she will, but surely she'll get over it.
DISCLAIMER: Yeaaaah. It's sad. I don't own Sailor Moon. I don't own the generals. And I really don't own the senshi. It's a shame, though. Because Rei could be my older sister or something. That's how much we're alike.
DISTRIBUTION: What, you mean you're actually reading this and you want to put it on your own site? Sure I guess. Make sure you put all of it up, though.
Summary: Co-written with Fleur. Neo-Queen Serenity realizes her inner senshi are lacking and decides to do something about it.
THANKYOU'S/DEDICATIONS: To Fleur and all the readers of my fiction.
Please join the update list and the message board.
Message Board: http://pub64.ezboard.com/bseaofserenity/
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/serenity_sea_updatelist/
Thank you,
Serenity Sea
***
"I was lost,
And you were found…"--Sweet Misery, Michelle Branch
The sun hit the land of Mars hot and hard that day, pushing the records of heat even higher than expected or predicted. It would eventually get so bad that no one would come out of their homes, save the monarch of the planet, Princess Rei; but she was a bit of a loner, and didn't come out of her shrine unless absolutely necessary.
Rumor had it that her temper was nearly unbearable when it got started, and most that entered employment at the temple lasted for a day or two before cracking under the pressure. Then there were the few that were constants—always there, never flinching, no matter what the circumstances; those few frequented the markets weekly… and were talked about for their pains.
Many wondered if the priestess had woven a spell around them to make them stay, or if they were simply invulnerable to her now.
Very few had actually met their princess, and so they had to rely on hearsay and what even they deemed factual. As most things go, when people are ignorant, or lacking knowledge about something, they tend to make up things as they go along. That was why some of the gossip floating around was so outrageous.
More outrageous than that was the fact that the Princess had to know about it… and did nothing to dispute it—even though she was supposedly renowned for her debate skills.
***
Inside a dark, wooden temple, decorated in purple, reds, and gold, the ruler of Mars was behaving very undiplomatically. She nearly paced a hole in the floor before taking definite action again.
The dark-haired woman looked at the paper in her hands, then tossed it out of the shrine window. She muttered a few choice words under her breath and then bellowed, "Demios!"
A small, bird-like woman appeared before her, bowing quickly. "Yes, Rei?" She was a close, trusted friend and confidant of the princess, and had been told many times to use her first name only.
The princess turned priestess cast her probing violet eyes on her. "I asked for a tiny break. The Neo-Queen left for America, so I come to my home planet to rest and all I get are more demands from the senate. And they require these laws to be made on the threat of unseating me from my own throne! I am all but ready to tell them they can have it!"
Demios sighed and placed a hand on Rei's arm. "They just want to get you riled. They want you to be impatient enough to leave on your own—they know that the Neo-Queen would never stand for such a threat."
Even as she spoke, the note outside dissolved into dust, and Rei threw her hands in the air. "Those fools! They used a spell on the note so that I couldn't show it to Serenity!" Her long raven hair swung back and forth as she paced in her agitation. Quite suddenly, she stopped, knowing what she had to do to settle down. "Demios, tell Phobos and the rest of the temple that I am taking the day to devote to reading the fire. Things have been strange ever since Serenity left and I… I need some time to myself before I explode."
The priestess nodded. "Should we keep the employment open for today?"
She was half-about to say no when something triggered her inside. Like a physical jolt, she realized that fate wanted her to keep it open. "That would be fine. I am not to be disturbed." A whirl of her embroidered purple and gold robes signified her sudden departure and she walked down a dark hallway that was all but hidden from view.
When she was gone, Demios put her head in her hands and sat on the temple steps. "Oh, my poor princess. When will things ever get easier for you?" Then she got up to warn the rest of the staff that Lady Rei was not to be disturbed at all for the day; unless it was an urgent message from Crystal Tokyo.
It was only when half the morning had gone by did she realize that Rei was supposed to check in with the other inner planets and now she couldn't. Rei had been right when she'd spoken of a disturbance that followed the Queen's absence. Lately, she'd been paler, more short tempered than usual. Which meant that whatever the disturbance was, was taking more out of her than she'd care to admit.
***
The man wove his way through the crowds, gently pushing and shoving when necessary. The subdued, yet cheerful atmosphere was enough to make him lose the meager breakfast he'd eaten that morning, so he glanced at them with a sort of detached interest, knowing that he would never fit in with them. As usual, his body was working on autopilot, recognizing the need for employment in his somewhat stuporous state.
He walked a ways more, long legs used to covering all distances easily—even those unfamiliar to him—until the path beneath his feet had grown less worn down and more filled with underbrush. Somehow, he knew he had to keep going, and so he did, until he was finally standing in a clearing. In the center of the clearing—some fair distance away—stood a large wooden structure.
The building before him was ornate, but not overly so. It captivated him with its simple beauty and décor. Instantly—as if someone had whispered in his ear—he knew it was a temple. There was something about it—he could explain what—but he was inexplicably drawn to it.
She'd always loved temples.
Wait a second. She? Who the hell was she? And what was this she doing in his head?
He shook his head free of the probing inner questions, and closed his green eyes slowly, as if in pain.
Whoever had brought him back here had done so for a reason. He just had to stay alive long enough to find out what it was.
****
A soft crunching of gravel made her look up to see a young man, with blonde hair and cynical green eyes heading towards her. There was something about him that made her stand up, and take a more protective stance towards the temple. As if he noticed this, and understood her reasoning behind her movement, a corner of his mouth quirked up in a sardonic grin and he approached the shrine steps.
"I understand this shrine is looking for workers?"
Demios struggled to keep her voice from wavering. "Yes, that is correct. Are you inquiring?"
His head tilted to the side, as if considering it, and then he stared directly at her. "Yes. I believe I would enjoy working here."
She pasted a smile on her face. "Well then, come inside and we'll brief you of your duties and see how you do on your first day."
His half-grin turned into a full-fledged smirk. "Wonderful."
And there was something about the way he said it—his tone, his body language; she couldn't put her finger on it—that reminded her so much of Rei it was shocking. Demios realized, with a start, that before Rei had become jaded with politics and fed up with the citizens of the planet she ruled, that her demeanor had been sarcastic and cutting, but not so that you felt alienated. That hadn't happened until now. Perhaps if she ever met this man, that would all change.
With a smile on her face, a true smile, she led the way inside the temple, instantly feeling better about allowing this man among their small group.
Poor Demios didn't know just how right she was.
***
Rei stared harder into the fire. There was a man—a tall man, by any account—with cropped blonde hair in a style much like the King's. (If the King had blonde hair, anyway.) But where the King had deep, comforting blue eyes, the hard green that echoed from their flinty depths assured her that he was anything but.
There was only one man she'd ever encountered in her entire existence with those eyes.
Jaedite.
Suddenly, the fine hairs on the back of her neck rose. She was being watched. She knew it without the temple fire—the feeling of not being alone completely overpowered her senses. Rei turned apprehensively on her mat and faced the object of her reading—in the flesh.
The fiery nature for which she was known took over before a rational thought process could. (Not that the thought process would have turned out differently…) Within a matter of seconds, senshi fuku or no, she had him pinned on the glossy wooden floorboards.
Surprise registered in his eyes a second before she delivered the blow that disabled him, temporarily knocking him out. Determination etched deeply in her face, she rose, barely flinching as she adjusted his weight over her shoulder.
"I don't know how you got here, or even why you're here—but I will tell you this—" as if he could hear her, "—we are going to the palace, where the King and Queen can decide what to do with you. Because—frankly—I've had enough of you from the past millennium to last a lifetime—and then some."
Rei stared grimly at the passed-out man in her arms. And you better not try any more energy tricks this time, mister." His shallow breathing was her only response.
A deep red flared from her position and illuminated the inner sanctum of the temple—and then…
She was gone.
And Jaedite was with her.
***