Tearing Me Apart
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing, they are owned by their respected creators. Also I must give kudos to Comet (thanks for the Rei/Wufei idea! ^_^), Moulin Rouge (love that movie!) and also to whomever came up with the idea of Wufei's past! ^_- Thanks everyone!
Wufei/Rei: 19
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Throughout the L5 colony peace was reigning. The war had ended three years ago and people began moving on with their lives, starting new families, opening old businesses and living in complete harmony with one another. Yet a dark cloud loomed above their heads, a force to be reckoned with which would bring the misfortune and pain back to many. This killer was both silent and stealthy but a clamorous killer as people would cry out in pain as it came upon their door. This plague would hit one person harder then anyone and make him relive all the pains and regrets he had almost forgotten.
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A dark haired warrior was in a temple garden sparring with himself. He kicked fiercely into the air as sweat fell down his callous face. He stopped for a moment and he spotted a gray headstone not far from him, which made him kick and punch the air just as hard. Just as he jumped in the air to make a roundhouse kick an elderly man came up to him.
"Wufei-san, you've been practicing much to hard. Please follow me I would like to have a talk with you." Wufei quickly caught his breath and bowed to the man and followed the aged man.
Just as Wufei entered the old shrine, which he gratefully called his home, he spotted a young woman who seemed to be his age. Their eyes transiently connected for a moment when she disappeared down a hallway. He quickly dismissed her as a maid and thought no more of it.
Wufei and Hiang-sama entered a musty room that Hiang-sama constantly came into for prayer and meditation.
"You wanted to see my about something Master?" Wufei sat down obediently in front of him.
"Yes I did Wufei-san. Did you happen to see the young woman in the hallway?"
"That I did Master." Wufei was beginning to wonder where all this was going.
"And?" The man looked up into Wufei's ebony eyes, since Wufei had grown quite a bit since the war.
"She looked rather displeased and stubborn, but I won't judge she doesn't matter to me." Wufei replied in a rather cold tone.
"Well she is my great niece. She just arrived here last night because her mother and husband-to-be had just recently passed away from a grave illness. And her father is much to involved in business affairs to care for her so I agreed to take her in since she is the last of my family line." The old man took out an envelope and placed it in front of Wufei. Wufei just stared at it a moment wondering what was inside.
"Read it Wufei." Passively Wufei took the letter and opened it to find a small letter inside.
Dear Hiang-sama,
I hope I'm not infringing on you but I am no longer able to provide for my daughter. Since the passing of my wife, your daughter, I have been unable to even look at her because she resembles her so much. It's such a great burden I ask of you but I beg of you to hear me. I would be eternally grateful if you would take her in, I will pay for all her accommodations, so she could live in a more stable environment.
Your Son-in-law,
Fuushigata Hiang
P.S. If it would be possible would you be able to find a good strong young man to care for her. I have the hopes that if she finds another husband it will help her heal the wounds of her lost one.
As Wufei finished he finally realized what Hiang-sama was asking of him.
"I would be honored if a man as virtuous as you were to marry her. I know she would be in good hands." Wufei looked at him with an undecipherable look.
"Master you have cared for me for over three years and been very good to me." Wufei couldn't look in his Masters' eyes, ashamed he was disobeying him.
"But you won't marry her will you?" The master had a very displeased look.
"I would marry her if only to please you Hiang-sama." The old man finally gave a look of approval by smiling.
"If you would excuse me." Wufei bowed to him, got up and left.
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Wufei walked into his favorite area of the Temple, the training room. As he closed the door he saw someone else in the room at the opposite end practicing with a katana. It was his now bride-to-be, he finally got a glimpse of her. Ivory skin, dark hair which seemed to change to purple when in the right light, and amethyst eyes.
Wufei grunted and refused to look at her as she finally acknowledged his presence.
"Who are you?" She questioned dubiously.
"None of your business woman." He went to leave when she retorted very defiantly.
"Actually it is since my great uncle owns this temple so don't give me that attitude you bigot!"
Wufei stopped dead in his tracks and turned toward her with a vicious look.
"You should watch your tongue woman because in my tradition when a woman speaks up against a man she will be flouted so watch your mouth."
"Well you're not much of a man if you have to beat someone to get your point across!" That did it for Wufei, he simply could not tolerate insolence, if he was to marry this woman she would have to have her pride softened. He rose his hand at her but stopped when images of his previous wife flashed by his eyes. She was so much like her!
"Obviously you don't know who your talking to so I suggest you go talk to your uncle before you do something you'll regret." He sternly walked out of the room and she soon left afterwards to speak to her uncle.
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Wufei was now back outside looking up at the artificial lights of the colony. 'How do I always end up in situations like this?! Dammit!' He bitterly wondered when his thoughts turned to the shouts he heard coming from inside the temple.
'She must have spoken with her uncle.' Just then the door behind him flung upon to reveal a fuming Rei. Upon spotting him she grunted and became even more enraged by his very presence.
"You! So you're the one I'm to marry!" She balled her fists to the point where her knuckles turned white.
"You think I wanted this?" He rebuked her.
"You agreed to it!" She shouted.
"I only agreed to it because your uncle would have punished me for being disobedient! I had no choice I have to obey my elders!" This only angered Rei further, she didn't want to be married to an old-fashioned man!
"I refuse to go through with this especially without my consent!" She punched the side of the wall to release some of her fury.
"Your father was the one who wished it of you so as to replace your deceased husband-to-be and your uncle just chose me because I'm his top pupil." He turned away from her face, unable to accept the fact that he was betraying his deceased wife by marrying another.
"Don't you dare say anything about him! We had a love, which could be rivaled by no other and he actually respected me! If you ever say anything against him again I will make you regret it! But a chauvinistic jerk like you wouldn't understand!" She finally couldn't take anymore and stormed off most likely to the training room to release her anger.
'Women!'
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It was a bright new day, like all the others, and Wufei had just gotten up to take a shower when he ran into Rei on the way. The moment they saw each other Rei grunted and began walk off in the opposite direction.
"You know avoiding me isn't going to make this go away." But Wufei's caveat fell on deaf ears for she kept on walking.
"Tch." He walked into the bathroom without saying another word.
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Wufei was walking outside to begin his daily training lesson with Hiang-sama when he saw his bride-to-be out there talking with him. It seemed like an argument to him so he decided not to get in the middle of their feud.
"Wufei-san there you are!" Hiang finally caught a glimpse of the black dragon, "Come here!" Of course he complied with his teacher's request.
"Rei I do not want to hear of this matter further, go inside and make yourself useful. Let the dressmaker's fit you for your dress." He replied to her blatant insubordination. Her groans were quite audible to the both of them, which gained her a hit on her arm. She gave Wufei one last glare before leaving them both alone.
"She's a live fire I must admit." He cleaned his glasses, "But that's probably because her parents spoiled her rotten." Wufei let the corners of his mouth curve up, but it was not a smirk.
"Yes and Wufei I would like to cancel our training for today." Wufei looked down at him rather surprised.
"Why master?"
"I've just been feeling rather fatigued lately, what with everything that's been going on, and I hardly have the energy for any exercise." He sighed heavily as if out of breath.
"Are you all right Master?" Wufei was becoming concerned about his health, he always had more strength than even the men in their 20s.
"Fine, fine Wufei-san." Wufei then noticed sweat running down his face and it wasn't that hot, "Besides I think you should spend some time with Rei before you two are wed. Excuse me." Wufei bowed, as always, whenever his master would leave him.
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Wufei heard bickering behind a closed screen and knew instantly that it was Rei. Sliding the screen door open his suspicions were confirmed. There she was being fitted by several other woman who were fighting since she wouldn't let them touch her.
"You are the most disobedient wife I've ever met." He closed the door behind him as she gave him a defiant look.
"And you are the most vitriolic husband I've ever met." She glared at him but he remained totally impassive.
"You're glaring isn't going to help you any." Wufei then averted his gaze towards the dressmakers, "Do you need help?" The women nodded their heads ever so slightly as if embarrassed.
"If you even attempt to touch me I'll-"
"You'll what?" He cut her off giving her a very frightening stare. She just huffed and refused to look at him. Wufei grabbed the measuring tape from the dressmaker, a little roughly, and then reached out for Rei's waistline but she immediately smacked him away.
"Don't even think about it slick."
"Do you honestly think I would want to touch you? I just want to make you learn that you should listen to what I say, wives should obey their husbands!" Finally Rei couldn't stand it and she flung her hand out to him and slapped him across his face, he didn't even flinch. Just as he was about to retaliate another young pupil ran into the fitting room in a big rush.
"Wufei-san, Rei-san! It's Hiang-sama! He's collapsed!" The young boy said out of breath.
"What?" They said in unison as they both hurried out of the room towards Hiang's room.
When Rei opened the door she saw her grandfather lying prostrate on the bed and his face was etched with pain. They both rushed to his side and Rei's eyes began to tear.
"Can you hear me uncle? What's wrong with you?" She grasped the sleeve of his shirt but he couldn't answer because his teeth were gritted together in immense pain. Just then he turned towards Rei and began coughing horribly. When she looked down at her sleeve there was blood all over it.
'I've seen this before.' Rei turned her eyes to the side and immediately recognized these symptoms. 'No! Why him? The only person left in my life whom cares for me! Am I a curse?' Just then a doctor came in, with a mask on his face, and ordered all out except for family. So Rei stayed but so did Wufei, which would have pissed Rei off but she was more considered about her uncle.
"Looks like all the other cases." The doctor then took out a vial of medication along with a needle.
"What did the 'other cases' have?" Wufei asked fearful about the answer. After injecting the needle the doctor ushered the two of them out of the room so he could rest while the medication took affect.
"I'm not really sure what it is but it seems like a mutant strand of ebola. It's just been popping up everywhere, I'm not sure how it travels or if there's even a cure but it is lethal. I'm afraid that within a week he will die." The doctor put his hand on Wufei's shoulder. "I'm sorry, these things are never easy. The least you can do is give him this shot twice a day so as to make him comfy." The doctor handed Wufei several vials of the medicine along with a box of fresh needles and with that the doctor left.
"I can't take this anymore!" Rei cried out as she ran away leaving Wufei all alone as he heard the cries of his master behind him.
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It was the day after they had received the horrible news about Hiang and everyone in the Temple was going into depression. Rei had already prepared a completely liquid lunch for her uncle, Wufei had agreed to take the morning and night shifts and Rei the afternoon shifts since Wufei still wanted to do training.
Entering the room she saw her uncle weakly laying on the bed, slightly raised up by his pillows.
"Good to see you're awake at least." Rei weakly smiled at him which he gratefully returned. "Here's your lunch." Rei then picked up a bowl of luke-warm soup when her uncle grasped her wrist, gently. She looked into his eyes and was a little surprised by his gentleness.
"I'm so proud to have a niece like you." He softly said barely above a whisper. "I'm glad your father sent you here to live with me." Rei smiled at him as he took a sip of the soup Rei offered him.
"And what makes my proud is to know that after I move onto the next world Wufei will be here to care for you, he really is a caring young man if you would just give him a chance." Rei put the soup down and dropped her hands on her lap.
"It's not that I disapprove of him, I've always agreed with you I know if you say he would treat me good that he would. It's just that well without my consent you went and got me engaged when my husband-to-be died. I feel like I'm betraying his memory." Rei sympathetically looked down at her uncle, and he was smiling.
"Sorry if I was infringing on you. It's just that since Wufei lost his wife he's never fully recovered and I was hoping you would be able to heal his wounds, I feel so bad for him."
"Wufei had a wife?" Rei was taken aback by this, he acted so cold to her was this why?
"Yes, she was a real fighter. Never let anyone step over her and was always rejecting the old traditions that were placed on her shoulders. Unfortunately one-day soldiers came to the colony starting a battle which brought about her demise. She died in Wufei's arms." He weakly ended as Rei had a sudden understanding of what Wufei was all about. A hand then came up to Rei's face and a firm hand lightly touched her face.
"Be good and make me prou-" He gasped deeply and then let out a loud din which permeated throughout the Temple. Rei then heard a noise like the ripping of a cloth and when she look down at her uncle he had a cadaverous look on his face and blood dripping out of his mouth.
"Uncle!" She shrieked out loud as she pulled him to her and began sobbing uncontrollably. After she regained her composure she wiped the tears from her face and took in a deep breath before walking out of the room. The minute she stepped outside she saw Wufei leaning against the wall obviously torn apart by the death of her uncle, no matter how much he tried to hide it.
"What are you doing here?" She said in a very shaky voice.
"I couldn't concentrate so I decided to check up on him but when I heard you two talking I decided to wait. Don't try to explain I heard everything." Rei didn't feel like dealing with him right now so she just walked away.
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Entering her room she closed it behind her and took a deep breath so as to fight back the tears threatening to fall. 'Uncle.' Right when she took in another gasp of air she had to cough, a loud painful cough, which made her fall to her knees covering her mouth. She had been feeling fatigued lately but she hadn't let it get to her but now it was beginning to get worse.
It lasted minutes and when it finally subsided and she looked at her hands she noticed they were covered in blood. Struggling to her feet she ran into the bathroom to wash her hands off. Once she was satisfied she looked into the mirror and noticed how her skin was paler than it usually was. She flung the medicine cabinet open and frantically searched for the medicine the doctor had given her uncle.
Various items fell into the sink before she found what she was looking for. She opened the needle and put the medication inside it. Stabbing her arm with the needle, suppressing her pain, she injected the medicine and through the needle away.
"I won't let you beat me like you did everyone else!" She growled at the mirror before collapsing on the bed for rest.
~~~~Two Weeks Later~~~~~
"There you are Rei-san." The dressmaker said as she finished Rei's dress. "You look perfect." The dress had a traditional Chinese style border colored a baby blue. A china-rose and butterfly was hand-stitched and with silk-embroidery. The dress was sleeveless and went down to her ankles but had a slit on either side going up to her knees. All of this was done at the request of Rei.
"I'll be going now Rei-san" They bowed to each other and then the maid exited Rei's room. Rei turned towards the mirror to admire herself when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She hunched over in pain and feel to her knees.
"I need my medicine." Rei almost crawled into her bathroom she was so weak. Grabbing the vaccine and a needle on her sink's countertop she readied the needle and injected herself with a less than adequate cure. Taking in deep breaths she fought back screaming from the pain and her desperate need to cough. Finally when most of the pain had subsided she got to her feet and walked out of the bathroom to find a maid in her room already.
"Rei-san." Rei looked at her wondering if she's heard or even seen what Rei was doing.
"Yes?"
"Wufei-san wishes to speak with you, he's waiting by the small cemetery for you."
"Oh. All, all right I'll go and speak with him." The maid then bowed to her and left and soon thereafter Rei did as well.
'I wonder what it is he wants to see me about. He's been almost avoiding me these past two weeks and every time we do run into each other he's always nervous.' Various thoughts like that ran through her head as she exited the dojo and spotted Wufei knelt down by two graves, one belonged to his deceased wife the other to Rei's uncle.
She stopped behind him and stood silent for but a few moments because Wufei got right to the point.
"I called you here because I need to tell you something." Rei knelt down beside him and looked at the graves.
"Meiran was my wife but because of my foolishness she died. She perished trying to protect me when I treated her with nothing but scorn. I was the one who deserved to die there in that battlefield not her. After that day I vowed I would protect those weaker than myself because I didn't want that to ever happen to anyone ever again. I don't want to make the same mistake twice, give me time and I will learn to protect you as Hiang-sama would have wished." Rei smiled at him and leaned closer to him, although not touching she could feel his body heat.
"Thank you." Suddenly the splitting pain came back to Rei's abdomen. She gritted her teeth and fell into Wufei's lap. He gasped when he saw the internal struggle she was facing written all over her face. She was sweating horribly and began coughing powerfully. Wufei looked on his shirt and it was covered with blood.
"Rei!" He pulled her close and tried to calm down but she was choking on her own blood. "I'm sorry I'm not strong like her." Rei weakly said gasping for another breath of air.
"You're wrong Rei it is I who isn't strong. You are strong like she was and that's why I've come to accept you and that's why you will pull through this." She weakly smiled at him and touched his face with her bloody hand.
"Don't underestimate yourself." She continued to stroke his cheek as he fought back the pain of loss rising back up into his eyes.
"I haven't proven myself to you yet." He gritted his teeth and her pupils became dilated as she gritted her teeth to keep from yelling out loud. Wufei heard a noise like a ripping of a cloth and her arm fell limp at her side as did the rest of her body in Wufei's arms.
He pulled her to him and screamed out loud letting out all his pent up emotions. "No!" He made such a shrill that it seemed to reverberate all across the colony. Another was lost to this silent demon who always cast a shadow of death over those he meant to conquer and he did conquer, always.
The End
An: Somber or what? I love Rei/Wufei romance and I felt like doing one with a little tragic twist since I don't see many of these out there. If you liked reading this one-shot please review and I may make more one-shots, and don't worry they all won't be as tragic as this. BTW if you would like to see Rei's dress go here: http://www.goodorient.com/goodorient/698004.html