Chapter 18‑Kaenhoushaki, the Flame Thrower
Kasen dropped into a comfortable chair and began to reminisce. As far as he could remember. But, for once, he wasn't in his office at the corporation, his lab, or someone else's room. He was in a dorm, the blinds drawn, the room dark and gloomy. How he liked it now. Before...his lips curved into a slight, ironic smirk.
Before, Yosouya had been forced to work with the blinds and windows open even while he was on the computer, for his brother had loved the light, reveled in it, grew in it. Their place had always been full of sunshine and happiness, laughter, especially when Kyosei and Kouseinou dropped in, but they provided enough when the other two were busy.
Chuckling to fill the space, a not formed in Kasen's stomach, for it rang false, untrue, a hollow note presiding–the laughter was gone. When had it gone? At least....at least, he thought, the place was clean. His younger brother was such a neat freak that he had probably snuck in during the dead of the nights, usually when he stopped work, to come and secretly disinfect and sanitize the place–otherwise, it should've been clouded with around...with around two years of spider webs now.
The answering machine was full of messages, but his face twisted angrily. They were from girls he had played around with for no reason that had never cared for him, just for his looks and reputation. But did he really care, actually? He was supposed to thrive in that kind of environment now, play around with businesswomen that would be beneficial for the uprising to the Golden Kingdom. Except...except the prime factor was gone, his ruler, Mamoru. Endymion. The Prince of the Earth.
There were other memories that swamped him, ones that had left previously. Why did they have to come back now?! It just wasn't fair...not fair at all...he couldn't bear it anymore. It wasn't supposed to happen this way, he had sold his soul during a deal with a devil, one that he hadn't known about, not even subconsciously. What HAD he given up his spirit for, anyway? His prince that was now confined inside an evil entity using his body for its own purposes, which were the gods know what. Shaking his head briskly, running his fingers through slightly wavy golden tresses, Kasen started as the shadows started receding. The ones Rei had been afraid of before, they were going. He smiled brilliantly and threw open the windows, grinning at the brightness that no longer hurt him...until his form stiffened, as did his mind, in agony, in remembrance.
Jadeite: He was the brother of the King of the West, while he himself was the King of the East. Jade, as the three special friends called him, had always had a knack for mischief and trouble. His childhood had been a happy one, filled with light and good and appreciation for the arts and beauty. Sent to Elysion to become a protector of Endymion, he met the prince, Kunzite, and a very special brown‑haired boy that became his best friend and partner in crime, Nephrite. He was also reacquainted with Zoicite.
As time passed and they got older, naturally, the quintet began to take an interest in the opposite sex, him most of all. Although he had many relationships that were famed throughout the Solar System, none of those pretty faces had ever stolen his heart, which was reserved for one exceptional girl. And Jadeite met that extraordinary female of strength, passion, beauty, and her background–war. She was one of the famed sailor senshi, a warrior of the planets, and she conquered his fickle heart at least. The Princess of Mars, Rei, with long, lustrous raven tresses that reached past her waist, and the luminous purple eyes that had searched his soul countless times.
Alas, it had all ended when news that the Earth was falling reached the Moon Kingdom, where Endymion and his generals were in residence. He had asked her for her hand, no matter
what the Silver Alliance would think, but Rei hadn't been able to make up her mind. When they met again, as he had promised, she killed him for betraying her. And he thought he deserved every wound she had inflicted and felt the pain ten times worse than it should have been, as one does when it comes from their soulmate.
Coming back to the present with a startled jerk, Kasen put his head in his hands. The memories...they hurt, yet they were the missing link. Fun‑loving Endymion, who took his duties seriously, Kunzite/Kouseinou, who was always dependable and trustworthy. Everyone knew they could trust him with secrets, for he never spoke at all. Nephrite, otherwise known as Kyosei, who told everything to the stars and got frustrated when he got nearly nothing back, but he was always ready for a bit of mischief with his best friend. Zoicite, a.k.a. Yosouya, who he had spent hours dragging out of the libraries and laboratories, and to his great chagrin yet pride, he finally managed to loosen up and told him it was because of two people–Jadeite and the Princess of Mercury, Ami. That had always puzzled him‑the princess was even quieter then his brother, but he shrugged and went on with life. Yes, they had been an interesting group of five, alright.
Kasen wondered where everything had gone, the carefree days and lives he had led, how had it ended? There was one person he needed to talk to...one fabulous, magnificent, monumental person that meant everything to him–which was why, of course, he was babbling on like an idiot at his window. Just thinking about her put a smile on his face, and if there was already one in residence, it grew wider. She was the only thing that made sense in the world now, because everything had changed. Just about everything in life that mattered to him, at least.
~ * ~ * ~
Rei wondered how in the world she had been the one chosen to come along with Ami on the job interview, but the others had come up with very handy and annoying excuses. Makoto was going to have a talk with Shinozaki, which was deemed extremely important, and Usagi was expecting an important letter from the colleges she had applied to...which, come to think of it, didn't seem like a very satisfactory reason to Rei at the moment. Minako had claimed sickness and was staying in bed, and Artemis said that she hadn't been getting enough sleep lately. They had all spotted dark circles underneath the deceptively cheerful crystal blue eyes. The senshi all knew and felt, however–especially Rei with her fire readings and slight aura power–that she wasn't actually physically sick. Meanwhile, Ami was conversing with the secretary on the first floor, who buzzed one room first, and when no one answered, she tried the intercom of another man, whose voice was youthful and light, as well as clear. For some reason, it sounded familiar to her, but she shook her head to clear it and listened to him say, "I believe he's in the middle of an experiment now, using polythene torches to cut through a slab of something."
The woman sighed and asked, "Did he forgot about this meeting again?"
A laugh was heard, and the person replied, "My brother fits nothing else into his schedule but work. He should be done, soon...ah, here he is." But he had forgotten to turn off the speaker, and the three heard, "Ah, Souya, you forgot another appointment. A girl's come to see you for the job you needed filling in. Can you check with number thirteen downstairs?"
"No need, I'll send her up," said the employee dryly. Shutting off the device, she turned to the two and directed, "Take the first elevator on the right, then the fourth floor. Make a left, then two rights, until you reach the second door on the left with the nameplate Kouseki Yosouya."
Because her blue‑haired friend was looking too shell‑shocked to answer, ever since the first man had unintentionally forgotten his machine was on, Rei dragged her to the elevator and called back a thank you. Turning to the other girl, she asked, "Are you okay?"
"Oh...yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I was just thinking about something." When a piercing purple
gaze disturbed her previous train of thought, Ami sighed and explained, "I knew Kouseki Yosouya a long time ago, but when I recently met him again, he didn't remember a thing. Apparently, a high fever had given him amnesia and affected long‑term memory."
"Is there a problem now?"
"Er...see, the last time I met him, Urawa Ryo was following me and jumped out of the bushes."
Suspiciously, the raven‑haired one inquired, "Why would he do something like that? You're withholding some information here, Ami‑chan."
After a few minutes of unsuccessful stalling, Ami admitted, "He's General Zoicite, Rei."
Meanwhile, many floors above, a black gaze darkened further as the body of Chiba Mamoru gazed into the Golden Crystal, cracks appearing out of nowhere gradually spreading throughout the chunk. Quietly, he murmured, "I think this calls for some investigation. Now, if memory serves me correctly, those two ladies are Mercury and Mars. Interesting...so very interesting..."
And so the two rode the elevator to the correct floor–arguing all the while–and miraculously managed to find the door of Kouseki Yosouya. When Ami knocked hesitantly, the door opened, and Yosouya stepped out, in goggles and a lab coat. Nodding to them while Rei glowered dangerously, he appeared not to notice and said courteously, "I'm afraid your friend will have to wait in the room next door, Mizuno-san. May I say that it's a pleasure to see you again?"
With a backwards glare, the priestess–against her better judgement–left to find a room full of comfortable couches all in green. There was also a nice view of Juuban, and on the wall, there were two pictures hanging. One was a map of Hokkaido, where she assumed he had come from. The second was strange indeed, but the style was familiar–Lonnie Lineye's. The colors were of varying shades of blues and greens, four eyes of the same colors also watched eerily from the corners. And centered in the middle was the symbol of Mercury, encased in a transparent green
crystal. Yes, something was definitely up with Kataki Corporation, and she hoped her brilliant friend would be able to solve it. In the meantime, she encountered some troubles of her own when Tabiki Kasen walked in, right in the middle of her musings. His voice was the one she had heard earlier, which meant he was the brother of General Zoicite, which meant that he was also General Jadeite.
Disarmingly, he grinned charmingly while her amethyst eyes narrowed. "Konnichiwa, Hino-san. How nice to see you again."
"Konnichiwa, Tabiki-san. Yes, I agree." Rei remembered all the verbal fencing she had been trained in during the Silver Millennium now. She had learned a thousand ways to be polite and cordial without any emotion and infinitely more ways of agreeing without promising anything. And she planned to use it to her best advantage.
"Listen, I'd like to...apologize."
This shocked her, and her first thought was of disappointment. A game of verbal fencing was one of her favorite pastimes, and he was ruining it. She had never met a man who could lie better than she could, and she was almost convinced that the bright smile on his face was genuine, that his warm tone was sincere. And yet she knew it could not be. He had been too much of a jerk for her to even consider it, never mind that she had already done so. Still pretending an air of nonchalance, Rei examined her cuticles with the greatest concern and asked carelessly, "Whatever for?" All the while, she was uncomfortably aware of how close he was to her, and when she glanced up slowly, unwillingly, her eyes followed the contours of his body, tracing the features of his face. She felt her cheeks grow hot, and she turned to look out the large window, but not before she had seen a spark of emotion flit across his eyes. His beautiful, azure blue eyes that she had almost forgotten in this life...and she wondered how she could have forgotten their beautiful color..and most of all, the love that had been–was being–expressed in them.
Kasen must have been some of the shock pass across her face, and he smiled gently. "Hello again, Rei. It's been a while."
She gazed at him still, solemnly, and for a few moments, he was afraid that his cocky words had come too quickly. And he was right. Her features hardened, and her eyes became cool and impersonal. "What did you want to apologize for?" She clipped off the words, no longer interested in playing the game. The fun was gone, and she wanted out. She didn't want to be sitting in this elegant lounge, being toyed with by Jadeite, worrying about Ami in the next room, who was talking to Zoicite. But she was. And she couldn't leave.
She sat for a while, trying to block out his words. It worked, for a bit. She didn't see the hurt look on his face, the desperation in his eyes, and the frankness of his words. The darkness had begun to recede from his features, but it would come back if his will wasn't strong enough. At last, she cut in, "What do you want, Kasen?"
He blinked at her, not understanding what she meant.
"Why are you here, apologizing? Don't you have other things to do? Just tell me what you want already!" Rei knew she was one step away from losing her temper, and she knew she couldn't keep it under control if he baited her. Her nerves were frayed, and she'd gotten very little sleep the past few weeks.
"I don't want anything, Rei," Kasen replied quietly.
"I don't believe you," she retorted, equally softly.
"Fine! Here's what I want–I want you to listen to me, but obviously, you aren't capable of it today. Maybe you wouldn't want to, any day. But if you feel like it, I'd like to have dinner with you one day. We can talk. I'll be on my best behavior. But it's up to you, Rei." He reached for a pad on the table, searched his pockets for a pen, came up with one, and scribbled his full name and phone number on the sheet. Ripping it off neatly, he left it on the table and left without a good bye. All the while, she stayed pale and silent. When he had gone, all the words he had said came back to her, and she wept bitterly. She hated him. But she missed him, and she needed to know why he had left her in the first place, and what was going on in this godforsaken place.
"Rei?" a soft voice asked.
She knew it was Ami without looking up, but what she wasn't expecting was a light male voice asking, "Are you all right?"
Pulling herself together, the raven-haired priestess wiped her eyes quickly with her fingers until a tissue came into her sight. She looked up hesitantly and met dark green eyes, curious but without a hint of recognition. "Thank you," she said slowly, and took it.
He smiled shyly and retreated. "I'll see you tomorrow, then, Ami?"
The blue-haired girl managed a wan smile and nod for him before he left, nodding courteously to Rei, who had already stood up. When Ami turned back to look at her friend, Rei sighed and said, "Let's go. I'll explain later, I promise, but I've got to get out of here." She nodded wordlessly, and they made their way back to the elevator, down to the main floor, and out onto the street. They walked until they came to the Crown Arcade, and Ami went to sit a booth, while Rei excused herself to make a phone call. There was no answer.
~ * ~ * ~
Looking up from the textbook with a frown as the kitchen door opened, Makoto smiled when she saw who had come in. "Hey, Rei! Someone named Kasen returned your phone call a while back, and he says he'll be in all night, so you wouldn't have to leave another message."
Dropping her heavy bag of books, she ran a tired hand through her hair and replied, "Arigato, Mako-chan. Actually, while I call him back, will you do me another favor?"
"Why not? What is it?"
"Um....I sort of skipped dinner and lunch because of juku, and I'm a little hungry now..."
Grinning agreeably, the green‑eyed girl nodded. "Go ahead and call while I warm up what's left of dinner. Or maybe I should start cooking something else, too...."
While Makoto wandered off in domestic affairs, Rei rolled her eyes and went to her room, decidedly ignoring the growl of her stomach. Searching for her address book, she finally found it under a stack of books and glowered pointedly–what was it doing there? Shrugging, she picked up the phone and dialed the numbers, crossing her fingers nervously.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Konnichiwa....is this Kasen? This is Hino Rei..." she said uncertainly, uncrossing and re‑crossing her fingers again.
Smiling brightly, Kasen replied, "Yes, this is him. It's nice to hear from you again, Rei. I thought you might have forgotten about me. Or that your...sister, was it? might have forgotten about my message."
Dryly, she retorted, "Neither of those options are likely, since I left a message on your machine. And let me assure you that Makoto–I guess you could say she's my sister–has an excellent memory."
"Consider it ingrained in mine. So, Rei-san, I was wondering if you were free on Saturday to have dinner with me?"
Glancing over at her calendar, she beamed at it and the wall when she noticed a planned shopping trip Friday and nothing on Saturday. "That's sounds fine to me. Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," he stated nonchalantly.
"I prefer not having any."
"Well, surprises are a part of life, so you'll have to deal with it. Shall I pick you up at the Hikawa Shrine? Dress formally but black-tie formal."
Glaring at the phone now, Rei shook her head. It looked like she wasn't going to get anywhere arguing with him, but she almost felt as if she'd already known that. She sighed. The dress instructions weren't particularly easy to follow, either, but it was just her luck that the best, most stylish, and equally fashionable shopper was one of her best friends–Aino Minako. Hopefully, if lady luck was paying her a visit, Minako would be there Friday. "Okay...yes, the Hikawa Shrine."
"That's great! See you then!"
"Wait a minute–"
*click*
Grumbling and muttering a curse under her breath, annoyed purple eyes grew even more disgruntled as she asked, "How did you know I lived at the Hikawa Shrine?"
"I hope he's not stalking you."
Jumping, Rei looked towards the door and sweatdropped when she recognized the
tall, lanky figure of her brunette friend. "Um..I don't think so. At least he better not be, or I'll fry him," she threatened happily.
Unconcerned by the promise, Makoto shrugged and pointed towards the kitchen with a long‑handled wooden spoon the black‑haired girl hadn't noticed before. "Go. Eat."
"Okay, okay! You act like it's a weapon or something...."
Smirking deviously, following Rei out the door, she said, "Oh, it is. A good one, in fact."
"Mako‑chan, tell me why I'm accepting a dinner invitation again?"
"So you can find out more about Chiba Mamoru, his corporation, and his little followers that act like sheep? That's the best reason I can think of..."
"Oh. Right." 'I'd almost forgotten about that. But it's a good excuse–I mean–what am I thinking? It's all Kasen's fault...' And she ignored the fact that hearing his voice on the phone sent shivers up and down her spine.
~ * ~ * ~
Sitting down shakily, she eyed the innocent, official‑looking letter as though it held a bomb. Tsukino Usagi sighed, wondering whether or not she should it open it, while the rest of the mail lay neglected and forgotten in her lap. Crinkling her forehead, she thought back to how much time and work had gone into her college application to Juuban University. Ami, of course, had been the first out of four going to college to receive a letter, also acquiring a full scholarship. They had even wanted to _pay_ her so she wouldn't go anywhere else, but her blue‑haired friend had wanted to stay close to home anyway. Minako was the next, gaining an athletic scholarship for her volleyball skills, but it wasn't quite as providing as Ami's was. Nevertheless, she was satisfied and smart enough not to blow off the rest of senior year just because she had been accepted to her first‑choice college. It had been just her and Makoto until a week ago, when her
brunette friend had also secured an acceptance letter. If only their luck could spread to her...it really was a shame that Rei had no one to keep her company; although Ami was the same age, they weren't in the same grade, so it didn't exactly help. Maybe she wouldn't be feeling so anxious if she'd done better....ah, that was it, Usagi thought. They probably wouldn't accept her because of her grades, so what was the point in opening it? Nevertheless, her curiosity got the better of her as she ripped it open, taking care not to damage the contents. For a minute, clear blue eyes stared at the words before her disbelievingly.
"Usagi? Usagi-chan, where are you?"
Staring breathlessly at the purple‑haired woman, she blurted out, "Okaa‑san, I've been accepted to Juuban University."
Outside, a crystalline voice inquired, "Minako?"
Not looking up from the brochure, the blonde brushed some golden bangs impatiently out of crystal blue eyes as she replied, "Nani?"
"Do you think the life we're living now is real? That we're not having dangerous hallucinations, and that we're not insane?"
_That_ definitely got Minako's attention as she turned to face her blue‑haired friend, who was walking calmly down the street behind her. Managing to close her jaw before the sight became unseemly, she asked, "What put these ideas in your head?"
Looking at her feet and counting the cracks in the sidewalks, Ami sighed and tilted her head towards the sun. It was bright, around springtime, but there was a lot of wind and a bit of chill remaining from winter's reign. "I don't know...it seems like everything's strange. Changing. Koori and I don't speak to each other, we're all off to college, we even managed to choose our majors–well, except for Rei... Plus the fact that Kataki Corporation's giving me a headache."
Looking closer, Minako frowned when she saw how pale her friend looked; a few beads of sweat were apparent as well. "What's up with that strange place? And sit down before you fall over. Are you all right? You don't look well."
"I'm fine; it's nothing. Look, there's your house."
"But–"
She was left with no choice but to leave her sentence incomplete as a tearful and joyful Usagi bounded out when they had barely reached the gate. "MINNA!!! I'M GOING TO JUUBAN WITH YOU!! I MADE IT!!!"
~ * ~ * ~
For the Knights, the life seemed to be one downward slope. Their memories were returning...and it wasn't helping, not one bit.
Sukareru: General Ace had grown up as the childhood protector of the Princess of Venus, but he was also–supposedly–her friend. He recalled the number of times the king had asked him to find her, for Mina had the curiosity of a cat (that was increased when she met Artemis) and often wandered off to investigate whatever she found to be interesting. When she had left at the age of eleven, the sun seemed to have gone down for Ace, and he threw himself whole‑heartedly into the proper training for a Planetary Knight. While she was gone, his fondness for her had developed
into something else, but when he saw her again, Mina didn't return his feelings. In fact, she seemed to be scared of him or held feelings of dislike. It had cut deeply into him when she chased after General Kunzite. For one thing, it wasn't proper, but for another, he was secretly glad the general had fallen in love with Venus. He, for the first time, viewed Venus and Mina as two different people. His smugness and complacency didn't last very long when Kunzite had finally gotten the good sense to choose the Princess of Venus. What was more humiliating was when Queen Selenity had called Ace and Mina to her chambers and asked about the Venusian's relationship with the Kunzite. That had been bad, yes, very, very bad. And then she hadn't wept a single tear when she found his body on the battlefield; his spirit had remained, hovering, clinging to the world. He had hung on for her, but she had just closed his eyes and said sorry. A very small sorry. And then she had battled Kunzite while loving him. She loved him so much, after all that he had done, and she died for it without regretting that love. And that was one thing Ace would never understand...
Shinozaki: He and Lita had been very good friends. They shared some of the same hobbies: gardening, cooking–or, at least, she taught him to cook without getting frustrated at his poor
abilities, and climbing trees. Although the King of Jupiter hadn't exactly been pleased when he found out, but his daughter was as stubborn and headstrong as he was. There was nothing The Thunderer could say against his daughter. In fact, she had been able to tell him almost everything.
Everything except how she'd felt about losing her mother. Ken had asked her once when he visited the Moon, and she hadn't reacted well. No, not well at all. The Princess of Jupiter and future Queen, although she had never made it there, had stormed off in cold fury. Funny how storming fitted her and her element. When he followed her, Ken was angry, to say the least, when General Nephrite found her. And he had the audacity, the audacity to take her in his arms and
help her pour out her secrets! Her feelings! And what was he–dog food? Now that sounded about right...he could just imagine the green eyes and horns that were sprouting. As a knight, he'd always found it aggravating that she'd always tried to protect him, instead of the other way around. But when the important time came...he had failed in his mission, and he had failed to protect her. He failed her. And maybe, just maybe, that was why she'd never viewed him in a romantic light–he'd never deserved it...
Yuuichirou: Rei hadn't exactly been open with him as a child. She had been one of the most close‑mouthed, unshakable girls he had ever met, and as a knight, he had met plenty. Nevertheless, they became semi‑good friends. Unfortunately, the friendship was interrupted when her mother had sent her to the Moon. He knew that had cut in to her deeply, but she never wrote him, never talked, never communicated with her again. She hadn't even talked to the Martian high priest, who was more of a parent then her mother was. The King of Mars loved his daughter, but he was...dead. Rei managed to find four other girls that became her best friends. They were also her comrades in battle. Despite their closeness and what she could say to them, Chad hadn't been jealous. In fact, he had been proud of her. So everything was going along fine, and he planned the
perfect time to profess his love for her. Then there had been an addition to the erratic equation, a general who was too handsome for his own good. What was it about Jadeite? His golden hair and azure blue eyes? Rei hadn't been one to judge by looks, but it was rumored all around the Solar System about the women he was with and chose. Chad had gritted his teeth and remained silent, telling himself Rei would realize what bad character he had and denounce her feelings for him.
No, she didn't have any feelings for him, she couldn't have. Unfortunately, his wishful thinking was proved false when he had been hiding in the shrubbery one day for some odd reason, spotted them kissing, and leapt out. He had definitely made a fool of himself, and Rei had refused to speak to him for embarrassing her like that...so it wasn't the wisest of decisions he had ever made. It wouldn't be the most foolish, no; that one had been saved for this life. He had let her go, and now Jadeite had her once more. He didn't deserve her. But Chad had given up.
Ryo: Greg had always paid complete loyalty to his princess, and since she didn't need much looking after or protecting (anyone who didn't believe it got a nasty shock–of icy water), they became friends. He taught her to play chess, for one thing, and one day, Ami became better than him–much better. And then she had ignited the fires of resentment and rivalry when she had played the game, THEIR game with General Zoicite. He'd been hiding behind the bookshelves, waiting for her to discover him and greet him with a hug. But she hadn't paid any attention when the pretty‑boy general landed on the Moon. In fact, she'd even snapped at him twice...Greg had tried to talk to her about Zoicite and how improper it would be, how she would be dishonored in the view of the entire Universe. So he hadn't exactly chosen the best words, and he usually had nothing against the Jovian Princess, but he really regretted the fact that the brunette had taught his gentle princess to slap. Hard. She hadn't talked to him again until the end of the Silver Millennium. He supposed he was lucky–she had actually cried; the other senshi hadn't cried for their knights. The generals had always stolen their hearts. But the Princess of Mercury most surely had his own...she had apologized at his death. Fat lot of good that did him. She had even kissed Zoicite. Greg had witnessed it; it seemed the knights were gaining habits of stalking from the past life. His shy, delicate, lovely blue‑haired princess had kissed General Zoicite. And then his world had shattered, and the aftermath still remained..and haunted him thousands of years into the future.
~ * ~ * ~