Chapter 8: More Trouble
Somewhere in the dark realm~~~~~
A man sitting high on a black throne folded his hands under his clean- shaven chin and leaned forward, concentrating on the image captured inside a crystal orb in front of him. Two figures moved inside.
"Wufei, I don't want to marry you, and while I won't have much of a choice in three weeks... You will never have me."
The man threw back his head and laughed madly as he watched the hope drain out of the boy as his 'future bride' left him standing in the hallway. "How incredible! These humans are more fun to watch than any creature!"
He waved his hand and the orb sank into the floor and disappeared. (Now is the time to strike. But how can I use this boy? He is too great an asset to ignore...) Suddenly, he jerked his head up. Holding out his hands, the orb rose up out of the floor and centered between his palms. The image of Rei appeared. She dropped her head into her hands and sighed deeply. The man smiled mysteriously and the ball sank into floor again. (So, she does have some feeling for him.) The smile widened. (She would never raise her powers against him...)
Wufei's P.O.V.
Wufei sat on his bed reviewing the events of a week ago. He had not seen Rei since the argument and was determined to keep it that way until absolutely necessary. He knew his Grandfather was trying to be patient with him, but also knew that patience would wear out all too soon.
(And he has every right to be upset with me. I have been weak-minded and stubborn all this week. There is no reason I should let that onna get the best of me.) But, even as he cursed his weakness, he knew that whatever Rei was keeping from him was something he must know. (What could possibly be so all-consuming that it should be kept from me?!) Wufei didn't bother to acknowledge to himself that he, at one time, had kept a few secrets.
(Why am I even thinking of that insolent onna?!) Wufei shouted at himself, trying to drown out his excuses. (I should be doing something.)
Wufei flashed open his eyes. He felt his hands clench and he frowned as he looked down and tried to open them. His breathing became rigid as his back unbent and his head, as though moving by some invisible hands, turned slowly from left to right, surveying the room. Something pulled his breath in and let it out slowly, steadying him. Wufei tried to open his mouth to yell out, but it stayed shut, not clenched, but in the relaxed way he usually set at.
He tried to move his arm, anything, but he remained in his sitting position, not even blinking irregularly. Wufei would have clenched up, if he could, but his own body suddenly stood up, as if on strings, and walked towards the door. He mentally pushed against the barrier in his mind, but felt strangely calm as his heartbeat never rose and his walk was smooth as he didn't so much as put a step out of place.
He felt himself nod at his elders as he walked down the steps and the sudden idea of what could happen hit Wufei, or rather, Wufei's mind hard. (This, creature, or being that has control of me could kill me; walk me into the street, slit a knife through my throat, shoot me even.) Trying more desperately to move, Wufei found his mind almost falling to sleep after violently railing against the other half of his mind, the half that walked him so easily down the street.
Rei's P.O.V.
Rei sat in front of the fire in her robe, her hands entwined together in front of her. (Why won't the fire show me anything?) Rei sighed and dropped her hands. She shook her head as Wufei's image drifted into her head. (Don't even think about him. Still...maybe he was able to cancel the wedding after all. Maybe that's why he hasn't been over.) Rei shook her head again. (No, he's probably still mad at me.)
A sudden noise brought her attention behind her. Ami was standing in the door, computer in hand, breathing hard. "You won't believe it." She gasped.
Rei stood up. "What? What happened?"
"Wufei."
Rei swelled. "What is he here?"
Ami shook her head vigorously. "No, thankfully. He's down the street a little, in the park, but you won't believe what he's doing."
"What?!"
"He's taking out crowds of people. He's taking their mind crystals."
Rei stood, silent and open mouthed. "H, how?"
Ami shook her head and opened her computer and typed on it for a few seconds. "Somehow, he got some dark energy and is gathering all these crystals. Luckily," She closed the computer. "He's been in the middle of the more forested area, and the only people who have seen him, have been, well..."
Rei nodded. "Yeah. So, what do we do?"
Ami looked at her. "You know what we have to do. Rei, we have to take him down." She looked at the fire behind Rei.
Rei closed her eyes. "You don't think he went off like this...because of me?"
Ami shook her head again. "No. We never felt it before, he was a normal human. Something is making him do this."
Rei nodded. "Then let's go."
Five minutes later, Mercury and Mars were in the middle of the park, amid bodies of unconscious humans, Venus, Jupiter, and a very angry Wufei.
"Get out of my way, weak onnas." Wufei snarled.
"Wufei, stop this." Mars called. "Whatever happened to make you act like this-"
"I will not stop, onna. And you can not do anything to me."
"Think again." Mars blinked slowly and pulled a low-energy fireball into her hands. She looked up at him, hoping to see him frightened, or even just confused, but he remained still, with his arrogant half-smile set on his face. Mars twisted her face and threw the fireballs at him, almost rejoicing when he jumped easily out of the way. (Why do I not want to hit him?)
"Is that the best you can do, onna? You will have to be a little faster if you want to catch me!"
Wufei was suddenly knocked back by a bolt to lightning and Mars clamped down her jaw to keep herself from running to see if he was okay. (How did he manage to steal mind crystals? He hasn't shown us anything beyond what he could do as a regular human. Is he our enemy?)
"Mars, watch it!"
Mars thought too soon. Wufei jumped up, snarled angrily and blasted a black energy ball at Jupiter, who dodged it easily. Mars set her hands and tried to pull power but jumped to the side and gasped silently as Wufei's attack grazed her arm.
"Alright, enough of this." She growled. "Aku Ryo Tai San!" Wufei froze and a few moments passed before the girls approached him.
"Is he-" Ami reached out to him, and a huge gust of wind passed through the clearing and a black cloud rose from Wufei's chest.
"This is not over, Sailor brats!" The cloud seemed to scream as it rose into the sky and disappeared.
Mars's charm vanished from Wufei's forehead and he dropped to the ground. He coughed loudly and took several deep breaths.
His eyes wandered for a minute, then locked on Mars. Confusion, recognition, and then anger passed across his face. "This is what you were keeping from me. That power, your fire."
Rei pulled her energy around her and de-transformed. "So you saw."
Wufei nodded. "And the rest of you."
"Where did you put the mind crystals?" Rei pressed.
"He put them in my coat." Wufei answered, almost bitterly.
Rei undid the buttons and dozens of tiny crystals tumbled out. Ami, Rei, Minako and Makoto all scooped up a handful and scattered through the crowd of bodies, dropping the crystals back into the people's heads. "Yeah, some idiot played some stupid joke and pumped some kind of gas into the park... Don't worry, sir, we caught him." Minako smiled as she helped the elderly man to his feet.
After everyone had been revived and sent on their way with the same excuse, the girls helped Wufei back to Rei's temple. Rei gave them a soft look and they backed quietly out of the room.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Wufei asked as soon as they shut the door.
Rei looked away. "It is on a Scout's honor that we never reveal who we are."
"A Scout. Is that what you call yourselves?"
Rei nodded. "Yes. We're the Sailor Scouts."
"Interesting name. During the battle, one of them called you, Mars. Is that your codename?" Wufei looked at her as Rei smiled and laughed softly.
"No, that is who I am. Sailor Mars, Scout of Fire. Rei is just my other name."
"Scout of fire." Wufei turned around to glare into Rei's violet eyes. "So that's how you can throw fire. And the other onnas?"
Rei glared back. "My friends have nothing to do with this." She crossed her arms. "You understand what this means, right?" After the moments of silence, Rei rolled her eyes. "It means I can't marry you. I won't be able to fight with you looking over my shoulder. And I know you will."
Wufei's eyes flashed. "You will not go off and fight."
"You won't stop me, Wufei! I'm not going to abandon my powers and my friends for you!" Rei turned her back to him and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.
Wufei shifted his weight, suddenly uncomfortable. Thoughts of his own past beat inside his mind. (I would not have left my missions. Why do I ask her?) He shook his head. (Why am I even thinking of this? She...) He let his thoughts drift off. "Why?"
Rei turned around. "Why what?"
"Why am I trying so hard." Wufei crossed his arms and shifted again.
Rei looked at him. Acting on impulse, she reached up and took his smooth chin in her hand. Twisting around him to look at his face, she felt a sudden longing to do something drastic.
Wufei stared back at her and did not jerk his face from her hands. He stayed still and sucked in a short breath as she leaned closer to him. As their lips met, his eyes snapped open as fire seemed to flow from her into him. Wufei pulled his hands around her slim waist and drew her against him.
Suddenly realizing what as happening, Rei gasped and pulled away. She pulled in heavy breaths and leaned back, Wufei's arms still around her waist.
Wufei unhooked his hands and looked away. "Onna." He paused. "Rei. I," He clenched his fists. "I won't look over your shoulder." His mind suddenly screamed at him. (Weakness! Why are you submitting?!) He almost laughed at himself. (Because she is worth it. I would not have admitted it, but she is.)
Rei frowned. "What's so funny?"
"I will talk to Grandfather again. Perhaps he will listen to me this time." Wufei looked at the window, suddenly lost in his own thoughts.
Rei smiled and leaned back to him, pressing her cheek against his. "You don't have to. Not anymore."
So, what do you think? I tried to keep Wufei as in-character as possible, but he seems a little soft towards the end... What do you think? Anyway, I've decided to type out these two stories I have floating around in my head. While this is good news for me, it does mean I won't be able to update this story once or twice every weekend. Well, one of my storied is going to be an original fic, and the other another GW/SM. They might be out by this weekend, at least I'm hoping. Check my bio for them or something, (I haven't really decided on titles yet.) I hope you read and review at least one of them! And review this one too, I love reviews!
Somewhere in the dark realm~~~~~
A man sitting high on a black throne folded his hands under his clean- shaven chin and leaned forward, concentrating on the image captured inside a crystal orb in front of him. Two figures moved inside.
"Wufei, I don't want to marry you, and while I won't have much of a choice in three weeks... You will never have me."
The man threw back his head and laughed madly as he watched the hope drain out of the boy as his 'future bride' left him standing in the hallway. "How incredible! These humans are more fun to watch than any creature!"
He waved his hand and the orb sank into the floor and disappeared. (Now is the time to strike. But how can I use this boy? He is too great an asset to ignore...) Suddenly, he jerked his head up. Holding out his hands, the orb rose up out of the floor and centered between his palms. The image of Rei appeared. She dropped her head into her hands and sighed deeply. The man smiled mysteriously and the ball sank into floor again. (So, she does have some feeling for him.) The smile widened. (She would never raise her powers against him...)
Wufei's P.O.V.
Wufei sat on his bed reviewing the events of a week ago. He had not seen Rei since the argument and was determined to keep it that way until absolutely necessary. He knew his Grandfather was trying to be patient with him, but also knew that patience would wear out all too soon.
(And he has every right to be upset with me. I have been weak-minded and stubborn all this week. There is no reason I should let that onna get the best of me.) But, even as he cursed his weakness, he knew that whatever Rei was keeping from him was something he must know. (What could possibly be so all-consuming that it should be kept from me?!) Wufei didn't bother to acknowledge to himself that he, at one time, had kept a few secrets.
(Why am I even thinking of that insolent onna?!) Wufei shouted at himself, trying to drown out his excuses. (I should be doing something.)
Wufei flashed open his eyes. He felt his hands clench and he frowned as he looked down and tried to open them. His breathing became rigid as his back unbent and his head, as though moving by some invisible hands, turned slowly from left to right, surveying the room. Something pulled his breath in and let it out slowly, steadying him. Wufei tried to open his mouth to yell out, but it stayed shut, not clenched, but in the relaxed way he usually set at.
He tried to move his arm, anything, but he remained in his sitting position, not even blinking irregularly. Wufei would have clenched up, if he could, but his own body suddenly stood up, as if on strings, and walked towards the door. He mentally pushed against the barrier in his mind, but felt strangely calm as his heartbeat never rose and his walk was smooth as he didn't so much as put a step out of place.
He felt himself nod at his elders as he walked down the steps and the sudden idea of what could happen hit Wufei, or rather, Wufei's mind hard. (This, creature, or being that has control of me could kill me; walk me into the street, slit a knife through my throat, shoot me even.) Trying more desperately to move, Wufei found his mind almost falling to sleep after violently railing against the other half of his mind, the half that walked him so easily down the street.
Rei's P.O.V.
Rei sat in front of the fire in her robe, her hands entwined together in front of her. (Why won't the fire show me anything?) Rei sighed and dropped her hands. She shook her head as Wufei's image drifted into her head. (Don't even think about him. Still...maybe he was able to cancel the wedding after all. Maybe that's why he hasn't been over.) Rei shook her head again. (No, he's probably still mad at me.)
A sudden noise brought her attention behind her. Ami was standing in the door, computer in hand, breathing hard. "You won't believe it." She gasped.
Rei stood up. "What? What happened?"
"Wufei."
Rei swelled. "What is he here?"
Ami shook her head vigorously. "No, thankfully. He's down the street a little, in the park, but you won't believe what he's doing."
"What?!"
"He's taking out crowds of people. He's taking their mind crystals."
Rei stood, silent and open mouthed. "H, how?"
Ami shook her head and opened her computer and typed on it for a few seconds. "Somehow, he got some dark energy and is gathering all these crystals. Luckily," She closed the computer. "He's been in the middle of the more forested area, and the only people who have seen him, have been, well..."
Rei nodded. "Yeah. So, what do we do?"
Ami looked at her. "You know what we have to do. Rei, we have to take him down." She looked at the fire behind Rei.
Rei closed her eyes. "You don't think he went off like this...because of me?"
Ami shook her head again. "No. We never felt it before, he was a normal human. Something is making him do this."
Rei nodded. "Then let's go."
Five minutes later, Mercury and Mars were in the middle of the park, amid bodies of unconscious humans, Venus, Jupiter, and a very angry Wufei.
"Get out of my way, weak onnas." Wufei snarled.
"Wufei, stop this." Mars called. "Whatever happened to make you act like this-"
"I will not stop, onna. And you can not do anything to me."
"Think again." Mars blinked slowly and pulled a low-energy fireball into her hands. She looked up at him, hoping to see him frightened, or even just confused, but he remained still, with his arrogant half-smile set on his face. Mars twisted her face and threw the fireballs at him, almost rejoicing when he jumped easily out of the way. (Why do I not want to hit him?)
"Is that the best you can do, onna? You will have to be a little faster if you want to catch me!"
Wufei was suddenly knocked back by a bolt to lightning and Mars clamped down her jaw to keep herself from running to see if he was okay. (How did he manage to steal mind crystals? He hasn't shown us anything beyond what he could do as a regular human. Is he our enemy?)
"Mars, watch it!"
Mars thought too soon. Wufei jumped up, snarled angrily and blasted a black energy ball at Jupiter, who dodged it easily. Mars set her hands and tried to pull power but jumped to the side and gasped silently as Wufei's attack grazed her arm.
"Alright, enough of this." She growled. "Aku Ryo Tai San!" Wufei froze and a few moments passed before the girls approached him.
"Is he-" Ami reached out to him, and a huge gust of wind passed through the clearing and a black cloud rose from Wufei's chest.
"This is not over, Sailor brats!" The cloud seemed to scream as it rose into the sky and disappeared.
Mars's charm vanished from Wufei's forehead and he dropped to the ground. He coughed loudly and took several deep breaths.
His eyes wandered for a minute, then locked on Mars. Confusion, recognition, and then anger passed across his face. "This is what you were keeping from me. That power, your fire."
Rei pulled her energy around her and de-transformed. "So you saw."
Wufei nodded. "And the rest of you."
"Where did you put the mind crystals?" Rei pressed.
"He put them in my coat." Wufei answered, almost bitterly.
Rei undid the buttons and dozens of tiny crystals tumbled out. Ami, Rei, Minako and Makoto all scooped up a handful and scattered through the crowd of bodies, dropping the crystals back into the people's heads. "Yeah, some idiot played some stupid joke and pumped some kind of gas into the park... Don't worry, sir, we caught him." Minako smiled as she helped the elderly man to his feet.
After everyone had been revived and sent on their way with the same excuse, the girls helped Wufei back to Rei's temple. Rei gave them a soft look and they backed quietly out of the room.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Wufei asked as soon as they shut the door.
Rei looked away. "It is on a Scout's honor that we never reveal who we are."
"A Scout. Is that what you call yourselves?"
Rei nodded. "Yes. We're the Sailor Scouts."
"Interesting name. During the battle, one of them called you, Mars. Is that your codename?" Wufei looked at her as Rei smiled and laughed softly.
"No, that is who I am. Sailor Mars, Scout of Fire. Rei is just my other name."
"Scout of fire." Wufei turned around to glare into Rei's violet eyes. "So that's how you can throw fire. And the other onnas?"
Rei glared back. "My friends have nothing to do with this." She crossed her arms. "You understand what this means, right?" After the moments of silence, Rei rolled her eyes. "It means I can't marry you. I won't be able to fight with you looking over my shoulder. And I know you will."
Wufei's eyes flashed. "You will not go off and fight."
"You won't stop me, Wufei! I'm not going to abandon my powers and my friends for you!" Rei turned her back to him and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.
Wufei shifted his weight, suddenly uncomfortable. Thoughts of his own past beat inside his mind. (I would not have left my missions. Why do I ask her?) He shook his head. (Why am I even thinking of this? She...) He let his thoughts drift off. "Why?"
Rei turned around. "Why what?"
"Why am I trying so hard." Wufei crossed his arms and shifted again.
Rei looked at him. Acting on impulse, she reached up and took his smooth chin in her hand. Twisting around him to look at his face, she felt a sudden longing to do something drastic.
Wufei stared back at her and did not jerk his face from her hands. He stayed still and sucked in a short breath as she leaned closer to him. As their lips met, his eyes snapped open as fire seemed to flow from her into him. Wufei pulled his hands around her slim waist and drew her against him.
Suddenly realizing what as happening, Rei gasped and pulled away. She pulled in heavy breaths and leaned back, Wufei's arms still around her waist.
Wufei unhooked his hands and looked away. "Onna." He paused. "Rei. I," He clenched his fists. "I won't look over your shoulder." His mind suddenly screamed at him. (Weakness! Why are you submitting?!) He almost laughed at himself. (Because she is worth it. I would not have admitted it, but she is.)
Rei frowned. "What's so funny?"
"I will talk to Grandfather again. Perhaps he will listen to me this time." Wufei looked at the window, suddenly lost in his own thoughts.
Rei smiled and leaned back to him, pressing her cheek against his. "You don't have to. Not anymore."
So, what do you think? I tried to keep Wufei as in-character as possible, but he seems a little soft towards the end... What do you think? Anyway, I've decided to type out these two stories I have floating around in my head. While this is good news for me, it does mean I won't be able to update this story once or twice every weekend. Well, one of my storied is going to be an original fic, and the other another GW/SM. They might be out by this weekend, at least I'm hoping. Check my bio for them or something, (I haven't really decided on titles yet.) I hope you read and review at least one of them! And review this one too, I love reviews!