Chapter 12: Everything falls apart
Rei's breath came out short and ragged. "Surrender my powers?"
The man nodded, ignoring Rei apparent state of panic. "Yes. And I suggest you do it sometime soon, the boy is on something of a limited time span." He stepped back from the hourglass and looked over at Rei with a calm, collected air.
Rei glared at him in the dim light. But, just barely, she could make out red marks across his face and a dark bruise only partially covered by his collar. Rei smiled. (At least Wufei didn't go without a fight.)
The man sighed heavily, bringing Rei back tot the present. "If you want him to die, simply say 'no'. There's no reason for you and I to stand here and watch him expire."
Rei backed away a step and lowered her head. Summoning all her strength, she focused it into an arrow. (Just maybe...) "Mars Flame Sniper!" She blasted the arrow into the hourglass and fell to her knees as it merely diffused into the glass.
The man chuckled. "I told you, little Mars. Now would you please make your decision, I don't want to be down here all day. I'm sure dear Wufei would like to die in peace if that is what you decide."
Rei closed her eyes. (What do I do? I can't possibly give up my powers!) But at the same time, another part of her mind was wearily collapsing. (You can't let him die. You just can't. He is to be your husband! You can't abandon him when you could save him!) Tears welled up in Rei's eyes, but she shut them tight, refusing to let this vile creature see her break. (But I have broken.) Images flashed through Rei's mind. The days they fought each other, the day she finally seemed to reach him, the day she revealed her deepest secret, her power. (And now I have to give up my secret to save him.) She stood up. (There is no contest. I can't let him die.)
"Let him go. I...I surrender."
An evil cackle rang in Rei's ears. "Very good, little Mars. Very good indeed!"
Rei half-heartedly looked up at the sound of glass breaking. Blue-ish sand tumbled down around her feet. A still only half-conscious Wufei coughed several times, scattering grains of sand.
"Now for your end of the bargain, little Mars." A growling voice played evilly in Rei's ears.
Rei opened her mouth, but managed to stop a scream as a piercing pain stabbed through her heart. Her hands gripped at her shirt, trying to somehow smother the pain slicing through her chest. Suddenly, the pain burst through her whole body and Rei bit her teeth down against the cry that worked its way through her throat.
The pain intensified and seemed to lift her off the floor. And, in an instant, it was over. Rei collapsed to the floor and was vaguely aware of something holding her.
"Rei, wake up! What happened?! Rei!" It was Wufei's voice. Rei opened her mouth to somehow answer him, but the screams that had beat against her before, had left her voice beaten.
Instead, the cruel, hard voice answered him. "Foolish boy. She gave up her powers to save you. She's no more conscious now than you were only a few moments ago. Foolish, stupid boy. Yes this is what love gets you!" His roaring laugh seemed to echo off the far, dark walls. "A half-dead wife and a doomed planet!" The roar grew louder, and eventually subsided into chuckles. "But, my dear boy, I will not kill you now. You have served my purposes well. So I'll let you go back down to Earth and await the fate of your kind." The laugh roared up again and the dim light faded away, leaving pure, complete darkness.
Back on Earth~~~~
Somehow, Wufei and Rei had been sent back to Earth, and found destruction when they opened their eyes. Flames licked at the tops of buildings, everything, from the grass to houses to the road was charred and either burnt or burning away. Somehow, Wufei had gotten the weaken Rei back to the temple, where, miraculously, all his family, Grandfather Hino, and even Rei's three friends stood safe in the ancient stone shrine far to the back of their piece of land.
While the elders took care of Rei, Wufei gathered Ami, Minako, and Makoto to the back corner and filled them in on what had happened. The room seemed to silence as a great fireball slammed into the ground in front of the narrow entrance.
"So she gave up her powers..." Ami muttered still staring out the door at the smoldering pile of rubble.
"And he's using it to destroy all of Tokyo." Makoto spat.
Ami sighed. "And even we can't break the fire barrier around the city."
"So we're stuck here while the city burns away." Minako said bitterly.
"And, considering even the sidewalks are burning away, this shelter may not last forever." Ami closed her eyes and took off her glasses.
There was a small chatter of noise from the other side of the room, as Rei came to and started coughing. Wufei pushed through his aunts and uncles and knelt at Rei's side.
Gripping her shoulders, Wufei looked at her severely. "You shouldn't have done what you did."
Rei smiled weakly. "I had to, and don't bother arguing, this is one time I'm right."
Wufei closed his eyes, at a loss for words. The people around him looked at each other in confusion. They shrugged their shoulders, accepting that Rei had done something unwise and Wufei had pulled her out of it. Wufei ignored their looks and concentrated on Rei.
"What now?" He asked quietly.
Rei closed her eyes as well. "I don't know."
The people around them backed away, to give them room.
Ami, Minako and Makoto came over and sat down next to Rei. They looked at each other before Ami spoke up. "We have a plan."
"Let's do it." Rei said firmly.
Ami blinked. "But you haven't even heard what it is yet."
Rei shook her head. "I don't care what it is. As long as it gets rid of that bastard who's using my power for..." She waved her hand vaguely at the destruction ensuing outside. "This misery."
Makoto nodded. "It's a little dangerous..."
"Well, more than just a little dangerous, actually." Minako added with a thought.
Ami adjusted her glasses. "We're going to-" She stopped and after a slight look around, lowered her voice. "We are going to go out and attack a large 'black ball' some people had seen hovering above the radio tower. Most likely it will be guarded by youmas, so we're going to have to distract them while you get into the ball and get your powers back." She shifted. "I checked things out with what little probing I could get in, and it seems that your power is stored in a Brashen Crystal." She looked at them as though this had some huge significance. After the few moments of blank stares she sighed. "The kind of crystal Rubius used?" She rolled her eyes at her friends' apparent lack of knowledge of their past enemies and looked at Rei. "All you have to do is get past whatever shield he most likely has around it and touch the crystal to tap directly into its power source. But as to how you're going to get in that sphere is something we can't exactly plan on. There are too many variables to figure it out exactly."
Wufei, who had remained silent through the whole plan, spoke up. "I know what you are planning to do, and you are not leaving me here."
Rei glared at him. "Wufei this is-"
"I know plenty about dangerous missions, and you are not going up there, in your present state without me." His eyes narrowed. "This is happening because I wasn't strong enough to escape. I'm not making another mistake that's going to cost you."
"I think it's a good idea." Minako piped up. Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. "Rei doesn't have her powers and having someone else there will help."
Makoto nodded. "That makes sense. So do we have a plan?"
The group nodded. Rei smiled and stood up. (Here we go.) Her smile widened. (And that bastard's going to pay.)
So, how was that chapter??? Now that I think about it, this story may be nearing its end... Oh well. I guess I'll start another one then... Oh, yeah, and the thing with the hourglass, I've seen it done more than a few times, but it just seemed to fit here, so no, that idea is not mine. Well, review me 'kay!!!!
Rei's breath came out short and ragged. "Surrender my powers?"
The man nodded, ignoring Rei apparent state of panic. "Yes. And I suggest you do it sometime soon, the boy is on something of a limited time span." He stepped back from the hourglass and looked over at Rei with a calm, collected air.
Rei glared at him in the dim light. But, just barely, she could make out red marks across his face and a dark bruise only partially covered by his collar. Rei smiled. (At least Wufei didn't go without a fight.)
The man sighed heavily, bringing Rei back tot the present. "If you want him to die, simply say 'no'. There's no reason for you and I to stand here and watch him expire."
Rei backed away a step and lowered her head. Summoning all her strength, she focused it into an arrow. (Just maybe...) "Mars Flame Sniper!" She blasted the arrow into the hourglass and fell to her knees as it merely diffused into the glass.
The man chuckled. "I told you, little Mars. Now would you please make your decision, I don't want to be down here all day. I'm sure dear Wufei would like to die in peace if that is what you decide."
Rei closed her eyes. (What do I do? I can't possibly give up my powers!) But at the same time, another part of her mind was wearily collapsing. (You can't let him die. You just can't. He is to be your husband! You can't abandon him when you could save him!) Tears welled up in Rei's eyes, but she shut them tight, refusing to let this vile creature see her break. (But I have broken.) Images flashed through Rei's mind. The days they fought each other, the day she finally seemed to reach him, the day she revealed her deepest secret, her power. (And now I have to give up my secret to save him.) She stood up. (There is no contest. I can't let him die.)
"Let him go. I...I surrender."
An evil cackle rang in Rei's ears. "Very good, little Mars. Very good indeed!"
Rei half-heartedly looked up at the sound of glass breaking. Blue-ish sand tumbled down around her feet. A still only half-conscious Wufei coughed several times, scattering grains of sand.
"Now for your end of the bargain, little Mars." A growling voice played evilly in Rei's ears.
Rei opened her mouth, but managed to stop a scream as a piercing pain stabbed through her heart. Her hands gripped at her shirt, trying to somehow smother the pain slicing through her chest. Suddenly, the pain burst through her whole body and Rei bit her teeth down against the cry that worked its way through her throat.
The pain intensified and seemed to lift her off the floor. And, in an instant, it was over. Rei collapsed to the floor and was vaguely aware of something holding her.
"Rei, wake up! What happened?! Rei!" It was Wufei's voice. Rei opened her mouth to somehow answer him, but the screams that had beat against her before, had left her voice beaten.
Instead, the cruel, hard voice answered him. "Foolish boy. She gave up her powers to save you. She's no more conscious now than you were only a few moments ago. Foolish, stupid boy. Yes this is what love gets you!" His roaring laugh seemed to echo off the far, dark walls. "A half-dead wife and a doomed planet!" The roar grew louder, and eventually subsided into chuckles. "But, my dear boy, I will not kill you now. You have served my purposes well. So I'll let you go back down to Earth and await the fate of your kind." The laugh roared up again and the dim light faded away, leaving pure, complete darkness.
Back on Earth~~~~
Somehow, Wufei and Rei had been sent back to Earth, and found destruction when they opened their eyes. Flames licked at the tops of buildings, everything, from the grass to houses to the road was charred and either burnt or burning away. Somehow, Wufei had gotten the weaken Rei back to the temple, where, miraculously, all his family, Grandfather Hino, and even Rei's three friends stood safe in the ancient stone shrine far to the back of their piece of land.
While the elders took care of Rei, Wufei gathered Ami, Minako, and Makoto to the back corner and filled them in on what had happened. The room seemed to silence as a great fireball slammed into the ground in front of the narrow entrance.
"So she gave up her powers..." Ami muttered still staring out the door at the smoldering pile of rubble.
"And he's using it to destroy all of Tokyo." Makoto spat.
Ami sighed. "And even we can't break the fire barrier around the city."
"So we're stuck here while the city burns away." Minako said bitterly.
"And, considering even the sidewalks are burning away, this shelter may not last forever." Ami closed her eyes and took off her glasses.
There was a small chatter of noise from the other side of the room, as Rei came to and started coughing. Wufei pushed through his aunts and uncles and knelt at Rei's side.
Gripping her shoulders, Wufei looked at her severely. "You shouldn't have done what you did."
Rei smiled weakly. "I had to, and don't bother arguing, this is one time I'm right."
Wufei closed his eyes, at a loss for words. The people around him looked at each other in confusion. They shrugged their shoulders, accepting that Rei had done something unwise and Wufei had pulled her out of it. Wufei ignored their looks and concentrated on Rei.
"What now?" He asked quietly.
Rei closed her eyes as well. "I don't know."
The people around them backed away, to give them room.
Ami, Minako and Makoto came over and sat down next to Rei. They looked at each other before Ami spoke up. "We have a plan."
"Let's do it." Rei said firmly.
Ami blinked. "But you haven't even heard what it is yet."
Rei shook her head. "I don't care what it is. As long as it gets rid of that bastard who's using my power for..." She waved her hand vaguely at the destruction ensuing outside. "This misery."
Makoto nodded. "It's a little dangerous..."
"Well, more than just a little dangerous, actually." Minako added with a thought.
Ami adjusted her glasses. "We're going to-" She stopped and after a slight look around, lowered her voice. "We are going to go out and attack a large 'black ball' some people had seen hovering above the radio tower. Most likely it will be guarded by youmas, so we're going to have to distract them while you get into the ball and get your powers back." She shifted. "I checked things out with what little probing I could get in, and it seems that your power is stored in a Brashen Crystal." She looked at them as though this had some huge significance. After the few moments of blank stares she sighed. "The kind of crystal Rubius used?" She rolled her eyes at her friends' apparent lack of knowledge of their past enemies and looked at Rei. "All you have to do is get past whatever shield he most likely has around it and touch the crystal to tap directly into its power source. But as to how you're going to get in that sphere is something we can't exactly plan on. There are too many variables to figure it out exactly."
Wufei, who had remained silent through the whole plan, spoke up. "I know what you are planning to do, and you are not leaving me here."
Rei glared at him. "Wufei this is-"
"I know plenty about dangerous missions, and you are not going up there, in your present state without me." His eyes narrowed. "This is happening because I wasn't strong enough to escape. I'm not making another mistake that's going to cost you."
"I think it's a good idea." Minako piped up. Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. "Rei doesn't have her powers and having someone else there will help."
Makoto nodded. "That makes sense. So do we have a plan?"
The group nodded. Rei smiled and stood up. (Here we go.) Her smile widened. (And that bastard's going to pay.)
So, how was that chapter??? Now that I think about it, this story may be nearing its end... Oh well. I guess I'll start another one then... Oh, yeah, and the thing with the hourglass, I've seen it done more than a few times, but it just seemed to fit here, so no, that idea is not mine. Well, review me 'kay!!!!