Chapter One
The ten senshi stared in amazement. They paused their attack in shock as they took in the first sight of their target's face. Two of their number, Super Sailor Mercury and Eternal Sailor Moon stepped back into the protectiveness of their comrades. The one other senshi who had seen the villain before started walking towards the enemy. "Mars!" shouted Venus. "What do you think you're doing?" Mars continued toward the enemy as he stepped up to meet her. "MARS!" Venus screamed, as Super Sailor Mars linked hands with Jedite, fell into his embrace, and disappeared with him.
Later that night, as the senshi gathered at the mansion in which Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru lived, there was - of course - only one topic of discussion. "Well, I still think she's insane. Or something. She didn't do that because he made her. She betrayed us!" "Oh, shut up, Mina!" Mako yelled. "I'm sick and tired of your lack of trust in Rei. Maybe she went with Jedite because she knew he wouldn't yell at her as much as you've been! Nothing she's done for the past month has been good enough for you! She never fights hard enough; she's too preoccupied. You always find something to nit pick at!" Mako blushed in embarrassment as she looked around at all of the wide eyes and gaping mouths. She added, much more calmly. "I think Rei's been a saint lately. She's never come out and said what I just did, and she's had more than a right to. She had a reason for this." Five people broke into animated conversation-Mako, Mina, Michiru, Hotaru, and Chibi. The other four went into the kitchen on the pretense of finding something to drink.
Once in the kitchen, the four women-Usagi, Ami, Haruka, and Setsuna-sat down on opposite sides of a classically carved, square bamboo table. Usagi spoke first. "We should know what's going on with her; four sensitives, one of them a wise, 1,000 year old senshi. Have you noticed anything.odd, Haru? I know Rei's been apprenticing you at the temple." "As you all know, Rei passed her miko exam about three and a half months ago," Haru began, as the other three nodded. "At that time, according to custom, she is allowed to take on an apprentice. Rei approached me, and asked if I was interested. I was, and agreed.on one condition: that she tell me why she chose me. I remember that Rei thought about it, and answered very carefully and almost cryptically. 'Very long ago,' Rei said, 'you were the fourth strongest in mind. You are now the third. You need training.'" At this, Haru shrugged and continued, not noticing Setsuna's sinking shoulders. "Since then, Rei's control over her own.powers has greatly increased. Her communication with the fire has become deeper and more personal. The discipline needed for the kind of power and control she has, I'm told, equals that of Merei." At the questioning looks, Haru explained. "A history lesson has accompanied my temple lessons every day," she said wryly. "Merei was a miko who lived in the 13th century. She was reputed to perform miracles and was believed to be the spirit of Toreima, a wise miko-prophet from the 7th century. Some leaders, now, believe Rei to be the spirit of Merei and, in turn, Toreima." "I think we understand, Haru." Usagi then turned to Setsuna, who now sat with a frown on her face. "Anything to add?" "No. Continue," Setsuna said coldly, with an underlying note of anger. "Very well," Haru picked back up. "Recently, Rei has been spending more time at the fire. She seemed.distressed, and couldn't sleep. She's reported troubling dreams. When she's meditated, it's taken longer for her to focus." Haru paused, and took a deep breath. She continued slowly. "She's.been talking in her sleep." Ami's head snapped up. "Any idea what she's said?" "I have some," Haru replied. "One word repeated many times was Jedite." Usagi and Ami gasped as Haru's eyes locked onto Setsuna's. "She also talked a lot about a place, Meridia, I think." Setsuna closed her eyes and cradled her head in her hands. "You know this place, then?" Usagi asked. "You don't remember? You, of all people!" Setsuna leapt up from the table, chair crashing on the floor, eyes blazing with pain and sadness. Ami also rose, with a tad more gracefulness, and walked over to where the distraught woman was standing. Ami placed a hand on one of Setsuna's stiff shoulders and gently said, "We're sorry, Setsuna. We don't remember. Sit down. Everything's all right. What can you tell us?" "Oh," Setsuna said in a whisper, still standing. "I could probably tell you everything. The Hei.Rei made good on an old, old promise today." Setsuna let Ami guide her back to her chair, and sat down as Haru got everyone a glass of water. Setsuna half-smiled at Haru, and took a long sip. As Haru sat back down, she said, "So, Setsuna?" Setsuna took a deep breath and began her story.
Chapter Two
"Come on, Rei. We haven't been on a picnic for a while, and today's a perfect day-42 marks." Rei smiled. Jedite was right-it was a perfect day. Warm, with the barest hint of a breeze. Not a cloud in the sky, no other person in miles. Rei conceded with a nod of her head. They went off in the direction of the kitchen.
"What do you mean, there aren't any guardos? I just picked some up a few days ago!" Rei said, distrusting her companion. She went over to the icebox and started looking through it. After five minutes, she spoke. "Aha!" Rei rose, triumphantly displaying two pieces of green fruit, each roughly the size of a potato. "You did it again!" Jedite exclaimed. "Jealous?" Rei insinuated while playfully brushing against his arm. Jedite rose to the bait, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. "Of your search-and-rescue talents, my love? Definitely not!" Rei laughed, and tried to wiggle out of his grasp. Jedite wouldn't let go, however, so her efforts merely landed both of them on the floor. After controlling his laughter and regaining his breath, Jedite leaned over to where Rei was still laughing. His head over hers caught her attention. She stopped giggling and looked into his eyes before rising to meet his lips with her own.
Needless to say, the two sweethearts did not leave for their picnic until much later. Once they finally did, Jedite carried a basket loaded with Martian and Terran delicacies in one hand, and Rei's hand in the other. The walk to their 'spot' was silent after the morning of intimacy, but it was the type of silence that brings two people closer together.
"You know," Jedite began, lounging his head on Rei's lap as she stroked his hair, "that Endy said he always knew that we'd get together?" "How?" Rei asked. "We always used to fight so much. I suppose we still do, sometimes," she added as an afterthought. "He said there were two reasons. First, he thought that our fighting covered up our true feelings." "Well, it did," Rei said. "The very first time we kissed was when I couldn't bother arguing with you over the history of the Imperial Martian Line," she joked. "You just didn't want to lose." "I'll ignore that. What was his second reason?" Rei asked, curiously. "He said that because we're the two most powerful psychics in the universe we'd understand each other." "We do, a lot better than others understand us. It also makes our connection stronger." "True," Jedite mused.
@}-------
"Ah," Haru said. "That's what Rei was talking about when she said I was the fourth strongest of mind." "Yes," Setsuna replied. "Rei was the strongest-still is. Jedite was the second, and you were fourth, Haru. Queen Serenity-your mother, Usagi-was the third most powerful. When she died, you took her place, Haru." "But, Setsuna," Ami questioned, "at the time that Haru asked, Rei didn't know that Jedite was alive. Why didn't she tell Haru that she was second?" "How do you know that Rei didn't know that Jedite was alive?" Setsuna asked. "Well, Usagi, Rei, and I saw him killed!" "No," Setsuna argued, "you saw him 'ported back to the Negaverse. He never died. Queen Beryl put him in a crystal for eternal sleep. When Sailor Moon killed Beryl, her spells dissolved-including the one on Jedite." "And you thing Rei knew he was alive the whole time?" Usagi questioned. "They had-and have-a connection deeper than anything we can comprehend. Of course she knew." Setsuna then continued her story.
@}-------
After spending lunch together, Rei and Jedite walked back to the cottage. While they were cleaning up the remains of their meal, Rei picked up her communicator an instant before it began beeping. "Rei here. What's up?" "Mars! Where the hell are you? We've been trying to reach you for the last three hours!" "Nice to hear you too, Venus. I'm sorry, I was out." "Well, isn't that nice. Now get your butt back to base!" "Why? What's going on?" Rei asked, shooting a concerned glance at Jedite. "Can't say; we're not secure. Oh, and do you know where Jed is?" Rei winced, knowing how much her companion hated the shortened version of his name. "I can get a hold of him. Why?" "He needs to come to. Pick him up, will you? Venus out." Rei looked at Jedite and shrugged. "We'd better go. Don't worry, she's not sensitive."
Chapter Three
The two fighters walked through the main hall of the Moon Palace. The sound of Jedite's boots clicking on the floor was drowned out by the bustle of people. Soldiers were leaving in formations as servants were running to and fro. Rei looked at Jedite and telepathed to him. "I think we should head straight to the Control Room. I'll try and contact Haruka." Jedite nodded and watched as his love 'talked' to Haru. The control of her powers was so complete that he, the second in such power, couldn't even tell she was communicating. All of a sudden, Rei pulled Jedite into a side room, and closed and locked the door. "I have to transform, and we have to teleport into the Control Room. The doors are sealed." Jedite picked up on Rei's worry. He knew, just as she did, that the doors were never sealed. His attention was then taken by the sight of Rei transforming into Sailor Mars. Breathlessly, he waited until she was done, then hugged her in a crushing embrace. "You are so beautiful, princess of Mars," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. Mars sighed deeply, then pushed him away. "We don't have time," she said apologetically. "They're waiting for us." Jedite frowned, then nodded in agreement. Mars focused, and transplanted them from a closet to the Control Room.
"It's about time you got here!" Venus said angrily, once Mars and Jedite had fully rematerialized. Mars shrugged, and began walking toward Mercury as Jedite walked in the direction of his prince and fellow generals. Once Mars reached Mercury, she noticed her friends sly smile and raised eyebrows. "Have fun on your picnic?" Mercury 'pathed to Mars, who smiled back. "Your attention, please." Queen Serenity stood in the middle of the room. She pushed a button on the keypad she was holding, and a tactical screen lit to life. The queen motioned toward different positions on it as she talked. "The threat from Beryl and the Negaverse has become more real in the past 5 hours. Her forces, in black, have mobilized and are heading this way. Naturally, our first line of defense has also mobilized; you'll see them in white. As you can see, the two armies should encounter each other at this point, in red, in about two days. I'll now turn this over to Neflyte, general in charge of the Terran forces." "Thank you, Queen Serenity. Our combined forces, As the queen said, should encounter the enemy in approximately 47 hours. The main threat to our army is Beryl's elite Shadow force. This force is comprised of Beryl's best warriors, known as the Seven Shadows. They are magical in nature, and so Jedite, Kunzite, Zoicite, and I will teleport to the army ships in hopes of killing these Shadows, or rendering them permanently useless. We'll be leaving shortly. Sailor Venus?" "Thank you, general. We wish you the best of luck." Neflyte and the other three generals nodded as Venus continued. "In the case of further advance by the Negaverse forces, we have set up three more checkpoints or defense lines. One here, in yellow, the next here, in purple, and the last on the moon, in this palace. Hopefully, it will never come to that. All of the senshi will be quartered here in the palace for the duration of this threat, and train everyday in the eventuality that we are called into action. Any questions?" No one took Venus up on the offer, so the meeting was "Dismissed!" Jedite walked over to a now-worried Mars and put an arm around her shoulder. "We'll be fine," he whispered, and kissed her forehead. "Jedite!" "Yes, Neflyte?" "It's time to 'port." "I'm coming." Mars stood on her tiptoes and whispered in Jedite's ear. "Come back to me." Jedite nodded, and then left with his three friends and fellow generals, as Mars watched. "You two seem very close," a voice from behind Mars said. She whirled around, and answered. "Your majesty. Yes, we are," Mars aid simply. "Does he know?" The queen asked. Mars looked at the ground, then into the face of her queen. "No," she said, "he doesn't."
@}-------
"Doesn't know what?" Usagi asked, interrupting Setsuna's story. "We'll get to that, eventually," she replied. "Anything else?" "Did they really love each other that much?" Ami asked. "Yes, they did. And still do," Setsuna said with a smile. "May I continue?" Everyone nodded, so she did.
Chapter Four
Rei paused, listening to the announcement. "All senshi, please report to the Control Room. All senshi to the Control Room." Rei stood up and surveyed the room as she stretched. Half of it was utterly demolished, the other half on fire as a result of the training exercise she had just completed. She half nodded in satisfaction before grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat off of her face. After taking a long swallow of water, she 'ported to the Control Room.
The telescreen in the middle of the room was set up, but not yet on. Ami and Mako were already there, so Rei walked over to them. "You're so lucky that you can do that, Rei. Ami and I had to wait for a teleport to turn on," Mako said. "Oh, it's not all it's cracked up to be. What's going on?" "The fleet is almost ready to intercept. Mina wanted us to watch it," Ami replied. "Ah," Rei said. Suddenly, the rest of the senshi, the queen, and Prince Endymion appeared. Mina walked over to the telescreen and turned it on. She then rejoined the group. Rei moved to the back of everyone, and closed her eyes.
The bridge of the flagship came into view on the screen. The audience listened to a play-by-play of the action. Haruka walked over to where Rei as standing like rock and placed a hand on her shoulder. Rei didn't move, which confirmed Haru's guess, that Rei was 'pathing with Jedite. About five minutes later, Rei stiffened, then the rest of the senshi heard the news. "We're being boarded!" Rei muttered under her breath, and Haru thought she said, "I understand, Meridia," but wasn't sure. Just then, Rei passed out, falling into Haru's arms. Haru gently laid her on the floor, then listened to what her psychic friend already knew. "The generals have been taken to the Negaverse flagship! The Shadows are still fighting! What should we do? What are our orders? Your majesty, what are our instructions? What-" The captain's voice was cut off and the telescreen only displayed static. The senshi looked at the prince, and saw a man trying valiantly to hold back his rage and grief. The queen turned to find Rei, and saw that she was lying on the floor, unconscious, being protected by Haru. Usagi followed the queen's gaze, and yelped when she saw Rei. She ran over to where Haru was, followed by her fiancé. Endymion, fond of the girl who had captured his general's heart so thoroughly, added the thought of her pain to his own blazing rage. He watched with cold unfeeling eyes as Ami, Mako, and Setsuna carried Rei to the teleport to take her to her room, and watched as Haru whispered into the queen's ear, then also left. The others soon left, leaving Endymion alone with Usagi and the queen. "Usagi, would you leave us, please?" her mother asked. "I need to talk to Endymion alone." Usagi hesitated, then 'ported out. The queen placed her hands on Endymion's shoulders and spoke gently. "Do not fear for your generals. We'll get them back. As for Rei, I know you're fond of her. She'll pull through, don't worry about her. As for the war, it's not hopeless yet. We've got some tricks up our sleeves. Trust me, my son. We'll win." Endymion nodded uncertainly, then walked to the 'port pad and left. The queen, now alone, spoke to the Control Room. "The Heiress is our greatest hope now. Our only hope."
@}-------
"Who is this Heiress? What good could she do?" Usagi asked, interrupting once more. "The Heiress," Setsuna replied slowly, "is the second most powerful person in the universe." "Second to who?" Haru asked. "Well, the queen of the moon, right?" Usagi said. Setsuna shook her head. "Sorry Usagi. The Lunar Queen is the third in line of power. The Heiress is second to the Guardian." The other three sensitives shivered, the air in the room suddenly cooling. "Can you elaborate?" Ami asked. "Of course," Setsuna answered. "Think of space, the part that we can see and travel in, as the top layer of an ocean that you can't see beneath. Underneath visible space is an invisible and ever-present ocean of magic, called the Weave. Before the Moon Kingdom was created, a person-the Guardian-forged the magical links that connect all of the planets and moons. The Moon Kingdom depends on these links. As I've said before, during the Silver Millennium each planet was known for being the best in a specific area. For instance, the Mercurians were widely accepted as the most knowledgeable and wise, those of Uranus had the best working control of the earth and soil, and so on and so forth. Most notably were the people of Mars, who were gifted in the lore of magic. For many centuries, it was the people of Mars who upheld the links of the Moon Kingdom. During this time, the royal line of Mars grew more and more gifted in magic, until the strongest magician ever known in the Universe was born and came into power. Rei." Setsuna was interrupted by Ami. "What! Rei? The strongest?" "Yes," Setsuna answered impatiently. "Can I continue?" She did. "As I was saying, Rei came along. From very early in her childhood, she demonstrated more power than both of her parents combined could control. When Rei was seven, just after she was chosen as a senshi, the present Guardian appeared. As tradition, she tested Rei, and found her to know some of the secrets of the universe. Rei was the Heiress. She fit the traditional requirements, she was a female of the House of Mars. She also fit other requirements laid out by the Guardian and Queen Serenity. The Guardian approached Queen Serenity during court and made her claim. The queen agreed; a formality only, then told me. As a result of that meeting, I am one of only two people who have ever met the Guardian and know of Rei's unique position.at least until now." With this, Setsuna stopped. "I see," Usagi said slowly. "When did Rei remember? In this life, I mean." "She never forgot." "What's that supposed to mean?" Ami asked. "I'll get to that. May I continue, Usagi?" Usagi blushed, then nodded. "Where was I? Oh, yes, I remember."
Chapter Five
Rei awoke, her eyes slowly adjusting to the light in her room. She sat up, realizing for the first time that she was in bed. Usagi was sitting in a chair next to the bed. "What happened?" Rei asked, still unsure of where she was and what had occurred. "I remember I was in the Control Room with everyone. I was 'pathing with Jedite." Her spine stiffened and her eyes coldly focused as she continued. "Beryl caught him." "Yes, she did," Usagi said, worried about the state of her protector. The queen entered, summoned by Rei's increased brain activity. She placed a hand on her daughter's head, and spoke. "Rei? Maybe you need some time off. A rest, perhaps?" the queen said, expecting some argument. Rei's eyes unfocused and filled with pain and tears. "I would appreciate that, your majesty," Rei answered softly. The queen, caught off guard by Rei's agreement, asked, "Where would you like to go?" "Home."
Rei materialized in a small, plain bedroom. She put her bags on a hard bed, and left the room to go into the kitchen. Once there, she made herself a cup of peva- a hot, red liquid that tasted curiously like modern day espresso. After downing the peva in one long gulp, she put on a pair of tattered hiking boots and left the house to walk.
Half an hour later, Rei reached Meridia; a lovely flat plain covered with cornflowers and cherry trees. She faced the setting sun and watched it disappear, lost in her thoughts. Sensing someone behind her, she snapped out of her reverie and turned around. "You came," Jedite said. "Yes." He approached her, sensing no fear. "Has she changed you?" Rei asked, secretly probing his mind. "Only just enough," he answered. Sensing no desire to kill, kidnap, or brainwash her, Rei fell into his open arms sobbing.
Once she had settled down, Jedite tried to explain. "You see, Rei, Beryl's only changed my loyalty. Before, it was to Endy and the Moon Kingdom. Now it's the Negaverse. She hasn't touched my reason, my intellect, my heart. I'm still the man you love, only with a different master. Do you understand?" "I do," Rei answered. "Not only because of what you've just told me, but because I probed your mind when you first appeared. You're still the man I love." At first, Jedite was angry-no one can probe another without the other's permission! It's a law! Then he realized that he would have done the same thing. Rei watched as he worked all of this out and happily laughed when Jedite turned back to her and said, "What can this humble servant do to please his mighty mistress?" "Kiss me," she said.
Long after the stars came out, the two rose from the ground. They started walking back towards the cottage hand in hand. Before they had walked ten steps, Rei stopped, gasping in shock. Jedite, two steps ahead, realized he was walking alone, and turned to see what was wrong. The sight stopped him cold. He saw Rei, eyes wide and mouth open, pleading with her eyes for him to tell her that she had sensed wrong, that they could go home. He couldn't. Ten feet behind Rei stood seven senshi and a princess. Jedite froze.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Rei? Queen Serenity gave you time off, during war, to recuperate. Is this how you do it? Consorting with the enemy during war is treason. You should be court-martialed!" Venus's words rang through the plain as several senshi were stunned. "Court-martialed?" Jupiter squeaked. "Come on, Venus. Lay off of her," Neptune said. "NO!" Venus screamed. "She's WRONG! We can't bend the rules for her." Princess Usagi angrily turned to the senshi leader. "Venus, go wait in the house. Jupiter, go with her and make she that once she gets there, she stays." Jupiter nodded, leading off an angry and muttering Venus. Once she had made sure of Venus's exit, the princess once again turned her attention towards Rei. Serenity walked forward, followed by Uranus, Mercury, and I, until we were two paces behind Rei. The others left, with a word from Usagi. She spoke gently to her friend. "Rei, come with us. We'll take you back to the moon, everything forgotten." Usagi searched for any sign of movement in Rei, but nothing happened. "You know you can't be with him. He's been brainwashed. He's evil." Rei didn't say anything, didn't move. She was still looking at Jedite. Angry that Rei wasn't doing or saying anything, Jedite spoke. "Your highness, I am NOT evil and I have not been brainwashed. I still love Rei, more than anything in the universe. She is my life, my inspiration, my only desire. Nothing in my feelings for her has changed. She is.she is my heart, my soul. She haunts me in my dreams; she teases me when I'm awake. The passion that we share is fire. The love between us outshines the sun. You can't take that away from us. You may separate us, but I own a part of Rei that you never will, and she owns a part of me that I never knew existed until I met her. She has become everything to me." He stopped and watched, pained, as a single tear fell from Rei's eye, and as he stepped forward to brush it, she fell to the ground. She clutched her head and screamed inside of it while she sobbed outside of it. The second mind-scream caused Mercury to fall unconscious, as the rest of us all winced at the pitch and power of a third mind-scream. "Why must I choose?!" Rei 'pathed, putting every word inside of a scream. "I'm too young, I don't know, don't understand! Why? WHY!" By this time, Jedite and I were the only ones left standing. The screams had also overloaded Uranus and Usagi, while leaving Jedite as a wreck of pain and sorrow. I knew it was up to me. "Rei," I said aloud. "You must choose. Don't decide on what your heart tells you-it will say Jedite. Don't decide on what your head tells you-it will say the moon." By this time, I was whispering into Rei's ear, noticing the reawakening of Uranus and Usagi. "You must choose. Do what the Weave commands." Rei stopped crying, the breath catching in her throat. I saw the slight nod she gave, and backed away from her. Jedite, Uranus, Usagi, and I watched, as she mouthed some words. The others didn't know what she said, but I did. "O Weave of Life, O Fires of Mars-thy servant asks a boon. Of Guidance, Certainty, and Wisdom I lack. Command thy servant to do thy wishes. I will follow through. I ask you now, What should I do?" By this time, the pleasant plain of Meridia was overtaken by gales and a thunderstorm. With lightening crashing everywhere, thunder booming in our ears, and wind trying to knock us down, Rei received an answer. As violently and quickly as the storm had begun and the winds rose up, they dissipated, leaving only a slight breeze. Rei walked over to Jedite, and kissed him. "We've lost her," Uranus murmured. "Wait," I said. Rei took Jedite's face in her hands, and gazed sadly into his eyes. "My love," she began, "know that if it ever comes to this again, if ever I have a choice again, I will go with you." Jedite nodded, and kissed her one last time. He mockingly bowed towards Uranus, Usagi, and I. Then he disappeared.
Rei turned around to face us. "You're my witnesses," she said. "If I ever have to choose again, I swear on my own life that I will go with my love, not my loyalty." I turned around, expecting nothing more.
@}-------
"So that's it, then," Haru said. "That's what you meant when you said that she made good on an old promise today." "Yes, that's what I meant," Setsuna replied. "But the story is far from over."
The ten senshi stared in amazement. They paused their attack in shock as they took in the first sight of their target's face. Two of their number, Super Sailor Mercury and Eternal Sailor Moon stepped back into the protectiveness of their comrades. The one other senshi who had seen the villain before started walking towards the enemy. "Mars!" shouted Venus. "What do you think you're doing?" Mars continued toward the enemy as he stepped up to meet her. "MARS!" Venus screamed, as Super Sailor Mars linked hands with Jedite, fell into his embrace, and disappeared with him.
Later that night, as the senshi gathered at the mansion in which Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru lived, there was - of course - only one topic of discussion. "Well, I still think she's insane. Or something. She didn't do that because he made her. She betrayed us!" "Oh, shut up, Mina!" Mako yelled. "I'm sick and tired of your lack of trust in Rei. Maybe she went with Jedite because she knew he wouldn't yell at her as much as you've been! Nothing she's done for the past month has been good enough for you! She never fights hard enough; she's too preoccupied. You always find something to nit pick at!" Mako blushed in embarrassment as she looked around at all of the wide eyes and gaping mouths. She added, much more calmly. "I think Rei's been a saint lately. She's never come out and said what I just did, and she's had more than a right to. She had a reason for this." Five people broke into animated conversation-Mako, Mina, Michiru, Hotaru, and Chibi. The other four went into the kitchen on the pretense of finding something to drink.
Once in the kitchen, the four women-Usagi, Ami, Haruka, and Setsuna-sat down on opposite sides of a classically carved, square bamboo table. Usagi spoke first. "We should know what's going on with her; four sensitives, one of them a wise, 1,000 year old senshi. Have you noticed anything.odd, Haru? I know Rei's been apprenticing you at the temple." "As you all know, Rei passed her miko exam about three and a half months ago," Haru began, as the other three nodded. "At that time, according to custom, she is allowed to take on an apprentice. Rei approached me, and asked if I was interested. I was, and agreed.on one condition: that she tell me why she chose me. I remember that Rei thought about it, and answered very carefully and almost cryptically. 'Very long ago,' Rei said, 'you were the fourth strongest in mind. You are now the third. You need training.'" At this, Haru shrugged and continued, not noticing Setsuna's sinking shoulders. "Since then, Rei's control over her own.powers has greatly increased. Her communication with the fire has become deeper and more personal. The discipline needed for the kind of power and control she has, I'm told, equals that of Merei." At the questioning looks, Haru explained. "A history lesson has accompanied my temple lessons every day," she said wryly. "Merei was a miko who lived in the 13th century. She was reputed to perform miracles and was believed to be the spirit of Toreima, a wise miko-prophet from the 7th century. Some leaders, now, believe Rei to be the spirit of Merei and, in turn, Toreima." "I think we understand, Haru." Usagi then turned to Setsuna, who now sat with a frown on her face. "Anything to add?" "No. Continue," Setsuna said coldly, with an underlying note of anger. "Very well," Haru picked back up. "Recently, Rei has been spending more time at the fire. She seemed.distressed, and couldn't sleep. She's reported troubling dreams. When she's meditated, it's taken longer for her to focus." Haru paused, and took a deep breath. She continued slowly. "She's.been talking in her sleep." Ami's head snapped up. "Any idea what she's said?" "I have some," Haru replied. "One word repeated many times was Jedite." Usagi and Ami gasped as Haru's eyes locked onto Setsuna's. "She also talked a lot about a place, Meridia, I think." Setsuna closed her eyes and cradled her head in her hands. "You know this place, then?" Usagi asked. "You don't remember? You, of all people!" Setsuna leapt up from the table, chair crashing on the floor, eyes blazing with pain and sadness. Ami also rose, with a tad more gracefulness, and walked over to where the distraught woman was standing. Ami placed a hand on one of Setsuna's stiff shoulders and gently said, "We're sorry, Setsuna. We don't remember. Sit down. Everything's all right. What can you tell us?" "Oh," Setsuna said in a whisper, still standing. "I could probably tell you everything. The Hei.Rei made good on an old, old promise today." Setsuna let Ami guide her back to her chair, and sat down as Haru got everyone a glass of water. Setsuna half-smiled at Haru, and took a long sip. As Haru sat back down, she said, "So, Setsuna?" Setsuna took a deep breath and began her story.
Chapter Two
"Come on, Rei. We haven't been on a picnic for a while, and today's a perfect day-42 marks." Rei smiled. Jedite was right-it was a perfect day. Warm, with the barest hint of a breeze. Not a cloud in the sky, no other person in miles. Rei conceded with a nod of her head. They went off in the direction of the kitchen.
"What do you mean, there aren't any guardos? I just picked some up a few days ago!" Rei said, distrusting her companion. She went over to the icebox and started looking through it. After five minutes, she spoke. "Aha!" Rei rose, triumphantly displaying two pieces of green fruit, each roughly the size of a potato. "You did it again!" Jedite exclaimed. "Jealous?" Rei insinuated while playfully brushing against his arm. Jedite rose to the bait, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. "Of your search-and-rescue talents, my love? Definitely not!" Rei laughed, and tried to wiggle out of his grasp. Jedite wouldn't let go, however, so her efforts merely landed both of them on the floor. After controlling his laughter and regaining his breath, Jedite leaned over to where Rei was still laughing. His head over hers caught her attention. She stopped giggling and looked into his eyes before rising to meet his lips with her own.
Needless to say, the two sweethearts did not leave for their picnic until much later. Once they finally did, Jedite carried a basket loaded with Martian and Terran delicacies in one hand, and Rei's hand in the other. The walk to their 'spot' was silent after the morning of intimacy, but it was the type of silence that brings two people closer together.
"You know," Jedite began, lounging his head on Rei's lap as she stroked his hair, "that Endy said he always knew that we'd get together?" "How?" Rei asked. "We always used to fight so much. I suppose we still do, sometimes," she added as an afterthought. "He said there were two reasons. First, he thought that our fighting covered up our true feelings." "Well, it did," Rei said. "The very first time we kissed was when I couldn't bother arguing with you over the history of the Imperial Martian Line," she joked. "You just didn't want to lose." "I'll ignore that. What was his second reason?" Rei asked, curiously. "He said that because we're the two most powerful psychics in the universe we'd understand each other." "We do, a lot better than others understand us. It also makes our connection stronger." "True," Jedite mused.
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"Ah," Haru said. "That's what Rei was talking about when she said I was the fourth strongest of mind." "Yes," Setsuna replied. "Rei was the strongest-still is. Jedite was the second, and you were fourth, Haru. Queen Serenity-your mother, Usagi-was the third most powerful. When she died, you took her place, Haru." "But, Setsuna," Ami questioned, "at the time that Haru asked, Rei didn't know that Jedite was alive. Why didn't she tell Haru that she was second?" "How do you know that Rei didn't know that Jedite was alive?" Setsuna asked. "Well, Usagi, Rei, and I saw him killed!" "No," Setsuna argued, "you saw him 'ported back to the Negaverse. He never died. Queen Beryl put him in a crystal for eternal sleep. When Sailor Moon killed Beryl, her spells dissolved-including the one on Jedite." "And you thing Rei knew he was alive the whole time?" Usagi questioned. "They had-and have-a connection deeper than anything we can comprehend. Of course she knew." Setsuna then continued her story.
@}-------
After spending lunch together, Rei and Jedite walked back to the cottage. While they were cleaning up the remains of their meal, Rei picked up her communicator an instant before it began beeping. "Rei here. What's up?" "Mars! Where the hell are you? We've been trying to reach you for the last three hours!" "Nice to hear you too, Venus. I'm sorry, I was out." "Well, isn't that nice. Now get your butt back to base!" "Why? What's going on?" Rei asked, shooting a concerned glance at Jedite. "Can't say; we're not secure. Oh, and do you know where Jed is?" Rei winced, knowing how much her companion hated the shortened version of his name. "I can get a hold of him. Why?" "He needs to come to. Pick him up, will you? Venus out." Rei looked at Jedite and shrugged. "We'd better go. Don't worry, she's not sensitive."
Chapter Three
The two fighters walked through the main hall of the Moon Palace. The sound of Jedite's boots clicking on the floor was drowned out by the bustle of people. Soldiers were leaving in formations as servants were running to and fro. Rei looked at Jedite and telepathed to him. "I think we should head straight to the Control Room. I'll try and contact Haruka." Jedite nodded and watched as his love 'talked' to Haru. The control of her powers was so complete that he, the second in such power, couldn't even tell she was communicating. All of a sudden, Rei pulled Jedite into a side room, and closed and locked the door. "I have to transform, and we have to teleport into the Control Room. The doors are sealed." Jedite picked up on Rei's worry. He knew, just as she did, that the doors were never sealed. His attention was then taken by the sight of Rei transforming into Sailor Mars. Breathlessly, he waited until she was done, then hugged her in a crushing embrace. "You are so beautiful, princess of Mars," he murmured, nuzzling her neck. Mars sighed deeply, then pushed him away. "We don't have time," she said apologetically. "They're waiting for us." Jedite frowned, then nodded in agreement. Mars focused, and transplanted them from a closet to the Control Room.
"It's about time you got here!" Venus said angrily, once Mars and Jedite had fully rematerialized. Mars shrugged, and began walking toward Mercury as Jedite walked in the direction of his prince and fellow generals. Once Mars reached Mercury, she noticed her friends sly smile and raised eyebrows. "Have fun on your picnic?" Mercury 'pathed to Mars, who smiled back. "Your attention, please." Queen Serenity stood in the middle of the room. She pushed a button on the keypad she was holding, and a tactical screen lit to life. The queen motioned toward different positions on it as she talked. "The threat from Beryl and the Negaverse has become more real in the past 5 hours. Her forces, in black, have mobilized and are heading this way. Naturally, our first line of defense has also mobilized; you'll see them in white. As you can see, the two armies should encounter each other at this point, in red, in about two days. I'll now turn this over to Neflyte, general in charge of the Terran forces." "Thank you, Queen Serenity. Our combined forces, As the queen said, should encounter the enemy in approximately 47 hours. The main threat to our army is Beryl's elite Shadow force. This force is comprised of Beryl's best warriors, known as the Seven Shadows. They are magical in nature, and so Jedite, Kunzite, Zoicite, and I will teleport to the army ships in hopes of killing these Shadows, or rendering them permanently useless. We'll be leaving shortly. Sailor Venus?" "Thank you, general. We wish you the best of luck." Neflyte and the other three generals nodded as Venus continued. "In the case of further advance by the Negaverse forces, we have set up three more checkpoints or defense lines. One here, in yellow, the next here, in purple, and the last on the moon, in this palace. Hopefully, it will never come to that. All of the senshi will be quartered here in the palace for the duration of this threat, and train everyday in the eventuality that we are called into action. Any questions?" No one took Venus up on the offer, so the meeting was "Dismissed!" Jedite walked over to a now-worried Mars and put an arm around her shoulder. "We'll be fine," he whispered, and kissed her forehead. "Jedite!" "Yes, Neflyte?" "It's time to 'port." "I'm coming." Mars stood on her tiptoes and whispered in Jedite's ear. "Come back to me." Jedite nodded, and then left with his three friends and fellow generals, as Mars watched. "You two seem very close," a voice from behind Mars said. She whirled around, and answered. "Your majesty. Yes, we are," Mars aid simply. "Does he know?" The queen asked. Mars looked at the ground, then into the face of her queen. "No," she said, "he doesn't."
@}-------
"Doesn't know what?" Usagi asked, interrupting Setsuna's story. "We'll get to that, eventually," she replied. "Anything else?" "Did they really love each other that much?" Ami asked. "Yes, they did. And still do," Setsuna said with a smile. "May I continue?" Everyone nodded, so she did.
Chapter Four
Rei paused, listening to the announcement. "All senshi, please report to the Control Room. All senshi to the Control Room." Rei stood up and surveyed the room as she stretched. Half of it was utterly demolished, the other half on fire as a result of the training exercise she had just completed. She half nodded in satisfaction before grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat off of her face. After taking a long swallow of water, she 'ported to the Control Room.
The telescreen in the middle of the room was set up, but not yet on. Ami and Mako were already there, so Rei walked over to them. "You're so lucky that you can do that, Rei. Ami and I had to wait for a teleport to turn on," Mako said. "Oh, it's not all it's cracked up to be. What's going on?" "The fleet is almost ready to intercept. Mina wanted us to watch it," Ami replied. "Ah," Rei said. Suddenly, the rest of the senshi, the queen, and Prince Endymion appeared. Mina walked over to the telescreen and turned it on. She then rejoined the group. Rei moved to the back of everyone, and closed her eyes.
The bridge of the flagship came into view on the screen. The audience listened to a play-by-play of the action. Haruka walked over to where Rei as standing like rock and placed a hand on her shoulder. Rei didn't move, which confirmed Haru's guess, that Rei was 'pathing with Jedite. About five minutes later, Rei stiffened, then the rest of the senshi heard the news. "We're being boarded!" Rei muttered under her breath, and Haru thought she said, "I understand, Meridia," but wasn't sure. Just then, Rei passed out, falling into Haru's arms. Haru gently laid her on the floor, then listened to what her psychic friend already knew. "The generals have been taken to the Negaverse flagship! The Shadows are still fighting! What should we do? What are our orders? Your majesty, what are our instructions? What-" The captain's voice was cut off and the telescreen only displayed static. The senshi looked at the prince, and saw a man trying valiantly to hold back his rage and grief. The queen turned to find Rei, and saw that she was lying on the floor, unconscious, being protected by Haru. Usagi followed the queen's gaze, and yelped when she saw Rei. She ran over to where Haru was, followed by her fiancé. Endymion, fond of the girl who had captured his general's heart so thoroughly, added the thought of her pain to his own blazing rage. He watched with cold unfeeling eyes as Ami, Mako, and Setsuna carried Rei to the teleport to take her to her room, and watched as Haru whispered into the queen's ear, then also left. The others soon left, leaving Endymion alone with Usagi and the queen. "Usagi, would you leave us, please?" her mother asked. "I need to talk to Endymion alone." Usagi hesitated, then 'ported out. The queen placed her hands on Endymion's shoulders and spoke gently. "Do not fear for your generals. We'll get them back. As for Rei, I know you're fond of her. She'll pull through, don't worry about her. As for the war, it's not hopeless yet. We've got some tricks up our sleeves. Trust me, my son. We'll win." Endymion nodded uncertainly, then walked to the 'port pad and left. The queen, now alone, spoke to the Control Room. "The Heiress is our greatest hope now. Our only hope."
@}-------
"Who is this Heiress? What good could she do?" Usagi asked, interrupting once more. "The Heiress," Setsuna replied slowly, "is the second most powerful person in the universe." "Second to who?" Haru asked. "Well, the queen of the moon, right?" Usagi said. Setsuna shook her head. "Sorry Usagi. The Lunar Queen is the third in line of power. The Heiress is second to the Guardian." The other three sensitives shivered, the air in the room suddenly cooling. "Can you elaborate?" Ami asked. "Of course," Setsuna answered. "Think of space, the part that we can see and travel in, as the top layer of an ocean that you can't see beneath. Underneath visible space is an invisible and ever-present ocean of magic, called the Weave. Before the Moon Kingdom was created, a person-the Guardian-forged the magical links that connect all of the planets and moons. The Moon Kingdom depends on these links. As I've said before, during the Silver Millennium each planet was known for being the best in a specific area. For instance, the Mercurians were widely accepted as the most knowledgeable and wise, those of Uranus had the best working control of the earth and soil, and so on and so forth. Most notably were the people of Mars, who were gifted in the lore of magic. For many centuries, it was the people of Mars who upheld the links of the Moon Kingdom. During this time, the royal line of Mars grew more and more gifted in magic, until the strongest magician ever known in the Universe was born and came into power. Rei." Setsuna was interrupted by Ami. "What! Rei? The strongest?" "Yes," Setsuna answered impatiently. "Can I continue?" She did. "As I was saying, Rei came along. From very early in her childhood, she demonstrated more power than both of her parents combined could control. When Rei was seven, just after she was chosen as a senshi, the present Guardian appeared. As tradition, she tested Rei, and found her to know some of the secrets of the universe. Rei was the Heiress. She fit the traditional requirements, she was a female of the House of Mars. She also fit other requirements laid out by the Guardian and Queen Serenity. The Guardian approached Queen Serenity during court and made her claim. The queen agreed; a formality only, then told me. As a result of that meeting, I am one of only two people who have ever met the Guardian and know of Rei's unique position.at least until now." With this, Setsuna stopped. "I see," Usagi said slowly. "When did Rei remember? In this life, I mean." "She never forgot." "What's that supposed to mean?" Ami asked. "I'll get to that. May I continue, Usagi?" Usagi blushed, then nodded. "Where was I? Oh, yes, I remember."
Chapter Five
Rei awoke, her eyes slowly adjusting to the light in her room. She sat up, realizing for the first time that she was in bed. Usagi was sitting in a chair next to the bed. "What happened?" Rei asked, still unsure of where she was and what had occurred. "I remember I was in the Control Room with everyone. I was 'pathing with Jedite." Her spine stiffened and her eyes coldly focused as she continued. "Beryl caught him." "Yes, she did," Usagi said, worried about the state of her protector. The queen entered, summoned by Rei's increased brain activity. She placed a hand on her daughter's head, and spoke. "Rei? Maybe you need some time off. A rest, perhaps?" the queen said, expecting some argument. Rei's eyes unfocused and filled with pain and tears. "I would appreciate that, your majesty," Rei answered softly. The queen, caught off guard by Rei's agreement, asked, "Where would you like to go?" "Home."
Rei materialized in a small, plain bedroom. She put her bags on a hard bed, and left the room to go into the kitchen. Once there, she made herself a cup of peva- a hot, red liquid that tasted curiously like modern day espresso. After downing the peva in one long gulp, she put on a pair of tattered hiking boots and left the house to walk.
Half an hour later, Rei reached Meridia; a lovely flat plain covered with cornflowers and cherry trees. She faced the setting sun and watched it disappear, lost in her thoughts. Sensing someone behind her, she snapped out of her reverie and turned around. "You came," Jedite said. "Yes." He approached her, sensing no fear. "Has she changed you?" Rei asked, secretly probing his mind. "Only just enough," he answered. Sensing no desire to kill, kidnap, or brainwash her, Rei fell into his open arms sobbing.
Once she had settled down, Jedite tried to explain. "You see, Rei, Beryl's only changed my loyalty. Before, it was to Endy and the Moon Kingdom. Now it's the Negaverse. She hasn't touched my reason, my intellect, my heart. I'm still the man you love, only with a different master. Do you understand?" "I do," Rei answered. "Not only because of what you've just told me, but because I probed your mind when you first appeared. You're still the man I love." At first, Jedite was angry-no one can probe another without the other's permission! It's a law! Then he realized that he would have done the same thing. Rei watched as he worked all of this out and happily laughed when Jedite turned back to her and said, "What can this humble servant do to please his mighty mistress?" "Kiss me," she said.
Long after the stars came out, the two rose from the ground. They started walking back towards the cottage hand in hand. Before they had walked ten steps, Rei stopped, gasping in shock. Jedite, two steps ahead, realized he was walking alone, and turned to see what was wrong. The sight stopped him cold. He saw Rei, eyes wide and mouth open, pleading with her eyes for him to tell her that she had sensed wrong, that they could go home. He couldn't. Ten feet behind Rei stood seven senshi and a princess. Jedite froze.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Rei? Queen Serenity gave you time off, during war, to recuperate. Is this how you do it? Consorting with the enemy during war is treason. You should be court-martialed!" Venus's words rang through the plain as several senshi were stunned. "Court-martialed?" Jupiter squeaked. "Come on, Venus. Lay off of her," Neptune said. "NO!" Venus screamed. "She's WRONG! We can't bend the rules for her." Princess Usagi angrily turned to the senshi leader. "Venus, go wait in the house. Jupiter, go with her and make she that once she gets there, she stays." Jupiter nodded, leading off an angry and muttering Venus. Once she had made sure of Venus's exit, the princess once again turned her attention towards Rei. Serenity walked forward, followed by Uranus, Mercury, and I, until we were two paces behind Rei. The others left, with a word from Usagi. She spoke gently to her friend. "Rei, come with us. We'll take you back to the moon, everything forgotten." Usagi searched for any sign of movement in Rei, but nothing happened. "You know you can't be with him. He's been brainwashed. He's evil." Rei didn't say anything, didn't move. She was still looking at Jedite. Angry that Rei wasn't doing or saying anything, Jedite spoke. "Your highness, I am NOT evil and I have not been brainwashed. I still love Rei, more than anything in the universe. She is my life, my inspiration, my only desire. Nothing in my feelings for her has changed. She is.she is my heart, my soul. She haunts me in my dreams; she teases me when I'm awake. The passion that we share is fire. The love between us outshines the sun. You can't take that away from us. You may separate us, but I own a part of Rei that you never will, and she owns a part of me that I never knew existed until I met her. She has become everything to me." He stopped and watched, pained, as a single tear fell from Rei's eye, and as he stepped forward to brush it, she fell to the ground. She clutched her head and screamed inside of it while she sobbed outside of it. The second mind-scream caused Mercury to fall unconscious, as the rest of us all winced at the pitch and power of a third mind-scream. "Why must I choose?!" Rei 'pathed, putting every word inside of a scream. "I'm too young, I don't know, don't understand! Why? WHY!" By this time, Jedite and I were the only ones left standing. The screams had also overloaded Uranus and Usagi, while leaving Jedite as a wreck of pain and sorrow. I knew it was up to me. "Rei," I said aloud. "You must choose. Don't decide on what your heart tells you-it will say Jedite. Don't decide on what your head tells you-it will say the moon." By this time, I was whispering into Rei's ear, noticing the reawakening of Uranus and Usagi. "You must choose. Do what the Weave commands." Rei stopped crying, the breath catching in her throat. I saw the slight nod she gave, and backed away from her. Jedite, Uranus, Usagi, and I watched, as she mouthed some words. The others didn't know what she said, but I did. "O Weave of Life, O Fires of Mars-thy servant asks a boon. Of Guidance, Certainty, and Wisdom I lack. Command thy servant to do thy wishes. I will follow through. I ask you now, What should I do?" By this time, the pleasant plain of Meridia was overtaken by gales and a thunderstorm. With lightening crashing everywhere, thunder booming in our ears, and wind trying to knock us down, Rei received an answer. As violently and quickly as the storm had begun and the winds rose up, they dissipated, leaving only a slight breeze. Rei walked over to Jedite, and kissed him. "We've lost her," Uranus murmured. "Wait," I said. Rei took Jedite's face in her hands, and gazed sadly into his eyes. "My love," she began, "know that if it ever comes to this again, if ever I have a choice again, I will go with you." Jedite nodded, and kissed her one last time. He mockingly bowed towards Uranus, Usagi, and I. Then he disappeared.
Rei turned around to face us. "You're my witnesses," she said. "If I ever have to choose again, I swear on my own life that I will go with my love, not my loyalty." I turned around, expecting nothing more.
@}-------
"So that's it, then," Haru said. "That's what you meant when you said that she made good on an old promise today." "Yes, that's what I meant," Setsuna replied. "But the story is far from over."
