Disclaimers: I don't own any of the anime characters used.
Author's Notes: The title 'I Saw Your Face' may seem familiar to those who have read The First Time Ever... by an author I have forgotten. I had read that piece of work a long, long time ago, and the titles had stuck into my mind. It had been a Generals/Senshi fanfic. I want all of you to know, that I am just using the titles like that, and I am in no way plagarizing her/his work. If it remotely resembles his/her writing, I sincerely apologize.
Warning: Wufei is OOC.
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True Soulmates?
Chapter 4 - Solitary Dragon & War Priestess: I Saw Your Face
Author: Krys Yuy
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"I'm going to do a fire reading," Rei told her friends.
"Can we watch you, Rei-chan?" asked Minako.
"I'd like to do it alone, please," she requested.
Her friends nodded in understanding. "All right, Rei-chan," said Ami. "I guess we'll just be in here in Usagi's room."
"Doomo arigato," Rei murmured.
"No problem," Makoto grinned, then winked. "See you later. Don't forget to tell us what you find."
"Of course," Rei answered, smiling back, before exiting her comrade's room. She headed towards the fire room dressed in her priestess garb. 'Why do I have this strange feeling that Usagi is right about all of this confusion?'
The soldier of Mars knelt down before the Sacred Fire in a respectful manner. She held her hands in front of her, and began to chant several words, while making various symbols for each word. "Oh, Sacred Fire, I seek your guidance... show me the truth! Show me the past as it truly was!"
As if in response to her prayer, the blazing fire grew to an amazing height. An image appeared within its fiery embrace. Rei opened her eyes to see the same young man she had encountered just the day before, but he was not the same. His black eyes held affection, yet hints of defiance and amusement. His ebony hair, which had been in a tight ponytail before, was now falling against his shoulders. A few strands of the dark hair fell across his eyes, giving him a mysterious look. He wore a strange uniform of black and red. Her heart began to thump wildly. The image began to waver, but not before something red flashed across his forehead.
'Nani?!' Rei thought as she recognized it. 'The insignia of Mars!'
All her thoughts, however, were cut off as the fire grew brighter with the heat growing to an intensity she had never known. She covered her eyes with her hand, but it proved a futile attempt. Suddenly, the flames shot out and encircled her, starting from the bottom making its way to the top. She bit her lip to keep from screaming and drew blood. It felt as if she were being stabbed by a million knives and burned a thousand times.
'What's happening?' she thought frantically.
Her hair whipped around in a wild manner, somehow untouched by the flames. As they danced around her form, a flash of red appeared directly in front of her. Despite her pain, she felt the urge to open her eyes, and gave in to it. She saw her crystal wand floating in front of her. Faintly, she heard a small voice urge her to grab it.
"Grab your wand, princess..." it whispered. "Take your namesake once more... Feel the power of the planet of War run through your veins!"
Rei thrust her hand out and gripped firmly to her wand. It immediately eased the pain and she suddenly found herself staring blankly ahead as events of long ago flashed through her mind. However, all they did was flash. She was never able to make out the event before it would be replaced with another one. The only thing she knew was there were the figures of her fellow Senshi. The crystal on her wand detached itself and surrounded her in a red light. It felt strangely warm and comforting. With a pulse of power, the Senshi of Mars disappeared and the Sacred Fire reverted back to its original tame state.
* * * * *
Wufei concentrated as he held his katana in front of him. He sliced the air and back flipped, his katana held expertly. 'That woman...' he thought as he continued his training. 'Why did she seem so familiar?'
A calm sensation ran through his veins as he allowed himself to just feel. He did the katana movements without any second thoughts. A vision of violet and red flashed through his mind. 'I need... to know,' he thought. 'Who is she? Why... are we here?'
Just as Wufei crouched low in the training room, one of the many doors leading to it burst open. A hyper Duo walked through. "Hi Wu-chan!" he exclaimed with a grin.
Wufei's left eyebrow twitched, but he took a very deep breath. "Duo, leave," he stated in a clipped tone.
Duo just leaned against the wall by the door. "You know, Wufei," he started in a sudden serious tone, making Wufei glance at him in surprise. "You've been acting weird all day."
"What do you mean?" he asked, setting his katana back on the wall.
"Come on, Wufei," Duo sighed. "I've called you Wu-chan at least four times today, and not once have you chased me around."
"Sometimes I have better things to do than deal with you," he replied, turning his attention to a punching bag.
"I just... we're all worried," he said, adjusting his black leather jacket.
"Look Maxwell, I'm fine. I don't why you guys are getting so worked up," Wufei stated, punching the bag, then doing a roundhouse kick.
"I was talking to Quatre and Trowa earlier," Duo said. "They told me that you've been here all morning."
"I need to train," he replied curtly. "We need all the strength we can get to help us."
"You're going to work yourself out," Duo commented. "It's going to be very exhausting."
"I don't care," Wufei said. "I'm going to meditate now, Maxwell. It would be best if you leave." He turned away from the punching bag. "Please," he added absently.
Duo nodded and opened the door to go through, but paused to glance at Wufei one last time. "Ever since we saw those girls..." he stated. "Ever since you saw that Rei chick..." Then he left and closed the door behind him.
Wufei stared at the closed door, slightly amazed. He shook his head, wondering how Duo could be so care-free, yet so alert at the same time. 'Sometimes Maxwell never ceases to surprise me...'
Just then, a searing pain suddenly ran through his body. "Ahh!" He fell to his hands and knees. He felt as if he was on fire. A crimson glow began to surround his body starting from his feet. As it covered the top of his head, a necklace shimmered above him. It held a circular pendant with fire engravings and two letters stood bold against the red in black: W & R. A woman with red hair appeared in his mind, before she disappeared.
"Feel it..." a voice murmured, causing him to glance up and spot the necklace. "Feel the power within you, prince. Gather the element of fire and join her highness!"
As if by pure instinct, Wufei's hand shot out and gripped the pendant tightly. The pain dulled and he felt a sudden peace. Then with a single flash of dark red beams, he was no longer there.
* * * * *
"Damn it!" a girl of fourteen exclaimed. "Where is Serenity-hime?!"
"Rei-chan, you shouldn't swear," replied another girl with blue hair.
The first girl sighed and tossed long red locks over her shoulder. "I know, I know. Gomen nasai, Ami-chan."
"I think Sere-hime is in hiding," another girl with green hair commented absently.
"Hiding?" the heir of Mercury blinked. "Whatever for?"
"Ami-chan, didn't you see the look on her face when Serenity-sama announced that she was going to get married?" Makoto replied. "She was simply horrified."
"I would be mad too," added the last girl with orange hair.
"So would I, Minako-chan," Rei agreed.
"I mean, would you want someone to plan out your entire life for you?" Minako said. "Having your parents tell you, one day, out of the blue, that you were going to get married to someone you haven't even seen?"
"I see your point," Ami replied. "But that is our life."
"Nani?" asked Makoto.
"We are tied to our duty," she explained. "We must do the things we do for the people, and sacrifice our own happiness."
Silence reigned after that, but the princess of Mars quickly broke the spell. "Well, I'm not just going to stand around here! I'll look for her," she said. "You go and greet the newcomers, like the Queen said. I'll try to find our princess."
"Hai," replied Minako. "Good luck, Rei-chan."
Rei smiled at her friends. 'I'm going to need it, knowing Serenity...' she thought as she walked away from them.
The Mars princess wandered around the gardens, before entering the palace once more. "Where could she be?!" she said aloud, frustrated.
"Where could he be?!" another unfamiliar voice echoed down one of the many corridors.
'Who's that?' she wondered, quickly following the source of the voice, temporarily forgetting about her princess.
"Can you believe he just went up and left?!" exclaimed another voice.
"Well, you should have been keeping an eye on him Maxwell!" stated the first voice.
"Excuse me," the second voice replied sarcastically. "I didn't know our prince had to be baby-sat."
"I just had to get stuck with Maxwell," muttered the first voice. "Couldn't have gone with Winner or Barton the other way... No, I had to be with the thing that won't shut up..."
"Someone is in a bad mood..."
Rei couldn't help but smirk at the actions of the two men she didn't know. She was getting closer to the voices, and picked up the skirt of her dress so it wouldn't make a lot of noise. 'I'm betting that these are the guards of the prince...'
"You know, I think it'll be better if we spread out, too," the second voice suggested. "I mean, you're the one who likes to work alone..."
"You finally have a good idea, Maxwell," the first voice muttered.
The princess of Mars crept around a corner quietly and spotted two figures at the end by the doors leading to the outside. From her vantage point, she could tell they were both at least two years older than her and her friends. 'So, I guess their prince isn't too happy about this marriage deal either...' She continued on her way and hid behind a pillar just a few feet away from them.
"Fine, I'll go this way," said the one with braided hair, pointing to the left end of the hall.
"Affirmative," said the first one, who had black hair down.
Before the braided one left, he glanced at his comrade one last time. "Wufei, let me just ask you one question..."
"What's that, baka?" the man replied, his back still to her.
"Why do you have your hair down?" he asked, fighting the urge not to snicker.
"None of your business," he answered curtly.
"Jeez... sorry I asked," 'Maxwell' said. "See you later, Wu-chan!" Then he darted down the hall, barely missing the fist thrown his way.
'That was... interesting,' Rei thought, smiling slightly. She was startled out of her thoughts as the man spoke.
"I know someone's here. Come on out," he called, never turning.
Rei held her breath, suddenly very self-conscious. 'How did he know?' she asked. 'Baka! You're being careless,' she scolded herself.
"Don't make me come after you," he said in a low voice. She could have sworn she saw a flicker of fire envelop his right hand.
The princess stepped out from her hiding place and walked towards him slowly. "Gomen nasai, sir," she apologized. "I truly didn't mean to spy on you. I guess curiosity got the best of me. Please forgive me."
The man turned and Rei felt the world freeze around them. Her breath caught in her throat as she suddenly found herself lost in his hard black eyes, which were now wide with surprise. He was standing straight, his red and black uniform loose against his lean frame. His ebony hair had been combed back, but few strands fell against his eyes, while the rest fell to his shoulders. It looked soft and inviting to touch, and she had to resist the urge to run her fingers through it.
Wufei was having similar problems as he gazed into the face of what looked to be a goddess. A red silk dress hugged her body, and seemed just right. Long red hair the color of fire fell past her small waist. Deep crimson eyes were wide and seemed to spark with flames. Her skin was light and creamy, making him want to feel her against him.
Then they both knew...
* * * * *
Ai shiteru, Rei...
Rei opened her eyes groggily, dazed and confused. She had seen memories, but specifically one memory which stood out against the rest. The first day she saw Chang Wufei in her former life. The first day she saw his face. That was when she knew... she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
As her vision cleared, all she saw was red. Then she blinked, and she saw herself in a misty area. She groaned as she sat up, and gripped her right hand to tighten the hold on her wand. But all she did was clench her hand into a fist. Her head snapped down to look for her wand. That was when she noticed a very light weight on her right index finger. She brought her hand to her face and studied the ring. The band was a silver dragon and its face met its tail in the middle of the ring. The eyes were set in rubies as well as the tongue. Right beside the head, on the tail, another tiny ruby was placed in the shape of Mars' symbol. She gently took it off and saw there was an engraving on the inside. It read, 'Rei and Wufei.'
Rei's eyes started to gather with tears, and she hastily brushed them away. She smiled as she put the ring back on. 'Fei-kun...' she thought longingly.
Ai shiteru, Wufei...
Wufei eyes snapped open as memories from a long past came to haunt him. He had seen more visions of his fiery priestess. He remembered the day he first saw her face. He had never really believed in love at first sight until then. He had suddenly known... he wanted to be with her till death.
He sat up on a misty floor and felt a light weight on his chest. He looked down and saw that he was now wearing the pendant. He smiled and traced the intricate patterns of the flames and the W & R. If he looked at it long enough, a great dragon would appear, before fading. He sighed a bit wistfully, and ran a hand through his hair. He took a double take and realized that his hair was out of its ponytail.
'Rei always did like it this way...' he thought absently, before standing up and gazing around the area. "Rei-chan..." he said aloud.
Always...
"Wufei?" Rei called as she heard someone say her name.
"Rei?" another said.
"Where are you?" the princess of Mars cried out. She suddenly found herself pulled against a hard chest from behind.
"Right here," Wufei whispered into her ear, her strands of hair tickling his face.
"I've missed you, Fei-kun..." Rei murmured to him. "Gomen..."
"For what?" he asked.
"I thought... I thought..."
"Hmm?"
"I thought Jadeite was my other half..." she finished, looking down in shame. "How could I forget you..."
"Rei, I don't blame you... I feel as if something evil is at work..." Wufei stated, hugging her close.
"But... I should've known! I should've sensed it!" she exclaimed.
"You never really did forget me," he whispered. "Deep down, you remembered me. You could never forget me, just like I could never forget you..."
"Wo ai ni," Rei murmured in Chinese as she turned to face him.
Wufei smiled at her as more locks fell into his eyes. "Wo ai ni," he replied, bringing his lips to meet hers.
Rei wrapped one of her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, if that was even possible. 'Something is going to happen...' she thought.
The reunited couple began to glow red and entwined their hands. The light suddenly gathered above them and slowly formed into a small object. The object began to spin slowly, then faster and faster, until a tornado of red and black brought the couple out of their intimate embrace.
"What is that?!" Rei questioned as she glanced upwards.
"I don't know," he replied.
The object abruptly halted its movements and fell into their palms. It was dark red and oddly shaped with designs showing a dragon wrapped around it. It was surrounded in a maroon bubble which dissolved in a flurry of sparkles.
"The key..." Rei murmured to herself.
'The keys that will unlock everything...'
"Nani?" Wufei asked.
"Look, Fei-kun! It's a key!" she explained. "One of the keys that will unlock the past..."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I don't understand, though," Rei continued. "Queen Serenity said it would show the true Silver Millennium... but we already remember the past... I saw you, and I followed my heart..."
"Maybe we didn't see the whole past, love..." he said.
"That's true..." she commented thoughtfully.
"Open..." a new voice whispered.
"Nani?!" the couple exclaimed together.
"Open the gate..." it continued. "You must find help to defeat the evil... Watch and learn..." Then it talked no longer.
"What was that?" Rei asked quietly.
"Something that really didn't help our situation..." Wufei muttered.
Rei began to think, and was suddenly struck with an idea. "Fei-kun?"
"Hai?"
"Just follow my lead, okay?"
"All right, Rei-chan..."
"I call upon the planet of War!"
"I call upon the planet of Earth! Element of Fire!"
"Hear our prayer!"
"Heed our call!"
"Show us the path of our destiny!"
"Lend us your guidance!"
"Unlock the power of the key we two hold!" they chanted together.
The key the two held with both their hands began to pulse once more and dissolved into two balls of lights. It sped towards Rei's ring and Wufei's pendant, before being absorbed into the two pieces of jewelry.
Ai shiteru...
Flames erupted from their feet, only to engulf them in its fiery embrace. The next thing the couple knew, they landed just outside the walls of a building. Shouts could be heard from the inside and Wufei tackled Rei just in time as a body came crashing through. A woman with red hair, who was drenched with water, groaned as she tossed away some of the rubble.
"You uncute tomboy!" she exclaimed.
"Ranma no baka!"