Disclaimers: I don't own any characters used. :P
Author's Notes: Gomen, gomen if some of you thought the next chapter would show what happens to Rei and Wufei after almost getting knocked over by a wall. This chapter is dedicated to Ami and Trowa. They will fall into a different world, as well as the other couples. The worlds are not restricted to anime, though. *sly smile*
"I love your passion, you make me respond so easily. I feel your touch. I become so alive at the sound of your voice. I want to lay beside you till the end of time. How can this be? We haven't even met!"
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True Soulmates?
Chapter 5 - The Silencer & Wise Genius: I Touched Your Skin
Author: Krys Yuy
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Ami glanced at Rei's back as the priestess left to enter the fire room. An uneasy feeling settled around her, but she brushed it away. Her princess's news had startled her immensely, and instead of reading the book she held in her hand, she tuned the world out.
'... After him, is Trowa Barton...'
"Trowa Barton," Ami murmured to herself.
The tall man had interested her immediately. She had seen him out of the corner of her eye. His mysterious eyes captured her, while he spoke no words during the entire meeting. She had glanced back at him as Usagi drove off. There was just something about him...
No, she shouldn't be thinking those things right now. Ami shook her head to rid her of these thoughts. There was a major problem at hand. Her princess had just accused the prince of being a fraud. Then would that mean that Zachary was also? Her past love, her soulmate. He couldn't possibly be a fake... Could he?
"I need a breath of fresh air," the blue haired woman said suddenly. She stood from her spot on the floor, laying her book on the short table.
"Daijoubu ka?" Minako inquired, her face immediately becoming worried. She fidgeted from her spot on the bed.
"Yeah, you don't look too hot," Makoto added, grinning a little weakly. She made a funny face from where she sat on the opposite side of the table.
"Daijoubu," Ami replied, smiling with reassurance. "Don't worry about me, guys. O-negai." She went outside into the fresh air.
The wind blew gently around her as she went down the steps, and headed towards a grassy area under several trees. She sighed as she sat down, leaning against the trunk of a tree. Petals flew back and forth, falling on her and the ground. 'I want to know the truth. Usagi couldn't be lying about something so serious. She's our princess as well. Not only our friend. She wouldn't lie to us for her own benefit,' she thought. 'Anyone... tell me what really happened.'
She then heard something faint in her head. She strained to hear it, and concentrated harder. The voice grew louder and she realized it was Rei. It was as if a telepathic link had opened between them. She could vaguely feel the presence of Minako and Makoto.
"... show me the truth! Show me the past as it truly was!"
As Ami heard those words, a cold chill ran down her. It was not frightening, but more welcoming. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them once again, she found swirls of ice and cold air floating in front of her. She realized an image had started to shimmer in its center. It was that man she had noticed the day before, yet he looked oddly different. He still had the same brown hair with long bangs covering half of his face. His visible green eye held its silent and indifferent look, but there was something akin to tenderness in them. His attire consisted of a strange uniform of black and indigo, which looked vaguely familiar. She began to flush lightly as she continued to stare at the puzzling image. The image flickered out of existence, but something blue winked on his forehead before the picture on ice was no more.
'The... the mark of Mercury!' Ami thought with astonishment. 'How-?'
Her thoughts stopped abruptly when the swirling ice began to surround her. She gasped in sudden pain as she felt the temperature drop at least a hundred degrees. The cold air pierced her skin, and she winced. She tried rubbing her hands against her arms, but it only served to worsen the problem for her. She attempted to scream, to say anything, but she couldn't find her voice. Her face became panicked and in this condition, she couldn't think straight.
'It hurts...' she whimpered in her mind. 'Why is this occurring?'
Though Ami felt the pain, she faintly took note that her body was in no harm at all. It looked as if nothing was touching it at all. It continued to swirl around her as a flash of blue made itself known directly in front of her. Her eyes widened as she saw the light dissolve to become her crystal wand. She began to hear someone instructing her to take it. It became like a beacon of light in the darkness.
"Take it," whispered a dim voice. "Accept your namesake once again, princess! Let the power of the planet of Wisdom flow through you!"
Without a second thought, Ami grabbed the wand in front of her. To her immediate but relieved surprise, the pain ceased to irritate her. Suddenly, she found herself looking ahead at nothing as events from a long gone past flew through her mind. They never stopped long enough for her to recognize any of the people, except she could tell they usually held her and her fellow Senshi. The orb crystal on her wand parted from the handle, and enveloped her in its warm blue light. As it blinked with a burst of power, the Senshi of Mercury disappeared as the cherry blossoms swayed in the wind.
* * * * *
"Do you think Heero will be all right?" Quatre asked as he glanced over his shoulder worriedly.
Trowa nodded for a moment. "He'll be fine, Quatre. He's not the Perfect Soldier for nothing," he commented, eyes gaining a hard glint.
Quatre slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I guess you're right," he mumbled, but then immediately brightened. "Would you join me in the music room?" He asked him with wide blue eyes.
Trowa faltered slightly, then couldn't help but smile inwardly. "All right," he said. "Let's go."
The two began walking down the hall toward the music room. As they entered with precise steps, Quatre got his violin while Trowa obtained a flute. The blonde smiled before he began playing, Trowa quickly following his tune. After a few more moments, they both found themselves forgetting everything around them except for the music. They let it comfort them as they got lost in a sea of thoughts.
'Something isn't right,' Trowa thought absently. 'We shouldn't be here.'
An image of the woman he had seen the day before flashed through his mind. His fingers continued to play the soft notes. 'An interesting air she held...' he thought to himself. 'She seemed shy but curious at the same time. There's something more to her...' He paused in his playing, and breathed deeply. 'Who is she really?'
The doors to the room opened as Duo walked in, looking around. "Hi guys!" he greeted cheerfully. "Anyone know where Wu-chan is?" He grinned mischievously.
Quatre shook his head, but smiled at his behavior. "He's been in the training room all morning, Duo," he answered. "He hasn't come out all day except for breakfast."
The braided man frowned, but then became determined. "Well, that will just have to change, won't it?" he asked as he smirked. He turned and headed out the door.
Quatre recognized that look and paled visibly, thinking about what happened to his antiques before. "I think I'll go check on Wufei and Duo," he said quickly as he left the room. "I'll be back, Trowa!" Then urgent footsteps could be heard.
Trowa sighed to himself. 'I need to do something else...' He put the flute back in its case, and tried to think of what to do next. 'Maybe some research...'
The tall man was prepared to leave the room and headed for the door. 'Just a little breath of fresh air would do me some good,' he thought. 'I need to think about other things... besides women.' He reached for the knob and was ready to turn it.
What he didn't expect was the almost unbearable pain that slammed into him out of nowhere. He grunted, trying to fight the urge to scream, as he fell to his knees. He felt as if a thousand ice particles were piercing him on every part of his body. An indigo glow began to surround him starting from his feet. A necklace with a circular pendant materialized in front of him as the glow covered his entire body. It had icicle designs and there were two letters in silver against the blue: T & A. A vision of a blue haired woman appeared, but too soon did she disappear from his mind.
Trowa felt the presence of something above him, but he was still startled when he heard a soft voice speaking to him. "Look inside you, prince," it murmured. "Know the element of ice and join your half!"
Without even looking, Trowa reached up faster than the human eye could see and grabbed the amulet. He noticed the change immediately. The pain ceased and he felt a calm wave wash over him. Then with a single glow of dark blue beams, he vanished.
* * * * *
"Iie! I refuse!" exclaimed a silver haired girl. She pouted as she crossed her arms, while she sat on her bed.
"Demo Serenity-hime, your mother arranged it for this afternoon!" protested a girl with blue hair.
"Ami-chan," the young Serenity whined, very unlike the way she was brought up. "I still don't want to meet the prince." Her tone had changed to determined and unchallenged.
"Oojo, don't act like such a baby," sighed a red haired girl.
"Rei-chan, refrain from calling our princess such things," stated a girl with golden hair.
"Doomo arigato, Minako-chan," the princess said, smiling.
"Even though it's true," added a girl with green hair in a teasing tone.
"Mako-chan!" exclaimed Serenity, scowling. "You guys are so mean!"
"Oojo, the prince and his Guard arrived a week ago!" Rei stated, glaring at her. "You haven't even laid eyes on the prince!"
Serenity suddenly smirked, leaning forward in sudden interest. "Maybe it's because I haven't fallen in love with one of his generals!" she retorted, eyes gaining a sudden playful look.
Rei immediately blushed as red as her dress. "Fei-kun means the world to me!" she blurted.
The rest of them gained wistful looks, before their princess broke the spell. "I am not going," she declared. "I am still ill." She mocked a faint as she fell backwards on her pillows.
"We might as well tell them," Makoto sighed, shaking her head. "It seems that our princess..." She paused as she gestured to the stubborn teenager. "... has taken to her bed, yet again."
"Ami-chan, why don't you go and tell the prince and his Guard?" suggested Minako, a mysterious twinkle in her eye.
The blue haired genius glanced up at her friend in surprise, but nodded. "All right, Minako-chan," she said. She took off her glasses and put them in her sub-space pocket. "I'll inform the prince of this..." She looked at her princess with a sigh. "... inconvenience."
Ami exited her princess's room. She shook her head, but couldn't help the smile that made its way onto her face. 'Serenity-hime... you're just afraid of what you'll find...' she thought.
She walked down one of the many large hallways, heading toward the sitting room. On the way there, she passed the large library. She paused outside the tall double doors, a battle occurring in her mind. 'There still is some time before the meeting with the prince,' she thought. 'I can just burn some time before I go to tell them.' Her love for reading won out for the time being as she entered the library she admired so much.
The heir of Mercury smiled in delight as her face was flooded with a sudden peace. She went from row to row, trying to decide what genre she felt like studying. As she passed a certain row, she saw one of the prince's generals out of the corner of her eye. She quickly ducked into a row far from where he was, her cheeks suddenly aflame.
The tall general had caught her eye when they first met. Her princess had mysteriously taken ill while she was in hiding from the Earth prince, so the Inner Senshi had to meet the Guard. It just so happened that their prince as well was nowhere to be found for the meeting. Meanwhile, it was safe to say she had blushed brightly when General Barton had locked gazes with her. His long brown hair that covered half his face was intriguing, looking spiky and hard, unable to have a soft silkiness. She wanted to find out if there was truth to her suspicions. His green eyes seemed to go on and on, yet they showed nothing.
Ami felt something whenever she looked at him, and her cheeks would turn red. It never failed once. She had a faint idea of what she was feeling. Minako had said it before, she being the Senshi of Love. What was it? Something starting with a 'c'... a crush? Yes, a crush. Ami was certain she had crush on General 03. She knew it was a crush, but she couldn't go as far as saying it was love. That would be too strong a word to use, unless she was sure.
The Senshi of Wisdom sighed to herself. 'I shouldn't be thinking such things,' she thought, frowning slightly. She glanced at the row of books she was in. 'Just the section I was looking for!' she exclaimed happily in her mind. She trailed her hand on the edges of the books.
"Iie, not this one," she mumbled to herself. She read the titles on the side. "Iie, wrong one again..." She thought hard and realized the literary works she was looking for would be right on the other side of the book she was staring at. She pushed the book aside with the rest of them and saw the back of the book she wanted.
Ami reached forward to grab it, her head turning to the side, but was caught off guard when a warm hand clasped her own. She was unprepared for the electric and pleasurable shock that went through her. Instead of pulling back, she gripped the skin tighter, wanting to touch it longer. She felt something flow through the contact... something powerful and tender. Could she dare call it... love?
She turned her head and looked across the bookshelf. Her eyes widened at the man standing on the other side. She felt her cheeks now do the familiar flaming as they were tinted red. Green eyes stared at her with rarely seen amusement and caring.
Trowa was surprised when, instead of grabbing the book he had wanted on the other side of the shelf, he had touched something smooth and soft. He had gripped his hand around it, instead of letting go. The tingles that spread through the touch made it seem like everything stopped just for this one moment. Like this was what he was born to feel, what he had been searching for. He looked across slowly, as if afraid of what he would find. To his happy satisfaction, his eyes were met with a young woman with her head bent. Her cheeks were pink, he noted, and he let his face show signs of laughter. He fought the urge to chuckle, and just stared at her soft looking blue hair. He gulped unconsciously as the beauty raised her head to lock beautiful blue eyes with his own. He couldn't help but let caring radiate from him.
The two stared in each other's eyes, their hand contact making them feel whole. Their skin felt as if it was on fire, a feeling leaving them in delight. The touch of the other's skin made them feel something they never felt before. As they continued to hold each other's hands, lost in one moment in time, a certain resolve settled within their hearts.
Ami and Trowa knew. It was far more than a mere crush which made them feel attracted to the other. They were sure within all their being, just as they touched the other's skin. It was, in fact...
Love.
* * * * *
Ai shiteru, Ami...
Ami opened her weary eyes, her face confused. Her mind had uncovered so many memories, all different but connected with one another. One memory still made her blush like mad. The day she had found true love... just like Minako had always talked about. She had finally known who she was to stand by for the rest of her life while she watched over her princess.
She saw nothing but blue before her vision allowed her to see clearly again. The sudden misty area made her blink several times. When her senses came back, she noticed that her right hand felt strangely light. She looked down slowly with dread. Her guess was confirmed when she clenched and unclenched her fist over air. Before she could panic, something silver glinted on her right index finger. She stared closely and found the designs to be fairly elegant. The band was shaped as a row of icicles, some a bit bigger than most. The largest shaped icicle was in the very center. It had a small sapphire in the shape of the Mercury symbol. On the tip of the center icicle and the ones on either side of it, were three tiny sapphires respectively. On impulse, she took the ring off, and instinctively knew that there was an inscription on the inside. It read, 'Ami & Trowa.'
Ami let a small smile grace her face as her looks became wishful. She put the ring back on absently, as if it belonged there forever. "Tro-kun..." she mumbled to herself, eyes glazing over.
Ai shiteru, Trowa...
Trowa bit back a groan as he sat up on the cold floor. Once he gained some grip on reality, he stood up hurriedly. His calculating eyes searched the area swiftly. Unconsciously, he searched for a sign of blue. Any kind of blue. He ached for the touch that could make him feel like he had felt heaven. The touch that could make him bend any which way.
He felt the very light pressure against his chest and smiled inwardly before he even saw what it was. He held it loosely in his right hand as he gazed down at it. The ice engravings entranced him as he glanced at the T & A. He could have sworn he saw a snow leopard appear, but it disappeared just as quickly. The visions of his blue haired love had flashed right before his eyes. That made him practically desperate.
'Where are you?' he thought pleadingly, though his mask showed indifference. "Ami-chan..." he called out, his ears alert for any answer.
Forever...
Ami's head perked up as she heard a familiar voice say her name within the mist. "Trowa?" she asked into the fog. "Is that you?"
"Ami?" a hesitant voice replied.
"Trowa!" She shouted in near hysteria. She whirled around and was almost knocked out when she hit something hard. "Itai!" she exclaimed, wincing. 'Just like Usagi's teenage years,' she thought, laughing on the inside.
"Gomen nasai, my Mercury," Trowa sighed as he wrapped his arms around her fragile form. "Finally..." He bent down to breath in the scent of her hair.
"Trowa," Ami suddenly sobbed. She stepped away from him in sudden shame, not wanting to look into his beautiful eyes.
"Ami-chan? What is it?" Trowa asked, reaching for her. His impassive eyes began to flash with panic. The mere thought of losing her again was going to drive him to the edge.
"I betrayed you," she sniffed. "I thought... I thought Zoicite was who I belonged with." The tears trailed down her cheeks as she waited for his rejection.
Understanding suddenly dawned on Trowa's face. He pulled Ami as close as he could, whispering into her ear. "Don't say that, Ami. You haven't betrayed me. We just didn't remember. None of us could remember," he murmured. "I love you."
Ami melted into his embrace. "I love you, too," she whispered. "I'll never forget. Never again." She buried her head into the fabric of his turtleneck.
"We always knew we had each other," he replied, his voice low and soothing. "Our souls knew that we had to find each other. We're made for each other, Ami-chan." He tightened his hold on her instinctively.
Ami brushed her hand through his surprisingly soft hair. "I know," she mumbled, eyes half-closing. "I know." She stood on her tiptoes, catching Trowa's lips in a kiss.
It surprised the tall man immensely, having known his beloved never really to take the initiative. However, he didn't object and instead responded with the same fervor. They never noticed the blue glow that had started to spread from their feet. Too lost in each other and their embrace. The glow began to leave them to gather at the top of their heads, materializing into a small object. It begin to spin at a steadfast rate, until it went faster and faster. The couple parted when they felt a wind pick up, and opened their eyes. They were met with quite a sight. They found themselves in the center of a blue and black tornado.
"Now this is a little strange," Trowa commented quietly, slipping back into his old self. He was reassured by the presence of his long lost love.
"You call this a little strange?" Ami asked, incredulous, raising an eyebrow. She pulled back slightly, but only a few inches away, which was still very close.
"Hai," he replied. His bangs were being tossed a little by the wind.
Despite the situation, Ami couldn't help but roll her eyes, an action she did rarely. "Trowa..." she trailed off, eyeing him.
"Nani?" he asked, letting a small smile creep onto his face. He knew for a fact that he was frustrating her.
The couple's conversation was cut short when the object stopped, along with the tornado. When it fell, they stepped even further away from each other, but their hands were still locked, palms facing up. It landed right onto their awaiting hands. It was dark indigo and oddly shaped with icicle designs, looking like it was actually hanging off the blue object. It was surrounded in an indigo bubble, which disappeared in lovely shower of glitter.
Ami mumbled to herself as she realized what it was. "A key... the key..." She shook her head, confusing thoughts beginning to invade.
'The keys that will unlock everything...'
Trowa looked from her to the key, his puzzlement cleverly hidden. "What is it, love?" he asked, tilting her chin up with his hand.
"It's one of the keys," she murmured, loud enough for him to hear. "It is supposed to unlock the past..."
"Gomen nasai, demo I'm not following you," Trowa replied, looking closely at the object shaped like a key.
"Serenity-sama had visited the other girls and I in a dream," Ami informed absently, her face thoughtful. "She said it would reveal our past lives 'as if we lived it here.' Demo I already remember you, and I saw the past... didn't I?"
"Probably not everything, Ami-chan," Trowa pointed out, his eyes twinkling.
"You're most likely right, Tro-kun," she replied, smiling up at him. "That makes sense to me."
A new voice suddenly invaded their peace. "Release..." it whispered eerily.
Trowa's eyes became indifferent once again as he stared into the misty area. "Who are you?" he demanded in quiet tones.
"Seek guidance to help you with this new threat," it continued, as if it had never been interrupted. "Learn, watch... and find." It paused for a moment, but soon began again. "Open the gate, your highnesses." With that single statement, the presence felt and heard was gone.
"So confusing," Ami groaned as she went through the words again and again. 'But what if...?' She suddenly had a suspicion and wanted to test it out. She locked eyes with her beloved once again.
"Hai, Ami-chan?" Trowa inquired, knowing all too well the look on her face.
"Please, follow what I say," she requested softly, almost shyly. "Just replace some parts." She waited for his answer patiently as she closed her eyes.
"Anything for you," he murmured, giving off a tiny smile. Her eyes opened in happiness and he smiled even wider.
Ami took a deep breath and then stared down at the key. "I call upon the planet of Wisdom!"
Trowa did not hesitate to follow her example. "I call upon the planet of Earth! Element of Ice!"
"Hear our plea!"
"Answer our prayer!"
"Lend us your guidance!"
"Shine on the path of our fate!"
The two then chanted as one, "Unlock the power of the key we two hold!"
The mysterious indigo key laid on both their palms began to pulse again. It dissolved into two balls of blue colored light, which were absorbed into Ami's ring and Trowa's pendant respectively.
Ai shiteru...
Snow and ice fell around them, starting just above their heads from an unknown source. The next thing the pair knew, they landed inside some kind of building, which looked renovated. Trowa stood up first and held his hand out to Ami, who accepted it gratefully. She straightened with his help and scooted closer when she realized they had a small audience. Trowa wrapped one arm around her waist protectively as he silently sized up the occupants in the room.
One man stepped forward, caution and ferocity shining equally on his face. However, the couple could sense his inner pain. His brown eyes seemed to flicker to a deep piercing yellow. His features made him look so irresistibly handsome, but at the same, beautiful. Almost like... almost like an...
"Angel," Ami whispered.