Yeah, well I'm behind now. Damn this broken laptop! I need the Internet! Not only delays on the website but delays in general. It sucks. Oh well. Okay but I've come to bring you the fantastical next chapter. (Did I just say fantastical?) That's it! I'm going insane. Oh well. Um so for our next chapter…
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Sailor Moon. (Do you think they would let me get a lease out on Yaten?)
Warnings: Foul language, revenge plans, and of course bumping into familiar people…
Second Chances
Chapter Six: It's Not Easy Being A Gender Changing Soldier of Love and Justice
"I will remember you,
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life,
Pass you by,
Weep not for the memories,"
-Song Quote!
Rei was late.
This was one of those things that did not happen often. In fact, it was more of a rarity then anything, her being late. She was the one who was the most responsible in the group. Everything seemed to be going horribly, terribly wrong. First, her alarm clock had not worked, thus she woke up twenty minutes later then she usually did. She had quickly ran around, hoping that she could get everything done. This was not to be though.
Rei's father was an incredibly powerful businessman. Thus for some reason there was always a girl, usually a different girl, that was working for him that he brought home. The girl would spend the night and leave in the morning. However this morning the girl decided she needed to use the bathroom before she left. Rei's bathroom. Rei had to skip her shower, thus making her incredibly irritated, and then she couldn't wait any longer to get her teeth brushed so she had to skip that part of her morning ritual too. Rei then decided that she would have breakfast and then check to see if the person had left her bathroom yet. Of course when she went for some cereal, she found that there was no milk. There was also no bagels anywhere, or fruit.
Rei was now, dirty and really hungry.
Then she tripped while running towards the bus stop. The bus left without her. Rei was ultra-pissed. Rei then had to walk to school. More like ran. She knew she was late. No one was in the halls when she got there and so she broke out into a run, hoping she wouldn't get caught. This was a wonderful plan until she realized that she was about to run into someone who happened to be in the halls. She was not able to stop herself and ended up smacking right into them.
Rei was now, dirty, really hungry, late, and in pain. It was not her morning.
"Oh, I'm sorry." A polite male voice said as he picked himself up off the ground. Rei looked up and gaped when she saw whom it was. He had short blonde hair and ice blue eyes. She knew this face.
"Jadeite?" Rei asked in astonishment.
"Rei?" The blonde-haired boy questioned right back. Rei had spent the whole summer on her grandpa's farm, hoeing vegetables and such. They had a worker there this time that helped her. A boy her age named Jadeite. At first they had not gotten along that well, but in the end they had become friends.
"What are you doing here?" They both asked each other at once. This caused them to both laugh.
"I go to school here!" Rei exclaimed. "What the heck are you doing here? I thought you lived far away from Tokyo!"
"I thought you lived far away from Tokyo." Jadeite scratched the top of his head slightly in confusion.
"Remember? I told you I lived in Tokyo!" Rei was practically accusing him of something. "You could never remember anything, not with such a small brain."
"Why Rei, it's nice to see you again too." The corners of Jadeite's mouth were twitching.
"I'm sorry." Rei hit herself on the top of her head. "I've been having a bit of a ruff morning…Actually I'm really late for school."
"Then I won't keep you. We'll have to get together and talk sometime. I know this great little diner…" Jadeite trailed off looking sheepish.
"Definitely, but I seriously have to go. I'll see you later!" Rei ran on, waving over her back at the blonde.
"Bye Rei!" Jadeite called to her. It was weird that they had run into each other like this. Secretly though, he was glad. He had really missed Rei.
* * *
"Hello Kakyuu!" Hotaru called out to the red-haired girl. She had met the pretty redheaded girl a few days ago and thought that she was really nice. Kakyuu was new and did not have some of her older classmates prejudice against her and Mamoru. Hotaru wondered if this year maybe things would change for her and Mamoru. It would be nice.
"Hi Hotaru." Kakyuu was standing with her three companions, The Kous. Seiya was leaning against the wall with his hands behind her head, Taiki was reading a book, and Yaten had his arms folded and was blatantly looking away from the purple-eyed girl.
"Did you finish your math homework? I was up late working on it last night." Hotaru tried to stifle a yawn. Her homework was not the only reason she was tired, she kept having nightmares that woke her up and left her shivering for hours. If only she could remember more of those nightmares to decipher what they meant.
"Setsuna helped me with mine." Kakyuu admitted sheepishly.
"It's not fair that your sister is the teacher." Seiya complained, his face in a slight pout. "What about the rest of us?"
"Sometimes people have certain advantages given to them." Kakyuu sounded almost as if she was reciting words from a book, it sounded very proper.
"You're the princess." Seiya looked alarmed once the words popped out of his mouth. Kakyuu's eyes had become very round and Hotaru was looking at them both with curious eyes. "I mean you know, your like a princess…I mean…. no…. your…um…"
"Seiya, stop being silly." Hotaru could not help but notice the sigh of relief from Seiya. It was like they were all hiding something, which was quite ridiculous. Kakyuu's save from Seiya's rather failed attempt to cover something up seemed almost planned. It was just a little strange.
"Well, I'm going to go to class now…" Hotaru trailed off, still wondering what exactly was going on.
"Okay, well, let's get together later. How about after school? Do you guys all want to go to the diner?" Kakyuu turned her attention to the three boys.
"I'm in!" Seiya volunteered right away. Taiki looked up from his book.
"Count me in too." Taiki told them all. For a few moments there was a slight tension in the air, as Yaten was not saying one word.
"How about you Yaten?" Kakyuu asked politely.
"I'm busy." And those were the only words offered by the silver-haired boy.
"Well that does sound like fun. Maybe Mamoru and Usagi will want to come too." Hotaru did not see Seiya's face harden at the mere mention of the two. "See you after school!" Hotaru said before walking off.
"Your all a bunch of dorks." Yaten said firmly after Hotaru was gone.
"Oh boy, don't tell me your still mad about that!" Seiya felt as though there was a god. A god that favored him. "She really got to you on that one, didn't she? Amazing, Mr. Insults-Bounce-Right-Off here is going to need time to recuperate."
"Seiya, please don't mimic Yaten's behavior. We do not need two of those in the world." Taiki said firmly, as if everyone he was addressing were five years old.
"Thank you very much Book Boy." Yaten rolled his eyes at the brown haired Starlight who was already back to his book. "For your information Seiya, I have devised a revenge."
"Yaten, Hotaru is a nice girl…do not do something that could seriously harm her." Kakyuu told him in her commanding voice.
"What kind of man do you think I am?" Yaten challenged but before Seiya could say anything he went on. "Do not answer that Seiya! If you must know, I've come up with an insult that will do it."
"What insult? Dork? Loser? Idiot? Moron?" Seiya began rattling off Yaten's everyday insults.
"I can't tell you what it is because you are such a moron that you would use it 'cause you wouldn't be able to think of something better to say." Yaten explained. "If it got around, then it wouldn't be any good if everyone was using it."
"When do you plan to say it?" Taiki's voice surprised them slightly. He was never one for mundane matters.
"I'll just know when to say it." Yaten said haughtily. Kakyuu was trying not to start laughing and Seiya was having the sudden urge to join in if she broke down in giggles. Yaten was taking this whole thing a little seriously and it was just funny to them.
* * *
Hotaru and Usagi were sitting in the classroom near the end of lunch. As the two giggled about one subject or another, Hotaru really enjoyed having another female to talk about things with. Mamoru and her did share lots of things with each other, but this was much different.
"Hey, Hotaru, I've been having these weird dreams…" Usagi trailed off. Hotaru stiffened a little. Her own dreams were something she could not remember. The darkness and the pain that Hotaru pushed away because she did not want to think about it.
"Really?" Hotaru quickly composed herself. No need to think about that.
"It's just me at first. I'm standing there with a long white dress on and the wind's blowing. But then I'll turn my head slightly and there's a man standing there. That's pretty much the whole dream." Usagi explained. Reality dawned on Hotaru.
Omigod, Usagi is having the same dream that Mamoru's been having! That means she's the…
"Usagi," Hotaru gripped the blonde's arm in excitement. "You have to tell Mamoru about your dream."
"Why?" Usagi cocked her head to one side curiously.
"Just trust me on this one." Hotaru smiled conspiratorially. Usagi gave her a slightly odd look but Hotaru didn't care because a mystery had been solved.
* * *
"Would you two stop fighting over those?" Kakyuu asked tiredly as Seiya and Yaten had a quick and fierce battle over some Oreos. It was after school and they were all walking out of the school building together.
"Sorry." Seiya quickly apologized.
"Wimp." Yaten shot at the dark-haired boy.
A scream interrupted their fight however. The four companions ran towards it. They stopped right before the corner to peak around it. There was an ugly youma sucking the energy out of one of the students, the student had gone unconscious.
"Are you ready?" Kakyuu asked the trio.
"Um…" Seiya scratched the back of his head in thought. "How exactly do we transform?" Kakyuu closed her eyes for a moment and instantaneously, she was standing there, in the full dress of the princess of Kinmokusei.
"You must concentrate all your strength. It will come to you." Kakyuu told him.
Seiya closed his eyes, wondering if that was a good step. He had to fight with Kakyuu. He had to protect his princess and he had to protect innocent people. A light seemed to streak through his mind.
"Fighter Star Power, Make-Up!" Seiya yelled and felt the transformation come. Soon he was standing there in his Senshi uniform. Yaten and Taiki looked like they might die laughing.
"You two!" Kakyuu reprimanded before running around the corner of the building. Seiya followed after shooting some evil glares at the other two.
"Who are you?" The youma asked in a terrible grating voice.
"I am the Princess of Kinmokusei, protector of the people!" Kakyuu told the youma in a superior voice.
"I am a soldier of Kinmokusei and protector of my Princess, Sailor Star Fighter!" Seiya announced to the gross being in front of them. The youma dropped the girl and immediately began trying to hit them with it's extending claws. Kakyuu shot a beam of light towards it. The youma ducked though.
"Star Serious Laser!" Seiya fired at it. It got one of it's large clawed arms.
"Star Gentle Uterus!" Taiki's voice rang out as yet another attack rained down on the enemy.
"Took you two long enough." Seiya muttered begrudgingly.
"Whatever Star Dork." Yaten retorted before dodging out of the way of a claw. "Star Sensitive Inferno!"
* * *
Hotaru heard a scream and letting her curiosity get the better of her, ran towards the sound almost as if driven by some instinct. She saw a monster sucking the energy out of a girl.
"I have to help her." Hotaru spoke out loud to herself. Something was starting to change within herself. There was a light beginning to grow but Hotaru pushed it away. The darkness had begun to slip in.
You cannot escape me!
N-no! Get away!
I am the-
No! I don't want to remember!
Master Pharaoh-
Death Reborn-
"NO! I won't remember!" Hotaru clamped her hands over her ears tightly, hoping that she wouldn't be able to hear the voices in her head.
"You must." A calm voice told her. Hotaru knew that voice. She knew it from the deepest reaches of her mind.
"I won't!" Hotaru protested trying to close out the memories.
"It will drive you mad eventually if you do not." The voice spoke again. Hotaru opened her eyes to see Meioh Setsuna walking towards her, a large key in her hands.
"I saw you…" Hotaru murmured weakly.
"Of course you did. I am a Sailor Senshi, just like yourself." Setsuna explained, her garnet eyes focusing on the young dark-haired girl.
"Sailor Senshi?" Hotaru said those words and the floodgates opened. Memories started to pour through. Darkness clouded over. Their were flashes of things that could only be barely made out.
Death Reborn REVOLUTION!
Master Pharaoh Ninety will cover this world in the Silence!
Uranus! Neptune! Why? Why are you doing this?
I am the melancholy warrior, Sailor Saturn.
Hotaru sank to her knees as she finally came back to reality. She gasped for air as if she had been drowning. Hotaru began to feel a little better.
"Saturn, come, let me tell you about your last life." Setsuna extended a hand towards the lavender-eyed girl. Hotaru took it, unsure of the future, and terrified of the past.
* * *
"Mamoru?" Usagi sat next to him on the couch, for once feeling kind of nervous. Hotaru had told her to tell him about the dream but Usagi wondered if he would think it was weird or that Usagi was a little crazy.
"Yeah?" Mamoru looked at her curiously.
"Well Hotaru wanted me to tell you about this dream I've been having…" Usagi trailed off. Mamoru's eyes lit up suddenly.
"What kind of dream?" Mamoru asked looking thoroughly excited.
"Um, see I'm standing there where this long white dress and if I look over there's a man standing there-" Usagi was cut off as Mamoru suddenly grabbed her shoulders and brought her into a kiss. Usagi was surprised to say the least. Of all the reactions to her dream, she expected this one least.
"I found you." Mamoru breathed as he pulled away. "All my life…I've been looking for that golden princess in my dreams…"
"Hey you guys." Hotaru strolled into the apartment with a huge grin on her face.
"Hotaru! It was her!" Mamoru jumped up in excitement. "I found her!"
"I know, I figured it out earlier." Hotaru beamed at her own cleverness. "I'm glad that you found her. At least we don't have to worry about that anymore."
"Why do you think you dreamed of me all your life?" Usagi asked. "I mean, we never met until high school."
"Hmm…maybe it was a past life?" Hotaru suggested innocently.
"A past life? Like what?" Usagi and Mamoru asked at the same time. Hotaru felt a little cornered.
"Er…I was…just…yeah…" Hotaru searched for an excuse. "I think I have to go!" Hotaru ran out of the apartment forgetting her jacket.
"Okay, that was a little…odd…" Mamoru scratched the back of his head. "What do you think that was about?"
"It looked like she knew something but she didn't want to tell us." Usagi shook her head. "I wonder if something is wrong?"
"I'll probably find out later." Mamoru shrugged, still wondering what had caused that reaction in the lavender eyed girl.
* * *
Mamoru drifted off to sleep and was now standing in a room that seemed to be made of crystal or maybe glass. In front of him was Usagi, wearing that beautiful white gown. He looked down to see he was in armor.
"Hey, Mamoru, why are you wearing that?" Usagi asked him.
"Why are you wearing that?" Mamoru asked back.
"Well, I dunno." Usagi scratched her head. "You don't suppose we're in each other's dreams?"
"How did we do that?" Mamoru inquired.
"Hmm…" Usagi frowned slightly. The scene quickly faded and now they were standing on a balcony. Mamoru was about to ask Usagi a question but suddenly he forgot what was going on. There were crumbling buildings all around. Dead bodies littering the broken structures. A giant whirlwind of darkness was going through howling fiercely. And a woman with dark red hair that fell to her waist.
"Endymion, join me! Join me and live forever as my King!" Beryl offered a hand towards him. He drew his sword, he had to protect the princess at all costs.
"I'll never join you!" Endymion held his sword out in front of him.
"You fool!" Beryl screamed. "I'll kill that Moon Princess!" Beryl blasted at the balcony and Endymion pushed Serenity out of the way. Endymion felt his body racked with pain.
"Endymion!" Serenity called out towards him. "Endymion!" He watched the determined look cross her face. He knew what she was going to do.
"Serenity! NO!" Endymion yelled in vain as Serenity rushed towards the balcony and jumped into the whirlwind. Their hands reached towards each other. They had to touch one last time. But just as their hands might have touched Beryl fired at them, blasting them apart.
The scene faded and changed. It was another place, another time altogether.
"Take that!" Zoisite exclaimed in victory as a large spear of ice pierced through Mamoru.
"Mamoru!" Usagi ran towards him but she was wearing a weird sailor outfit. "Mamoru!" Mamoru faded away as he was pulled away into reality.
Mamoru sat up, sweating and clutching his blankets. He held his head. Could it have been real? What was that? Were they memories? The phone rang and Mamoru ran to the phone picking it up, not even bothering to wonder who was calling in the middle of the night.
"Hello?" Mamoru greeted the person on the other end.
"Mamoru?" Usagi whispered fiercely into the phone. "I just had this dream and in it-"
"I had the same dream!" Mamoru exclaimed. "Where we were standing on the balcony-"
"And then we were in that room with Zoisite?" Usagi added on not letting him finish his sentence.
"Mamoru? Who are you talking to?" Hotaru came out rubbing her eyes and looking puzzled.
"Me and Usagi had the same dream and it was…well there's something going on." Mamoru caught the odd expression on the lavender eyed girl's face. "Do you know something Hotaru?"
"I'm not supposed to tell…" Hotaru trailed off biting on her lip.
"What does Hotaru know?" Usagi asked on her end.
"Please Hotaru…please tell us…" Mamoru asked her. Hotaru sighed tiredly.
"Not like I was going to get much sleep tonight anyway." Hotaru murmured. She got on the other phone in the kitchen. "Okay listen carefully…a long time ago on the moon there was a beautiful kingdom…" Hotaru's story went further on into the night, the listeners did not miss a word of it though.
* * *
Okay that sucked. I had to re-write like half this chapter and man, did it suck to be me. It's probably not as good as the original but oh well. Oh and special thanks to Hotaru Tomoe because when her review popped up it made me feel really guilty and I tried extra hard to get this re-written.
Second Chances Akugis!
Take One!
Hotaru: I saw you…
Setsuna: Of course you have, I'm the number one Saturn fan.
Hotaru: ^_^!!!!
Take Two!
Taiki: Star Gentle Uterus!
(Everyone including the youma falls over laughing.)
Yaten: That's just sad…
Taiki: You know what?! The Sailor Senshi office ran out of attacks! They just looked up three random words! Stop laughing!
Take Three!
Seiya: You're the princess.
Kakyuu: (Cracks a whip) That's right and don't you forget it!
Yaten: (Quietly to Taiki) She's kind of creepy when she's like that.
Taiki: Your telling me!