Celestial DreamBLaze- Our Hoto-chan was jealous that our Usa answered Riko-kun and not him..^^;; I shoulda mention that, ne? LOL! Ah, can ya just picture Naka-kun barging in on Soi? *snickering* Usa? Violent! No!! Well…hey, it's always the innocent one ^^V;; lol..heh..
White Ivy- The mark means *is gagged by muse and dragged away*
Blue Moon- Eh…I'm glad you approve? ^^V You need a good sense of humor with my brothers…*sigh* Brothers…I don't think I'll ever understand them..-_-;; *Gasp* No! You get chappie out soon! *starts throwing fit* ^^;;
Squirrel- NOOO!! Not my stuff!! *starts locking up all belongings* *Grumbling* Of COURSE I would be kind to squirrels…*gets in car* But even I can't help it if some happen to get erm….squished by the car….*laughs evily*
Minna- gomen for the delay in getting this chappie out…I blame the running away of my muses…all of whom I should introduce someday huh? Hm..maybe when they come back…
Disclaimer- Don't own either shows…
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Chapter Five
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Recap:
An eerie gray glow, mixed with blue, emitted from under the sheet, and when the sheet rode down to under her chest, the gray light was revealed to be from the upside crescent moon mark located above her right bosom. Underneath the mark, was another glowing symbol, this time glowing blue. It was kanji, for Seiryuu.
----End Recap-----
"Nakago-sama," Soi panted, bowing before the tall blonde.
"You failed, Soi." His voice was flat.
"Gomen nasai, Nakago-sama, demo you must realize she is a goddess," Soi looked at the ground.
"Bring her to me, tonight." Nakago hid his surprise as Soi's head snapped up, her eyes wide and fearful.
"Nakago-sama, surely someone else can go. She's…she's a…a.." Her eyes shone with terror.
"Are you questioning my orders?" His voice showed not of his amusement.
"Of course not, Nakago-sama…" Soi bowed swiftly before turning back and leaving the tent. A sudden thought occurred to Nakago.
"Soi?"
"Hai, Nakago-sama?"
"Bring her back…alive and conscious." He could almost see the proud red headed seishi shudder in horror.
"Of course, Nakago-sama."
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Breakfast was going along awkwardly. The males, save Chiriko, could not bring their gazes to meet that of Usagi's. All the better, Usagi supposed, for she had nothing to say to them.
"Ahem…Usagi…" Miaka began, tired of the silence. Usagi looked at her, motioning for her to continue.
"About last night…." Miaka searched for the right words. "Gomen?" she offered. Usagi's face turned red, and she took a deep shuddering breath.
"What," She caught the attention of all present. "What exactly did you see?" She inquired politely.
"Tasuki covered my eyes." Chiriko smiled cutely at Usagi. "And didn't let go until we got to my room." Usagi nodded her head, turning to the rest of the males, whom had all suddenly turned beet red.
"We saw yer….." Tasuki faded off, unsure of what to say. How do you tell a goddess you saw her in nothing but her undies?
"Usagi.." Miaka received Usagi's full attention. "Do you have any tattoos?"
"Nani?" Usagi gasped out.
"I saw these marks on you…but I couldn't see it clearly…" Miaka continued, oblivious of the dangerous territory she was treading upon. Fortunately, ChiChiri unknowingly came to her aid before Usagi could say anything.
"Erm, Miaka…why were you staring at…you know.." ChiChiri blushed, having also seen the markings located atop Usagi's right bosom.
"Staring at what?" Miaka looked at ChiChiri, confused.
"At Usagi's..erm…" ChiChiri looked at Mitsukake for help. Mitsukake turned his head away, whistling.
"I think we get the picture." Usagi looked at her food, no longer hungry.
"At Usagi's what?" Chiriko asked innocently. He was still a child, after all.
"No where," Tasuki replied roughly.
"So do'ya?" Miaka stared at Usagi with her wide green eyes.
"Iie." Usagi's eyes stared almost coldly back at Miaka.
"No?" Miaka furrowed her brows, confused. Seeing that the topic was an uncomfortable one, Hotohori tried to change the subject.
"Usagi-chan, the council would like to see you again, sometime today."
"Of course, Hoto-chan. When would be a good time?"
"Whenever you wish, I suppose. I doubt the council will care the timing they meet a goddess."
"Will you be there also?" Usagi looked hopeful, not wanting to deal with the council on her own just yet.
"If you would like."
"I'd like that very much." Usagi looked at her food, blankly.
"Psst…Usagi-chan…" Nuriko tried to get Usagi's attention.
"Hai, Nuriko?"
"Can I make a move on Hotohori-sama yet?"
Silence.
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"Baka baka baka baka…" Seiryuu was chanting to himself as the usually cold and aloof god continued to bang his head against the wall.
"Any idea what's eating him?" Genbu asked Byakko. Byakko grinned.
"Usagi."
"Is he still hung up on her?"
"What do you think?"
"I think he's nothing but a—" Whatever Suzaku had planned on saying was cut off by two female voices.
"Well, it serves him right!"
"I wish she let us pound that bastard!"
The four male gods all turned to see two women, one a redhead with fiery ruby eyes, the other a green haired and green eyed woman walking towards them.
"Rei," Suzaku greeted the red haired woman.
"Makoto," Byakko greeted the green haired woman, who was scowling at Seiryuu. Seiryuu gulped as he met both of the women's gazes.
"Suzaku, Byakko, Genbu." Rei bowed her head in greeting.
"Seiryuu," Makoto spat out his name. Rei turned her attention to the dragon god, her eyes turning cold.
"Rei! Mako!" A blonde rushed up to the two girls. A blue haired woman, who chose to gracefully walk over to them instead, followed her.
"Minako! Ami!" Rei and Makoto smiled brightly at the two.
"Genbu-sama, Byakko-sama, Suzaku-sama…" Ami smiled gently at the three gods, her blue hair seeming to gently blow in the nonexistent wind. In fact, all of the girl's hair seemed to blow in a wind that was not there. The fact that Ami had not mentioned Seiryuu did not go unnoticed by any, though by the lack of reaction, it could be assumed that this happened quite often.
"What are you all doing here?" Genbu asked, curious.
"What? Can't a group of girls visit their friends without arousing suspicion?" Minako's eyes were innocent, though none present was fooled.
"No." Seiryuu's reply was flat and cold. He soon became the target of several death glares. If looks could kill, and gods die, he would have been dead long ago.
"Shut up!" All the girls hissed at him. He harrumphed and left. They were not nearly as forgiving as their princess…and much more likely to do him bodily damage.
…The princess…
……….Did she even realize what she had forgiven him for? …Of course not…she wouldn't…
….Her amnesia did not allow her to…
"I take it none of you have forgiven him?" Suzaku stated the obvious.
"Our princess may have unknowingly forgiven him, but once she regains her full memories back, she would be a fool to give him her forgiveness…And we certainly will not stand by as that..that…thing continue to stand in the way of our hime! She seems to have forgiven him…but we certainly do not!" Makoto grounded out.
"Usa-chan does have a heart of gold, doesn't she?" Byakko looked at Genbu.
"Hai, she could forgive the man that killed her…."
"She forgave Seiryuu, didn't she?!" Rei hissed.
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She stared blankly ahead of her, not seeing the lush scenery. Her left hand covered her right one, which clutched just above her right bosom.
"Diamond…" Her whisper carried in the wind. Blank blue eyes turned stormy, the endless blue so dark it seemed black.
She remembered when they had first met, as he held her captive, scaring her with his infatuation with her. She had been so scared, and had wished with all her might for her friends, her senshis to rescue her. When they arrived, she and Diamond had already wed.
It had taken a while, but Diamond was as very patient man when he needed to be, and eventually, he made his way into her heart. Slowly, she had begun to fall for him, and when he had proposed, she accepted.
Surprisingly, it hadn't taken long for the senshis to accept this unexpected event. All it had taken was for the senshis to see how happy their hime was, along with the approval of the goddess of love for them to consent. They were pleased to see that, unlike her husband and his people, she bore no black upside down crescent upon her brow. They were less than pleased to find that she did feel a sense of loyalty to Nemesis, her proof above her right bosom. But time has a way of changing people, and it proved to change them, as they began to grow attached to Nemesis themselves, finding that the people of Nemesis weren't as evil nor bad as they had made them out to be. They had been mislead by the Wiseman, and with his death, ended the attacks and battles between senshis and Nemesis. Afterwards, Usagi had received a thorough lecture on the importance of having a wedding surrounded by her friends.
Diamond, ever the one to please, proposed a second wedding, and they did just that, holding a second wedding to please her senshis. It was quite an event, though few saw the point of the wedding the second time around.
She remembered their marriage. He would always hold her, murmuring his confession of love for her into her ear. He went out of his way to please her, and she loved him all the more for it. Every night, she had fallen asleep in the comfort of his arms, his heartbeat a soothing lullaby. Every morning, she awoke to his loving gaze, and she would blush under its intensity.
And she remembered enough of the day it all came crashing down. Their marriage had been a blissful one, tragically cut short. It had been their anniversary, the third year of their marriage, the day they had announced the news to the rest of the kingdom.
She was with child.
The whole kingdom rejoiced. Her senshis congratulated the two parents-to-be, followed by a horde of others, including Byakko, Suzaku, and Genbu.
Usagi frowned. Seiryuu had not congratulated the two parents-to-be. He had not attended any of their weddings, nor had he congratulated them.
What happened next, Usagi could not, for the life of her, find out. It was at this time that the incident occurred. The incident that took away much of her memories, memories of her miko, memories of much of her past, and for a time, memories of her friends and senshis. It was this incident that took way their lives. It was this incident that her husband and unborn child was so cruelly snatched away from her. It was this incident that her husband, and unborn child was killed.
She could not remember what happened, and she did not, in all truth, wish to.
But she did remember clutching her husband, as he died in her arms. She remembered his last words to her.
"Aishiteru, my hikari…Aishiteru, always…"
And she remembered her grief, as her heart was torn apart. Then it happened.
Someone, she did not know who, had attacked her from behind, sending sharp shooting pains throughout her body. What happened next she could not say. Her memories after this were mainly little fuzzy pictures that she could not decipher. Eventually, she knew she had fallen, succumbing to the pain of both her heart and her body.
When she came to, she had been told the news.
She had survived, but her child had not.
Her child, who had not even seen the world.
Her child, who would never breathe her first breathe.
Her child, who would never know life.
Her child, her hope….her daughter.
Dead. Before she was born.
Dead. Before she could live.
Dead.
After that, she remembered only grief. Her senshis had stood by her side through it all, her nii-chan and his friends always willing to listen.
Save Seiryuu.
Seiryuu, she had met long afterwards. The senshis and gods had been so tense, and so had Seiryuu, she remembered. For the life of her, she could not think of why.
Her hands moved a bit lower, revealing the black inverted crescent, shielding the next mark from view.
The mark of Seiryuu, she would never understand.
She did not remember having it before the attack, but when she had woken from it, the mark glowed proudly.
Her senshis and the gods were not pleased. They tried, for ages it seemed, to rid her of the mark.
To no avail.
Usagi flinched. The mark was burning, glowing dimly once again. Teeth clenched, she waited for the wave of pain to come.
And seconds later it did; only to be followed a feeling of warm relief.
And the black crescent she sported glowed, as it sent waves of relief throughout its mistress's body.
Tears escaped her eyes. Why didn't she remember the whole story? There was more to it, she knew. There was so much more to it than the others would have liked her to believe.
And why had Seiryuu asked for her forgiveness? He had practically pleaded for it, and, bewildered, she given it to him.
Underneath her hands, a faint blue glow could be seen, growing brighter and brighter by the seconds.
A jagged gasp.
Teeth clenched, hands fisted, her eyes squeezed yet as another wave of excruciating arctic pain seemed to embed itself within her very soul, and trying to tear her apart inside out.
A relieved sigh.
The warm waves of relief swarm throughout her body, flushing away the pain. Her hands loosened and her eyes slowly opened.
To stare into lifeless eyes of blue.
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He was a fool.
Iie, he was much more foolish than a fool. Not even a fool would have done what he had done. Had it truly been so long ago?
So long ago since he had lost everything…everyone?
So long ago, since he had, in a fit of jealousy, lost any chance of being with the one he loved? Since he had lost not only many of his friends, but his best friend as well?
Had it truly been so long ago? He could not say. The days came to blend together, until they all became indistinguishable. But he knew, on Earth, it had been about several centuries.
Several centuries of fighting.
She had been the one to keep them all together…the one that held them together…and broke them apart.
Or had it been he who had broken them apart? Because of him, she had forgotten, and with her memories…went peace.
A century or so after her loss of memories, and in the views of others, her happiness, Byakko and Genbu grew to have a large fight.
The outcome?
Meet the mikos and seishis of Byakko and Genbu. Eventually, the fight had been settled, at the cost of mortal lives.
Then, the friction between him and Suzaku proved to finally become too much, after so many centuries, and now…
Meet their mikos…and their seishis.
Except to complicate this even more…Suzaku had sent Usagi to Konan. Suzaku..
Suzaku…had they truly once been the best of friends? Had they, at one point, considered each other brothers, not just blood brothers, but soul brothers?
And had one girl been the cause of their broken friendship?
Hai…then again, he supposed it was his fault. He had hurt Usagi in rage, killed her, in fact. It had been everything everyone had to bring her back…but they could not bring back her dead unborn child…and her husband.
Diamond…
How he loathed that man…that name…
Diamond…who had stolen Usagi away from him…
How had she fallen for him? Then again…Usagi loved everyone…
Even a murderer, more specifically…the murderer who killed her family, and herself.
The same murderer who loved her. He had believed, after centuries, that his feelings for her were nonexistent…but now…
After the whole incident the previous, when Ashitare had walked into Usagi, he could not help but think that his feelings were still there…
…And stronger than ever…
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"Serenity." His voice was cold…dead.
"Do I know you?" She asked, her voice, curious, surprised. "Gomen, I'm afraid you must have the wrong person…I am not this Serenity."
"Serenity." He snarled and grinned nastily. "Die."
"Nani!?!" Usagi gasped, only to be thrown back from the blast of negative energy.
"Die for your crimes against the kingdom, Serenity." He approached her, his face void of any emotions.
"Who are you?" She gasped out, getting up, shaken from the attack. Had she been mortal, it would have been fatal, but she was not and it had merely stunned her. Still, she had been caught off guard. Since when could a mortal who was not a seishi the wielder of such power…a power so...so…negative.
"First general to his majesty."
"His majesty?"
"Your fiancé."
"Nani?! You must be mistaken! I have no fiancé!"
"You're mistaken. Pay for your crimes." His hands came up again, sending a wave of energy at her. Prepared, she dodged it skillfully, just as her brother's seishis and miko entered the section of the garden she was in.
"Usagi!"
-----------------
"So what brings you here, honestly." Suzaku asked, curious. Rei shrugged, flipping her hair back.
"We got bored…so we decided to pay you all a visit…and keep you at of trouble…you know, the usual." She smiled at Suzaku, who merely rolled his eyes.
"And?" Genbu asked, sensing that there was more to the story. Minako smiled brightly at him.
"And find out how Usa-hime is!" The rest of the girls groaned.
"Suck the fun right outta it, Mina-chan…" Makoto sighed, shaking her head.
"She's doing..well…"
"Of course she is! She's Usa! Has anyone hurt her?!" Makoto cracked her knuckles.
"No." Byakko shook his head. "I'm pleased to say no." Minako grinned with mischief.
"Soo…..have any idea just what may have set her off that she would openly threaten you all…all the way from Earth?"
The gods groaned as the goddesses smirked, save Ami.
"Minna…" Byakko pouted, and Ami smiled. AN- gomen minna, but I got tired of the gods being so high and mighty mosta the time..so…they'll still have those moments…they're also gonna have a personality!^-^V;;
"I am curious. Exactly what did happen?" Ami's eyes twinkled.
"You ask as if you don't know!" Genbu scoffed, and Makoto's eyes met his. She smiled with mirth.
"Aww…but Gen-chan…it's just so much more…entertaining…when you tell us yourselves!" She laughed.
"Who heard?" Suzaku asked, somewhat fearful of the answer.
"Everyone!" The chorused reply.
Three groans, coming from the males present, echoed throughout the hall, followed by feminine laughters.
"Minna sends their sympathy…and laughters." Rei looked smug. Immediately, the smug look vanished as all four girls suddenly spun around.
"Sagi-chan…" Rei breathed.
"Kuso…"
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"Minna, stay back!" Usagi warned. Unfortunately, Miaka took this as mean, "Run forward, run towards the danger. Risk your bloody life to save a goddess who cannot die and who can whip this guy's ass!"
"Miaka!" The seishis cried as their miko ran forward.
"Miaka?" Usagi turned around, to see Miaka heading straight towards her.
"BAKA!!" She cried out, as Miaka ran full speed towards her. "GO BACK! GO—OOMPH! ACK!!! GET OFF ME!" Miaka, unable to stop on time, ran into Usagi.
"Ahem.." the attacker cleared his throat, as the seishis reached their miko and the megami. Immediately, a protective barrier was formed in front of the two girls.
"Who the fuck are you?!" Tasaku demanded. The stranger laughed, giving a mock bow.
"Jadeite, first general of Chikuu-sei."
"First general of Earth?" Usagi murmured to herself, trying to figure out why he sounded so familiar…looked so familiar.
"Lyer!" Nuriko scoffed.
"How dare you!" Jadeite raised his right hand, sending a pulsing blue ball their way. Immediately, they grabbed Miaka and scattered, Hotohori pulling Usagi with him, as he dodged the attack. Unfortunately, Usagi, not expecting to be pulled, squirmed to get out, and caused Hotohori to land not so gracefully.
Jadeite smirked, seeing them scatter. This time, he sent several attacks at each of them, maliciously smirking further more as he heard their cries of pain, signifying that his attacks had hit their mark.
"You die now. In the name of the Chikuu-jin Yume no Ouji, AN- I think that's how you say Prince of Earthling Dreams Serenity, you pay with your life." He prepared a blast.
"Psh…How do you expect to kill her?" A melodic, somewhat angry voice ran out. Giggles followed it.
"You think you can kill a goddess now, do you Chikuu-jin?"
"My calculations show you are not strong enough to cause much harm to hime-sama." Silence followed for a second. Then,
"Merc! You just killed it."
"Nani? Killed what?"
"The thing we had going!"
"What thing?"
"THE thing!"
"There WAS no thing!"
"Was too!"
"Venus, there was no thing!"
"Yes there was Merc!"
"I will not stoop to this!"
"Oh yes you will!"
"Stop this now!"
"Not until you stoop!"
"I told you, I shall not stoop to this!"
"WILL YOU SHUTTUP!?!" Jadeite roared, the attack he had earlier prepared vanishing. "SHOW YOURSELVES!" Faint gasps followed his demands.
"Show ourselves? To you?" Disdain laced this voice.
"Oh come on Jupiter…what's he gonna do? Kill us?!" Sarcasm laced every word. "Besides, I've been meaning to have a chit chat with him!" That said, a bright red light formed ahead of Hotohori and Usagi, who had been beaming ridiculously as the voices bantered back and forth.
"Jadeite, do you remember me?" The bright red light faded to reveal a stunning woman, with skin of ivory, and hair of flaming red. Her silk maroon dress clung to her torso, loosening at her waist, and pooling around her feet in liquid lava.
Jadeite stared, entranced by her fiery ruby eyes.
"Do you remember me, Jadeite? Or have you forgotten me so easily, just as you have forgotten all else?" Her voice was slightly laced with betrayal. Jadeite snapped out of his trance.
"You are the enemy, Mars."
"So you remember my name…"
"Ouji-sama requires we learn our enemies."
"Your ouji-sama is a brainless idiot."
"How dare you!" He, once again, prepared his attack. Just as he prepared to release it, three other lights formed, next to Mars.
The blue light faded to reveal a blue beauty, her short dark blue hair clashing with her pale skin. Blue eyes stared sorrowfully at Jadeite as her modest arctic gown blew in the breeze.
The yellow light faded to reveal a blonde beauty with amber eyes. Her hair was partly clipped back with a tawny clip. Pale orange clung to her figure, loosening at her hips to trail down her shapely legs, teasingly shown in one thy-high slit on one side of the dress. Her dress trailed behind her, in a train of almost two feet.
The green light faded to reveal a tall figure, her green hair tied back in a high ponytail, her emerald eyes glittering dangerously. Her dress was just shades different from her eyes, and clung teasingly to her torso, spreading out as it went past her legs, to pool around her in emerald splendor.
"Mercury. Venus. Jupiter." Jadeite stated their names impassively, showing no signs of being impressed by the ethereal beings in front of him.
"Iie." Mars voice cut through the air, and the other beings seemed to acknowledge it by stepping to the side. It was her fight and they knew it.
"Jadeite, you have one last chance. Remember what you have forgotten. Join us, once again. Join me." Her voice started off somewhat coldly, though she was pleading in the end.
Jadeite faltered for a moment, his eyes glazed over as if in remembrance. Then it vanished and he snarled.
"He has warned me of your sorcery, and rest assure, it shall not work!" He sent an attack her way. Mars closed her eyes, a tear making its way down her cheeks as she allowed herself to remember.
To remember all the good times, the fun times…to remember him. To remember Jadeite, the true Jadeite. Not the one standing in front of her, but the one that was locked away deep within the mindless pawn ahead of her. To remember her Jadeite.
She could feel the heat of his attack now. It was getting closer and closer. Two inches away from her body, her eyes snapped open, showing a fierce determination. The attack paused two inches away from her, floating in the air before simply vanishing.
"What?!" Jadeite's eyes grew wide.
"Reconsider." She pleaded with him softly.
"Die." He snarled, giving her his answer, and her heart in pieces. The attack he sent towards her was twice as large as the first.
"So be it." Her voice was void of any emotions she may have felt. Her eyes, however, betrayed her as it glimmered with unshed tears.
"Onegai, find happiness." She whispered softly, though he heard her clearly. His eyes shone with confusion, before widening in horror as his attack suddenly turned back to attack him. This time, however, it was surrounded by a red light, and as it hit him, millions of images flashed through his mind.
And in seconds, the attack was over. The battle was over.
The one known as Mars gazed at the spot Jadeite stood, panting. His arm, shielding his head, fell limply to his side. Her eyes caught his, and her tears burst from her eyes, as tears ran torrents down his frosty blue eyes, shining with love and understanding.
"Onegai…"
She stared at him, shaking her head in denial.
"Don't send me back." He sounded so desperate, so broken. How could she refuse? Determination poured out in waves as she took in a shuddering breath.
Jadeite felt himself relax as the soothing red light overtook him, bathing him in its warmth. His eyes sought out his lover's eyes one last time.
"Aishiteru, koibito." He smiled serenely at her.
"Aishiteru, Jade-koi." She whispered fiercely.
When the bright light faded, Jadeite was no more. Nothing. Not a trace remained of the fallen general.
But as a gentle wind blew by, his final message was heard.
"Aishiteru, wagakokoro no hi. Aishiteru…"
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End Chapter. Hehe…I know, I know…kinda boring, ne? Heh, ^^;; Gomen for the delay in getting this out..to make up for it…I made the chapter twice as long as originally planned ^^;; Well, minna, review and I'll try to update faster! ^^; ja! Review, minna!
Wagakokoro no hi – Fire/flame of my heart