Disclaimer: I still don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon but I am getting
married soon and if Target would let me, I'd put them in my bridal
registry! ^__^
Dedication: All of you really amaze me! I never knew how popular this story was until I got all the nudges, e-mails and loving but pointed reminders for me to finish my story. It really made me feel guilty for not getting this out sooner, but I hope you'll all bear with me! RubyRedDragon05: I love you too! Also, your fics rock! Keep going, girl! skyprincess: I thought the last chapter was sad too but I hope you can see that things aren't as bleak as they may seem! marzy001: Getting an award from you is probably one of the greatest honors I can get and I feel very privileged to be getting one. I love your stories, Digital Destiny and I'll Remember, and I consider them a must-read for anyone into Rei! I definitely will get cracking on the next chapter! Dark Smile: Yes, you are very special! And sorry but there was no Wufei comforting Rei this time but there will be some in the future, especially when the Wufei/Hotaru relationship heats up! IsleofSolitude: How about I give you a Heero plushie instead of your teddy bear? That always cheers me up in no time! ^_^ Alexia Goddess: Sorry I couldn't get this chapter out sooner, but I hope you enjoy this one! Jen- Chan: No worries here about Heero staying with Relena! Pluto's Garnet Orb will shatter first before I hand him over to that whiny….um, person/thing! Icyfire: Thanks for being so encouraging! I always look forward to your comments! Li Ying Fa: Have I told you recently how much I love your story? Well, I do! Also, there will be a showdown with Relena one day, sooner or later. Be patient and you'll all get to see Relena get what's coming to her for annoying Heero for so long! marsbab9: I'm sorry I made you cry! *hands over a tissue printed with little bat-winged Duos* Heero had to make some hard choices and now he has to live with the consequences. Maybe he'll be forgiven…Anairb: I loved your friend's fic and I'm glad you asked me to read it! Please send more recommendations my way! Heart Soul: Well, I hope I answered your request from last chapter by adding a little more action between the other couples. It seems as Rei and Heero's relationship falters, the others' are getting stronger! Hopefully, they'll all be on track soon! Me: I'm definitely adding a little conflict into Rei and Heero's relationship and you'll see it happen soon. It might be Zechs or it could be someone else…MarsFireGoddess2: Yeah, this was a sad chapter, one of my saddest actually, but it will have a happy ending after a lot of suffering and then healing! Yssan or lady pyro: Love your new fic and I'm very happy to be reading it! Please keep going! I'm so glad you've enjoyed Need so far and I hope you'll like it even more as I go along! makoto: Yes, I agree with you that Relena must die! Now, I just have to figure the most gruesome, painful way possible! *rubs hands in sadistic glee* Glad to know that someone hates her as much as I do! And I really like the Ami/Duo coupling too. They're growing on me! Fleur de Lys: I'm so glad you're back that I don't even care anymore about how long you were gone as long as you're back! And Heero was a total jerk, wasn't he? Unfortunately, poor Rei doesn't know he was her past love yet at all so that only makes it more confusing than ever! He'll just have to make it up to her! Hehe! The Firey: No pressure, Firey-chan! I'm just glad you're still interested! I hope to see something new or updated soon from you though! Mars Fire Goddess: I adore your fic like crazy and that's saying a lot because normally I don't touch Rei/Wufei pairings with a ten-foot pole! You had me completely blushing and happy with your compliments and my fiancé had to practically pluck me off the ceiling because your comments really mean a lot to me! Sanea gurl from the fire realm: I absolutely adore Rei/Heero pairings and I think I love writing about them just a little less than I love reading about them! I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can! Azhuraea Fluer: This is definitely not discontinued and will never be discontinued until it gets to the very end, I promise! Sorry to make everyone worry about it though! Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the story so far though! *smiles nervously and hides behind Quatre* Rena H.M.: You're actually one of the lucky ones since you didn't have to wait as long as everyone else. I'm in total awe though that you took the time during those three days to read the entire thing because I know how huge this monster is getting to be! Thank you from the very bottom of my heart! huffpuff: I can't tell you how much it means to me that you read the entire thing and were so complimentary about the whole thing since you absolutely rock as a writer! Your CCS, FY and now, Sailor Moon Crossover stuff, always has me reading with bated breath every word. You've also had me rolling on the floor with laughter plenty of times! You also totally shame me with your ability to write several stories at once and keep them going with short waiting periods! Please tell me how you do it! Angel of Mercy: Imouto, you are the inspiration for the very first thought of writing this fic and every piece of praise I get can all be traced back to you! And since I can't seem to write an angsty ending to save my life. Rei will definitely be doing something in concern to Heero. Whether he will pursue her or she'll let him catch her remains to be seen! Duckie: My wonderful fiancé and soon to be husband, did I ever tell you how much you mean to me and how much of you is in every single GW guy I drool over? Kisses!
A/N: Whoo boy did I get a lot of feedback about the previous chapter and I appreciate every single comment that I got because I got to see how much you care and which way you guys want things to go. Let me reassure you that Rei's vision about Heero is definitely important and it's going to lead to several more revelations in future chapters! I'm also extremely sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but if anyone has e-mailed me or seen my profile, then you know that I moved into a new apartment from the house I've lived in practically all of my life, gotten engaged, and am planning for my wedding, which happens on June 7th. Hopefully, you'll cut me some slack and be rest assured that I will never just stop this story without giving it an ending. This story means a lot to me because it's introduced me to some wonderful people (look above at the dedication!) and it really fulfills a part of me that wants to see Rei get a happy ending.
####***
Rei trembled with suppressed fury, her hands locked into fists turned nearly bloodless from the pressure. Heat emanated from her in overpowering waves, noticed by all of the Senshi except for her. The vision that had just seared through her senses moments ago was still brutally fresh in her mind and anger mixed with desolation warred for dominance. The tears she cried for the anguish of her vision-self evaporated as soon as they left her violet eyes, for the aura around her was so hot as to be scorching in its intensity. Her mind screamed for vengeance while her heart sobbed with what felt like remembered pain. She felt divided, unknowing of whether what she had seen was the truth of the past or a symbolic vision of the future she feared. Her gaze was locked unwaveringly on Heero's back, wishing desperately for those moments of reassurance he had given her back in the meeting room which seemed like eons ago.
Ami, standing on the other side of Rei, was extremely uncomfortable as the heat Rei projected battered against her own ice-based powers. Sensitive to the extreme towards Rei's powers, Ami fidgeted uneasily while noticing that the other Senshi were also squirming in various degrees of unease. All of them could feel the burden of emotion through their Senshi bond but were mainly clueless when their own emotions were in an uproar over what they were seeing happening between Heero and the unconscious Relena. Even the other pilots were beginning to notice something amiss with the sudden rise in temperature. Only those on the other side of the room seemed unaffected for now, the doctors, scientists and politicians discussing among themselves about Relena's condition and how this would affect the Earth Alliance since she was such a high profile person. Determined that Rei not do something that could jeopardize the safety of the others in the room, Ami placed a deliberately icy hand on Rei's arm, breaking her out of her reverie. She flinched when the violet eyes turned towards her, for the shimmering eyes were leaking white-hot flame from the corners. (A/N: I have it that Ami is deliberately chilling her body temperature to get Rei's attention.) "Rei-chan, calm yourself, onegai. You're radiating heat and it's beginning to get uncomfortable. Please bring it under control," Ami whispered delicately, struggling to control her own powers enough to counteract Rei's. She wasn't quite as skilled as Rei was in using her powers outside of her Senshi attacks because she didn't have the years of training and the connection to ice that Rei had with her fire.
Rei was shocked to notice how much warmer it had become in the room and almost cursed at her inability to control her emotions enough to keep her power under wraps. Horrified that she might have inadvertently hurt one of her friends through her pain, Rei broke away from Ami hastily and turned on her heel and fled from the room, barely pausing long enough to slap her hand across the motion panel to open the door.
Inside, the Senshi were all shocked to see Rei so emotional, for she normally hid such feelings behind carefully crafted facades of nonchalance or straight anger, not this mixture of anger and sadness. It had been obvious to them that Rei was deeply hurt. Even Duo had looked up, his own misery over Hilde's death giving way to the despair he had seen written across Rei's beautiful face. Trowa and Quatre ached to see the pain Rei was in and both were upset to know that one of their own had caused it. Only Wufei seemed to disregard it, but inside, he was concerned that the normally strong onna seemed on the verge of breaking. The Senshi moved as one, intent on going to Rei and comforting her. They were stopped by the Time Staff blocking their way.
"What are you doing, Setsuna? Rei-chan needs us! Did you see the look on her face? Why are you holding us up when she needs us to be with her right now," Haruka hissed, her navy eyes flashing with impatience. The others around her nodded in agreement and looked at Setsuna as if the Senshi of Time had suddenly lost her wits.
"She does not need all of you huddled around her like mother hens. Whatever she is going through needs to be done alone. It does not concern you. I know you all mean well, but if you muck with this moment, you could be harming her more than you know," Setsuna warned, her garnet eyes implacable. She continued to block them, her staff and body angled in such a way as to prevent any of them to pass her.
"This is something needed, something to do with the future then," Mamoru half asked, half stated, his dark blue eyes roiling with disturbed emotions as he flicked a glance over at Heero and Relena.
Setsuna nodded once, her wine colored eyes still stoic. "Hai. Her decision now is a pivotal point in the timeline. I don't know exactly what the results will be either way, but I do know that her decision now will have long-reaching affects later."
"Demo, Setsuna-mama, Rei-san needs us to be there for her. I understand how important the timeline is, but we almost lost Rei-san once when she thought we had abandoned her. We can't let her be alone when she's obviously feeling this low," Hotaru pleaded, her violet eyes wide and filled with sympathetic tears for her suffering friend. She placed one small, pale hand on the arm of one of the women she regarded as a mother and looked at her with a gentle urging.
Setsuna sighed heavily and straightened her body, pulling her staff up next to her body as she recognized the truth behind her adopted daughter's words. Mulling over the statement in her mind, she came upon a solution. "Then I will go with her to show our support. I can be there for her, but not unduly sway her emotions into making a hasty decision. The rest of you stay here and keep watch," she said firmly, not allowing any disagreement. The others nodded and fell back, watching as Setsuna turned and exited the room.
Setsuna stepped outside the doorway and waited patiently for the door to whoosh shut behind her, signaling that whatever she found would be private. She gathered her thoughts as she looked for her missing comrade, wondering on the best way to approach her, casually sending the Time Staff into her subspace pocket. Her musings were cut short though when she found Rei standing just outside the room, her back leaning against the wall and her arms wrapped protectively around her waist, as if trying to hold in the pain she was obviously in. Her shoulders shook from either hurt or anger; Setsuna wasn't sure. She noted that the normally controlled young woman stood with her back slumped, an irregular posture from one so proud and confident. Setsuna's eyes softened when she saw the way Rei's white teeth were buried into her lower lip and the crystalline tears that were making an agonizingly slow trek down her porcelain cheeks. She wanted to throw duty aside and just gather Rei up in her arms and reassure her that everything would be okay, even if she had to move heaven and earth in order to do so. She thought briefly about disregarding her duties as Time guardian and explaining everything to Rei, but the fetters of obedience were too strong and she sighed inwardly as her more rational side took over again. She knew exactly what Rei had seen since Setsuna's control over time had informed her of what memories Rei had just been made aware of. She shook her head slightly, her hunter green hair flicking softly to and fro from the motion, and debated on how much to reveal to Rei without jeopardizing everything but still allowing Rei some comfort and her own path to choose. "Rei-chan, daijoubu," Setsuna murmured, her voice warm and concerned as only the Senshi ever heard it being.
Rei looked up slowly into the questioning eyes of Setsuna and struggled with herself, trying to regain control. She and the Senshi of Time had never been all that close, regardless of their shared ability to see into the future, but she could tell that Setsuna was genuinely worried about her well-being. Seeing the calm understanding that seemed to always be present and sorely needing the maternal influence she had never really had, Rei flung herself into Setsuna's welcoming arms and let herself be enfolded into a warm, soothing embrace. She burrowed herself into the security being offered and let Setsuna soothe her with whispered sounds of reassurance and soft strokes to her hair.
Setsuna indulged her fiery charge with small motions of comfort and let herself soften and gaze wistfully down at Rei. 'I've missed those times when they used to come to me with all of their troubles and worries, asking for advice and looking at me with such trust and confidence in my abilities to make things better for them. Some of my happiest memories of the Silver Millennium are of when the girls would come to my castle on Pluto and spend the night, their feet tucked up under their nightgowns and their eyes wide as I told them stories of the times before they were born or wiped away their tears when they got into little spats or missed their home planets. I have watched over all of them since they were chibi and so kawaii and I was so proud when they grew into lovely young women, full of grace and compassion, but also filled with their own spirit and personality. When did it all change? When did I become someone they had to be suspicious of, someone to doubt? Was it when I first started keeping secrets from them that they turned away from me? How I wish I could bring back those sweet, happy times back again,' Setsuna thought sadly, her garnet eyes shining with her own unshed tears. Flashes of memory of a small Princess of Mars, her dress smudged and tears trickling down her stubbornly held chin, clutching her leg and silently begging for comfort, assailed her and her smile was bittersweet when she also recalled how Rei's hair was as long as she was tall, but was forbidden to be cut since it was the child's pride and joy. She recalled instances of seeing the young child run toward her, only to stumble on her long hair but right herself without ever falling. She had since grown into a young woman full of grace in every movement of her body, each movement coordinated and effortless, the kind of perfection even the most lithe of dancers envied. She pulled away slightly to look down into Rei's face, her hands still gently holding Rei's shoulders. "Rei- chan, what is it that bothers you so? Tell me so I can share your burden and help you through this," Setsuna implored, her voice a mixture of sad pleading and maternal command.
Rei inhaled sharply, trying desperately to rein in her emotions long enough to speak clearly. She knew she had to speak to someone about what she had seen or she would go mad from the doubts raging inside of her. She was grateful it was Setsuna who had decided to come to her, for she knew if one of the others would have come, she might not be able to be objective about anything. The others would have smothered her with concern and she knew she didn't need that right now. She needed to be level-headed, needed to regain her focus before she lost everything. "Setsuna-san, I don't even know where to begin. I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster of emotion and I don't know which side is up anymore. The lines of truth are blurred for me and I can't tell if I'm acting irrationally or following my heart," Rei said plaintively as she pulled back from Setsuna and swiped a hand across her face to wipe away the tear tracks.
"I know you seem to be having problems with Heero. Are you not getting along," Setsuna gently prodded. She knew full well what was going on but she needed to hear from Rei's lips exactly how far things had progressed and what the young woman was feeling. She also knew that Rei needed to think things over and this would give her an excellent opportunity to do so.
Rei snorted slightly. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one! Actually, there are times when he understands me completely and we get along so well it's as if we have known each other all of our lives and then the next moment he changes so much that I can't recognize him at all and he's a complete stranger to me. And now, after what I just saw….," Rei murmured, her voice trailing off. She closed her eyes to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over once again and to regain control once more of her riotous emotions.
"What did you see, Rei-chan? What is causing this confusion within you," Setsuna asked, her brows furrowing slightly as she heard the unease in Rei's voice. Her chest had constricted at the slightly dreamy tone of voice coming from Rei when she had mentioned feeling as if she had known Heero all of her life. 'What would you say if I told you that you had known him practically all of your life, your past life, and that you had been lovers with intensity unmatched even by the sun? Would you understand if you knew the full truth, the reasons behind everything that has led up to this point? I need to know how deeply you're involved with Heero already,' Setsuna thought worriedly as she awaited Rei's response to her questions.
"I saw myself begging with a man who had his back turned to me, begging him not to leave me. I was so upset and I wanted to cry but my pride wouldn't allow me to until I received the answers to my questions. He kept telling me it was his duty and he had to leave me, but his voice was so cold, so emotionless, as if my pain meant nothing at all to him. He talked of taking Endymion-ouji with him, separating him from Serenity-hime. He talked of treachery on the part of the Moon. I wanted to beat at him for daring to say such a thing but I couldn't seem to get past my own pain. He turned to leave and that's when I saw that the man had Heero's face! I snapped out of it then, but it lingers in my mind like a nightmare," Rei whispered, her violet eyes haunted with remembrance.
"Was this a vision of the future or a scene from the past, Rei-chan? With you mentioning Endymion-ouji and Serenity-hime, I would think you were talking of the past, but you normally only see the future," Setsuna commented neutrally, trying to keep her voice even, almost clinical in its tone. She was deathly afraid, for even though she knew that this memory had been opened to Rei, she did not know the details of the memory. Her powers were abstract, letting her know when critical points in the Timestream were going to happen or when certain events were being recalled, but never the exact details such as what would be needed to be done during those critical times or what was actually being recalled. For the last part, she was grateful she wasn't privy to all of the details, for she felt that memories should be sacred and private to only those who lived through them.
"I know. The future has always been the only thing I have ever seen, whether it be symbolic or real, through dreams or meditation. Demo, this felt like the Silver Millennium, Setsuna-san! I could hear the orchestra playing and the soft laughter and tinkling of the crystal champagne glasses that used to accompany every ball we had on the Moon. It was so real," Rei exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear as her world went topsy-turvy with the thought that she was seeing the past.
"I don't doubt that it all seemed real to you, but I wonder if maybe you aren't applying those familiar sounds to a vision of your fears, Rei-chan," Setsuna responded carefully, not wanting to push Rei one way or the other without provocation.
"If it was a vision of the past, then that means that I knew Heero from my past life and he betrayed me. But if it's not, then maybe I'm seeing a premonition of the future, maybe Crystal Tokyo? Or it could just be a horrible fear manifesting itself, a fear that he will betray me like every other man in my life," Rei said thoughtfully, her eyes clouding with uncertainty. "What do you think, Setsuna-san?"
"I think that you have to choose very carefully how you decide to read the images you've received. Obviously, you've received them for a reason as your visions have never been frivolous. Whether they are a memory of the past or a portent of the future, be certain to think long and hard before you make a decision. Remember to use your heart as well, for it has never steered you wrong, regardless of what you may think. In fact, make sure your heart and mind are in accord before acting. You have always been the most intuitive of all the Senshi and you feel things more deeply than the others in many cases. Use that to your advantage. Don't think of your emotions as being a handicap, but a blessing to be utilized for the greater good. I have every faith in you that you will weather this storm, Rei-chan. Whether Heero is your soul mate or not remains to be seen and it may be that his presence in your vision was nothing more than a symbol, but I know you won't act rashly regardless," Setsuna finished quietly, her garnet eyes holding Rei's violet ones completely during her reply. She watched carefully as Rei pondered her words before coming to some decision within herself and nodding firmly. "What have you decided, Rei-chan?"
"I've decided that I will have to think about my vision more before I make a final decision on what to do. However, I find myself unable to get past the images I saw of Heero. I don't think I can go forward with a relationship with him until I can get the doubts out of my mind completely. I don't want to hurt him, especially since I was the one who pushed him for an answer on whether or not he wanted to pursue a relationship with me, but it's better this way than to give him false hope while inside I wonder if he'll turn his back on me and leave me," Rei said quietly but convincingly. It had hurt to come to that decision but the vision she had seen, coupled with Relena's declaration of love to Heero and his seeming acceptance of it, made her wary. Her heart had been broken one too many times for her to blindly follow that unreliable organ. Even now, she was aware that the interaction between Heero and Relena had pained her in a way that she couldn't fathom.
"Do what you must, but be aware that things aren't always as they seem, Rei- chan. You, more than anyone, know the importance of looking beneath the surface. Don't let foolish pride get in the way of your happiness. I know it may seem strange coming from me, the thought that there might be more out there beside duty, but I have always had your best interests at heart," Setsuna counseled, unable to stop herself from trying to offer Rei this one hope when she heard the soft tone of defeat in Rei's voice. She picked up Rei's hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze as Rei looked at her and smiled for the first time since she had left the room. They both turned to walk back into the room they had vacated earlier.
####*** (Happening at the same time as the earlier part)
Heero heard the door slide open and saw a flash of red disappear from the corner of his eye. He knew instantly that it was Rei and turned to see her exiting the room, her shoulders stiff and her stride angry. Worry creasing his brow, he turned back to the unconscious Relena and was working to ease her grip off his hand so he could follow Rei and discover the source of her disturbance, when another hand clamped down on him, sealing his hold to Relena. Looking up, he saw the arctic glare of Zechs' eyes boring into his own.
"What do you think you're doing," Zechs hissed, his eyes narrowed almost into slits. His grip was almost bruising, but gentle enough to not hurt Relena, even in her state of unconsciousness. He leaned forward from across the other side of Relena's temporary bed, his nose almost touching Heero's.
Heero reared back slightly at the intrusion, but was kept shackled by Zechs' grip and couldn't move far enough away. "Let me go," he commanded, his voice flat but firm. He needed to find out what was going on with Rei and he was aware that there was some sort of ruckus going on between the other Senshi behind him. He let his gaze drift back to the door where he had seen Rei vanish hurriedly and he increased his struggle as he saw Setsuna break away from the others and go out the door as well. He knew if the Senshi of Time was going to get involved, it had to be something serious. That whatever issue had come up included Rei only made his struggle that much more important. "Zechs, if you don't let me go right now, I will personally carve your hand off with an electro-blade on the dullest setting," Heero hissed vehemently, unaware that the Senshi and other pilots were now watching the confrontation between him and Zechs with interested eyes.
"You heard Relena. You are the only thing keeping her alive! Look at the seriousness of her wounds, Heero! Even unconscious, she knows that you're here for her and she'll continue to fight her injuries because of it. If you let go of her hand, she may well die and I won't let that happen. There's nothing more important than her life," Zechs snarled, his protective instincts making the normally cool and collected leader unusually prejudiced and narrow-minded.
"Do you honestly think that I give a damn, Zechs? I never asked to be her knight in shining armor or whatever she sees me as. I never made any promises to her and I've never led her to believe that I cared anything for her. I protected her during the war because I had to, because she was always around me and putting herself into situations she wouldn't have if she was in her right mind! Right now, there's something going on with a woman that I do care about and if you're so interested in seeing to Relena's well-being and making sure she survives, why don't you do it? I'm not going to be saddled with her because that's what she wants. She's never asked me what I want, so why should I care? The only woman who has taken the time to get to know the real me just walked out the door and I want to know what's going on with her. You may be the acting leader of the Preventers and Relena may be the princess of the Sanq Kingdom and Vice Minister of the UEA, but I'm not a citizen of the Sanq Kingdom and I really don't have a home anywhere in this world. In fact, the only one who has a real home among us pilots is Quatre. The rest of us are pretty much orphans, remember? That's why we were perfect for Operation Meteor. We wouldn't be missed, didn't have any ties to anything or anyone. My feelings and my life are my own and no one else's," Heero snarled, his white teeth gleaming under the fluorescent lighting. He didn't like revealing his feelings this way in front of others, especially Zechs, but all he knew was that Zechs was keeping him away from Rei.
"I don't really care what you want, whether it be that sexy girl that just walked out or whether it be that braided comrade of yours as long as it doesn't upset Relena. Remember that. Relena comes first. If I have to, I'll seduce that beauty from right under your nose to make sure you don't get distracted," Zechs menaced softly, so softly that the others couldn't hear. (A/N: Before I get flamed, please understand that I have Zechs being the very protective big brother who would do anything for Relena. I'm not deliberately making him a bastard womanizer for the sake of fun but for the story! I actually think Zechs is one of the hottest guys in anime!)
"You stay away from Rei, Zechs! I mean it! Touch even one hair on her head, violently or seductively, and I'll carve you like a roast during dinner. There won't be enough of you in one piece to identify you. Don't go thinking you can play with people's hearts like it's some sort of game, especially Rei's. We're not pawns you can play with like you did at the end of the War when you were with White Fang. It may come as a shock to you, but there are more important things in life than your sister, things we'll fight for, regardless of whether or not we're supposed to be on the same side," Heero warned darkly, his eyes turning a stormy dark blue. He could have broken out of Zechs' grasp easily with his enhanced strength, but had stayed to make sure that Zechs understood where his stance was on Rei. He heard little gasps from behind him but ignored them to concentrate his glare on Zechs. Certain that Zechs fully understood when Zechs' eyes widened at the intensity he heard in Heero's tone of voice, Heero flicked his wrist, dislodging Zechs' grip easily and removing his hand from Relena's death grip as well.
Behind him, the remaining Senshi and pilots looked at each other in amazement. Obviously there was something brewing between the Preventers leader and Heero. They hadn't heard everything that Zechs had said to him when he had whispered, but they had heard Heero's replies. Several of the Senshi looked at each other anxiously, wondering if they had jumped to conclusions about Heero's depth of feeling for Rei. Minako, in particular, was rather ashamed of herself for doubting Heero and she had the grace to flush when she recalled all of the horrible things she had wanted to do to him for supposedly betraying her dearest friend. 'I should have known he wasn't like that when I felt he wasn't in love with that Relena woman. It's so hard to tell sometimes though when a person is just repressing their feelings or whether their feelings are true. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Well, I'll just have to continue on with my goal and make sure Mission: Light My Fire goes smoothly. I'll get those two to hook up and get serious if it kills me. Anyone with eyes as sharp as mine can totally tell that they're perfect for each other, as long as they don't let their pride and misunderstandings get in the way. I'm a little worried over what made Rei-chan run out of the room the way she did, since that seems a little drastic for her, but I'll let her know about what Heero said and she'll be fine in no time,' Minako thought cheerfully, her optimism when it came to affairs of the heart possibly blinding her to the possibilities of what had caused Rei to leave so suddenly.
Michiru was also having second thoughts about her judgment of Heero and rethought her earlier assessment of the possibility that Setsuna had been right about the men having other loves in this lifetime. She was now certain that the love between the couples wasn't something to be taken lightly and easily dismissed. The fervency she had heard in Heero's voice as he had defended Rei was something that could not be faked and could not be built upon flimsy, shallow emotions. She smiled inwardly at the thought of her younger companions finally finding the love they had all needed so desperately for so long. Her smile turned into a thoughtful frown though as she continued to contemplate the situation and Setsuna's earlier words to them. She had a niggling feeling that Setsuna was deliberately trying to cloud their minds with doubts as to the importance of the relationships between the pilot and the Senshi. 'There's definitely something that she's keeping from us, something of the utmost importance and I have a feeling that it has to do with why the girls are here and being reunited with their lovers. There's no point in asking Setsuna straight out as she'll only refuse to answer my questions or evade them completely. I won't say anything for now until I can get enough evidence to corner Setsuna and make her confess. Should I ask Haruka to help me? No, I better not for now. She's too likely to get upset and want to rush into things. I'll let her know when I have solid support and she can help me confront Setsuna,' Michiru planned silently, her mind already working diligently to put clues together. She placed one hand under her chin in silent contemplation, her dark teal eyes narrowed in speculation.
Haruka, on the other hand, was still seething with silent fury. She had heard Heero's declarations but they had made little impression on her. 'Feh, he's probably just saying that because he finally noticed that we're here listening to him and wants to make himself sound good. He must have noticed that Rei-chan left and now wants us to help him get back in her good graces. Well, no way are you getting any help from me, you little jerk! I sure as heck am not helping you to worm your way back into Rei- chan's heart just so you can toy with it some more. Probably wants to make sure he has someone in case the peaceful princess dies from her injuries,' Haruka thought distrustfully, her navy blue eyes fixed balefully on Heero. First impressions were hard to shake with Haruka and her first impression of Heero had become progressively worse, especially after hearing about the upset in the dining room from Hotaru while they had been traveling to the base.
Hotaru was also unshaken in her belief that something was very suspicious about the way Heero was acting. She wasn't mad at Heero as much as she was upset that the unconscious woman had such a hold on him. She couldn't blame him for having a life before Rei, but she wanted him to be loyal and dedicated to her friend, who she thought deserved to have someone love her as she would love him. She shook her head slightly, her dark hair caressing her pale cheeks with the movement, as she wondered how much more complicated this would make everything if they had to fight at each others' sides when it was Rei who drew them together and now she was feeling distanced from Heero. A soft puff of air left her lips as she thought about the tenseness that was sure to develop if things didn't get straightened out properly before they went into their next battle. 'Of course, that Wufei doesn't get along very well with anyone and he still seems to work fine with the others. Hmmmm, I wonder what his story is? There has to be some sort of reason as to why he's so nasty to everyone. Is it because of his marriage that he mentioned? He seems a little young to be married and embittered already,' Hotaru mused idly, her thoughts wandering from the possible tension to the enigmatic Chinese man without her awareness.
Mamoru watched the scene between Zechs and Heero play out before his eyes, observing the heated discussion going on before him. He vacillated between wanting to believe Heero's words and doubting them. The protective side of him was intent on guarding one of his imoutos from harm, emotional or otherwise, while the side of him that was happily in love with his princess wanted Rei to have love and happiness too. His brow furrowed with concern as he listened carefully to each word he could hear, trying to discern if there was any falsehood involved in Heero's speech. The part of him that had seen the loving encounter between Rei and Heero in the Silver Millennium rejoiced to hear that Heero was already subconsciously leaning towards loving Rei again while the future monarch in him feared what turmoil could happen if Rei was played for a fool and left heartbroken. Finally, he grinned ruefully to himself and admitted inwardly that he was too much the romantic to not want to encourage the possibility of Rei being reunited completely with her soul-mate. 'I wish I had more of my memories from the Silver Millennium. It would make it so much easier for me to encourage the budding relationship I sense happening. Then again, I would have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not see what is obviously a very strong attraction happening between those two. It kind of reminds me of myself and Usako when we first met, attracted to each other but fighting it for no reason except we had no idea of why we were attracted. I just hope Rei-chan doesn't fight too much. She needs to give him a chance to explain his actions,' Mamoru thought, his eyes brightening with hope.
Makoto, unlike some of the others, wasn't impressed by Heero's words or actions. She growled softly under her breath at what she considered to be too little and too late of an effort on his part. Makoto had held Rei's trembling form in her arms, felt the shudders that had fought to be free, and had known how excruciating it had been for her friend to hold back. She understood what it was like to have one's heart broken and wonder where you stood. Because of that, Makoto was justifiably, in her mind, wanting to tear Heero limb from limb. Makoto would have done anything to keep any of her friends from hurting, and Rei was an especially touchy subject after what had happened. She glowered darkly at Heero's back, mimicking Rei's earlier actions, and wondered if the Preventers wouldn't let her fight if she accidentally maimed Heero in some manner. 'Che, he's not even worth the effort. Rei-chan can do so much better than him. She could have any guy she wanted eating out of the palm of her hand at the snap of her fingers back in Tokyo. There's no reason for to settle for this moody, ice-cold bakayaro (bastard) who doesn't even bother telling her that he already has someone. He's probably just acting like this Relena person doesn't mean anything to him to get us on his side and help him win back Rei-chan. After all, it's not as if Relena is awake to dispute what he's saying, is she,' she asked disdainfully, tossing her head in irritation, her chestnut waves dancing wildly with the movement. She was feeling particularly biased against all men when her gaze suddenly landed on Trowa, who was staring at Heero with a narrow-eyed gaze full of dislike. Her glare unconsciously softened as she continued to look upon him and she shifted slightly, unsure of herself as she remembered his kind gesture to her in the meeting room. Her ill-will didn't last long as she reminded herself that Trowa had been upset from the beginning at Relena's words and gave a small concession that maybe not all men were users as she had rashly concluded earlier.
Ami frowned uncertainly, biting her lip as she mulled over Heero's words and actions. 'He doesn't sound like he's lying to Zechs-san and there's a note of fierceness in his voice when he mentions Zechs-san playing with Rei-chan. Demo, I'm not too good about reading into emotions like some of the others are. Give me cold, hard facts any day and I can guarantee you an answer, but there are too many possibilities here for me to decide if he's being sincere or if he's trying to save himself. I want Rei-chan to be happy and to find love with someone who deserves her. We all do, just as we all want that for ourselves too. Should I give him a chance or not? I'm pretty sure that Haruka-san and Mako-chan aren't going to be forgiving and I think that Michiru-san and Minako-chan will be willing to give him a second chance. So where do I fit in? And what about Hotaru-chan and Mamoru-san? What do they think of what's going on,' Ami pondered thoughtfully, her gentle heart wanting to believe but not wanting Rei to get hurt if she decided the wrong way and ended up talking her friend into opening her heart to someone who would only abuse it. She nibbled on her thumbnail uncertainly and continued to think.
Duo looked up blearily as he heard the angry voice of Heero impinge on his sadness infused consciousness. Looking up, he saw Zechs and Heero facing off over Relena's prone body, snarling like wolves battling for the alpha position in a pack. He shook his head in confusion and looked over to Quatre. Catching the blonde Arabian's eye, the normally cheerful pilot whispered, "What's going on? Did I miss something?"
"Did you see Rei-chan leave a couple of moments ago, Duo? She was extremely upset and I think Heero went to go after her, but Zechs is keeping him from her because he doesn't want Heero leaving Relena's side," Quatre whispered back, his light blue eyes darting from Heero to Zechs and back again.
"Yeah, I saw her leave and I was thinking how when she left, the room temperature dropped like 20 degrees. Matte! What is Heero doing holding Relena's hand? Don't tell me he finds the battered beyond belief look a turn-on," Duo quietly exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up into his bangs. He turned to look incredulously at Quatre, his lavender eyes wide with surprise over what he had completely missed while thinking of Hilde.
"I don't believe so, Duo. Relena hasn't let go of Heero's hand since she came to briefly and grabbed it, saying he was the only thing that kept her alive. Unfortunately, Rei-chan saw the whole thing and Heero didn't shake off Relena's touch like he normally does. I'm pretty sure Rei-chan was completely thrown for a loop by that. I don't think that's why she went storming out of here though. I kept getting flashes of uncertainty, betrayal, anger, and sadness from her, but it was so strong that it felt like something that had been pent up for ages and that's not possible," Quatre mused uncertainly, biting his lower lip in contemplation as he mulled over his observations.
"Leave it up to Heero, who is perfect in everything but his personal life, to muck up the best thing to come into his life by not actually doing anything. I don't know whether I should pity him or envy him," Duo said sarcastically, shaking his head in wonder and rolling his expressive eyes. Inwardly, he wanted to shoot Heero for being so stupid but knew that that wouldn't help so he prayed to the God he hadn't thought about since his days at Maxwell Church and asked for divine intervention on behalf of his fellow pilot.
"You couldn't be more right, Duo. We know that what he feels for Rei-chan is something he has never felt before, something he is lucky to find in these times. Rei-chan is a remarkable young woman, able to understand what we went through with the wars. She understands it even better than some of those who actually lived through the war. Heero won't find anyone else like her, someone willing to give him a chance to be himself. It's obvious he cares for her from what he's saying to Zechs. I just don't understand why he can't say these things to Rei-chan to reassure her," Quatre said, gesturing with one hand towards where Zechs and Heero were still bitterly arguing.
"It's because he's too used to having Relena do everything. Relena did all the talking and Heero never had to do anything for her to assume they were in some deep meaningful relationship. I mean, come on! Do you think if Heero was in a life or death situation that his last thought would be of Relena? No way! Even if he hadn't met Rei-chan, his last thoughts wouldn't be of Relena, they'd be of a way to escape or to overcome whatever was defeating him! Geesh, I just don't get him at all," Duo huffed out in exasperation, blowing his bangs off his forehead with a gusty sigh.
"You may be right, Duo, but how does that help Rei-chan," Quatre asked thoughtfully. Part of him wanted to say something to either Heero or Rei to help straighten things out, but the more reasonable part of him knew that any interference on his part had a high probability of backfiring on him. He knew that both Rei and Heero were proud, maybe too much so, but he also knew that they would only be happy if they worked things out for themselves. "On second thought, perhaps it's better if we do nothing for now until we can get a better picture of what's going on. Promise me, Duo, that you won't do anything to possibly make things worse for them."
"Who, me? I wouldn't dream of doing anything of that sort," Duo said sweetly, his eyes wide with feigned innocence. Behind his back, crossed fingers were surreptitiously hidden. "I would never do anything that might inconvenience two of my favorite people in the whole world!" Focusing on the trouble between Heero and Rei was giving the braided pilot a chance to forget the pain and regret in his own heart.
Quatre cocked one slightly suspicious eyebrow before sighing inwardly. 'I guess I'll have to watch Duo as well as observe Rei and Heero. I want to believe that Duo won't do anything, but I know him better than that!'
Standing next to Quatre and Duo was Trowa, who was concentrating intently on the argument between the flaxen-haired acting leader of the Preventers and his brown-haired comrade and fellow pilot. Uncharacteristically for him, he wanted to growl in frustration as he watched things unfold before him. 'Why can't he say these things to Rei- chan when she needs to hear them? Why did he allow Relena to hold him when he never has before? Was it just because he thought she was dying and he wanted to give her the same kind of comfort most people would offer to those suffering? He picked a fine time to show compassion to someone and it would have to be Relena, the one woman who has shown him any romantic interest before Rei-chan! Now she's probably confused, if not downright angry with Heero and she has every right to be,' Trowa fumed silently, his face a stoic mask hiding the anger he felt. His deep green eyes sparked with the inner fury he felt towards Heero's unthinking actions.
Wufei shook his head in irritation as the bickering continued between Heero and Zechs. He felt it was all a waste of time, for neither Relena's or Rei's feelings mattered that much to him though he did feel that Rei was at least useful. 'Feh. All this time and energy wasted over what some onna might think. It doesn't matter if it's that baka onna who thinks everything can be solved by saying please or thank you and wishing for peace will make it happen or if it's Rei and her touchy temper. They're both just onnas and I don't see why we have to humor them over every little thing. I used to admire Heero and his ability to ignore everything but the mission, but now he doesn't even seem to know which side is up anymore. I can't believe he actually got upset in the library when I called Rei weak and wanted to start a fight with me,' Wufei thought incredulously. 'What is the world coming to when even the Perfect Soldier can't seem to keep it together over a woman, even if she is beautiful and a pretty good fighter,' he grudgingly continued mentally, his scowling face matching his mood completely. His eyes flicked over the other Senshi, summarily dismissing them as his gaze passed over them until his gaze landed on Hotaru. He paused briefly, noting her frailty and the pallor of her skin and the way her large purple eyes seemed too large for her gamine face. His frown deepened as he tried to imagine her in battle conditions. 'What the hell were they thinking of when they decided she was fit for battle? It's obvious to see that she wouldn't last more than a couple of minutes against a Ravager. Someone will be needed to keep an eye out for her,' he thought moodily, unconsciously appointing himself as her watcher.
Heero had just broken from Zechs' grasp and was about to turn towards the door and exit when the door whooshed open suddenly, revealing an impassive Setsuna flanking a poised Rei, who entered calmly as if nothing had happened earlier to send her from the room, her emotions in turmoil. Heero was nearly run over as the Senshi surged forward as one, all of them surrounding Rei within a heartbeat and reassuring themselves that everything was okay with the fiery warrior. Haruka looked over her shoulder at Heero and curled her lip in a slight snarl at him, warning him away. Heero's own eyes narrowed at the unspoken challenge and his shoulders stiffened before he waded forward through the mass of bodies ringing around Rei. Minako, Mamoru, Ami and Michiru gave way willingly before Heero but Haruka, Makoto and Hotaru stood fast while Rei and Setsuna looked on. Heero's icy glare finally moved the remaining three Senshi after several long moments, but not before Makoto growled and Hotaru turned her face away, dismissing him completely in importance. He turned his attention back to Rei and watched in puzzlement as her face drained of the soft happiness that she felt at the concern of her friends and was replaced by a blank mask, a curtain falling over her expressive eyes.
"Rei, daijoubu," he asked, his voice sounding uncertain even to his own ears.
"Daijoubu, Heero. Arigatou for asking," Rei replied formally, her violet eyes not rising to meet his but looking at some distant spot over his shoulder. Her voice, usually throbbing and melodic with emotion, was unnaturally calm, almost robotic in cadence. The other Senshi shot each other questioning looks before looking to Setsuna, who returned the look calmly, her garnet eyes giving nothing away. Looking towards the politicians, scientists and other assorted military personnel gathered in a small clump who had stopped their planning to gawk at the activity on the other side of the room, Rei murmured, "If there is nothing else needed from us here and we have all been approved for combat status, could we possibly go back to Quatre-kun's home? It's been a long day for all concerned, I believe."
Heero looked at his would-be lover quizzically before looking over at Quatre, his eyes conveying his preference to leave as well. He knew he couldn't be accused of being overly sensitive when it came to others' emotions, but he knew that something wasn't right in the way Rei wouldn't meet his eyes or the lack of emotion in her voice that was normally associated with his own attitude. The aura that seemed to surround her rubbed him the wrong way and all of his senses were on alert for something wrong, something horrible.
Quatre, sensing that something was indeed very wrong with Rei, nodded firmly in response to both Rei and Heero's request. Drawing himself up with all of the authority he had ever displayed, Quatre gave a look that brooked no argument from anyone. "That is a wonderful suggestion, Rei-chan! It is bound to be overwhelming to have to experience all of this," he said, gesturing to the scene in front of him of the wrecked ship that Noin had piloted and including the wounded Sally, Mariemaia, Relena and Noin. "We will return at once to make sure we are ready for the next Ravager attack." So saying, he tapped his wristband with sure, firm taps and within minutes, had his ship readied for their return trip home. Overriding the protests of the scientists and other officials easily, Quatre soon had the Senshi and his fellow pilots boarding their shuttle without insulting anyone. Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief as they returned home. Only Rei seemed unmoved, her body language warning anyone from approaching her for the time being.
####***
Several hours later, the late afternoon sun beat down hazily on a group of young women laden down with enormous shopping bags and chattering like songbirds let loose from a small cage after a long captivity. The blonde in the lead turned quite a few heads as she walked backwards, her bags held behind her back thumping against her shapely calves, giggling and flashing a huge, dazzling smile at passersby.
"So what do we want to do now? Get something to eat or maybe go see a movie or dancing at a club," Minako posed the question to her companions, her cornflower blue eyes bright with activity.
"Why do we even have to do anything else, Minako-san? We just spent several hours buying out every shop in that mall that Rei-san showed us and we had ice cream in the food court and we watched you and Makoto-san wolf whistle at a couple of guys before Haruka-papa stepped in," Hotaru questioned, tilting her head in question, her bangs falling to one side and framing her face cutely. "Aren't you tired yet?"
"Surely you must be joking! Where's your stamina, your thirst for adventure and thrills? Oh, woe is this younger generation that cannot stand the rigors of daily life," Minako intoned sorrowfully in a fake British accent. She cast her woebegone eyes to the skies as if beseeching some higher power and struck a classic Shakespearean stance, her arms uplifted in a plea as she remarked, "What ill fortune doth the sky cast down upon mine comrades that they cannot prevail upon so simple a thing as a fun-filled excursion?" She frowned mightily as giggles and the rolling of eyes were her only response.
"Hotaru-chan, you know that Minako-chan can't resist having fun until her legs give out and she passes into unconsciousness. It's part of her charm," Ami said matter-of-factly, her blue eyes glinting with humor. She smiled slyly and fixed the cuff of her new blazer at the snort that came from Minako in response.
"Hey! I resemble that remark! I have fun because it's there to be had! I refuse to let the gloomies get to me and I'll be damned if I'm going to let the gloomies get my best friend either," Minako harrumphed, glomping Rei tightly and nearly sending both of them to the sidewalk in an ungainly heap.
Rei struggled for a few minutes to get out of Minako's iron grip, her face turning an alarming shade of purple as oxygen rapidly deserted her lungs, before finally breaking free and inhaling huge gulps of air thankfully. Bent over and resting her hands on her knees, Rei turned her face towards Minako and asked, "What makes you think I'm in need of cheering up? I thought this was for you so you guys could get clothes and necessities for yourselves!"
"Come on, Rei-chan, it's pretty obvious that something's bothering you. I don't have to be psychic to see that. And anyways, it's nice to get out and hang out together again, ne," Makoto cut in before Minako could respond. Makoto's forest green eyes were filled with worry as they decided to confront Rei on her feelings which she had been tight-lipped about the whole way home. In fact, it had taken Minako cajoling her for most of the trip home to get her to agree to their shopping spree, not to mention Quatre casting her looks of concern. Quatre had been the one to suggest that the girls needed new things and that Rei would be perfect to guide them since she was their friend and had done the same thing not too long ago. Rei had buckled after receiving the full force of both Minako and her's puppy eyes and even Hotaru had looked intrigued and hopeful about the prospect.
"It is nice to spend time with you again, minna. I missed all of you unbearably. Don't get me wrong, the guys have been great companions and comrades but it's not quite the same since asking Duo-kun whether or not he thinks a new pair of jeans makes my hips look big is just asking for either a smart remark or some flirtatious quip that will make me blush and it isn't what I'm looking for. Engaging Wufei in girl-talk would probably get me a katana to the throat or some raving insult about how I'm weak and then I'd have to kick his ass," Rei said ruefully as she imagined such an occurrence happening.
"What about Trowa-san or Quatre-san," asked Ami, careful to avoid mentioning Heero's name until she was sure that Rei could handle it. Michiru's carefully indrawn breath warned her that she was skating on very thin ice.
"Trowa-kun has been wonderful, very much like a big brother. He's really insightful, probably because he spends so much time observing instead of talking. He's really helped me out, especially when I was just trying to get used to this new life of mine. And Quatre-kun has been really wonderful, taking me in when I was just a stranger and really looking out for me. His gentleness helped me to get over my sadness a lot sooner than I thought. I've been so lucky to have known the two of them," Rei finished gently, smiling in remembrance of all the wonderful and kind things the two pilots had done for her.
"Quatre seems really nice," Minako said softly, flushing a soft rose as she recalled his soft blue eyes and silky platinum hair. She was oblivious to the knowing looks exchanged by Rei and Makoto, who winked at each other conspiratorially. Suddenly realizing that she had voiced her thoughts aloud, the blonde Senshi of Love gasped and looked up quickly, catching the amused grins of her friends. "Well, he is. You can't say that he hasn't been really sweet to all of us," she defended herself hotly, cursing inwardly as the blush on her face grew in intensity.
"Oh, we didn't say anything about him not being nice at all, did we, minna? We just don't get all hot and starry-eyed when we say how nice he is. Hmmm, is our little Minako-chan interested in someone," Makoto teased, her pearly white grin flashing. She loved teasing Minako when it came to boys since Minako had no problems teasing her about her old sempai and she loved being able to turn the tables on her bubbly friend.
"So what if I am? I could do a lot worse," Minako shot back defensively, reddening further when Rei, Haruka, and Michiru chuckled. Even Hotaru grinned, her face lightening up considerably as they fell into the age old tradition of teasing each other. Ami blushed softly, sympathizing with Minako.
"We're not picking on your choice in men, Minako-chan. Quatre-kun is definitely a good catch. It's just funny to see you all flustered about liking him when normally you're not afraid to show how interested you are in someone, like when you first met the Three Lights," Rei soothed, patting her best friend on the shoulder consolingly.
"I don't know why I can't seem to act normal around him. It's just different, the way I feel about him. He makes me feel all fluttery inside and I've only known him a couple of days! He's not movie star gorgeous, but I can't seem to take my eyes off of him," Minako groaned, pulling on a lock of blonde hair in frustration. She glared hotly when she noticed Haruka rolling her eyes in amusement. "It's not funny, Haruka-san! I'd like to see how you were when you met Michiru-san! I bet you weren't all arrogant then!"
Haruka scowled abruptly, all mirth wiped from her face, while Michiru tried to stifle a giggle behind one slim hand as the others turned to look at her in question. Her scowl deepened even more when Minako stuck her tongue out in challenge and Hotaru innocently asked, "How did you act when you met Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa?"
"It's no one's business," Haruka muttered, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly, her bags swinging from her clenched fists. The former race car driver and motocross biker was not happy with the idea of being grilled about her love life.
"Perhaps it would be better if we talked about something else," Ami offered, her blue eyes darting from Minako's challenging look to Haruka's belligerent one. She smiled when Haruka flashed her a grateful look, their friendship having solidified when they had been trapped together by Nehelenia and been forced to reassess their initial impressions of each other. (A/N: This was in the beginning of the Sailor Stars season.)
"I'll let it drop if Haruka-san doesn't give me any more grief," Minako said stubbornly, her chin jutting out. She was very sensitive about the feelings she had for Quatre, the young man she had just met but couldn't get out of her mind.
Haruka grunted her consent, silently breathing a sigh of relief as she considered how close she had come to having some very embarrassing stories about her relationship with Michiru come to light. She knew that Minako could be as determined as a pit bull when it came to ferreting out the juicy details of a developing romance. In fact, she was usually extremely amused at the facts that came to light under Minako's interrogations. However, the thought that that same determination could be turned on her made her shudder inwardly as she recalled some of the awkward moments she had experienced while trying to decide what her feelings for her teal-tressed companion were. Next to her, Michiru smiled coyly, recalling those same moments with fondness.
"So, what do we want to do now anyway? We've shopped like it's going out of style and even our Senshi strength isn't going to hold out against the weight of these bags for much longer," Makoto joked lightly, tactfully turning the conversation to another topic.
"Why don't we put the bags in the van and decide from there what we want to do," Hotaru suggested, hoping that she could put down the myriad bags of purchases she had made. They had seemed like such a good idea at the time and she had thoroughly enjoyed the fun and laughter they had all shared as they had shopped like maniacs, but now her arms were beginning to ache just a bit.
The other young women heartily agreed and after fifteen minutes of walking to find their vehicle and then another fifteen minutes of carefully arranging their purchases in the spacious van, they finally stopped to consider their options. They bantered back and forth, offering suggestions of movies, dinner, ice skating, bicycle riding and other fun activities, until Minako's suggestion stopped them all in mid-discussion.
"Let's do karaoke! It'll be sooooo fun! Onegai, minna," the blonde pleaded, her blue eyes impossibly wide and filled with stars as she turned towards her friends, already sensing that some would be against the idea. The bubbly blonde was determined to have her way in this matter as she loved to sing and being in front of an audience always gave her the biggest thrill in life. She knew she was a born performer and adored being on stage, the center of attention and admired for her talent.
Haruka immediately snorted, her brow furrowing in distaste. She lazily picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her crisp white button down shirt while drawling, "Now, what makes you think that I'll want to do something so stupid? A bunch of drunken losers ogling silly giggling girls while they try to pretend they can sing on key is not my idea of a fun way to spend the evening!"
"She's got a point, Minako-chan. I really don't see any real redeeming qualities in such an idea. Isn't there something we could do that we'd all like," Ami asked tentatively as she watched Minako's face darken while Haruka cast slurs on her favorite pastime. She cast a pleading look at Michiru, hoping her calm reasoning would bring some sense to Minako. She was soon to be disappointed though.
"I don't know. I kind of like the idea of spending the evening listening to music. And it won't be too bad as long as we can persuade a couple of our more musically attuned tomodachi (friends) to participate, therefore raising the quality of the evening. Anyways Haruka, don't you like the thought of possibly telling off some of those lecherous old men? We really just a need a fun atmosphere to bond and forget all of our worries for a while and this seems like a perfect idea," Michiru responded, neatly cutting off all arguments with a few carefully worded sentences.
Hotaru looked excited as she hadn't really been allowed to go to karaoke clubs before and nodded exuberantly, her thick black locks swaying energetically with her frantic nods of agreement. She immediately cast her eyes at Rei, certain that Michiru would bend Haruka to her will pretty easily. Rei sighed resignedly and smiled her agreement at both Hotaru and Minako, who both squealed and glomped onto her in their pleasure. Makoto laughed at the spectacle in front of her and thought of how she would gladly walk over cut glass in bare feet and then place them in a tub of lemon juice if it meant all of her friends would be happy. She couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that she liked to goof off in front of the microphone as much as the next person. She knew she wasn't as talented when it came to singing as Minako and Rei were, but she still always had a great time when she tried her hand at the latest song. When Minako looked at her for her reaction, Makoto gave her a thumbs-up and returned the blonde's grin of happiness. Ami shrugged at Haruka and silently caved, her rueful smile a sign that she hadn't been so much against the idea as trying to help out the outnumbered Senshi of Wind. She actually loved watching her friends perform and had joined them occasionally in group attempts when pressed. She nodded to Minako as well, earning a V sign for her trouble. Haruka still looked unimpressed until Michiru sidled up to her and whispered into her ear, "Let them have their fun, 'Ruka. After all, we never know when we'll have to go into battle next and this could be their last time like this for a while. And if you do this for me and them, I'll let you see what I bought in that fancy boutique." She leaned back away and smiled enigmatically at Haruka, who lifted one eyebrow and gave in with a quirk of her lips and a muttered, "So, do you know where to go for all this fun you're dying for?"
Minako clapped her hands in delight and bounced happily on the balls of her feet while gleefully announcing, "I saw one on the way back from the mall. It's Ladies' Night too so we get in free! Let's go before they get too crowded and don't let us in!"
"It's a good thing you can't drink yet because I can only imagine what you'd be like if you were drunk," Haruka said, rolling her navy blue eyes in exasperation.
"Oh, that's an easy one, Haruka-san! She'd be exactly like this because Minako-chan's already drunk on life! She's the only person I know who can get high on life just by breathing regular air," Makoto jibed, her emerald eyes glimmering with mischief as she shot her friend a look out of the corner of her eye. She laughed when Minako stuck out her tongue at her in response. "Hey, let's not get a tongue war started here," She replied laughingly, holding her hands up in mock horrified protest.
"Minako-chan can't do a proper one anyway. Only Usagi and I are able to do a decent one without our tongues drying out or spraying everyone with saliva," Rei said laughingly, her eyes turning wistful at the thought of their sleeping princess.
The others sobered slightly at the mention of Usagi until Ami's sweet voice chimed, "We must make sure that we have enough fun to satisfy Usagi's spirit. I'm sure she'd be upset with us if we didn't enjoy ourselves." The others smiled and nodded in agreement before stopping to stand before the neon lit entrance of Club Tanoshimi (Fun or Amusement). The large muscle- bound bouncer looked them over once, his eyes hidden by reflective sunglasses. He was quiet and the girls almost started fidgeting at the silent perusal before he smirked at Haruka and said, "Good job, my man! I don't think I've ever seen one guy with so many cuties before. You definitely rate getting into the club." With that announcement, he unhooked the red velvet rope and gestured for the stupefied girls and bemused Haruka to walk inside.
"I can't believe that guy thought we were all with Haruka-san," Makoto exclaimed, her eyes wide with astonishment. "I mean, I'm used to people thinking that Haruka-san is a guy, but I never thought that they'd think we were all with him…I mean her. Okay, now I've confused myself," she grit out, running a hand through her chestnut waves which Minako had convinced her to let down from her customary high ponytail.
"Nani? You didn't think I was capable of gathering such beautiful girls to my side? I'm hurt, Mako-chan," Haruka teased, flashing a wicked grin at the tall beauty.
"'Ruka, stop teasing the girls so much. It's no wonder the bouncer thought what he did when you flirt the way you do," Michiru huffed, her shell pink tinted lips pursed into a small moue.
"Michi, you know it's all fun and games, don't you? I could never be unfaithful to you," Haruka murmured back, her eyes softening with affection. She purposely ignored the giggles of the younger girls as they teased her for breaking their hearts.
"Baka! As if I could ever doubt the depth of your devotion to me, just as you should never doubt my feelings for you! I was just teasing you," Michiru replied back saucily, tossing her wavy teal hair behind her in a careless, yet graceful motion. The other girls continued to laugh softly, used to seeing the playful bantering that would lead to softer moments between the two older Senshi.
Hotaru looked around the club, her violet eyes widening as she saw the plush elegance of her first club. Large circular booths upholstered in burgundy velvet surrounded black marble tables flecked with gold and ringed the club, some meant to convey an air of coziness and privacy while others were fashioned to highlight their occupants to their best advantage. A large parquet dance floor sat in the middle of the room and was currently occupied with over two dozen couples gyrating and twirling to a bass heavy live band. Tasteful original paintings in the modern style adorned the walls as did cleverly fashioned wall sconces made to look like torches but were electric powered. Waiters and waitresses wended their way across the club, holding aloft trays burdened with myriad exotic drinks and platters of food for those interested in nibbling while enjoying the entertainment. She continued to crane her neck around to see all the sights until she espied an open archway that lead to a room set off specifically for the karaoke enjoying guests. She turned and tugged on Minako's sleeve, the gauzy cream-colored ruffled confection feeling soft beneath her fingertips.
Minako turned at the pressure on her sleeve to see Hotaru gesturing to what Minako could only designate as her own personal paradise. Grabbing both Hotaru and Rei's hands, she surged forward, pulling both hapless girls behind her like buoys in the wake of a giant freighter. Rei squawked involuntarily, losing her balance momentarily as her hair fell forward to obscure her vision at the sudden movement. She righted herself and kept up with Minako out of sheer desperation, breathing a sigh of relief when Minako finally stopped and grateful they hadn't crashed into anyone in the crowded club. She looked back to see the others wending their way towards them, careful to not bump into the other club goers. When they were all together again, the impatiently toe-tapping Minako flounced inside, assuming the others would follow her inside. Exchanging wry looks at how they had been masterfully coerced, the others filed in after their blonde compatriot, settling in at a huge booth while Minako was already at the machine and looking through the music selection. After ordering their drinks and several extravagant sounding snacks, they spied Minako climbing on top of the small stage, the gorgeous smile on her face never dimming even as several men whistled their appreciation at the view her short skirt afforded them as she climbed the steep stairs of the stage.
"Konnichiwa, minna! Aino Minako desu! (Hello, everyone! I'm Minako Aino!) I'll be singing a popular ballad from the 20th century tonight to get the night started off right," Minako announced, her grip on the microphone loose but sure. Her confidence radiated from her like a beacon and she launched into the song as the soft strains begun.
The others smiled appreciatively at Minako's choice of music for it was a popular piece when they had left Tokyo. Ami wondered briefly how that piece had survived so far into the future, but soon gave up on the thought to listen attentively to Minako's sweet voice.
Rei too was enjoying the piece and let herself be relaxed by the romantic ballad. She put her head back against the soft cushions of the booth and closed her eyes, letting the music soak into her soul and wash away the stress of the last few hours. Soon, even the music became a low, distant hum and the world seemed to fade away as a new one appeared behind her closed eyelids.
"When my world spirals again into confusion,
The look in your eyes brings peace to my soul.
I long for your gentle touch, so sweet, without caution,
When our lips meet again, making me whole."
She was laughing at the antics of Serenity as she ran after Minako, who was holding a flaky pastry aloft and running as fast as she could from the determined and hungry princess. She looked down and smiled at Heero as she continued to brush her fingertips through the unruly brown hair covering the eyes of her beloved as he rested his head in her lap. He opened his vivid blue eyes suddenly and smiled at her, his love for her evident in the look he reserved for her alone. He startled her with a sudden movement; her hand quickly captured in his and brought to his mouth as he placed a soft kiss against her sensitive fingertips.
"Just a simple kiss, so full of longing and passion,
Which no one else could ever match or mar…."
She leaned in closer, her attraction to Heero forcing her to lean in, their lips almost touching. She felt so attuned to everything that she could smell his scent even among the odors of gunpowder and gun oil. She felt him slowly remove the gun she held in her hand as he came closer as well, his eyes magnetic and burning with desire. The moment was shattered as Duo stuck his head in the door and announced an imminent Ravager attack.
"Whether on a dance floor or under the starry heaven,
From my side, I will never let you wander too far."
She was whirling around a dance floor, snugly ensconced in Heero's strong arms as the soft strains of the orchestra floated around her. She could feel the soft silk of her amethyst ball gown swish against her legs and twine around his dark blue velvet-clad legs as he skillfully led her through the graceful and intricate steps of an old Earth dance. She gasped as she was suddenly whirled off the dance floor and into the starlit space of one of the myriad marble balconies that ringed the ornate ball room. Her questions died on her lush, strawberry colored lips as he covered her lips with his own, the soft kiss robbing her of all thought but returning sheer pleasure. She wanted the moment to last forever….
"How safe I feel encircled in your loving arms,
Like angels wings wrapped lovingly around me.
I know that you'd rather die than let me come to harm,
That you'd never let anything in this world ever hurt me."
She wondered at the feeling of safety and comfort she felt as he carried her, his toned arms wrapped securely around her as he and his companions walked out of the science building with her. He felt like a bastion of comfort in a new, unfamiliar world and she wondered if he could help heal her grieving heart when he seemed so cold and emotionless until she saw the blue flames dancing in the depths of his Prussian blue eyes.
"But when I'm bruised and broken, ready to give it all up,
Out of the mists you come, my knight in armor shining bright.
Your glance calms me as into your arms you lift me up,
And with your gentle kisses, make everything in my life all right."
She lay on the dusty ground, her light battle armor dented in many places and her under tunic shredded into tatters not worth wearing. Her hair was matted to her forehead and neck with blood and sweat and she had to blink several times to clear her blurry vision as sweat continued to pour into her eyes. Her arm lay at an odd angle and she bit her lip to keep from crying out at the pain that radiated from it. She looked out over the battlefield and she could see the corpses of their opponents, the Garou, a race of giant werewolf-like creatures, littering the arid plain. Many of her own battalion, fellow Senshi and allies were also wounded and she wept inside when she saw several of her battalion laying stiffly, their eyes unseeing as they had given their lives to protect their universe from the savage marauders that had come recently. Her only solace was that they had definitively driven them back and they would see no more of those feral monsters. Her musings were cut short as she heard the sound of footsteps. She looked up to see the object of much of her concern approach, his own battle armor tarnished and one shoulder plate ripped completely off. He approached her and knelt by her side, frowning as he saw the broken arm that was causing her so much pain. They both knew he would have to reset it soon or her Senshi healing would begin to knit the bone back in its present condition. She nodded once and he gently prodded her arm to see where the break was. Once he found out, he looked deeply into her eyes and their gazes locked, startling blue meeting mysterious violet. He gave a sudden yank and she gave a single yelp before she bit back her cries of pain. As she felt the bone settle back into its original position, she gave him a weary smile of gratitude and let herself be gathered up into his arms. He bent his dark head next to hers and slowly kissed her, his tongue flicking out to wipe the drops of blood off her lip from where she had bitten it earlier. His kiss was soft, tender, the way only she would ever know from him.
1 "Without you my life has no end and no true beginning
It would just be the grueling monotony of day to day.
You complete me and give my soul meaning,
As you love and care for me in your own special way."
More and more images flashed behind her closed eyelids, tantalizing her with glimpses of the past?...the present, for sure…maybe the future? Her brow furrowed slightly as she tried to concentrate as the images came faster and faster, each filled with joyous scenes of her being sweetly cherished by Heero. She awoke from her dream state as she felt herself being harshly shaken. Her eyes fluttered open, her dark lashes like opulent fans rising gently to look into the concerned navy blue eyes of Haruka.
"Ummm, nani, Haruka-san," Rei said dreamily, her mind still lingering on the images she had seen. Her insides felt all warm and fluttery and her heart was free of the ache she had experienced earlier when she had seen the other vision at UEA headquarters.
"Nani? Rei-chan, you just slipped into this dreamlike state and we've been trying to get your attention for the last ten minutes! Is there anything wrong? I bet those bastards slipped something into your drink," Haruka hissed, her fist clenching as she glared at the hapless waiters, who were weaving their way in and out of the crowds.
"I don't think it has anything to do with any foreign substances being put into her food or drink, Haruka-san. Her pulse is normal and her eyes aren't dilated in the way that would suggest that she has been partaking of any drugs. Are you okay though, Rei-chan," Ami asked anxiously, her hand still wrapped around Rei's wrist as she continued to take her friend's pulse.
"Daijoubu, minna. Gomen for worrying you like that. I don't know what happened, but I just found myself slipping away for a moment there. I didn't even realize I had been out of it for so long. I guess I'm more tired than I thought," Rei said sheepishly, ducking her head in apology.
"It's more than that, isn't it, Rei-chan? I recognized the look in your eyes. You had a vision, didn't you," Michiru pressed, her turquoise eyes filled with concern. She leaned forward, resting her chin on Haruka's shoulder. "Tell us about it. It isn't right for you to carry the burden alone."
The others nodded, their eyes full of love and concern for the miko who could see the future, pleasant or horrifying, and who tended to keep the ugly visions to herself so as to not worry them. Rei struggled, for it wasn't in her nature to reveal her visions unless she thought it necessary and especially not if they involved herself. It was Hotaru leaning forward to rest her forehead against hers and whispering, "Onegai, Rei-san. You've all seen me through so much darkness, turmoil, and change. If it hadn't been for all of you encouraging me to share my feelings, I don't know where I'd be. I'd probably have destroyed the world by now and let the darkness within me consume me from the inside. Don't let that happen to you. There is nothing insignificant about you. Remember, Rei-san? You told me that." These words finally broke down her resistance.
"Fine, I'll tell you since none of you will ever give up until I do," Rei grumbled in mock disgust. Her smile turned wry when the assembled friends all nodded simultaneously. She then began with the vision she had seen earlier that day and watched the different emotions that passed over their faces. Some looked thoughtful while the others looked indignant and disgusted at Heero's actions.
"Was that a vision of the future then? Does Heero-san end up coming back to our dimension with us and living in Crystal Tokyo," Ami pondered, her mind working over the newly revealed information. Her hands worried absently at the cuff of the emerald green blazer she had bought earlier during their excursion.
"Who cares about that? What's really important is the fact that he leaves Rei-chan and obviously during a time when we'll be attacked," Makoto growled, her eyes glinting dangerously. Heero would never know how lucky he was to not be in front of her at that moment. Haruka nodded furiously in agreement, smacking one clenched fist into the open palm of her other hand. "I'll kill the bastard! Save us from the pain and heartache he'll cause later. No one gets away with hurting our chibi honoo (little flame)," Haruka said angrily. Even Michiru squeezing her shoulder didn't calm her down.
"Are we so sure that this is a vision of the future," Minako asked shrewdly, her light blue eyes narrowed in deep thought. "From the detail of the vision, it almost sounds more like the Silver Millennium. We saw Crystal Tokyo when we went there with Chibiusa to fight the Dark Moon people. It was named Crystal Tokyo for a reason, namely because most things were crystallized. Rei-chan mentions wood paneling in the room she was in and soft, luxurious carpeting. Not to mention that Heero mentions Endymion as ouji (prince), not oo (king)."
"Demo, Rei-chan has never had flashbacks, only visions of the future. Why should it change now? It has to be the future she's seeing," argued Makoto, leaning forward to look Minako in the eye.
"That's true, but Rei-chan has developed quite a bit as a psychic and a sensitive. After all, she is almost a full-fledged miko now. She has only to take the trials when she returns to Tokyo to prove herself. Not to mention the fact that all of us have matured greatly and all of our powers and abilities have grown keener over time," Michiru mused. "I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Rei-chan has gained the ability to channel into the echoes of the past and see the happenings of those times."
"I wish Setsuna-mama was here. She should be able to tell us what Rei-san is seeing, whether it to be the future or the past," Hotaru murmured, her large purple eyes uncertain. She smoothed the lilac chiffon skirt she was wearing over her knees, needing something to do.
"Don't be so sure of that," Haruka said bitterly. "Setsuna says only what she wants to say. If it doesn't suit her purposes or she doesn't feel we're able to understand, she won't say a thing. It's probably better that she stayed back at the mansion to rest. She can't lead us from the truth if we do get close to it."
"That doesn't seem fair, Haruka-san. I'm sure Setsuna-san is only doing what she thinks is right. There are some things we probably shouldn't know, things that might change the timeline irrevocably. And it's not like she's used to having to explain herself to others since she's spent so many millennia alone, guarding the Time Gate," Ami reasoned, feeling bad for their absent comrade. Setsuna had looked drained when they had returned to Quatre's home and had turned down their offer to go shopping. Ami knew that Setsuna sometimes got drained when her future time sense was used too often and wondered if she had been seeing future events happening. 'It would explain why she went to go speak to Rei-chan after the vision she saw in UEA headquarters,' the genius mused to herself.
"It's understandable why Haruka-san would feel that way, Ami-chan. Sometimes, I get the feeling there are things she is deliberately hiding from us. I know it's probably for our own good, but that doesn't change the fact that she's not as open with us as we are with her," Minako argued, the leader in her feeling as if she needed to know all the vital information in order to lead her Senshi properly. Unfortunately, she missed the look that Michiru and Haruka threw each other, for she would have immediately known that something suspicious was going on.
"Well, regardless of Setsuna-san's knowledge and her inability to ever give us a completely straight answer, we should be concentrating on helping Rei- chan interpret her visions. The vision she saw earlier can't be the same one she saw just now because I don't think she'd be so happy and blissful- looking about it," Makoto said, forging ahead.
"That's very true. What else did you just see, Rei-chan," Michiru asked, her teal eyes filled with compassion as she looked at the young woman who had gone through so much under such burdens that would have crushed any normal human being.
Rei blushed softly, her eyes unconsciously growing misty as she recalled to the others what she had seen. She didn't relay everything for she felt as if some things were too private and precious to share, even with her best friends. She gave them the rough details and events, outlining the events of the past and letting them know that some were events that had really happened. Even Haruka sensed that some things were being withheld because of sensitivity and didn't press further for details.
"Hmmm, that's very strange. Usually, you don't have visions of the present, Rei-chan. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were daydreaming," Ami said, looking apologetically at her dark-haired friend.
"Can you really say they're the present though? They've already happened, Ami-san. It would actually seem then that she's having visions or memories of the past instead," Hotaru offered tentatively, still slightly unused to being treated as an equal when it came to being a Senshi, not only because of her younger age, but also because of her status as the newest among the Senshi.
"It does seem that way when you put it like that, Hotaru-chan. But the whole thought of Rei-chan knowing Heero from before, during the Silver Millennium, bothers me. I mean, if they were so close, like soul mates, shouldn't they be more like Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san? Or maybe it's because of his betrayal that they're not together? Maybe Rei-chan was sent here to close that chapter on her life by finishing what he started and getting justice for his actions," Makoto said eagerly, liking the idea of Rei being sent back to get revenge. She still hadn't unbent even the slightest when it came to the insensitive image she had given Heero.
"Anou, Mako-chan, we're Senshi and we don't deal with things like revenge. That's the complete opposite of what we stand for. That would be as unlikely as us hating Usagi-chan or….sleeping with Mamoru-san and betraying her," Ami exclaimed, her cheeks aflame at the suggestion. (A/N: Gomen, but I just had to add that part in because I hate stories where the Senshi betray Usagi. I mean, HELLO!, they only die for her time and time again. That's a sure sign that you want to betray someone and hate his/her guts, right?)
"I can't believe you could even mention something like that as being on par with what Mako-chan said," Haruka said flatly, her dark blue eyes cold. "Of course, we would never betray Usagi-chan, but that doesn't mean we should sit by and let other people do whatever they want with one of us and let them get away with it. If Rei-chan is having visions of the past and not the future, that means that punk, Heero, not only betrays whatever feelings Rei-chan might have had for him, but he also betrays the Silver Millennium." Haruka was getting extremely upset and only Michiru's reassuring and comforting presence behind her was keeping her from revealing that they knew that Rei had known Heero from the past. Her temper had been on a slow boil ever since Rei had revealed her first vision and the subsequent ones, though definitely more pleasant, only verified the depth of the betrayal to her that Heero had done against Rei.
"We don't know that Rei-chan's first vision is complete or the most recent of her past memories. In fact, we don't really know if they are past memories and in what order they come in. For all we know, it could be the happy ones that were her last memories of Heero or they could be visions of the future. Maybe Rei-chan was sent here to forgive Heero for his betrayal and start anew. Maybe their relationship will be a cornerstone of Crystal Tokyo," Michiru offered optimistically, her eyes sparkling with the conviction that the girls she adored so much were finally going to be able to find the men that completed their destinies and hearts.
Minako nodded her head vigorously, her blonde locks flying haphazardly in every direction. She was much more comfortable with Michiru's idea than she was with Haruka's. The Senshi of Love had felt the intensity of something within Heero and she was pretty sure it was love, but she knew that if she was too forceful with Rei that she was more likely to send the other girl running in the other direction as fast as her long legs could take her and she wasn't about to make that kind of mistake. She could see the almost wild look in Rei's eyes at all of the different suggestions and perspectives being given to her by the others and knew if she didn't do something fast that Rei would just shut down and try to muddle through it on her own. 'This is probably the reason why she doesn't tell us all of her visions in the first place. I'm sure we're the last thing she needs right now since we're all so divided on the subject,' she thought ruefully. Her eyes sparkled as an idea struck her. 'What we need is a distraction so we can clear her head for a little while; get her to forget her worries for once!'
Rei was absently listening to Haruka, Makoto, and Michiru debate the meaning of her visions while Hotaru and Ami chimed in occasionally. She pinched the bridge of her nose unconsciously, a migraine beginning to form from all of the different thoughts and emotions running through her head. She was abruptly snapped from her dismal thoughts when a hand grabbed her wrist and hauled her to her feet. She looked up to see a maniacally grinning Minako, an unholy gleam in her eye. "Nani, Minako-chan? What are you doing," she asked, frowning as she recognized the all too familiar look in her best friend's eyes. That look always meant either trouble or future embarrassment.
Minako smiled brightly, her mega-watt smile almost blinding in its brilliance. She turned that same smile on the other young women and watched as both Ami and Hotaru blanched and then froze, like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Michiru smiled placidly back at her, her own eyes twinkling at the thought of what mischief Minako would be up to soon. Haruka and Makoto both grimaced, wondering what insane idea had burrowed into the leader of the Inner Senshi's mind.
####***
It was close to three in the morning when a group of giggling, swaying young women drew up in a spacious van in front of the stately mansion of Quatre Raberba Winner. Two taller young women got out of the front passenger and driver's seat and carefully opened the sliding door, stepping back hastily as five, flushed young women tumbled out like overeager puppies, laughing uproariously. They stumbled and weaved their way up the walkway, several of them plopping down unceremoniously on the smooth stone and laughing until one of the taller ones would heave her up to her feet and set them back on the path. Finally, they made it inside and blinked owlishly as the lights in the foyer all came to life suddenly, flooding the room with brilliance. Six young men, one woman, and several older men, stood assembled in the hallway and on the stairs, all of them gaping at the unbelievable sight in front of them.
"Haruka, Michiru, what is going on? What happened to the girls," Mamoru asked, frowning as he watched Rei and Minako lean unsteadily on each other for support, helpless with laughter at some unknown joke. He was dressed in a blue satin shirt and loose black pants, the shirt untucked and unbuttoned halfway.
Haruka flushed, running a hand through her hair in aggravation. "Well, Mamoru-san, we went shopping like we had planned earlier and then we went to a karaoke club afterwards because it was early still and the girls didn't want to come home yet. We were having a great time until we started discussing some problems," Haruka began, glancing significantly at Rei until Mamoru nodded his head in understanding. She continued, "Afterwards, Minako-chan decided we needed to cut loose and dragged us all up to sing some songs with her on stage, which was fine until…,"
"Until what, Haruka," asked Setsuna, frowning sleepily down at her from her position on the stairwell. She had been awakened by the commotion the girls had made coming into the house. She was wearing a long black spaghetti- strapped nightgown with a matching satin robe over it, borrowed from the closet of one of Quatre's many sisters. Suffice it to say that she was not happy at the moment.
"Until Minako-chan got so delirious in the applause she was getting that she ordered drinks for everybody…on her. Gomen, Quatre," Haruka threw in hastily as she recalled that everything they did was on Quatre's credit.
"No apologies are necessary, Haruka-san, demo, I'm still wondering how the girls got drunk, as I assume that's why they're acting this way, if all they did was buy drinks for other people," Quatre replied, his sky blue eyes worried as he watched Minako stumble away from a quickly sobering Rei to make her way towards him.
"It would have been fine if the people who were drinking didn't decide to buy drinks back for the girls, especially the men, both young and old," Michiru responded, shaking her head as she watched Ami begin to slowly turn green and put a hand to her mouth in the age-old sign of someone ready to vomit. Her fears were allayed as one of the Maganacs immediately came forward and delicately hoisted the slim girl in his arms and head towards what she remembered was a guest bathroom. "The girls haven't really experienced anything like this before, nor have they ever touched even a drop of alcohol. By the time we came back from the dance floor where we had been, the girls had already imbibed several very innocuous looking tropical drinks and were well on their way to becoming drunk."
"If you came back when they were only half drunk, how did they get plastered," Mamoru asked, his temper abating somewhat at their explanation.
"Well, we decided to go sober Rei-chan up because she'd had the most to drink. Guys were buying her drinks left and right. We could only handle one of them at a time because as you can see, they're not exactly steady when they're drunk. We told them to stop drinking the alcohol and then took Rei- chan off to the ladies' room to splash cold water on her face. Well, unfortunately, they continued drinking and when we came back, Rei-chan was still drunk, though not as much as before, but the others were completely plastered," Haruka said digustedly, remembering how the girls had sat there with silly grins plastered on their faces and glassy eyes. "We decided to leave the club immediately so they wouldn't get into any more trouble." She grinned almost wolfishly when she noticed that Heero's eyes had narrowed at the mention of all of the men buying Rei drinks at the club.
"Leave it to an onna to get drunk off a little bit of alcohol," Wufei said disdainfully, looking away from the assemblage with derision. He stood there in a pair of loose, dark gray shorts and his ponytail wasn't as neat as it normally was, signifying that he had been sleeping.
"Whatever, Wu-man! It's not like you know how to drink booze, since you're not old enough to do so either, so don't go looking down on them for getting drunk," Duo said flippantly, shooting the Chinese man a cheeky grin.
"Yeah! Why are you so mean, Wuffie," Hotaru slurred, having stumbled towards him at the sound of his voice. "Women can handle anyshing an otoko (man) can and shey can do it better," she continued, her tone becoming belligerent as she stabbed her finger into the middle of his chest repeatedly.
Wufei frowned as he felt her finger continue to prod his chest even when she fell silent from her tirade. He was about to tell her off and push her away from him when she suddenly muttered, "Why'sh everything spinning so mush?" He looked down in alarm as he watched her eyes roll into the back of her head and began to fall backward. His arms came up reflexively and caught her, her slight form resting easily in his hold. "Hmmph, I should drop her," he grumbled, though his arms did not fall away from her.
"Get your hands off her, you baka! Give her to me and I'll get her up to her room safely," Haruka threatened, already moving forward to snatch up Hotaru from him.
Wufei smirked at Haruka, his hackles rising at the tone of command he heard. He tightened his grip on the girl and lifted her so she rested more comfortably in his arms, before turning on his heel and heading up the stairs. He looked back once to retort,"Never mind, I'll take care of her. I wouldn't want you to strain yourself, onna." He continued up the stairs and snickered as he heard the restrained snarl of this woman who took so much pleasure in poking at him.
Downstairs, Michiru held onto Haruka, her grip hard as steel though her outward countenance looked serene as a placid lake surface. "Perhaps, we should all go to bed. I'm sure the girls will have horrible headaches in the morning when they awaken. By the way, Mamoru-san, Setsuna, we picked up some clothes for you as well when we went shopping since you both need them," Michiru said pleasantly.
Rashid nodded at several of the Maganacs and they immediately went out the front door to empty the van of its cargo and sort it out for their respective owners. "I'll make sure the young misses don't suffer from hangovers in the morning. I have an old recipe from my grandmother that insures they will not suffer…too much. I'll make sure to have it delivered to their rooms when they awake," Rashid said, his dark brown eyes twinkling as he watched Minako slowly continue to totter towards Quatre.
Minako was oblivious to everything else happening around her. She would be mortified to learn exactly how unaware she had been later on, but at this moment, all she could see was Quatre's concerned gaze and his sweetly handsome face. She moved toward him slowly, as if in a dream, unaware that everyone else was looking at her with interested eyes, expect for Makoto, who was grinning foolishly at nothing and Rei, who was rubbing her temples as thought became uncomfortably clearer and clearer by the minute. Minako finally made her way to Quatre and stood unsteadily in front of him before suddenly flinging her arms around his neck, nearly toppling him to the floor. Quatre reflexively caught her, his hands griping her slender waist while a hot blush crept up his fair cheeks. Minako giggled softly at the feel of his hands around her and she sighed blissfully, murmuring, "Quatre-kun." She never realized she had dropped the respectful form of -san and replaced it with the more informal and affectionate - kun. She went even further, burying her face into his neck and snuggling against him. Quatre looked around wildly, his face a picture of panic as he tried to understand what was happening.
Trowa smirked at his friend before turning away to save his friend from further embarrassment and found his eyes drawn to the figure of Makoto. She stood there proudly, only slightly weaving in her position. Her hands were clasped behind her back and a huge goofy grin was spread across her features, just like the flush that was spread across her cheeks. (A/N: Japanese and Chinese people tend to get a red flush across the bridge of their nose and across their cheeks when they get drunk.) He absently noticed her hair was down and wondered if her luxurious chestnut waves were as soft to the touch as they looked. He continued to stare at the statuesque brunette and had to hide a smile when she waved at him, causing her to almost lose her balance and tip forward. She righted herself quickly and then flashed him another grin, one that telegraphed how proud she was to be able to stand on her own two feet without any help. This was a new side to her and he found himself enjoying her more lighthearted side. 'This is the way she should always be, happy and carefree,' he thought fondly, a slow bubble of happiness welling up inside his chest. He beckoned to her and then motioned upstairs, deciding to make sure she got to her bedroom safely. She walked towards him and giggled lightly as she took his arm, leaning occasionally as she made her way up the long flight of stairs.
The others watched the tall couple make their way up the stairs before turning back to the activity happening between Minako and Quatre. Minako was still snuggled into the blonde Arabian's arms and his face was still aflame at the beautiful young woman's presence. He had to admit to himself that he had been drawn to her, both her beauty and her leadership and diplomacy skills impressing him. He pulled back slightly to ask her a question, but a slow, sweet smile spread across his face as he looked down at her features, now relaxed into peaceful sleep. He shook his head at Rashid, who had stepped forward to take Minako into his arms and carry her up the stairs to her room, motioning he would do so instead. He ducked his head at the knowing look in his mentor's eyes and slowly followed the path that both Wufei and Trowa had taken earlier, Minako's face now pressed against the front of his chest and her arms hanging loosely looped around his neck.
Duo chuckled at the sight and shook his head, remarking,"Wouldn't you know it? Even Quatre's scored himself a babe. Speaking of babes, I better go check on my cute little blue-haired one and see if she's finished being sick. Maybe I can offer her some comfort," he leered suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows comically as he tactfully withdrew from the foyer.
Mamoru looked at Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna and then at Rei and Heero, who hadn't stopped looking at each other practically since they had walked into the foyer. He motioned with a nod towards the stairs for them all to leave the couple with some privacy, frowning when Haruka balked momentarily before acceding to his wishes. The Maganacs also wisely retreated, many of them returning to their slumber while the others decided to get a head start on the day and begin preparations for breakfast.
Heero felt uncomfortable as Rei continued to stare at him solemnly, not saying a word. He walked forward, coming within inches of her. He fought back the urge to crush her to his chest and just inhale the scent of her hair. He had found himself missing her and had thrown himself into training to keep him from following her into town and demanding an explanation for her earlier cold behavior at the headquarters. He was still deeply confused and had nearly bit off Duo's head when the other pilot had made some silly remark. He hated feeling as if he had no control over a situation, for every time he had lost control, horrible things had happened.
Rei, on the other hand, was still muddling through everything in her mind. Though she was far more sober than the other girls, she was still suffering from some fuzziness and the confusion from her visions. A part of her wanted to reach out and ask him why he had done such things to her, but she knew he wouldn't understand what she was talking about. The other part of her wanted to run from him and hide from the possibility that he was every heartache she could ever imagine combined into one.
Heero decided to risk everything and reached out to touch Rei's face, a burning question deep in his eyes. He startled when she jerked her head back, her eyes filled with pain?...anger?...uncertainty?
"Onegai, don't touch me right now, Heero. I can't think straight when you do and I don't know what to do, what to think," Rei said, her eyes turning dark as a midnight sky. With that, she turned abruptly and fled up the stairs, leaving a confused Heero behind.
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A/N: It's done! *drops dead from sheer exhaustion, nerves, guilt, and stress* *reluctantly gets back up after a few minutes when Duo starts prodding the prone body on the floor with a sharp pointed stick* You have before you 33 pages of my heart, soul, and blood poured onto the screen. This puppy just kept getting larger and larger and that's another reason why it took so long for me to post. I know it took me forever and I hope to never have to go through this again, but I will warn everyone that the next chapter probably won't be up until the beginning or middle of July because my wedding is coming up real soon and then I go on my honeymoon and the last thing I'll be doing is typing. Sorry, but I do have priorities! Also, please tell me what you think of the poem/song lyrics before the flashbacks as that was done by my fiancé, Duckie, and it's his first time really writing poetry!
Next: So what happens now? Will Rei be able to sort through her emotions for Heero and get past the visions she's been seeing? Will the other couples start to hook up a little more? And will Rei have any more new visions? Stay tuned for Memory and Consequence!
Dedication: All of you really amaze me! I never knew how popular this story was until I got all the nudges, e-mails and loving but pointed reminders for me to finish my story. It really made me feel guilty for not getting this out sooner, but I hope you'll all bear with me! RubyRedDragon05: I love you too! Also, your fics rock! Keep going, girl! skyprincess: I thought the last chapter was sad too but I hope you can see that things aren't as bleak as they may seem! marzy001: Getting an award from you is probably one of the greatest honors I can get and I feel very privileged to be getting one. I love your stories, Digital Destiny and I'll Remember, and I consider them a must-read for anyone into Rei! I definitely will get cracking on the next chapter! Dark Smile: Yes, you are very special! And sorry but there was no Wufei comforting Rei this time but there will be some in the future, especially when the Wufei/Hotaru relationship heats up! IsleofSolitude: How about I give you a Heero plushie instead of your teddy bear? That always cheers me up in no time! ^_^ Alexia Goddess: Sorry I couldn't get this chapter out sooner, but I hope you enjoy this one! Jen- Chan: No worries here about Heero staying with Relena! Pluto's Garnet Orb will shatter first before I hand him over to that whiny….um, person/thing! Icyfire: Thanks for being so encouraging! I always look forward to your comments! Li Ying Fa: Have I told you recently how much I love your story? Well, I do! Also, there will be a showdown with Relena one day, sooner or later. Be patient and you'll all get to see Relena get what's coming to her for annoying Heero for so long! marsbab9: I'm sorry I made you cry! *hands over a tissue printed with little bat-winged Duos* Heero had to make some hard choices and now he has to live with the consequences. Maybe he'll be forgiven…Anairb: I loved your friend's fic and I'm glad you asked me to read it! Please send more recommendations my way! Heart Soul: Well, I hope I answered your request from last chapter by adding a little more action between the other couples. It seems as Rei and Heero's relationship falters, the others' are getting stronger! Hopefully, they'll all be on track soon! Me: I'm definitely adding a little conflict into Rei and Heero's relationship and you'll see it happen soon. It might be Zechs or it could be someone else…MarsFireGoddess2: Yeah, this was a sad chapter, one of my saddest actually, but it will have a happy ending after a lot of suffering and then healing! Yssan or lady pyro: Love your new fic and I'm very happy to be reading it! Please keep going! I'm so glad you've enjoyed Need so far and I hope you'll like it even more as I go along! makoto: Yes, I agree with you that Relena must die! Now, I just have to figure the most gruesome, painful way possible! *rubs hands in sadistic glee* Glad to know that someone hates her as much as I do! And I really like the Ami/Duo coupling too. They're growing on me! Fleur de Lys: I'm so glad you're back that I don't even care anymore about how long you were gone as long as you're back! And Heero was a total jerk, wasn't he? Unfortunately, poor Rei doesn't know he was her past love yet at all so that only makes it more confusing than ever! He'll just have to make it up to her! Hehe! The Firey: No pressure, Firey-chan! I'm just glad you're still interested! I hope to see something new or updated soon from you though! Mars Fire Goddess: I adore your fic like crazy and that's saying a lot because normally I don't touch Rei/Wufei pairings with a ten-foot pole! You had me completely blushing and happy with your compliments and my fiancé had to practically pluck me off the ceiling because your comments really mean a lot to me! Sanea gurl from the fire realm: I absolutely adore Rei/Heero pairings and I think I love writing about them just a little less than I love reading about them! I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can! Azhuraea Fluer: This is definitely not discontinued and will never be discontinued until it gets to the very end, I promise! Sorry to make everyone worry about it though! Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the story so far though! *smiles nervously and hides behind Quatre* Rena H.M.: You're actually one of the lucky ones since you didn't have to wait as long as everyone else. I'm in total awe though that you took the time during those three days to read the entire thing because I know how huge this monster is getting to be! Thank you from the very bottom of my heart! huffpuff: I can't tell you how much it means to me that you read the entire thing and were so complimentary about the whole thing since you absolutely rock as a writer! Your CCS, FY and now, Sailor Moon Crossover stuff, always has me reading with bated breath every word. You've also had me rolling on the floor with laughter plenty of times! You also totally shame me with your ability to write several stories at once and keep them going with short waiting periods! Please tell me how you do it! Angel of Mercy: Imouto, you are the inspiration for the very first thought of writing this fic and every piece of praise I get can all be traced back to you! And since I can't seem to write an angsty ending to save my life. Rei will definitely be doing something in concern to Heero. Whether he will pursue her or she'll let him catch her remains to be seen! Duckie: My wonderful fiancé and soon to be husband, did I ever tell you how much you mean to me and how much of you is in every single GW guy I drool over? Kisses!
A/N: Whoo boy did I get a lot of feedback about the previous chapter and I appreciate every single comment that I got because I got to see how much you care and which way you guys want things to go. Let me reassure you that Rei's vision about Heero is definitely important and it's going to lead to several more revelations in future chapters! I'm also extremely sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but if anyone has e-mailed me or seen my profile, then you know that I moved into a new apartment from the house I've lived in practically all of my life, gotten engaged, and am planning for my wedding, which happens on June 7th. Hopefully, you'll cut me some slack and be rest assured that I will never just stop this story without giving it an ending. This story means a lot to me because it's introduced me to some wonderful people (look above at the dedication!) and it really fulfills a part of me that wants to see Rei get a happy ending.
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Rei trembled with suppressed fury, her hands locked into fists turned nearly bloodless from the pressure. Heat emanated from her in overpowering waves, noticed by all of the Senshi except for her. The vision that had just seared through her senses moments ago was still brutally fresh in her mind and anger mixed with desolation warred for dominance. The tears she cried for the anguish of her vision-self evaporated as soon as they left her violet eyes, for the aura around her was so hot as to be scorching in its intensity. Her mind screamed for vengeance while her heart sobbed with what felt like remembered pain. She felt divided, unknowing of whether what she had seen was the truth of the past or a symbolic vision of the future she feared. Her gaze was locked unwaveringly on Heero's back, wishing desperately for those moments of reassurance he had given her back in the meeting room which seemed like eons ago.
Ami, standing on the other side of Rei, was extremely uncomfortable as the heat Rei projected battered against her own ice-based powers. Sensitive to the extreme towards Rei's powers, Ami fidgeted uneasily while noticing that the other Senshi were also squirming in various degrees of unease. All of them could feel the burden of emotion through their Senshi bond but were mainly clueless when their own emotions were in an uproar over what they were seeing happening between Heero and the unconscious Relena. Even the other pilots were beginning to notice something amiss with the sudden rise in temperature. Only those on the other side of the room seemed unaffected for now, the doctors, scientists and politicians discussing among themselves about Relena's condition and how this would affect the Earth Alliance since she was such a high profile person. Determined that Rei not do something that could jeopardize the safety of the others in the room, Ami placed a deliberately icy hand on Rei's arm, breaking her out of her reverie. She flinched when the violet eyes turned towards her, for the shimmering eyes were leaking white-hot flame from the corners. (A/N: I have it that Ami is deliberately chilling her body temperature to get Rei's attention.) "Rei-chan, calm yourself, onegai. You're radiating heat and it's beginning to get uncomfortable. Please bring it under control," Ami whispered delicately, struggling to control her own powers enough to counteract Rei's. She wasn't quite as skilled as Rei was in using her powers outside of her Senshi attacks because she didn't have the years of training and the connection to ice that Rei had with her fire.
Rei was shocked to notice how much warmer it had become in the room and almost cursed at her inability to control her emotions enough to keep her power under wraps. Horrified that she might have inadvertently hurt one of her friends through her pain, Rei broke away from Ami hastily and turned on her heel and fled from the room, barely pausing long enough to slap her hand across the motion panel to open the door.
Inside, the Senshi were all shocked to see Rei so emotional, for she normally hid such feelings behind carefully crafted facades of nonchalance or straight anger, not this mixture of anger and sadness. It had been obvious to them that Rei was deeply hurt. Even Duo had looked up, his own misery over Hilde's death giving way to the despair he had seen written across Rei's beautiful face. Trowa and Quatre ached to see the pain Rei was in and both were upset to know that one of their own had caused it. Only Wufei seemed to disregard it, but inside, he was concerned that the normally strong onna seemed on the verge of breaking. The Senshi moved as one, intent on going to Rei and comforting her. They were stopped by the Time Staff blocking their way.
"What are you doing, Setsuna? Rei-chan needs us! Did you see the look on her face? Why are you holding us up when she needs us to be with her right now," Haruka hissed, her navy eyes flashing with impatience. The others around her nodded in agreement and looked at Setsuna as if the Senshi of Time had suddenly lost her wits.
"She does not need all of you huddled around her like mother hens. Whatever she is going through needs to be done alone. It does not concern you. I know you all mean well, but if you muck with this moment, you could be harming her more than you know," Setsuna warned, her garnet eyes implacable. She continued to block them, her staff and body angled in such a way as to prevent any of them to pass her.
"This is something needed, something to do with the future then," Mamoru half asked, half stated, his dark blue eyes roiling with disturbed emotions as he flicked a glance over at Heero and Relena.
Setsuna nodded once, her wine colored eyes still stoic. "Hai. Her decision now is a pivotal point in the timeline. I don't know exactly what the results will be either way, but I do know that her decision now will have long-reaching affects later."
"Demo, Setsuna-mama, Rei-san needs us to be there for her. I understand how important the timeline is, but we almost lost Rei-san once when she thought we had abandoned her. We can't let her be alone when she's obviously feeling this low," Hotaru pleaded, her violet eyes wide and filled with sympathetic tears for her suffering friend. She placed one small, pale hand on the arm of one of the women she regarded as a mother and looked at her with a gentle urging.
Setsuna sighed heavily and straightened her body, pulling her staff up next to her body as she recognized the truth behind her adopted daughter's words. Mulling over the statement in her mind, she came upon a solution. "Then I will go with her to show our support. I can be there for her, but not unduly sway her emotions into making a hasty decision. The rest of you stay here and keep watch," she said firmly, not allowing any disagreement. The others nodded and fell back, watching as Setsuna turned and exited the room.
Setsuna stepped outside the doorway and waited patiently for the door to whoosh shut behind her, signaling that whatever she found would be private. She gathered her thoughts as she looked for her missing comrade, wondering on the best way to approach her, casually sending the Time Staff into her subspace pocket. Her musings were cut short though when she found Rei standing just outside the room, her back leaning against the wall and her arms wrapped protectively around her waist, as if trying to hold in the pain she was obviously in. Her shoulders shook from either hurt or anger; Setsuna wasn't sure. She noted that the normally controlled young woman stood with her back slumped, an irregular posture from one so proud and confident. Setsuna's eyes softened when she saw the way Rei's white teeth were buried into her lower lip and the crystalline tears that were making an agonizingly slow trek down her porcelain cheeks. She wanted to throw duty aside and just gather Rei up in her arms and reassure her that everything would be okay, even if she had to move heaven and earth in order to do so. She thought briefly about disregarding her duties as Time guardian and explaining everything to Rei, but the fetters of obedience were too strong and she sighed inwardly as her more rational side took over again. She knew exactly what Rei had seen since Setsuna's control over time had informed her of what memories Rei had just been made aware of. She shook her head slightly, her hunter green hair flicking softly to and fro from the motion, and debated on how much to reveal to Rei without jeopardizing everything but still allowing Rei some comfort and her own path to choose. "Rei-chan, daijoubu," Setsuna murmured, her voice warm and concerned as only the Senshi ever heard it being.
Rei looked up slowly into the questioning eyes of Setsuna and struggled with herself, trying to regain control. She and the Senshi of Time had never been all that close, regardless of their shared ability to see into the future, but she could tell that Setsuna was genuinely worried about her well-being. Seeing the calm understanding that seemed to always be present and sorely needing the maternal influence she had never really had, Rei flung herself into Setsuna's welcoming arms and let herself be enfolded into a warm, soothing embrace. She burrowed herself into the security being offered and let Setsuna soothe her with whispered sounds of reassurance and soft strokes to her hair.
Setsuna indulged her fiery charge with small motions of comfort and let herself soften and gaze wistfully down at Rei. 'I've missed those times when they used to come to me with all of their troubles and worries, asking for advice and looking at me with such trust and confidence in my abilities to make things better for them. Some of my happiest memories of the Silver Millennium are of when the girls would come to my castle on Pluto and spend the night, their feet tucked up under their nightgowns and their eyes wide as I told them stories of the times before they were born or wiped away their tears when they got into little spats or missed their home planets. I have watched over all of them since they were chibi and so kawaii and I was so proud when they grew into lovely young women, full of grace and compassion, but also filled with their own spirit and personality. When did it all change? When did I become someone they had to be suspicious of, someone to doubt? Was it when I first started keeping secrets from them that they turned away from me? How I wish I could bring back those sweet, happy times back again,' Setsuna thought sadly, her garnet eyes shining with her own unshed tears. Flashes of memory of a small Princess of Mars, her dress smudged and tears trickling down her stubbornly held chin, clutching her leg and silently begging for comfort, assailed her and her smile was bittersweet when she also recalled how Rei's hair was as long as she was tall, but was forbidden to be cut since it was the child's pride and joy. She recalled instances of seeing the young child run toward her, only to stumble on her long hair but right herself without ever falling. She had since grown into a young woman full of grace in every movement of her body, each movement coordinated and effortless, the kind of perfection even the most lithe of dancers envied. She pulled away slightly to look down into Rei's face, her hands still gently holding Rei's shoulders. "Rei- chan, what is it that bothers you so? Tell me so I can share your burden and help you through this," Setsuna implored, her voice a mixture of sad pleading and maternal command.
Rei inhaled sharply, trying desperately to rein in her emotions long enough to speak clearly. She knew she had to speak to someone about what she had seen or she would go mad from the doubts raging inside of her. She was grateful it was Setsuna who had decided to come to her, for she knew if one of the others would have come, she might not be able to be objective about anything. The others would have smothered her with concern and she knew she didn't need that right now. She needed to be level-headed, needed to regain her focus before she lost everything. "Setsuna-san, I don't even know where to begin. I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster of emotion and I don't know which side is up anymore. The lines of truth are blurred for me and I can't tell if I'm acting irrationally or following my heart," Rei said plaintively as she pulled back from Setsuna and swiped a hand across her face to wipe away the tear tracks.
"I know you seem to be having problems with Heero. Are you not getting along," Setsuna gently prodded. She knew full well what was going on but she needed to hear from Rei's lips exactly how far things had progressed and what the young woman was feeling. She also knew that Rei needed to think things over and this would give her an excellent opportunity to do so.
Rei snorted slightly. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one! Actually, there are times when he understands me completely and we get along so well it's as if we have known each other all of our lives and then the next moment he changes so much that I can't recognize him at all and he's a complete stranger to me. And now, after what I just saw….," Rei murmured, her voice trailing off. She closed her eyes to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over once again and to regain control once more of her riotous emotions.
"What did you see, Rei-chan? What is causing this confusion within you," Setsuna asked, her brows furrowing slightly as she heard the unease in Rei's voice. Her chest had constricted at the slightly dreamy tone of voice coming from Rei when she had mentioned feeling as if she had known Heero all of her life. 'What would you say if I told you that you had known him practically all of your life, your past life, and that you had been lovers with intensity unmatched even by the sun? Would you understand if you knew the full truth, the reasons behind everything that has led up to this point? I need to know how deeply you're involved with Heero already,' Setsuna thought worriedly as she awaited Rei's response to her questions.
"I saw myself begging with a man who had his back turned to me, begging him not to leave me. I was so upset and I wanted to cry but my pride wouldn't allow me to until I received the answers to my questions. He kept telling me it was his duty and he had to leave me, but his voice was so cold, so emotionless, as if my pain meant nothing at all to him. He talked of taking Endymion-ouji with him, separating him from Serenity-hime. He talked of treachery on the part of the Moon. I wanted to beat at him for daring to say such a thing but I couldn't seem to get past my own pain. He turned to leave and that's when I saw that the man had Heero's face! I snapped out of it then, but it lingers in my mind like a nightmare," Rei whispered, her violet eyes haunted with remembrance.
"Was this a vision of the future or a scene from the past, Rei-chan? With you mentioning Endymion-ouji and Serenity-hime, I would think you were talking of the past, but you normally only see the future," Setsuna commented neutrally, trying to keep her voice even, almost clinical in its tone. She was deathly afraid, for even though she knew that this memory had been opened to Rei, she did not know the details of the memory. Her powers were abstract, letting her know when critical points in the Timestream were going to happen or when certain events were being recalled, but never the exact details such as what would be needed to be done during those critical times or what was actually being recalled. For the last part, she was grateful she wasn't privy to all of the details, for she felt that memories should be sacred and private to only those who lived through them.
"I know. The future has always been the only thing I have ever seen, whether it be symbolic or real, through dreams or meditation. Demo, this felt like the Silver Millennium, Setsuna-san! I could hear the orchestra playing and the soft laughter and tinkling of the crystal champagne glasses that used to accompany every ball we had on the Moon. It was so real," Rei exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear as her world went topsy-turvy with the thought that she was seeing the past.
"I don't doubt that it all seemed real to you, but I wonder if maybe you aren't applying those familiar sounds to a vision of your fears, Rei-chan," Setsuna responded carefully, not wanting to push Rei one way or the other without provocation.
"If it was a vision of the past, then that means that I knew Heero from my past life and he betrayed me. But if it's not, then maybe I'm seeing a premonition of the future, maybe Crystal Tokyo? Or it could just be a horrible fear manifesting itself, a fear that he will betray me like every other man in my life," Rei said thoughtfully, her eyes clouding with uncertainty. "What do you think, Setsuna-san?"
"I think that you have to choose very carefully how you decide to read the images you've received. Obviously, you've received them for a reason as your visions have never been frivolous. Whether they are a memory of the past or a portent of the future, be certain to think long and hard before you make a decision. Remember to use your heart as well, for it has never steered you wrong, regardless of what you may think. In fact, make sure your heart and mind are in accord before acting. You have always been the most intuitive of all the Senshi and you feel things more deeply than the others in many cases. Use that to your advantage. Don't think of your emotions as being a handicap, but a blessing to be utilized for the greater good. I have every faith in you that you will weather this storm, Rei-chan. Whether Heero is your soul mate or not remains to be seen and it may be that his presence in your vision was nothing more than a symbol, but I know you won't act rashly regardless," Setsuna finished quietly, her garnet eyes holding Rei's violet ones completely during her reply. She watched carefully as Rei pondered her words before coming to some decision within herself and nodding firmly. "What have you decided, Rei-chan?"
"I've decided that I will have to think about my vision more before I make a final decision on what to do. However, I find myself unable to get past the images I saw of Heero. I don't think I can go forward with a relationship with him until I can get the doubts out of my mind completely. I don't want to hurt him, especially since I was the one who pushed him for an answer on whether or not he wanted to pursue a relationship with me, but it's better this way than to give him false hope while inside I wonder if he'll turn his back on me and leave me," Rei said quietly but convincingly. It had hurt to come to that decision but the vision she had seen, coupled with Relena's declaration of love to Heero and his seeming acceptance of it, made her wary. Her heart had been broken one too many times for her to blindly follow that unreliable organ. Even now, she was aware that the interaction between Heero and Relena had pained her in a way that she couldn't fathom.
"Do what you must, but be aware that things aren't always as they seem, Rei- chan. You, more than anyone, know the importance of looking beneath the surface. Don't let foolish pride get in the way of your happiness. I know it may seem strange coming from me, the thought that there might be more out there beside duty, but I have always had your best interests at heart," Setsuna counseled, unable to stop herself from trying to offer Rei this one hope when she heard the soft tone of defeat in Rei's voice. She picked up Rei's hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze as Rei looked at her and smiled for the first time since she had left the room. They both turned to walk back into the room they had vacated earlier.
####*** (Happening at the same time as the earlier part)
Heero heard the door slide open and saw a flash of red disappear from the corner of his eye. He knew instantly that it was Rei and turned to see her exiting the room, her shoulders stiff and her stride angry. Worry creasing his brow, he turned back to the unconscious Relena and was working to ease her grip off his hand so he could follow Rei and discover the source of her disturbance, when another hand clamped down on him, sealing his hold to Relena. Looking up, he saw the arctic glare of Zechs' eyes boring into his own.
"What do you think you're doing," Zechs hissed, his eyes narrowed almost into slits. His grip was almost bruising, but gentle enough to not hurt Relena, even in her state of unconsciousness. He leaned forward from across the other side of Relena's temporary bed, his nose almost touching Heero's.
Heero reared back slightly at the intrusion, but was kept shackled by Zechs' grip and couldn't move far enough away. "Let me go," he commanded, his voice flat but firm. He needed to find out what was going on with Rei and he was aware that there was some sort of ruckus going on between the other Senshi behind him. He let his gaze drift back to the door where he had seen Rei vanish hurriedly and he increased his struggle as he saw Setsuna break away from the others and go out the door as well. He knew if the Senshi of Time was going to get involved, it had to be something serious. That whatever issue had come up included Rei only made his struggle that much more important. "Zechs, if you don't let me go right now, I will personally carve your hand off with an electro-blade on the dullest setting," Heero hissed vehemently, unaware that the Senshi and other pilots were now watching the confrontation between him and Zechs with interested eyes.
"You heard Relena. You are the only thing keeping her alive! Look at the seriousness of her wounds, Heero! Even unconscious, she knows that you're here for her and she'll continue to fight her injuries because of it. If you let go of her hand, she may well die and I won't let that happen. There's nothing more important than her life," Zechs snarled, his protective instincts making the normally cool and collected leader unusually prejudiced and narrow-minded.
"Do you honestly think that I give a damn, Zechs? I never asked to be her knight in shining armor or whatever she sees me as. I never made any promises to her and I've never led her to believe that I cared anything for her. I protected her during the war because I had to, because she was always around me and putting herself into situations she wouldn't have if she was in her right mind! Right now, there's something going on with a woman that I do care about and if you're so interested in seeing to Relena's well-being and making sure she survives, why don't you do it? I'm not going to be saddled with her because that's what she wants. She's never asked me what I want, so why should I care? The only woman who has taken the time to get to know the real me just walked out the door and I want to know what's going on with her. You may be the acting leader of the Preventers and Relena may be the princess of the Sanq Kingdom and Vice Minister of the UEA, but I'm not a citizen of the Sanq Kingdom and I really don't have a home anywhere in this world. In fact, the only one who has a real home among us pilots is Quatre. The rest of us are pretty much orphans, remember? That's why we were perfect for Operation Meteor. We wouldn't be missed, didn't have any ties to anything or anyone. My feelings and my life are my own and no one else's," Heero snarled, his white teeth gleaming under the fluorescent lighting. He didn't like revealing his feelings this way in front of others, especially Zechs, but all he knew was that Zechs was keeping him away from Rei.
"I don't really care what you want, whether it be that sexy girl that just walked out or whether it be that braided comrade of yours as long as it doesn't upset Relena. Remember that. Relena comes first. If I have to, I'll seduce that beauty from right under your nose to make sure you don't get distracted," Zechs menaced softly, so softly that the others couldn't hear. (A/N: Before I get flamed, please understand that I have Zechs being the very protective big brother who would do anything for Relena. I'm not deliberately making him a bastard womanizer for the sake of fun but for the story! I actually think Zechs is one of the hottest guys in anime!)
"You stay away from Rei, Zechs! I mean it! Touch even one hair on her head, violently or seductively, and I'll carve you like a roast during dinner. There won't be enough of you in one piece to identify you. Don't go thinking you can play with people's hearts like it's some sort of game, especially Rei's. We're not pawns you can play with like you did at the end of the War when you were with White Fang. It may come as a shock to you, but there are more important things in life than your sister, things we'll fight for, regardless of whether or not we're supposed to be on the same side," Heero warned darkly, his eyes turning a stormy dark blue. He could have broken out of Zechs' grasp easily with his enhanced strength, but had stayed to make sure that Zechs understood where his stance was on Rei. He heard little gasps from behind him but ignored them to concentrate his glare on Zechs. Certain that Zechs fully understood when Zechs' eyes widened at the intensity he heard in Heero's tone of voice, Heero flicked his wrist, dislodging Zechs' grip easily and removing his hand from Relena's death grip as well.
Behind him, the remaining Senshi and pilots looked at each other in amazement. Obviously there was something brewing between the Preventers leader and Heero. They hadn't heard everything that Zechs had said to him when he had whispered, but they had heard Heero's replies. Several of the Senshi looked at each other anxiously, wondering if they had jumped to conclusions about Heero's depth of feeling for Rei. Minako, in particular, was rather ashamed of herself for doubting Heero and she had the grace to flush when she recalled all of the horrible things she had wanted to do to him for supposedly betraying her dearest friend. 'I should have known he wasn't like that when I felt he wasn't in love with that Relena woman. It's so hard to tell sometimes though when a person is just repressing their feelings or whether their feelings are true. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Well, I'll just have to continue on with my goal and make sure Mission: Light My Fire goes smoothly. I'll get those two to hook up and get serious if it kills me. Anyone with eyes as sharp as mine can totally tell that they're perfect for each other, as long as they don't let their pride and misunderstandings get in the way. I'm a little worried over what made Rei-chan run out of the room the way she did, since that seems a little drastic for her, but I'll let her know about what Heero said and she'll be fine in no time,' Minako thought cheerfully, her optimism when it came to affairs of the heart possibly blinding her to the possibilities of what had caused Rei to leave so suddenly.
Michiru was also having second thoughts about her judgment of Heero and rethought her earlier assessment of the possibility that Setsuna had been right about the men having other loves in this lifetime. She was now certain that the love between the couples wasn't something to be taken lightly and easily dismissed. The fervency she had heard in Heero's voice as he had defended Rei was something that could not be faked and could not be built upon flimsy, shallow emotions. She smiled inwardly at the thought of her younger companions finally finding the love they had all needed so desperately for so long. Her smile turned into a thoughtful frown though as she continued to contemplate the situation and Setsuna's earlier words to them. She had a niggling feeling that Setsuna was deliberately trying to cloud their minds with doubts as to the importance of the relationships between the pilot and the Senshi. 'There's definitely something that she's keeping from us, something of the utmost importance and I have a feeling that it has to do with why the girls are here and being reunited with their lovers. There's no point in asking Setsuna straight out as she'll only refuse to answer my questions or evade them completely. I won't say anything for now until I can get enough evidence to corner Setsuna and make her confess. Should I ask Haruka to help me? No, I better not for now. She's too likely to get upset and want to rush into things. I'll let her know when I have solid support and she can help me confront Setsuna,' Michiru planned silently, her mind already working diligently to put clues together. She placed one hand under her chin in silent contemplation, her dark teal eyes narrowed in speculation.
Haruka, on the other hand, was still seething with silent fury. She had heard Heero's declarations but they had made little impression on her. 'Feh, he's probably just saying that because he finally noticed that we're here listening to him and wants to make himself sound good. He must have noticed that Rei-chan left and now wants us to help him get back in her good graces. Well, no way are you getting any help from me, you little jerk! I sure as heck am not helping you to worm your way back into Rei- chan's heart just so you can toy with it some more. Probably wants to make sure he has someone in case the peaceful princess dies from her injuries,' Haruka thought distrustfully, her navy blue eyes fixed balefully on Heero. First impressions were hard to shake with Haruka and her first impression of Heero had become progressively worse, especially after hearing about the upset in the dining room from Hotaru while they had been traveling to the base.
Hotaru was also unshaken in her belief that something was very suspicious about the way Heero was acting. She wasn't mad at Heero as much as she was upset that the unconscious woman had such a hold on him. She couldn't blame him for having a life before Rei, but she wanted him to be loyal and dedicated to her friend, who she thought deserved to have someone love her as she would love him. She shook her head slightly, her dark hair caressing her pale cheeks with the movement, as she wondered how much more complicated this would make everything if they had to fight at each others' sides when it was Rei who drew them together and now she was feeling distanced from Heero. A soft puff of air left her lips as she thought about the tenseness that was sure to develop if things didn't get straightened out properly before they went into their next battle. 'Of course, that Wufei doesn't get along very well with anyone and he still seems to work fine with the others. Hmmmm, I wonder what his story is? There has to be some sort of reason as to why he's so nasty to everyone. Is it because of his marriage that he mentioned? He seems a little young to be married and embittered already,' Hotaru mused idly, her thoughts wandering from the possible tension to the enigmatic Chinese man without her awareness.
Mamoru watched the scene between Zechs and Heero play out before his eyes, observing the heated discussion going on before him. He vacillated between wanting to believe Heero's words and doubting them. The protective side of him was intent on guarding one of his imoutos from harm, emotional or otherwise, while the side of him that was happily in love with his princess wanted Rei to have love and happiness too. His brow furrowed with concern as he listened carefully to each word he could hear, trying to discern if there was any falsehood involved in Heero's speech. The part of him that had seen the loving encounter between Rei and Heero in the Silver Millennium rejoiced to hear that Heero was already subconsciously leaning towards loving Rei again while the future monarch in him feared what turmoil could happen if Rei was played for a fool and left heartbroken. Finally, he grinned ruefully to himself and admitted inwardly that he was too much the romantic to not want to encourage the possibility of Rei being reunited completely with her soul-mate. 'I wish I had more of my memories from the Silver Millennium. It would make it so much easier for me to encourage the budding relationship I sense happening. Then again, I would have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not see what is obviously a very strong attraction happening between those two. It kind of reminds me of myself and Usako when we first met, attracted to each other but fighting it for no reason except we had no idea of why we were attracted. I just hope Rei-chan doesn't fight too much. She needs to give him a chance to explain his actions,' Mamoru thought, his eyes brightening with hope.
Makoto, unlike some of the others, wasn't impressed by Heero's words or actions. She growled softly under her breath at what she considered to be too little and too late of an effort on his part. Makoto had held Rei's trembling form in her arms, felt the shudders that had fought to be free, and had known how excruciating it had been for her friend to hold back. She understood what it was like to have one's heart broken and wonder where you stood. Because of that, Makoto was justifiably, in her mind, wanting to tear Heero limb from limb. Makoto would have done anything to keep any of her friends from hurting, and Rei was an especially touchy subject after what had happened. She glowered darkly at Heero's back, mimicking Rei's earlier actions, and wondered if the Preventers wouldn't let her fight if she accidentally maimed Heero in some manner. 'Che, he's not even worth the effort. Rei-chan can do so much better than him. She could have any guy she wanted eating out of the palm of her hand at the snap of her fingers back in Tokyo. There's no reason for to settle for this moody, ice-cold bakayaro (bastard) who doesn't even bother telling her that he already has someone. He's probably just acting like this Relena person doesn't mean anything to him to get us on his side and help him win back Rei-chan. After all, it's not as if Relena is awake to dispute what he's saying, is she,' she asked disdainfully, tossing her head in irritation, her chestnut waves dancing wildly with the movement. She was feeling particularly biased against all men when her gaze suddenly landed on Trowa, who was staring at Heero with a narrow-eyed gaze full of dislike. Her glare unconsciously softened as she continued to look upon him and she shifted slightly, unsure of herself as she remembered his kind gesture to her in the meeting room. Her ill-will didn't last long as she reminded herself that Trowa had been upset from the beginning at Relena's words and gave a small concession that maybe not all men were users as she had rashly concluded earlier.
Ami frowned uncertainly, biting her lip as she mulled over Heero's words and actions. 'He doesn't sound like he's lying to Zechs-san and there's a note of fierceness in his voice when he mentions Zechs-san playing with Rei-chan. Demo, I'm not too good about reading into emotions like some of the others are. Give me cold, hard facts any day and I can guarantee you an answer, but there are too many possibilities here for me to decide if he's being sincere or if he's trying to save himself. I want Rei-chan to be happy and to find love with someone who deserves her. We all do, just as we all want that for ourselves too. Should I give him a chance or not? I'm pretty sure that Haruka-san and Mako-chan aren't going to be forgiving and I think that Michiru-san and Minako-chan will be willing to give him a second chance. So where do I fit in? And what about Hotaru-chan and Mamoru-san? What do they think of what's going on,' Ami pondered thoughtfully, her gentle heart wanting to believe but not wanting Rei to get hurt if she decided the wrong way and ended up talking her friend into opening her heart to someone who would only abuse it. She nibbled on her thumbnail uncertainly and continued to think.
Duo looked up blearily as he heard the angry voice of Heero impinge on his sadness infused consciousness. Looking up, he saw Zechs and Heero facing off over Relena's prone body, snarling like wolves battling for the alpha position in a pack. He shook his head in confusion and looked over to Quatre. Catching the blonde Arabian's eye, the normally cheerful pilot whispered, "What's going on? Did I miss something?"
"Did you see Rei-chan leave a couple of moments ago, Duo? She was extremely upset and I think Heero went to go after her, but Zechs is keeping him from her because he doesn't want Heero leaving Relena's side," Quatre whispered back, his light blue eyes darting from Heero to Zechs and back again.
"Yeah, I saw her leave and I was thinking how when she left, the room temperature dropped like 20 degrees. Matte! What is Heero doing holding Relena's hand? Don't tell me he finds the battered beyond belief look a turn-on," Duo quietly exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up into his bangs. He turned to look incredulously at Quatre, his lavender eyes wide with surprise over what he had completely missed while thinking of Hilde.
"I don't believe so, Duo. Relena hasn't let go of Heero's hand since she came to briefly and grabbed it, saying he was the only thing that kept her alive. Unfortunately, Rei-chan saw the whole thing and Heero didn't shake off Relena's touch like he normally does. I'm pretty sure Rei-chan was completely thrown for a loop by that. I don't think that's why she went storming out of here though. I kept getting flashes of uncertainty, betrayal, anger, and sadness from her, but it was so strong that it felt like something that had been pent up for ages and that's not possible," Quatre mused uncertainly, biting his lower lip in contemplation as he mulled over his observations.
"Leave it up to Heero, who is perfect in everything but his personal life, to muck up the best thing to come into his life by not actually doing anything. I don't know whether I should pity him or envy him," Duo said sarcastically, shaking his head in wonder and rolling his expressive eyes. Inwardly, he wanted to shoot Heero for being so stupid but knew that that wouldn't help so he prayed to the God he hadn't thought about since his days at Maxwell Church and asked for divine intervention on behalf of his fellow pilot.
"You couldn't be more right, Duo. We know that what he feels for Rei-chan is something he has never felt before, something he is lucky to find in these times. Rei-chan is a remarkable young woman, able to understand what we went through with the wars. She understands it even better than some of those who actually lived through the war. Heero won't find anyone else like her, someone willing to give him a chance to be himself. It's obvious he cares for her from what he's saying to Zechs. I just don't understand why he can't say these things to Rei-chan to reassure her," Quatre said, gesturing with one hand towards where Zechs and Heero were still bitterly arguing.
"It's because he's too used to having Relena do everything. Relena did all the talking and Heero never had to do anything for her to assume they were in some deep meaningful relationship. I mean, come on! Do you think if Heero was in a life or death situation that his last thought would be of Relena? No way! Even if he hadn't met Rei-chan, his last thoughts wouldn't be of Relena, they'd be of a way to escape or to overcome whatever was defeating him! Geesh, I just don't get him at all," Duo huffed out in exasperation, blowing his bangs off his forehead with a gusty sigh.
"You may be right, Duo, but how does that help Rei-chan," Quatre asked thoughtfully. Part of him wanted to say something to either Heero or Rei to help straighten things out, but the more reasonable part of him knew that any interference on his part had a high probability of backfiring on him. He knew that both Rei and Heero were proud, maybe too much so, but he also knew that they would only be happy if they worked things out for themselves. "On second thought, perhaps it's better if we do nothing for now until we can get a better picture of what's going on. Promise me, Duo, that you won't do anything to possibly make things worse for them."
"Who, me? I wouldn't dream of doing anything of that sort," Duo said sweetly, his eyes wide with feigned innocence. Behind his back, crossed fingers were surreptitiously hidden. "I would never do anything that might inconvenience two of my favorite people in the whole world!" Focusing on the trouble between Heero and Rei was giving the braided pilot a chance to forget the pain and regret in his own heart.
Quatre cocked one slightly suspicious eyebrow before sighing inwardly. 'I guess I'll have to watch Duo as well as observe Rei and Heero. I want to believe that Duo won't do anything, but I know him better than that!'
Standing next to Quatre and Duo was Trowa, who was concentrating intently on the argument between the flaxen-haired acting leader of the Preventers and his brown-haired comrade and fellow pilot. Uncharacteristically for him, he wanted to growl in frustration as he watched things unfold before him. 'Why can't he say these things to Rei- chan when she needs to hear them? Why did he allow Relena to hold him when he never has before? Was it just because he thought she was dying and he wanted to give her the same kind of comfort most people would offer to those suffering? He picked a fine time to show compassion to someone and it would have to be Relena, the one woman who has shown him any romantic interest before Rei-chan! Now she's probably confused, if not downright angry with Heero and she has every right to be,' Trowa fumed silently, his face a stoic mask hiding the anger he felt. His deep green eyes sparked with the inner fury he felt towards Heero's unthinking actions.
Wufei shook his head in irritation as the bickering continued between Heero and Zechs. He felt it was all a waste of time, for neither Relena's or Rei's feelings mattered that much to him though he did feel that Rei was at least useful. 'Feh. All this time and energy wasted over what some onna might think. It doesn't matter if it's that baka onna who thinks everything can be solved by saying please or thank you and wishing for peace will make it happen or if it's Rei and her touchy temper. They're both just onnas and I don't see why we have to humor them over every little thing. I used to admire Heero and his ability to ignore everything but the mission, but now he doesn't even seem to know which side is up anymore. I can't believe he actually got upset in the library when I called Rei weak and wanted to start a fight with me,' Wufei thought incredulously. 'What is the world coming to when even the Perfect Soldier can't seem to keep it together over a woman, even if she is beautiful and a pretty good fighter,' he grudgingly continued mentally, his scowling face matching his mood completely. His eyes flicked over the other Senshi, summarily dismissing them as his gaze passed over them until his gaze landed on Hotaru. He paused briefly, noting her frailty and the pallor of her skin and the way her large purple eyes seemed too large for her gamine face. His frown deepened as he tried to imagine her in battle conditions. 'What the hell were they thinking of when they decided she was fit for battle? It's obvious to see that she wouldn't last more than a couple of minutes against a Ravager. Someone will be needed to keep an eye out for her,' he thought moodily, unconsciously appointing himself as her watcher.
Heero had just broken from Zechs' grasp and was about to turn towards the door and exit when the door whooshed open suddenly, revealing an impassive Setsuna flanking a poised Rei, who entered calmly as if nothing had happened earlier to send her from the room, her emotions in turmoil. Heero was nearly run over as the Senshi surged forward as one, all of them surrounding Rei within a heartbeat and reassuring themselves that everything was okay with the fiery warrior. Haruka looked over her shoulder at Heero and curled her lip in a slight snarl at him, warning him away. Heero's own eyes narrowed at the unspoken challenge and his shoulders stiffened before he waded forward through the mass of bodies ringing around Rei. Minako, Mamoru, Ami and Michiru gave way willingly before Heero but Haruka, Makoto and Hotaru stood fast while Rei and Setsuna looked on. Heero's icy glare finally moved the remaining three Senshi after several long moments, but not before Makoto growled and Hotaru turned her face away, dismissing him completely in importance. He turned his attention back to Rei and watched in puzzlement as her face drained of the soft happiness that she felt at the concern of her friends and was replaced by a blank mask, a curtain falling over her expressive eyes.
"Rei, daijoubu," he asked, his voice sounding uncertain even to his own ears.
"Daijoubu, Heero. Arigatou for asking," Rei replied formally, her violet eyes not rising to meet his but looking at some distant spot over his shoulder. Her voice, usually throbbing and melodic with emotion, was unnaturally calm, almost robotic in cadence. The other Senshi shot each other questioning looks before looking to Setsuna, who returned the look calmly, her garnet eyes giving nothing away. Looking towards the politicians, scientists and other assorted military personnel gathered in a small clump who had stopped their planning to gawk at the activity on the other side of the room, Rei murmured, "If there is nothing else needed from us here and we have all been approved for combat status, could we possibly go back to Quatre-kun's home? It's been a long day for all concerned, I believe."
Heero looked at his would-be lover quizzically before looking over at Quatre, his eyes conveying his preference to leave as well. He knew he couldn't be accused of being overly sensitive when it came to others' emotions, but he knew that something wasn't right in the way Rei wouldn't meet his eyes or the lack of emotion in her voice that was normally associated with his own attitude. The aura that seemed to surround her rubbed him the wrong way and all of his senses were on alert for something wrong, something horrible.
Quatre, sensing that something was indeed very wrong with Rei, nodded firmly in response to both Rei and Heero's request. Drawing himself up with all of the authority he had ever displayed, Quatre gave a look that brooked no argument from anyone. "That is a wonderful suggestion, Rei-chan! It is bound to be overwhelming to have to experience all of this," he said, gesturing to the scene in front of him of the wrecked ship that Noin had piloted and including the wounded Sally, Mariemaia, Relena and Noin. "We will return at once to make sure we are ready for the next Ravager attack." So saying, he tapped his wristband with sure, firm taps and within minutes, had his ship readied for their return trip home. Overriding the protests of the scientists and other officials easily, Quatre soon had the Senshi and his fellow pilots boarding their shuttle without insulting anyone. Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief as they returned home. Only Rei seemed unmoved, her body language warning anyone from approaching her for the time being.
####***
Several hours later, the late afternoon sun beat down hazily on a group of young women laden down with enormous shopping bags and chattering like songbirds let loose from a small cage after a long captivity. The blonde in the lead turned quite a few heads as she walked backwards, her bags held behind her back thumping against her shapely calves, giggling and flashing a huge, dazzling smile at passersby.
"So what do we want to do now? Get something to eat or maybe go see a movie or dancing at a club," Minako posed the question to her companions, her cornflower blue eyes bright with activity.
"Why do we even have to do anything else, Minako-san? We just spent several hours buying out every shop in that mall that Rei-san showed us and we had ice cream in the food court and we watched you and Makoto-san wolf whistle at a couple of guys before Haruka-papa stepped in," Hotaru questioned, tilting her head in question, her bangs falling to one side and framing her face cutely. "Aren't you tired yet?"
"Surely you must be joking! Where's your stamina, your thirst for adventure and thrills? Oh, woe is this younger generation that cannot stand the rigors of daily life," Minako intoned sorrowfully in a fake British accent. She cast her woebegone eyes to the skies as if beseeching some higher power and struck a classic Shakespearean stance, her arms uplifted in a plea as she remarked, "What ill fortune doth the sky cast down upon mine comrades that they cannot prevail upon so simple a thing as a fun-filled excursion?" She frowned mightily as giggles and the rolling of eyes were her only response.
"Hotaru-chan, you know that Minako-chan can't resist having fun until her legs give out and she passes into unconsciousness. It's part of her charm," Ami said matter-of-factly, her blue eyes glinting with humor. She smiled slyly and fixed the cuff of her new blazer at the snort that came from Minako in response.
"Hey! I resemble that remark! I have fun because it's there to be had! I refuse to let the gloomies get to me and I'll be damned if I'm going to let the gloomies get my best friend either," Minako harrumphed, glomping Rei tightly and nearly sending both of them to the sidewalk in an ungainly heap.
Rei struggled for a few minutes to get out of Minako's iron grip, her face turning an alarming shade of purple as oxygen rapidly deserted her lungs, before finally breaking free and inhaling huge gulps of air thankfully. Bent over and resting her hands on her knees, Rei turned her face towards Minako and asked, "What makes you think I'm in need of cheering up? I thought this was for you so you guys could get clothes and necessities for yourselves!"
"Come on, Rei-chan, it's pretty obvious that something's bothering you. I don't have to be psychic to see that. And anyways, it's nice to get out and hang out together again, ne," Makoto cut in before Minako could respond. Makoto's forest green eyes were filled with worry as they decided to confront Rei on her feelings which she had been tight-lipped about the whole way home. In fact, it had taken Minako cajoling her for most of the trip home to get her to agree to their shopping spree, not to mention Quatre casting her looks of concern. Quatre had been the one to suggest that the girls needed new things and that Rei would be perfect to guide them since she was their friend and had done the same thing not too long ago. Rei had buckled after receiving the full force of both Minako and her's puppy eyes and even Hotaru had looked intrigued and hopeful about the prospect.
"It is nice to spend time with you again, minna. I missed all of you unbearably. Don't get me wrong, the guys have been great companions and comrades but it's not quite the same since asking Duo-kun whether or not he thinks a new pair of jeans makes my hips look big is just asking for either a smart remark or some flirtatious quip that will make me blush and it isn't what I'm looking for. Engaging Wufei in girl-talk would probably get me a katana to the throat or some raving insult about how I'm weak and then I'd have to kick his ass," Rei said ruefully as she imagined such an occurrence happening.
"What about Trowa-san or Quatre-san," asked Ami, careful to avoid mentioning Heero's name until she was sure that Rei could handle it. Michiru's carefully indrawn breath warned her that she was skating on very thin ice.
"Trowa-kun has been wonderful, very much like a big brother. He's really insightful, probably because he spends so much time observing instead of talking. He's really helped me out, especially when I was just trying to get used to this new life of mine. And Quatre-kun has been really wonderful, taking me in when I was just a stranger and really looking out for me. His gentleness helped me to get over my sadness a lot sooner than I thought. I've been so lucky to have known the two of them," Rei finished gently, smiling in remembrance of all the wonderful and kind things the two pilots had done for her.
"Quatre seems really nice," Minako said softly, flushing a soft rose as she recalled his soft blue eyes and silky platinum hair. She was oblivious to the knowing looks exchanged by Rei and Makoto, who winked at each other conspiratorially. Suddenly realizing that she had voiced her thoughts aloud, the blonde Senshi of Love gasped and looked up quickly, catching the amused grins of her friends. "Well, he is. You can't say that he hasn't been really sweet to all of us," she defended herself hotly, cursing inwardly as the blush on her face grew in intensity.
"Oh, we didn't say anything about him not being nice at all, did we, minna? We just don't get all hot and starry-eyed when we say how nice he is. Hmmm, is our little Minako-chan interested in someone," Makoto teased, her pearly white grin flashing. She loved teasing Minako when it came to boys since Minako had no problems teasing her about her old sempai and she loved being able to turn the tables on her bubbly friend.
"So what if I am? I could do a lot worse," Minako shot back defensively, reddening further when Rei, Haruka, and Michiru chuckled. Even Hotaru grinned, her face lightening up considerably as they fell into the age old tradition of teasing each other. Ami blushed softly, sympathizing with Minako.
"We're not picking on your choice in men, Minako-chan. Quatre-kun is definitely a good catch. It's just funny to see you all flustered about liking him when normally you're not afraid to show how interested you are in someone, like when you first met the Three Lights," Rei soothed, patting her best friend on the shoulder consolingly.
"I don't know why I can't seem to act normal around him. It's just different, the way I feel about him. He makes me feel all fluttery inside and I've only known him a couple of days! He's not movie star gorgeous, but I can't seem to take my eyes off of him," Minako groaned, pulling on a lock of blonde hair in frustration. She glared hotly when she noticed Haruka rolling her eyes in amusement. "It's not funny, Haruka-san! I'd like to see how you were when you met Michiru-san! I bet you weren't all arrogant then!"
Haruka scowled abruptly, all mirth wiped from her face, while Michiru tried to stifle a giggle behind one slim hand as the others turned to look at her in question. Her scowl deepened even more when Minako stuck her tongue out in challenge and Hotaru innocently asked, "How did you act when you met Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa?"
"It's no one's business," Haruka muttered, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly, her bags swinging from her clenched fists. The former race car driver and motocross biker was not happy with the idea of being grilled about her love life.
"Perhaps it would be better if we talked about something else," Ami offered, her blue eyes darting from Minako's challenging look to Haruka's belligerent one. She smiled when Haruka flashed her a grateful look, their friendship having solidified when they had been trapped together by Nehelenia and been forced to reassess their initial impressions of each other. (A/N: This was in the beginning of the Sailor Stars season.)
"I'll let it drop if Haruka-san doesn't give me any more grief," Minako said stubbornly, her chin jutting out. She was very sensitive about the feelings she had for Quatre, the young man she had just met but couldn't get out of her mind.
Haruka grunted her consent, silently breathing a sigh of relief as she considered how close she had come to having some very embarrassing stories about her relationship with Michiru come to light. She knew that Minako could be as determined as a pit bull when it came to ferreting out the juicy details of a developing romance. In fact, she was usually extremely amused at the facts that came to light under Minako's interrogations. However, the thought that that same determination could be turned on her made her shudder inwardly as she recalled some of the awkward moments she had experienced while trying to decide what her feelings for her teal-tressed companion were. Next to her, Michiru smiled coyly, recalling those same moments with fondness.
"So, what do we want to do now anyway? We've shopped like it's going out of style and even our Senshi strength isn't going to hold out against the weight of these bags for much longer," Makoto joked lightly, tactfully turning the conversation to another topic.
"Why don't we put the bags in the van and decide from there what we want to do," Hotaru suggested, hoping that she could put down the myriad bags of purchases she had made. They had seemed like such a good idea at the time and she had thoroughly enjoyed the fun and laughter they had all shared as they had shopped like maniacs, but now her arms were beginning to ache just a bit.
The other young women heartily agreed and after fifteen minutes of walking to find their vehicle and then another fifteen minutes of carefully arranging their purchases in the spacious van, they finally stopped to consider their options. They bantered back and forth, offering suggestions of movies, dinner, ice skating, bicycle riding and other fun activities, until Minako's suggestion stopped them all in mid-discussion.
"Let's do karaoke! It'll be sooooo fun! Onegai, minna," the blonde pleaded, her blue eyes impossibly wide and filled with stars as she turned towards her friends, already sensing that some would be against the idea. The bubbly blonde was determined to have her way in this matter as she loved to sing and being in front of an audience always gave her the biggest thrill in life. She knew she was a born performer and adored being on stage, the center of attention and admired for her talent.
Haruka immediately snorted, her brow furrowing in distaste. She lazily picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her crisp white button down shirt while drawling, "Now, what makes you think that I'll want to do something so stupid? A bunch of drunken losers ogling silly giggling girls while they try to pretend they can sing on key is not my idea of a fun way to spend the evening!"
"She's got a point, Minako-chan. I really don't see any real redeeming qualities in such an idea. Isn't there something we could do that we'd all like," Ami asked tentatively as she watched Minako's face darken while Haruka cast slurs on her favorite pastime. She cast a pleading look at Michiru, hoping her calm reasoning would bring some sense to Minako. She was soon to be disappointed though.
"I don't know. I kind of like the idea of spending the evening listening to music. And it won't be too bad as long as we can persuade a couple of our more musically attuned tomodachi (friends) to participate, therefore raising the quality of the evening. Anyways Haruka, don't you like the thought of possibly telling off some of those lecherous old men? We really just a need a fun atmosphere to bond and forget all of our worries for a while and this seems like a perfect idea," Michiru responded, neatly cutting off all arguments with a few carefully worded sentences.
Hotaru looked excited as she hadn't really been allowed to go to karaoke clubs before and nodded exuberantly, her thick black locks swaying energetically with her frantic nods of agreement. She immediately cast her eyes at Rei, certain that Michiru would bend Haruka to her will pretty easily. Rei sighed resignedly and smiled her agreement at both Hotaru and Minako, who both squealed and glomped onto her in their pleasure. Makoto laughed at the spectacle in front of her and thought of how she would gladly walk over cut glass in bare feet and then place them in a tub of lemon juice if it meant all of her friends would be happy. She couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that she liked to goof off in front of the microphone as much as the next person. She knew she wasn't as talented when it came to singing as Minako and Rei were, but she still always had a great time when she tried her hand at the latest song. When Minako looked at her for her reaction, Makoto gave her a thumbs-up and returned the blonde's grin of happiness. Ami shrugged at Haruka and silently caved, her rueful smile a sign that she hadn't been so much against the idea as trying to help out the outnumbered Senshi of Wind. She actually loved watching her friends perform and had joined them occasionally in group attempts when pressed. She nodded to Minako as well, earning a V sign for her trouble. Haruka still looked unimpressed until Michiru sidled up to her and whispered into her ear, "Let them have their fun, 'Ruka. After all, we never know when we'll have to go into battle next and this could be their last time like this for a while. And if you do this for me and them, I'll let you see what I bought in that fancy boutique." She leaned back away and smiled enigmatically at Haruka, who lifted one eyebrow and gave in with a quirk of her lips and a muttered, "So, do you know where to go for all this fun you're dying for?"
Minako clapped her hands in delight and bounced happily on the balls of her feet while gleefully announcing, "I saw one on the way back from the mall. It's Ladies' Night too so we get in free! Let's go before they get too crowded and don't let us in!"
"It's a good thing you can't drink yet because I can only imagine what you'd be like if you were drunk," Haruka said, rolling her navy blue eyes in exasperation.
"Oh, that's an easy one, Haruka-san! She'd be exactly like this because Minako-chan's already drunk on life! She's the only person I know who can get high on life just by breathing regular air," Makoto jibed, her emerald eyes glimmering with mischief as she shot her friend a look out of the corner of her eye. She laughed when Minako stuck out her tongue at her in response. "Hey, let's not get a tongue war started here," She replied laughingly, holding her hands up in mock horrified protest.
"Minako-chan can't do a proper one anyway. Only Usagi and I are able to do a decent one without our tongues drying out or spraying everyone with saliva," Rei said laughingly, her eyes turning wistful at the thought of their sleeping princess.
The others sobered slightly at the mention of Usagi until Ami's sweet voice chimed, "We must make sure that we have enough fun to satisfy Usagi's spirit. I'm sure she'd be upset with us if we didn't enjoy ourselves." The others smiled and nodded in agreement before stopping to stand before the neon lit entrance of Club Tanoshimi (Fun or Amusement). The large muscle- bound bouncer looked them over once, his eyes hidden by reflective sunglasses. He was quiet and the girls almost started fidgeting at the silent perusal before he smirked at Haruka and said, "Good job, my man! I don't think I've ever seen one guy with so many cuties before. You definitely rate getting into the club." With that announcement, he unhooked the red velvet rope and gestured for the stupefied girls and bemused Haruka to walk inside.
"I can't believe that guy thought we were all with Haruka-san," Makoto exclaimed, her eyes wide with astonishment. "I mean, I'm used to people thinking that Haruka-san is a guy, but I never thought that they'd think we were all with him…I mean her. Okay, now I've confused myself," she grit out, running a hand through her chestnut waves which Minako had convinced her to let down from her customary high ponytail.
"Nani? You didn't think I was capable of gathering such beautiful girls to my side? I'm hurt, Mako-chan," Haruka teased, flashing a wicked grin at the tall beauty.
"'Ruka, stop teasing the girls so much. It's no wonder the bouncer thought what he did when you flirt the way you do," Michiru huffed, her shell pink tinted lips pursed into a small moue.
"Michi, you know it's all fun and games, don't you? I could never be unfaithful to you," Haruka murmured back, her eyes softening with affection. She purposely ignored the giggles of the younger girls as they teased her for breaking their hearts.
"Baka! As if I could ever doubt the depth of your devotion to me, just as you should never doubt my feelings for you! I was just teasing you," Michiru replied back saucily, tossing her wavy teal hair behind her in a careless, yet graceful motion. The other girls continued to laugh softly, used to seeing the playful bantering that would lead to softer moments between the two older Senshi.
Hotaru looked around the club, her violet eyes widening as she saw the plush elegance of her first club. Large circular booths upholstered in burgundy velvet surrounded black marble tables flecked with gold and ringed the club, some meant to convey an air of coziness and privacy while others were fashioned to highlight their occupants to their best advantage. A large parquet dance floor sat in the middle of the room and was currently occupied with over two dozen couples gyrating and twirling to a bass heavy live band. Tasteful original paintings in the modern style adorned the walls as did cleverly fashioned wall sconces made to look like torches but were electric powered. Waiters and waitresses wended their way across the club, holding aloft trays burdened with myriad exotic drinks and platters of food for those interested in nibbling while enjoying the entertainment. She continued to crane her neck around to see all the sights until she espied an open archway that lead to a room set off specifically for the karaoke enjoying guests. She turned and tugged on Minako's sleeve, the gauzy cream-colored ruffled confection feeling soft beneath her fingertips.
Minako turned at the pressure on her sleeve to see Hotaru gesturing to what Minako could only designate as her own personal paradise. Grabbing both Hotaru and Rei's hands, she surged forward, pulling both hapless girls behind her like buoys in the wake of a giant freighter. Rei squawked involuntarily, losing her balance momentarily as her hair fell forward to obscure her vision at the sudden movement. She righted herself and kept up with Minako out of sheer desperation, breathing a sigh of relief when Minako finally stopped and grateful they hadn't crashed into anyone in the crowded club. She looked back to see the others wending their way towards them, careful to not bump into the other club goers. When they were all together again, the impatiently toe-tapping Minako flounced inside, assuming the others would follow her inside. Exchanging wry looks at how they had been masterfully coerced, the others filed in after their blonde compatriot, settling in at a huge booth while Minako was already at the machine and looking through the music selection. After ordering their drinks and several extravagant sounding snacks, they spied Minako climbing on top of the small stage, the gorgeous smile on her face never dimming even as several men whistled their appreciation at the view her short skirt afforded them as she climbed the steep stairs of the stage.
"Konnichiwa, minna! Aino Minako desu! (Hello, everyone! I'm Minako Aino!) I'll be singing a popular ballad from the 20th century tonight to get the night started off right," Minako announced, her grip on the microphone loose but sure. Her confidence radiated from her like a beacon and she launched into the song as the soft strains begun.
The others smiled appreciatively at Minako's choice of music for it was a popular piece when they had left Tokyo. Ami wondered briefly how that piece had survived so far into the future, but soon gave up on the thought to listen attentively to Minako's sweet voice.
Rei too was enjoying the piece and let herself be relaxed by the romantic ballad. She put her head back against the soft cushions of the booth and closed her eyes, letting the music soak into her soul and wash away the stress of the last few hours. Soon, even the music became a low, distant hum and the world seemed to fade away as a new one appeared behind her closed eyelids.
"When my world spirals again into confusion,
The look in your eyes brings peace to my soul.
I long for your gentle touch, so sweet, without caution,
When our lips meet again, making me whole."
She was laughing at the antics of Serenity as she ran after Minako, who was holding a flaky pastry aloft and running as fast as she could from the determined and hungry princess. She looked down and smiled at Heero as she continued to brush her fingertips through the unruly brown hair covering the eyes of her beloved as he rested his head in her lap. He opened his vivid blue eyes suddenly and smiled at her, his love for her evident in the look he reserved for her alone. He startled her with a sudden movement; her hand quickly captured in his and brought to his mouth as he placed a soft kiss against her sensitive fingertips.
"Just a simple kiss, so full of longing and passion,
Which no one else could ever match or mar…."
She leaned in closer, her attraction to Heero forcing her to lean in, their lips almost touching. She felt so attuned to everything that she could smell his scent even among the odors of gunpowder and gun oil. She felt him slowly remove the gun she held in her hand as he came closer as well, his eyes magnetic and burning with desire. The moment was shattered as Duo stuck his head in the door and announced an imminent Ravager attack.
"Whether on a dance floor or under the starry heaven,
From my side, I will never let you wander too far."
She was whirling around a dance floor, snugly ensconced in Heero's strong arms as the soft strains of the orchestra floated around her. She could feel the soft silk of her amethyst ball gown swish against her legs and twine around his dark blue velvet-clad legs as he skillfully led her through the graceful and intricate steps of an old Earth dance. She gasped as she was suddenly whirled off the dance floor and into the starlit space of one of the myriad marble balconies that ringed the ornate ball room. Her questions died on her lush, strawberry colored lips as he covered her lips with his own, the soft kiss robbing her of all thought but returning sheer pleasure. She wanted the moment to last forever….
"How safe I feel encircled in your loving arms,
Like angels wings wrapped lovingly around me.
I know that you'd rather die than let me come to harm,
That you'd never let anything in this world ever hurt me."
She wondered at the feeling of safety and comfort she felt as he carried her, his toned arms wrapped securely around her as he and his companions walked out of the science building with her. He felt like a bastion of comfort in a new, unfamiliar world and she wondered if he could help heal her grieving heart when he seemed so cold and emotionless until she saw the blue flames dancing in the depths of his Prussian blue eyes.
"But when I'm bruised and broken, ready to give it all up,
Out of the mists you come, my knight in armor shining bright.
Your glance calms me as into your arms you lift me up,
And with your gentle kisses, make everything in my life all right."
She lay on the dusty ground, her light battle armor dented in many places and her under tunic shredded into tatters not worth wearing. Her hair was matted to her forehead and neck with blood and sweat and she had to blink several times to clear her blurry vision as sweat continued to pour into her eyes. Her arm lay at an odd angle and she bit her lip to keep from crying out at the pain that radiated from it. She looked out over the battlefield and she could see the corpses of their opponents, the Garou, a race of giant werewolf-like creatures, littering the arid plain. Many of her own battalion, fellow Senshi and allies were also wounded and she wept inside when she saw several of her battalion laying stiffly, their eyes unseeing as they had given their lives to protect their universe from the savage marauders that had come recently. Her only solace was that they had definitively driven them back and they would see no more of those feral monsters. Her musings were cut short as she heard the sound of footsteps. She looked up to see the object of much of her concern approach, his own battle armor tarnished and one shoulder plate ripped completely off. He approached her and knelt by her side, frowning as he saw the broken arm that was causing her so much pain. They both knew he would have to reset it soon or her Senshi healing would begin to knit the bone back in its present condition. She nodded once and he gently prodded her arm to see where the break was. Once he found out, he looked deeply into her eyes and their gazes locked, startling blue meeting mysterious violet. He gave a sudden yank and she gave a single yelp before she bit back her cries of pain. As she felt the bone settle back into its original position, she gave him a weary smile of gratitude and let herself be gathered up into his arms. He bent his dark head next to hers and slowly kissed her, his tongue flicking out to wipe the drops of blood off her lip from where she had bitten it earlier. His kiss was soft, tender, the way only she would ever know from him.
1 "Without you my life has no end and no true beginning
It would just be the grueling monotony of day to day.
You complete me and give my soul meaning,
As you love and care for me in your own special way."
More and more images flashed behind her closed eyelids, tantalizing her with glimpses of the past?...the present, for sure…maybe the future? Her brow furrowed slightly as she tried to concentrate as the images came faster and faster, each filled with joyous scenes of her being sweetly cherished by Heero. She awoke from her dream state as she felt herself being harshly shaken. Her eyes fluttered open, her dark lashes like opulent fans rising gently to look into the concerned navy blue eyes of Haruka.
"Ummm, nani, Haruka-san," Rei said dreamily, her mind still lingering on the images she had seen. Her insides felt all warm and fluttery and her heart was free of the ache she had experienced earlier when she had seen the other vision at UEA headquarters.
"Nani? Rei-chan, you just slipped into this dreamlike state and we've been trying to get your attention for the last ten minutes! Is there anything wrong? I bet those bastards slipped something into your drink," Haruka hissed, her fist clenching as she glared at the hapless waiters, who were weaving their way in and out of the crowds.
"I don't think it has anything to do with any foreign substances being put into her food or drink, Haruka-san. Her pulse is normal and her eyes aren't dilated in the way that would suggest that she has been partaking of any drugs. Are you okay though, Rei-chan," Ami asked anxiously, her hand still wrapped around Rei's wrist as she continued to take her friend's pulse.
"Daijoubu, minna. Gomen for worrying you like that. I don't know what happened, but I just found myself slipping away for a moment there. I didn't even realize I had been out of it for so long. I guess I'm more tired than I thought," Rei said sheepishly, ducking her head in apology.
"It's more than that, isn't it, Rei-chan? I recognized the look in your eyes. You had a vision, didn't you," Michiru pressed, her turquoise eyes filled with concern. She leaned forward, resting her chin on Haruka's shoulder. "Tell us about it. It isn't right for you to carry the burden alone."
The others nodded, their eyes full of love and concern for the miko who could see the future, pleasant or horrifying, and who tended to keep the ugly visions to herself so as to not worry them. Rei struggled, for it wasn't in her nature to reveal her visions unless she thought it necessary and especially not if they involved herself. It was Hotaru leaning forward to rest her forehead against hers and whispering, "Onegai, Rei-san. You've all seen me through so much darkness, turmoil, and change. If it hadn't been for all of you encouraging me to share my feelings, I don't know where I'd be. I'd probably have destroyed the world by now and let the darkness within me consume me from the inside. Don't let that happen to you. There is nothing insignificant about you. Remember, Rei-san? You told me that." These words finally broke down her resistance.
"Fine, I'll tell you since none of you will ever give up until I do," Rei grumbled in mock disgust. Her smile turned wry when the assembled friends all nodded simultaneously. She then began with the vision she had seen earlier that day and watched the different emotions that passed over their faces. Some looked thoughtful while the others looked indignant and disgusted at Heero's actions.
"Was that a vision of the future then? Does Heero-san end up coming back to our dimension with us and living in Crystal Tokyo," Ami pondered, her mind working over the newly revealed information. Her hands worried absently at the cuff of the emerald green blazer she had bought earlier during their excursion.
"Who cares about that? What's really important is the fact that he leaves Rei-chan and obviously during a time when we'll be attacked," Makoto growled, her eyes glinting dangerously. Heero would never know how lucky he was to not be in front of her at that moment. Haruka nodded furiously in agreement, smacking one clenched fist into the open palm of her other hand. "I'll kill the bastard! Save us from the pain and heartache he'll cause later. No one gets away with hurting our chibi honoo (little flame)," Haruka said angrily. Even Michiru squeezing her shoulder didn't calm her down.
"Are we so sure that this is a vision of the future," Minako asked shrewdly, her light blue eyes narrowed in deep thought. "From the detail of the vision, it almost sounds more like the Silver Millennium. We saw Crystal Tokyo when we went there with Chibiusa to fight the Dark Moon people. It was named Crystal Tokyo for a reason, namely because most things were crystallized. Rei-chan mentions wood paneling in the room she was in and soft, luxurious carpeting. Not to mention that Heero mentions Endymion as ouji (prince), not oo (king)."
"Demo, Rei-chan has never had flashbacks, only visions of the future. Why should it change now? It has to be the future she's seeing," argued Makoto, leaning forward to look Minako in the eye.
"That's true, but Rei-chan has developed quite a bit as a psychic and a sensitive. After all, she is almost a full-fledged miko now. She has only to take the trials when she returns to Tokyo to prove herself. Not to mention the fact that all of us have matured greatly and all of our powers and abilities have grown keener over time," Michiru mused. "I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Rei-chan has gained the ability to channel into the echoes of the past and see the happenings of those times."
"I wish Setsuna-mama was here. She should be able to tell us what Rei-san is seeing, whether it to be the future or the past," Hotaru murmured, her large purple eyes uncertain. She smoothed the lilac chiffon skirt she was wearing over her knees, needing something to do.
"Don't be so sure of that," Haruka said bitterly. "Setsuna says only what she wants to say. If it doesn't suit her purposes or she doesn't feel we're able to understand, she won't say a thing. It's probably better that she stayed back at the mansion to rest. She can't lead us from the truth if we do get close to it."
"That doesn't seem fair, Haruka-san. I'm sure Setsuna-san is only doing what she thinks is right. There are some things we probably shouldn't know, things that might change the timeline irrevocably. And it's not like she's used to having to explain herself to others since she's spent so many millennia alone, guarding the Time Gate," Ami reasoned, feeling bad for their absent comrade. Setsuna had looked drained when they had returned to Quatre's home and had turned down their offer to go shopping. Ami knew that Setsuna sometimes got drained when her future time sense was used too often and wondered if she had been seeing future events happening. 'It would explain why she went to go speak to Rei-chan after the vision she saw in UEA headquarters,' the genius mused to herself.
"It's understandable why Haruka-san would feel that way, Ami-chan. Sometimes, I get the feeling there are things she is deliberately hiding from us. I know it's probably for our own good, but that doesn't change the fact that she's not as open with us as we are with her," Minako argued, the leader in her feeling as if she needed to know all the vital information in order to lead her Senshi properly. Unfortunately, she missed the look that Michiru and Haruka threw each other, for she would have immediately known that something suspicious was going on.
"Well, regardless of Setsuna-san's knowledge and her inability to ever give us a completely straight answer, we should be concentrating on helping Rei- chan interpret her visions. The vision she saw earlier can't be the same one she saw just now because I don't think she'd be so happy and blissful- looking about it," Makoto said, forging ahead.
"That's very true. What else did you just see, Rei-chan," Michiru asked, her teal eyes filled with compassion as she looked at the young woman who had gone through so much under such burdens that would have crushed any normal human being.
Rei blushed softly, her eyes unconsciously growing misty as she recalled to the others what she had seen. She didn't relay everything for she felt as if some things were too private and precious to share, even with her best friends. She gave them the rough details and events, outlining the events of the past and letting them know that some were events that had really happened. Even Haruka sensed that some things were being withheld because of sensitivity and didn't press further for details.
"Hmmm, that's very strange. Usually, you don't have visions of the present, Rei-chan. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were daydreaming," Ami said, looking apologetically at her dark-haired friend.
"Can you really say they're the present though? They've already happened, Ami-san. It would actually seem then that she's having visions or memories of the past instead," Hotaru offered tentatively, still slightly unused to being treated as an equal when it came to being a Senshi, not only because of her younger age, but also because of her status as the newest among the Senshi.
"It does seem that way when you put it like that, Hotaru-chan. But the whole thought of Rei-chan knowing Heero from before, during the Silver Millennium, bothers me. I mean, if they were so close, like soul mates, shouldn't they be more like Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san? Or maybe it's because of his betrayal that they're not together? Maybe Rei-chan was sent here to close that chapter on her life by finishing what he started and getting justice for his actions," Makoto said eagerly, liking the idea of Rei being sent back to get revenge. She still hadn't unbent even the slightest when it came to the insensitive image she had given Heero.
"Anou, Mako-chan, we're Senshi and we don't deal with things like revenge. That's the complete opposite of what we stand for. That would be as unlikely as us hating Usagi-chan or….sleeping with Mamoru-san and betraying her," Ami exclaimed, her cheeks aflame at the suggestion. (A/N: Gomen, but I just had to add that part in because I hate stories where the Senshi betray Usagi. I mean, HELLO!, they only die for her time and time again. That's a sure sign that you want to betray someone and hate his/her guts, right?)
"I can't believe you could even mention something like that as being on par with what Mako-chan said," Haruka said flatly, her dark blue eyes cold. "Of course, we would never betray Usagi-chan, but that doesn't mean we should sit by and let other people do whatever they want with one of us and let them get away with it. If Rei-chan is having visions of the past and not the future, that means that punk, Heero, not only betrays whatever feelings Rei-chan might have had for him, but he also betrays the Silver Millennium." Haruka was getting extremely upset and only Michiru's reassuring and comforting presence behind her was keeping her from revealing that they knew that Rei had known Heero from the past. Her temper had been on a slow boil ever since Rei had revealed her first vision and the subsequent ones, though definitely more pleasant, only verified the depth of the betrayal to her that Heero had done against Rei.
"We don't know that Rei-chan's first vision is complete or the most recent of her past memories. In fact, we don't really know if they are past memories and in what order they come in. For all we know, it could be the happy ones that were her last memories of Heero or they could be visions of the future. Maybe Rei-chan was sent here to forgive Heero for his betrayal and start anew. Maybe their relationship will be a cornerstone of Crystal Tokyo," Michiru offered optimistically, her eyes sparkling with the conviction that the girls she adored so much were finally going to be able to find the men that completed their destinies and hearts.
Minako nodded her head vigorously, her blonde locks flying haphazardly in every direction. She was much more comfortable with Michiru's idea than she was with Haruka's. The Senshi of Love had felt the intensity of something within Heero and she was pretty sure it was love, but she knew that if she was too forceful with Rei that she was more likely to send the other girl running in the other direction as fast as her long legs could take her and she wasn't about to make that kind of mistake. She could see the almost wild look in Rei's eyes at all of the different suggestions and perspectives being given to her by the others and knew if she didn't do something fast that Rei would just shut down and try to muddle through it on her own. 'This is probably the reason why she doesn't tell us all of her visions in the first place. I'm sure we're the last thing she needs right now since we're all so divided on the subject,' she thought ruefully. Her eyes sparkled as an idea struck her. 'What we need is a distraction so we can clear her head for a little while; get her to forget her worries for once!'
Rei was absently listening to Haruka, Makoto, and Michiru debate the meaning of her visions while Hotaru and Ami chimed in occasionally. She pinched the bridge of her nose unconsciously, a migraine beginning to form from all of the different thoughts and emotions running through her head. She was abruptly snapped from her dismal thoughts when a hand grabbed her wrist and hauled her to her feet. She looked up to see a maniacally grinning Minako, an unholy gleam in her eye. "Nani, Minako-chan? What are you doing," she asked, frowning as she recognized the all too familiar look in her best friend's eyes. That look always meant either trouble or future embarrassment.
Minako smiled brightly, her mega-watt smile almost blinding in its brilliance. She turned that same smile on the other young women and watched as both Ami and Hotaru blanched and then froze, like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Michiru smiled placidly back at her, her own eyes twinkling at the thought of what mischief Minako would be up to soon. Haruka and Makoto both grimaced, wondering what insane idea had burrowed into the leader of the Inner Senshi's mind.
####***
It was close to three in the morning when a group of giggling, swaying young women drew up in a spacious van in front of the stately mansion of Quatre Raberba Winner. Two taller young women got out of the front passenger and driver's seat and carefully opened the sliding door, stepping back hastily as five, flushed young women tumbled out like overeager puppies, laughing uproariously. They stumbled and weaved their way up the walkway, several of them plopping down unceremoniously on the smooth stone and laughing until one of the taller ones would heave her up to her feet and set them back on the path. Finally, they made it inside and blinked owlishly as the lights in the foyer all came to life suddenly, flooding the room with brilliance. Six young men, one woman, and several older men, stood assembled in the hallway and on the stairs, all of them gaping at the unbelievable sight in front of them.
"Haruka, Michiru, what is going on? What happened to the girls," Mamoru asked, frowning as he watched Rei and Minako lean unsteadily on each other for support, helpless with laughter at some unknown joke. He was dressed in a blue satin shirt and loose black pants, the shirt untucked and unbuttoned halfway.
Haruka flushed, running a hand through her hair in aggravation. "Well, Mamoru-san, we went shopping like we had planned earlier and then we went to a karaoke club afterwards because it was early still and the girls didn't want to come home yet. We were having a great time until we started discussing some problems," Haruka began, glancing significantly at Rei until Mamoru nodded his head in understanding. She continued, "Afterwards, Minako-chan decided we needed to cut loose and dragged us all up to sing some songs with her on stage, which was fine until…,"
"Until what, Haruka," asked Setsuna, frowning sleepily down at her from her position on the stairwell. She had been awakened by the commotion the girls had made coming into the house. She was wearing a long black spaghetti- strapped nightgown with a matching satin robe over it, borrowed from the closet of one of Quatre's many sisters. Suffice it to say that she was not happy at the moment.
"Until Minako-chan got so delirious in the applause she was getting that she ordered drinks for everybody…on her. Gomen, Quatre," Haruka threw in hastily as she recalled that everything they did was on Quatre's credit.
"No apologies are necessary, Haruka-san, demo, I'm still wondering how the girls got drunk, as I assume that's why they're acting this way, if all they did was buy drinks for other people," Quatre replied, his sky blue eyes worried as he watched Minako stumble away from a quickly sobering Rei to make her way towards him.
"It would have been fine if the people who were drinking didn't decide to buy drinks back for the girls, especially the men, both young and old," Michiru responded, shaking her head as she watched Ami begin to slowly turn green and put a hand to her mouth in the age-old sign of someone ready to vomit. Her fears were allayed as one of the Maganacs immediately came forward and delicately hoisted the slim girl in his arms and head towards what she remembered was a guest bathroom. "The girls haven't really experienced anything like this before, nor have they ever touched even a drop of alcohol. By the time we came back from the dance floor where we had been, the girls had already imbibed several very innocuous looking tropical drinks and were well on their way to becoming drunk."
"If you came back when they were only half drunk, how did they get plastered," Mamoru asked, his temper abating somewhat at their explanation.
"Well, we decided to go sober Rei-chan up because she'd had the most to drink. Guys were buying her drinks left and right. We could only handle one of them at a time because as you can see, they're not exactly steady when they're drunk. We told them to stop drinking the alcohol and then took Rei- chan off to the ladies' room to splash cold water on her face. Well, unfortunately, they continued drinking and when we came back, Rei-chan was still drunk, though not as much as before, but the others were completely plastered," Haruka said digustedly, remembering how the girls had sat there with silly grins plastered on their faces and glassy eyes. "We decided to leave the club immediately so they wouldn't get into any more trouble." She grinned almost wolfishly when she noticed that Heero's eyes had narrowed at the mention of all of the men buying Rei drinks at the club.
"Leave it to an onna to get drunk off a little bit of alcohol," Wufei said disdainfully, looking away from the assemblage with derision. He stood there in a pair of loose, dark gray shorts and his ponytail wasn't as neat as it normally was, signifying that he had been sleeping.
"Whatever, Wu-man! It's not like you know how to drink booze, since you're not old enough to do so either, so don't go looking down on them for getting drunk," Duo said flippantly, shooting the Chinese man a cheeky grin.
"Yeah! Why are you so mean, Wuffie," Hotaru slurred, having stumbled towards him at the sound of his voice. "Women can handle anyshing an otoko (man) can and shey can do it better," she continued, her tone becoming belligerent as she stabbed her finger into the middle of his chest repeatedly.
Wufei frowned as he felt her finger continue to prod his chest even when she fell silent from her tirade. He was about to tell her off and push her away from him when she suddenly muttered, "Why'sh everything spinning so mush?" He looked down in alarm as he watched her eyes roll into the back of her head and began to fall backward. His arms came up reflexively and caught her, her slight form resting easily in his hold. "Hmmph, I should drop her," he grumbled, though his arms did not fall away from her.
"Get your hands off her, you baka! Give her to me and I'll get her up to her room safely," Haruka threatened, already moving forward to snatch up Hotaru from him.
Wufei smirked at Haruka, his hackles rising at the tone of command he heard. He tightened his grip on the girl and lifted her so she rested more comfortably in his arms, before turning on his heel and heading up the stairs. He looked back once to retort,"Never mind, I'll take care of her. I wouldn't want you to strain yourself, onna." He continued up the stairs and snickered as he heard the restrained snarl of this woman who took so much pleasure in poking at him.
Downstairs, Michiru held onto Haruka, her grip hard as steel though her outward countenance looked serene as a placid lake surface. "Perhaps, we should all go to bed. I'm sure the girls will have horrible headaches in the morning when they awaken. By the way, Mamoru-san, Setsuna, we picked up some clothes for you as well when we went shopping since you both need them," Michiru said pleasantly.
Rashid nodded at several of the Maganacs and they immediately went out the front door to empty the van of its cargo and sort it out for their respective owners. "I'll make sure the young misses don't suffer from hangovers in the morning. I have an old recipe from my grandmother that insures they will not suffer…too much. I'll make sure to have it delivered to their rooms when they awake," Rashid said, his dark brown eyes twinkling as he watched Minako slowly continue to totter towards Quatre.
Minako was oblivious to everything else happening around her. She would be mortified to learn exactly how unaware she had been later on, but at this moment, all she could see was Quatre's concerned gaze and his sweetly handsome face. She moved toward him slowly, as if in a dream, unaware that everyone else was looking at her with interested eyes, expect for Makoto, who was grinning foolishly at nothing and Rei, who was rubbing her temples as thought became uncomfortably clearer and clearer by the minute. Minako finally made her way to Quatre and stood unsteadily in front of him before suddenly flinging her arms around his neck, nearly toppling him to the floor. Quatre reflexively caught her, his hands griping her slender waist while a hot blush crept up his fair cheeks. Minako giggled softly at the feel of his hands around her and she sighed blissfully, murmuring, "Quatre-kun." She never realized she had dropped the respectful form of -san and replaced it with the more informal and affectionate - kun. She went even further, burying her face into his neck and snuggling against him. Quatre looked around wildly, his face a picture of panic as he tried to understand what was happening.
Trowa smirked at his friend before turning away to save his friend from further embarrassment and found his eyes drawn to the figure of Makoto. She stood there proudly, only slightly weaving in her position. Her hands were clasped behind her back and a huge goofy grin was spread across her features, just like the flush that was spread across her cheeks. (A/N: Japanese and Chinese people tend to get a red flush across the bridge of their nose and across their cheeks when they get drunk.) He absently noticed her hair was down and wondered if her luxurious chestnut waves were as soft to the touch as they looked. He continued to stare at the statuesque brunette and had to hide a smile when she waved at him, causing her to almost lose her balance and tip forward. She righted herself quickly and then flashed him another grin, one that telegraphed how proud she was to be able to stand on her own two feet without any help. This was a new side to her and he found himself enjoying her more lighthearted side. 'This is the way she should always be, happy and carefree,' he thought fondly, a slow bubble of happiness welling up inside his chest. He beckoned to her and then motioned upstairs, deciding to make sure she got to her bedroom safely. She walked towards him and giggled lightly as she took his arm, leaning occasionally as she made her way up the long flight of stairs.
The others watched the tall couple make their way up the stairs before turning back to the activity happening between Minako and Quatre. Minako was still snuggled into the blonde Arabian's arms and his face was still aflame at the beautiful young woman's presence. He had to admit to himself that he had been drawn to her, both her beauty and her leadership and diplomacy skills impressing him. He pulled back slightly to ask her a question, but a slow, sweet smile spread across his face as he looked down at her features, now relaxed into peaceful sleep. He shook his head at Rashid, who had stepped forward to take Minako into his arms and carry her up the stairs to her room, motioning he would do so instead. He ducked his head at the knowing look in his mentor's eyes and slowly followed the path that both Wufei and Trowa had taken earlier, Minako's face now pressed against the front of his chest and her arms hanging loosely looped around his neck.
Duo chuckled at the sight and shook his head, remarking,"Wouldn't you know it? Even Quatre's scored himself a babe. Speaking of babes, I better go check on my cute little blue-haired one and see if she's finished being sick. Maybe I can offer her some comfort," he leered suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows comically as he tactfully withdrew from the foyer.
Mamoru looked at Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna and then at Rei and Heero, who hadn't stopped looking at each other practically since they had walked into the foyer. He motioned with a nod towards the stairs for them all to leave the couple with some privacy, frowning when Haruka balked momentarily before acceding to his wishes. The Maganacs also wisely retreated, many of them returning to their slumber while the others decided to get a head start on the day and begin preparations for breakfast.
Heero felt uncomfortable as Rei continued to stare at him solemnly, not saying a word. He walked forward, coming within inches of her. He fought back the urge to crush her to his chest and just inhale the scent of her hair. He had found himself missing her and had thrown himself into training to keep him from following her into town and demanding an explanation for her earlier cold behavior at the headquarters. He was still deeply confused and had nearly bit off Duo's head when the other pilot had made some silly remark. He hated feeling as if he had no control over a situation, for every time he had lost control, horrible things had happened.
Rei, on the other hand, was still muddling through everything in her mind. Though she was far more sober than the other girls, she was still suffering from some fuzziness and the confusion from her visions. A part of her wanted to reach out and ask him why he had done such things to her, but she knew he wouldn't understand what she was talking about. The other part of her wanted to run from him and hide from the possibility that he was every heartache she could ever imagine combined into one.
Heero decided to risk everything and reached out to touch Rei's face, a burning question deep in his eyes. He startled when she jerked her head back, her eyes filled with pain?...anger?...uncertainty?
"Onegai, don't touch me right now, Heero. I can't think straight when you do and I don't know what to do, what to think," Rei said, her eyes turning dark as a midnight sky. With that, she turned abruptly and fled up the stairs, leaving a confused Heero behind.
####***
A/N: It's done! *drops dead from sheer exhaustion, nerves, guilt, and stress* *reluctantly gets back up after a few minutes when Duo starts prodding the prone body on the floor with a sharp pointed stick* You have before you 33 pages of my heart, soul, and blood poured onto the screen. This puppy just kept getting larger and larger and that's another reason why it took so long for me to post. I know it took me forever and I hope to never have to go through this again, but I will warn everyone that the next chapter probably won't be up until the beginning or middle of July because my wedding is coming up real soon and then I go on my honeymoon and the last thing I'll be doing is typing. Sorry, but I do have priorities! Also, please tell me what you think of the poem/song lyrics before the flashbacks as that was done by my fiancé, Duckie, and it's his first time really writing poetry!
Next: So what happens now? Will Rei be able to sort through her emotions for Heero and get past the visions she's been seeing? Will the other couples start to hook up a little more? And will Rei have any more new visions? Stay tuned for Memory and Consequence!
