Disclaimer: Woohooo! I own Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon! *Collapses to the floor, eye twitching spasmodically and drooling out of the left corner of mouth* *Wufei walks up from behind, holding a massive cudgel. "Baka onna! As if I would let myself be owned by you. It's shameful enough to have to be in this fic written by you!"* *Get up dizzily, eyes swirling crazily* Okay, maybe I got a little delusional there for a minute.
Dedication: To all of my faithful and new reviewers, who have given me so much encouragement and stuck by me even though I have been an absolute turtle when it comes to updating! Ali: Thanks for keeping a watch for my fic. You never know when it's going to come! As for Rei getting martial arts training from her ojii-chan, it's never been said or shown so technically she hasn't. The only one who seems to have had legitimate training is Makoto. As for tricks she may have learned from the G-boys, she might not have wanted to show them too soon. Gotta keep people surprised, you know! PS&PS4Ever!: You may not be reading this but thank you for the encouragement anyway. Even though you don't agree with the main pairing I'm glad you didn't flame me for it. Hopefully, I'll write something you'll like in the future! Dragon Lady: Sorry for the delay but I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Heart Soul: Wow! *is blushing furiously* I really don't know what to say! Thank you so much for the praise. Duckie had to bring me back down to earth after I read your review! I really don't think I'm that good of an author. I just like writing what I feel. As for review size, whatever gets your point across is good for me. If you have a lot to say then by all means write a longer review. If not, you can keep it short but sweet too! As for the actual writing, well I cannot lie, it's actually all the fault of the characters. They pretty much write themselves, which is why I can't even tell you how long I think this fic is going to be. I originally had it planned for 10 then 15 chapters, but that's obviously wrong. It could be as many as 50 chapters! *nearly faints dead away* Usagi will wake up and interact with the pilots and get some fighting action, though it may not go the way people think it will. And I don't find you annoying at all. Your reviews are very entertaining and I love you for them! I'll make sure to try and keep this fic as interesting as possible for you! huffpuff: Every time I get a review from you, I get happy all over. I really admire your writing so it means a lot to get a compliment from you! I definitely wouldn't mind another chapter of ADR from you! It really has been trying to keep everyone individual and in character but it does make for more interesting writing, which is probably why my characters have more control of the story than I do. I may have to get an electric cattle prod to keep them in line! Joanna: Thanks for the constructive criticism. I was hoping that Ami wanting to find the library and Rei saying she wanted to meditate wouldn't seem too cliché but Ami's part needed the library (I've had that scene planned for a long time.) and Rei used the meditating as an excuse since the other girls know how important that is to her. As for the others taking too much of Rei's spotlight, the others have been getting a lot of airtime but Rei/Heero will always remain the focus. Please let me know if there are other things that can be worked on. I really appreciate the input! Li Ying Fa: I really miss you and your fic, but I understand your life must be very busy. Young love is adorable, isn't it? And all of my couples will enjoy it sooner or later. Haruka is very protective of her "younger sisters" and she isn't afraid to show it! Keep on enjoying life! Michelle Ann/Myst Lady: Wow! You actually read all the chapters? That just amazes me because this story has become a beast! I can definitely guarantee that there will be no Usagi/Heero in this fic as I agree completely that they are a yuck couple. As for a Setsuna/Zechs pairing, I wasn't planning on one but after reading your suggestion I became intrigued and came up with a story and reason for it immediately so yes, you will get them in this fic. I'm actually laying groundwork for it in this chapter though it's very subtle. The Firey: Arigatou gozaimasu! When is your next chapter coming out? ^_^ miyaka: I'm so glad you're enjoying the fic and I was hoping that people could see the scenes the way I wrote them. You're review made me extremely happy! There will definitely be more Zechs and he will be trying his hardest to cause friction between Heero and Rei. Hopefully, I can continue to make the chapters better for you! Marsgoddess: The couples definitely have some strange things in store for them. They will all have their share of funny moments, tender moments, and even some angst moments as well. And yes, Haruka did cheat, using her Senshi powers, but she considers it fair since Heero has his Newtype abilities. If nothing else, she seems to respect him now! And there is no way that Wufei is going to poach on another man's territory. Women aren't important enough to him (so far) for him to want to put out that kind of effort! WickeD tEnShI: I love your comments! And yes, some of the couples are very different from what we normally see, but I just love alternate pairings. I hope you'll continue to like them! *hands over some Visine* Sorry about the long chapters! Kaiya: Thank you so much! It's so great to hear from someone who thinks like I do! lady pyro: Well, you will find out what happens to our favorite couple in this chapter and I hope you'll like it! Icyfire: I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but I hope you'll continue to stay with me! Princess Ren: Setsuna may seem like a bitch, but she really does care about the Inners and Hotaru. It's just that she has a huge responsibility too. I'm glad you liked the Minako/Quatre romance. They always seemed like the most open about their feelings so it was a lot easier to get them involved. Never fear that I will put off the Rei/Heero romance though! Kellie: Sorry about the delay, but I didn't make you wait 3 months this time! This time it was 4 months! Sigh! I swear I have to get better at managing my time! My hubby thanks you for the cute remark! YEN-X-54: I really loved writing the day after reactions and tried to make them as characteristic as possible so thank you for noticing! Hopefully, I can continue to balance the humor and the romance. Thanks for reading! A-chan: I miss you, imouto-chan! Where are you? Don't tell me high school has won and actually kicked your butt! I'll send Trowa to save you! He might be afraid of three crazy women but high school doesn't scare him one bit! *yanks shaking Trowa out of his hiding place* See? Wufei and Hotaru are going to have very interesting interactions and she's going to show him that not all strength can be seen! Come back to us, A-chan! Dark Smile: I hope you're feeling better and get well soon! As for Rei, she didn't say anything to Haruka because she realizes Haruka does it out of love and concern, not to mention I think she feels responsible for it. She blames herself more than she blames Haruka. And Wufei isn't stupid enough to open his mouth after seeing the beat down Heero got, since he barely managed to escape one from Heero! I do hope that Need finishes before we all die! andrea: I'm so sorry! *bows down low* It's taking a long time but I hope that you'll be satisfied with this chapter! Michi: I'll be happy to put you on my mailing list for updates. Sorry you have to use your precious time to check for updates. I'll start letting you know as soon as I post! marzy001: No computer? Yikes! I live off of my mine! No wonder there haven't been any new updates on either of your stories yet! Well, I hope you get one soon! Hotaru was the one having those sweet little thoughts about Wufei in the beginning. She got to see a little bit of Wufei's softer side. The hung-over Senshi was a trip to write and I'm glad so many of you seemed to enjoy it! Rei was just lucky that she wasn't as drunk as the other girls and she took her medicine before coming downstairs so she wouldn't have to face the indignity! Karma really came back for Heero, didn't it? He beats up Wufei and then gets beaten in return by Haruka. Who says there's no justice in the world? Oh right, Wufei does! Chibi Reis and Heeros? That is kind of scary in a cute kind of way…I may just have to ask for your protection from Rei and Heero someday. *gets bonked by a broom* (Never mind…) Princess Mars: More Rei/Heero fics from me? Hmmm, I'd love to but I'm afraid I have to concentrate on Need for right now. I don't write off the possibility though. My mind comes out with more plot bunnies than real bunnies come up with baby bunnies! As for a Rei/Duo, it has a lot of possibilities and I'm glad you gave me reasoning for it. I might do one but it'll have to get in line for right now. The next fic I have planned is already in the works and it's a Rei/Trunks Mirai. It isn't being released until I have 3 chapters finished though. We'll see what happens. Thank you for reviewing! babeof01and05+trunks: I'm working on it! Sorry to make you wait! I hope you'll enjoy the Rei/Heero moments in this chapter! Boredenigma: Yes, we do indeed have a lot in common. It takes a lot for me to control myself so I don't write Usagi as the idiot I usually see her as. So many fics out there just killed her for me! Hopefully, more Rei/Heero fics will come and they will get the attention they deserve! Firenze: I am continuing and I'm sorry I've made your eyes all red. *gets Visine back from WickeD tEnShI and hands it over* Maybe this and this newest chapter will help? thescientist: It seems so long since I've heard from you, but it's partially my fault too since I can't seem to post like I used to. Rei is definitely making the first move and if it wouldn't bump the rating to a NC-17 and then get banned from FF.net, I would have her lock Heero up in a room all for herself! I'm glad you like the Duo/Ami pairing. I just thought it would be cute to see such opposites together and writing a Duo/Minako scared me. I thought they'd play too many jokes together and everyone would want to kill them! Fleur de Lys: Oh, I definitely love Minako, she's my second fave out of the Senshi and so fun to write for! And there's definitely a reason why Hotohori and Zechs are so hot and the voice is just a part of it! *sighs deeply with little hearts in eyes* Those visions Rei's having are definitely going to be causing more havoc and Setsuna's going to have her hands full! You gotta feel sorry for her! Mars Child: Thank you so much for reading it over and over. Hopefully, this'll give you something new to read and make you forgive me for keeping you in suspense for so long! Tyrion77: Thank you! Here's the newest part! Reifanatic: Thank you! I love you for reading! I hope you enjoy this latest part! DragonStar: It really does feel like a novel sometimes and I'm missing all of my deadlines. If I actually had a publisher, they'd probably be tearing their hair out! It's nice to meet fellow Rei supporters. It seems like there's so few of them out there! DTN: Thank you for the compliment! Hopefully, I'll be joining you in the SM/DBZ section someday! Your Rei/Trunks fics are so cool! Greenscorpion_98@yahoo.com: Thank you for the encouraging e-mail you sent! Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna having to drink Rashid's cure? Hmm, Michiru would be very ladylike about it and probably go off somewhere where no one could see her. Haruka would fuss and complain but just throw it back and gulp it as fast as possible. Probably try to act like it didn't affect her but be gagging on the inside. And Setsuna would just use her Time Staff to travel into the future so she wouldn't have to drink it! And you got the pairings right, except Michiru and Haruka don't have men in their lives. They've always been together. And Setsuna will be with Zechs because he will have a change in attitude and he'll need Setsuna to keep him sane. Duckie: Thank you for letting me hog the computer and being the beta for this monster! You've helped me sort through all of my ideas and given me new perspective! (Even though I'm still not thrilled with Usagi!) I live to surprise you when I can!
A/N: Well, I'm late again! Gomen nasai, minna! I'm not going to fill up space with my explanation for the delay this time. If anyone is interested, just read the first paragraph of my bio for the whole story behind why it took me almost 4 months to get this baby out when I started writing it right after I posted the last chapter. Thank you everyone for sticking with me!
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Sounds of laughter pealed throughout the kitchen as Makoto and Hotaru laughed good-naturedly at Minako's antics with the wire whisk. Globs of white chocolate were spattered all over her face and upper body. One particularly stubborn blob hung precariously from a set of ridiculously long eyelashes, which was being blinked rapidly to shake off the offending morsel. Minako looked baffled at the mess she had created; there was more chocolate on her person than there was in the bowl. She had let her mind drift while she had been whipping the melted chocolate, thoughts of Quatre and how much she looked forward to bringing him a sampling of the fudge she had made with her own hands running like a movie reel through her imagination. She had become quite giddy and had started to whip the chocolate madly when she thought of how sweet and gracious he would be when he accepted it, maybe even giving her a kiss, which might lead to other things. At this point, she had flushed bright red, mentally calling herself a hentai and scolding herself for being so forward so soon. She had snapped out of her mental daze when she had felt herself being shaken like a rag doll. Blinking, she had looked up to see Makoto snickering at her and Hotaru trying to be polite by hiding her giggles behind her hand. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she felt the chocolate slowly slide down the side of her neck.
"So, Minako-chan, what thoughts were going through your mind, ne? Maybe I could guess," Makoto teased, her emerald eyes shining with mirth. Another light giggle came from behind her as Hotaru bit her lip to keep from laughing anymore at Minako's expense.
"I don't know what you're thinking about, Mako-chan. I was just a little bit zealous with the fudge making, that's all. I think it's understandable, considering how yummy it is," Minako tried to retort loftily, but failed when the drop hanging from her eyelashes chose that precise moment to drop with a soft plop onto her hand.
"Minako-san, you really shouldn't lie to your friends like that. What kind of example are you setting for impressionable young minds like mine," Hotaru said mock reprovingly, wagging a finger at her while shaking her head, setting the chin length bob swishing.
Minako stuck her tongue out in response, crossing her eyes at the same time. Makoto's laughter sputtered out at the ridiculous face her friend was making, forcing her to lean against the kitchen counter weakly as the intensity of her giggles threatened to make her weak in the knees. Suddenly, she straightened frantically, blurting, "Quatre-san, what are you doing here?"
Minako spun around immediately, horrified to think that he was witnessing her ridiculous antics. 'He's going to think I'm such a freak! He'll never take me seriously at this rate. I show up drunk and fling myself at him, act like a baby when I'm forced to drink Rashid-san's hangover cure and now this,' she thought frantically before realizing that Quatre was nowhere to be seen. Spinning back around to face Makoto, she was unsurprised to see her statuesque friend howling with laughter, tears streaming down her face, bent over and clasping her stomach. Hotaru was also convulsed in laughter, a look that lit her face up from within.
"Those tears you're crying now will be nothing compared to the tears I'm going to make you cry, Mako-chan," Minako growled, stressing the chan. She cracked her knuckles menacingly and seemed to grow to epic proportions, dwarfing both girls in the process.
Makoto hastily choked off her laughter and put up both hands, as if to ward off the demon her friend had just become. "No harm done, ne? It was just a small joke. Here, take this and take it up to Quatre-san," Makoto said placatingly, presenting a gold-rimmed plate piled high with several choice squares of white chocolate fudge dusted with cocoa powder.
Minako pursed her lips, debating on whether or not to let her brunette friend off the hook for fooling her so completely. On the one hand, it wasn't often that one could get the Amazonian young woman, whose stubbornness was second only to Rei's, to crumble under pressure so easily. However, the tempting thought of being able to spend some more time with Quatre, just being able to explore their feelings together without the prying eyes of others was just too great to ignore. Sniffing as haughtily as she could with smears of gooey chocolate liberally coating her features, she accepted the plate like a queen accepting tribute from her subjects. "Don't think this lets the both of you off completely," she sniffed, tilting her nose up in the air. Spinning on her heel, she stalked out of the room with the loaded plate, heading for her rendezvous with her newly discovered love.
"You might want to change and get cleaned up, Minako-chan, unless you want him to lick the chocolate off of you. Ne, Hotaru-chan, do you think Quatre-kun is in to that kind of thing," Makoto said slyly, her eyes narrowed in mirth as Minako did an about face in the other direction towards her room, her fair complexion flushing hotly.
"Makoto no ecchi," Minako spit out, her face still as red as a newly boiled lobster's as she hastily made her way down to her room, both to get cleaned up but to also escape from her friends' remarks. She knew they were just paying her back for times she had done the same to them, but she was a little sensitive about being teased this time. Normally, she would have given as good as she got, but her feelings for Quatre were just too new and somehow too intense to be teased about.
"Do you think we went too far, Mako-san? She seems uncharacteristically quiet about her feelings and what happened between her and Quatre-san this morning," Hotaru asked quietly, having heard about what happened in the breakfast room from the other girls as they had gotten ready for their sparring session.
"Anou, it's difficult to tell sometimes with Minako-chan. She'll let huge issues slide sometimes but she'll completely freak over little things. I guess we'll have to wait and see," the tall brunette replied, her deep forest green eyes thoughtful. 'Is she serious about Quatre or is this another one of her crushes? She's acting strange, even for her. We can't afford to have her acting spacey, especially with Usagi-chan suspended inside the Ginzuishou,' Makoto fretted to herself.
Hotaru was quiet, her musings finally broken when she looked up at her older friend. "If Rei-san is in love with Heero-san and Minako-san is in love with Quatre-san, what happens to the Senshi? Can we ask them to leave their boyfriends and come back home with us when Usagi-san wakes up, leaving them behind," Hotaru asked, her eyes turning sad at the possibility of heartbreak for her friends.
Makoto sighed heavily, her countenance melancholy. "I really don't know, Hotaru-chan, I really don't. I know that they'd both do anything for Usagi-chan, including giving up their lives, as we have before, but I also know that there are times when we've all been a little envious that Usagi-chan is the only one among us that seems to have found love, excepting Michiru-san and Haruka-san, of course. I honestly don't know what either of them would do if they were faced with that decision. I don't know what I'd do if I were faced with that choice. How can we be fighters for love and justice if we have no one to love," she replied, twisting a curling strand of hair around her finger absent-mindedly. Her gaze was unfocused as she looked inward into her own heart, trying to see if she could find the answer within herself.
"Do you think Usagi-san would make them choose between their duty to her and their love for another," Hotaru asked, quietly untying the apron strings around her waist, sensing that the time for fun in the kitchen was over. She folded the apron neatly and placed it on a shelf before turning her regard back to the still silent Senshi of Thunder.
"I think the issue is more about whether or not their love for Usagi-chan is stronger than their love for another person. Part of me thinks that there is no one they could love more than Usagi-chan, no one they could owe more to, but the other part of me wonders if our love for Usagi-chan could fulfill all that we need," Makoto said, tilting her head back to look up at the ceiling, leaning back against the counter with her elbows. She shook her head dismissively after a couple of moments. "Of course, we don't even know if things will work out between Rei-chan and Heero, especially after Rei-chan's visions of his betrayal. Minako-chan and Quatre-san could be a different story altogether though. They really seem to connect on some unknown level."
"Regardless of the problems Rei-san is going through with Heero-san and the visions she's had, I really think there's a connection between them too. The feeling between them is too intense, almost like a current, to be ignored. If it wasn't, then Rei-san wouldn't be anguishing over the visions she's seeing, she'd have cut him out of her mind like that," Hotaru said, snapping her fingers with a quick flourish.
"True. Maybe I just don't want to think about there possibly being two of us who have a reason to not want to go back to our dimension. I don't know what would happen and I really don't want to think about how we could even begin to be a team without everyone, but especially those two," Makoto murmured as she lowered her head back down to look at her fellow comrade. Hotaru smiled wanly, her eyes shadowed with uncertainty as she wondered what new situation life would throw at them once more.
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In another part of the house, Ami was perusing the immense library that she had stumbled upon. Turning slowly in a small circle, she stared wide-eyed at the shelves lined with countless books. She had been surprised to know that books still existed, considering the level of technology available in this age. She had been sure that they'd all be on disk or microchip. Rashid had been the one to smile benignly at her and let her know that the Winners were traditionalists who didn't mind the modern ways but preferred many of the older methods of doing things, including having real books instead of the fake ones many rich families had now in their personal libraries, most of them for show only. Ami had grown a lot more carefree and casual over the years but she couldn't help but admit that there was still nothing more comforting than curling up with a good book for a long read. So much had changed and was so unexpected that she craved some sort of normalcy for herself and she had immediately sought the refuge of the library. She knew she could have joined the others in the kitchen and made fudge but she wasn't quite in the mood and she didn't want to bring the others down. She knew the Outers and Mamoru were going to Usagi's room to have a private discussion over something. She had seen the significant looks they had thrown each other before exiting the exercise room. 'They've been meeting a lot, having these discussions that they blow off whenever one of us younger ones tries to question them. It's not like we're still 14 years old and can't handle things,' Ami thought, uncharacteristically irritable. Even though Hotaru was technically an Outer Senshi as well, she was treated much like an Inner and tended to hang out more with her own age group. Shaking the resentful thoughts out of her head, she turned back to the shelf of books she had been looking at and delicately pulled a thick leather-bound volume, titled The Pan-Eurasian Conflict, 1956-2056. Raising a slim brow, she riffled through the pages, reading snatches of passages here and there before deciding to keep it. She turned around to choose a comfortable chair to snuggle into before her eyes were caught by the enticing sight of a bench surrounded by flowering plants, near a bubbling fountain outside in the golden sunshine. Biting her lip indecisively, she continued to look at the picturesque scene in front of her before finally deciding to sit outside in the verdant garden to enjoy one of her favorite pastimes.
Settling down with a soft sigh of pleasure, Ami let her cares drop from her slim shoulders, burying herself in the fascinating history of a world so similar yet so amazingly different from her own. Unconsciously dabbling the slim fingertips of one hand into the cool water of the bubbling marble fountain while the other hand carefully turned the pages of the thick tome in her lap, she learned more about the dimension she was currently in, gathering surveillance of a sorts while enjoying herself at the same time. Though many of her friends would grimace to see what she was doing, Ami reveled in this brief respite. There was nothing but sweet, fresh air, beautiful scenery and an interesting book to provide her with desperately needed peace. 'Mako-chan cooks or practices her martial arts, Minako-chan loses herself in a magazine or singing to her favorite songs on the radio, Rei-chan meditates or writes music, and Usagi-chan eats or sleeps to relax. What makes my hobby so different from theirs? It isn't as dangerous as Haruka-san's racecar driving or anything. I guess it makes us who we are. I never thought I'd have such a diverse group of friends before in my life, but they all bring out something in me and I hope I do the same for them,' Ami thought humbly, leaving one tapered finger to mark her spot while she looked up into the blue, blue sky, closing her eyes briefly and taking a deep breath, the scent of honeysuckle permeating her senses. Shaking her head at her strange thoughts, she bowed her head back down to continue reading, unaware of the indigo eyes watching her from a corner of the private garden.
'I don't know why she attracts me so much. I've known women who were sexier, more beautiful, more exciting, but there's just something about her that draws me to her. She's beautiful in her own way, with that soft hair that frames her face so perfectly and those big blue eyes that just seem to swallow me whole. She's so petite that I just want to fold my arms around her and protect her, but her shy, unassuming personality makes me want to show her how life should really be lived. She should be having fun and laughing all of the time instead of always having that serious face,' Duo thought resentfully, as his indigo eyes roamed freely over the pretty picture Ami made while reading. He ran the tip of his braid through his fingers thoughtfully as he wondered over how to approach her. He sucked in his breath abruptly as she looked up and seemed to stare directly at him. 'Oh crap! I'm so busted. What do I say? What do I do? Should I tell her I was just out for a breath of fresh air or maybe just walking around to get some exercise? Should I tell her that I'm looking for her? Gah! And what if she asks me why I'm looking for her or if she doesn't believe my other excuses? This sucks,' the braided young man thought frantically. The air he had been holding inside whooshed out silently as Ami blinked a couple of times before returning back to her book, obviously not noticing her uncharacteristically silent admirer. 'Man, that was a close one! I thought for sure she knew I was here and was going to call me on it! Good thing my stealth skills are working!'
Meanwhile, Ami was thoroughly engrossed in her book, speed reading yet retaining all of the information in front of her. She was fascinated with the history of this dimension, her normal curiosity heightened by a conversation she had had with Rei about her time here. 'I can't believe they had a war that lasted so long. Maybe it was because there wasn't a Crystal Tokyo here to show people that peace can be obtained, a queen like Neo-Queen Serenity to lead them gracefully into a new age. I was shocked to learn that there were no Senshi here and that there never had been. I guess I always thought about other dimensions as being like parallel universes, with everything and everyone having an equal counterpart in it, but I guess I was mistaken. Still, it's exciting to learn about a new dimension like this, seeing how things could have turned out,' she mused silently to herself, tapping a forefinger against her soft, pink lips thoughtfully. She continued to read, relaxing to the point where she let down her guard completely, focused only upon the book in her lap.
Several feet away, Duo seethed as he struggled internally with himself, outwardly composed but his mind raging a battle of enormous proportions. 'I feel so stupid! I act like Mr. Cool and charm my way through just about everything and there hasn't been a girl yet that I haven't been able to make respond to me except for her. I crack jokes and flirt and she looks at me with those huge, solemn blue eyes of hers and I end up sticking my foot in my mouth. She probably thinks I'm the biggest dolt in the world but all I want is a little bit of her attention. She's always hanging around in the background as if it would be too presumptuous of her to claim the spotlight once in a while. I almost passed out when I saw her come home drunk because I was sure she'd never do anything like that. I guess that's what intrigues me so much about her. I can sense that there's this spirit inside of her longing to be completely spontaneous and I want to unleash it. I want to see her dance and laugh in the rain, eat enormous amounts of ice cream for dinner, sing operettas at the top of her lungs, swim in a bathtub filled with rose petals. I just want to see her live life, not just read about it. Damn it, doesn't she realize that life is passing her by? That's it! I am going to show her how life is supposed to be lived, through experience. I'm going to make her come out of her shell or my name isn't Shinigami,' he vowed, his eyes alight with excitement as he thought of ways to entice her from her secure little bower.
"Hey! Do my eyes deceive me or is there a gorgeous sprite who landed in Quatre's garden," Duo quipped, his eyes sparkling with mischief, strolling out of his hiding spot and causing Ami to jump slightly, startled by the sudden intrusion. His grin widened as he saw her sapphire blue eyes round in surprise, her mouth open as she squeaked.
Ami blushed, a soft rose gently painting her soft peach-hued skin. Flustered, she smiled nervously while tucking a short lock of hair behind her ear. "Oh! I didn't hear you coming! I thought that this was a private garden," she stammered and then mentally groaned, hearing how horribly rude that statement sounded. Even though she had matured over the past couple of years and had become a little worldlier from her friends' influence, she was still shy, quiet Ami at heart, and was uncomfortable talking with people she didn't know very well. If she were completely truthful with herself, she would have admitted that the main reason why she was so tongue-tied was because Duo made her stomach erupt into fluttering butterflies. She flushed again, her cheeks deepening in color as she remembered a drunken confession she had made to Rei during their karaoke adventure about how Duo's devil-may-care smile made her feel like it was reserved for her alone. Rei had looked at her oddly before commenting that it was about time and handing her another frozen pink slushy drink with a paper umbrella and a cute little monkey hanging off the rim of the frosted glass. "Anou, I didn't mean to say you were intruding or anything like that, it's just that I wasn't expecting company," Ami finished lamely, the last words dying off as she watched Duo walk towards her, his gait that of a lazy panther, all sinewy grace and restrained power.
"A girl like you should never want for company. It's a shame that someone hasn't snatched you up already. Then again, maybe it's my good luck that you're not with anyone," Duo said suggestively as he lowered himself onto the stone bench, positioning his body close to hers even though there was plenty of room on both sides of her. He let a smile lazily cross his face as he felt her squirm next to him, trying not to be obvious. 'Oh yeah, she wants me,' he exulted, feeling his confidence swell. Maybe it was because of that slight touch of arrogance or maybe it was just a stroke of ill luck that caused the fabled God of Death to make the most horrendous mistake of his life. He casually reached over, his cheek brushing hers, feeling her suck in a breath and her cheeks darken in color once again, and plucked the book from between her limp hands and tossed it casually over his shoulder. He leaned in for the killing blow, a hot scorching kiss that would melt her into a puddle of goo and make his own knees weaken when she jumped up abruptly, nearly knocking him to the ground. "Kami-sama! What were you thinking, doing something as irresponsible as that," Ami shrieked, her eyes frantic and not looking at him but at the thick book that had rapidly sunk to the bottom of the fountain behind them. She scrambled madly, plunging her hands into the icy water and fishing out the once beautifully leather-bound tome, now nothing more than a soggy mess.
Duo shook his head, trying to clear his brain as he digested what he had so carelessly done. Ami looked to be near tears as the book seemed to slowly dissolve in her hands. He felt his heart freeze as she looked up, tears swimming in her beautiful, expressive eyes. He was about to stand up and console her when the look in her eyes seemed to change in a flicker of an eyelash from sad to spitting mad. 'Geez, I think I've only seen that look in Rei-chan's eyes when Wu-man says something totally sexist to her.'
"How could you? Do you know what you've done? You've ruined a priceless piece of history. And for what? So you could flirt with me? I can't believe you," Ami hissed, a motion completely uncharacteristic of her. Like any good bibliophile (A/N: book lover), Ami knew that the worth of a book wasn't the monetary value, but the historical and sentimental value its owner bestowed upon it. Horrified that an obviously expensive and important book had been destroyed while in her possession, Ami did what any human being would do: she vented. The rest of the Senshi would have been shocked to the core to see her act so except for Haruka, who would have smirked in approval. Still caught up in her emotions, she lashed out again, "I can't believe you could be so careless! What kind of Gundam pilot are you? What if that had been some evidence on the weaknesses of the Ravagers or something else of equal importance? You would have destroyed it without a thought!"
Duo sat on the ground, folding his legs into a cross-legged style, watching the fascinating scene of the Senshi of Ice losing her cool. Propping himself with his arms behind him, he cocked his head and watched her eyes snap and spark with fury. She reminded him of a spitting and snarling kitten, for even though she was upset she still captured his attention with her cuteness. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from gathering her into his arms and soothing her by petting her like he would the kitten she resembled. He was amused and was congratulating himself for getting her to come out from behind her polite little wall when he heard her put down his skills as a Gundam pilot. Being the most fun-loving of his fellow comrades, he generally let most things slide off his back, not bothering to get upset like Wufei, but this was something he couldn't let slide. He took his duty as a Gundam pilot extremely seriously, the memories of the destruction of Maxwell Church living with him always. Just because he approached life differently didn't mean he wasn't capable. He surged to his feet in one fluid motion, capturing her shoulders in his hands, the only thing on his mind being that he wanted to shut her up. Shocked out of her tirade, Ami stared up at him with eyes filled with surprise, lightening them to a beautiful shade of azure. Duo smirked at his success in quieting her before slanting his mouth over hers in an insistent kiss, his bold move leaving her defenseless. Encouraged by her non-resistance, he swiped his tongue lazily across her soft lips, the sweet taste of strawberries registering in his mind as he did so. He grinned mentally, for strawberries were his favorite fruit. Wanting a more thorough taste, he nudged his tongue against the seam of her lips, darting in when her mouth opened obediently.
Ami's senses were whirling madly as Duo explored her mouth skillfully. Her bones seemed to be melting as he continued to taste her. She had been kissed before, once by Urawa Ryo, whom she had dated briefly before the long distance between them had forced them to break up, and another time by Kou Taiki, which had set her face aflame. (A/N: Neither of these instances happened in the SM timeline, just wanting to give Ami something to compare Duo's kiss to.) Neither of those kisses had been anything like what she was experiencing now. He tasted of melted sunshine and rich milk chocolate, lazy summer days and the thrill of flight. Part of Ami's mind was abhorred, hating the thought that someone was taking such liberties with her so casually. The other part of her, the part of her that was secretly envious when the others came back from exciting dates with cute guys, was delighted with Duo's boldness and she reveled in the thought that she could cause him to lose control like this. For the most part though, her mind was on sensory overload.
Duo prolonged the kiss for an additional minute before reluctantly separating from the befuddled genius. Licking his lips briefly to taste her once more, he waited until her eyes began to clear before rasping out huskily, "Never take me for granted and never belittle my abilities. I can be a lot of things, most of them good, but you really don't want to insult me like that again, Ami-chan. I may not be of genius caliber like you are, but I haven't survived this long on my looks alone." Giving her a lazy wink, he walked away from her, shoving his hands into pockets and whistling a merry tune.
Ami stood silently, a pale statue, as she brought the tips of her fingers to her lips wonderingly. She could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers, the warmth of his hands on her shoulders, and it made her shiver. She had never been so out of control before in her life and it scared her, deeply.
####***
Thousands of miles away, an enormous spaceship was drifting slowly through space, hidden by the asteroid belt it was currently gliding through. A lone female figure sat in an exquisitely wrought throne, her legs crossed casually as she idly raked her gaze across the faces of several of her most highly stationed followers. None dared to hold her gaze for long, for she exuded an air of evil about her that even the vilest among them could not bear to be around for more than a few minutes. Abruptly, she stood, her lavender wings flaring once before settling around her slim figure. Pinning the nearest figure with her fiery gaze, she barked, "Have we heard anything from our agent yet?"
"Iie, Corthys-sama. We know it has been inserted into the ranks of the humans but there has been nothing yet," an insectoid with lightning arcing between its antennae answered, his eyes never meeting hers in fear that she would eviscerate him over the less than favorable news.
Corthys' eyes narrowed, her displeasure evident in every facet of her features. Some may have called her beautiful, despite her strange coloring, but there was no beauty evident now in the quivering form of the Ravager leader. "Why has nothing been done to contact our agent then? Must I be surrounded by fools who have to be told how to do every little thing? Incompetents! Find out what has happened or I will feast on your bones! I want the agent activated as soon as possible. I tire of this game with the humans," the pale-skinned woman hissed, her fangs protruding menacingly.
Several Ravagers stiffened immediately, rushing from the room after sketching a deep bow to their leader. The others remained in place, ready to be called upon at a moment's notice. A fledgling edged itself towards the door; its unnaturally bright green eyes slitted with concentration as it tried to exit without being noticed, yet still keep an open ear for any more news. The figure made its way to the door and slipped through it hastily. As it exited, a deep sigh of relief was released. It immediately made its way to a seldom-used supply room and began the arduous duty of encrypting a message to the UEA.
####***
Minako hummed a cheery tune under her breath as she made her way to Quatre's study, holding a small plate of white chocolate fudge and strawberries in her hands. She had cleaned up and changed, her hair swept back into a half ponytail and bound with a bright blue ribbon that matched the spaghetti-strapped top she wore. The butterfly design on the shirt was embroidered in great detail in myriad colors of thread and matched the butterfly embroidered on her white shorts. Coming to the door, she stopped and tugged self-consciously at the hem of her shirt before steeling herself and knocking on the door with three soft knocks.
"Come in" came the soft, distracted voice of Quatre Winner. Minako took a deep breath and opened the door, sliding past it and shutting it softly behind her.
"Minako-chan! I see you kept your promise," Quatre gently teased, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Minako. He put down his stylus and pressed a button on the control panel of his desk, making the monitor he had been working on disappear into the surface of the golden oak desk he was working at. He rose from his chair and walked towards her, admiring the way the sunlight in the room made her hair glow with a million brilliant lights. 'She's an angel,' he thought fancifully as he led her to a chair near the fireplace. He watched her smile at him before gracefully sinking into the comfortable depths of the leather chair. He took his own seat next to hers and asked eagerly, like a small child promised a present, "Is that for me?"
Minako giggled at the look of anticipation in his light blue eyes and couldn't resist teasing him. "Is this the only thing you were looking forward to? Maybe you wouldn't care if it was delivered by someone else," she pouted at him, sticking out her bottom lip playfully. She felt so at ease with him, as if she had known him for hundreds of years, the kind of closeness that she only really had with the other Senshi, whom she had known for millennia.
Quatre looked up, his eyes turning serious immediately. He gently reached for one slim hand and held it in his own, palm to palm. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his remaining free hand before looking at her and replying softly, "I honestly don't know what it is about you, but I think if it had been any other person, the fudge wouldn't taste as sweet."
Minako blushed but her eyes seemed to sparkle with renewed energy, glowing almost as bright as the stars. No other man had ever made her feel this way before and that was saying a lot, for the Senshi of Love tended to fall into infatuations and crushes rather quickly, much to her best friend's dismay and embarrassment. Rei liked to label them as flavors of the moment, usually rolling her eyes in exasperation when Minako would begin to extol their attributes to her. Minako would usually get serious after a while, softly proclaiming that she needed to fully understand what love was in order to be able to use her powers to the fullest. She was often frustrated because the others seemed to be able to call upon their powers more fully than she could seem to. The true concept of love always seemed to elude her, until now. She knew it was fast, too fast according to reason for her to declare that she loved Quatre, but reason had no place in her sphere of power. "You must say that to all the girls," Minako murmured, trying to not let herself fall too hard or too fast for the angelically handsome man before her.
"I never say what I don't mean, even when I'm trying to be diplomatic, Minako-chan. I can honestly say that you affect me in ways I can't even begin to describe. My head tells me that I should be wary, that I shouldn't let you in so fast, that you're not from my world, but my heart is doing a really good job of ignoring it. It tells me that you could be the best thing to ever happen to me, that you'll bring me happiness beyond my imagination, that I've found someone I can tell my deepest secrets and my most fanciful dreams to. I'd be a fool to not be scared, but I don't think I really care about that right now. Even before I met you, when Rei-chan used to tell me stories about all of you, I always looked forward to the stories about you the most. I thought it was because you were Rei-chan's best friend and she obviously loved you like a sister, but I used to catch myself wishing that you existed in my time so I could meet you," Quatre admitted in a low voice, bowing his head slightly so his eyes were hidden behind his bangs. A soft flush spread across his face as he confessed something that no one knew about him, not even Rei or his own best friend, Trowa. His heart beat painfully fast as he waited for her response. 'Allah, she might think I'm some sort of strange freak now. What in the world possessed me to just blurt all that out,' he asked himself, biting his lip in consternation.
"That is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever said to me, Quatre-kun," Minako replied softly, bringing her fingers under Quatre's chin and lifting it so his eyes met hers. Her heart had leapt at his words for it had recognized the truth and sincerity in his words. All she could see in him with her powers was the soft, tender love he was proffering her so openly. She was so used to men who tried to hide behind insincere words and empty flattery, promises doled out like water and just as easily broken. She was used to men who looked at her as nothing more than arm candy, a status symbol to be used and discarded as soon as a better one came along. She had often gone crying to Rei, wondering why she couldn't find a man who could accept her for all she was, who could see beyond her golden blonde hair, cornflower blue eyes and curvy figure to the shrewd mind and deep feelings she also possessed. Unlike Rei though, she never gave up on finding love, throwing herself into relationship after relationship, desperately hoping the next one would be the man she was looking for. Rei had supported her, telling her that out of all of them, that she was the most likely to find love. 'Looks like you might have been right, Rei-chan. I owe you more than I can ever say,' Minako thought gratefully, feeling her heart lighten.
"You don't think I'm being strange then," Quatre asked, his eyes filling with relief. Not only had he found a woman who could understand what he had been through, but could accept what he had done in the midst of battle, and now seemed to understand that he had been searching for her his entire life without knowing it.
Minako grinned, her trademark smile beautiful beyond compare. "Quatre-kun, you are nowhere near strange. Rei-chan would say that I'm the strange one and she's totally right. I can be impulsive one moment and then frighteningly serious in the next heartbeat. I flirt like crazy but am totally loyal. I want to be a famous idol singer but wouldn't abandon my princess or my life as a Senshi even if my life depended on it. I have a talking cat that is pure white with a golden crescent moon on his forehead. I've been fighting crime since I was 13. I've been a model and an actress and the star of my volleyball team. My best friend is a fire-flinging miko who has a temper that can ignite like a gas fire around a smoker. I can fling energy beams the way other people snap their fingers. Quatre-kun, there is nothing you can say or do that would shock me," she finished, the grin on her face never fading.
Quatre smiled as well, his own smile mirroring hers as she recited her litany. "Don't think you can scare me away with your supposed faults, Minako-chan. I happen to be looking for a woman with those exact same traits. I also think I can shock you," he responded sweetly, his guileless blue eyes meeting hers.
"Oh, really," Minako drawled, her eyebrow rising at the tone of his voice, which was completely sure of itself. "Go ahead, shock me."
"You asked for it," Quatre murmured before he leaned forward to capture her lips in a kiss that completely shut down all of the blonde girl's thought processes. The kiss was soft, but sure, a celebration of a man who had found the one he had been waiting for.
Minako melted, her surprise at Quatre's forwardness fading quickly. She threw her arms around his neck happily and allowed herself to be swept away by the kiss. She knew that Quatre would never hurt her if he could help it. She shifted, allowing herself to be pulled into his lap, his arms wrapping around her slim waist.
The white chocolate fudge and strawberries sat forgotten for a long time.
####***
Several light years away, another man sat behind a desk, but there would be no deliveries of sweets to him this day. This man had ordered all personnel away, except for those in the medical wing. He stared fixedly at a small gilt picture frame on his desk, the picture one of a girl in a pink dress sitting next to a shaggy sheep dog, her arms thrown around its neck carelessly and a broad smile on her face. He traced the features of her face with a long finger, his ice blue eyes narrowed with remembrance, a remembrance that slowly changed to determination. Setting his jaw fixedly, he silently vowed that the girl in the picture should only know laughter and happiness. 'I swear to you, Relena, you will want for nothing. I haven't always been there for you and at times we have been at odds, but I will do all within my power to see that you want for nothing, even if I don't agree with it,' he thought sardonically as he reflected on the things that he and his sister had clashed over, most recently Heero Yuy. 'I don't see what attracts you to him. You deserve someone who thinks the sun rises and sets in your eyes, someone who would give up everything for you, someone who loves you as you love them. You don't need a battle-scarred soldier who can't see anything beyond the next battle, the next war. But you want him, little sister, so you shall have him. I see where his eyes stray to. They linger on that dark-haired girl who came here so recently. If nothing else, Yuy has great taste in women. She's gorgeous, with that silky hair and those mesmerizing violet eyes. It'll be my pleasure to win her away from him,' he continued mentally, his eyes gleaming with triumph as his mind plotted numerous ways to snatch away Heero's focus, ensuring that his sister would be happy.
Noin stood in the doorway, leaning against it as she watched the man she loved silently. Her brow furrowed as she saw his attention on the picture frame in front of him. 'Zechs, are you thinking of Relena-sama again? How many years must I endure being jealous of your concern over your own sister? How long will you put her above all else, even your own happiness…and mine? We've been back for over a day and you haven't even bothered to look at me twice except to ask me about Relena-sama's condition. You didn't even ask if I was okay,' she thought sadly, her dark blues eyes melancholy with neglect as they roamed over the face of the man she had loved since the first day she had met him at the academy as a fellow student. Her eyes roamed over the long, platinum hair that framed a strong face, a face shaped and carved by the tragedies he had endured from such a young age, a face that was strong and serious. His eyes, she knew, were an icy blue and would be filled with determination. They gave away nothing, had been trained to be opaque under even the most painful of situations. Noin had only seen those eyes soften with regret and tenderness a handful of times and she hadn't seen them soften at all recently.
"Noin, will you cease lurking in the shadows and tell me what you want," Zechs' smooth baritone queried. He had put down the picture frame and was staring at her, his eyes piercing in their intensity.
Trying not to shiver from the coldness in his eyes, she straightened before propelling herself from the door. Tugging at the bottom of her Preventers uniform jacket, she advanced into the room, stopping in front of his desk. "I wanted to know why you've been holing yourself up in your office. You haven't allowed anyone to see you or talk to you. You only come out to check on your sister, your meals are delivered to you, and I don't think you've slept at all since she arrived. Why are you doing this? Relena-sama wouldn't want you to do this to yourself," Noin cried out, her frustration evident in her voice as she slammed her hands down on his desk, hoping to get some sort of reaction from the Lightning Count.
"You have no idea of what my sister wants or needs. Stay out of things that do not concern you, Noin. I do what I must to ensure that Relena is taken care of. She is the only thing that matters to me," Zechs bit out coldly, his eyes boring into hers until she looked away. He looked over her profile dispassionately, skimming her features with an uncaring eye. Many things had changed within him since the war, since Treize had died and he had survived. He had been lost in space, floating in his battered Gundam, wanting to die but unable to let go of life. He had bitterly concluded that he was too weak to do the proper thing and die nobly like his old friend, Treize. Something within him had died when he had come to that conclusion, something of his idealistic self. Now there was only Zechs Marquise or Preventer Wind. Milliardo Peacecraft had died as had most of his feelings. Life now was only a penance for what he had failed to do. He had tried to summon some sort of semblance of his old feelings for Noin, but he couldn't seem to dredge up the old feelings he had had for her anymore.
"You can't mean that, Zechs! What about us? Do you realize how I waited for you? I knew you couldn't be dead, even after everyone reported that their last sight of you was you drifting off in your nearly destroyed Gundam! Don't you care about anything," Noin cried out, unwilling to let go or to realize that the man she loved had changed on levels she couldn't even comprehend.
"I told you, Noin. I only care about my sister and her happiness. I'll warn you now to not get involved in what I have to do," Zechs said menacingly, showing her a side he normally reserved for enemies, a side of him she had never seen directed at herself in all of the years she had known him.
"What are you planning, Zechs," she whispered in reply, her voice low with fear and dread. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, something that warned her that she did not want to hear his answer.
"You know that Relena loves Heero Yuy. She has followed him onto battlefields, offered her life for his and all he can do is shun her, spurn her love. It has made her unhappy, and right now, we need her more than ever in the face of all these Ravager attacks. The colonies and even Earth itself is losing morale rapidly, wondering if we're fighting a losing battle. I've decided that Relena shall have Heero, no matter what I think of him personally or what other…obligations he might have," Zechs finished matter-of-factly, seemingly unaware of Noin's shock.
"I understand that you love Relena-sama. She is your only family after all, but don't you think you're taking it too far, Zechs? What are you planning on doing? You know Heero doesn't care for Relena and you also know that he's pivotal to our defense against the Ravagers. We can't afford to distract him," Noin said logically, trying to impress upon him how important the pilot of Wing Zero was to their survival.
"He won't be distracted. It doesn't serve my purpose to weaken our defenses. He'll just be shown the error of his ways. I'm just making sure that his attention is taken away from that new girl, Hino Rei, and directed back to where it belongs, on Relena," Zechs said calmly, leaning back in his chair.
"Hino Rei? The girl that just showed up one day and has been living with the pilots? The one with the fire powers? What does she have to do with anything," Noin questioned, her brow wrinkling in confusion as she failed to make the connection between their newest ally and the enigmatic Perfect Soldier. She knew very little of Rei, having left on her rescue mission shortly after Rei had arrived.
"She is the key to everything, Noin. Heero Yuy has formed some sort of attachment to her. I'm going to break that attachment," he said calmly, as if discussing the weather.
Noin shivered at the coldness in her one-time lover's voice. "You can't mean that, Zechs! You can't just go around acting like you're God or something, interfering in peoples' lives like that. What if Heero really loves this girl and she loves him? You can't get between them," Noin said in a horrified voice, completely aghast. 'What caused him to change so much? He's always been determined, but I've never seen him like this before. Surely the war couldn't have caused this,' she thought agitatedly, running her hand through her hair as she awaited his response.
"I will do everything and anything I have to. I don't care if Yuy loves this Hino girl or not. I can change her mind and when she does, Yuy will turn to Relena for comfort. Actually, I look forward to the challenge. She's very beautiful and spirited," Zechs concluded, smiling rakishly.
Noin shook her head in disbelief, not wanting to hear these cold, heartless words from the man she loved. She backed away slowly towards the door, not wanting to spend another minute with this thing that had her lover's face. She pivoted on her heel and almost ran for the door, a small part of her wanting to hear him call her back and apologize, but knowing he wouldn't. She made it outside and listened as the door swished closed behind her. Leaning against the wall outside his door, she breathed deeply, biting her lip. The pain in her mind and heart slowly changed, transforming into something else entirely. 'He's looking forward to seducing that girl. Is he eagerly anticipating it because it'll free Heero to be with Relena or is it because he wants her for himself? Am I not good enough for him anymore? Ever since he came back and helped to defend against Mariemaia's army, he's become distant. We don't talk anymore and I feel as if he's deliberately distancing himself from me. Is it because he doesn't have any use for me anymore? Damn him, damn him for making me feel this way! Does he have any idea of what I've done for him, subjugating myself, my goals so he wouldn't be shown up by me, so he wouldn't feel inadequate and now he throws me aside like some cheap piece of used goods? I don't think so, Zechs,' she thought angrily, her frustration boiling over as she thought over all of the wrongs that Zechs had inflicted on her. All the love she had ever felt for him drained away, replaced by a burning hatred and a need for vengeance. They say there is nothing like a woman scorned and Noin was the perfect example. She saw red as she imagined Zechs seducing Rei, charming her with his good looks and sexy voice, the way he had first charmed her. Her lips flattening to a straight, thin line, she marched away, putting her own plans in motion.
####***
Bright sunshine streamed in through gauzy white curtains, the ends dancing and fluttering from the breeze that came in through the open window. The rays of light danced among rainbows as it played over the large crystalline structure in the middle of the room. A lone man stood nearby, tracing his fingertips along the sharp edges of the crystal, impervious to the little cuts he was inflicting upon himself as he looked longingly at the figure suspended inside. He turned away from the focus of his attention when the sound of the door behind him opening impinged upon his consciousness. Turning around, he watched as Setsuna, Michiru and Haruka entered silently before closing the door behind them softly. Stroking the surface of the crystal encasing his beloved, he took a deep breath before turning to face them fully. He didn't want to stir up any more arguments since there seemed to be so many among the four of them, the elders, but he needed to clear the air and find out what was going on among his beloved's Senshi. "Let's get down to business, shall we? Haruka, what were you thinking, beating on Heero like that? He is our ally, not some thug who tried to mug you," Mamoru barked, truly in a quandary as to why the sandy-haired woman had almost beaten the pilot of Wing Zero to a bloody pulp. He didn't want there to be any bad blood between those who were supposed to be helping and protecting each other.
"He deserved it. The challenge was meant for Wufei and his weak onna remarks. It's not my fault that Heero took up the challenge. I fought him the way I would have fought Wufei if he had accepted. If nothing else, my respect for Heero has gone up slightly. He didn't give in, even for a moment, even when he knew he couldn't win against me," Haruka said grudgingly, her arms folded across her chest. "At least some of these guys that we have to fight side-by-side with won't disappoint us in battle. Funny thing though, I could swear that I've fought him before. I didn't think much of it during the fight, but now that I think on it, his style seems really familiar."
"Lots of people follow a certain style of fighting, Haruka, like Kenpo or Tae Kwan Do. There's nothing strange about that," Michiru responded softly, wanting to know if Haruka meant anything else by her strange statement.
"Yeah, that's true, but he doesn't follow any one style. He has bits of everything thrown in and some things that don't follow any one style at all. To have that kind of expertise in that many styles would take more time than any human lifespan could hope to accomplish," Haruka mused thoughtfully, rubbing her chin and hoping it would spark the niggling thought at the back of her mind.
Setsuna began to perspire slightly, feeling more and more uncomfortable as Haruka began to piece together things she wished would remain hidden. She stilled her fidgeting when she noticed Michiru observing her from the corner of her eye. 'I have to remember that Michiru is a lot more observant than most people. She'll know that something's wrong if she doesn't know already,' Setsuna thought frantically. Everything was beginning to spin out of control and her future sight had begun to fracture, showing more and more timelines and possibilities. There were so many that they were giving her headaches. She was tired of having to keep track of all these little details, giving partial truths and having to decide what she could and could not reveal.
Mamoru too had been deep in thought at Haruka's words, rubbing his chin as he tried to make connections in his head between why Haruka's statement seemed so important. He had watched Rei during the fight, saw how she had clenched her fists and nearly bit her lip until it bled every time Heero had taken a strong blow from Haruka. The worry in her eyes had been heart-wrenching to see. It had reminded him of every time he had had to stand by and watch his Usako fight without him.
"Aha! I remember it now. I know where I've fought that style before! It's Rei-chan's style. Her way of fighting is distinctive. No one knows as many styles as Rei-chan does. All this time you've told us that the possibility of these guys remembering the girls as their soul mates and lovers from the Silver Millennium was close to impossible, an improbability even. This proves that you're wrong, Setsuna. There's no way that something as personal, as intimate as a personal fighting style could be copied by someone else like that," Haruka snarled, stepping forward so she stood nose to nose with the shocked Guardian of Time.
"Fighting styles are learned all the time. Maybe Heero learned it from her since she's been here. They have been fighting together now for several months, you know," Setsuna said calmly, her façade in place. Inside, she was shaking with anxiety. 'How could I have foreseen this? I had no idea something so small would give away so much! Kuso, I hate being caught off-guard like this. So many little things that I've overlooked are giving things away. This not knowing and being so uncertain is killing me. I'm supposed to be the all-powerful Guardian of Time and I can't see what's going to happen in the next ten minutes.' Setsuna thought agitatedly, resorting to uncharacteristic swearing. She flinched when Haruka grabbed her by her shirtfront and pinned her with her navy-colored gaze.
"You can't learn something like that in a couple of months, Setsuna. This is the kind of thing that takes lifetimes. The kind of lifetime that lasts for several thousand years, to be precise. You look panicked, Setsuna. Is there something we shouldn't know, something you're keeping from us, like the fact that Heero has this fighting style because he learned it from Rei-chan during the Silver Millennium and has kept it even after being reincarnated into a new time and dimension, one separate from hers? A separation, I might add, that was enforced by you. Does this tell you nothing, Setsuna? He is bonded to her in ways I don't think any of us can fully comprehend! It transcends time and space! Tell me you know other things that can do the same without anything to fuel it. They didn't even know the other existed until now and they're all over each other! Even I have to admit that whatever is between them can't be ignored," Haruka all but roared into the stricken face of the forest-green tressed woman before her. She clenched her fists tighter into Setsuna's shirt before growling and then releasing her, nearly throwing Setsuna from her.
"Haruka, calm down, onegai. Let Setsuna try to answer you at least before you throttle her," Michiru said coolly, not so much concerned for Setsuna's safety as wanting to know what their fellow Senshi could offer in way of explanation. 'How far will she go in her deception, I wonder,' Michiru thought to herself skeptically, one eyebrow raised in question.
Mamoru walked over, separating the two women gently as Haruka continued to glare hotly in Pluto's direction. "Setsuna, please come clean about what you know. This can't be good for you, keeping secrets like this, especially ones that affect the other girls like this. They have to be given a choice, with all the knowledge necessary so they don't make the wrong choices. As much as I want Crystal Tokyo to happen, as much as I want Chibiusa born, I cannot be selfish. It would slowly kill all of us to know that our happiness was possible because of the unknowing sacrifices made by ones we love. Can you look me in the eye and honestly tell me that you could live with yourself, knowing that five young women we all hold dear to us were suffering silently, having let go of the other half of their souls? I don't think you can, Setsuna," Mamoru said softly, his eyes gentle and understanding. He understood what it was to have to do things one didn't necessarily want to do but had to do. It had killed him to be cold and harsh to his Usako when he had had his dreams of her destruction and warnings to stay away from her or see her suffer, but he would suffer the pain again if it meant that she would be safe.
Setsuna closed her eyes slowly, not wanting to see the understanding in Mamoru's eyes, for she knew she would be weakened and would want to unburden her soul to her friends. She felt his hands close over her shoulders, warm and caring, and wanted to curl up inside that warmth. 'How long has it been since I've been touched by someone? I'm away so often at the Gates of Time that I haven't been around for Hotaru-chan and the rest. I don't want to live like this anymore. It was a necessity and the only possibility when the others were dead and waiting to be reborn, but I shouldn't have kept myself so cut off from them,' she admitted to herself sadly, seeing where she had caused her own loneliness. She battled with herself, weakening with every moment that passed. "I want to tell you, demo…,"she broke off uncertainly, biting her lip.
"You always say that, but you never actually say anything, Pluto," Haruka growled, tired of hearing her comrade's excuses. She deliberately used Setsuna's planet name instead of her real name, signifying that she wasn't talking to the person, but the soldier. She didn't want to be so harsh, but her frustration over all of the unnecessary pain was quickly eroding whatever patience and understanding she had. "I'm sick of hearing all the reasons why we shouldn't say anything. Do you enjoy playing Kami and controlling their lives? What about us? Are you withholding things from us too? Planning on any surprises that'll wreck our lives as well," Haruka bit out savagely.
"I wouldn't do anything like that! I don't do this because I want to, Haruka! You don't understand the obligation I'm under," Setsuna cried out, her desperation written plainly across her face. She bowed her head, her long green tresses falling to veil her face.
"Why don't you make us understand, Setsuna? Give us something to trust you with, some sign of faith that we're not just blindly destroying the girls' only chances at happiness for this insane dream of Crystal Tokyo," Michiru said placatingly, hoping that kindness would work where Haruka's bluster only seemed to push Setsuna closer to fanaticism. Michiru and Haruka had both discussed Crystal Tokyo, having never seen it, only heard about it from the Inners. They had both agreed that it sounded nice but didn't understand what was so important about it. "Crystal Tokyo is supposed to be a paradise where peace reigns and everyone is happy, ne? What difference does it make if the girls know about their lovers and are reunited with them since that's just more happiness for all concerned," Michiru continued to reason.
Setsuna sighed deeply, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Queen Serenity is responsible for all of this. I'm only obeying her commands. As for what difference does it make whether the girls are with their lovers are not, it makes a huge difference. What if they decide to stay here or they're killed in this upcoming conflict? With Serenity-hime in stasis currently, we wouldn't be able to bring them back. They could be lost to us forever," Pluto reasoned, still trying her best to give as little information as possible, the most important being that her future sight was almost negligible here. She couldn't accurately see anything anymore and it frightened her more than anything.
"Queen Serenity? Are you trying to tell me that Queen Serenity knew about all of this? Millennia ago and she knew that the girls would find their lovers here and be tempted to stay with them," Haruka asked incredulously, both eyebrows shooting up into her hairline. "How gullible do you think we are, Setsuna? Stop trying to foist off your responsibility on someone or something else."
"Haruka, we don't know that Setsuna is doing any such thing. As your fellow Senshi, you should at least give her the benefit of the doubt," Mamoru chided, shaking his head over the tension that had been rapidly escalating in the room. He looked over at the sleeping form of his Usako and wished she were here to help allay some of the tension. 'She always makes us feel better, evening the middle of a fight. Usako, I could really use your guidance right now,' Mamoru mentally sighed.
"Arigatou, Mamoru, but I know that I've probably tested your patience often enough. I know I've said it before but I'll say it again. There are some things that I cannot reveal just yet, even though I want to. You don't know how much I want for them to be happy, but I can't sacrifice everything for them. I think they'd understand that," Setsuna replied softly, her garnet eyes shadowed with sorrow. Even Haruka felt badly about pushing so hard.
"Well, what do we do then, just watch them and hope that things work out? Do we encourage or discourage them from getting closer? Which way is the right way," Haruka asked, her temper cooling a bit. She was used to charging ahead and getting things done, not waiting around and being so uncertain. It was enough to make her want to drive her fist through a wall.
"We have to wait, for now. We wait for a sign that their relationships are developing properly, if at all. For some reason, my sight isn't as clear as it normally is so I can't be 100% sure of everything until events are just about to happen," Setsuna admitted, the confession freeing her spirit somewhat.
"We can't just hover over them though. They're bound to notice. As is, I'm surprised they haven't mentioned anything about our frequent meetings yet and said something about it. You know how they hate to be kept in the dark about anything," Michiru pointed out, remembering how the Inners had hated being unsure about herself and Haruka when they had arrived on the scene and worked their own game plan when it came to the Heart Crystals and the Death Busters. It had taken a long time to build up trust between the two teams after that and she didn't want to have to go through that again.
"True. We'll have to be sure to be as inconspicuous as possible, make it seem like a natural thing to be hanging around a bit more," Mamoru agreed, going over possibilities in his head.
"Agreed. We make no moves in either way until there is more for us to go on. Let's just try to enjoy the time we have with them and concentrate on defeating these Ravagers. I have a feeling that they are a crucial part of the puzzle," Setsuna offered, dropping a subtle hint to her comrades.
The four adults looked at each other before nodding. Haruka and Michiru immediately left, both of them deciding to seek out their younger counterparts. Setsuna hesitated, watching Mamoru as he immediately turned his attention back towards Usagi. She paused before whispering, "She's very lucky to have you, Mamoru. Your dedication is commendable. Take heart though. I have a feeling she will be returning to us soon."
He smiled faintly, his fingers tracing the lines of her face, relaxed in slumber. "I know she will. She would never let me down. It's just hard being apart from her," he hesitated before continuing, "but I know it's for the best. The Ginzuishou would never harm her. I have to keep that in mind." He turned back towards her for a moment, his smile soft. "Thank you for the encouragement, Setsuna."
The Senshi of Time smiled softly in response and walked out the door, feeling better after having seen the confidence in her Prince's gaze.
####***
Rei sat on the edge of her bed, having come back to her room after her internal battle to clean up. She had stood in the shower for a long time, letting the warm water flow over her in a soothing stream, bathing away her stress and worries. Slowly, her tense muscles unknotted and she came to terms with what she was planning to do. She knew it would be a major step in her budding relationship with Heero, but was uncertain which way it would go. It would either bond them together or rip them apart completely. Her psychic powers had fascinated and repulsed people back home, none of them truly understanding. She knew Heero had an extremely logical mind, a true soldier's soldier, one who looked at the facts in black and white and made his decisions from there. He had been extremely skeptical about her powers, even after having witnessed them firsthand and the psychic powers she had confessed to having had seemed farfetched to him. She hadn't confessed about being able to have visions to any of them, afraid she would lose their trust or that they would think she was a freak. Currently, she was towel-drying her hair, rubbing the ends absentmindedly. Finishing her task, she threw the towel across the room, watching as it fell into her clothes hamper with a soft whish. Flopping backwards, she lay unseeing at the canopy that stretched across the four-poster bed. Her hair fanned out in a glossy wave around her head and she raised her slender arms over her head, whimsically reaching for the stars embroidered into the heavy velvet. Laughing at herself over her foolish antics, she rolled over onto her stomach, propping her chin onto her hands. 'I'm putting off seeing Heero. I should just go down to the med bay, confront him and get it over with so I can go on with my life. If he thinks I'm a freak then I'll just let him go and it'll be better for me because I won't invest any more time in these stupid visions. If he doesn't care or he accepts my visions, then we can try and hopefully work through this together and see where it leads us,' she decided with finality, rolling onto her back once again and sitting up. She hopped down from the bed, making sure to not land on the steps and strode towards the door with determination. 'Either way, I want this over with. This uncertainty is completely unlike me and I don't want to continue feeling like this.'
Walking out of her room, she was slightly unnerved to see that no one was around. The house seemed to be unnaturally quiet and Rei realized that she missed the normal hustle and bustle that was like a living presence. 'Hmmm, most of the Maganacs are probably in the Gundam Bay doing repairs and upgrades, Mako-chan, Hotaru-chan and Minako-chan are probably in the kitchen, Ami-chan said she was going to try and find the library, Quatre-kun said he needed to finish his paperwork, Mamoru-san, Haruka-san, Michiru-san and Setsuna-san were going off to another one of their mysterious meetings, most likely in Usagi's room, and Wufei and Heero are probably still in the Med Bay. So where are Duo and Trowa? Not that Trowa is loud, but Duo normally is. Shouldn't he be hanging upside down from the chandelier by now? Maybe Wufei recovered quicker than I thought and has finally bound and gagged him like he's always threatened to do. I'll have to look into that later, after I speak with Heero,' Rei thought to herself, mentally making a note to check up on Duo and his whereabouts.
She descended gracefully down the stairs before turning towards the Med Bay; a place she had discovered could heal and regenerate wounds almost as fast as her Senshi healing could. She had been rushed there once after one of her first battles with the Ravagers. She had taken a blow from a huge, feline Ravager, one that had ripped the flesh from her shoulder to the bone, almost sending her into shock. The pilots had dispatched the few remaining Ravagers quickly and transported her home as soon as possible, all of them telling her to hang on and not to do anything weak and stupid, like dying (A/N: Guess who that came from! The big softie!) before they got her home. To their surprise, she had healed by the time they had ushered her into the sterile looking room and placed her on the strange bedlike contraption. She had only needed rest and fluids to help her recover the blood she had lost. The pilots had been astounded by her quick recovery and pelted her with questions, most of which she could only answer with shrugs and the answer that it just happened. They had let the matter drop, but Rei had sincerely wished that Ami had been around at that time.
She was just about to place her hand in front of the identity plate when the door swished open suddenly, putting her face to face with an irritable Wufei. Rei cocked an eyebrow at the sour expression on his face, tilting her head in question. He scowled back at her and made to push past her when he paused and suddenly grabbed her by the elbow, dragging her away from the door. He watched as it closed before turning to address her. "What are you going in there for, Rei," he asked, using her name so as to not start another fight. He watched as several emotions flitted over her face in rapid succession: surprise, puzzlement, anger, irritation and finally, realization.
"I want to talk to Heero, as if it's any business of yours, Wufei. Why so curious? It's not like you to put your nose into other people's business. In fact, you normally ignore most of us like we're street trash and you're royalty," Rei replied saucily, tossing her head as if to say she didn't care.
"I don't normally care about whatever foolishness most of you talk about or do with your lives. As long as it doesn't affect me, you could all go around naked in a rose bush. But this is something different. Winner is our acknowledged leader, but Yuy is just as important. He has the drive that Winner sometimes lacks, the drive we'll need to succeed against these monsters. If what you're going to say is going to affect him adversely, I'd prefer you put it off until we can get past this," Wufei said commandingly, his brows knit together in all seriousness. He didn't want to get involved in whatever emotional turmoil was brewing between the fiery Rei and the cold Heero, but he didn't want to experience the fallout because of his own lack of action either.
"I don't know if what I want to talk to him about will affect him negatively or positively. In fact, I think I'm afraid it will affect me more than it affects him," Rei admitted uncomfortably. She wasn't used to talking so personally with Wufei since they usually discussed more esoteric subjects, like using katanas versus guns or whether or not to grant mercy to a fallen enemy. She definitely did not ever imagine herself talking to Wufei about matters of the heart. Duo was pretty sure he didn't have one. She began to pace slightly, nibbling on the tip of her thumb while she rethought her decision to speak with Heero.
Wufei watched out of somber, dark eyes as she paced in front of him. Her long, dark hair trailed behind her like a banner and then flipped as she turned, lashing out in agitation. It reminded him of one of the wild cats that used to roam his colony. They too had been dark as night, a miniature version of a panther. Some had tried to capture them and use them as pets, but sooner or later, the cat would turn on its master and the fury was unimaginable. Rei reminded him of those cats on occasion (so does my wife!). He knew she would never turn on them, but he was wary of her temper after several run-ins with it. He continued to observe as her forehead creased in thought and wondered what it could be that was driving her to this level of uncertainty. He knew she was one to make her decision and stick with it, no matter what, and this indecision of hers worried him. He battled with himself, debating on whether or not he should talk to her some more. 'Shimatta, I'm becoming just like Maxwell, always sticking my face in where it doesn't belong,' he grumped to himself before clearing his throat delicately.
Rei turned at the sound, still battling with herself. She had thought she was ready to face whatever Heero's reaction might be, but with Wufei's words, she had started to doubt herself again. 'I couldn't bear it if this affects either him or myself to the point that we can't fight effectively. Fighting is all Heero knows, it is a part of him, just as it is a part of me. If I thought I couldn't contribute my all, I'd be devastated. I don't want Heero going through that. Kami-sama, what should I do,' she pleaded, her heart thumping as she spied the door separating her from her objective. It would have been so simple to turn around and walk away. No one would have known, especially Heero, that she had come down to talk to him, except Wufei. She looked over at Wufei and she noticed with some puzzlement that he looked highly uncomfortable. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looks nervous,' she thought bemusedly. "Was there something else you wanted to say, Wufei," Rei asked, realizing he wasn't going to say anything until she did.
Wufei flushed, cursing himself mentally for getting involved. "I'm not going to ask what you want with Yuy, but I think you should go ahead and get it off your chest. Obviously, it's bothering you and it's obviously affecting the rest of your group. We won't be able to fight effectively if your group of friends keeps jumping down his throat for something you're stressing over. I know that onna took out her aggressions on him for more than just my remarks. No one would fight so hard against the truth unless she had other reasons," Wufei added, shaking his head over the apparent foolishness of what he thought was fact.
"You are so full of yourself, Wufei! The women you've met before might have been weak and stereotypical, but I can assure you that you have never met women like us! We've saved our world several times over, sometimes without breaking a sweat. Haruka had every right to be mad, Wufei, at your remarks. You haven't called me a weak onna for over a month, so why are you starting this all over again," Rei said, her eyes brimming with mischief. "Are you trying to compensate for an inferiority complex or something," Rei inquired sweetly, her amethyst eyes flashing. She watched him sputter for several moments before growling out, "Humph!"
"I don't call you a weak onna anymore because you've proved yourself to me. The others haven't. I only have your word that they're strong. You could just be saying that because they're your friends," he replied smugly, folding his arms over his chest.
"As if we need to prove anything to you. We're doing you a favor by staying and fighting. If they were weak, they wouldn't be volunteering to put their lives on the line, now would they? They'd be sitting back here in Quatre-kun's mansion and eating bonbons by the pool. The least you could do is give them some respect for that," Rei commanded, smacking Wufei on the back of his head and dodging back before he could take a swipe at her.
"Fine," he grumbled, straightening his ponytail from her actions. "I'll try to keep quiet, but if they do anything stupid, I'm not going to let it pass. And don't think to change the subject on me!"
"I trust my friends can stand up for themselves so just try and do anything to them, Wufei! And I'm not changing the topic. It's just that it's taken me a while to even get this far that I want to confront him and I'm having second thoughts now that I look at it from different angles. I don't want whatever is going on between myself and Heero to endanger anyone, but I need to get through this," Rei finished softly, clenching and unclenching her fists. "You know, I hate people who can't make up their minds. Usagi used to drive me crazy when it would take her over an hour to decide what flavor of ice cream she wanted. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to just push her face into the ice cream display. Now, I'm acting just like her. I can't seem to make up my mind."
Wufei grunted, shaking his head at life's absurdity. 'Who would have ever thought I'd be playing advisor to an onna? Meiran would laugh herself sick,' he thought disgustedly. Pulling on his ponytail slightly, he replied, "Look, just say what you have to and sort the rest out later. I'm sure Yuy is tough enough to survive whatever you have to tell him. If not, he's not the man you need anyway and we can work around him if your friends are as good as you say they are, alright?"
Rei laughed softly, enjoying Wufei's discomfort. "Arigatou, Wufei, for making me feel better. I think I will go in and see Heero after all." Her smile broadened as he refused to meet her eyes and a flush crossed his face. She knew he hated to seem sensitive, terming it as being weak, and she was grateful for his concern, whether it be for her or for Heero.
"Go on. You're wasting time, onna," he growled, all but kicking himself for being such a fool as to let anyone see him show concern. He walked away hurriedly, before Rei could say anything else to him. "I need to do some target practice. Maxwell!"
Rei let loose the giggles she was tying to hold back when she was sure that he was out of earshot. She would hate to damage his pride any more after he had been so nice. Turning back towards the door, the giggles left her and she steeled herself for the confrontation to come. Swiping her hand in front of the security plate, she waited patiently while it opened. Taking a deep breath, she entered.
The Med Bay was sterile, with chrome and silicon furnishings. She shuddered at the icy feel of everything and even winced when she saw a tray of surgical implements lying on a tray. She was not comfortable in hospitals, the last time she had been in one had been when she was extremely young and had lost her mother. It had scarred her horribly, the way Makoto hated airplanes after her parents had died in a crash. Her mother had been ill, coughing up blood in her later days. She had always associated hospitals with loss and her hands clenched into fists unconsciously. She tore her gaze away from the surgical table, her eyes sweeping the room for Heero. She sighed softly when she noticed him in the far back of the room, enclosed in a med unit. (A/N: Rei's past is made up. No one seems to really know what happened with her, so I just made that bit up. Also, for the med units, they're like the regeneration tanks in DBZ except they're horizontal like a bed instead of upright.) 'Figures he would be in the very last one here so I have to walk through the entire room to get to him,' she thought in frustration, running a shaking hand through her long, silky hair. She continued down the long room, finally stopping when she got to the bed. She peered into the clear tube, looking down at Heero's face. 'What is it about you, Heero, that makes me so confused? One minute, I want nothing more than to be wrapped up in your arms and then I want to run away from you as far and as fast as possible. There's a ton of people back home who would be astonished to see me act this way, especially back at school. I have a reputation for being dignified and elegant, the queen of my class. Nothing shakes my confidence and people normally look to me for strength. Now, I have the strength of mochi and I think my classmates would laugh and shake their heads at me, wondering how far I have fallen,' she thought sardonically to herself, but she was still unable to tear her gaze away from the unconscious Heero. She watched him silently for a few moments, noticing how the harsh lines of his face softened in sleep. 'He looks so innocent and peaceful here that I can't imagine him doing anything that could hurt me, but I can't dismiss the intensity of the vision I had. He left me and I felt so betrayed that I thought my heart would shatter into a million pieces of jagged glass, glass that would stay within me and hurt me eternally. Are you worth the chance, Heero? Are we worth the chance I'll take? I'm not a gambling person, Heero. I like to be in control and I just know that with you I won't have any. Your will is just as strong as mine and I don't know if I'm making the right decision or just opening myself up to a lot of grief because I'm so amazingly attracted to you,' she thought ruefully, brushing a lock of hair that had floated into her face.
Just then, Heero's eyes snapped open inside the tube, his first sight upon waking being the very pleasant sight of Rei, her face softened with concern and her eyes luminous in the fluorescent lighting. He felt his heart beat just a little faster and wished that he were out of the tube so he could see her features clearly and without the light blue tinting of the glass between them. He placed his hands on the surface and pushed, wanting to touch her again.
Rei was startled when his eyes opened so suddenly, pinning her with the intensity of his gaze. 'I will never forget those eyes,' she thought breathlessly before snapping back to reality and punching the combination to release the seal on the tank. The tanks would automatically open thirty minutes after scanning a positive on all life signs and injuries but could be overridden once the subject inside was conscious. She waited as the machine beeped several more times before slowly rising, the tank draining the gases and liquids that had surrounded Heero and contributed to his recovery. When the tank finally finished, Heero sat up, shaking his head of the lingering fuzziness in his brain. He slicked his wet hair out of his face and tugged at his spandex shorts, the only thing he was allowed to wear while he was in the tank. Rei bit her lip, wondering if she would ever stop feeling this low heat start unfurling in the pit of her stomach each time she saw him. She waited, her face calm, as he regained his bearings.
"How long have I been in there," Heero rasped, his Prussian blue eyes drinking in her figure hungrily. This was the closest he had been to her since the meeting at the UEA headquarters. He wasn't surprised that he had missed her presence. He surreptitiously took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of jasmine that always emanated from her, tickling his mind with an unattainable memory.
Rei glanced over at the control panel for the regeneration tank. "You've been in there for about an hour. Luckily, Haruka-san didn't cause any internal bleeding, but she did crack several of your ribs and probably put some bruises on top of existing bruises," Rei said softly. She hesitated before adding, "I am sorry for that, Heero. We're all very aware of how strong we are and Haruka-san had no right to inflict that degree of injury on you."
"She did it because of something she thinks I did to you," Heero said, his eyes flickering up to her stoic face. "What have I done to you, Rei? I thought we were on the beginning of something new. I let down the wall and then suddenly, you couldn't even look at me. You weren't the Rei I knew anymore," he continued, his voice bewildered. His Prussian eyes reflected his confusion, the normally serious gaze open. His hands were clenched into fists atop his knees. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms as he watched her eyes shimmer with sadness and uncertainty, but he didn't want to scare her off again.
Rei looked away momentarily, unable to meet his gaze as shame flooded her. She was normally outspoken and had no trouble confronting people when she thought they were wrong or had harmed her in any way, but the recent events had driven her to hide inside of herself, all of the old insecurities bubbling to the surface. "There are things beyond my control, beyond your control that I don't know if I can explain properly. It's so hard to find the right words, words that won't scare you off," Rei murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she relived the vision she had first seen. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a frisson of cold run up her spine.
"What are these things? Are these the things Pluto told you? I saw her with you. Was she the reason you left? I tried to follow but Zechs wouldn't let me go," Heero said in frustration, gritting his teeth. 'I should have killed Zechs when I had the chance. If I knew he was going to cause this many problems for me, I would have killed him the first time I saw him when I landed on Earth,' Heero mentally growled.
"Iie, Setsuna-san had nothing to do with this. In fact, if not for her I might have lost hope entirely. Heero, there are things about me that I haven't told you yet, things you might not understand. You might think badly of me after I tell you," Rei began, biting her lip once more. She absentmindedly pulled on a long lock of hair, twirling the ends around a finger as she struggled to find the right words to say.
"Why don't you tell me first and let me decide, though I doubt I could think poorly of you. You've been by my side since you arrived here and even though we're from different dimensions, we're so alike at the same time," Heero said in all seriousness, his voice soothing her fears. He was convinced that there was nothing she could tell him that would change his opinion of her. She was the best thing to have ever happened to him and there were times when he wondered if he would wake up from this fantasy he had dreamed up for himself to find that it was all a lie. 'Even if it is a lie, I'll live it as wholeheartedly as I can. Who knows when I'll wake up,' he thought privately.
Rei nodded once, beginning in a halting voice that gradually strengthened and then faltered the next moment, describing everything she saw in her visions, both the one she saw when Relena had returned and those that she had seen at the night club. Her gaze was faraway, the violet depths hazy with remembrance, almost as if she was in a trance. Her face reflected her emotions clearly, turning despondent and anguished as she described to him the vision she had seen of him cruelly turning from her, his attitude and gaze as hard and unyielding as ice. She hugged herself, the slender arms imparting the only warmth she could feel. Then, her voice a mere whisper, she relayed to him the other visions, the ones that gave hope and warmed the heart. She described the gentleness in his eyes, the care he took with her, and the feeling of security and being cherished she had while in his embrace. The wistfulness in her voice was very evident and her eyes shone with a million stars in them. She ended her narration and added, "Do you see why I'm so confused, Heero? I don't know what to trust anymore. I've always trusted my visions and my instincts to guide me through life and they've never failed me before, but everything I've seen in these visions contradict each other. I don't know whether to think that you and I are meant to be or if I'm just setting myself up for the greatest heartbreak in the world."
Heero was silent for a long time, the only sounds in the room being the sound of their breathing. He rested his chin on his steepled fingers, his gaze locked on some imaginary point as he processed all the information she had just given him. While she had told her story, he had watched her, unable to tear his gaze away from her. He had watched as unimaginable sorrow had veiled her face in darkness, her brilliant eyes becoming shadows of their former glory. Her voice had throbbed with suppressed emotion and he had found himself inexplicably hating his vision self, hating himself for causing her this kind of pain. He had been glad to see the anger flash across her face, had hoped she would make his vision self see the error of his ways. He had felt helpless as her anger had dissolved back into sadness and her eyes had filled with tears that she stubbornly refused to shed, the liquid causing her eyes to glitter in the unnatural lighting. He wondered what could possibly cause him to turn against her. Could it be mind control or a threat to her well-being? Then he had been enraptured as her voice had told him of the other visions, ones filled with happiness and love, a paradise that never seemed to end. He watched as her enchanting eyes softened with a look that was rarely seen, but captivated him as much as her fiery gaze first did. The hold she had on herself loosened as if she was cradling something precious to her heart instead of warding off a fatal blow. Her voice and words painted pictures in his mind and he saw himself dancing with her, fighting by her side, exchanging kisses, holding her slender body against his. He found himself yearning for her words to become reality. He was a man who had never really wished for anything for himself, but now he found himself wishing with all of his heart and might that those visions were ones of the future. So deep was the intensity of his desire that it frightened him, for he had never been so vulnerable in his life. He understood with a sudden clarity how bleak his life was and would be if she were taken away from him.
Rei watched him with worried eyes for he had been silent for a long time. She had finished speaking many minutes ago and he had made no reaction or sound since before her narration. Inside her heart, she began to feel a deep chill threatening to overtake her heart and soul. She had laid herself bare before him, leaving out no detail, and all he could do was sit there before her, unmoving. Despair began to drown her and she felt like giving up. 'I knew it. He's probably trying to think of some way to get rid of me now that he knows what a freak I am. He probably thinks I'm telling him about the happy visions to pressure him into a relationship. Rei no baka! Everyone knows you don't tell a guy you're planning on having kids with him or marrying him right when you start dating. Why don't you just tie him to your bed while you're at it? (A/N: Not a bad idea!) (A/H's/N: sounds like fun) I told him to give us a chance to slowly develop something, so what do I do but tell him about this great love affair I'm seeing in my visions. He's so factual that he's going to think I'm some kind of psycho,' Rei berated herself internally, ready to slam her head against a wall for several hours and then hide herself in a corner to lick her emotional wounds.
Taking a deep breath, Heero braced himself as he prepared to share his thoughts on Rei's visions with her. He had always known there was something else about Rei, something beside her Senshi powers that made her different. She had told them herself that she was a miko and many times her powers had saved them from a surprise attack. The visions didn't faze him even in the slightest as she had proved herself many times with her prescient senses. The thing that bothered him the most was the fact that she wasn't sure if the visions were of the past or the future. 'Does she doubt me? Have I lost her trust because of that damnable vision,' he questioned, suddenly unsure of where he stood. He understood her doubts and the reason why she had started withdrawing from him, even though he still didn't like it. Looking up, he unconsciously frowned as he saw her jaw clenched as if in pain. "Rei, daijoubu? You're looking pale," he murmured, worry crossing his features.
Looking down at Heero, she saw him watching her with concern etched across his handsome features. He still sat on the edge of the regeneration bed and was looking up at her as she stood over him. She didn't see any expressions of disgust or fear, but reminded herself to not be too optimistic since Heero was the perfect example of stoicism. Her traitorous heart didn't listen though and jumped with a small spark of hope. "Daijoubu, Heero. What about you? You're not saying much," Rei replied nervously, holding her breath as she awaited his response.
"What kind of response do you want from me, Rei? Maybe the better question would be what kind of response are you expecting from me," Heero countered back calmly, watching as her expressive eyes flashed with annoyance before quickly being replaced by wariness. He sighed, plowing a hand through his unruly chocolate locks. "I'd be lying if I didn't say that your visions unnerve me slightly. I don't like being uncertain about the time period they're coming from, either past or future. I don't know if I'm supposed to make things up to you or prepare for something I don't know when will happen," Heero said cautiously. "I can't guarantee anything to you, but I promise to try to be alert," he added, noting that she hadn't reacted to his words. He was baffled when she continued her stony silence, unsure of what else he was supposed to say.
Rei was frustrated. She had wanted a solid answer to her unspoken question, but Heero hadn't addressed what she really wanted to know at all. Years of being feared or ridiculed for her psychic gifts had taken their toll and even though she had learned to hide her feelings and not let the insults, slurs, and whispered gossip about her affect her outwardly, she was still extremely sensitive about something she had had no control over. She was proud of her gifts, but she knew that not many people would understand the burden that came attached to it. "Is that all you have to say? Are you being the Perfect Soldier, ready for any contingency? Don't you have something to say about my abilities? After all, I'm sure they're not exactly common, even in this dimension and time," Rei added bitterly, somehow disappointed in Heero's lack of response. She was glad he hadn't mocked or reviled her, but she still didn't know how he felt about her visions and her ability to have them.
Hearing her words, Heero had an extraordinary flash of insight into Rei's fears and he had to bite back a smile. He almost shook his head in disbelief over the suddenly glaringly obvious problem Rei had been facing. He wasn't the most intuitive when it came to emotions, but for some strange reason he suddenly felt attuned to Rei's every thought, every breath. His hand reached out and before Rei had a chance to even realize what was happening, her wrist was ensnared and she felt the pull of his strength.
Falling, she was quickly shifted so she fell across his knees and then flipped over so she was sitting in his lap instead. Her face betraying her shock, she looked up at Heero just in time to see his face descend towards hers and then all thought was stopped as his lips pressed gently, but firmly against hers.
Several long seconds passed before he reluctantly let go of her lips, her waist encircled by one arm while her hand was still held captive in his. She stared up at him with hopeful, yet confused eyes. Letting a gentle smile that would have caused heart failure in Duo cross his lips, he pressed his forehead to hers before speaking. "Hino Rei, you have never been and will never be considered common, even excluding your abilities. I accept that you have abilities different from just about anyone I know. You are the Senshi of Fire and a priestess with precognitive and spiritual powers. You are also someone I would trust to watch my back any day. I believe in your judgment and most importantly, I don't care what the bigots of your world thought. All I know is that you make me feel things I never thought I would; emotions that I believed would be denied me for eternity. I know that you are pure fire and all I want to do is have that fire with me always, warming my heart and spirit. I would gladly be a moth, burned by your flame," he said huskily, his deep blue eyes meeting hers. His fingers toyed with hers, hers pale and slender against his darker and rougher ones.
"Heero…," Rei breathed, afraid that she had fallen into some sort of strange delusion. She didn't dare blink, afraid it would disappear like some kind of desert mirage. "Do you mean it? Do you really mean it? You're not playing with me? What about Relena," she asked, her voice breathless with anticipation. She squeezed his fingers, waiting for him to back out.
"You should know that I never say what I don't mean, Rei. I don't know what will happen in the future. I can't promise everything will always work out. I can be a jerk sometimes during battle and you may not like everything I do. I'm not used to showing my emotions. Don't expect me to get romantic in front of everyone and I may not always say things the right way, but we can work toward making it better. I don't know if it will work or not. In fact, with your princess in a coma for who knows how long, I'm not even sure if we'll have tomorrow. For all I know, she could be waking up as we speak and ready to whisk you back to your dimension. But I do know that we will work through things together. And Relena is a non-issue. There has never been anything between us except what is in her imagination. No more letting misunderstandings come between us. Okay," Heero said, tilting his head down to look at her.
"Hai, I can accept that," Rei replied graciously, tilting her head up towards him, her lips parting slightly in invitation. She was quite willing to seal this agreement between the two of them with a kiss. She wasn't disappointed either as he willingly obliged her. Their lips met in a union of love and hope as they made it through the first obstacle of a love that would never be forgotten.
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A/N: It's done! Yay! It's not as long as the previous one but at 31 pages it's still pretty massive. I didn't include everyone in this chapter but those that are missing will definitely have a part in the next one. It's just hard fitting everyone in here! *shoves Duo's face out of the way and then yelps when Wufei tromps on foot* Geeze, back off and give me some space, people!
Please don't hate me for having Zechs be very cold here. There is a really good reason for it and he will be changing when something drastic happens in future chapters. Please bear with me for a while longer!
Next time: More developments on the Ravager front! Zechs pushes his plan a little further. Will it break up the newly reconciled Rei and Heero? Another couple tentatively moves toward each other!
