This is a bit of a different fanfic than I'm used to writing. I thought it was an interesting premise, so I decided to write it. Here go the disclaimers: I don't own Sailor Moon, so don't sue me, yada yada yada…

Anyway, if you want to email me, it's at Guardian4@atlantic.net. However, PLEASE put Fanfiction or something like that in the subject line. I get a lot of junk mail and I may just delete it without reading it otherwise, though I won't mean to.

Onto the story…

Angelic Embrace

Part 7

Makoto walked with Jace on her left and Minako on her right who had her arm through Keagan's. Makoto had asked last night whether he wanted to be called Keagan or Kris and had been immediately told Keagan.

"This is it."

Makoto looked at the set of steps that Minako had pointed out. The foursome strode up the stone steps and to the shrine at the top. There were cherry blossom trees all around it and two crows sat in one of them, watching them with suspicious eyes. They cawed and landed on Rei's shoulders as she left the shrine.

She gave them a startled look, but walked up to them. "Yes?"

"We just wanted to see you, Rei-chan," Minako answered, smiling.

Rei and Makoto locked eyes and something unspoken passed between them. They were the only two left who hadn't changed. The changes in Ami and Minako were rather disturbing to them, especially Makoto. She had not known that one single incident could change a person so much.

"Oh. That's nice."

"Rei?"

Rei turned and Makoto looked behind her. A tall man stood in the doorway. His brown hair was a rather stringy brown, his eyes an earthy color as well. He wore a white and blue kimono.

"Yes, Yuuichirou?"

"Who are these people? I've never seen them at the shrine before."

"These are my friends."

His eyebrow rose and he remarked, "Friends? You haven't had those in a while."

She glared at him and Makoto bristled. Who would dare say something so rude to anyone? "I can have friends, I just choose not to!"

"And why did you choose to have some?"

Rei looked back at the surprised faces in front of her. "Because they are good people and I like them," she said staunchly.

Yuuichirou shrugged. "Whatever. I'm going to go to the store. We're out of some of the herb teas you like."

She nodded and Yuuichirou went back into the shrine, coming out a minute later dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He gave them all a sidelong look, especially Jace, as he left.

Makoto turned sharply to Rei when he was gone. "Who was that?"

Rei sat down wearily on the stone steps in front of the shrine door. "My husband."

Makoto had to steady Jace as he nearly choked on breathing. "Your…husband?" he asked, trying very much to hide his emotions.

Rei nodded. "We've been married for five years now. He came to the shrine nine and a half years ago. When Ojii-chan died five years ago, he asked me to marry him. I agreed."

"Do you love him?" Minako asked gently, glancing at Jace who was a pasty white color.

Rei looked at the ground and sighed. "Two years ago, I would have said yes. Now I'm not so sure. Three years ago, we started to fight over just about anything. I've tried my hardest to change things and make them better. I tried at first to curb my stubbornness and reach compromises, but when Yuuichirou realized this we got into a fight over that. Lately we barely talk because we fear getting into another fight. It's all coming down around my ears now."

Minako pulled her arm from Keagan's and knelt down next to Rei. "It started three years ago?"

Rei nodded.

"Three years ago, the person I thought wanted to spend the rest of my life with cheated on me with one of my friends. I broke it off with him three years ago."

Makoto saw Keagan stiffen, hearing a man hurting his girlfriend. She kicked him and he gave her a rueful look.

"So?"

"Mako-chan, were you involved with anyone three years ago?"

Makoto shook her head, but Minako couldn't see, so she said, "No."

"And Ami-chan wasn't. I think I know what this is about."

Rei looked up at her. "Then what is it?"

Minako gave her a gentle and sad look. "I can't tell you yet; you wouldn't understand just now."

The priestess jumped up and glared at the blonde woman who stood up more slowly. "Tell me! How dare you bring it up and not tell me!"

"When you remember, I'll tell you."

Rei's anger seemed to steam as if hit by cold water. It was gone in a few moments and she finally nodded. "All right, I'll accept that answer."

Makoto knew from her set jaw that now she was wishing to remember and she was going to find out how to remember. Somehow Makoto thought that when she 'remembered' she would regret it.

"We should go. We have to meet Ami-chan now. Do you want to come, Rei-chan?" Minako asked brightly.

Rei shook her head. "I have to take care of the shrine. I'll meet up with you later."

They nodded and headed away from the shrine. Makoto looked behind her and just barely saw Rei disappear inside the shrine.

"Are you all right?" the brown-haired woman asked the man beside her. Minako and Keagan both looked at Jace as well, Minako and Keagan having understanding in their eyes.

"No, I'm not. I feel sick to my stomach."

"Why?"

They stopped at the park where Ami, Zale, and Nick waited. Upon seeing his pale face, Ami immediately grew worried.

He sat down on a bench and said to the three who had not been with them, "Rei's married."

The three seemed to immediately know why this hurt him so and Makoto began to get a little irritated. Why did everyone seem to know why he was so upset and she didn't?

'They remembered…'

The thought sobered her.

"Oh, Jace," Ami said, her voice hushed.

"Why do you feel so bad?" Makoto asked again.

A moment of silence and finally Minako spoke up. "Back in the Silver Millennium, there were five pairs of soulmates. Serenity and Endymion, Kunzite and Venus, Zoisite and Mercury, Nephrite and Jupiter, and Jadeite and Mars." She took a deep breath, seeing Nick wince and no emotion of Makoto's face, for indeed, Makoto felt nothing when Jupiter was mentioned. She continued, "After a turning of events, the Moon Kingdom fell and Queen Serenity sent all to the future of Earth. From what Keagan said, all the Shitennou, Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite, knew what they were from the ages of three to five. Thus they knew who their soulmates were and have been waiting to get together with them for nineteen years. For Jace to find Rei-chan; for Jadeite to find Mars, married was beyond painful. He's waited for nineteen years to get together with Rei-chan, Mako-chan, and to find that she not only had a boyfriend, but married him…it's tearing him apart."

"So what did you mean by 'three years'?"

"Well, only two of the four Inner Senshi were involved with someone. I broke it off, like I think Fate intended to happen. Fate wanted the pairs of soulmates to come together later on. Therefore Keagan and I are together. But remember what Rei-chan said. She tried to save their marriage instead of breaking it off, as Fate intended it to happen. Now it has a sticky situation on its hands. I think it started three years ago so it would have plenty of time to break up Rei-chan and I. It didn't work out so well for Rei-chan."

There was silence in their small area of the park. "What triggers the remembrance?" Makoto asked finally, staring off into space and thinking deeply.

Minako and Ami looked at each other and Ami answered, "Intense emotions. I was terrified when those youma were chasing me and I ran to the water. I remembered then."

"I was angry that I couldn't understand what was going on and it culminated when I saw that Kunzite might be killed. I remembered then. It all comes down to a single intense emotion."

Makoto nodded her head decisively and walked away from the group thoughtfully. She didn't notice them watching her.

Luna walked beside her as she wandered the streets thinking. She had to understand how Rei felt when Minako had refused to tell her about her three year supposition, and Makoto felt frustrated that she didn't feel the same things as the others did. She felt like an outsider when she was around them, though she knew that they were trying to make her feel welcome.

Luna jumped on her shoulder and asked quietly in her ear, "Is there something wrong? We've passed this corner four times now."

Makoto answered her without thinking. "I feel like an outsider when I'm around them." She went into more depth to Luna, explaining, but it didn't relieve her any. "Why can't I just remember like them?"

"They said it took an intense emotion; you just haven't found that overwhelming emotion yet."

"But I want to remember; so does Rei-chan."

"Poor Jace."

They walked on in silence for a long while when Makoto heard a scream. She whirled around and stared behind her. People ran ahead of her, pushing and shoving as a huge monster rounded the corner. It was huge, fifteen feet high and walked on all fours. It looked like some demon from the seven hells. It had a braided necklace of bone and feather around its neck and it stared with fire flame eyes at her.

She pulled out her 'henshin' wand as Luna jumped from her shoulder to get the others.

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

She charged it, but it swatted her back like a fly. This was one battle that she knew physical strength would not help her. Fire sprouted down its back like an outside spine as it saw her lying on her back on the ground.

"Freezing Ring!" Chunks of ice flew at the monster and hurt it a bit, but not by much.

"Star Children!" The beams from Minako's attack lanced forward and stabbed into the creature, but it did even less damage than Ami's attack had done.

"Grand Stream!" The sound of the Senshi of the sea's voice had a great relieving effect on Makoto. She looked to the creatures down left and Rei, Haruka, and Michiru stood there.

"Meteor Strike!" Haruka called out, her hand closed into fist over her heart. The earth exploded around her in a circle and a meteor hurtled down from the sky toward her. It connected with the stones circling her and seemed to bounce off it and veer toward the demon.

It roared in pain, though it looked like Michiru's attack had done the most damage. Makoto jumped to her feet and Rei ran to stand beside her, watching the others fight the creature, both feeling inadequate. If only she remembered…!

Her frustration built like a thunderstorm and she let out a scream of aggravation.

And she remembered.

Lita walked down the white carpet that had been laid across the grass in the gardens of the Moon Palace. Her heart burst with happiness. She was finally going to marry Nephrite. She was the first of the five couples to get married. Endymion and Serenity were going to be married in the next month, but right then, it was Lita who was doing it first.

She looked through the green veil at the Nephrite. Traditionally, the bride wore white, but her father and mother had insisted she wear the traditional green of the Jovian family. Her arm in her father's, who was smiling as if he was the most happiest person in all the planets, Lita could feel as if nothing could go wrong.

Just as the King of Jupiter handed his daughter to Nephrite, an explosion rocked the Moon. Lita whirled and saw a dark cloud nearly above them in what had been a clear sky. She knew it was no thunder cloud, but an evil force, bent upon destroying them all.

All the planetary royals were rushed onto their ships to go back to their planets, but one by one, the cloud destroyed them all. Lita wept as she saw her parents' shuttle destroyed, obliterated. Her gaze focused on the woman who controlled this force. This was Beryl, that was Metallia. She would pay…

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

Jupiter didn't care who saw that it was the Princess of Jupiter who turned into the Senshi of that same planet. Her wedding destroyed, her parents killed…It all fueled her anger and she pulled all her power to do her most powerful attack.

"Thunder God!"

Her tiara extended; her fist crackled with lightning and she thrust it into the sky. Lightning and wind flew down and struck it. Her body was encased in lightning and lifted four feet above the ground. She jerked her body from her fetal position and thrust her palm towards the creature darkening the Moon's sky.

The lightning flew in all directions, destroying petty youma and hurting Beryl and Metallia. She dropped to the ground, breathing rather heavily, but by no means woozy or energy drained.

She fought in a bloodthirsty rage, killing all who dared to approach her. "Atomic Mind!" she screamed. Her tiara filled with lightning like her heart and brought her fists level with her waist. She twirled and brought her fists up toward the sky. Lightning and wind flew down and swept the youma away from her, tearing them apart in the maelstrom.

"Moon Healing Escalation!"

The power of the Ginzuishou flowed from Queen Serenity's wand and attacked the evil that threatened her home. It was then that Jupiter realized she was dying. All her power had taken its toll and she had a number of deep wounds that would never let her live.

She saw the creature destroyed and then she saw white. Her last thought was of her princess and Nephrite…

"Thunder God!"

Her tiara extended; her fist crackled with lightning and she thrust it into the sky. Lightning and wind flew down and struck it. Her body was encased in lightning and lifted four feet above the ground. She jerked her body from her fetal position and thrust her palm towards demon.

The lightning flew in a cohesive unit toward the startled youma. Jupiter never realized that while her memory took an hour, it was only a few seconds since it had hit and she fully remembered.

"Grand Stream!"

An ocean of water surrounded Neptune and she twirled twice, her arms thrust out to direct her water. The water flew up and fell like a waterfall over the youma and it screamed as it extinguished some of its flame.

Beside Makoto, Rei felt the stirrings of jealously. Even she had remembered. Why must I be the only one left? Why? Why? Her jealously grew until she nearly felt hate for the tall woman that she had come to call friend.

Then she remembered.

"Flame Shot!"

Mars drew the power to the jewel on fuku's front bow. With a burst of red light, a ball of fire formed in front of her chest. She did a jump kick and propelled toward her enemy.

She breathed heavily. "Mars Flame Sniper!" The arrow gave her time to dodge out of the way and gather her wits. She was exhausted. She had constantly used her most powerful attack, her talismans, and all her other powers that she had barely a trickle of energy left.

Mars found herself under hand to hand combat. She knew she would force herself to survive. While the other Senshi were injured, some badly, some not so, she had barely a scratch on her. She fought conservatively until she saw Jadeite lying on the ground, unmoving.

She ran to him and turned him onto his back. He was badly injured and she found her hands shaking at the thought of his death.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Rei," he said, using her magic name. A thrill went down her spine. "I will always love you. Will you wait for me?"

"I will always wait for you. Always and always."

He nodded and closed his beautiful blue eyes. She gasped and cried onto his chest. She forced herself to move on; she had reasons to move on. But as she saw her princess lying cradled in a dying prince's arms, her reasons to move and live were gone, like dust in the wind.

She turned around slowly and faced the hordes of youmas, daemons, and demons. She knew if she did this attack now it would kill her because she would have no energy reserves left. But she didn't care.

"Final Burst!"

Fire flamed at her back and encased her in an eggshell. She lowered herself down on one knee, as if kneeling in front of a monarch and fire swept in horizontal and vertical angles. She stood up slowly and twirled five times, faster each time. The fire at her back that was shaped somewhat like wings burst forth toward the Beryl.

She collapsed before she saw the results of her attack…

"Final Burst!" The attack sprung from her lips and body as it had so many years ago, though it didn't do much except enrage the demon. She stood next to Jupiter, who was smiling in a fierce kind of joy.

"Soldier of lightning and earth, Sailor Jupiter! You will feel the shock of my passing!"

"Soldier of flame and war, Sailor Mars! My fire will scorch you forever!"

There was a loud cheer at their remembrance and the fight truly began. A lightening of heart was felt all around, for two of their most powerful warriors had awakened and now they were complete.

Mercury and Neptune pulled apart after conferring for a moment. They jumped to either side of it and screamed their most powerful attacks.

"Diamond Dust!"

"Grand Stream!"

The two attacks, water and ice, finished the fire demon, who screamed in pain at its passing.

Jupiter ran to Nephrite, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly. When they pulled away, the Shitennou of the North American division laughed aloud in delight at having his soulmate back in his arms.

Mars and Jadeite stared at each other across the street, neither moving, neither welcoming. Tears welled up in her eyes and Jadeite immediately ran to her. She couldn't resist him as he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm so sor-sor-sorry, Jadeite! I broke my promise to you! I'm so sorry!" she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Shh, shh, it's all right."

"No it isn't. I broke my promise to you!"

He nuzzled her hair and she looked up. His lips immediately descended on hers. She made no move to stop it; rather she closed her eyes and kissed him back passionately. When he pulled away, he pressed his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, but ever since I saw you I've wanted to kiss you. I've wanted to hold you in my arms for so long!" His voice broke as tears threatened. His hold on her tightened.

"What are we going to do, Jadeite?" she whispered.

"I don't know, love," he answered back. "I don't know."

End part 7

If anyone knows Dragoon, you will know that Grand Stream is an earth/fire attack and not water, but whatever. Yes, the description of Flame Shot is the same as in the game, but that will probably be the only one that's the same. I don't own the copyright for these attacks, but I do own the game and everyone should play it.

I know; it's a tear-jerker. What will Rei do? Will she divorce Yuuichirou or not? Well I guess you'll find out if you read on.