Author's Note:

The normal disclaimers here of course and that I'm certainly not doing this for money.

There are a few elements that are exclusive to the manga, as you will read, but those only involve character differences than from the anime, such as the Shitennous' relationship. Also, Mamoru has the Golden Crystal.

If you need to contact me, my email is Guardian4@atlantic.net. Please put fanfiction or something in the subject line so I know what you're emailing me about. And if you're a really nice person (if this pertains to a certain fanfiction that I've done) you might want to put the name of the fanfiction you're referring to somewhere in the email.

All names are like the Japanese say them, last name first. So Kunzite's name would be Kail Rainer in America, but in Japanese it would be said Rainer Kail.

Army of Immortals

Chapter 18: Ocean of Love

"I've got it!" Tomi told her reflection that night. "I need to make it up to Kail about what I've doing lately." She had already made a pact with herself that she wouldn't interfere anymore. But she had to do something to make it up to her brother.

And she had just the thing…

They agreed it had been a qualified success.

Both Jayden and Rei had kept tabs over the two intellectuals over the course of the evening. When the ballet had started, Ami had had such a rapt expression on her face that it all made it worth it, not to mention she had linked her hand with Zayn's.

For the past week, they had worked their hardest on finding ways to bring the two of them together and it was working!

"I told you the ballet was a good idea," Jayden commented, able to keep most of his smug smirk from his face.

Rei knew it was there and she jabbed him in the ribs as they ascended the stairs to the Hikawa Shrine. "Don't brag."

"I'm not," he lied.

She smiled. "We've left them alone, not a single circumstance contrived by us, for two days. How are they doing?"

"From Zayn's enthusiastic talking? He's living in heaven, that's how he's doing. What about Ami?"

"I haven't seen her smile so much in my entire life."

"Speaking of couples," he murmured, sitting down on the steps in front of the door to the Shrine, "how are the others?"

"More specifically, Usagi and Mamoru right?" she finished for him. He nodded, somewhat sheepishly. She shrugged, though she was inwardly pleased at how cheery her friend was. "What can I say? They're Usagi and Mamoru. I can't tell you just how happy she is. She practically bounces wherever she goes. I heard that she and he are already talking about meeting her dad."

"Already?" Jayden stared at her incredulously. "Isn't that a little early?"

"You haven't met her father," Rei replied with a smile. "The earlier she brings them to meet, the more likely he has a chance to live."

His face turned pensive and she longed to know what he was thinking about. "Overprotective?"

"Unbearably so."

Silence fell. Finally she prodded, "What are you thinking about?"

He didn't even look startled at the sudden noise from the quietness. "I'm just thinking about Mamoru."

"What about him?"

Jayden tilted his head and stared at the sky. "The chances of him surviving the final battle against Beryl with all of us with him are slim at best. I don't want to die and leave him alone, but I will if it keeps him alive."

Rei stared at him, floored for a moment about the amount of feeling that the normally carefree man felt.

But then he suddenly shook of his mood and smiled mischievously. "How about Makoto and Neil?"

"They're at the beach," she answered and let an ironic smile lift her lips when she remembered the sheer bikini that her friend had been wearing. "I think she's in love."

"Well that would make a pair then. Neil…well Neil is weird to describe sometimes, but I will tell you he hasn't looked at a single woman for more than sixty seconds since he and Makoto started going out and he was considered the ladies man of the group. When his thoughts aren't on Makoto, their either on the stars or Mamoru. That's pretty much it. He hasn't touched his schoolwork at all, which is something that Neil hadn't ever really let go like this. The man in head over heels in love."

"Have you seen Minako or Kail lately? I mean it was bad enough that they ditched us today…"

The two groups had planned on a four person sparring session with pairs. But inexplicably, they had declined out of it, leaving Jayden and Rei with nothing to do as they had made no plans for today because of it.

"The only time I've seen Kail was when he told me they couldn't make it to the sparring match," Jayden told her, frowning in confusion and concern. "I understand that he's upset about his sister and normally I wouldn't go past that, but he's been, from I can tell, with Minako every moment of the day. Wonder what they're doing?" A sly smile lifted his lips.

She kicked him lightly. "Keep your thoughts out of the gutter. They won't be doing anything like that."

"But it's odd of them to ditch us at the last minute," he murmured. "It's not like Minako or Kail to do that. If something comes up, Kail usually tells me what it is a day in advance if he can wangle the time."

"I know. Minako's like that too, at least most of the time."

A man suddenly appeared in the doorway, his face scruffy with stubble and his brown hair falling into his face. After having known Neil, with his rich, dark red brown hair, she disliked Yuuichirou even more. His resembled stringy bits of pale earthen spaghetti, with about as much life as a dead slug. Overall, even his hazel eyes weren't in comparison to any of who she'd associate with energy and excitement.

"What is it, Yuuichirou?" she questioned, sighing under her breath.

"Sensei says you have chores and he wants you to clean the sacred room."

Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance. How many times had she told him not to call her grandfather 'Sensei'? It wasn't as if he was teaching the man anything! "Tell him I'll be in after I finish my conversation with Jayden. He'll understand."

For the first time, the man who looked to be at least three years older than Rei, noticed Jayden sitting on the steps. Yuuichirou took a step back as if stabbed. He quickly recollected himself and went back inside without another word.

"What was that about?"

"I hate that man, but I can't get rid of him."

"Why not?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, we need the help," she confessed. "This place, while seeming small, is still much too big for just two people to keep clean."

"Hmm. Why don't you just ask a few friends of yours with nothing to do after school if they'd help you out?"

"My friends at school? Not bloody likely. I don't have any friends at that school. Besides, we would need someone that was a live-in. We need the help 24/7."

"Oh. I guess I'd better go then," he said awkwardly, standing up and shifting a little.

"Come see me tomorrow?"

Jayden's face took on pleased surprise. "Sure!"

She looked away, suddenly unsure of the fluttering her stomach was doing. "What's the big deal?"

He touched her hand. "It's a big deal to me. I should tell you this: that night at the ballet, when we got Ami and Zayn there, I wasn't watching them; I was watching you."

A blush stained her cheeks and she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. His face was utterly sincere and solemn, a rarity she now settled upon him. "I…I…"

His fingers touched her cheek so lightly that she was afraid that she imagined it. Automatically her head turned toward that soft touch and he kissed her. At first it was sweet and gentle, but the passion she felt for him changed it.

Jayden finally pulled away, rather reluctantly. "I really should go, but…" He struggled with his next words.

"I know," she interrupted quietly. "I love you too."

"We're supposed to be trying to get Ami and Zayn together, not…"

"Not ourselves," she agreed with amusement and loss of breath. "But we can't help it…"

"Rei!"

Even more hesitantly than he had, she headed for the Shrine, still watching him. He bowed gallantly and strode down the steps, something making his feet light as he almost skipped.

They watched as Jayden walked on Cloud 9 away from the Shrine. Rei, with a private smile, entered the Shrine.

"That went extremely better than I expected," the male voice said.

"I can't believe we managed to get the two of them to ditch Jayden and Rei. They're usually so stubborn, especially for sparring and such," his companion commented.

"Tell me about it. I think those two were dying to have as much own time as they could get."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Because I expect they don't think they'll survive in the final battle against Beryl."

Silence.

"You realize that while we were getting them together, they were trying to get us together?" he told her, finally glancing in Ami's direction.

"Of course. Why did you think I gave in so easily when Rei asked me to that ballet with them?"

"Oh."

She obviously picked up on his disappointment. "I tried to pay attention to them, but with you next to me and the ballet itself, it was much too hard."

Zayn was glad he was hidden so well; the shadows in his hiding place covered his blush. "Well I did manage to get a glimpse of Jayden once or twice before getting distracted and the boy couldn't keep his eyes off Rei."

Her hand slipped into his, startling him. "But their efforts didn't go wasted, did they?"

Was she saying what he thought she was saying? "No, it didn't. Would…would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"I'd love to."

With secret smiles, they slid from their hiding places and meandered down the street.

End Chapter 18