Yes, yes. It's been a long time since I updated this. No use giving excuses...

Thank you, Yari-chan, for kicking my butt in gear. This one's mainly for you.

Chapter Twelve: I'm Gonna Fight

Rei ran from the room and out the door. She jumped down the stairs of the Dojo and hurried around the corner; she could still hear Yuuichirou screaming her name. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she impatiently brushed them away. She was too worried to think. She just kept running, and at first, she wondered where she was running to. It wasn't until it started raining when she finally thought: home.

She hurried up the stairs and stepped in the puddles that formed from the pouring rain on her doorstep. The front door of the apartment house is always open, so she just ran in. Her hair stuck close to her body and soaked her clothes untirely. By the time she reached the second floor, her whole body was wet.

Rei ran up to the door and turned the handle. It didn't open. Then she banged on the door. "Jaedite! Jaedite, are you in there? Jaedite!"

There was no answer; no figure moving across the floor, no stirring in the whole house. She looked under the rug. No key. No note. Now, she turned from the door and spun down the hallway and out the front door. It was pouring harder than when she came in. "No where to go..." she said to herself and just stood in the rain with her head hanging low.

Soon, she felt someone walking toward her. She didn't think too much of it, until her old priestess kimono fell on her shoulders that streamed to the ground and an umbrella was stuck over her head. She didn't need to turn to know who it was. "I'm sorry... Rei."

---

::I insist you stay the night.::

She remembered what Yuuichirou just told her as he closed the door to his house behind her. She stood, baffled, as a butler quickly hurried over to her. "Your clothes are soaked, ma' lady! Hurry, so you can change!" He took her hand and rushed over to the left set of chairs that met the right set in the center.

In fifteen minutes, the butler showed Rei to the kitchen, where Yuuichirou sat at the bar and watched the chef cook dinner. He bowed, and in a flash, was gone from the kitchen and down the long hallway. Rei lightly stepped up to Yuuichirou and stared at him. He took his eyes off the chef and smiled at her. "I see he picked a nice yukata. Fits you perfectly. And suger pink is a cute color for you." Even though Yuuichirou was sitting down, his eyes met Rei's. She just stared at him and he laughed again. "Something wrong?"

"Yes," Rei said simply.

"...what's that?"

"What happened between you and Jaedite?"

Yuuichirou sighed and motioned for her to sit down. "I have been friends with Jaedite for years. I told him I really wanted to see you again as long as I didn't pull anything. He was kind and said he would let me see you again." He closed his eyes. "I came by tonight by surprise. I had to tell you, Rei. I had to tell you I loved you-"

"So you kiss me in front of my boyfriend and expect for him to just smile?!"

The chef now looked over at the two, then quickly turned away.

Yuuichirou felt the bandages on his arm. "I rather die knowing you knew how I felt, then live with myself knowing you have no idea."

Rei was speachless, just frowned and turned her head to face the chef. "So.. where did he go?"

"I don't know. All I know he, he wants to kill me now." He laughed. "But thanks to you, he can't without his lover getting angry. I guess you do have feelings for me, too."

Rei looked over at him. He wasn't the same Yuuichirou she remembered from five years ago. He didn't blush or stutter when he talked to Rei like he used to. Then it came to her mind that he once did mention he was rich, just decided to stay at the Hikawa Temple because... he cared for Rei.

"Once you left the temple," Yuuichirou said, reading her mind, "I had no purpose to stay, so I left too."

Rei covered her face in her hands. "Everything is my fault.."

Yuuichirou didn't say anything, just put his arm across her shoulder. When she didn't push it away, he smiled. "I'll show you to your room."

---

Rei bounced lightly on the huge, rounded bed that Yuuichirou assigned for her. The butler stood on the side. "Is this pleasing you, Ms. Hino?"

"Yes," Rei said with a smile. "Thank you very much."

He nodded, bowed, and walked from the bedroom. Yuuichirou walked over the room. "I always... kept this room safe. No one has ever stayed in this guest room before."

"Oh?" Rei asked. "Why?"

"I've been saving it for you," he said, lightly blushing.

Rei smiled. ::That's the old Yuuichirou.:: She was silent at his comment, but still smiled when he turned and looked at her. "Thank you, Yuuichirou... for letting me stay."

"I couldn't leave you alone in the rain," he said, turning away from her.

"Yes you could," Rei added smartly. "You just didn't want to."

He looked over his shoulder. "You're right. I always wanted you here. I didn't want you in the rain." Then, he walked out and closed the door behind him.

Rei stared off into the light of the room for a while as she took her hair out from the bun. Everyone came to her mind. Grandpa Hino and Yuuichirou in the days of the Temple, when Rei would yell at him for sweeping in the wrong direction. She realized now she only fussed with him to simply say something to him. All those feelings are building up now.

She thought of Makoto; she hasn't seen her since the inncident in the park. No one has heard from her and never got through to her communicator. Silver Maiden still had Hotaru and Ami captive. ::I guess everyone is waiting for Setsuna to return to start the fighting:: Rei thought. Setsuna. She remembered.

And Jaedite, you take care of Rei.

Her eyes when she said that; did she know Jaedite was going to run away from Rei? Setsuna knew something was going to happen and so did Usagi.

I wouldn't be in such a hurry to cry.

And then, Hotaru's voice broke through the silence.

Right. Marry Jaedite and name all the children after me. But first, go back to the scouts and fight for him and your future. I'm Sailor Saturn. I know the darkness of the future. You must go back. Soon.

"I have to go back," Rei thought to herself. "I have to go back. I have to go back. It's all my fault. It's all my fault..."

I know the darkness of the future.

Rei closed her eyes. "... Jaedite's gone."

---

Rei hurried out of her room and down the long corridors of the mansion. The huge crystal windows reflected her reflection onto them as the rain pounded on the glass and lightning flashed everyone twenty steps. She turned left and tried her best to remember the way to Yuuichirou's bedroom. Once she found it, she knocked on the door.

No one answered back, so Rei slowly opened the door and tip-toed inside, over to the hudle in Yuuichirou's bed. She stood, staring at the sleeping boy in the huge bed. The covers were black with small fireballs scattered as the design. Suddenly, Yuuichirou groaned and opened his eyes. He flinched in shock. "Rei?!" He sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I've been thinking," she said. "Thinking about Jaedite."

Yuuichirou grinned and closed his eyes. "Sit down." He moved over and tapped the side of the bed next to him, and Rei sat beside him. "Now what about Jaedite?"

"Everyone seems to know that Jaedite was going to run away from me. Like Hotaru said she knows the darkness of the future, and Setsuna saying for Jaedite to take care of me, and Usagi saying I wouldn't be in such a hurry to cry-" Rei stopped and sighed. "I don't know.."

Yuuichirou yawned and sat with his legs crossed, facing Rei. "Maybe he only left for tonight. I wouldn't blame him for being upset with me." Rei hung her head, so he continued. "How about we both check back at the apartment tomorrow morning and see if he is there? Would that make you happy?"

Rei looked up and smiled, then sat with her legs crossed, facing Yuuichirou also. "Great! You would really do that?"

He laughed nervously. "He'll probably try and kill me, but hey, he'll have to be there in order to!"

Rei shook her head. "He won't hurt you. I won't forgive him if he does." She touched his cheek. "I had too many good times with you. We had laughter and fun, and you are a good friend of mine. Thank you, Yuuichirou."

He grabbed her hand from his face and held it in both his hands. "Anything for you." Rei stared at the covers of the bed and then Yuuichirou stood up. "Come on. I'll walk you back to your room, unless you want to sleep here." He laughed.

Rei grinned and stood up, too. Yuuichirou walked from the room and Rei followed behind. She stopped to look out the window; it was no longer raining and you can see the moon hovering in the sky. She turned back to catch up to Yuuichirou, and could see him walking swiftly down the corrider. She almost cried.

---

That next morning, Yuuichirou closed the door behind him from the huge mansion and walked up to Rei who was sitting on the steps waiting. They just finished breakfast and like Yuuichirou promised, he would take her to see if Jaedite returned to the apartment house. The whole walk to the apartment was a silent one. Rei worried Jaedite would be upset with her by staying in Yuuichirou's house for the night, and Yuuichirou worried the same.

Rei slowly walked up the stairs to the house, opened the front door, and walked inside; Yuuichirou followed closely behind. The whole apartment house was dark and one part of Rei knew Jaedite wasn't going to be there. When she reached for the handle, it amazingly opened and the door swung open. She stepped inside and Yuuichirou poked his head through the door. "Jaedite?" Rei called softly, and got louder every time she got a silent answer. "Jaedite?!"

She motioned for Yuuichirou to come inside and he did. He followed Rei as she searched in the bedroom. "Jaedite?"

Yuuichirou studied the room and grinned. "So, this is where you two sleep..."

Rei ignored his comment and walked into the living room. She sat down in front of the table and gasped. "A... note?" She opened it and read it aloud as Yuuichirou sat down beside her.

Sailor Mars,
I have your most deepest affection: this boy who I found heartbroken. Thanks to your so-called friends, I found your idenity and your heart. I have the little girl. The older one is dead. Dare stop me. I won't stop until I get the fire...

Rei stopped reading. "The older one is dead?" She gasped. "...Ami?" She stood up suddenly. "Then, the writer must be... Silver Maiden?"

... I won't stop until I get the fire. It will be mine for the taking. I'll strike again if you don't hand it over. I have your lover. Give it up.

-S.M.

She clenched the note in her fist and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Ami is gone... Jaedite is taken... it's all my fault..." Yuuichirou stared off at the table and was silent. He didn't bother to wipe away her tears; you can't wipe away anger. He just sat there with his hands on his lap. Rei crunched the note up and it burst into flames in her grip. Her eyes shot red. "I'm gonna fight..."