Chapter 6

Rei laid her head against the cold stone of the temple wall. She had been worried at first that this new enemy that had appeared. It had been so peaceful for so long...she had in a way got use to it. But in the end a Senshi's duty is never done. Rei was the Sailor Scout of Mars. She had a temper to match her planet and its name. But know one ever really saw the true side of Rei. The scared side, the one that worried for its Princess more than she let on.

Oh Serena got on her nerves but she loved her...with her dying breath she would give it all. If it meant her happiness in life she would never look back. Rei was the mysterious one...the physic. People often had been afraid of her when she had been young. When her mother had died, sad and lonely because Rei's father was always gone on business, her father had decided that she should go live with her mothers father. Rei had been so torn up with losing her mother losing her father had seemed like just another blow to the young child. Rei could remember climbing the stairs of the Temple with her father behind her in his limo. As soon as she got to the top step her grandfather had been there waiting with open arms. Rei had flung her suitcase down and run into his arms. That was the last time Rei had seen her father. Oh he sent the occasional birthday present and paid for her schooling but that was about it.

When Rei had meet Serena she had been a bitter girl. To afraid to let anyone truly know her. And then Serena had come bouncing into her life. Her Princess in all her glory enveloping Rei in love that she had only felt from her mother and Grandfather. From that day on Rei had sworn no matter what Serena would be protected.

Rei walked through the doors to the sacred fire. This fire never burned out. No matter what it was kept going for as long as Rei could remember. Phobos and Deimos sat on the perch watching their mistress as she prepared to look into the fire. Rei felt the familiar magic running through her. She felt the vision begin to take hold.d

Rei stood in a stone room with the sacred fire in front of her. To her side she heard something and she turned to look her violet eyes scanning the darkness around the room. Her hair was flowing down her back in waves of black with purple highlights making it indescribable to an observer. The shadow came out and there stood the former Sailor Mars.

"Who are you?" Rei asked the figure. The girl laughed as if it were some joke only she got.

"I am you...a millennium ago" said the figure. "We have changed so much in this time Mars. It seems as though you have had many hardships that I did not have to go through to become what we are" said the figure.

"Why do you say that?" Rei asked looking at the woman that she had been.

"I never knew my true mother" said the figure. "I was raised in the temples on Mars while my father ruled with an iron fist. I was brought up to be the Senshi of Mars and had no other course I could have taken, that was my destiny" the figure looked sadly at Rei. "But you my dear self had choices...pain...things I only felt at the end of my life time. I was a Princess, yes, but I was also a warrior. And as some would say I was a witch" said the figure.

"Why have you come to me?" Rei asked.

"Because it is time you became aware that you my dear are more than a warrior. You are a Princess. You are the Princess of Mars 2nd in command of Selenity's royal army. You have more power than you know and because a battle will come I was sent here to release it to you. It is time to take your Mars sphere and become the rightful ruler of your planet" said the figure. As she said this a red sphere appeared in her hands she said one word in a language Rei did not understand and the ball went flying toward her.

It entered her body at her chest as it did Rei began to float in the air. A million red flames surrounded her and she landed on the ground. But instead of standing there as plain old Rei Hino she was now Queen Rei of Mars. Rei stood there in a complete daze she had all her memories back...well most of them. She stood there looking at her old self as crystal tears ran down her cheeks.

The figure looked at her sadly. "I am sorry that your memories cause you pain. But in the end you will be glad to have them back. As I know my life was hard, the road ahead of you is much harder than you suspect. Be weary solider of fire for there is more pain and love to come" said the old Mars as she faded away.

Rei came out of her vision and looked at the sacred fire one more time as she stood Queen Rei melded into Rei Hino and they became one.