As usual, I disavow any rights to the characters from Pretty Guardian SailorMoon. They all belong to Takeuchi Naoko and Bandai.
Wow, a brand new reviewer. (smile) Thanks, Starsketch007! According to the stats, I have about 40 people or so following the story, so it can't be all that unpopular, hahaha... I guess most people are like me. If I don't have something to say, I tend not to review. I love reviews as much as any author, but I can't hold people to a standard I can't meet... (smile) Thanks for the feedback.
And, of course, hi to aserene... The
chapter you have been waiting for... Will Rei and Makoto
win? Only two more to go... Enjoy, minna!
- Raya
Lonely Harp
To Properly Light a Candle
Furtively, Rei looked over her shoulder and made sure the coast was clear. She held the end of a long, red, tapered candle and carefully tilted it into the edge of the sacred fire. When it caught, she drew it out, and then looked expectantly at the fire. Her shoulders sank and she sighed as she realized that this wasn't what Mars had meant either.
She extinguished the flame, and sat down to stare irritably into the flames. "How do you properly light a candle?" she mumbled to herself. So far, she had tried with matches, a lighter, a lit wick, transferring the flame from another candle, and now trying to get the flame from the sacred fire. "Light it with electricity!"
Her eyes widened as the exasperated exclamation led to an idea. Quickly, she jumped to her feet, snatched up the taper, and left the shrine with a bow. The priest watched with interest as she ran past him and into the main living area. He followed curiously, and found her in the kitchen holding the wick of the candle to the electric eye of the stove.
When if finally caught fire, she stood up, turned off the stove and carefully carried it back to the shrine. Thoroughly curious now, the priest followed her. He watched as she stared into the flames for a few minutes, and then sighed with defeat and snuffed the candle.
"Rei-san," he called as she once again bowed her way out of the main shrine area. He tilted his head when she jumped and turned to look at him, hiding the candle behind her back. Her neutral, slightly belligerent expression told him that something serious was up. "Rei-san, what are you trying to do?" he asked curiously.
"Sir?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.
"You have been running around with that candle for several days now, lighting it and extinguishing it. What are you trying to do?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.
With a sigh, she brought the candle out from behind her back and studied it. She blinked as a sudden thought occurred to her. "I… I am trying to figure out how to light it properly, sir," she replied as she lifted her head and looked him in the eye.
"Light it properly?" he asked. Something about the phrasing sounded familiar to him. He thought about it as he watched her nod. "And why would you want to do that?" he asked, trying to buy himself some more time.
"There… There is something that I want to learn, but I cannot until I know the proper way to light a candle," she replied reluctantly. She waited, hoping that he would be able to give her a clue.
"I see…" he sighed, still unable to bring the thought out. "Well, please do not neglect your other duties," he said as he turned away. "The younger children are organizing another play. I am sure they would appreciate your help again."
"Yes sir," she said with a bow, smothering her disappointment. With a frown, she also turned away and began to walk down the steps. Her mind, however, was not on whatever play the children wanted to do this time, but on coming up with another way to light a candle.
Over the next several days, the priest watched her try to light it with a coal, with another candle while chanting, while burning incense, while doing both. Once, he almost surprised her as she tried dancing first, a strange dance that seemed to mimic the movement of the flames. Fortunately, he stopped himself before she knew he was there. A frustrated Rei was bad enough around the temple. An embarrassed, frustrated Rei would be even worse.
He himself felt a bit frustrated himself as he tried to remember where he had heard that particular phrase before. He took to looking through his old books, reading old mantras, and dropping it into conversations with old friends.
Ami watched quietly as the professor slowly poured liquid nitrogen from a dewar into a large beaker. As he poured, he talked about the uses and dangers of the extremely cold liquid which could be used to freeze food or patches of skin cancer on a patient.
Carefully, he put the dewar down, and pushed the smoking beaker to the middle of the table. He then picked up another dewar and began to fill a beaker with a pale, sky blue liquid. Something about the color of the liquid combined with the way it smoked and boiled caught Ami's attention, and her brown eyes narrowed.
"Now, can anyone tell me what this liquid is, based on its characteristics?" the professor asked.
"Oxygen," Ami heard herself say absently.
"Correct, Ms. Mizuno. And how did you know that?" he asked as the rest of the class turned to look at her in surprise.
"It is extremely cold, similar to the nitrogen, but it is the color of the sky. A frosty, clear blue…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened as a vision of boiling, roiling mist spraying from her hands crossed her mind. Her hand went up to her forehead and rubbed it absently.
"Precisely. Although air is clear, the sky has a blue appearance because of the way the sunlight reflects off of the oxygen," the professor added. He put the second dewar down, and opened his mouth to say something more when the bell rang signaling the end of the lecture.
"There will be a short quiz tomorrow," he called to the students as they began to quickly pack their bags, put on their cold weather gear, and run off to their next lecture. "And please begin reading chapters 18 and 19."
Ami followed behind the other students as they left the lecture hall, but instead of heading to her next class, she found herself wandering down to a little frozen stream. She sat carefully on its bank in a patch of early morning sunlight, and cradled her head in her gloved hands.
'What are these visions?' she thought to herself. 'Why do they seem so familiar?' She lifted her head and looked down at her hands. 'I can almost feel that liquid coming out of my skin…'
As she concentrated on that phantom feeling, her forehead began to burn. Instinctively, she ignored it, concentrating instead on the visions and how they felt as well as how they looked. Suddenly, she gasped and jerked up right. On her forehead, the symbol of Mercury glowed with a bright, frosty blue light, the color of oxygen, cool spring water, and life.
Minako smiled brightly, turned, and pulled her hat flirtatiously over one eye. Her photographer walked around her snapping pictures, and muttering encouragements. She mischievously turned the session into a flirtatious game, and he snapped it up both emotionally and on camera.
Sitting in her bag off to one side, Artemis watched with a little concern as he realized that she was beginning to tap into her basic, most elemental talent. He sighed with relief when her manager signaled the end of the session.
"Okay, Minako-chan! Beautiful. Beautiful. And now, we must hurry and change," Saito said brightly as he walked onto the stage, the only person in sight apparently unaffected by her game.
Minako smiled, and straightened up. "Yes, sir. Where are we off to now?" she asked, still glowing from the fun.
"Let's see… We have an interview, and then dinner. And tomorrow, you have a recording session, so you must get to bed at a reasonable time," he replied giving her a stern look. She pouted playfully at him, and then smiled and scooped up Artemis and her bag.
"Okay, I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder as she walked quickly to her dressing room. She began humming "C'est la vie…" as she put her bag on the makeup table and stepped behind a screen to change her clothes.
As she stepped out again, Artemis widened his eyes. She was wearing a very attractive red bodice halter with an open, bright yellow, long sleeved, lacy overshirt and a black leather miniskirt. On her feet, she wore strappy, black stiletto heels. She leaned towards the mirror to check her makeup, and Artemis gulped.
Suddenly, she looked down at him. "Artemis," she said softly with a sparkle in her brown eyes.
'No, oh no…' he thought to himself as he desperately tried not to tremble. He recognized that innocent sparkle. She was planning to surprise him somehow. 'Mus'n't move… Mus'n't move…'
"What do you think of this?" she asked. She put a small box on the table in front of him, and he began to tremble even more. "It's a surprise for the boss," she said. "You know how he likes bears? Well, I got him one." As she opened the box, a little stuffed bear popped out with a roar and bounced around on its spring.
Artemis jumped a bit, and squawked in surprise even though he had been expecting something like it. Minako began to giggle with delight. Suddenly, however, she stopped, and her eyes widened. Artemis began to sweat uncontrollably as he realized that he had probably been caught. A bright glow on her forehead, however, completely distracted him.
"Minako?" he called tentatively, as the bright golden symbol of Venus lit the room.
"Ah!" the priest exclaimed as he stared at the hokku on the page in front of him. "That's it!" Quickly, he rose and went in search of Rei.
"Rei-san!" he called when he spotted her bending over to talk with one of the young girls. She stood up and looked at him curiously. With a gentle smile, she bent down to the girl and said something softly. The girl grinned, nodded, and ran off to rejoin the group of children who were painting trees on a large canvas.
"Yes, sir?" she asked as she walked towards him. His excited face aroused her curiosity.
"Ahem," he said as he came to a halt. He put a serious expression on his face and caught her eyes. "The burning sun shows / The true way to light the dark / A flame from within," he said in a significant tone.
She gave him a puzzled look, and then her eyes grew wide. Completely forgetting to bow, she spun and ran for the main temple. He followed more slowly. He watched her settle onto a cushion in front of the flame and shut her eyes. She held her candle in front of her, and began to breathe deeply and slowly. He waited patiently behind her to see what would happen.
Rei concentrated, and turned her awareness inward. Sure enough, she felt the touch of fire deep in her soul. She imagined herself turning the candle in to the edge of the inner flames and the candle being lit. Absently, she noted that her forehead was growing warm.
The priest watched as she slowly moved the candle. It appeared that she was using it to write the kanji for light. Suddenly, the wick burst into flame. His eyes widened as he saw a bright, pure red aura surround her. Unseen by him, the symbol of Mars burned on her forehead as she abruptly opened her eyes.
Makoto breathed deeply and steadily as she worked her way through the brown level kata exercise. She had felt a strange urge to start studying martial arts a little less than two years ago, and had settled on Aikido and Karate. Her masters were surprised at how quickly she had advanced, especially since she was studying both at once.
Her movements were crisp and clean, and her sneakers brushed the grass as she moved from one side of the park to the other. A feeling of peace settled over her as she practiced the movements which might one day save not only herself but another.
She stilled her movements, and then opened her eyes. The feeling of peace lingered as she walked over and leaned against a giant oak tree for a short break. She closed her eyes again, and listened to the cold wind rustle the leaves all around her with a smile. The memory of the tulips that Motoki had given her a few weeks before made her smile bigger and brighter.
There was something about Motoki. Somehow, she felt that he was one of the few people that could truly understand her. As she was thinking of this, a sudden vision appeared in her mind. A dark bridge. Motoki staring up at her in shock and amazement. Another vision of Motoki nodding, encouraging her to leave and do what she needed to do.
She frowned as she straightened up and returned to her kata practice. She had never seen that before, had she? As she moved, another vision came to her. Motoki, sprawled unconscious on the road with a small turtle charm in his hand. She felt her heart tighten in pain.
'No. He cannot die. He cannot get hurt. I will protect him. I will. I will protect them both,' she thought to herself as she increased her speed. Soon, she was sparring with an invisible partner, each movement a strong declaration of her determination to protect innocents. On her forehead, a small light began to glow. As she finished the exercise with a loud "Kya!" it burst into full, green brilliance. Her body stiffened and her eyes widened as the symbol for Jupiter sparkled on her forehead.
"The best food preparation tool of the century!" the salesman called to his gathered audience as Usagi drug her reluctant mother away. "It can cut the most delicate of tomatoes, the most fragile of hard boiled eggs, and yet still rice a potato effortlessly!"
"Oh, Usagi! Did you see?" Ikuko exclaimed as she looked over her shoulder. "He just cut that cabbage into fine bits!"
"Eh?" Usagi said as she looked over her shoulder. "I thought the potato was next." With a shrug, she continued to drag her mother away from the table and into the nearest store. "We're here to buy Papa a present," she said sternly as her mother pouted. "After that, we can shop."
Ikuko's face suddenly brightened, and she nodded. "Yes. Papa first, and then us! Right?" she asked with a grin.
"Right!" Usagi answered with a matching grin. The two women happily spent the next hour browsing through various stores looking for just the right present for Usagi's father, Kenji. Finally, they decided on a tie and an electronic organizer/notebook.
They picked a table in the food court and began to plot their next moves. Suddenly, Ikuko looked at her daughter. She leaned in as if to whisper a secret to her. Usagi's eyes widened as she leaned in to listen. "Usagi," she said in a serious tone, "Mama is thirsty." Usagi sat back, looked at her mother a little warily, and then began to smile and laugh. "What would you like?" Ikuko asked as she stood up.
"Cream soda," Usagi replied with a grin.
Ikuko quirked an eyebrow at her, and then grinned back. "Guard Papa's presents," she called as she moved away.
Usagi's grin mellowed into a smile as she watched her mother disappear into the crowd. Gently, she pulled the electronic organizer out of its bag and began to inspect the box. 'I'm so lucky,' she thought to herself as she read the information on the back of the box. 'I have such a good family. And such good friends.' For a moment, her smile dimmed as she remembered how she had destroyed it all just a couple of years before. Then, she shook herself and smiled again, determined to enjoy the present.
She was putting the electronic organizer back into its bag when she felt something strange deep in her soul. Her eyes widened, and then grew worried as she identified the source of the feeling. "Everyone?" she said softly as her hand went to her chest uncertainly.
Slowly, Ami rose to her feet and lifted her book bag out of the dormant grass. With a meditative look, she began to walk to her third class. In her mind, she began to work her way through the memories she had regained.
Artemis watched as Minako closed her eyes, lowered her head, and took a deep breath. "A song to draw her out, hmmm?" she said to no-one in particular. She opened her eyes and gave Artemis a commanding look. "Do not tell her," she ordered abruptly. His eyes widened as he realized that she had remembered. "Or Luna. Not yet…"
"Rei-san?" the priest called softly as the light around her faded.
"That idiot," she muttered as her eyes began to focus on the candle. "Always trying to do it all herself…"
"Rei-san, are you all right?" the priest asked a little more loudly. Rei started, and then turned to look at him. Slowly, she nodded. As he nodded back, he noted that her expression was very serious, but that there was a new light in her eyes and in her aura.
"Rei-san, there is not much more I can teach you," he said slowly. He watched her blink in surprise. He also noted that she looked a little nervous. "However… There is a place I would like to send you. A temple in Kyoto where you can begin to explore your mystical powers more deeply."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "A temple in Kyoto?" she asked as she absently pushed a lock of brown hair back over her shoulder.
He nodded. "There is a master there who is much stronger than I in the mystical arts. I will see if he would be willing to teach you to control your new powers." Looking thoughtful, she slowly nodded to him and made a noise of agreement.
Makoto slowly relaxed her stance and stared into space. In her mind, she watched the newly freed memories unfold. With a shudder, she reached up and covered her face. 'I failed,' she thought miserably. 'I didn't protect any of them. Because I was weak, she…' She shuddered again as she remembered the look on Usagi's face: the totally blank look of one who was buried in despair and loss.
She blinked as it was replaced with a more recent image of Usagi standing in the flower shop, eyes closed, taking a deep breath to inhale the scent of a red rose. Usagi's eyes opened, and for just a moment, they shone happily.
"She's alive," Makoto said softly to herself. "I'm alive. We're all alive. She must have done something…" Several more images of Usagi flashed through her mind. In all of them Usagi was smiling, but the smile did not reach her eyes except when she was with her boyfriend Mamoru.
Makoto started as she realized just who Mamoru really was. "He's alive, too?..." Her eyes narrowed as she remembered that the two had been dating, without incident, for a little over two years. She suddenly smiled as she realized that everything must be all right now. "We're free…"
