The Soul of Fire

Chapter 7: Into the past….Mars' Past

"Rei's whole family is strange. They pray with weird chants and keep crows as pets! Some say they have ESP." They heard a few people.

"Sendai Hill is the top. Where five roads meet. It a pretty unique place. But legend has it that there's a phantom road. They say the 6:00 Phantom Bus disappears down that sixth road, you what they call that? A Hell Heist. That's what it's called." They saw Rei say to a younger Usagi.

Later the Schwarz saw the police at the temple after following Rei and Usagi for a few days.

"I want you to use your ESP to figure out where Mimi is!" A parent yelled.

"I can't always control when my ESP works….it is better to leave it to the police." Rei said.

"Why don't you be a sweet girl for once! After all we donate to this run down temple!" Mimi's mother sneered.

"With all those weird prayers you do, I wouldn't be surprised if you made Mimi disappear!" Mimi's mother yelled.

"Go……GO HOME!" Rei yelled before turning and going back into the temple.

Events passed and the Schwarz ended up on the Phantom Bus as Rei did. They had regained consciousness to see Jadeite caressing Rei's porcelain skin.

"How pretty. She's something special, this girl." Jadeite said while caressing Rei's cheek.

"MERCURY POWER! MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!" They heard Usagi and another familiar voice.

"Ami-chan!" Usagi smiled seeing Sailor Mercury.

"I've been waiting senshi." Jadeite said before grabbing Rei as she regained consciousness.

"Rei-chan!" Usagi yelled.

"AH!" Rei cried as a burning red mark came to her forehead.

"Ami use the pen I gave you! It's our only hope!" They heard Luna's voice from somewhere.

Crawford watched Ami toss the red pen with the Mars insignia toward Rei and fire wrapped around her thin frame, which seemed to be etched on the wrist with scars.

"Rei-chan!" Usagi yelled before two crows, which the Schwarz guessed, were Phobos and Deimos swooped into the area.

"Get him guys!" Rei, now in her sailor fuku yelled to the crows as they distracted the enemy.

"AKU RYO TAI SAN!" Rei yelled as fire escaped the tips of her gloved hands and incinerated the enemy.

"Quick! Get out! The flames are causing a tremor!" Luna's voice yelled before a discarded earpiece next to Nagi's foot.

After a flash of light everyone was outside the temple grounds. Schuldig used his speed to go to find where the three teens went and then got the rest of the group to see them in a secluded area.

"What's this? My clothes…." Rei trailed looking at the outfit on her frame.

"You're one of us Rei. You're Sailor Mars." Usagi said.

"We've been searching for you." Ami smiled.

"So the reason why I have my powers, is because I'm a scout?" Rei asked.

Schuldig noticed something as the uniform on the 14-15 year-old miko no hi faded from her frame. Long scars on her wrists.

"You've noticed too?" Farfarello asked the telepath.

"We'll see you later Rei-chan!" Usagi yelled before leaving the priestess to her inner demons.

Rei looked at the steps in which her fellow senshi ran down. She turned and looked at the sun as it was setting.

"This sun sets as the darkness foreshadows the coming demise of creation. One shadow sacrifice….iie, four shadow sacrifices scream for their will to be done. My soul, barren and wasted on this plane of living. The only being blessed with my existence is the only family I truly have left. I'm not wanted by the one who helped bring me here. I hate him. I curse his existence. I want him to die for what he did to her. To the one person who cared and wanted me to live for myself. This never-ending chain of pain is flowing through these veins. Of betrayal, hatred, regret and love. But bitterness is the only substance settled in this blood. Twisted lies turned to truths, truths turned to lies. The dirty now pure and the pure dirty, the living dead and the dead living. There's no such thing as true peace or love. There is nothing but black and darkness. Why must I convince myself to continue this thing called life? I can't stand it anymore. I want to die. Why am I stopped each time?" Rei cried to herself as she fell to her knees as Phobos and Deimos perched onto her shoulders and her grandfather came out of the temple to touch his granddaughter's shoulder.

"Dear it's time for your anti-depressants." Rei's grandfather said while helping his only grandchild and reminder of his sweet daughter off of her knees.

"Hai, Jii-san?" Rei questioned.

"Nani Rei?" Her grandfather asked.

"Doshite? Why did he do it? What did my mother do? Why did he kill her? Doshite?" Rei asked in a flurry of tears.

"Even though it was nearly 8 years ago you still remember him murdering your mother. Myra wouldn't want you sad my precious child." Rei's grandfather said while patting his granddaughter's back as the image of Rei as a 7-year-old standing over her mother's grave in tears came to his mind.

It was raining. All the Hino relatives were crying at the result of such a brutal incident. All of the other families weren't as sensitive but then one small child threw itself onto the casket before it was lowered.

'Mommy! Don't leave me please!' The desperate cry of a scared child escaped 7-year old Rei's lips as she shook against her mother's casket the fear of being near her father and of being alone racing through her small frame.

'Who will take care of the poor darling?' Many voices questioned.

'Well the father is currently being charged with murder. And didn't really care if the child was hurt or not. But then it's his wife who was killed. He must be devastated.' More voices echoed.

'Mommy, Mommy. Onegai. Come back mommy.' Rei cried over and over until her cousin ripped her away from the casket before the white and pale pink wooden casket was lowered into the earth. The child's cries becoming more frantic.

Schuldig and Nagi could see the teen's inner turmoil from having to cope with a murderous father and a dead mother. Grandfather Hino hugged his granddaughter and then sighed heavily. His granddaughter was forever scarred from what she saw. She hadn't had a boyfriend yet, though he preferred it that way she just never seemed to talk about boys at all.

"Rei, I think you need to lay down. You look pale again dear." He said worried while looking at his granddaughter's pale skin, which was seemingly cool to the touch.

"After I finish cleaning the temple I will Jii-san." Rei answered before stepping back to grab her broom.

"I worry for you my little Pyro." Her grandfather mumbled before walking back into the temple.

After her grandfather disappeared back into the temple Rei settled back on her knees again and looked at the now rising moon. Her skin giving off a lifeless glow as she smiled ever so slightly at the darkness the night was bringing. She hugged her slightly chilled form before looking at her sliced up wrists. She took out a short dagger from her large sleeve. The haunting glow of the blade glistened under the light of the full moon, which was red.

"I don't want to live if I'm not wanted. I'm a freak. That's all I am. Nothing will change it." Rei shakily whispered as clear tears ran down her face but her face never loosing the stern look as the tears slid from her eyes like she couldn't feel at all.

'Frozen in the darkness of her heart. She's so pitiful but in pain.' Nagi whispered to himself mentally.

'This is what I guess Wei tries to avoid.' Crawford thought before seeing the teen ready herself to swiftly end her life.

"Yamero baka onna!" Farfarello, Nagi and Crawford looked up quickly to see Schuldig getting his hand nicked to prevent the sharp blade from slashing at the scar-covered wrist.

Rei looked startled up at the older man with wide violet eyes. She looked at his wrist and then looked to the side, her face and features hardened in a 'how dare you' manner. Schuldig jerked the younger girl's face to look at her face. Her violet eyes were hard but shining with tears.

'This bastard! HOW DARE HE!' He heard Rei's mind screaming in rage.

"You're such a stupid girl. Killing yourself is not the solution to your solitude and guilt." Schuldig said before yanking the dagger out of her hands and her grandfather running out after seeing him stop Rei from killing herself.

"Rei!" Her grandfather yelled before looking at the hardened but silently broken teen in front of him.

'Why can't I die peacefully?' Rei thought.

"Because the future depends on you, you selfish girl." Schuldig hissed, not knowing why her wanting to kill herself bothered him.

Rei looked at him, her eyes now fully of confusion as to why he said such a thing. Rei just 'humped' before getting up and walking past her grandfather and Schuldig. Her death wish stalled for now.

"Arigatou gozaimasu kind sir. My granddaughter hasn't been herself lately. I'm also very sorry you had to interfere in such a thing." Rei's grandfather bowed politely to Schuldig with deep gratitude.

"It's no problem sir. No one so young should try to do such a thing before their life really begins." Schuldig answered before noticing the older man's gaze to the others.

"Are these your comrades?" He asked.

"Hai." Schuldig answered.

"I have a feeling you 4 are not from here. Please stay at this temple until you have a way to get back to your home." Rei's grandfather said before he led the assassins into the temple and to different guest rooms.

When Nagi was wondering the halls later that night he saw Rei sitting in front of a paper door sipping tea slowly looking at the stars with a knowing look in her eyes. He went next to her and sat down.

"What are you looking at Rei-san?" Nagi asked.

"I'm reading the stars of fate. It's so strange Nagi-san. They have changed drastically ever since last night. Many of the stars are now out of alignment and contorted foreshadowing that something terrible will happen very very soon." Rei said before sipping her ocha.

"What terrible things are the stars telling you Rei-san?" Nagi asked.

"They tell of a battle that shall come that will end everything or determine something of great importance. I don't know what of though. This ill fate has just appeared out of nowhere. Usually Mars or Saturn are in my views but not tonight. for some reason their presence is absent and proving some discomfort to this reading." Rei answered.

"I would have to say I agree. The future seems bleak." Crawford startled Rei.

"Ah, Crawford-sama. I didn't know you were awake as well." Rei quickly said a bit uncomfortable with the older man's sudden appearance.

"It's true those 12 stars are where they're not supposed to be." Crawford said surprising not only Rei but Nagi as well.

But then the older man was an oracle just as much as Rei was. They had something in common.

"So lass. Why is it you're trying to kill yourself." Farfarello scared Rei shitless.

"Because, it was my fault that my mother was murdered. I'm a freak. I mean really who else besides a freak can see into the future and predict nothing but terrible things. I don't want to live if all I will see is nothing but pain. As well as predict such a terrible thing to befall innocent people." Rei said in a calm tone.

"Heh. You think you have it bad now? If you manage to live for 10 more years then find us and tell us what you think of life. Your mind will surely change after seeing what the future could hold." Schuldig coldly stated.

'I really don't like him. I need to come up with ways to get him off my case.' Rei thought before getting up and walking out to where Phobos and Deimos perched onto her shoulders, a small smile coming to her pink lips.

Schuldig smirked before going up to her and saying into her mind, 'You can't get away from a telepath sweetheart.'

This made her swing around with wide eyes. Nagi couldn't help but to not suppress a snicker as Farfarello grinned and Crawford quirked an eyebrow. Rei looked at the orange-top with those wide violet eyes before Phobos screeched on her shoulder as if in warning to Schuldig.

'Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt her so chill.' Schuldig said to the black raven on her left shoulder who in return glared at Schuldig with a 'How do you know I'm a human?' look in her black eyes.

Within the next week that the Schwarz were at the temple they watched a few of the battles the younger Mercury, Mars and Moon had until they were walking down the street one day after making sure Rei went to school. They saw Usagi running screaming her usual 'I'm late!' while running across the street as the sign was changing. They saw a car and was about to take action when a very tall girl in a green skirt and green sailor shirt ran past them.

"WATCH OUT!" The teen yelled while pushing Usagi to the other side of the street.

Usagi screamed as the Schwarz were wide eyed as to who was so bold to jump in front of a speeding car to prevent the ditz from being road kill.

"You should be more careful." A 14-year-old Makato said with a hand to her hip while moving her ponytail behind her.

As Crawford, Nagi and Schuldig were about to follow Usagi they noticed Farfarello tagging behind Makato, awe in his golden eye, which wasn't hidden behind a patch.

This is going to be interesting………

TBC in Chapter 7: Into the Past…….Jupiter's Past