A/N: To be perfectly honest, I did not expect to start this third installment of Mina's journey so fast. You'd think after nearly eleven years spent trying to finish the second installment...I would want to take a break, but no. Frankly, Mina's journey coincides with mine in certain ways. I'm dealing with a lot of emotional turmoil even as I type this. I'm hoping that through this work, I can start to find my own answers for how to move forward and find peace. So...welcome everyone to this brand new story chronicling Mina's journey through the Yu-Gi-Oh and Code Geass worlds. If you have not read Surviving Through Changes and Golden Strands, you will be severely confused. I would suggest reading those first. It would also help if you've read A Date With Destiny and the bulk of Here We Go Again. Here on Fanfiction, I am presenting this as a Sailor Moon/Code Geass crossover since most of the events are going to be taking place within the canon timeline of Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, but having a general familiarity with Yu-Gi-Oh and the Fate franchise would be a good idea as well. Yes honey-children, this story requires rudimentary knowledge on not two but four fandoms and four previous stories. I certainly hope you've done your homework before embarking on this dramatic, angst driven adventure. You probably won't get much out of it otherwise. Also, this first chapter is heavily influenced by the song Alive by The Rose.
Now, that's enough preamble. Let's get started. I hope you guys will enjoy the first chapter of...
For Better or Worse
"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by."
~Psalm 57:1
Chapter 1 ~ Alive
Cold air sears through my chest like fire.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
Car horns and police sirens blare through a night illuminated by neon signs and massive screens showcasing ads and music videos that hold no sound because of the ceaseless chatter of pedestrians filtering in and out of my awareness while my feet pound against the pavement in a rush of pure adrenaline.
Faces blur before my eyes, blending with the blinking lights of a city bursting with activity on every corner.
Each step forward brings my body into a collision course with countless obstacles in this endless sea of people going about their business.
Not a single one of them notices the footsteps trailing in hot pursuit behind me, promising my doom in one form or another.
New York City is a place anyone could get lost in, especially a murderer on the run.
"KILL…"
My lungs ache from the effort it takes to keep moving at this frenetic pace, but I can't stop. Not now.
"KILL..."
Hoping to throw off my pursuer, I zigzag through several crowded streets. The clever maneuvers would confuse most people, but...
"KILL..."
The number of innocent bystanders starts to taper off as I race toward the 91st Street Subway, an underground passage abandoned and left to the artistic whims of delinquents. For two days the dark tunnels have been an ideal refuge from the world screaming at me from above.
Its proximity to Times Square, where food and other necessities are easily acquired, is a massive perk.
The downfalls of my hideout include the sheer number of people I see that simply wouldn't be missed.
"KILL..."
The urge to take life is a tantalizing, irresistible thing I tried to silence in Domino City.
Those efforts fell apart in a way so horrible it left me no choice but to flee.
"Mina!"
Nearly tripping at the sound of my name, I round a corner and dart down the crumbling stone stairway leading underground.
His rapid breathing echoes out behind me.
"KILL…"
I can't afford to waste energy talking.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
Run. Run. RUN!
These mantras guide my body's movements.
Suzaku Kururugi, the infamous Knight of Seven, found me in less than three days, and I can't fathom how he managed to do that when I didn't even know I was going to New York City until I saw the metropolis reflected in the magic mirror I stole from Rei Hino, otherwise known as Sailor Mars of the Sailor Scouts.
I used to be a Sailor Scout too…
The Scout of love and beauty...Sailor Venus.
Now...
I'm something else entirely.
Transforming isn't possible now, even in moments like this when those old powers would be a Godsend.
It's my own fault though.
This physical vulnerability…
This emotional anguish…
"KILL…"
My name is Minako Aino.
Blood flows through my veins. Oxygen comes in and out of my lungs.
This heart keeps beating.
It was supposed to stop. It would have stopped but…
Stay alive…
"KILL…"
Ignoring the quiet howl of my inner demons, I jump off the side of a platform and sprint along the winding path old subway cars took once upon a time…
There's that phrase again…the one that's supposed to mark new beginnings.
It won't be the beginning of anything if I don't get back to where my things are. I'd left my hiding place to grab a bite to eat. Nothing more. Nothing less.
The magic mirror, being my only means of escape in the event of an emergency, should always be on my person.
When I emerged from this dank setting serving as my quiet dungeon, I thought it was.
But frankly…I haven't been sleeping well. I could have set it down while grabbing my wallet or the small Bible resting in my coat pocket.
Regardless, it was the worst possible time to make such a stupid mistake.
"KILL…"
There's a change in Suzaku's footing…
A switchblade is in my hand by the time he attempts to swipe my feet from under me.
"KILL…"
The metal slices through the air between my hand and his chest.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
Fight.
Flipping the knife so that the sharp edge is pointing down, I take in Suzaku's expression as he steps toward my left, his hands raised in a defensive formation meant to counter me.
There's clear fury in his emerald eyes.
Fight. Fight. FIGHT!
Retreating two steps, I widen my stance to build up my own defensive capabilities rather than taking his bait to attack, but the knight adjusts quickly, immediately dashing forward in a flurry of movement meant to disarm my focus.
We don't speak. Our rapid breaths fill the cavernous space as we weave into a dance of combat.
Evading him isn't easy. The guy is quick on his feet, making it difficult to catch him off guard in order to land a decisive blow. To make matters worse, my inability to transform gives him a huge advantage over me simply because of the differences in our anatomy.
Suzaku is stronger, and right now his offensive manuevers are far more aggressive than what I'm used to in my opponents.
He's looking to create an opening, any opening, that will allow him to incapacitate me.
"KILL…"
My blade scrapes the top of his hand
Tiny droplets of scarlet splatter against the wall when my blade manages to scrape the top of his hand.
The sight of liquid life makes my breath hitch in my throat.
Inhale. Inhale. Inhale. Inhale. INHALE!
His injured hand strikes out far too quickly, slapping the switchblade out of my grip.
"KILL…"
Spinning out of the way of his incoming strike allows me enough momentum to deliver a roundhouse kick toward his face. He barely pivots, blocking with both his forearms before wrapping his hands around my ankle.
The muscles in his arms tense in that moment, and for a split second the entire dynamic of the fight shifts.
No one else would have noticed, but...
"KILL..."
His eyes...
A monster lives behind his facade of knighthood.
Even so...
Exhale.
With one harsh movement I yank my ankle free and take a few steps back.
Suzaku doesn't pursue immediately. Instead he schools his expression into a mask of impassivity that does nothing to hide the shame that shouts out at me from those eyes that have been haunting me ever since I subjected him to a personal taste of Hell.
I'd be surprised if he didn't want to get back at me for that somehow.
I take a shaky step to my right, feeling the tenderness of the ankle he'd held too tightly.
He could have ended the fight right there...and we both know it.
"KILL..."
Taking another step back makes me gasp when my heel catches on the edge of my duffel bag.
"Mina..."
"KILL… KILL… KILL…"
The Millennium Sword is in my hand before my mind registers it.
Suzaku grits his teeth, raising his hands once more.
"KILL… KILL… KILL… KILL… KILL…"
The golden blade is mesmerizing.
"KILL... KILL... KILL... KILL... KILL... KILL... KILL... KILL... KILL... KILL..."
The knight dodges easily at first. Admittedly my swipes through the air are more theatrical than they need to be those first few times.
However, when he draws closer, hoping to take me down...
No.
I twist away from him, and the blade slashes the top of his thigh, drawing more drops of crimson.
Stop.
My hand starts shaking along the hilt of the weapon.
I don't want to…
"YOU CAN'T STOP ME, MINA."
Cursing under his breath, Suzaku stumbles backward while lifting his gaze toward mine.
There's a different look on his face now, but I have no idea how to read it.
Resignation? Regret? Uncertainty? Hope?
"HE WANTS THIS. END HIS SUFFERING."
What about my own suffering? When will that come to an end?
Sprinting forward, I raise the Millennium Sword to take Suzaku's head from his shoulders, but...
"RUN..."
...an eerie, scarlet glow surrounds his irises.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
With a vacant expression of focus, Suzaku ducks away from the sword's edge, rolling once along the ground before leaping to his feet in a blindingly fast movement…
Baring his teeth…he tackles me without holding back.
Please…
He nearly crushes the bones of my wrist when we collide against the thick tunnel wall, causing me to lose my grip on the sword instantly.
The weapon disappears quietly in a golden mist I barely see.
I don't want this.
No one is here. Not a sound exists in this space except for the breaths that mingle together in a chorus of struggle.
Joey…
The way he has me pinned…I can feel almost every contour of Suzaku's body, and the proximity elicits sensations that scare me.
I can't...
His other hand squeezes my neck, cutting off my oxygen flow.
Please...
Tears spring to the corners of my eyes...
But those tears aren't from anguish or fear.
Kill me...
A strangled, involuntary laugh bubbles out of my mouth to disrupt the silence.
Kill me now...
The otherworldly glow in the knight's eyes disappears abruptly.
"No..."
With a quiet gasp of horror, Suzaku releases his hold on my throat. Air floods my lungs, weakening my legs to the point that they give out completely.
The knight catches me by the arms, then gently guides me down to the ground with panic shimmering in his green eyes.
"I'm sorry..." he whispers desperately, cradling my lolling head in his hands as he tries to examine my face. "I wasn't... I didn't..."
Our bodies aren't nearly as close now, but...it's too late.
New guilt festers within my soul.
As if I haven't done enough to hurt him.
Blonde hair, chocolate-brown eyes, an easygoing smile…
Joey Wheeler is the one I love. He's the only one I would ever…
…
Inhale... Exhale...
"This...accursed Geass..."
There's a strange lilt to Suzaku's voice when he speaks, almost as if he…
"I'm..."
Dry, raspy coughs interrupt my words. I feel lightheaded. How hard was he squeezing my throat?
"Does it matter? He's distracted now. Kill him."
"I...can't," I mutter aloud, heaving out a sigh that forces my tears to flow in earnest.
The knight pulls me against him then, his own body shaking with emotions I don't even try to make sense of.
His heartbeat sounds erratic, and for whatever reason hearing it rips a low sob out of me.
Inhale... Exhale...
"I'm tired. I'm tired...Suzaku."
He nods once.
There's no sound in this space.
Words don't exist between us in this moment in time.
Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale...
Eventually, the knight slowly draws away from me, but his hands continue to rest on my shoulders.
I don't look up at his face. My eyes are on the handle of the magic mirror sticking up out of my duffel bag.
"Tell me why you ran."
The magic mirror is less than two feet away from me, but I...
"KILL... RUN... KILL... RUN..."
I shut my eyes.
Horrible memories filter into the darkness.
"I need to know, Mina. I need to understand."
The last thing I want to do is explain my reasons for leaving Domino City the way I did.
More than that...I don't want to tell Suzaku why I injected him with Refrain, knowing what that narcotic would do to his psyche.
Even now...his fingers tremble when he raises one of his hands to my face, tipping my chin up so that I have to look directly into those emerald eyes that compel me far more than they should.
Inhale...
Exhale...
"Please..."
Inhale...
Exhale...
It was the same thing back then...
With that same tremor to his voice...Suzaku begged me to...
Inhale...
Exhale...
My name is Minako Aino.
For better or worse...
I'm alive.
A/N: And that's how this story begins. Stay tuned for the next chapter to see what's coming next. I'm super excited for this story, although I don't know when I'll post the next chapter. Things are a little crazy on my end. At any rate, thank you for reading the first chapter! Best wishes and God bless you all!
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Code Geass, Yu-Gi-Oh, and any references to other franchises do not belong to me. This is merely a Fanfiction.
Warnings: This story will contain suicidal thoughts, mentions of brutal murder, mentions of drug use, and well there's a lot of angst to go around. The reason this warning is at the end of this first chapter is because past readers already knew what they were getting into. If you're new and you decided to read this chapter without reading the other stories...well I don't know what to tell you. The beginning author's note told you that it wasn't a good idea for you to dive into this madness. If you're new...I guess this is your Dead Dove: Do Not Eat warning. But if you're intent on eating a dead dove anyway, read the other stories first. They'll prepare you for this. Although, I think the bulk of the sensitive material is going to be at the beginning of this work. It'll calm down as time goes on.