Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Time's Wheel ❯ Ch.19: Trial for the Phoenix ( Chapter 21 )

Alleyway somewhere in downtown Tokyo,

The night had fallen only a short while ago, bringing with it the biting cold of Tokyo's winter. Rain pelts the surface of roads and sidewalks, the cold kind of rain that feels like ice water when it comes into contact with the skin; rain that by midnight may turn to snow. The wind runs through the alleyways of Tokyo's lower city, the distant sounds of sirens and the faint honking of car horns an echoing symphony of one of the world's largest cities.

In the alleyway, a form shimmers, causing a disturbance in the air; a form invisible to the human senses. The figure walks slowly, seeing everything and observing.

A door into the alley creaks open and a man carrying two overloaded trash bags steps through, stumbling slightly because of the awkward shape of the bags added to his naturally heavy bulk. The door leads to the back of The Hina, a restaurant renown for its seafood, as the stench of the bags indicates.

The man drops the bags with a content sigh, wiping his brow of sweat and pushing back strands of black hair that is plastered to his face, both by rain and by sweat. He picks up a corner of his apron in his hand, making a futile effort to clear the moisture from his face. Giving up the wipes his hands on the dirty material and begins to go back inside.

Before he makes it to the door however, another shape peels away from the shadows, coming out from behind a trash can. The man hears the faint rustle behind him and he whips around, natural instincts to danger kicking in. his face softens however upon seeing the small girl, her big blue eyes looking toward him with a plea. She is thin and scrawny, her red hair and clothing covered in a thick coat of filth from the streets.

The shimmering figure has remained passive until this moment, but upon seeing the child, it makes a mad dash toward the man, struggling to reach him. It tries to cry out, but the man can not hear, blind to what is happening around him.

The girl smiles wickedly, reaching out a hand for the man to grasp, a venus flytrap luring its prey. Kneeling, the man brings himself to eye level with the girl, returning her smile kindly. Upon touching her hand however, his eyes widen and he tries to make a sound, to get air through his throat and lungs, but it is too late, for they are already frozen. Frost creeps through his hair, turning it white. The skin on his body becomes as hard as stone and as cool to the touch as death.

At last, he falls over, his face frozen forever in a look of shock and absolute terror. Leaning down, the girl places her hand above the man's chest. A glowing ball of blue light is extracted from his prone body, the energy of his life force leaving the empty husk of his body.

Suddenly, the girl's head snaps up, her eyes darting across the dark walkway.

Knowing that it has been detected, the mysterious presence in the alleyway disappears, no more than a memory in the fabric of a moment.

Sunlight streams through the cracked windows of the old warehouse three blocks away. A young girl lies in a corner beneath one of the windows, light illuminating a still, cold face. She lies there as if she if her spirit has left the realm of the living and now wanders through a universe without those of the flesh. The rise and fall of the chest and the slight his of air entering the body, the breath needed by the living, absent from her body.

Suddenly, emerald eyes snap open and her body draws a harsh breath, the girl gagging for a moment, her lungs and heart unused to taking in air. She leans against the wall, catching her breath. She draws a shaky pale hand through her blond, almost white hair, trying to calm down.

"It was her again," she gasps, panic taking control. "She killed him - she froze him!" The picture of the man from the restaurant flashes through her head and her stomach clenches, threatening to release its contents. Unable to resist the sudden urge to gag, she sprints over to a trashcan a few feet away, leaning over the edge and heaving what little nutrients that are in her body into the bin. She remains there for a moment, her head resting against the metal's cool surface. Once she is sure that everything in her stomach will remain in place, she gets to her feet, balancing precariously on weak limbs.

"I don't have time for this, it's none of my concern." Her stomach lurches. "Even if it is disgusting. I'll have to be more careful though. Life sucks, but it doesn't suck that much."

The girl begins making her way toward the warehouse doors. "Time to hunt down breakfast."

"I'm late!"

Grabbing her backpack from the post by the door, Rei rushes through the front doors of the Cherry Hill Temple, through the courtyard, and toward the steps, taking them three of four at a time, her tousled, uncombed hair flailing out behind her as she runs. Pulling a bagel out of her mouth, her only breakfast, she glances at her watch, the hands on the face indicating that it is already five till eight.

Cursing under her breath, Rei wracks her mind for a reasonable excuse, picking up her pace a little. What in the world am I going to tell Mrs. Hiragashi? Maybe I should say that my alarm didn't go off and - no that won't work. It never worked for Serena and it most certainly won't work for me. Can't even believe I ever thought of stooping so low. Maybe…

Suddenly, she is brought to a painful halt as her body comes into contact with a solid object. Rei is hit roughly in the stomach, wind leaving her lungs as she is slammed into the concrete. She quickly removes the bagel in her mouth, gagging on a few crumbs that have gotten lodged in her throat. For a moment, she struggles to find her way out of a tangle of arms and legs, all the while uttering quiet oaths under her breath, cursing her dumb luck. She had been cutting it close to the bell before, now it would be almost impossible to beat it.

After sitting up and stopping her struggling, her eyes lock onto a pair of jade orbs and she is held suspended their, unable to tear away. Those eyes, haunted and empty, attract her and she begins to sense a terrible foreboding about the person in front of her. It is not necessarily an evil presence, but it is something that Rei has never encountered before in a human being. Her spirit energy is an aberration; it does not appear to be connected entirely to the body.

Rei shakes her head, trying to clear away the fogginess that has settled in, finally focusing on the person who she has stumbled over. A young girl is sprawled out before her on the concrete, her blond hair caked in dirt and her cloths rent near both knees and her left shoulder; she is one of the children seen on the streets of Tokyo, an abjected child.

"Why don't you watch where you're going lady?" Rei can not help it; she flinches under that green gaze. The girl bunches her fists and rises slowly to her feet, keeping her gaze focused on Rei.

"I'm sorry, I was in a hurry and I didn't mean to hit you."

The girl shrugs, not appearing to care whether or not the intrusion upon her personal space was intentional or not. "Yeah, well, be more careful next time!" The girl races past her, jostling Rei again as she flies past.

Rei watches as she moves away, grumbling under her breath. She had said she was sorry. Placing one hand on a nearby fire hydrant for balance, she pulls herself up, taking one look at her watch and grimacing. Great, just great. Why should I even bother coming in! I should just… Hey, wait a minute!

Rei reaches behind her, looking for her pocketbook and finds that it is absent from her person. That little brat! Whirling around, she takes off in the direction the kid had headed in, using the girl's strange energy signature to track her down and smiling when a pale head comes into view. Rei weaves her way through the crowd, shoving people aside who get in her way. The girl shoots a look behind her, realizing that she is being followed and tries to get away. As they pass a café, the girl dodges through the tables and knocks down a few chairs, placing them in Rei's path - obstacles that Rei dodges with ease.

Realizing that this chase has on gone for quite awhile, Rei drops her connection with the girl slightly, taking in exactly where they are in the city. With a start, she realizes that she is back to where she started; her grandfather's temple is only a block away.

Nice going kid, you have just inadvertently given me the advantage. All I have to do now is get you to the right destination.

Widening her path, Rei tries to circle back to the girl's right side, hoping that the girl will go left in order to escape. To Rei's delight, the girl does just that and in minutes it is a race up the temple steps. Reaching out, Rei grabs the girl by the scruff of her collar, pulling her up so that she is at eye level. "Give me back my purse," Rei says, her voice completely controlled - calm but with an unmistakable threat behind her words.

The girl struggles, kicking her feet and flailing her arms. "Let me go!"

"I don't think so."

"Please, I won't do it again! I promise I'll give it back, I just wanted enough money for breakfast, that's all!"

Rei stares at the girl in her hands, allowing that statement to sink in. Breakfast… So, all she wanted was a meal. Suddenly, she finds herself berating her actions. She should have known just by the clothing and how filthy she was that the child simply wanted money. And by how painfully thin she is, Rei thinks. I think I should remedy this situation and I doubt grandfather would mind. Oh, well, so much for school, I probably should have just called in sick anyway.

Rei sets the girl back on her feet, but doesn't release the girl's collar, deciding that she should probably keep a strong grip on the little thief. Kneeling down, she brings her gaze eye level to the girl's. "If all you wanted was breakfast," Rei says softly, "then why didn't you just say so."

The girl looks at her questioningly, Rei's statement a little too abstruse for her at first, but then her eyes widen, the light catching the emerald of her eyes, revealing strange amber flecks in the irises.

Rei laughs softly, finding the thief's surprised look to be quite humorous and without though, she releases her grip. "Come on, I've given up on school today anyway, so I suppose a meal wouldn't hurt." Rei turns and makes her way toward the eastern side of the edifice where the living quarters are, but after about three steps, Rei realizes that the girl isn't following. Turning back around, Rei encounters an open stare of surprise and, if she isn't mistaken, hope. Rei feels her laughter bubbling up again at the girl's stricken look and beckons to her. "Well, are you coming, or are you just going to stand there all morning?"

Faster than Rei can blink, the girl's face lights up and a smile that would blind the sun graces her lips. Letting out a shout of joy, the girl bounds toward Rei, her entire manner doing a total one-eighty. Within seconds, the girl's tiny arms surround Rei, the child clinging onto her for dear life.

Rei untangles herself from the tangle of limbs, still giving the girl her most affable smile. "Come on, let's get something to eat."

Rei stands in the doorway as she watches the young girl, now cleaned and dressed in white and red temple robes, eat her out of house at home for the second time in less than two hours. The moment they had gotten in the door, Rei had immediately given her a small snack of bread and cheese, which the girl had wolfed down in a matter of seconds. Rei couldn't help thinking that this action was analogous with the manner in which a certain blond meatball headed girl had devoured dinner the previous night. After her snack, the girl had an unexpected bath; Rei was not about to let her eat in her kitchen covered in filth and grime.

Finally, the girl is clean and comfortable, eating what Rei believes may be the first real meal of the girl's young life.

Looking at her now, it is difficult to believe that this is the same girl who had run into her on the street. Her hair, which Rei had thought to be a dirty blond, actually turns out to be nearly platinum in color once all the mud is washed out of it. Rei is also shocked that the girl looks a great deal younger when she is cleaned. When they had first met, Rei had immediately taken her to be around the age of twelve or maybe even thirteen, but looking at her now, she can ascertain that the girl can be no more than ten - if that.

The girl begins to slow down, her hunger finally sated. She sits there for a moment, studying the wall at the other side of the room, trying to say something, but not quite knowing how to put her feelings into words.

Rei, feeling the girl's turmoil, simply says, "You're welcome."

Smiling, the girl nods and stands up, looking around the room rather like a deer stuck in headlights, feeling as if this is a place she should not be. "I should probably be going now, I don't want to be more of a burden than I already am." She raises her arms, staring at the temple robes that drape them. "I'll return the cloths whenever I can, I promise, I-"

"So, you're just going to leave without telling me your name?" Rei asks casually. "Wouldn't that be somewhat rude, considering I housed you, fed you, and clothed you?"

"Well," the girl stammers, "I suppose it would. I don't remember if I've ever had a real name, but everyone calls me Kyuu."

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it? It's definitely a lot better than referring to you as 'girl'. My name is Rei, it's a pleasure to meet you Kyuu and as for leaving, you really don't have to if you don't want to. This temple is always in need of help and as long as you work, I'm sure Grandpa would be most happy to have you around."

Kyuu's eyes widen in disbelief and she stares at Rei for a moment, not able to understand an idea that is so abstruse to her, her expression something bridging upon awe. "Do you mean it?" she says quietly, as if the words would break the moment they left her mouth.

"Of course. Why would I say something like that if I didn't mean it?" Rei answers.

Finally, Kyuu gives Rei a beaming smile, not knowing quite what to say about Rei's magnanimous offer, but finally settles for a simple, "Thank you."

Wufei stares blankly out the window as the teacher reviews the homework from the previous night, his eyelids drooping heavily as he struggles to remain focused. Math in this century seems trivial to him; he is way beyond such basic computations.

The entire school idea is a vacuous idea to begin with as far as he can see. Spending years with the doctors had given him no only an edge in battle, but taught him mathematics and science that is decades, if not centuries ahead, of what these buffoons call a "higher education." There is also the years spent before the training, before tragedy had shattered his life and heart into a million pieces; there had been a time when the warrior had been a scholar.

Shifting slightly, he turns towards the clock hanging above the blackboard, feeling his pulse quicken ever so slightly in anticipation. Twelve twenty five -- just five more minutes until the bell rang for lunch; Wufei does not intend to hang around for much longer.

The moment the bell goes off, hoards of students make a mad dash for the door, everyone trying to fit through the small frame at one time. Wufei sighs and ignores the antics of his classmates, bending down to pick up his school bag before approaching the mob, taking his time and waiting for a path to clear.

After sliding past the group at the door, Wufei begins to make his way towards the back of the school. Dodging students on their way to lunch, moving in the opposite direction. Instead of heading for the front exit, Wufei pulls open the door leading to the roof, taking the steps one at a time, still not in any rush.

Soon, he is languishing in the feeling of winter's cold bite on his cheek, a zephyr of air caressing his air, disturbing the tight ponytail at the back of head. The sky above is a dark gray, clouds rolling in from the east. The moisture is heavy, a damp smell in the air -- snow is coming.

Wufei walks over to the edge, peering over the side of the building, his keen onyx eyes narrowed in concentration, looking over the schoolyard below and the wall that surrounds the edifice. Yes, it is possible to make it.

Swinging his backpack over his shoulder, he retreats a couple of steps, ignoring the creaking behind him and the approaching footsteps.

"Wufei?"

Wufei winces. He had hoped that he wouldn't be caught, but then again, what could Mina possibly do to stop him?

"What is it onna?" he mumbles, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his tone.

"Oh, I was going out for lunch and --"

Wufei tunes her out, concentrating on the matter at hand. First branch is at an angle of approximately forty-eight degrees down, maybe five yards away --

"Wufei, are you even listening?"

"Not really." Second branch perhaps thirteen degrees above the previous, no more than two and a half yards away. Simple enough.

Taking another three steps back, he crouches down, trying for a running start that would carrying him easily over the edge.

"Wufei, what are you doing?" Mina cries, panic rising in her voice.

"Leaving."

"But that's impossible, the gates are closed and -- wait a minute, you're not going to try and jump that, are you?"

"That's the idea." Wufei takes five running leaps before he reaches the end of the building, ignoring Mina's last desperate pleas for him to stop. The impact with the first tree branch sends a jolt through his body, his legs absorbing some of the shock before he rebounds, using his arms to propel him upwards toward the second branch and finally over the school wall.

Wufei lands easily on his feet, regaining all of his balance quickly and with little effort. Turning back towards the school, his eyes shift back to the roof where Mina is still standing, her jaw wide open and her eyes wide. Wufei allows himself a small smirk and then, after giving Mina a small wave goodbye, he begins his trek into the outskirts of the city.

No, please no!

Rei blinks, attempting to clear away the moisture that disrupts her vision, trying to focus on the body of the girl in her arms, a girl who's face is too pale, her smile gone with the hope of the world. Her fuku is torn to shreds, a hole in her chest where a sword had pierced her heart, blond hair loose from her odangos (sp?), and swimming in pools of blood. Inside the broach on her chest, a crystal lies shattered, pieces of it scattered where Rei's princess has fallen, teardrops shed for a doomed world.

Rei pulls the girl to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably, her emotions letting loose a dam of water. "Wake up, please, open your eyes! Serena!"

Rei's eyes fly open, her hand clutching her chest in a vain effort to still her racing heart. With no strength left, her body crumples into a heap on the floor in front of the sacred fire, tears still squeezing past her eyes.

That's the fifth time. I've never had a vision this persistent before. Kami, what am I going to do? Should I tell Serena, or just keep it to myself for a while longer?

"What is it now onna, nightmares?"

Rei's head snaps up, her body suddenly alert. Damn him, I didn't even hear the door open! Wufei stands at the entrance, silhouetted by the sun at his back, giving him an ethereal glow, his onyx eyes bright and as piercing as daggers. He stands there with his arms crossed, his ever-present aloof air surrounding him in his own little bubble. His face is set in a small smirk, glaring at Rei accusingly. Wufei moves toward her, his feet never making a sound as they move across the wooden floor.

"I don't understand why your grandfather allows you to take control of this if it causes you this much distress. The running of a temple should be handled by a man who would not let his emotions get in the way of his duty; women can not handle this responsibility."

Rei stares at him, hardly daring to believe the words coming out of his mouth. Her eyes narrow into thin slits and her hands unconsciously bundle into fists around the hem of her robes. "Did you come here for a reason Chang Wufei, or did you just come here to throw insults at me? If your answer is the latter, then I suggest that you leave."

Wufei snorts, shrugging off her comment as if it were nothing more than a harmless statement to be forgotten the moment he left the room. "I came here because I had no where else to be. As to my previous statement, I was just making an observation."

"Why you little--"

"Women have the tendency to put their emotion into their job, and in the end, that is their downfall. Whenever something happens that they don't like, they see the need to correct it, despite the danger to themselves or others. Sometimes things are better left alone."

Rei's eyes widen in surprise. Emotion huh? Well for a guy Wufei, you most certainly speak passionately enough. "So are you saying that guys don't throw emotion into something they believe is wrong, or when they believe that someone they care about may be in trouble?" Rei says quietly, her voice softened. "My visions may cause me pain, but I do it because I care about what happens to my friends. Haven't you ever done something like that before, done something because your emotions drove you to do so?"

For a brief moment, Wufei's façade shatters, forcing him to take a step back. His eyes close for a moment and his mouth parts slightly, as if recalling something that he had forgotten or at least tried to suppress. He takes a step back and shakes his head, putting his mask back in place.

Rei's mind is reeling, shocked at the brief change she had seen in him, searching blindly for words. Just as she is about to say something, however, a knocking at the door interrupts her.

"Excuse me, I hope that I didn't interrupt anything," Kyuu says from the doorway. She looks towards Rei and then shifts her gaze to Wufei, studying them both intently. "Are you Rei's boyfriend?" she asks, addressing the question to the shocked Chinese boy.

"NO!" comes the reply from both parties, and Kyuu can not hold back a small smile.

"Sorry, my mistake I guess." Kyuu states calmly. "The floor of the main room has been washed Rei, just thought that I'd let you know."

Rei looks toward the floor as she feels warmth begins to rise in her cheeks, trying to get her hair to cover her face. I must be as red as a tomato by now. I'll get you for this later Kyuu! "Thank you Kyuu," Rei says, trying to regain her composure.

Wufei clears his throat, getting the girls' attention. "I'm going now." He pivots and then makes his way toward the door, passing Kyuu on his way out.

Once he is gone, Rei heaves a sigh of relief. "Kyuu, I can't believe you even asked that question! What in Kami's name were you thinking?"

Kyuu stares at Wufei's retreating back, barley hearing Rei's question. Her hand tightens around the broomstick she is carrying and her mouth curves into a frown.

"Kyuu?"

"You really should be nice to him Rei," Kyuu says in a monotone, her mind seeming elsewhere at the moment.

"Huh?"

"He's hurt Rei, really badly."

Wufei leaves the main building, making his way off temple grounds. I can't believe the nerve of those women. And why was Rei home anyway, shouldn't she be at school? It's hopeless, why do I even bother coming here. If it wasn't for the quiet it offered…

"'Haven't you ever done something like that before, done something because your emotions drove you to do so?'" Rei's words ring in his ears leaving him feeling hollow, memories of the past few years flying back to him in a whirlwind.

Wufei stops then, at the middle of the steps and stares back over his shoulder, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Yes," he whispers.

Meiran.

Far above the temple's rooftops, a lone figure turns her hawk-like eyes towards the building containing the sacred fire, watching in wait until it is time to close the distance between her and her prey.

She sits reclining in a tree, twirling a red strand of hair around one finger, a smile tugging at her lips. Her next target will be the priestess of the Cherry Hill Temple. Jedite will be pleased.

Rei sits up in bed, her sleep disturbed by an outside force that she can not identify. Her body is bathed in sweat and her hair is soaked, the sheets on her bed tangled around her body, nearly cutting off the circulation in one leg. She closes her eyes for a moment and focuses on her breathing, trying to get the erratic gulps under control. Reaching up a hand, she places two fingers on each side of her forehead, still a little disoriented.

Another nightmare. I can't remember this one, but it must have been bad. What woke me up?

A sound beyond the window pulls her out of her reverie and brings her to her feet. Cautiously, Rei makes her way over to the sliding door that leads into the hallway, her intuition telling her to go outside even though her head is telling her to stay where she is. For the first time in her life, she is aware of the creaking of the old wooden floorboards beneath her feet, straining under her slight weight. Panic rises in her chest at the load noise; it is like every part of her body is on high alert.

Rei slides the front door open carefully, gasping at the sudden burst of cold air that hits her full force. She creeps out onto the porch and down the steps, cursing when about a foot and a half of fallen snow comes up past her knees. Cold ice causes pins and needles up the length of her leg and she suddenly remembers that she had not thrown on a pair of shoes before leaving. Stupid Rei, Really stupid.

A sound comes from the woods to her left, a small cry. No time to worry about shoes now, there's definitely something out there. Rei moves as quickly as the snow will allow towards the crying, ignoring the cold as well as the branches that draw her blood from her face in her passing.

Suddenly, she reaches a break in the foliage and there, sitting in the center of a clearing, is a young girl. Her knees are drawn up to her chest so that her head can rest easily on top. Red hair spills form her scalp, drawing streaks of blood in the snow. When Rei enters the clearing, however, her head jerks up and she gets to her feet, her face showing a mask of hope.

Rei stops and stares, her mind blanking; this is now what she was expecting to find. "Who are you?" she asks, hoping that her voice sounds calm and reassuring. When the girl doesn't move, Rei takes a few steps forward, her feet no longer feeling the cold, the ground beneath her cracking with every step. "Are you okay?"

No reply. What is going on here? Suddenly, Rei catches the girl's eyes and has to struggle to fight the panic rising in her mind. Her own dark eyes lock onto a pair of black, soulless orbs and only now does Rei sense the true depth of the danger that she is in. Whirling around, she tries to retreat, but before she reaches the end of the clearing, she is pulled down.

Cold freezes her body and her scream is cut off by water flooding her lungs. Knives dig into her body, rendering her helpless against the frozen lake, causing her to panic, flailing her arms and legs as if she could fight the icy liquid that surrounds her. The cuts on her face from running through the forest sting, the water absorbing small red trails of blood. After a few seconds, logic overrides instinct and Rei forces her body to calm down, allowing her body to float in order to gain her equilibrium. She swims to the top until her hand encounters ice and she struggles to find the hole that she had fallen into.

Her lungs burning, she begins to pound on the ice, struggling to break free. I need air, I can't keep this up much longer. I've got to break free now. Rei's vision, already dark, begins to waver and summoning the last of her strength, she concentrates on fire, calling forth her power difficult out side of her senshi form. Finally, she is able to send a blast of fire towards the surface, the wall burning through the ice above her head.

Rei swims frantically for the surface and manages to grab the edge with her right hand to haul herself up. She drags her body to the edge of the large hole and collapses onto her side, her body too exhausted to keep moving. Small white flakes drift before her darkening vision.

Snow? I have to get up…but I feel warm. Perhaps I should stay, just for a little while. I'll… I'll be fine right here, in the dark.

The red-haired girl watches from the other edge of the lake, her emotionless eyes staring at the spot where Rei had fallen. With an odd, careful grace, she walks to the edge of the hole, placing her hand over the water. A pale blue mist covers the opening and then freezes, returning to solid ice.

The girl smiles in satisfaction. "I'll be back for your soul later girl, but right now, I'll think I'll grab your friend in the house." With those words, she vanishes, the only thing left remaining a pale blue smoke which drifts towards the temple.

Kyuu bolts up in bed, her eyes darting frantically around the room, glancing between the window and the door. I could have sworn I heard something close. Something is in here.

Suddenly, with terror creeping into her being, she knows exactly what has entered the temple and memories of that night in the alley flash before her eyes. The creature that had killed the man from the restaurant is now walking the halls of Cherry Hill Temple.

Knowing no other way to avoid her, Kyuu leans back against the mattress, silently praying that this creature can only harm the soul and not the body. In moments, her soul is released from her body, her astral form standing at the foot of the bed while her body still lies limply where she had left it, appearing to be asleep.

I've got to find Rei.

Kyuu passes through the wall in her room that leads to her friend's. Kyuu goes to the bed and is only mildly surprised to find it deserted.

So she sensed it before I did. Shoot, Rei may be in trouble! As fast as she possibly can, Kyuu flies upward from the house, allowing her spirit to climb into the air so that she can see all of the surrounding grounds. It is likely that Rei has left the temple itself. Suddenly, she spots what appears to be a flash of red light coming from a clearing about a quarter of a mile from the temple.

Not stopping to think about what the light may be, Kyuu makes a dive for the clearing, the ground coming at her at an alarming speed.

That clearing…wait, that's not a clearing… Rei!

Kyuu glides over to her friend, looking over her to see if she can catch any sign of life and is relieved to see that Rei is drawing in painful, raged breaths.

I need to get help, but from where? Her grandfather and Chad are still in the temple with that witch. I can't help her, even if I go back to my body, it will take me at least four hours to recover and by then it will be too late.

Maybe that boy could help her, the one that was in the temple earlier. Rei said that he and his friends live in an apartment complex in Juuban! It's a long shot, by I see no other way. Hold on Rei!

There are three apartment complexes in the Juuban area, and Kyuu has manages to find the one the boys are staying in on the second try. She goes from room to room, searching in the middle of the night for the elusive Wufei.

Upon entering his room, she uses up valuable energy to knock over a lamp on his nightstand, sending it crashing to the floor with a loud bang. Kyuu is astounded; not only is Wufei instantly awake, but he also has a katana in his hand in the blink of an eye.

He sleeps with a sword, now why does that not surprise me. I know you can't actually hear me Wufei, but please understand, Rei is in trouble!

Wufei jumps out of bed at the sound of the lamp crashing to the floor, his katana instantly in his hand, drawing it from its place under his bed. His whole body automatically goes rigid, ready to fight whatever it is that dare intrude upon his sleep. His eyes dart around the room, studying every nook and cranny before he finally relaxes slightly.

He puts his katana away, but for some reason is reluctant to crawl back under the covers and go to sleep. For some strange reason, his heart is still racing and he has the urge to run from the room. What the hell is going on here?

He is about to turn around and go back to bed, but he stops before he reaches the edge. Suddenly, with a muttered curse, he throws on his pants, shirt, and jacket and bolts out the door, quietly sliding through the hallway so as not to wake the others. There is no reason to wake them up just because he had a funny feeling about something.

After running down four flights of stairs, he throws open the front door of the building and races out into the snow filled streets, heading for Cherry Hill Temple, ignoring the snow that encumbers him. He runs without knowing exactly where he is going, letting his instincts and fate lead him where they will. Wufei plows through the snow, up the steps, and through the gate.

Upon reaching the temple grounds, he pauses, trying to figure out where to go. Finally, he decides upon the forest, seeing a small path that has been tread upon recently, a trail of broken branches and footprints nearly covered over by the snow.

By the time he reaches the lake, his breath is coming in fast gasps, his heart racing, and the bottom of his pants are soaked through from the snow. Finally, he spots a prone form lying in a bed of snow, strands of familiar, black, lace-like hair splayed atop a blanket of white.

Rei!

Wufei kneels at Rei's side, digging her out of snow. He pulls her into his arms and places two fingers on her neck, praying that he finds a pulse. Her hair is frozen and her wan face is as pale and as cold as death and Wufei finds fear creeping up into his chest. Not since the day that she died has he been so afraid.

He heaves a sigh of relief as he finds her pulse still beating, slow and very fait, but still present. Setting her down for a second, he removes his jacket and wraps it around her freezing body. Then, not wanting to waste anymore time, he gathers her up again and makes a mad dash toward the temple.

He had already failed one person in his life -- he would not lose another.

Wufei bursts through the doors of the temple, taking Rei to her fire room. There, he sets her gently on the floor and then goes for blankets. He yanks open the linen closet and pulls out the two spare blankets in there and stops at the living room on his way back, pulling off the coverlet on the couch as well before returning to Rei's side.

Damn, she's soaked to the bone. Finding no other choice, he removes her cloths, stripping her down to her undergarments, leaving his jacket over her as he removes her pajama top, trying to be as discreet as possible. Although he tries to fight it, he feels a warmth spread through his cheeks and has to force a swallow, apologizing profusely every time he grazes her icy velvet skin or a gentle curve.

Once her wet cloths are off, he closes his jacket around her. After the garment is secure, he wraps the blankets around her, rolling her into a cocoon of fabric. With that done, Wufei sits back, hoping and waiting.

"Who is that?" whispers the redheaded girl, who waits patiently outside the door. "She was supposed to be left in the lake! That stupid boy!"

Slowly, her form begins to dissolve into mist again. "No matter, this just means that I'll have to take care of her first. I hope you enjoy your nightmare girl, it will be the last you ever have."

"Serena! Mina! Is anybody here? Ami, Lita!" Darkness is enclosed around her, tightening its grip on her being. Rei can feel her struggles becoming weaker, her mind becoming foggy, her memory and thoughts jumbled. Breathing is becoming harder and she can no longer take more than a few steps without falling.

"Please," she begs, "can anybody hear me?"

"Give up girl, your soul is mine. Quit fighting already, you stand no more of a chance than any of the other victims." The voice rises from the darkness, clear, cold, and immediately recognizable.

"You," Rei hisses, finally realizing who is behind her capture. "You're the girl from the lake! What are you doing to me?"

"I want your soul, Master Jedite needs it."

"Jedite!"

"Yes." The girl giggles, as if she finds something about Rei's situation humorous. "I'm surprised, you've lasted for a very long time, most of the other victims gave up immediately, but you're still hanging in there. Congratulations! But if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do. I'll be back when you realize that you'll never wake up."

No. Rei sinks to her knees, the darkness coming in closer, caressing her body and cajoling her to sleep for eternity. I won't let it, darkness will not take me!

Rei brings her hands in front of her, closing her eyes and despite her rising panic, forces herself to focus on her predicament. Then, she begins to chant.

Wufei jerks up, realizing that he had somehow fallen asleep sitting up. Rubbing the back of his neck, he leans forward to check on Rei and is surprised to find her lips moving. Bending down, he places his ear against her lips. Is she…chanting?

Suddenly, Wufei jumps as the temple fire behind him roars, flames bursting forth from the pit. What the-- Wufei turns back to Rei, studying her carefully, but other than the chanting, she shows no signs of being awake.

"Rei, I don't know what's going on but--" He settles himself back into position beside her, making himself comfortable. Closing his eyes, he lets everything else slowly drop away, allowing his mind to go blank, letting nothing through but the sound of her chanting. Finally, after she repeats the phrase a couple times, he joins his voice with hers.

As Rei's chanting continues, she can feel the warmth of the fire around her and she allows herself a small smile. Power flows around her, pushing the darkness away and she feels it envelope her soul, protecting her from the spell that the red-headed girl had woven. It's a start, but it's still not strong enough, I can't break through.

Suddenly, as if fate itself had heard her thoughts, another power rushes through, combing with her own, the two energies combining to form a new strength. To Rei's surprise, the power comes with a voice, one that is etched into her mind, reaching beneath hers and carrying it solidly.

Wufei?

Keeping her chant strong and steady, she follows the sound of his voice, using it to lead her out of the darkness, a beacon bringing her back to the waking world. Finally, she reaches the end and with one last push, she takes a strong breath of air and opens her eyes, prepared to take on the creature from the negaverse that had put her in confinement.

Wufei stops chanting, first of all because Rei suddenly takes in a huge gulp of air, secondly because at that moment, the door to the room flies open and Grandpa and Chad come storming in.

Wufei sits there agape as the two men approach him, struggling for something to stay, to explain the predicament he is in. Hmm, something tells me saying 'it isn't what it looks like' is going to help much here. Out of everyone I know, who would be most likely to end up on a position like this? What would Duo say?

Grandpa comes forward first slowly and a little stiffly due to a bad back. Chad, meanwhile, stands at the door, trying to control his rage, his face contorted into a ridiculous contortion.

"Sir, what in Kami's name are you doing with my granddaughter?"

Wufei climbs slowly to his feet and then bows deeply, hoping to quell the old man's rising anger. The last thing he needs right now is a fight. "I'm sorry sir, I know this looks bad, but please believe that my actions are honorable and I mean no harm to your daughter nor to you, I--"

Wufei never gets to finish his statement however as the sacred fire once again roars to life and in response, Rei begins to glow a bright crimson. Suddenly, Rei's eyes fly open and she jumps to her feet, the red aura still clinging to her like a second skin.

"You all may want to move back. We are all in danger here."

When Rei opens her eyes, she is surprised to see that her grandfather and Chad are standing around the fire as well as Wufei, but realizes that there is nothing she can do. I have to transform anyway, besides they were bound to find out sooner or later and I have to defeat that negaverse girl before she harms anyone else.

"You all may want to move back. We are all in danger here." Rei waits until they move back before raising her wand, ignoring the looks of amazement coming from all three faces.

"Mars Crystal Power!"

Flames engulf her body, traveling up her entire body, forming main part of her uniform and skirt. The ribbons of her back bow form after, now reaching easily down to her knees. Her high healed shoes are gone now, the ribbons of fire now forming sandals instead that lace up her shins. Two strips of flame form gauntlets on her wrists while a third binds her wild, black hair into a high ponytail atop her head, leaving small tendrils to fall beside her face. Then, the crystal on her broach shatters, forming a star-like pattern and she raises her hands above her head, but for what she does not know. Suddenly, two kodachis appear in her hands, her tiara finally forming above the glowing symbol of Mars on her forehead.

The flames recede leaving Sailor Mars standing in the middle of the fire room, everyone staring at her in shock. "Wow," she utters silently. "Well, that was interesting."

"Yes it most certainly was," says a voice from the other side of the room. The air shivers and a cold gust of wind fills the temple and there, standing in the corner, is the red-headed girl. "So, you're Sailor Mars. That's twice, you've surprised be today, but no more. I need your soul now."

The girl reaches out her hand sending a wave of energy toward the senshi, but Rei simply shakes her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "I don't think so. Pyro Seal!" Mars kneels down, slamming the kodachi in her right hand into the ground, sending out a wall of flame that easily repels the attack.

"No, that's impossible." The girl takes a hesitant step back, not really believing the sudden turn of events.

"It's over. Phoenix Rise!" Mars raises both kodachis above her head and a wall of fire surrounds her. With a sudden burst of speed, Mars rushes towards her opponent, the girl realizing too late that the senshi herself is the weapon. Still surround by flame, Mars jumps upward first and cuts her with her right kodachi, the second one catching her on Mars's descent. The two burning kodachis cut through her like knife through butter and with a final scream of anguish, the girl shatters in to a million tiny ice crystals.

Rei collapses to the ground, her transformation sequence reversing at her command. Dimly, she realizes that she is wearing almost nothing but Wufei's jacket and realizes that there will be a flood of questions later.

Just then, the door opens to reveal a tired looking Kyuu, the rising sun giving of light behind her. She glances from Rei to Wufei and smiles. "Good, I see you go my message."

Rei smiles. She promises herself that she'll figure all this out later and explain everything to Grandpa and Chad, but right now, the only thing she wants is rest. Getting up, she makes her way over to the discarded blankets and curls up on the floor, having every intention of having an uninterrupted nap.

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