Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Requiem of Hope ❯ Chapter 3 - The choices we make ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter Three - The Choices We Make

The first thing that Gohan was aware of was the breeze blowing against his body. Long before he even opened his eyes, he heard the sound of gulls and the crashing surf in the distance. He struggled to open his eyes and was barely able to do so. The light fiercely stung them, causing him to quickly shut them again. He made a second attempt to open them, this time he forced himself to allow them to adjust to the light.

Slowly his surroundings came into focus. He was in a small room with plain wooden floors. The whitewashed walls brightened the room significantly, more than making up for the room only having two mid-sized windows. The curtains, thin and off-white stir in the mild breeze. There wasn't much furniture, giving him the impression that this wasn't a bedroom.

When he tried to sit up, he realized that he wasn't in the best condition. His body was numb and felt rather heavy. The effort he made to rise drained him of what little energy he thought he had. He tilted his head slightly, pain instantly shooting up his spine. At least he knew he wasn't paralyzed. His gaze drifted downward, looking at the bandages that covered his torso. Judging from them, he knew he was very badly hurt.

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Setsuna watched as the dark haired man woke from his comatose state. She was surprised that he was able to move after all he had been through.

“You shouldn't move in your condition you know,” she warned, startling him. He tried to open his mouth to speak but was unable to do so. Setsuna gave a small sigh and poured some water from the pitcher on the table into the cup next to it. She helped him drink a few mouthfuls then set the cup down.

“What is your name?” she asked after allowing him to rest for a bit.

He still struggled to speak but managed to whisper something. Unfortunately it wasn't loud enough to be heard. Setsuna drew closer, her face inches from his. “Again please,” she encouraged him.

“Gohan,” finally managed to slip out.

“Well, Gohan, you're quite fortunate. You are the first to awaken and you were very near death when you were found. My best priestesses and acolytes worked tirelessly on you two. You've been asleep here for four days now and they've constantly watched over you.” Ignoring the surprised look on his face, she continued. “You don't have to speak, only nod your head when I ask you a question. Do you remember what happened to you?”

Gohan paused for a long time before he shook his head.

Setsuna turned to the window. “I thought so. I'll leave you to rest now, since I have a few things to attend to. You definitely need it. If you're hungry, a priestess will be here shortly with something for you to eat.”

After she left, Gohan turned his head towards the bed besides him and looked at his friend. He was covered in bandages, his lavender hair the only thing recognizable on him. “He's probably in worse condition than me,” he thought.

After a few minutes of looking around and trying to remember what happened, Gohan finally drifted off to sleep once again from exhaustion.

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Rei found Serenity sitting on the beach, just uphill from the memorial. Her hair was a bit messy and gently blowing in the cool morning breeze as she gazed over the ocean.

“I've finally found you. I should have known you'd be here,” Rei called out smiling as she drew near. “I want to go see how the patients are doing. Will you come with me?”

“Yes, but please, sit with me for a while before we go,” she responded. Rei sat down next to her and the two were silent for a while. Just as Rei was about to break the silence, Serenity spoke up.

“I thought that my time here would be easier than this. I thought that it would be much simpler than it is. But it's not. It's so hard Rei,” she sighed, her voice lowering to a whisper.

Rei wrapped her arms around Serenity and pulled her close to her breasts. It had been so long since she had seen her so vulnerable, it broke her heart. “Rely on me, usa-chan,” she whispered, smoothing down her hair comfortingly. “I am your guardian, after all.”

Serenity clung to her and whispered, “Thank you, for listening.”

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As Rei and Serenity made their way to the Infirmary, they managed to meet Lady Setsuna on the way there.

“Good day my lady,” the two said in unison, bowing politely before her.

“Good day, Serenity, Rei,” she returned with a smile. “I've just come from the infirmary.”

“And? How are they?” Serenity asked, her voice laced with concern.

Setsuna's face grew solemn. “The lavender haired one is still the same. He hasn't moved at all,” Serenity's face fell at the news. Rei placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

“What about the other one then?” Rei asked.

“He's awake.”

“Really?!” Rei and Serenity both exclaimed excited.

Setsuna nodded. “You two really should go there now. And please bring him some food as well. He's been asleep for three days now and I'm sure he'll be hungry.”

“Yes, my lady,” they replied, bowing again then rushing towards the kitchen.

Setsuna stood there and watched them leave amused. Their excitement was certainly infections

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Serenity and Rei arrived at one of the small temple kitchens nearby, only to find it empty. Despite that, they went about searching for suitable food for their patient.

“What do you think we should give him to eat? I wonder,” Serenity said thoughtfully as scanned the shelves.

“Soup.” Rei said simply, looking in the bottom cupboards.

“Soup?” Serenity echoed puzzled.

“Yes, think about it. He's been injured and is probably very weak. A solid meat and vegetable soup will quickly help to regain his strength.”

“I see. You're right, as always,” Serenity responded sighing.

“What's the matter?” Rei asked, turning towards her.

Serenity leaned back against the table, her gaze wandering to the window. “Do you think he'll die?”

Rei shook her head. “You've been working very hard on him, I'm sure he'll pull through soon.”

“Really? But what if it's not enough?” She paused for a while. “He'll be my first sending,” she whispered lowering her head.

Rei was at her side in an instant, cupping her face and tilting her head up. She brushed her forefinger across her lips, silencing Serenity.

“Don't think that way. Don't give up hope on him just yet. If you believe he will, then he will. And if you don't succeed then you will know that you tried your best and hardest.”

Serenity looked at her before finally smiling. “As usual, you know what to say at the right time. I won't give up, I promise.”

“Good,” she said turning away. “Now, should we go bother Makoto and make her help us make it? I'm so bad at cooking.”

Serenity giggled. “I'm not so bad. I have been taking lessons from Makoto you know.”

Rei stuck her tongue out at her. “Anyway, in addition to food, we need some new ointments, potions and bandages. So who's going to Makoto and who's going to Ami?”

“I'll go see Makoto and you take care of Ami?” Serenity asked.

“It's settled then,” Rei said in agreement.

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As she reached for the herb rack, Makoto suddenly felt self conscious. Feeling that she was being watched, she turned around, only to find she was alone. Shrugging, she turned back to her cooking, only for the feeling to return.

She smiled to herself. It really had been too long since she felt this way and instantly knew who it was. “Come on out, Serenity, I know it's you.”

Serenity came out sheepishly, a bright smile on her face. “Good day Makoto.”

Makoto laughed. “Geeze, Serenity, you never change.”

“But you still love me, right?” she asked, clasping her hands behind her. Makoto laughed.

“Yes, yes. You have really good timing to. I want you to try this,” she said going to the counter and uncovering a small pot filled with stew. Serenity came over to her side and inhaled deeply.

“Oh my, that smells so delicious!” she exclaimed. Makoto took a spoon and dipped it into the pot. Blowing on it a little, she fed it carefully to her.

“It tastes so good,” she sighed in pleasure. Makoto couldn't help but laugh again.

“Doesn't it? I was surprised at how good it came out. Thanks for those seeds and spices Serenity.”

“I knew it would be the perfect present for you, since you like gardening and cooking so much. I'm just glad you liked it.”

“So Serenity,” Makoto said, setting the spoon down and covering the pot again, “You came here for something?”

“Oh, right! I came to ask you to help me make some soup for the two people Rei and I are taking care of. Setsuna told me that one of them has awakened and we want to give him something that's easy to eat and will help strengthen him,” she said thoughtfully.

Makoto was stood silent for a while, arms folded, before moving to some baskets of produce nearby. “I think we should go with a vegetable and fish soup then. I have some fresh fish that I wanted to grill for dinner but I can spare some and shred it for the soup. Will you help me then?”

“Of course,” she nodded, reaching for an apron.

“Well then, you peel the vegetables and I'll take care of the fish.”

---------------------

Rei found Ami in the temple library, going through a chest of old books and scrolls. She was so deeply consumed with her work that she jumped when she felt Rei's hand on her shoulder.

“I'm sorry to frighten you Ami,” Rei said smiling reassuringly after seeing the terrified look on her face. “I called out for you but you never answered.”

“No, that's alright. I was just so absorbed in this,” she said pointing an aged book she was holding. “I should have been paying attention. Is there something you need?”

“Yes, I came to ask you if you have anymore of that special salve that you gave Serenity last week. It's really good and we ran out of it yesterday. I also need to get some more potions and bandages as well, since we're replacing them today.”

“Is that all? I think I do have some more, but it may not be enough,” Ami said thoughtfully.

“We don't need a lot, I don't think.”

“Is that so? Well,” she said, fishing out a key from her pocket and handing it to Rei. “Here.”

Rei took the key, placing it securely into her own pocket. “Where is it?”

“On my medicine shelf, second row to the right in the dark blue banded jar. Also take some dried crimson lily seeds. Serenity will know what to do with those.”

Rei nodded. As she turned to leave she paused saying, “Ami, you really should be careful with that lantern. It's so close to the table edge that it may fall in that position.”

Ami looked up quickly only to see it rocking gently.

“Oh oh!” she exclaimed, dropping the book and quickly pushing the lamp back to a more secure position. “Thank goodness,” she sighed in relief. Setsuna would be so angry if she started another fire here...

---------------------

When Rei opened the door to the infirmary, she realized that Serenity hadn't returned yet. She wasn't exactly prepared to be alone with them just yet. Those two being unconscious was one thing, but the realization that they were men hit her hard. And they could possibly be awake as well, which made her anxious.

But her fears were soon eased when she saw that they were still sleeping. She closed the door softly behind her, and set the supplies gently on a table nearby. She really felt more comfortable doing this with Serenity in the room to watch but she had done it enough to know what to and what not to do.

She took one of the stools in the corner and set them near the bed where the dark-haired man was. She placed the bowl of hot water between the beds and dipped her hands in it briefly. She was more comfortable with him and his injuries. Serenity took the more difficult man since she was more experienced in that area.

Rei sat on the stool and drew the covers back, exposing his bandaged body. They weren't ready to remove the crimson tinted ones on his torso just yet, but the others could come off. She started with his legs, and carefully unwrapping the bandages on them.

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Gohan was stirred out of his trance-like sleep by something touching his legs. Startled he jerked, causing whatever it was to cry out. He opened his eyes and after a blinding moment, a dark haired girl came into focus. Her violet eyes were so wide, captivating his gaze. Her hands were drawn tightly to her chest, overall she looked startled. Gohan blinked, and then stared at his leg where the bandage was hanging loosely. She had been caring for him!

Rei noticed his gaze on his leg and bowed her head. “I'm sorry to have awakened you, I was just trying to remove your bandages,” she said softly.

Gohan watched her then opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Rei realized instantly that he needed something to drink. She poured a glass of water for him and positioned him so that he could drink some.

“Here, drink this slowly,” she warned him, cradling his head and putting the cup to his lips. After a few mouthfuls she set him back down, pressing her finger lightly on his lips. “Don't try to speak just yet. You've been asleep for days now, so I know you're hungry. My friend should be bringing in some food soon. In the meantime, may I please continue treating you?”

Gohan nodded, still a bit dazed from the long sleep and by the sight of such a beautiful person. Rei gingerly finished the unwrapping of the bandage and set it aside.

“You're wound is barely noticeable now. That's relieving,” she sighed.

She reached for a jar, uncovered it and dipped her finger in it, trailing her finger along the jagged pink scar. He winced as she touched a raw part of the wound.

“This should make it less visible and not so tender,” she reassured him. She tore off a piece of bandaging and re-wrapped the site. “You should be able to move around by tomorrow.”

---------------------

Nuns who were walking down the temple's main entrance stopped and bowed to the person who was coming up.

“Good day, my lady,” they said in unison as the figure gave a curt nod and continued on its way.

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Serenity walked down the winding hallways towards the infirmary at the back of the temple, her arms full. She walked carefully but quickly, taking pains not to spill anything or have the food arrive cold. She was so absorbed in this that she didn't even hear someone calling for her.

“Lady Serenity!” she called out more loudly. She stopped and turned slightly.

“Yes, Kashmi?” she asked expectantly.

She stopped in front of her and bowed low. “I'm so sorry, Lady Serenity, but I've been sent to call you. You're needed in the ceremonial hall for the ablution. They're almost ready to start.”

“Are you sure? I thought that wasn't until a little later this afternoon,” she responded, looking down at what she was holding. This would have to wait.

“Yes I am my lady,” she answered.

“It's too early,” she sighed. Setting the tray down, she turned towards Kashmi.

“Take this to the infirmary. Tell Rei that I apologize for not being there. Make sure to tell her to have them to have a drink of the tea. It's supposed to soothe their throats and help them swallow easier. Please go quickly,” she urged her. “The food is getting cold. And please assist Rei in caring for them.”

---------------------

As Serenity made her way towards her destination, she was Minako coming towards her. She stiffened a bit, but didn't falter as she continued on her way. They didn't even exchange glances as they passed each other, but the brief moment of tension was all but unbearable to all who saw this exchange.

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While Rei was busy tending to her patient, she heard the door open and turned to see an acolyte come in with the tray of food.

“Oh, Kashmi, you're here,” she said surprised.

She set the tray down and bowed. “Yes Lady Rei.”

“Why?”

“Lady Serenity asked me to. She was called to perform the ablution by Lady Morina,” she replied.

“Really? But it's early,” she said.

“I think they want her to give a lecture before the ceremony.” she mused.

“Well since you've brought that, could you set it here for me?” Rei requested, gesturing to the small stand next to her.

Kashmi complied, setting one of the bowls and a cup of tea on the stand. “Lady Serenity said that you should make him drink some of this tea before feeding him so he can swallow easier.”

Rei nodded. `She really thinks of everything,' she thought to herself as she picked up the tea.

---------------------

Minako gently pushed open the door to the infirmary. Both Rei and Kashmi looked at her in surprise.

“So these are the two boys I've heard so much about,” she said loudly coming in and closing the door behind her.

“Lady Minako!” Kashmi exclaimed, bowing quickly.

Rei remained silent. She didn't know what Minako was up to but she would have to wait and see for herself.

“My Rei, you've done well. Those wounds are almost gone,” she continued coming up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She noticed that he was awake and smiled warmly at him.

“Ah, so you are awake! My name is Lady Minako. I'm so pleased to see how well you look.”

“He's still weak Minako, so don't expect an answer,” Rei cautioned her quietly.

“I'm Gohan,” he uttered, surprising them both. Rei smiled at him, happy to finally hear his voice.

“Gohan? What a nice name,” Minako mused. She turned to the opposite bed. “What about this one Rei?”

“He hasn't awakened yet. She's been caring for him but today they called her to perform the ablution. He hasn't moved even once since being brought here, though she tends to him everyday, changing his bandages, casting spells,” she said worriedly.

“Is that so....” she trailed off, going to his bedside. `This is something she cares for, isn't it?' she mused to herself. While Minako wasn't very good at treating people as her strengths lay elsewhere, she did have basic knowledge of doing so.

Placing a hand to his forehead, she jumped when he let out a sigh and began to stir. Rei got up quickly and looked at him while Kashmi placed herself at the foot of his bed. They waited eagerly until he opened his eyes.

“Oh my,” Kashmi gasped out, clasping her hands before her.

“You're up as well,” Rei confirmed.

“Thank goodness,” Minako sighed. She took his hand in hers, gently squeezing it. “You had all of us worried, but it's alright now.”

Rei and Kashmi watched as Minako took a stool from the other side of the room and brought it to his bed. She then picked up the tea Rei had on the table and slowly fed it to him.

`What's she doing?' Rei thought to herself. She really didn't like what was happening but she didn't voice her concerns. Instead she returned to her own seat and continued her care of Gohan. But her gaze always drifted towards the other side of the room.

---------------------

Setsuna noticed Serenity heading away from the infirmary and was puzzled. Her leaving so soon after heading there strange, especially since she was so worried about the boys. She decided to go there again later and see what was happening for herself. It was very important that Serenity, Rei and the two men get close to each other. She needed them after all.

Noticing that Setsuna was distracted, her companion cleared her throat, drawing her attention back to their conversation.

“Yes Lady Yuufie?”

“My you're distracted today, Lady Setsuna,” she chided her.

Setsuna let out a sigh. “I'm sorry, it's just that I'm worried about something.”

“It's Serenity, right? We all noticed it when we saw her. She's different than she was before. And you're her mother after all; if you didn't worry then I wouldn't consider you human.”

“You say things too casually with me, Yuufie. I can't be what her mother was.”

“But you have been, since she was little. To all of them. Anyway if you're interested in knowing, Serenity has been chosen to perform the ablution ceremony this evening,” she informed her.

“What?”

She nodded. “Liana and Dalia told me earlier. They were called by Lady Minako concerning the ceremony and they asked if Serenity could perform it. All the girls are looking forward to it actually. They're very excited at the prospect of talking to our lady summoner.

However,” she paused. “If you ask me, I think that Lady Minako was a little too eager to give up such an important role.”

Setsuna wrinkled her brow in thought before excusing herself and heading towards the infirmary.

---------------------

Trunks was in a lot of pain, a unique kind of pain that he hadn't really experienced too often. It wasn't mind numbing pain, but he was acutely aware of it. Every breath he took stung and every movement was torture. It was sensory overload. He was hardly aware of the person who was besides him until she tried to help him sit up.

“What do you think you're doing?!” an alarmed voice almost shrieked from nearby.

“I'm helping him up. What does it look like I'm doing?” someone else responded in a much softer tone. He turned his head towards the source despite his condition and his gaze traveled upwards, past the long blond hair to lock with beautiful blue eyes.

“Stop it,” the other voice said rather harshly. He looked up as a dark haired beauty came towards them.

“We always take great pains not to move him while he was asleep. He suffered quite a few broken ribs and some burns, cuts and bruises. Do not move him without permission,” she ordered, her eyes stern.

“But,” the other woman spoke out, “he's awake now, and needs treating. Do you not agree? And do you intend to let him lie here, untreated until whenever they're done? I think that's cruel.”

The dark-haired girl folded her arms and looked away.

“If you're so adamant about it,” she continued, looking down at him. “Then help me, rather than standing there so stiffly.”

Rei almost hissed in anger, but did as she was asked. The two of them were able to prop him up in a comfortable angle on the bed. Disregarding Rei, Minako sat besides him and started to feed him more of the tea, being very careful not to spill it.

As angry as she was, Rei managed not to show it. Rei gave Minako a brief glance before returning to Gohan.

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Minako smiled to herself. She knew how angry Rei was. It was written all over her face, but she couldn't back down nor give in. Not now anyway. This wasn't about Rei, or these men, it was between her and Serenity.

She was a bit preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't realize that she was feeding him a little fast and he started to choke.

“Oh my, I'm so sorry!” she exclaimed, setting the cup aside and grabbing a washcloth. She gently dried his face, smiling apologetically. “Um, my name is Minako. What's yours?”

“Trunks,” he said very hoarsely after catching his breath.

“Well Trunks, are you hungry? We have some delicious soup here from the kitchens. It's still a bit warm, but I know you'll like it,” she explained to him.

“How's my friend, is he alright?” he asked, disregarding her question.

“I'm fine, don't worry about me,” a voice piped up from nearby. He smiled slightly and allowed Minako to continue to care for him.

---------------------

Trunks lay still as she changed his minor bandages with fresh ones. She did it carefully, but wrapped them a bit tightly, causing him to wince more than once.

“Is this alright?” she asked after rewrapping the last one.

“Oh, yes, it is,” he assured her, not wanting to complain after all she had done for him. A gentle smile graced her face as she continued putting the finishing touches on her work. Trunks couldn't help but blush just a bit with her so close to him. He really couldn't remember when he'd been this close to someone as pretty and graceful as she was and he honestly was more than a bit uncomfortable.

“Done,” she said simply as she tied the last one. She glanced at the bowl on the table next to him.

“Would you like me to feed you? I would feel better if you had something in you.”

Before he could open his mouth, his stomach growled, prompting her to giggle.

“I'll take that as a yes,” she laughed. Trunks hung his head, completely embarrassed. But before she could reach it the door to the infirmary opened.

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“Lady Minako, I'm surprised to see you here,” Setsuna stated, closing the door behind her. She saw Minako stiffen a bit. Rei stood up immediately.

“My Lady,” they responded, with Rei and Kashmi bowing respectfully to her.

She waved her hand dismissively and the girls relaxed. She called Minako out of the room with her.

“You were given a task, were you not?” she said pointedly.

“I was, but someone else was requested at the last minute, which left me free to come here.”

“So disobeying me is preferred,” she demanded.

“N-no, my lady. However c-certain things were taken into consideration. I didn't think that-“

“I don't remember asking you to think,” Setsuna said coolly. “You are the head priestess and yet Serenity is in that room in place of you. Did we make a mistake with you?”

“No, my lady,” she responded bowing again.

“See that this doesn't happen again. Placing your responsibilities on others is not acceptable,” Setsuna warned her, walking away.

Minako clenched her fists in anger, but soon relaxed them. No matter how much she wanted to scream at that point, Setsuna was right. She let her feelings get in the way of good judgment. Sighing, she forced herself to relax and went back in.

---------------------

Setsuna watched Serenity talk with the new girls. She could clearly see that she was the natural choice as the head. Serenity had a way of relaxing people and pulling them together. And most of them looked up to her as a priestess.

`If only she hadn't chosen to become a summoner,' Setsuna lamented. Over the years that she was gone, the others mostly isolated themselves into two factions.

The temples of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter stayed close to each other and the temples of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune did the same. But when Serenity was there, everyone came together, co-operated with each other and most importantly smiled together. She had a natural magnetism about herm one that couldn't be denied.

She watched her with pride as she saw what a responsible young woman she had become, being able to take charge as naturally as if she was born to play this role. She wouldn't have expected this from her six years ago. Yet, now she's able to stand on her own.

Setsuna left them and went back to her own duties, confident that everything was in good hands. She really worried about Serenity but it was alright for now.

---------------------

Serenity looked at the pretty young faces before her and couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. They seemed to hang off of her every word, and it made her uncomfortable.

“So, do you understand how serious this is? If you're not ready for this then please don't think it's shameful to not accept this responsibility.”

Serenity allowed a moment of silence for them to think about the words she had spoken to them.

After a while of thinking and exchanging glances with each other, an auburn haired girl spoke up. “We have given a lot of thought to this and we're ready. We always have been, since the moment we came to the temple.”

Serenity nodded at them, smiling gently. She admired their self confidence and couldn't help but be a bit envious of them as well.

Just then three nuns came in, interrupting them. They each carried a silver tray of various items. They set them down on the table behind her and stood in a line to the side. She looked out the window at the setting sun.

“It's time,” she announced to everyone present. The girls lined up before the altar and knelt, their hands clasped tightly together. Serenity remembered this tradition all too well, as she had seen Setsuna perform it numerous times.

One of the nuns present picked up the tray containing a large bowl of water taken from the sacred waterfalls of Artemis and knelt before Serenity.

Serenity placed her hand directly over the water and reciting an ancient mantra. Her whole body glowed and she generously allowed her energy, her life force to flow into it, causing the water to glow for an instant and become translucent. Dipping her hand into it, she trickled some of it over the hands of the acolytes.

It was a beautiful sight. The water which left her hand sparkled in the light like diamonds before reaching their destination. The calm expression on her face complimented the serene atmosphere well, and in that instant, there was perfect silence.

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The ceremony and celebrations lasted well into the night and by the time it was over Serenity was so exhausted that she went to bed instead of going to check on her wards.

The ceremony was carried out perfectly and without incident. Each girl was given a special necklace bearing the insignia of their individual temple and then sent to bathe under the waterfalls. Afterwards, they were given their robes and scrolls, officially accepting the title of acolytes.

Serenity found she was increasingly busy during the day, and could only visit her patients late at night. Still that didn't prevent her from fussing over everything from medicating the bandages to assisting in preparing their food and even brewing a special herbal tea so they could sleep peacefully at night.

Rei noticed that she wasn't coming around anymore and started bothering her about it until finally a few days later, she managed to get some time to herself and decided to bring them lunch.

---------------------

Serenity was very excited about finally having the chance to talk with them. She took special care in making their food that day, making sure it was seasoned to perfection. Even Makoto was amazed and complimented her before she left.

As she drew near the door, she heard voices and laughter coming from the room and hesitated a bit. `That doesn't sound like Rei,' she thought pausing in front of it. She soon realized that it was Minako. She decided to wait a bit before entering. After all, the two of them weren't on speaking terms with each other and things may get awkward if she just barged in.

So while agonizing over what to do, she unwittingly eavesdropped on the conversation. She soon regretted that action.

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Minako started taking off Trunk's bandages when he caught her hand. Puzzled, she looked up at him with a questioning gaze.

“Something's been bothering me for a while,” he started, but paused when he looked at her. Minako placed her other hand on his, drawing them closer to herself. Trunks blushed a bit and quickly continued. “Um, that day on the beach, were you the one who saved me?”

Minako knew that question was coming, and she had agonized over it. But this was the decisive moment. It was now or never.

“Yes, I was,” she whispered, dropping her gaze. She instantly felt pangs of guilt rage through her, but her resolve was strong.

“I thought so,” he said relieved that he was right. “Thank you for saving me.”

Minako smiled gently at him. “Can I continue?” she asked, looking at the bandages. She needed to get her mind off the guilt she felt quickly.

“Oh, um-yes,” he sputtered out. He realized that he held her hand all that time and quickly dropped it. Minako laughed at the action.

---------------------

Serenity felt a lump well up in her throat and tears started stinging at her eyes. Her chest felt so heavy, like a lead weight was hanging where her heart once stood. Leaning against the wall, she drew in a deep breath and looked towards the ceiling.

“So this is how it is then, Minako,” she whispered to herself. She looked down at the tray in her hand. At the lunch Makoto had so willingly helped her make. Shaking her head and placing a cheerful look on her face, she turned and went back down the hall. There was nothing else for her to do now except be on her way.

A Ritual purification ceremony which normally occurs with the setting sun in this story. Here it's used to initiate the new acolytes into the order.