Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Prove Yourself to Me ❯ Prologue ( Chapter 1 )

It's not only Usagi centered… but more so Rei centered. They're going to be the only two senshi I really focus and toy with, and yes, Rei will end up with someone at the end. Who? I have no clue just yet, I want to see how her first meetings with everyone goes, I have it planned out but once you put finger to keyboard… well things change. Anyway, enough about rambling, I don't feel like it anymore so here's the story. Read enjoy and review if you want. Ah and no, this won't be a 'betrayal' issue -.- I'm actually referencing some comments that Rei makes in 'Another Story' the Sailormoon RPG by Bandai

**

It was that dream again. She knew it as soon as she saw the flickering light. It was funny how she could almost feel the heat of the fire embrace her as she was forced in front of it. She sat down merely because there was no choice and glared darkly at the one that was the cause for all of this. She hadn't forgotten him. How could she when she was having these dreams nearly every night?

"You haven't forgotten me, have you Rei?" He questioned his voice light as the flames rose obscuring his face from her searching eyes. "You know it's starting… You're not going to join it?" A soft tsk'ing sound escaped him as she noticed him shaking his head softly as if in regret. "You know what I'll do if you don't prove yourself, Rei."

As always her words were muted. Try as she might she could never answer him. She could never yell at him to leave her alone or that she wanted no part in these games of his. Why had he chosen her anyway? She was the least likely to be interested in any of this silliness.

"Do you need a reminder?" his voice had tuned down to a soft whisper that seemed to reverberate inside of her. She hated him. She hated everything he stood for and everything she knew he could do. She hated what was happening, what was starting to flash through her mind.

No…

Splashes of red covered her vision like giant drops of rain falling to the ground. But this wasn't mere rain. This was something evil, something vile. Against her judgment she glanced up and nearly gagged. A blue-haired girl was skewered by the twisted branches of a giant tree. Her blue eyes were still full of life and pain as she whispered for Rei to get out of here. To run before she too suffered the same fate.

She hated him.

As if the channel had been changed the blood vanished as did the dying girl's body. Now she was on a high cliff overlooking the vast ocean. A swollen lump of something rose with each crest of a wave until it arrived at her feet. The girl looked like some sort of grotesque blow up doll as her glazed lifeless blue eyes stared out of the puffy face. A red ribbon had been tied neatly around her neck in a cute bow.

She despised him.

Lightning crackled across the sky as the scenery changed to a new setting; a new friend, another death. She had fought bravely, the scratches on her bruised and battered body told the truth about this. She like the first was still alive; writhing in pain, trying to warn her about a coming threat. As those green eyes closed the lightning lit up the sky a final time to reveal bullet like holes throughout her body.

No, please, no… Not her… Anyone but her!

The last scene was the most vivid. She could smell the baking flesh and hear the soft sobs that came from the girl. She wasn't dead, not even close, but she was badly hurt. She was in the grips of a giant demon that seemed to be composed of fire. No matter how much she screamed her own attacks she couldn't control it. In fact her cries seemed to egg it on to hurt its captive it held in its grip.

She whirled, her soft black hair being burned by the fire as she stared up at the frightened blue eyes; her best friend, her princess. How could she rescue her? "Let her go!" her cry echoed dully throughout the clearing, but she was too stunned to realize it. For once she had been able to plead. That hadn't happened before.

"Let her go? But she's only a human…" He laughed softly as he noticed the hate consume the girl. "Hurry and grow, Rei. Take your rightful place and prove yourself. If you don't these won't be mere visions. I'll make them reality."

Laughter filled her ears as the girl's screams reached a new pitch and she vainly struggled as fire licked at her skin and a deep gold surrounded her. She couldn't take her eyes off of the girl as her very soul was wrenched from her body and swallowed whole like it was nothing more but a tasty morsel by the demon. It was hell.

**

Rei threw off her covers as she breathed heavily. She could still feel the insane heat that had greedily lapped at Usagi's figure. Her best friend had been burned and her soul eaten alive because of her. And that time she had finally been able to speak… She couldn't stand it any longer. The dream had once been an event that would happen every other month or so. But it had gotten increasingly common as time passed. Now she was having it whenever she closed her eyes. What could she do? She had no idea what this stranger wanted, but she wanted him dead. She had never hated anyone as much as she hated him. The simple fact that he had shown her their deaths over and over was enough to make her wish for a violent end to his life. She couldn't bear to go through it again. It would drive her mad.

She took a deep breath and struggled to calm her breathing. The truth of the matter was that seeing everyone's deaths night after night was driving her to the breaking point. Was this punishment for the one selfish wish she had whispered? But what was wrong with wishing your rival wasn't around anymore?

She closed her eyes as tears stung them and bowed her head. She had made that wish a long time ago, right after 'it' had happened. She had always acted as if she was okay with him leaving her… but that wasn't entirely the truth. She didn't begrudge them their happiness. To her eyes they made a great couple now, but then? Back then her heart had been shattered and she had kept it hidden from everybody. But still… a simple selfish wish shouldn't have been enough to send her such horrid nightmares! She didn't want any of those things to happen to any of her friends!

Rei Hino sighed softly as she forced the memories away. It still hurt, it would always hurt, but that was okay with her. They were both her best friends now and they were insanely happy. She could even genuinely giggle with the girls now when Usagi would accidentally blurt out that Mamoru had given her a kiss that day. But she was happy for them now. They had an amazing future laid out for them. She could only hope her own would be so great. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and slowly lay back down. Her eyes slowly shut and she allowed herself to slip into her own world of dreams.

**

Luna smelt it first. She was out of bed with her back arched and her red eyes roving the room. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. "Usagi," she hissed to grab the snoring girl's attention. Her warning was drowned out by her owner's mumbles. "Usagi-chan!" Luna risked her voice being louder this time and let her claws sink through the comforter and to the girl's skin.

Usagi fairly bolted out of bed and would have screamed if a ball of fur wasn't right in front of her with sharp claws touching the tip of her nose. "What is it Luna?" she demanded as she forced herself to wake up. And she had been having such an incredible dream too…

"I smell something… It doesn't feel like a youma but…" Luna glanced around and froze as she noticed an odd fuzzy shape outside of Usagi's window. "What is that?" she demanded as she gracefully leapt off of Usagi and leapt up to the windowsill to get a better view. The figure made an odd startled sound and simply faded from view. Tensing, Luna quickly whirled around and located her charge. The blonde was staring back at her and yawning before tumbling back to her pillow and resuming her chocolate filled dream. Luna sighed and shook her head in despair. Here the girl could be in danger and she was too busy dreaming…. Well whatever had been at the window was gone now, and though Luna was still worried, she was even more tired so curled up beside Usagi and fell into a deep sleep.