Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Escaping Fate ❯ Book 1 Part I - VI ( Chapter 5 )

Escaping Fate

Book I

Part I

VI

 

 

Haruka stood at the window, while Michiru talked with the detective. She couldn't pull her eyes from the unconscious green haired woman upon the bed, wondering how the hell a Senshi of Time and Space couldn't see a truck coming. Shaking her head, she turned her eyes toward the detective and Michiru, talking about possible people who may not be happy with the fashion designer. It was pointless! Haruka shook her head, as she pushed from the hospital wall. It was obviously Youma. But how could they have known Setsuna was a Sailor Senshi? Haruka shook her head again, her thoughts bringing her no where.

 

Michiru broke her eyes from the man to view Haruka, her expression saddening. She seemed to be taking the news harder than herself, and for that, she felt guilty. She turned back to the detective, assuring him of all his questions, before the man finally finished. After jotting down a few more notes, the man rose, thanking the two for their time, before finally leaving the hallway, most likely back to his office to analyze the information he had gathered. Michiru rose from her seat, walking over to Haruka, who had fixated her gaze upon the elder senshi once again, resting her forearm upon the glass, along with her forehead, her other hand holding some of her weight, pressing up against the counter against the wall.

 

Slender hands wrapped around her tight stomach, as the smell of lavender and peaches filled her nostrils. Haruka never let her eyes drop from the elder woman, feeling Michiru rest her head upon her shoulder, unable to rid the frown from her face.

 

“You think it was a Youma,” Michiru said more like a statement rather than a question. Haruka placed her hand around Michiru's own, gripping her hand slightly. “If it was, then they would have to know who she was.”

 

“They could know all of us,” Haruka finally spoke, catching Michiru off guard. “None of us are safe.”

 

“But how could Youma figure out her identity?” Michiru wasn't certain that it was Youma that had done this to their fellow senshi. Haruka shook her head.

 

“I don't know, but it reeks of Youma,” she said. Even though Michiru wasn't certain, she couldn't disagree with Haruka's statement. It certainly didn't feel right, Michiru thought in agreement. “I don't like this… I don't like this one bit. First Rei, now Setsuna.”

 

“You think they're related?” Michiru asked in surprise. She felt Haruka shrug her shoulders.

 

“I don't know,” Haruka said in slight frustration. “I just can't see how Setsuna didn't say anything about Rei, or how she couldn't see something like this happening.”

 

“She has been awfully quiet for the past week,” Michiru admitted, as she took in the scent of her lover. “Maybe these events aren't caused by Youma.” She felt Haruka tense at the statement. “Maybe she knew of these events, and couldn't prevent them. Maybe that's why she's been so quiet lately.”

 

Haruka didn't reply. She kept her eyes upon the woman in the other room, letting out a sigh.

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

“She what?!” Usagi nearly yelled, gathering the attention of all the hospital staff. Minako rubbed the girl's shoulder with the arm she had wrapped around her with an equally worried expression on her face as they listened to Ami's mother tell them of what happened.

 

“She kept saying she had to save the princess,” Dr. Mizuno replied with a worried expression of her own. “We have hospital security looking for her now, and covering all the exits, but she could be anywhere in the building.”

 

“Rei…” Usagi's breath caught, bringing a hand to her mouth, looking past the blue haired doctor as if she wasn't even there.

 

“Usagi,” the doctor continued. “Rei is under a lot of heavy pain medication. She's delirious. She's seeing things that aren't there, and with all the trauma she's been through, she's unable to wake up from this dream she's sunken herself into.”

 

“I thought you said she was so weak, she could barely get out of bed,” Minako asked thoughtfully, remembering the weak version of Rei when she had come to visit the other day. The doctor shook her head.

 

“When your mind makes up things like the things she is seeing, you'd be surprised what you'd be able to do,” she said, adjusting her glasses. “I'd say adrenaline mostly.”

 

Usagi shook her head of the images of a scared Rei-chan running around the hospital confused, and unable to wake up from the dream. Tears built up within the blue eyes of the Odango Atama, forcing the grip of the Senshi of Love from her.

 

“Usagi?” Minako asked, but she was already gone, half way down the hall.

 

`I have to find her,' she thought to herself, turning a corner. `I'll find you, Rei! I promise!'

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

Rei breathed heavily on the stairwell, hugging her knees to her chest. She couldn't move after climbing up all the flights of stairs, and collapsing at the fire escape door. She pulled herself into the corner, staring at the shadows of the stairwell, breathing heavily as they danced around her, mocking her. She wanted to close her eyes, to shut them tightly, rid herself from these shadow demons, but she knew if she had, they would take her. It was exactly what they wanted her to do.

 

Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to sob, breathing so quietly, she could barely notice herself if she had stopped breathing. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, almost to the point she felt it would deafen her. She constantly heard people shifting up the stairs, but never to the top floor, in and out of the floors beneath her. Her breathing became unsteady, wanting to bury her face in her knees and cry, to simply break down, to run away from this horror she felt.

 

“Princess…”

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

Usagi ran through the hospital, completely lost. She had heard Mina's voice long ago, but she had lost it back when she had run through the cafeteria, and now she didn't know where she was. Looking around, she took a left to the stairwell, pushing the door open. She stopped for a moment, leaning on the rail as her heart raced, her lungs pleading for air.

 

“Maybe Luna was right,” she panted, wiping the beads of sweat that had formed upon her forehead. “Maybe I am out of shape.”

 

“Princess…”

 

Usagi froze, holding her breath as her ears caught the muttered word of her Rei-chan, trying desperately to listen.

 

“Rei?” She didn't know why she whispered her name. She herself couldn't hear the name being called. “Rei?”

 

Her voice was a little louder, though she heard no response.

 

“Rei!” she finally yelled downward, leaning over the stairwell. Finally, after an eternity of silence, she heard quiet sobs from above her, twirling her head upward. In a mad dash, Usagi took to the stairs, running as fast as she could to the source of the crying, finally coming to a broken down Rei, with her head in her knees, and hugging her legs to her chest, sobbing her heart out. “Rei…”

 

“Princess?” she murmured, as her head rose, her eyes moist and red, her skin pale and exhausted. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. She looked… sick.

 

“Yes, Rei,” Usagi nodded, as she walked slowly to her. “I'm here.”

 

Usagi moved slowly to her, Rei's eyes never leaving those blue orbs. Usagi wrapped her arms around the girl, and Rei instantly clutched to her, as if she weren't really there, like she would suddenly vanish in thin air, and Rei would be alone in the darkness that surrounded her. She felt Rei calm, and in curiosity, Usagi turned to find the girl asleep.

 

“So exhausted,” Usagi whispered with a sad look. “Oh, Rei-chan…”

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

“She's sedated,” Dr. Mizuno said to the girls. Haruka looked from Rei to the doctor curiously.

 

“What made her delirious in the first place?” Haruka asked, referring to the doctor's earlier comments when Usagi had brought Rei back. Ami's mother removed her glasses from her face, pinching the place between her eyes.

 

“She was on multiple sets of medication,” the doctor replied, rubbing her brow lightly as she looked back to the group. “Her previous doctor had prescribed a heavy amount of pain killers that interfered with her sleeping medication.”

 

The three blondes and Michiru all looked to Rei with a worried look. Haruka frowned, looking back to the doctor. As she opened her mouth to speak, Ami's mother held her hand up with a nod of her head.

 

“He was discharged today,” she replied. “We can not have mistakes like that going on when someone's life is on the line.”

 

“When will she wake up?” Usagi asked, not taking her eyes off the fire senshi through the window of the door. The doctor shook her head, as she studied her daughter's friend carefully.

 

“She hasn't been getting much sleep lately,” she told her, placing a hand upon the worried girl's shoulder. “But don't worry. I'm going to be looking after her myself from now on.”

 

“You can do that?” Haruka asked curiously, suddenly feeling a bit better over the situation. Dr. Mizuno nodded.

 

“I have seniority here,” she smirked, then looked back to her patient. “No one will have a problem with it.”

 

“That's good to hear,” Minako nodded. The doctor nodded, and left the girls alone. Michiru placed a hand upon her princess' shoulder.

 

“Don't worry,” she said to her. “Rei will pull through.”

 

“Yea,” Minako added cheerfully. “Nothing can hold her down, right?”

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

Rei let out a groan, feeling the moist dirt underneath her form. As her eyes opened, darkness surrounded her, the rain soaking her outfit completely, mud staining the front of her out fit as she forced herself to stand. As her head rose, her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness surrounding her, a wet hand running through her hair, brushing her bangs from her field of view. Trees surrounded her in every direction, thunder clapping above her just as she looked up.

 

“Hino-sama!”

 

Rei quickly turned to the source of the voice, surprised to find the waving hand of Keishi Kuromatsu, one arm upon a tree branch, leaning her weight against it. Rei quickly ran over to the girl, doing her best not to trip.

 

“Miss Kuromatsu,” Rei called as she finally greeted her. “What happened?”

 

“I don't know,” the girl shook her head, appearing to be out of breath. “Something was wrong with the plane…”

 

Instantly, memories of the incident filled Rei's mind, her eyes shutting tightly, trying to push away the fear she attempted to hold in. As Keishi looked up, she gave the senshi of fire an odd look, one that brought the raven haired girl to question.

 

“What is it?” Rei asked. Keishi blinked.

 

“I thought you…” she started, as she studied the girl's face. She shook her head, continuing. “It's nothing. We should see if we can find anyone else.”

 

“Right,” Rei nodded. “Are you alright to walk?”

 

“Yea,” Keishi nodded. “I'm just a little tired, that's all.”

 

“Where's the plane?” Rei asked, looking around to try and figure out exactly which direction they should head in. Keishi shook her head.

 

“I don't know,” she answered, wrapping her arms around her stomach as the rain continued to pour down on them. Endless questions started to run through Rei's mind all at once, but she forced them aside the best to her ability. She needed to find the plane. She needed to find her father.

 

Quickly patting her back pocket, she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the padding of papers she always kept upon her. Pulling a slip out, she held the marked ofuda in front of her, her eyes closing in concentration. Keishi watched, as the girl chanted in the ways of a priestess, the soggy piece of paper straightening to the girl's command, the girl's eyes widening in slight amazement. With a slight wind, the paper folded and Rei opened her eyes.

 

“Follow me,” Rei said, as she started through the thick forest, with Keishi right behind her.

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

“Hino-sama!” Keishi yelled as they came to a clearing. Rei quickly followed the girl as the two ran to the man sprawled out onto the ground. They had found others in the same situation as they, lying on the ground, completely unharmed, and in complete confusion of what happened. Rei ran up to her father's side, rolling him over to his back. The man mumbled something under his breath, before his eyes parted, taking in the view of his daughter.

 

“Rei…” his voice scratched out, forcing himself to sit up as he rubbed his head. “What happened?”

 

An eerie feeling flared within the priestess, her brows lowering while her head turned toward the direction their group had just come from. Keishi looked to where Rei was looking in confusion.

 

“What's wrong?” the girl asked, fear filling her with the serious expression Rei held on her face.

 

“We have to get out of here,” she said, as two of the men Rei and Keishi had found earlier helped Rei with her father, lifting him to his feet.

 

“Are you alright Mr. Hino?” one of them asked. Rei's father nodded, rubbing his forehead.

 

“Yes,” he assured them, gaining his footing and holding his own. “Just a little tired, that's all.”

 

“There's still some people missing,” the other man said, doing a quick head count.

 

“We should try to find the plane,” another woman added in.

 

“Right,” Rei quickly added, turning her eyes from where they had just come from. “We should get moving now.”

 

The older people of the group, surprisingly, had no problem following the daughter of the politician, as she quickly lead the group through the forest, weaving their way through trees, uplifting roots and trees. Rei's breathing quickened, as she looked over her shoulder, the feeling never leaving the pit of her stomach.

 

“What's wrong?” Keishi asked her once again, noticing the girl continuing to look behind her.

 

“I can't shake this bad feeling I have,” Rei confessed, as she continued to press forward in search of their plane. Keishi shook her head slightly.

 

“Well, our plane crashed and we were thrown pretty far away from wherever it landed and we survived without a scratch,” Keishi stated firmly. Rei blinked suddenly, realization hitting her. She rubbed her nose a bit in curiosity.

 

“What was that?”

 

Rei's instincts came in, as she quickly turned to where she too had heard something.

 

“I didn't hear anything,” one of the lawyers stated firmly. Another sound of thunder from above. “We should keep moving.”

 

Rei kept her eyes at the darkness. Something was following them.

 

“Yes,” Keishi nodded, waving her hand to the group. “Let's go.”

 

Rei kept herself at the back of the group, keeping herself in between the group. Her right hand dug into her side pocket, wrapping her fingers firmly around the second of three items she assured to always have on her.

 

“Look!” a woman shouted, grasping the closest arm next to her in fear, pointing toward the shadows to her right, a figure quickly passing them. Rei's brows lowered with a frown.

 

“What the hell was that?”

 

“I told you I heard something!”

 

Rei pushed the commotion aside, her eyes traveling through the darkness that surrounded her, her senses flaring, the smell of evil seeming to be all around them. The aura seemed so heavily filled, it blinded her senses, unable to detect just where it was coming from.

 

“Ah!”

 

The woman was quickly picked up from the ground, ripped away from the man's arm she was holding onto. A gray hue formed around the girl, as she screamed hysterically. Rei quickly ran, but was suddenly blinded by a flash of light. When she removed her hands from her eyes, the girl was gone.

 

“What the hell?!”

 

“We need to get out of here, now!”

 

Panic quickly filled everyone, as they almost all ran in opposite directions.

 

“What the hell?!”

 

A repeat of phrases, and mild curses caught the priestess' attention, turning to view one of the men attempting to run, his hands moved out in front of him as if something were there.

 

“What is this?” he said, as he attempted to push his hand further. Rei's eyes lowered, quickly raising to the sky. As her eyes flickered, she noticed it. Lowering her eyes quickly, she followed the semi-invisible structure around them, which seemed to have them blocked of any escape.

 

“An invisible wall?” the man said, as he started to kick at it. “Let us out of here!”

 

Rei cursed under her breath, tightly gripping her transformation stick. She wouldn't be able to transform with everyone around to see her, even her father! She wouldn't have a choice, however, if whatever attacked the woman decided to come after the rest of them. Rei's eyes turned to the shadows, just as the creature jumped out at her. It grasped her free hand, while she pulled her other out, smashing it into the creature's face, stumbling back however from the momentum.

 

“Rei!”

 

The politician turned to see his daughter falling to the ground with some sort of black cloaked creature on top of her, holding her hands to the ground. Rei's transformation stick was thrown to the side the instant she had hit the creature's face, now struggling against its hold.

 

Lifting her knee, she kicked the creature up, and extending her leg, kicked it backward. She quickly rolled backward, her hands grasping the stick she had lost, while she reached into her back pocket, pulling out a soaking wet paper ofuda.

 

“Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen,” she chanted, charging up the simple piece of paper. The water suddenly splashing off the paper, once again straightening to the priestess' command. “Akuryou taisan!”

 

She wound her hand back, and threw the paper to the creature's hood-covered face. With an outstretched hand, it cut straight through the paper. Rei's eyes widened in surprise, her eyes moving to her transformation stick. Gritting her teeth, her eyes returned to the group that huddled together, her father already running toward her position. She couldn't put them in danger. She had no other choice.

 

The creature grinned, as its black hand started to move toward the male figure heading toward them. Rei's father was now lifted into the air, Rei's eyes turning in pure horror. With no time left and no other choice, Rei lifted her transformation stick up high.

 

“Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!”

 

The group watched in utter amazement, at first blinded by light, but witnessing the transformation nonetheless, Rei's own father looking down from where he floated. Even the creature stopped to investigate the girl's actions.

 

Rei threw her hand up, as each of her five nails flashed red, then wrapped firmly around the transformation stick. The star upon the stick glowed a red hue, as the emblem of Mars spun. Suddenly, flames shot out from the stick, completely surrounding Rei's form, engulfing her in flames. She lifted from the air, as she extended her other hand outward, the flames spiraling around her as her entire body lost its color, becoming a solid crystallized hue. The flames gained a solid form of several rings, surrounding the priestess. Starting at the girl's legs, her feet were put into a pair of red high heeled shoes, with her skin reaching up to the short red skirt, barely passing mid thigh.

 

A red bow tied itself firmly at her back, keeping her new uniform in place, with a white sleeveless top, red sailor sash around her neck reaching to the purple bow at her chest. Two white gloved hands spun around, one set to the side while she placed the other at her him, a trim upon the shoulders of her white shirt, as well as at the end of her gloves. Her hair parted aside, as the gold tiara around her forehead flashed the sign of mars, just as she landed to the ground. Rei Hino was now replaced with Sailor Mars.

 

“No way!”

 

Voices of shock quickly filled Mars' ears, but kept her eyes firmly locked upon the creature before her, who only grinned at her new transformed state. Taking quick action, Mar's held her hand downward, the sign of Mars appearing at her glove's palm. Instantaneously, fire erupted from her hands, turning into a solid form of red energy, stretched out into the shape of an arrow. She crouched down to take aim, with her other hand extended forward, while pulling back on the arrow, flames formed two arches in the shape of a bow, and aimed the arrow directly for the creature's face.

 

With great precision, she let go of the arrow at a ridiculously close range. Within less than a blink of an eye, the arrow tore through the creature's face, tearing straight through the cloak. As Mars stood from her crouched stance, she investigated the remains. Nothing but the cloak was left, floating in the wind. The eerie feeling never left her stomach, but the dark energy field surrounding them shattered like glass, resulting in cheers from all around.

 

Rei turned around, witnessing all the shocked expressions, especially that of her own father. Sitting on the ground, leaning on his elbows, he merely looked at his daughter as if she weren't even that. She tore her gaze from him, unable to take the look he was giving her, turning to the others to speak, but found she had suddenly lost her voice. What the hell was she supposed to say to these people?

 

`Hey, since I saved your lives and all, you think you can keep my identity a secret?'

 

She suddenly screamed, as electricity scorched through her body, making her back arch and her head tilt upward. Her eyes shut tightly, as the air was forced from her lungs in a pure pain filled cry. Black energy surrounded her like bolts of lightning, bringing her to her knees. Rei's father started toward her, but she quickly threw up her hand the moment she noticed.

 

“RUN!”

 

Most ran the moment she ordered them to, not having to be told twice. Rei's father, and surprisingly, Keishi Kuromatsu hesitated, looking to the girl that had just been brought to her knees in pain, with them unable to do anything but watch. A black creature immerged from across from them, its ghostly hand stretched outward, sending wave after wave of black energy surging through the senshi of fire's body. Mars turned her head just in time to see the creature grasp her throat, and lift her up into the air. The fire senshi gritted her teeth, barely able to keep an eye open as the pain continued to fill her body.

 

“How?”

 

The question seemed to come from all around her, and not from the creature. As if echoing through her mind. She shook her head, as her hands grasped the creature's black claws, attempting to pry her neck free. A fist was implanted into the girl's abdomen, knocking all air from her. The grip then tightened, making the girl's eyes widen. Her lung pleaded for air, her eyes watering as her body started to tremble under the lack of oxygen.

 

Suddenly, the creature let out a cry, the back of its leg suddenly giving as it fell backward, releasing Mars from the death grip, and ending the energy that swirled around the senshi. Mars looked up in shock to find Keishi dropping the log she had just struck the creature with, quickly stepping back, completely in shock over her own actions. Mars rolled back, forcing herself to a crouch position. She had to take this thing out, and she had to do it now.

 

Standing up, she threw both her hands out to the side, summoning for her planetary energy once again. She quickly brought her hands together, pointing both her index fingers outward in a gun-like position.

 

“Fire Soul!”

 

Red energy sparked from the tips of her fingers, growing in a spiral like movement in the form of a flame. The flame grew larger, and the red energy surrounding it exploded, just as the flame shot outward. The creature shifted its form to the side, as the spiraling flame connected to a tree. Instantly, the tree erupted into a fire, but sizzled under the heavy rains.

 

Rei rolled to the side, as the creature send a ball of black energy toward her, smashing into where she had just stood. She quickly brought her right arm upward, her forearm blocking a swift kick of the black creature's leg, attempting to completely take her head off. Staggering to the side, but still holding her footing, Mars lifted her own leg, tucking it as it lifted, then extending her heel fully into the creature's abdomen, her heel striking dead center.

 

“Mars Flame Sniper!”

 

As the creature staggered back, Mars once again pulled back the fully energized arrow, but quickly saw the attack, and dashed to the side just as the arrow smashed into a tree. With the flaming bow still in her hand, she ran after the creature, jumping up for another kick, only to have her leg be brushed aside by its arm, and its hand grasp her throat once again. Mars cursed for getting stuck in the same position twice in a fight, as the grip suddenly tightened around her already bruised neck.

 

Gritting her teeth, she quickly called forth another arrow, extending her hands straight in front of the creature.

 

“Mars…”

 

Her voice cracked out, as the energy started to fade. Determination settled in, as her eyebrows lowered in concentration, strengthening both the bow and arrow.

 

“Flame Sniper!”

 

She let go, and this time, the creature's head erupted in a red energy, releasing the fire senshi once again to the ground. Mars fell to her knees, leaning back panting heavily, watching as the creature grasped its head. It exploded in a red blast, turning its body into ashes.

 

Mars looked around, finding she was surrounded in complete darkness. Breathing heavily, she forced herself to stand, staggering a moment to gain her footing. She brought a trembling hand to her sore neck, bringing a dull pain with the slightest touch. She winced and pulled her hand away, then turned to the direction she had seen the others run off in. She quickly ran to catch up, hoping there weren't any more Youma ahead of them aside from the one she had just taken out.

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

Trees were lifted all around her, as she came into a clearing, the crash site of the plane. It seemed she had moved much faster than the others, for it seemed that just as Mars had gotten there, the others had just finished catching their own breaths. Either that, or they were terribly out of shape. What could you expect from a bunch of over weight politicians and lawyers? Mars couldn't believe she found herself laughing on the inside at the thought. Keishi and her father were sitting on a rock next to the plane, while the others continued to ask endless questions, not understanding what on Earth had just attacked them. With a final look over the area, and the eerie slightly lessening, Mars took the moment to de-transform, replacing Sailor Mars with Rei Hino once again.

 

“Has anyone checked the plane?” Keishi finally asked after she caught her breath, standing up from the rock as she started to walk toward it.

 

“Hell no!” one of the lawyers yelled. “I ain't going anywhere until I know what the hell that thing was!”

 

“What happened to that lady?” another man asked, turning to Mars as if she had the answer.

 

“And who the hell are you?” the first lawyer asked, turning to the senshi of fire. “What the hell was that thing?”

 

Rei shook her head, frowning.

 

“I don't know what it was,” she answered truthfully. The lawyer threw up his hands.

 

“Bullshit!” he yelled. “What the hell is going on here?!”

 

The man continued to scream and yell, until his face was slapped by the backside of Rei's hand, a firm frown placed upon her face. The man stopped instantly, placing a hand on his stinging cheek, in shock to what the girl had just done.

 

“I'm sorry,” Rei then said under the silence, as the rain continued to pour down upon them, lightening slightly since earlier. “I don't have any answers for you.”

 

“You don't have any answers for me? What kind of response-”

 

He was then silenced by the glare he received from the fire senshi. He mumbled a few choice words, before returning to the others. Rei turned toward the two that were last to leave, her father's head lowered, still apparently out of breath, and probably hadn't even noticed she had arrived. Keishi turned from her spot to view the senshi, holding a timid smile. She walked over, rubbing her arm slightly, as she looked into the eyes of Rei.

 

“So you're really Sailor Mars?”

 

Rei was hesitant to answer at first, but nodded her head. Keishi searched her eyes, and her smile grew, as she bowed her head.

 

“I never got to thank you.”

 

“Thank me?” Rei asked curiously. She dismissed it with a wave of her hand and a shake of her head. “I couldn't just stand there and-”

 

“I don't mean just now,” Keishi confessed. “It was a while ago. It was my day off, and I was in the park, reading on a bench when this… creature came out of nowhere. I remember seeing you first, coming up to try to save me, but I blacked out. I could never remember what had actually happened, but when I came to, I saw five Sailor Senshi gathered around me.”

 

Rei's memory sparked suddenly, remembering the encounter slightly.

 

“So,” Keishi smiled rather childishly. Almost like a child meeting their super hero for the first time. “I wanted to thank you, Sailor Mars.”

 

“You don't have to call me that,” Rei said with a blush, looking away. “I would actually prefer if you didn't.”

 

“Don't worry,” she said with a confident grin that placed her directly back in character. “Your secret's safe with me.”

 

Rei's eyes shifted toward the other politicians, which Keishi noticed immediately.

 

“I wouldn't worry about them either,” Keishi stated. “They maybe jerks, but they're very loyal to your father. They wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize himself or you.”

 

Rei smiled with a nod. Suddenly, one of the lawyers looked passed the two of them, his eyes widening.

 

“Kanna? It can't be…”

 

Rei's eyes moved toward where the man was looking, unable to see nothing but darkness.

 

“I can't believe it, it is you!”

 

The lawyer ran toward the image, his arms spread open. Rei's eyes squinted, then widened, throwing her arm out.

 

“NO!”

 

The man was gone in a flash, blinding the others who threw their arms and hands up to block the light. Rei's eyes adjusted finally, looking about in attempts to find the man.

 

“He's gone,” Keishi gasped, looking around to find no remains of the man.

 

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?”

 

Rei turned her head yet again to one of the lawyers falling off part of the plane, staggering back as he crawled away, his skin pale. Keishi ran over to the man, wondering what could have troubled him so. Rei turned back just in time to see another creature, similar to the one before, heading toward them, floating with its shadow-like cloak barely touching the ground.

 

“Everyone, inside the plane!” Rei quickly ordered, as she reached for her pockets.

 

“Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!”

 

Once again, the flames surrounded Rei Hino, dimming to bring a battle weary Sailor Mars out, with twin ofudas in each hand.

 

`Will this night ever end?!'

 

“Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen. Akuryou taisan!”

 

She charged two of them, and threw them to the creature. Stupidly enough, and much to the Fire Senshi's relief, the creature froze as they stuck to its forehead, stopping it dead in its tracks. It twitched slightly, and Mars threw the remaining two at its chest, before throwing her arms outward, bringing them back in after gathering her energy.

 

“Fire Soul!”

 

From her fingertips, the spiraling flame shot out to the creature's chest, which could do nothing but be engulfed the flames. Turning to dust, Mars quickly looked around the area one last time, before looking back to the plane.

 

She quickly ran up to the broken entrance of the plane, her stomach turning instantly at the view. On the floor, a stewardess was lying in a pool of her own blood, making Mars nearly fall, her heels sliding against the thick liquid. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she placed her hands upon either sides of the wall, keeping her balance and moving forward, into the hallway of the plane.

 

“Hello?”

 

She got no response. Nothing but utter silence. Dead silence. Rei's heart started to beat faster, pounding in her mind as she forced herself into the walkway of the private plane, her eyes moving toward some of the passengers of the plane, still inside their seats. Why weren't they thrown from the plane like everyone else? Where was everyone else?

 

Rei's breathing hastened, as she started to walk down the hallway, familiar faces greeting her along the way. Her hues caught instantly upon the lady that had been taken earlier in the night, widening her eyes, moving closer to the girl to make sure.

 

“What the hell?”

 

She turned around, seeing the same group of lawyers that had just walked into the plane, but all strapped to the seats, and looking near death.

 

“What the hell is going on here?”

 

Mars turned toward the back of the plane, where she had been sitting with her father. Dread hit her in the chest, as the shadows showed the silhouette of a figure in the seat where her father had been seated. Slowly making her way closer, she extended her hand, squinting her eyes the closer she got.

 

It was her father.

 

Strapped in his seat, his head hung low. As she moved toward hi m, she noticed a figure lying on the floor. Positioning herself toward the seats, she glanced down toward the figure, kneeling down to investigate. Her eyes widened in pure shock, as she saw what she would deem completely impossible.

 

“How…”

 

Mars instantly tore her eyes from the scene, turning to come face to face with a flash of white light.

 

Raven black hair reaching down her back, soft lavender eyes and a warm smile. The tall figure that stood before her extended her hand outward.

 

Mars froze.

 

Her lips parted, but found she couldn't speak. She also found she had been holding her breath, turning back to the image of herself, lying in a pool of blood on the floor. Her eyes turned back to the image of her mother, tears streaming down her cheeks.

 

“Rei…”

 

“Rei… you don't belong here…”

 

Mars sobbed. Her legs felt like rubber, her white gloved hands gripping the seats on both sides of her to keep herself standing. Her legs finally gave, as she fell into a crouch position, unable to look back up to the woman. Was she dead? Was this her mother, taking her from this life?

 

Mars cried, as her head fell. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave everyone behind.

 

“I don't want to go,” Mars barely whispered, finally looking back up with tear filled eyes.

 

“But you must, my child,” the woman said with a look of regret. “It is your time.”

 

“I can't,” Mars shook her head.

 

“You will…”

 

Mars looked to the seriousness in her mother's eyes, unable to pull away from her gaze. Her legs lifted on their own will, a smile suddenly forced upon her face.

 

“Alright, mother,” Mars smiled, as the tears continued to pour.

 

`No!'

 

“I'll go with you…”

 

`Don't do it!'

 

“You're right…”

 

`Don't listen to her!'

 

“I don't belong here…”

 

`Don't go near her!'

 

Voices continued to travel through her mind, before she realized she had walked right up to the woman, her own hand mere inches from her mother's. As Mars' eyes traveled back to her mother's, she saw them flicker. With her own eyes widening, the voices became clear. Filled with rage and tears, Mars pulled flicked her wrist, pulling her other hand back, a beam of red energy turning into an arrow, as flames surrounded her other hand.

 

“Rei… what are you doing?”

 

“I don't want to go,” Rei cried out, trembling as she held the tip of the energized arrow at her mother's neck. “I'm not supposed to go yet. I have a duty to fulfill, a future to protect.”

 

“No, Rei, you are wrong. Your time is now.”

 

`No it's not!'

 

“No it's not!” Mars repeated the words that filled her mind.

 

`You have a destiny, Rei.'

 

“I have a destiny,” Mars choked out, finding it harder and harder to keep her aim upon the woman before her.

 

“Your destiny is to die, Rei Hino.”

 

Mars let go of the arrow, tearing through the chest of the woman. The image shattered, as the creature was knocked across the plane, turning into dust before it could even land. Mars sank to her knees, in uncontrollable sobs.

 

“How dare you…” Mars mumbled to the shadows. Her hands went to her eyes, as she brushed the tears away. Turning back, she crawled over to her father, then to the figure lying on the floor. The tears continued to fall, extending a trembling hand toward it.

 

“Mom…”

 

The instant she touched the figure, she found she could not retract her hand, as if it were pulling her in. Everything then turned white.

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

“Mom…”

 

Time suddenly sped up, as pain filled Rei's mind. Her entire body filled with a pain like no other, her head unable to comprehend a single thought process. She felt a hand caress her cheek, and realized her lungs were pleading desperately for air. Parting her dry lips, she forced her chest to rise, gathering the air she needed, trying not to think of the sharp pain in her chest, most likely caused by a cracked rib.

 

She attempted to stand, but couldn't feel her legs. She knew they were twisted in some way, feeling them under her back somehow. She lifted her eye lids open, instantly feeling a wave of dizziness hit her, as well as a strange sensation of utopia. Feeling out her limbs, she pulled one arm out, but it merely moved along a thick liquid she seemed to be lying in. She felt something be placed over her, a blanket-like material.

 

“Hang in their, Rei.”

 

Haruka?

 

Rei felt too tired to think, her mind lost in a sea of thoughts. Darkness seemed suddenly comforting, as she breathed out once again, wincing at the pain. Sirens filled her ears, and suddenly, she felt at peace.

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

Author's Notes: I hope this chapter makes up for all the non-updating-ness! Sixteen pages ain't that bad, neh? Well, hope you guys liked the little flash back scene there! ^_^ Thanks for the reviews, and hope you stay with the story. Ja ne!