Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Hearts of Swords ❯ Chapter XII - Revelations ( Chapter 12 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

* * * R E C A P * * *

In her mind, she could hear the disembodies voices of those long dead or gone
from her life. Reverberating and rippling like waves. Her inner peace was
broken, the sanctum of her mind horribly defaced by the demons that haunted her
and wanted to kill her.

'Worthless, utterly useless!'

'You whore!'

'You don't deserve to live!'

She desperately wanted to scream, to repel the voices that pushed against her,
made her feel claustrophobic and terrified. She felt as if she was ten years
old again. The rejection that had been thrown into her face, the taunts and the
abuse she received.

Nothing was real for her anymore. She was alone in the world, and she would
remain alone for the rest of her miserable, futile existence. Cold, silent
tears streamed down her face. She was alone tonight in her room and it would
most likely stay this way for a long time.

Her love, so unattainable and immortal, yet so real and so warm. Usagi was a
beacon of light midst a world of darkness, offering a fragile hope to those who
did not remember how to hope. She resembled what society had so cruelly erased
from their lives. Peace.

But she wanted to be with her, to soothe away the nightmares and to be the one
who picked up the broken pieces of a girl long dead. Her heart ached as she
desperately tried to close her emotions away, but she found that she could not.
She loved too deeply, felt too strongly to ever deny what they had shared for
such a short time.

Love. Such a simple word conveying a message so deep and complex in its sheer
simplicity. Utter devotion, trust and vulnerability; symbolized in a single
word. But their love...was it truly love?

Safety, comfort and passion was shared between them, a charge of sensuous lust
and dark urges sparked between them, but could that be called 'love'? They were
not devoted to each other, could not afford to be vulnerable or to trust. In
these times of strife and chaos, everyone was an enemy.

"If what we share is not love nor lust, then what is it?" she asked the empty
room.

"I say I love her. I can devote myself to her if I must, but to be vulnerable
means to risk being hurt. I can't...I *won't* take that risk. I trust her, but
I still can't be vulnerable. *She* can't be vulnerable, she can't trust and she
can't be devoted. Ever. So what does that make us?"

If someone could have answered, they could not.

Simply because these questions *had* no answers.

Hino Rei cried herself to sleep that night, wondering where her lost lover was
and why she was damned to suffer...

...why she was damned to be betrayed.

* * * * *

And over the horizon on that dark night, a shadowmare rode through the plains,
the course clear and unobstructed, motives plain and simple.

Mizuno Ami would complete her mission.

Hino Rei would regret that she became involved in this web of lies, sin, blood
and betrayal.

*She* would make sure of it.


* * END CHAPTER XI * *

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H E A R T S O F S W O R D S

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"Would you make a sacrifice
if you knew if it were right?
Well the answers' there, if you look inside
Will you run and hide?
Or will you fight the fight..."

Chapter XII - Revelations
[Sengoku Period, 1512]


The chill of December had finally settled in and she relished it. The biting
cold seeped into her pale skin, cruelly reminding her of her still living,
breathing state. Not a single tear was shed, she had lost that ability long ago
when she had first tasted the bitter blood of the dead.

No, she promised herself that she would no longer cry. Tears were for those who
deserved them and those who had the strength to shed them. She was neither
strong nor deserving.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Tsukino-san," a cultured voice said softly.

Mamoru.

"Ohayo Chiba-sama." She answered in her most neutral voice.

A brief silence encompassed them. No words were traded, the tension too thick
and pain all too consuming. Betrayal, pain, desire, lust, sorrow and anger
sparked between them, the last remnants of the chain of events that had slowly
destroyed her; the shell of a girl left in its wake was the only evidence of
her existence.

"Your skills have vastly improved since I met you last," he murmured.

"I've had plenty of practice." Usagi answered distantly. "After all, most of
them were *your* men."

"General Furuhata was one of those who died by your blade, Tsukino-san. Do you
feel no remorse?" he asked.

"Wasting remorse for the dead is a pointless gesture," she answered. "Besides,
why would *I* feel remorse when *you* feel *nothing* at all?"

He bristled at the veiled insult and contempt. Barely restraining his temper,
he answered in an icy tone. "You don't understand me at all, Tsukino-san."

Suddenly, he felt as if he was suffocating and pinned helplessly to a wall as
her blazing blue eyes met his. Her gaze was full of malice and unfathomable
sorrow. The intense cerulean surrounded by such deceptive innocence made his
breath hitch and he could feel her again. The hot, pulsating slickness of her
passage and her impassioned moans...

"You don't *know* me at all, Chiba-sama," she retorted coldly.

With that rejoinder, she took her leave from him. The shoji slid smoothly shut
behind the trailing azure of her kimono. He snarled in rage before he strode
after her.

Just as it always had been.

* * * * *

He stood silently before his superior, the dark armour he wore was nothing
short of intimidating. Even if he was twenty-one years old, he couldn't help
but feel as if he was only ten years old in front of this man.

"It seems that it was wise to place you as the okashira of the Fukushima clan,
but you are weak. That *girl* is your weakness, and I don't like my children
being weak. *EVER*. You will kill her, get rid of her, whatever. Mark my words
Chiba Mamoru, *SHE CANNOT LIVE*. You are strong, she is weak. Kill her."

"My Lord, surely there must be another way..."

"Are you questioning my will, Mamoru?" the booming voice queried.

"Iie. It's just that...her skills are far superior than many of our forces.
Perhaps with a bit of persuasion, she too can be turned like Mizuno had been,"
Mamoru suggested demurely.

Silence echoed through the room, the owner of the voice seemingly contemplating
the suggestion. "As much as her skills are...enviable, she cannot stay alive.
She will hinder my plans. You will eliminate her, Mamoru. No quarter."

He had taken a gamble and lost. He bowed his head in acknowledgement and
reluctant submission. "Of course, my Lord."

Without sparing a glance back, he strode out of the dark room. His steps echoed
through the short hallway but he paid it no heed. He had gambled for a life
that he desperately wanted to save but lost the game and would soon lose that
life.

Oddly, it wasn't *her* life that he gambled with.

It was his own.

Treachery after treachery, betrayal after betrayal and abandonment after
abandonment piled upon him until he was left with nothing but the memories of
what was and fantasies of what could have been. All he was left with were faint
remembrances of what was, the endless taunts of what could have been and the
cruel reminder of what would be.

But perhaps...he could still save himself from this web of deceit and darkness
that he and Fate had weaved together. Perhaps he could still find salvation or
redemption somewhere from someone. It didn't matter who, he just needed
*someone* to absolve him.

And he hoped to God that He would have mercy on his soul because none would
have mercy on him.

Ever.

* * * * *

Nothing short of "intense" could describe the diamond jewels that Usagi's eyes
had suddenly become. They were the eyes of those who did not live, "dead eyes"
as various commoners called it, the lifeless quality of the eyes that belong to
the dead. It was not a gaze that one wanted to be trapped in, for the eyes
could send a man screaming for the hills.

She stalked down the hallway, the various housestaff cringing and trembling
under her gaze. She paid them no heed, she needed to get out of this stifling
atmosphere. Making her way outside, Usagi found herself standing at the
entrance of the mansion's garden.

The biting cold bit into her skin as she stared at the gardens. More memories
of a past that she had desperately wished to stay dead, arose and trapped her
in its unrelenting, iron grip. Moments of utter peace, longing and passion that
she had shared within the confines of the garden flashed before her.

"I thought I would find you here," a soft voice said fondly.

Usagi did not have to turn around to identify the owner of that voice. "Ohayo
Aino-dono."

Aino Minako could only stare silently at the suffix attached to her name. So.
"Ohayo, Tsukino-san."

Both blondes stood in silence. The morning was cold, their breaths coming in
small puffs which dissipated as soon as it hit the frigid air. The barest sound
trickled from Usagi's lips. "Koishigaru..."

Minako looked at the younger girl in surprise. The morose passion in her voice
stirred sympathy and longing within her for her own lover. Sky blue eyes
watched as the young samurai stood in silence.

"Why are you here Aino-dono? You have no business with me." Usagi stated in a
soft voice, "as I have no business with you."

Tense silence lapsed between them, Usagi's indifference clashing against the
frustration and anger emanating from Minako. The older blond could not
understand Usagi's behaviour, her mannerisms. Polite, quiet and graceful to a
fault, and yet so indifferent and callous that people could not get close to
her at all. She seemed so open and inviting but once through the door, there
was no other way to go but the only way; the entrance.

"I only came to speak with you," Minako answered quietly. "To make amends for
what should not have happened."

Usagi turned sharply on her heel, eyes blazing with fury and resentment. The
audacity of this woman to believe...

"Amends? Amends for *what* Minako?" Usagi snarled. "Amends for your lies, your
seduction of a vulnerable Ami and me?! There can be no *amends*. You and your
treachery can burn in *Hell*!"

Sky blue eyes narrowed as she answered just as viciously, "Better burning in
Hell than a walking corpse without a chance of redemption in the world!"

The katana's honed blade sang as it was smoothly and quickly pulled out from
its saya and pressed dangerously close to the geisha's neck. Minako's eyes
widened in surprise and fear. Within the stormy Prussian gaze a storm raged,
seeking freedom to bring vengeance. The turbulent emotions made her unstable
and quick to anger.

It was the most dangerous time to provoke a swordsman; during their anger. To
do such a deed was to invite death to yourself and those around you.

"I *know* I will die with my sins. But you, you willingly whored yourself and
seduced others into your nest of vipers and venom. I'd rather stay a living
corpse with a *PURPOSE* rather than to stoop to the likes of you!" Usagi hissed
darkly.

"Then die with your sins," Minako spat. "See if anyone will care."

With that parting shot, the blond geisha whirled around and walked away. She
failed to notice the small trill of blood running down her neck, staining the
amber kimono to a dark orange. A single drop of blood fell from the point of
the katana but Usagi paid it no heed. What was blood more or less upon her
tainted soul? It was not as if Minako was an innocent.

Just as another chilly breeze swept through her small body, she turned and made
her way back to the large mansion.

"I wonder...does she ever get tired of stalking me?" Usagi queried to the empty
air.

* * * * *

Dismounting with a smooth, fluid movement, she strode through the crowded
streets. The familiar smell of various foods and herbs made for a pleasant
atmosphere but it would not last.

She had a goal in mind and she would go great lengths to accomplish it. She had
to do this. There were no other options. This was for her freedom, for her only
chance at being free from the chains that the Fukushima had tied and trapped
her in.

She also did this for Makoto.

Gentle Makoto, the only one who understood her. Despite her blood-stained and
painful past, Makoto had accepted her without any hesitation. The brunette was
probably the only one who still had family alive, her mother's brother in
Kobe.

It did not matter to her whether Kyoto stayed standing or not. It would soon be
burned to ashes anyway. She held no memories of Kyoto and she would rather see
it burn rather than stay in it a minute longer.

A good twenty minutes later, she found herself standing in front of the very
same house. The house in which Usagi lived in, the house in which she would
destroy.

But this did not matter to her.

She was Mizuno Ami, Chiba Mamoru's champion general, only second to the late
Furuhata Motoki.

And she did not fail.

* * * * *

Haruka stayed silent in the tree, watching the stranger. It was a rare thing
for a regular person to find their hovel. It was an abandoned home to all the
villagers in Kyoto and none rarely looked this way. However, she had seen this
woman walk here with a purpose. That meant that she was the one that they were
waiting for.

Silently, she jumped out and pulled out her kodachi from her sleeve and held it
against the stranger's neck. "You have exactly *ONE* minute to explain yourself
and leave."

"You're the first person since Matokori-san to surprise me," the stranger
answered. "I congratulate you."

"Shut the fuck up! Now *TALK*!" Haruka hissed.

The woman nodded. "Very well. My name is Mizuno Ami. I'm a general for the
Fukushima clan. I'm here to collect Hino Rei."

"Why? What do you want with Rei?"

"She is our key to controlling Matokori...iiya, *Tsukino*-san," Ami answered.

Jade eyes widened in surprise and horror. Control. They were trying to control
Usagi? Why? The Fukushima clan was known for their notoriety and their young
"okashira" who led the most fiersome band of samurai: The Red Tigers. Haruka
wanted to know why Usagi was pursued by the Fukushimas.

"Why do you want to control her, and who this is "Matokori" person?"

Ami sighed. "The business of our okashira is not yours to know. Matokori was
the name that *I* knew her as. You know her by her real name, her family name
Tsukino. Matokori Wataru was Tsukino-san's koshu or a shifu. Her last shishou
was Shikanoji Machisu."

'More bits and pieces of Usagi's life comes into the puzzle...' Haruka thought
idly.

"You *won't* take Rei and use her, you hear me?" Haruka spat darkly. "Rei wants
*nothing* to do with Usagi!"

A sharp, bitter laugh reached Haruka's ears and she pressed the blade of her
kodachi closer to Ami's jugular artery while keeping a hand against the kashira
of the younger woman's katana. "You truly don't know Tsukino-san. Once someone
becomes ensnared by that girl, they are trapped for life loving that girl. It's
a cruel fate, but not unwelcomed."

This provided a sufficient distraction for Ami to immediately ram her elbow
into the taller woman's stomach, deliver a crushing upper-cut and finally spin
on one heel to strike Haruka's cheek with the back of her left fist. Haruka
went down with a surprised grunt.

"You won't stand in the way of my mission. Nobody will." Ami declared with a
tone of finality and absolute truth.

She turned her back to the fallen woman and strode towards the house. She could
hear the faint voice of her attacker but opened the door. Standing there was
Makoto and another woman, staring at her in surprise. A look of recognition and
anger entered Makoto's eyes and the brunette narrowed her eyes at her.

"Ami."

* * * * *

He sat shrouded in shadows, contemplating this surprise. It seemed that his
influence over Mamoru was slowly fading away. And all because of *THAT STUPID
BITCH*!!!

Everything, all of his plans, connections and family members and even his own
being corrupted or destroyed by *HER*! He couldn't understand! How had she
escaped the Estate, let alone survive for two years while being the target of a
massive manhunt?! *HOW*?!

Mamoru, Minako, Ami, Motoki...all of his champions were being drawn back into
the web of sensuality and deceit that *SHE* weaved with a lethal beauty and
grace. Had his rage not blinded him, he would surely be a fatality of that...
that *WHORE*.

And his sister...dear sister. 'Well, *half*-sister,' he corrected himself. She
was thought to be dead by all of the villagers, her house having been burnt to
the ground by Mamoru himself. How he had laughed in triumph as he had seen the
face of his supposed father begging for mercy! The blood had been so *warm*
when he had ripped the pathetic man open by the tip of his katana.

But his katana was special. It was not a regular katana.

It was what several people called a "sakabatou", meaning a reverse-edged sword.
The edge of *his* sword was on the mune. He had named it "Ikigami" and with a
good reason. Every single person who had fallen by his sword had only breathed
one word before their death. God. He *was* God. So "Ikigami" had been a perfect
name for a perfect sword.

Because of its design, the sakabatou was difficult to use. But by carefully
practicing his kenjutsu with the sakaba, he had mastered his skills using the
sakaba. None had ever been able to touch him with their katanas because his
sword had already killed them before they even had a chance to draw. *SHE* too,
would share that same fate soon.

His half-sister Tsukino Usagi would die. He would kill her, because she had
corrupted everyone. She was a living, walking, breathing *PLAGUE* that needed
to be eradicated from existence. And he would be the exterminator of the plague
that defiled the land it walked on.

"Even her name...her name is like a curse; vile and distasteful. *SHE* or *IT*
would be a better reference. Her name shall never pass my lips ever again." He
vowed bitterly and angrily.

With that, he stood up and made his way into his quarters, a young man waiting
for his presence. "Zoicite, have Kunzite fetch Nephrite and Mamoru."

"Yes my Lord," the young man murmurs obediently.

The boy known as Zoicite left the room and he was left to his thoughts. But he
knew that there was nothing else for him to do but to think idly. He was a
powerful man, having once been a samurai himself. He was Ryuujin Jadeite, and
he would *ANNIHILATE* Tsukino Usagi, his half-sister.

Because the Tsukino family deserved to die.

* * * * *

Setsuna looked from the strange girl to Makoto and back. Then, an image of the
past came into place and she too felt the anger boiling in her veins. Mizuno
Ami, Minako's lover.

"Hello Makoto...Meioh-san," Ami murmured softly.

"You dare intrude upon our property?" Makoto seethed.

"I'm only here to see Rei, Makoto." the blue haired woman answered.

"To do what? Break her heart like you did with mine? Oh no, wait, *USAGI*
already did that. So what are you here for, to manipulate her and use her for
God-knows-what kind of horrible plans?!" Makoto spat darkly. "You betrayed me,
watched my family be slaughtered like animals and torched my home to the
ground! At least Usagi saved *lives*."

Ami's eyes narrowed as she hissed hatefully, "Usagi is a destroyer of lives!"

"You're a destroyer of hearts," Makoto answered in a furious, cold voice. "I
*loved* you, but you pushed me away and ran to that geisha's arms as soon as
you found out that Usagi was finally out of the picture!"

"Usagi abandoned me at the hands of Chiba Mamoru and fled like a coward!" Ami
yelled angrily.

Setsuna watched the exchange with a stoic silence. She had been connected in a
way to Kamakura through Minako, but had never fully heard the proceedings of
what truly happened on that fateful night. If what Ami spoke was the truth,
then that would mean that she probably missed Usagi by a fortnight. More pieces
of the convoluted puzzle that was Usagi's past came to revelation.

"I agree that what Usagi did by leaving Rei was unduly harsh, but she has a
reason to do this. I have faith in Usagi that she will uphold her promise, but
I cannot say the same for you, *Mizuno-san*. You've used me once and I won't
make that same mistake twice." Makoto said with harsh finality. "I have more
faith in Usagi than I ever had in you, traitor!"

Cerulean blue clashed with mahogany brown eyes, trying to glare each other into
submission. Setsuna's crimson eyes watched them both, taking in their features.
Makoto was tall and lanky, but with hidden muscles and strength beneath her
feminine exterior. Ami's form was more slender and like Makoto, her quiet
strength was clearly evident in the way she wielded the katana, and the saya
that was visible against her waist.

Haruka's growling voice startled both of them out of their contest. "You should
leave, Mizuno-san."

"I do not leave until I collect Rei. It is the will of my okashira, and nobody
stops me from completing my mission," the blue haired woman stated quietly.

Before anyone could utter a response, Ami executed a perfect step-roundhouse
kick to Makoto's head, knocking out the younger cold. She then ran into the
hall and into Rei's room. The ebony haired girl looked up in surprise, tears
trailing down on her face. Ami did not take notice of this, only slashed at a
specific pressure point, knocking her unconscious. She then gathered the girl
into her arms and charged through the shoji and into the streets.

Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru barged into the room to find a gaping hole in the
screen partition and no sign of Rei.

She was gone.

"FUCK!" Haruka snarled in rage.

Crimson eyes snapped hatefully and deeped to an unholy blood red as Setsuna
spun sharply on her heel and strode purposefully down the hall. Michiru soon
followed and queried the older woman about her destination. To that, Setsuna
answered, "Kamakura. It's time I finally settle the score with Minako, once and
for all."

* * * * *

The four men were gathered in a large, secluded room, dressed in ornate,
ceremonial kimonos. Their leader sat in his seat; it was a private meeting
between the five of them, which excluded Minako. As much as she held
influence over a large number of men, she was not a part of the 'Inner Circle'
as they called it.

"What are we going to do with *her*?" Kunzite queried his leader.

"The men remember her, they know of her strength," Nephrite reminded them. "It
would be unwise to publicly tell them of her...treachery. It would decrease
morale even further and many might challenge us. It would be counter productive
at this time."

Zoicite nodded in agreement. "I have one of the Generals fetching our...key.
Ami is due back in a week."

Jadeite nodded thoughtfully. "I see your point Nephrite, and we won't reveal
her treachery as of yet. But however...I do have a way of controlling both the
key and *HER*."

"How?"

A cold, cruel smirk graced the man's thin lips as his emerald green eyes
sparked dangerously. "Tomoe Hotaru."

"Tomoe?" Zoicite murmured questioningly.

"Hino Kenishi's sister. Tomoe Hotaru is Tomoe Reika's daughter, her *only*
daughter," Jadeite replied maliciously. "And Rei's only living relative left."

Nephrite, Kunzite and Zoicite sat silently, digesting the news. It was a very
risky gamble that their leader was taking; using the Tomoe family to control an
already unwilling girl. But they did not question his orders, to do so was to
invite death. Jadeite was a very harsh taskmaster and none dared defy his will.

All they could do was nod in acknowledgement and acquiesence before excusing
themselves from his presence. Only Kunzite remained. "Your half-sister has
become a very strong force, worthy of recognition."

Jadeite scowled. "*Get* to the point Kunzite."

Kunzite smirked. "There is no point, just a fair warning that perhaps your...
*imouto* won't be so easy to control after all."

The blond man stood and grabbed him by the collar of his robe, eyes darkening
with anger. "And who are *YOU* to make such assumptions?!"

Calmly, the white-haired man pointed to the open window across the room. The
blond released his companion before striding to the window to observe. What he
saw angered him.

Beneath, he watched as *SHE* faced the sword of his underling Mamoru, who was
most likely seething in rage.

*SHE* was winning.

Mamoru was being forced back into a defensive position as her relentless attack
came at him with maximum power and speed. She was indeed very strong and very
dangerous. However, Mamoru finally found a break in her stance but was rudely
surprised when she countered his deadly slash by swinging the katana hilt first
with the flat side of the katana, and then followed up the counter strike with
a vicious stab.

He sucked in his breath as Mamoru narrowly avoided being skewered on the end of
her katana. He watched with baited breath as the two danced their dance of
death, parrying and countering each deadly swing and stab of the katana. It was
entrancing to watch, hypnotic and powerful.

But he knew that Mamoru couldn't win.

The younger man did not have the heart to kill *HER*. She had ensnared him in
her web and he was trapped forever, loving her when she truly did not love him
back. Chiba Mamoru was cursed, destined to live a life tasting the bitter taste
of unrequited love.

A cold breeze swept through the room, reminding them all the fury of Mother
Nature in the cold months of the winter. He closed the window and made his way
back to where Kunzite was standing, but the man was gone. Alone with his
thoughts and this new development, he was left to his silent brooding. But the
sound of the battle below tickled at his mind.

Just like the screams of the dead shrieking in the wind.

* * * * *

His eyes were blazing with fury as he countered what very well could have been
his demise: a vicious slash that would have cleaved him down the middle of his
body. All he could see, hear and feel was the battle that raged between them,
and her figure. Her smooth, fluid movements deadly like the venom of a snake,
but seductive like a temptress.

It was impossible to not feel the sensuality that she exuded. She was beautiful
and unearthly, cold and hard as diamond but fragile and beautiful as crystal.
Her usually impassive azure gaze would melt to a pale blue during moments of
peace and darken to an angry Prussian when the darker thoughts and emotions
dominated her mind. Right now, they were that hypnotic and terrifying Prussian,
promising pain or death.

They circled once more, examining each other's stances for weaknesses when
unexpectedly, Usagi lunged at him. He quickly brought up his blade to counter
the attack, but she suddenly ducked underneath his swing. She shifted her grip
on the hilt and brought up the blade at an unexpected position while spinning.
He desperately tried to block it, but not before her blade had sliced through
his chainmail armour.

Mamoru hit the ground flat on his back, staring dazedly at the grey winter sky,
breaths heaving from his lungs. She looked down at him, her eyes azure once
more. Unconsciously, he released a breath and stood up, two pieces of his once
armour lying scattered next to him.

"It seems you've bested me," he murmured quietly.

"You've become lax, Chiba-sama," she answered. "Perhaps you should join your
men out in the...skirmishes more often."

He growled at the veiled insult and contempt but stood up anyway, dusting his
clothes. She absently flicked the blade to her side; chiburi. If they had truly
fought, she would not have drawn back at the last second. The blade would have
cut easily through his flesh, muscle and bone, his blood would have spilled
over the ground underneath them. Usagi calmly sheathed her katana in its saya
before walking away. He was left to pick up the pieces of his armour as she
walked away.

Just like he had to pick up the pieces of his broken heart when she had escaped
two years ago.

But he shook the idle thoughts from his mind, this was no time to become
distracted from his path. He had only a little ways to go before he could truly
rest in peace, and repent for his sins. He had ruined countless lives and he
could only let their dying screams and pleas haunt him until he rotted in his
own grave.

Could...*was* there a chance for salvation left? Could *anyone* forgive him and
wash away the blood that marred him?

...Could anyone love him?

* * * * *

The first thing that greeted her blurry, pained vision was the dark sky of the
night. Where was she? What happened? She abruptly sat up to find her hands
tightly bound and sitting next to a fire. She turned to find a familiar woman
sitting by the fire as well.

"So, you're finally awake," the woman murmured.

"Where am I Mizuno-san, and *what* do you want with me?!" Rei demanded.

Ami chuckled mirthlessly. "You're well away from Kyoto, that's for sure. You're
on the main path to Kamakura. Your...*presence* is demanded by my okashira."

Rei looked at her with incredulous eyes. "Why *me*? I don't even know your...
*okashira*!"

Blue eyes could not meet fiery amethyst; Ami let her gaze drift to the cheerful
fire, crackling rhythmically in the cool night. Her turbulent emotions within
could not give her the breath to answer the question. How could she answer
without giving away her okashira's true motives? 'I cannot answer' Ami thought
firmly. 'It is best if she does not know.'

"You will find out soon enough," Ami answered shortly. "Sleep, you will need it
for this journey."

However, Rei had already made her deduction. "It's about Usagi, isn't it. It's
something that has to do with her. You wouldn't come after me unless it was her
or Makoto."

Ami flinched imperceptibly; the girl was astute. Even with the barest hint of
evidence, she had already deduced the scenario. If only she had been so adroit
two years ago...

"How old are you?" Ami queried quietly.

"Sixteen."

'So young...' the blue haired woman thought painfully. 'To become involved in
this convoluted, *TWISTED* nightmare...how I pity her.'

"You should *never* have gotten involved with her, girl," Ami murmured, her
voice dripping with profound melancholy. "She's too dangerous, too tainted...
and yet, too *DAMN*..."

"...pure..." they whispered in unison.

They were different as night and day, Usagi and Rei; cold, stoic and unyielding
Usagi. Warm, passionate and devout Rei. Two opposite poles drawn together by
love. They were star-crossed lovers: destined to be apart even as they yearn
for each other's embrace. They would forever be enslaved by each other's hearts
even though their bodies were enslaved by another party.

How utterly...tragic.

But she could not dwell or spare sympathy for such souls as these. Usagi was on
the brink of death, Rei on the brink of madness and herself on the brink of
betrayal. Nothing but pain surrounded all of those involved with the one known
as Tsukino Usagi. It was all they knew, ruined childhoods and lives. Forever
left bereft of any normalcy, all they would know is pain and isolation.

Such was their curse.

She was Mizuno Ami. Dead parents, dead family, a warrior enslaved by the clan
that was the antithesis of her beliefs.

Hino Rei. Dead parents, dead brother, a girl ravaged and left abandoned for the
vultures to claim.

Kino Makoto. Dead parents, dead sister, knowing nothing but betrayal and still
loving nonetheless.

And...Aino Minako. A geisha. Deceptor, manipulator, temptress, lover and a
woman destined to lead. Minako, in a sense, *was* dead. She possessed the same
"dead eyes" as Usagi, the eyes of those who had seen too much and done too much
to ever be normal again. Scarred mentally, physically and emotionally for life,
they were the only ones left to break.

Her cerulean blue eyes drifted to their surroundings. It was an open clearing,
the dry grass crunching underneath each movement and providing fuel for their
fire. The trees were bare and gaunt, the wind biting and nipping at them. It
was a very desolate place to camp. Rarely would men come out in this weather to
seek trouble. It was not worth it.

The perfect place to set up a camp for the night. Not an intruder within miles
of this clearing, surrounded by the gaunt forest around it. It was a natural
death trap.

"Mizuno-san...did you know Usagi well?" Rei queried, bringing the older girl
away from her reverie.

"Yes. I knew her very well. She was my friend, my confidant, and my lover for a
short time," Ami replied. "Passionate, tender and trusting. She was so vibrant
before. But now...now only a dead corpse walks in her place, wearing her face.
That doppelganger will die soon."

Rei could only stare silently at the fire to the response.

* * * * *

Usagi strode into her room, placing the katana gently next to the door. She
changed into her kimono, having slightly damaged her gi from the spar. It could
easily be repaired tomorrow, she mused.

The fabric slid smoothly against her skin as she fastidiously and swiftly
donned the cloth. The rich kimono was blue this time, the pink of the cherry
blossoms printed on it contrasting and accentuating her skin and eyes. This was
a far cry from the picture of death she had painted just a few minutes ago.
This sensuous goddess that she was was not Tsukino Usagi. She was playing the
role of a long dead girl, Matokori Usagi, a girl whose innocent ambition had
all but left her.

Her lips lifted into a easily practiced smile full of seduction, false light
and cheer. This was the smile that she knew how to smile; to hide the darkness
within. She stepped lightly out of her room and sedately walked down the
hallway to make her way to the main room.

She was not expecting the company that stood there.

And for the first time, she dropped her facade to show real surprise.

"...Kunzite?"

The white haired man turned to face her, his handsome face stoic and neutral.
And more memories surfaced unbidden as she remembered him and his colleagues,
Zoicite and Nephrite. The three of them had been one of the ones who had been
responsible for many of her nightmares.

"Hello Usagi." Kunzite greeted formally.

* * * * *

Setsuna's hair flew behind her as she rode the brown mare through the plains,
knowing the path to Kamakura would directly lead her to Ami, Rei and Minako. It
had been two years since she had last trodden this path. It was as if she was
walking down memory lane, each step bringing her closer to her greatest fear.

"Mark my words Aino Minako. You *won't* hurt them. Not while I'm still alive,"
she vowed coldly.

"It's time I show you just what the Ukita clan stands for."

------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------
E N D C H A P T E R X I I
------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------

Author's Notes:

Remember I said last chapter that that would be the last twist? I lied. ^^ I
lied pretty damn horribly, lol. :) Well, lookie here, more pieces of the puzzle
are being revealed. That's why I called this chapter "Revelation". It's when
*everything* will begin. Mamoru and Usagi's confrontation, the revelation of
the Generals and more twisted relationships will begin.

Aren't I a bitch? ^_^

On Usagi's "purity", the word pure means guileless and without defilement
morally. This is not true with Usagi, but I use the term "pure" loosely because
if you think back to the reason why she became a samurai, the reasons are good
and she is in many ways, "guileless" meaning not deceiving, not deceitful and
not treacherous. Usagi *is* every one of those, and at the same time, she is
not. Confused yet? Basically, her intentions are pure, even if her methods are
*tad* unorthodox. ^^

I told Byakko that I'd begin this on Boxing Day, but I actually started this on
the 24th, right after I finished uploading Chapter 11. I ripped the chapter
name from this Pokémon Fanfiction called "Pokémon MASTER" by Ace Sanchez. It's
an amazing fanfic, probably the best Pokémon fanfiction out there. I strongly
recommend you read this. The link will be somewhere below. ^_^ It's the same
fanfiction that got me started writing fanfiction, so always, thanks to Ace for
getting me started.

Byakko's been an amazing help for me to get the series going so strong, and I
thank her immensely for the support. Without her, I would have stopped at
Chapter 5 or 6. Thanks again, and I love you. :)

Happy holidays everyone, and I wish you all the best of luck, happiness and
success in the new year.

PS: In Chapter 11, the content of (1) comes from the song "Feel" from Final
Fantasy 10.

[E-mail: sherazard_@hotmail.com]
[Website: http://ashura.br0ken.org]
[Weblog: http://ashura.br0ken.org/blog/index.php]

1st draft: Completed. (12.27.2002)

TRANSLATION:

ohayo (gozaimasu) - good morning
koishigaru - to yearn for, I miss you
geisha - an entertainer at teahouses or for private sale
saya - scabbard, sheath
kodachi - a sword sword, smaller than katana. (ie/ Shinomori Aoshi wields the
twin kodachi in "Rurouni Kenshin")
koshu - former master
shifu - a fatherly master, a father figure master
Iiya - no
shishou - master
kashira - cap on the hilt of the katana
sakabatou - a reverse edged sword (ie/ Kenshin wields the sakabatou after his
days as the Hitokiri Battousai in "Rurouni Kenshin")
Ikigami - "The Living God"
kenjutsu - the art of the sword, the "school"/style of the sword
Ryuujin - Dragon King
okashira - leader
shoji - a rice-paper screen door with wooden frame
chiburi - iaido. the act of shaking off the blood from one's blade by the flick
of the wrist.

Resources:

http://home.austin.rr.com/scajapan/HISTORY.HTM
http://victorian.fortunecity.com/duchamp/410/shogun.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/glossary.htm

Ace Sanchez's "Pokémon MASTER"
http://users.bigpond.net.au/acey/pokemon.htm