Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Hearts of Swords ❯ Chapter XIV - Ragnarok ( Chapter 14 )

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

* * * R E C A P * * *

Jadeite turned towards Rei. "Don't you remember me..."

"...Calypso?"

"No...no..."

"It's been so long Calypso. Very long indeed."

Tears filled Rei's amethyst eyes as she slowly backed away. "No...no...no..."

"Oh yes Calypso. It *IS* me."

"YOU ARE MINE."

* * * * *

[***1509, Kyoto, Japan. Kanagawa Prefecture.***]

I carefully made my way through the streets, making sure to stay hidden. I am
one of the few that tries to survive on the streets. I have nowhere else to go.
Ojisan died shortly after smuggling me to Kyoto and now I'm alone in the world.

Today is the day that my family died before my eyes. I can still hear their
dying screams and the blood that spills from my mother and my brother. The
katana sings as it kills and I try my best not to cry.

My kimono is stained but still very clean. I straighten the obi before I step
out onto the main street, carefully keeping my expression neutral.

There!

I hide a smile before I make my way to my target, and then bump into them. The
man is big and burly. Just as I bump into him, I take the pouch hanging from
his obi. I just smile demurely and apologize politely, hiding the sack that I
stole.

Then I make my way.

"That's a fancy trick you've done, but you won't get away from me," I hear.

I whip around and pale. It's the man. He caught me!

Trembling, I try to run but he grabs my wrist in an iron grip and then sneers
at me. Something incredibly hard slams into my stomach; my breath is taken from
my body. More hits rain on my body and I can't move.

"You're mine...*Calypso*."

Everything turns to black shortly after.


* * END CHAPTER XIII * *

*NOTE: This chapter contains lime content. Proceed at your own discretion.*

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

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"What's done is done, it feels so bad
What once was happy now is sad
I'll never love again
My world is ending..."

Chapter XIV - Ragnarok
[Sengoku Period, 1512]


He advanced towards her, a malicious grin hovering on his lips. His eyes were
dark and predatory, gleaming with lust and unknown intentions. Fear washed over
her and she could suddenly feel the violating touch of his calloused hands on
her body once more.

"No! No! Stay away from me! Leave me alone!" she sobbed.

Usagi took up a defensive position in front of her. "Take one more step and I
won't hesitate to break your neck."

Jadeite's eyes narrowed. "You have your orders. She lives, you die and Rei
becomes my wife. *THAT* is our deal. I won't hesitate to kill all of them, so I
suggest you re-think your actions."

"I'll kill you first," Usagi answered in a low tone of finality and absolute
confidence.

Hotaru watched in horror and fascination as the actions unfolded in front of
her. She could see that there was a strong bond between her cousin and the
woman known as 'Usagi'. She had somewhat figured out why she was here. She was
here to help them control her cousin to bend to their will. If there was
anything that Tomoe Hotaru hated the most, it was manipulation. At this moment
in time, she was hating the Fukushima clan for manipulating all these people to
jump to their tune.

"You are in no position to make any threats, Usagi," said Jadeite smugly. "If
you tried to make a move, there are three people here who would decapitate you
in less than a second."

In a flash, a leg lashed out and caught the unsuspecting man on the face,
sending him reeling into the wall with a surprised grunt. Three katanas were
drawn and pointed at the small blond, who stood unperturbed at the events. She
looked down contemptuously at the other man. "Still think I can't hit you first
Ryuujin?"

He snarled, "You STUPID *WHORE*!!"

The sandy haired man lunged at her in a rage, an animalistic growl ripping
itself from his throat. Usagi sidestepped the would-be tackle and aimed a
knifing chop to his neck, sending him crashing into the ground once more. She
took up the defensive position again, daring him to attack. Mamoru and Ami had
replaced their katanas back into their sheaths, but Minako held hers in a loose
grip, watching the events with a curious boredom.

'There is some amiss...and I am afraid that perhaps Setsuna-san was right...'
Ami thought suspiciously. 'I should talk with her.'

Struggling to his feet, Jadeite glared hatefully at the younger blond. She was
very fast. He had not seen that kick coming, nor had he anticipated that she
would stay on the defensive. He took up an offensive position and lunged at her
once more, determined to press her into the offensive before attacking. Usagi
read his intentions. 'So, he is trying to press me into the offensive by
allowing me to see the holes in his defence, does he? Well, I will show him
that such trivial tricks will not work on *ME*.'

The occupants of the room watched in fascination as a shadow-game of cat and
mouse played out. Jadeite stayed on the offensive while displaying a poor
defense while Usagi struck a defensive position and let him attack. However,
it took a strange turn as Usagi suddenly ducked and swept his legs out from
under him and then rammed her knee into the small of his back, propelling him
further upwards. In a flash, a harrowing axe kick buried itself in the older
man's stomach and Jadeite's breath was forced out of him. He struggled to his
feet, only to be met by an open-handed palm strike to his tender stomach and
then a backwards roundhouse kick to his ribs that send him crashing into the
wall once more.

"I don't jump to anyone's tune, least of all yours. Don't think you can force
me to play your petty games," said Usagi.

She took up the offensive position this time, daring him to come. His face then
fell into an impassive, cold mask as he went at her, opening with a strong and
swift left-right combo. Usagi deflected them with her forearms and countered
with her own combo, mimicking his exact movements. His attacks were quick and
packed with power, forcing her backwards. But she had already found the weak
point of his defense. Quickly deflecting a roundhouse kick to her head, she
threw a feint with her right and came up with a crushing uppercut to his chin,
snapping his neck backwards.

Attacking relentlessly, she stepped into his circle of defense and hammered at
his vital points with palm strikes and punches, forcing *him* backwards until a
katana blade intervened. Usagi's hard blue eyes looked to find Minako's own
blue eyes staring back at her. "That's enough."

Jadeite coughed, feeling the pain racing through his body. "You bitch. You'll
PAY for that! ONE WEEK! In seven days you will die and *SHE* will become my
wife!"

"And in seven days you shall die," Usagi answered.

With that, the blond ushered her young lover out of the room and shut the shoji
behind herself.

'That is a promise.'

* * * * *

Setsuna sat at the low table, a brush in her hand and paper on the desk. She
dipped it in the ebony black ink before continuing to write her letter.


'To the Ukita Clan Head,
Greetings.

The events to come are unfolding here in Kamakura. The Fukushima
have captured the Golden Warrior and two innocents. The battles to
come look grim. I formally ask of you to send our archers here to
Kamakura to destroy the Fukushima clan once and for all. Word has
spread that there will be a wedding procession at the Estate within
the week. Seven days to be accurate.

We cannot let this last opportunity to pass us. I propose that we
ally ourselves with the Ishida clan from which the late Matokori
Usagi fought for and extract revenge on them. For the ruin they put
our clan through, this is more than deserving. Remember the villages
that now lies in ruins, my Lord. They should be stopped, and this
is the last chance that we have. Please do not let this chance pass
by.

I await your response, my Lord.


Your humble servant, Setsuna'


There was not much time left, seven days was hardly enough to arrive at this
forsaken city, but to have two entire clans coming here within such a short
span of time? It was preposterous! Impossible! They had reached here within the
week, but only because they had not stopped for camp and did not have the
obstructions like Usagi and Ami had faced. It had taken those two two weeks due
to battles and camping out. The three of them had covered two weeks worth of
traveling -- sans battles -- and camping in one week.

But they had to try, for the sake of lives that would be ruined if this
continued. This was her last, desperate attempt at tying up the loose ends in
her life. An appeal to the clan head might bring aid to this crusade against
evil.

A deep, dark, forbidden secret lurked within these walls and she was the only
one next to the Four Generals that knew about it. Usagi had become an unknowing
victim of the darkness when she had become a captive of theirs. It had all but
destroyed her humanity, killing a smiling child and creating a doppelganger of
the same child. This was the Fukushima's way, to ravage and destroy until
nothing was left.

It was quite tragic, really, that the Fukushima were *too* successful in their
methods. Usagi truly had nothing left to give, except her own body. And even
that was stained with blood and abused by the war. Could the girl truly bring
her heart and soul back to life? With the end so close...

Unexpectedly, a cold rush slammed into her body and the images flashed in her
mind again. This time, there was so much blood...it was just yet another loop,
another repetition in history. Death, destruction and heartbreak. This is how
it always ended.

For the first time in a long time, Meioh Setsuna dropped her guard as she let
the tears fall. Her heartbroken sobs echoed through the lonely room, the only
person who knew the outcome of the end. She knew that there would be much pain,
not only for her, but for everyone. So she cried for the love she knew she
would lose.

"But...she was never mine to begin with..."

Anguished and tired of the loneliness, Setsuna cried to herself and asked the
Gods why it always had to end this way. Why could none of them ever find peace
in their lives? Why? Would they forever be condemned to their restless lives?
Deep within her, a howling cry begged and raged to be let loose, to inflict
others with the pain that she had to endure, the countless nights of bearing
the weight of her curse.

Emotionally exhausted, Setsuna fell into a dreamless slumber, the letter
sitting quietly on the desk.

* * * * *

Rei sighed as she watched the fluid movements of her lover performing the steps
of her kata. It was this silent grace and strength -- rarely displayed -- that
made her the dangerous beauty. This was her element, walking that razor thin
line between life and death, sanity and madness, fighting to find an ends to
the perpetual strife in this era. This was Usagi's element.

A dangerous mix of beauty, fragility and cold ruthlessness floated about the
diminutive blond, the haunted maturity that displayed itself so prominently in
her eyes and her movements. It was this icy, mysterious allure that attracted
people to her like moths to a flame. Usagi was a very complex person, facets of
her true self exposing itself only in moments of dire necessity. But in that
complexity, she was a very simple, straight-forward person.

Usagi leapt into the air, the sun's light glinting against the blade of the
katana. The snow around them glared an intense white, silhouetting Usagi's form
against the sky as she came down, holding the katana in a two-handed grip on
the hilt; held perpendicular at a 90 degree angle to her body.

No sound was made as she landed on her feet on the ground, a single vertical
line cut into the shallow snow. Relentless in her movements, the kata continued
on. Rei noticed that even the kata reflected the personality of her lover.
Graceful, elegant, deadly, complex and merciless. A compilation of various
kenjutsu schools, this was Usagi's personal style. A style that would continue
to kill and destroy until the objective was achieved.

"You're ruthless," Rei commented.

She stopped and turned to stare at Rei. "I do what I must."

'There is no doubt about that,' Rei mused. Raising her voice, she queried, "Is
it necessary though?"

"Necessary to kill people in the name of justice? Yes. This is a war, we are
all irrevocably caught up in it because we live. People die, that is how life
is. That is war. Is this war necessary? No. We have made it necessary for the
sole purpose of forging a new Japan," Usagi replied.

"'The road to Hell is paved with good intentions,'" Rei quoted. "Is this a road
to Hell?"

Usagi smiled, but it was a grim parody of the carefree smile that she had once
worn. "This *is* Hell."

Sheathing the katana in one smooth movement, Usagi walked over to embrace the
younger girl in her arms. Confused but not complaining about the sudden display
of physical intimacy, Rei wrapped her arms around her lover. Usagi closed her
eyes and sighed quietly. "But...Heaven can be anywhere you want it to be. Don't
ever forget that. Even this purgatory can be Heaven." 'It once was,' she added
silently.

"Usagi?"

Disengaging herself from the embrace, Usagi looked towards the Mansion, eyes
focused and sharp. There was no hidden agenda or uncertainty lurking within
those fathomless depths, only raw, absolute finality and clarity. No traces of
that guilt-ridden warrior existed within Usagi, but instead a warrior who would
stop at *NOTHING* to destroy the Fukushima clan.

This was the full extent of the Fukushima clan's work. The doppelganger of the
former Matokori Usagi was a cold swordsman, ruthless and merciless to all those
who threatened the road to a new Japan. A warrior shaped by pain and nightmares
of a past that refused to die. She was their doll, their carefully crafted doll
for their amusement.

"A piece of advice I received from Minako," Usagi explained with a bemused
smile. "The only useful thing she's ever said, really."

"What is?" Rei asked.

"Heaven is anywhere you want it to be," quoted Usagi.

"Minako-san said that?" Rei asked, sounding skeptical.

Usagi laughed, but instead of sounding bitter, she sounded...bittersweet. "It
was that one night we had together. I was desolate and on the verge of killing
myself. She embraced me tightly and whispered it to me. It was weak of me back
then, but I succumbed and kissed her. Things progressed and then Ami discovered
us in bed. When the confrontation yielded itself to their relationship, I ran
and never looked back...and the rest is history."

History. That was the difference between herself and Minako. Being younger but
no less astute, she had seen the looks between Usagi and Minako. If there were
two people that had truly been in love, it had to be them. A strange tension
sang between them, writhing and hissing like a snake. It intrigued her, these
two were dangerous women, both powerful and deadly in their own right. But what
was this "history" aside from their failed relationship, if it could be called
that, was there between them?

And what else laid unsaid or undone between Ami and Usagi? Despite the fact
that Ami and Usagi most definitely did not like each other, it was not very hard
to see that they had once been the closest of friends. The haunted look in Ami's
crystal blue eyes spoke of pain and betrayal every time those eyes looked at
Usagi. And every time blue met blue, regret and guilt flashed in Usagi's eyes,
but usually dispelled just as quickly as it came. Sometimes, Rei wondered if
she had actually seen it.

Rei wrapped her arms around Usagi once more, letting her lips drift against
her lover's neck. "I love you."

'Those words...those damning words that will be my undoing...can I? Can I say
them? After all these years, can I form those words upon my lips and give voice
to them...and mean it? Do I mean it?'

In a heartbeat, Usagi turned around and embraced her; azure eyes closed as she
relished the tender moment. A fleeting moment which would never be again. Her
nights and days were numbered, it would not be long before she would leave this
mortal realm and die. She didn't want to die with regrets or things left unsaid
because of her fear.

'I will not be afraid.'

Usagi made her decision.

* * * * *

Jadeite silently fumed as Minako tended to his wounds. Mamoru was off sulking
in his chambers so he could not even be entertained or progress in the planning
of the next attack. 'He's become useless ever since that *BITCH* showed her
face,' he thought angrily.

"Your ribs are bruised," said Minako with a hint of amusement in her voice. "It
isn't too serious, even though she hit you hard enough to break your ribs. They
will be healed in two weeks."

He muttered under his breath but Minako could not make out what he was saying.
That was fine with her, she did not have a very large interest of what he was
saying. She finished bandaging his ribs before standing. "I'll have Nanami come
by later to check on you. Get some rest."

"Get out!" he snarled.

She giggled. "Tsk tsk, such horrible manners."

With a casual wave of her hand over her shoulder, she left him to his devices,
not missing the colorful curse he spat as she closed the door behind herself.
She smiled to herself as she strolled down the corridors, her eyes twinkling
with mirth.

"Minako," a voice called out.

Turning around, she was surprised to find Nephrite coming towards her, his long
ceremonial kimono fluttering as he walked. "They are ready for her."

"Excellent! Find Usagi and send her back to her quarters," Minako ordered. "Get
the other girl and send her to them for measurements."

He nodded and made his way back in the direction in which he came, the dark
blue kimono rippling like a cape fluttering in the breeze. Minako continued on
her way towards her own room, wondering whether Ami would join her for a short
sparring match.

Whistling a merry tune, Minako made her way out to the Mansion grounds. How easy
it was to play games, pushing buttons and urging them to the brink. Impatience.
Such a powerful tool. In her opinion, Jadeite was just much too impatient. Such
a party pooper.

'But,' she mused languidly, 'it isn't a bad thing.'

No, it wasn't a bad thing at all.

* * * * *

Usagi sighed quietly as Rei was whisked off by Nephrite. Her resolve was brittle
and time was running out. She had come here with a purpose, with her mind set on
the revenge she had wanted all those years ago. Now, with a liability in her
life who was complicating things...could she still carry out what she had
originally intended? Was it possible to kill in cold-blood knowing that Rei was
here, watching her? Could she do it?

"Can I kill in cold-blood?" she murmured to herself. "I've done cold-blooded
murders in my short life...but could I do it again?"

"You know you can," a voice answered her.

She spun around to find Minako standing there, the sensuous beauty's weapon
concealed expertly in the long, flowing robes of the kimono. "And you know you
will."

Scowling, Usagi narrowed her dark eyes at the intruder. "And how do you know of
my intentions?"

"Simple," Minako smiled cheerfully, "you and I, we're too alike."

"I'm *nothing* like you!" Usagi hissed.

"Oh, but you are," Minako crooned. "You're more like me than you'll *ever* know
in this life."

Fury and white-hot rage flashed and burned within her; made her blood boil with
its intensity. She wanted to do nothing but smash that arrogant, smug smirk off
of her face. It mocked her, taunted her, dared her to do it; countless things
that would no doubt invite more nightmares to her already uneventful sleep.

"Your disillusioned self is making me sick," Usagi answered darkly. "You're
nothing but a treacherous snake!"

"Spare me your theatrics." Minako sneered.

The older blond unsheathed her own katana, its edge glinting in the cold wintry
sun. Usagi arched a regal eyebrow. She had never known Minako to draw her own
katana, not even in the most dire circumstances. Not for any sort of battle. The
geisha was smiling, a smile that screamed "danger" and promised much untold
horrors.

"I'll take care of this, koishii," a new voice interrupted.

Both blondes turned to find Ami standing there, blue eyes cold and hard like
diamonds. Surprise and smug satisfaction, respectively, were on the two blond's
faces, but Ami paid it no heed. The only thing that was on the blue haired
woman's mind was the thought of revenge. Ami drew her katana while Minako
sheathed her own. "Okay then. I'll be seeing you later, anata."

Ami threw a sideway glance to her lover before half-heartedly smiling. Minako
smiled brightly as she spun and walked away. Minako waved over her shoulder.
"You two have fun now."

Now it was the two of them alone. Two former friends and allies faced each other
with conflicting emotions churning within them. An interal battle waged within
them, asking themselves whether this was proper. Could they really battle each
other? Hurting one another was one thing, but talking to each other with their
katanas? It sounded...daunting and troublesome. To talk in an ancient language,
a delicate, artistic dance that spoke the volumes and intensity that words could
never convey...it was an intimate gesture that spoke of high respect and trust.

Neither party could see themselves sharing that kind of intimacy. And certainly
not with each *other*. Usagi's eyes narrowed, dark with shadowy demons that
plagued her. She wrestled with her guilt, her anger and her sorrow at betraying
and abandoning Ami to the darkness of the Fukushima clan. She kneeled, laying
her katana horizontally in front of her. "I can only beg for the salvation I
know I will never receive. I can't excuse my actions, I can only offer my
deepest apology and leave my punishment to you."

Beseeching, earnest but shadowed azure blue met cold cerulean blue. Ami stared
into those hypnotic blue eyes, the same blue eyes that had bewitched all those
who had been ensnared by them. Even she had been trapped within that gaze, the
eyes of a temptress, a witch. People were attracted to her mystical beauty, and
then trapped for life in those blue eyes. It was irresistable, *SHE* was
irresistable.

Damn her.

"Damn you," Ami hissed.

"How *dare* you!" the blue haired woman growled angrily. "You'd throw your life
away, just because of your guilt complex?! You fool! I really *SHOULD* kill you
for your stupidity!"

"This isn't just about you anymore!" Ami spat, fury evident in her tone. "This
is about two innocent lives that can be extinguished without a second thought!
And you choose *NOW* to be humble enough to offer your neck to me?! If the
circumstances were different I wouldn't think twice about hacking your empty,
blonde head clean off your neck but now...now there are two undeserving lives on
the line and I *WON'T* let them DIE!"

Surprised, Usagi stood up, but the katana stayed on the ground. "Do you really
think I'd let you kill me?"

Ami's eyes widened in surprise, but Usagi ignored her. "I gave myself up for
punishment, not death. If you wanted to kill me, I would defend myself. I *know*
what's at stake, Mizuno-*san*. My lover's life and her cousin's life is on the
line, and I will do *WHATEVER IT TAKES* to keep them alive. I'll kill you, I'll
kill Minako, Setsuna, Mamoru, Nephrite...*ANYONE* to keep them safe."

"So don't you *dare* preach to me about priorities!" Usagi shouted. "I know *my*
priorities, the question is, do *YOU*?"

Speechless and unable to come back with a sufficient reply, Ami did the only
thing that came to her mind.

She charged at her opponent. "Shut up!"

In a flash, Usagi snatched her katana from the ground and brought it up to block
the deadly overhead slash from her opponent. Rage burned in Ami's eyes as she
relentlessly attacked, the *CLANG* of metal against metal echoing through the
snowy garden.

Ami's swings were controlled, precise and fluid. She was like a maiden of the
waters, flowing and never stopping. A deadly opponent indeed. Usagi noted that
she had improved her skills over the years, having perfected the techniques she
had learned. Usagi countered the strokes with her own, pushing herself out of
the vulnerable position.

Within her mind, Ami cursed darkly as she noticed Usagi's offensive defence. It
seemed that the revered and highly respected "Golden Warrior" lived up to his,
or rather *her* reputation. Strong, deadly and ruthless. Even in her defensive
stance, she was still able to attack.

Usagi threw her body backwards into a flip, used one hand as a spring and leapt
into the air. She landed on the soft snow and slid into a neutral, effortless
stance that did not indicate an offensive or a defensive position. She calmly
waited for the attack.

"Are you quite finished?"

The two combatants whirled around to find Kunzite standing there, watching them
with a bemused expression. Ami scowled angrily before sheathing her katana.
Usagi followed shortly after, watching the white-haired man with a cautious,
wary expression. "What brings you here, Kunzite-dono?"

"I came here to speak with you, Usagi. If you could excuse us Mizuno-san...?"

"Of course, Kunzite-san," Ami bowed.

Ami glanced at Usagi. "We'll finish some other time."

The blond nodded solemnly and watched as the blue-haired woman walked away. She
looked then at Kunzite. "What?"

He stared straight into her piercing eyes. "The marriage ceremony will be held
shortly after the New Year's celebration. You have until then to set your
traps. Zoicite and I will help you."

"Why? Why do you want to help me?" she demanded.

"Like I said, you're our last hope to save him," he answered. "Jadeite."

Usagi's pointed stare told him that she wouldn't accept his answer until he
explained himself. So he sighed and began to prepare himself for the the telling
of a tale that spoke of destruction, corruption and revenge.

"It began not too long ago...before Jadeite was about to come into the position
of the Fukushima Clan Head..."

* * * * *

A white bird chirped as it took to flight, a roll of paper tied carefully
around its small body. She smiled slightly as she turned and re-entered her
room. The low table was now clean and bare, having cleaned up the room.

From the garden, she could hear voices shouting and she smiled to herself. One
voice definitely belonged to the crux of this situation, Usagi. The other would
most likely belong to Ami or Minako.

"...you, I'll kill Minako, Setsuna, Mamoru, Nephrite...*ANYONE* to keep them
safe."

She smirked. So typical of Usagi to be careless with her words. It was no secret
that Usagi was completely incapable of cold-blooded murder. The girl was more
than capable of delivering death and pain everywhere she went, however.

Killing for justice, killing for revenge... it was all semantics. They were just
pretty, noble sounding labels on an act that was as old as time itself. Murder.
It could be dressed up and masked for all eternity, but it would still be
murder. Nothing could change that fact.

Whoever was playing this cosmic joke on them was really grating on her nerves.
What had they done so wrong to bring down this kind of wrath upon themselves?
What crime had they committed to live these joyless, meaningless lives? Their
lives were at the disposal of Fate, and there was nothing they could do about
it.

Her garnet red eyes turned towards the dreary winter sky, hoping that the bird
would find its way to the destination safely with the message intact. With a
final glance to the sky, she turned and left the room, hoping to find Minako.

She had her own personal score to settle.

* * * * *

"...and that's the story."

She nodded solemnly, but nothing changed the facts. She would kill Jadeite and
anyone else who stood in her way. He had brought innocents into his maniacal
obsession to possess and kill her; that could not go unpunished. She would be
the judge, jury and executioner of his lonely trial.

"So you understand?" he queried.

"Nothing will change the fact that he will die, Kunzite-dono," Usagi answered.
"I will make sure of this."

Kunzite sighed. "I...very well. I will not deter you. The others will not be a
problem."

Usagi peered at him curiously, her blue eyes boring straight to his soul. "Why
are you helping me? Shouldn't you be trying to kill me like Mamoru?"

Kunzite laughed a bitter, self-depreciating laugh. "I am tired."

And that was all he could say, and she understood.

She walked back towards the mansion, her mind busy absorbing the information.
Her mind was at work, calculating what could be done and what could not be done.
Jadeite would die, but that would lead to the deaths of Mamoru and Minako. She
would be risking the lives of many innocents if she wanted to kill them
directly.

No. She would have to force a confrontation.

And she knew the perfect way to do so.

Smirking dangerously, she walked through the halls of the large manor, the plan
manifesting in her mind at an alarming rate. She would be victorious and avenge
the family that she had lost. She would restore honor to her family name and
live in peace.

Even if she was killed in this long-standing war, she *WOULD* bring a measure of
peace to the lives around her. To Rei, to Setsuna and all of the others, she
would give them peace.

It was all she could offer.

* * * * *

"Rei-san?"

Startled, she whipped around and found her mouth dry as she looked at a tall,
sensuous blond standing before her, dressed in a pale amber and burnished gold
kimono. Her hair was long and lustrous, but not as long as Usagi's. The woman's
eyes were also blue, but the shade of blue was lighter, closer to a sky blue
than Usagi's azure blue.

"My name is Aino Minako. We have not been...introduced properly," the woman
said, smiling lightly.

"So you and Ami-san...?"

Minako just smiled serenly before nodding. "She's a lovely woman, and even
lovelier unclothed. But...I take it that no-one can really hold a candle to
Usagi."

Flushing uncomfortably, Rei nodded warily. She did not like this woman. While
her demeanor was calm and somewhat playful, she could feel the malicious and
suspicious undercurrent to her speech. It made her want to be anywhere but here.

Of course, being half-naked wasn't exactly helping much.

Loud, melodic laughter erupted from the blond woman, her eyes twinkling with
mirth. "It's nothing I haven't seen, don't worry. I must say, your taste in
women is quite...paltry. Usagi is hardly the class to be mingling with."

A hot fire ran through her as the obloquious comments rung in her ears. How
could this woman say such things about Usagi? Hadn't she laid with Usagi too?
"Don't get me wrong," Minako continued, "Usagi *is* a lovely girl. Tantalizing
and very seductive, but her low status doesn't really appeal to me."

"Social status means nothing to a girl like me," Rei answered.

The blond merely smiled, but nothing about that smile made Rei want to smile
back. If anything, the older woman's smile looked positively...evil. With
feline grace, Minako strode forward and caressed her cheek. "You, my dear, have
the look of a high-born lady. Imperial, even."

Rei shuddered as Minako leaned forward and nipped at her cheek. She could feel
the curve of the woman's lips and restrained herself from striking the woman.
Minako stepped away from her and directed a look at the servants in the room.
"Make sure that the measurements are accurate. If anything is not to the taste
of your Master, you *will* be punished."

"Yes, my Lady," they murmured.

Activity began anew as Minako departed the room and Rei could only stare at the
shoji. That woman was dangerous; from the way she moved to her speech, Aino
Minako was a facade, a mask of lies to hide the truth.

Wincing as a woman roughly grabbed her arm, she quietly complied and raised her
arms to the position they had been in before. The sooner this was over, the
sooner she could go find Usagi.

* * * * *

A sensitive ear perked up at the sound of a tinkling, haunting melody echoed
through the lonely halls. Music? Here? Interesting. She hadn't heard anything
remotely close to music in centuries.

Or perhaps time flew by too fast.

It was a very famous piece, a song she had heard many times while visiting the
various clans as an escort of the young Okashira. It was a welcomed change from
the normal routine.

She walked towards the source of the sound; the song continued on with its
lilting, hypnotic melody that spoke of much sadness and melancholy. It made her
want to cry.

She never cried. It was an expression of weakness, of vulnerability. It was a
sign that she was not as infalliable as many believed her to be. Having
survived countless horrors for some strange, unknown reason, she knew that if
she showed a sign of weakness, it would be the end of her.

Hino Rei. Such an enigma. Her eyes showed that she was much older than her years
said her to be, but showed an innocence that aroused her protective instincts.
She hadn't realized she even *had* such instincts.

Is that why Usagi was so drawn to her? The untainted innocence that they all
had shed for these bloodstained lives? She was a woman trapped in the body of a
child, too old yet not old enough to know the cold reality of the war. A war
that had no forseeable end. But the girl was already touched by the influence
of such petty battles; orphaned and homeless, this girl was anything but
innocent.

But what else could it be besides innocence? Too worldly to be ignorant and not
ignorant enough to be a fool.

"If only *I* could remember when I was innocent..." she murmured.

"Were you ever?"

Startled, she spun around to find Usagi standing there, dressed in an elegant
kimono, looking every inch of the Siren that she was known to be. She smirked
and let her eyes roam appreciatively over the subtle curves. "I was."

"Hm. Funny that," Usagi retorted calmly. "Too bad I don't believe you."

"You never did," Minako accused softly. "You never believed me and you sure as
hell didn't trust me. Not then and not now"

"You are Mamoru's whore!" Usagi spat. "You expect me to trust anyone aligned
with the clan that slaughtered my family like sacrificial lambs?!"

"I am *NOBODY'S* whore!" Minako hissed. "And least of all his!"

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"It is!" Minako replied angrily.

"So why *do* you accompany him? What's your reason for being here? Aren't you
his live-in entertainment?" Usagi mocked.

Minako smirked coldly. Stepping forward, she softly caressed the younger girl's
face with one hand. "You're so silly. So pugnacious. What has made you this
way? You used to be such a nice girl...so obedient."

"I faced up to a reality that I didn't see back then," Usagi answered, her tone
equally icy. "Perhaps it's *you* who now needs to see reality."

"Oh, but what is reality compared to dreams? Nothing can come from reality, but
dreams are what makes things possible. Why live in reality when I can *make* my
own reality?"

"Surely you jest," Usagi sneered. "You can't possibly think that you can live
in a fantasy world forever."

Minako smirked. "That's what makes the two of us so different. You refuse to
believe in dreams, while I embrace them."

"Dreams are what destroyed my life," Usagi answered. "Why would I want to waste
my time on such frivolous endeavours as chasing dreams?"

"Because...I've made my dream come true," Minako whispered, almost evil in her
joy. "And you'll see that dreams *can* come true."

"And what dream is this?"

Minako smiled. This smile was not like the smiles she used to intimidate or
seduce. This smile was the epitome of a dark obsession that had claimed her
sanity. Usagi shivered at the dark smile on her face and stepped away from the
older blond, wanting nothing else but to flee from the woman's hypnotic gaze of
insanity.

Unaware of the events, the music played on.

* * * * *

Setsuna's garnet eyes widened as Usagi stormed away, brushing past her with
fury and terror radiating from her. She looked ahead to find Minako standing
there, smiling lightly. "Hello Setsuna."

"...Aino-san."

"Oh come now," Minako said airily. "We're past the informalities. We have been
for a long time."

Her eyes narrowed as she silently and stoically regarded the younger woman. "Is
that so?"

Minako's blue eyes twinkled merrily as she stepped forward and flashed her an
endearing grin. "Of course!"

An image of a younger Minako superimposed itself over the face that wavered
before her eyes. What could have changed her lover to this lifeless puppet? Was
it too late? Those once vibrant eyes had become all but pale stones of flat
blue, barely holding onto the threads of what was once called "humanity". But
in this place humanity was no more, all that remained was the last vestige of
a madman's campaign against a young girl.

A young girl that had defied death, poverty and Fate, had plunged herself into
a world of violence and blood only to wake up abandoned at the shores of
reality, finally realizing the true depth of her sins. But Minako...it seemed
that Minako hadn't woken up to reality but rather sunk deeper into the depths
of her sins and embraced insanity.

"You can't honstly expect me to believe that," Setsuna replied dryly. "Please.
Give me more credit than that."

Her ex-lover's eyes hardened immediately to a dark blue as she stepped forward,
hissing angrily, "Bitch. I gave you everything!"

Setsuna's crimson eyes narrowed. "You gave me little, raped me of everything
and left me with nothing!"

The accusation stabbed her and both of them knew it. Somewhere beneath that
cold psychotic exterior lay a heart scarred with pain. That heart had felt the
hurt and it was the truth. Minako knew it, Ami knew and Setsuna knew it all.
Because in the end, it was just as Setsuna had said it.

And for a split second, the hard blue melted away to a softer, cornflower blue
to reveal the girl beneath the exterior, a girl who had suffered much in her
young life. Perhaps as much as Usagi.

"...you hate her..." Setsuna whispered.

Minako's eyes hardened once more. "Of course I do. Who wouldn't hate her? Hate
the one person who stands in the way of *everything*?"

"You hate her," Setsuna whispered. "So very much. And now I finally know why."

"Oh?" the blond queried. "Do tell."

* * * * *

She shifted uncomfortably, feeling the cold, impersonal hands of the servant
women over her. "Just a little longer, don't move too much."

"Sorry," Rei mumbled.

A young girl smiled. "We'll be done in just a few minutes."

Rei nodded, blushing as a pair of hands slid across her stomach. This kind of
contact with strangers made her squirm; she wasn't used to this kind of
physical contact. Certainly not a fitting for her wedding. A wedding that she
didn't even want to participate in.

After all these years, she hadn't wanted to believe that she would meet *him*
again. She suppressed the urge to shiver; she would not show fear. Not when she
was finally beginning to define her own happiness.

However, the mindless peace was shattered when a loud, piercing shriek echoed
down the halls and into the room. The maids rushed out of the room, wondering
about the disturbance.

'Usagi??'

* * * * *

"You hate her like nothing else. You hate her with every fibre of your being
and it's so easy to see why."

Minako glared at her, hatred and anger mixing with an apprehension she hadn't
felt in years. Garnet eyes blazed like a raging inferno as Setsuna slowly took
a step towards her.

"She's like a constant reminder. The nagging voice in your head that never lets
you forget. A scar that remains forever. You hate Usagi so much, because..."

"...she's *JUST LIKE YOU*!"

"That's the reason, isn't it? She's a reminder of who you were, who you *ARE*.
But she's something that you'll never be. She's done something that you never
had the courage to," Setsuna whispered.

"She broke her chains. She broke them and freed herself. And that's why you hate
her. Because she's everything you are; she's the living incarnation of what you
wish to be!"

"SHUT UP!" Minako shrieked. "YOU KNOW NOTHING!"

Setsuna smirked back. "It's true, isn't it? You hate her so much, because she's
who you *WANT* to be! She's doing things *YOU* want to do! And you want to kill
her to kill that last remnant of humanity in yourself so that you won't be
reminded of all your failures!!!"

And somewhere within Minako's muddled, cloudy mind, a cracking *SNAP* noise
brought the world into crystal clarity.

And she screamed.

* * * * *

It was true. So true. In the end, looking at Usagi was like looking into a
mirror. A cracked, dirty mirror that revealed all of the flaws that couldn't
be seen with eyes that weren't her own. A mirror that mocked her because of her
failures.

She hated *IT* so much...she hated *HER*. She hated what *she* represented, the
walking, breathing proof of the impossible, the prize that hovered mockingly,
tantalizingly out of her reach. Freedom. A life not spent in bondage.

Hatred and fury burned hot and true within her, wanting nothing else but to
eradicate the smug, self-assured look in her former lover's eyes. There was a
dark, ominous presence within her, snarling and gnashing to be freed from its
confines.

/Release me./

A haze of deep, scorching crimson-violet descended into her disoriented mind
and she lunged.

Setsuna smoothly sidestepped the attack that would have skewered her on the end
of a very old katana. A katana that had been stained with much blood, if not
more than Usagi's katana. Minako spun on her heel, coming up to follow her
initial lunge with a vicious slash. She quickly jerked out of the way, cursing
her inability to manouever in this cramped area.

"You...you *dare* mock me?!" Minako hissed. "Do you think so highly of yourself,
smug and content in your supposed knowledge of me?!"

"Indeed it has been some time that you and I have been familiar with each other!
You know nothing! I am not *YOUR* Minako! Not anymore!"

The statement hurt her. It was the truth, and yet the truth was so painful. It
pained her to know that her Minako was lost, yet another casualty of this
godforsaken war. Just as Usagi was a casualty of the same war, just a different
battle. How many were dying like them? How many would walk the Earth with
nothing but despair and resignation etched into their faces, fighting for a
perverted cause? Did anyone remember the true reason for this war?

"What is the meaning of this?!" a voice bellowed.

Minako and Setsuna whirled around to find Mamoru standing there, his blue eyes
glinting dangerously with impatience and anger. His sword hand rested on the
butt of his katana, twitching as he glared at the two women.

While neither thought of Mamoru as much of a threat, he was still a dangerous
man to behold. Deep, obsidian black tresses framed the blazing blue of his eyes,
lending the element of danger and seduction to his handsome, chiseled face. He
scowled at them. "What is the meaning of your childish spat?!"

Setsuna smiled lazily, waving her hand in a gesture of lofty dismissal. "Just
some...personal matters, Chiba-sama. Nothing to be too concerned about."

He glanced suspiciously at the two women. Tension sang between them, nearly
palpable in their intensity. He could *taste* the bittersweet agony between
them and would have laughed if he wasn't so wary of the garnet-eyed woman.
Whispered rumours called her the Huntress, the best archer in the land. Her
skill was unmatched by no man or woman and her piercing garnet eyes held a dark,
deep pain that threatened to overwhelm those who gazed too long into them. Even
he could not stare into them for long.

"I trust I can take my leave and assume that my house will be standing?" he
replied wryly.

A melodious laughter escaped the older woman as she nodded. "Of course. The
house shan't be harmed, Chiba-sama. You have my word."

"My Lord, I wouldn't dare desecrate the walls that has held me and nurtured me.
Surely you know me better than *that*," said Minako, smiling sweetly.

He arched a regal eyebrow. "Do I?"

And for a moment, Setsuna saw a flash of hurt in those once-enchanting blue
eyes and wondered.

* * * * *

Every single fault and scratch on the scabbard and on the blade surface was a
memory, a headstone to tribute those who she had killed. On the ornate scabbard
were several marks, and one bloodstain that never failed to remind her of her
failure. Her failure to protect those who had relied on her and had taught her
the art of war.

She could still remember their glassy, sightless eyes as they lay in their
blood in the aftermath of a dangerous skirmish. How she had stood erect admist
their bodies, scattered on the ground like the fallen leaves to be claimed by
vultures and scavengers.

Each stroke of her sword had brought death to those who opposed her; and curse
her eidetic memory for the perfect snapshots of their faces as they fell. How
their eyes were misted over as the wicked scythe of death cut their lives
short, without regret nor remorse.

It was her gift and her curse, the ability to remember. She paid careful homage
to her katana because this was the only way she could honor those who died.
Mass graves did nothing for the memories but to painfully and brutally remind
the people of a bitter, futile war that their loved ones had died in. But she
had vowed to remember them all; each and every lifeless face was branded into
her memory, never to be forgotten, merely respected and acknowledged.

Lightly stroking the scabbard, she allowed herself a small, albeit sad, smile.
It wasn't the smile of a warrior, nor a lover. It was not the smile of one who
was revered, nor the smile of a girl. It was a smile of a wordly, resigned
woman who knew that her judgement was waiting. And she did not shed a tear. She
had no pride, she had nothing to cry about. Yes, her life would be forfeit, but
was it not for the greater good? To abolish the evil and to destroy the demons
of her life?

Tears were precious. They were sacred, beautiful and heartfelt simply because
one had to *feel* in order to shed them. She knew that if -- no, *when* -- she
died, tears would be shed. But she couldn't understand why. Who would want to
waste their tears on a worthless, weary soul that had been an active participant
of a wide-spread genocide? When would she be able to relinquish her role as the
wielder of death's scythe? How many more had to die? Ten? A thousand? Millions?
How many more? How many tears would they shed?

If she had a tear for each life she had taken, she would have enough tears to
fill an ocean. She laughed quietly to herself. An ocean of tears and memories.
The thought was depressing and she resolutely pushed it away. There was only so
much she could do. She honoured those who had died. It was enough.

"If I could absolve you from your sins, I would," a soft voice whispered.

Blue eyes snapped up to find a pair of amethyst eyes looking back at her. She
smiled. "Nay. My sins are mine and I will bear the punishment for them. A
respectable warrior would not do anything less."

Rei smiled ruefully. "So much honour. Why?"

"It's all that I have," Usagi answered simply.

The statement hurt. "And I mean nothing?"

Usagi shook her head. "You're not something to be had. You're some*one* who
stands next to me. Not behind me in deference nor ahead of me in superiority.
And that is something shared, not possessed."

The younger of the two blushed but did note the tenderness of the voice,
conveying raw emotion. It was ironic, really, that for someone who had long
guarded her emotions she truly couldn't lie. Not when the truth glittered in her
blue eyes like gems and ran true in her voice.

"But I fear...no, I *know* that there is no more time left for us. I made the
choice when I took the blood-stained hand of my surrogate father. I knew this
and yet I still chose to give my heart to you. But...I will set you free. Before
I die, you will be free."

"Usagi..." anguished violet eyes peered at her. "Why? Why do you torture me
so?"

Ruefully smiling, Usagi tugged the girl into her arms. "I never meant to do so,
love. I merely meant to show you happiness and to teach myself how to love."

"So what am I to you?" Rei whispered.

Their lips met in a deep, lingering kiss, conveying what words could not. Rei
relaxed into the embrace of lips, hearts and bodies, relishing the feel of the
pliant lips against hers. They pulled apart, Usagi's face soft with love and
reverence. "I don't deserve you."

The younger giggled. "Silly."

Usagi laughed quietly, a soft sound that seduced and soothed. "I am, aren't I?"

Rei grinned as she rested her head on her lover's shoulder. "The silliest."

And in that one, peaceful moment, the two girls were neither warriors or street
girls, but simply lovers, sharing a moment of tenderness.

From behind the shoji, Kunzite smiled to himself as he silently spun on his heel
and made his way back to his chamber.

* * * * *

She scowled.

She had lost the people all around her, and she found her source of blame.

Usagi.

She had taken her in, treated her as family! And what did she give back in
return? Trouble! Nothing but trouble! Rei had been kidnapped and their house had
been invaded and defiled!

But she couldn't stay angry at the girl. No matter how much she tried, she just
couldn't hate the girl.

Why? She had asked this question to herself a countless number of times, even to
Michiru, but she hadn't found a definite answer. Or an answer that she liked.
She didn't want to face the fact that she might lose someone in this war. Not
again. *NEVER* again.

Her fear was justified, was it not? She had lost her family, so why should she
not be apprehensive of losing someone she considered her family? She couldn't
bear it if she lost Michiru, just as she couldn't bear it if she lost Rei or
Makoto.

Usagi was an outsider. It was a cruel thing to say, but it was the truth. Usagi
had shown up one day, a vagrant wanderer that had bound them together. But in
the end, she was still an outsider, standing out of place within a tightly-knit
group that had seen horrors together.

She could lose Usagi and it wouldn't hurt as much.

Now if only she could believe it.

"No matter," she murmured to herself. "In the end...we'll get our revenge."

Straightening, she let her eyes meet fearlessly at the crowd assembled in front
of her. Men and veiled women, young and old stared back at her, waiting for her
command. Katanas, bows and other weapons were wielded by the assembly in front
of her and she smirked to herself.

"We've received word from Kamakura that the Fukushima estate is setting their
plan into motion. They've taken a wandering samurai, one known as the Golden
Warrior to try to get him to fight for them. As long as we live, this cannot
happen."

Murmurs and whispers filled the room before settling into silence once more. "I
have made plans to take with me the people I can in order to wage a skirmish
against the Fukushima clan."

"This is our last chance. The time of reckoning has come. For years we have
been waiting for the one chance to eliminate the Fukushima clan. And this is
our chance. God Himself has granted us this chance and we will annihilate them
all."

They had never seen their second-in-command like this. It unnerved them all,
seeing her burning hatred against the Fukushima clan. This went beyond their
pledge to destroy them. Their second had a deep, personal hatred against them.
And they would answer the call. The call of war.

"We answer the challenge," they declared. "We will answer their call."

* * * * *

"Sir, we've just received word from Kyoto. The Ukita clan is moving to Kamakura
to wage a skirmish against the Fukushima clan."

He sat silently, absorbing the news.

The messenger spoke. "They have asked us for our aid."

"We've lost two of our best...'men' to them. That is a trespass we cannot
forgive nor forget. Send word to the Ukita clan that we will ride with them to
Kamakura. Then send word to the others within Kyoto to prepare themselves."

"Yes sir."

The messenger left and silence encompassed him. Indeed, he had neither heard
from the Ukita clan nor the Fukushima clan. He had pushed the events that had
stolen two of his greatest warriors from him. One who was like a daughter, the
other who was like a sister.

Usagi and Minako. Born from two different tragedies of the same war, they were
the best warriors of the Ishida clan. When he had assigned Minako to them, he
had never suspected that he would end up losing his sister.

Then, several years later, Usagi, Machisu, Keisuke and Tetsuo had been sent on
their own mission; he had received word months later that all four had died. It
had shocked his men. Usagi was one of the best, she couldn't have died! Not
with Machisu, Keisuke and Tetsuo at her side.

Now was the perfect chance. The *only* chance left to repay the Fukushima clan
for killing his men, killing his surrogate daughter and sister. He would kill
the man himself, if he had to.

"The tides of change are rising, and the Fukushima will fall. A new era is
dawning and we will be its herald."

* * * * *

"Enter."

Jade green eyes looked into a pair of dark blue as Mamoru entered the room. He
shut the shoji quietly behind him before respectfully bowing to him.

"How are the preparations going?"

"The preparations are going as scheduled, Jadeite-sama. The girl's final dress
fitting for the wedding is to be tomorrow."

Nodding, Jadeite was about to dismiss him when he spoke, "We've received word
that the Ishida clan and the Ukita clan are moving."

"What?"

None had heard from the two clans for a long time; the Red Tigers had gone
through those lands and had thoroughly ravaged them. Or so he had thought. "I
thought you took care of them, *Chiba-kun*."

Mamoru flinched. "Perhaps the survivors have relocated, my Lord."

"Or...they were never destroyed in the first place," Jadeite mused quietly. "I
know of the Ishida's head. He is a cunning man. Find out where they are coming
from and stop them at ALL costs."

"As you wish, my Lord."

Mamoru stood and left the room, leaving him to his thoughts. He frowned. The
Ishida clan hadn't moved against them since their defeat in Tokyo and the Ukita
clan had a specific non-intervention policy. So long as their lands were not
disturbed, the Ukita clan cared not about the business of others.

But it seemed that they had received word about his two...prisoners and guests.
He was no fool; he knew that his guest was one of the high officials for the
Ukita clan. And of course...his one prisoner was a former samurai for the
Ishida clan. The Tomoe girl was not significant, but the Hino girl's father had
been the advisor to an important man.

"Very important...and *very* dead," he chuckled softly.

Tsukino Usagi. The bane of his existence and the key to his quest of conquering
Japan. The girl was good. Too good. Her mastery of kenjutsu was unrivalled, and
her drive to destroy him made her a dangerous ally. Anger, desperation, fury
and revenge had sharpened her into a narrow-minded, focused machine intent on
killing him. While anger clouded a man's judgement, she was no man, and anger
had further heightened her desire to seek revenge.

Aino Minako. Yet another variable in his careful equation. She had come to him
several years ago as a geisha, but he had soon found out her game. She was a
spy for the Ishida clan, squirreling information to them whenever she could. He
had been prepared to kill her, but it seemed that he didn't have to.

Mizuno Ami had become involved with her and he had subtly used the blue-haired
girl to cow Minako into submission. He smirked. It was ironic that street-trash
like Ami could become an invaluable token of control and power. The girl's
frightening ability to learn quickly had made her a strong, formidable warrior.
She was like a chameleon, absorbing everything and using it against her enemies
to kill them. Such a smart, obedient pet.

But he knew that neither of them nor both of them together could defeat Usagi.
No, that was not possible. Usagi, while human, had learned and taught each of
them and neither Minako nor Ami had the willpower to surpass their pupil and
teacher, respectively. Usagi's single-minded focus, regardless of her own death,
would be their tragic, bloody ends.

"Good riddance," he muttered. "Both are a nuisance anyway."

He stood, movements fluid and graceful. He had men to oversee and a wedding to
prepare. Those fools would never get it right anyway.

* * * * *

Hotaru sighed. She was in a small room with her cousin, who was brooding over
the safety of her lover.

"You love her," she murmured.

Rei looked up, surprised. "What?"

"Usagi," Hotaru replied, slightly rolling her eyes. "You love her."

The older girl sighed, running a hand through her obsidian hair. "I do."

"Why?"

Why? Rei asked herself that question before and had not found an answer that
suited her. She didn't know why she loved Usagi, she just did. There was...a
*pull* that she felt, something that went so far beyond sexual attraction. She
hadn't been in a relationship before, but she knew that what they had was
beyond comprehension.

"I...I don't know," she whispered.

The younger girl watched her cousin's face intently; her face was pensive and
intense, trying to figure out the answer to the most important question of all.
She could not deny that there was something alluring about the mysterious blond,
but surely there had to be something else. The normally apathetic girl kept her
secret hidden and her emotions tightly under control. But around Rei, the
taciturn girl softened and showed her what little token she could -- or rather,
*would* -- offer. Never more or less.

Regardless, her cousin loved her and for her, that was enough. There was so much
death, misery and pain in the world these days. She smiled to herself. Her
mother had always said that she was too mature for her age.

Surreptitiously observing her younger cousin, Rei knew that Hotaru was not like
the other children her age. Her weak body had made her somewhat susceptible to
sickness; she had taken care of her when she had visited her aunt as a child.
The girl's eyes held a wisdom that people thrice her age did not have. But her
cousin was a sweet girl, and if her body was healthy, she knew that beneath the
quiet, timid girl lay a sweet, vibrant child ready to smile, laugh and play.

"I remember something that mother once told me. She said that 'if you have a
reason for loving someone, you're using your mind, but if you love someone for
no reason, then you're using your heart.' I hope you're using your heart, and
not your mind, Rei-san."

Glistening amethyst eyes stared at the young girl before her. Hotaru stared
back at her with old, obsidian eyes. It was hard to tell who was the older of
the two.

"I hope I am too," Rei answered.

"I think Usagi-san is waiting for you," said Hotaru. The look on her face made
her look cheeky, if not mischievious. Rei studied the younger girl skeptically.

"What makes you think that?"

The young girl giggled. "She's right behind the shoji."

Just as she spoke, the shoji slid open to reveal a resplendant Usagi, dressed in
a deep midnight blue kimono with a full moon embroidered on it. She bowed before
stepping into the room. "Hotaru-dono, I hope that you're being treated well."

The girl nodded. "They haven't done anything yet," she replied, "but thank you
for your concern."

Usagi smiled crookedly. "It is all I can do. After all, the reason you're here
is because of me."

Hotaru giggled. "Well now, if you wanted a party, why didn't you just say so?"

Fascinated, Rei watched as Usagi chuckled, gently ran her hand through her
cousin's violet hair and lean down to whisper something into the younger girl's
ear. Hotaru's eyes widened and broke out into fits of laughter.

Smiling lopsidedly, Usagi bowed and excused herself, but not before placing a
chaste kiss on her lover's cheek. Rei blushed as she placed gentle fingers
against the warm spot on her cheek. The spontaneity and tender gesture was,
while not unwelcome, surprising and sweet.

Turning to face her cousin, the two girls talked some more.

Meanwhile, a young man stood behind the shoji, raptly listening to their talk
of everything under the sun, envy, jealousy and anger twisting his face.

* * * * *

It was strange, really, that no matter how far or how fast she ran, the past
would eventually catch up to her. 'Why,' she wondered, 'is it so hard to escape
one's own past?' All of her pain, the source of her ruin, everything that was
irrevocably tied to her past was now haunting her, determined to kill her or
break her.

This was the path that she had chosen, but if she could have foreseen the pain
and the heartbreak she could cause, she would have made a different choice. Or
would she?

Her kimono rippled around her figure as she strode down the hall. She wondered
where Setsuna-dono and Mizuno-san were. She had not seen Setsuna-dono since
their arrival at the Mansion. And...Ami.

She did not regret escaping. However, she did regret leaving behind her friend,
the only one who hadn't judged her because of her actions. It was the first time
she had received acceptance. The burning eyes and questions of the citizens had
always made her uncomfortable; waif-thin and a mere child, holding a katana in
her hands and wearing a tattered kimono, she had stumbled through the town with
her eyes down until she bumped into another young girl.

But now...now, things were coming to a full circle. In the end, nothing would
stop her from attaining her revenge. Not when it had been the sole reason she
continued to live.

Would revenge assauge her bloodlust? She knew that nothing in this world could
bring back the dead. Could she finally lay rest her life as a avenger and
retreat into a peaceful life? How would she atone for all the blood she had shed
while walking this dark path? There was no redemption for those who walked the
path of darkness; only a cold, lonely death waited for her at the end of the
road.

Was it really worth it? Had all of this been in vain? Probably. But she knew,
now more than ever, that she could not turn back. That door had been closed for
a long, long time. She could only move forward and see this through until the
end.

Her hand briefly touched the hilt of her katana, feeling the safety she felt
only with her trusted blade by her side. She had her answer. There would be no
peace for her. Not until the oblivion of death claimed her, peace would be a
luxury that she would never feel. Not when the wrongs of the world still
plagued the country.

Perhaps...if she survived this, she would abandon the ways of the avenger, and
defend the country in the name of peace. She would help preserve the peace, not
add to the chaos. She would cut down those who dared to disrupt peace. She hoped
that it would be enough to earn her the pity of the gods.

* * * * *

"In four days, I shall be wed," Rei whispered. "And on that day, my life as I've
known it will end."

She sighed. "I never thought, never *imagined* that I would see him again. Not
after he...but the past is something no-one can ever escape from. This is my
past and my wretched future."

"Do you wish that you never met me?" Hesitance colored her voice.

"I can never regret meeting you. Not when I've experienced love through you."

"If it wasn't for me, you would not be in this predicament at my expense. I'm
sorry."

"Don't be. I would do this all over again and live on if I can feel your love."

Usagi smiled sadly. "I truly am sorry. You deserve better than this. If my life
wasn't cursed as such, I would give you everything you could desire."

Rei laughed. "I only desire you. That's all I will ever need or want."

The blond leaned in and kissed her deeply and Rei yielded to her. The hot flame
of lust and love burned within her, urging her to let go. And she did.

In her mind's eye, she was falling, falling, spiralling down into a dark fire
of lust and passion. It scorched her, but it didn't burn her. Heat flooded her
being and she was helpless against its force, a force that shined like the
midday sun. She moaned, feeling the tickling, questing fingers against her skin.

Her lips broke away, a breathless gasp leaving her. She sucked in air, her
chest heaving from the long kiss. "Usagi." It was a plea, a question and an
affirmation, wrapped up in a reverent whisper of a name, proclaiming a love she
would die for for the rest of her life.

Blue eyes smoldered and Rei moaned as a calloused thumb brushed softly against
her turgid nipple. It was the most exquisite, painful torture that she wanted
no release from. She pressed into the touch, her spine arching harshly as warm,
wet suction engulfed it.

Her hands were everywhere, lips and fingers tickling, sucking, nipping and
licking at every available inch of skin. Trapped and helpless, Rei lay back and
sobbed at the sensations, hips moving at the pace that her lover set. Her eyes
snapped open at the loss of sensation, whimpering.

The feral smile of her lover made her shiver as the whisper of cloth falling to
the floor bared her lover's body. She could not respond as Usagi moved upon her
once more; skin to skin they moved together long into the night, their cries of
pleasure echoing into the cold winter night.

* * * * *

[Three days passed. The thundering of hooves grew louder as a small army marched
towards Kamakura. As the sun rose to greet the eve of the New Year, the people
of Kamakura could feel a strange, ominous feeling in the air.

History was about to happen, and none would ever be able to put the horrific
tragedy that would occur into words.]

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E N D C H A P T E R X I V
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Author's Notes:

Wow...it's been a long time since I've written this. I make no excuses for the
delay.

The end is coming.

[E-mail: sherazard_@hotmail.com]
[Website: http://ashura.xeraweb.com]
[Weblog: http://ashiya.blogspot.com]

1st draft: Completed. (09.17.2004)