Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Hearts of Swords ❯ Chapter VII - Reunion ( Chapter 7 )

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

* * * R E C A P * * *

[***1507, a village in the Kanagawa prefecture.***]

Strong, iron like hands were grabbing me.

Made me immobile.

I was alone, helpless and without my daisho. They took it fron me.

Careless.

I was too careless.

I can feel their dirty hands ripping my clothes away from me. I am naked before
them. Their eyes gleam with dark lust, and I'm afraid.

So very afraid.

One of them trails a hand down my naked curves, while another roughly caresses
my breasts. I shudder and recoil from their violating touch, and try to shout
out for help, but it seems that they've caught onto what I was about to do and
slaps me across the face. The stinging pain is more than enough to silence me
quickly.

"Shut the fuck up bitch!" one of the hisses at me.

I try not to feel, try not to react to the touches, but my body betrays me as
their cold, brutal caresses and nips make my body burn. But I will not give
them the satisfaction of my voice to them. So I bite my lip, hoping that I can
survive through this.

"I'm going enjoy this," one of them says darkly.

Without warning, something hard and solid tears into my young body and I scream
in pain as the pain burns through my body. They slap me across the face again,
and my tears fall as I bite my lip, aware that they are raping me. Their brutal
thrusts send searing pain through my veins and I fervently pray for this to
end.

One man after another thrusts into my body as I bite my lip harder and harder,
drawing blood which dribbles down my chin from my scarred lip. As the fourth
man groans loudly and climaxes in my body, it breaks me and I scream.

And I couldn't stop screaming.

* * * * *

Rei was startled out of her trance as the blond woke up screaming. Indigo blue
eyes were wide with confusion and fear as she tried to even out her breathing.
Frantic eyes scanned the room, looking for the one person that she could cling
to when it all became too much. Surely enough, Rei was there and gripping her
tightly.

"Usagi? Daijobu ka?"

The blond mustered the courage and the will to even out her breathing before
managing to reply, "Hai."

"Usa..."

Beseeching amethyst met pleading indigo and Rei said, "Please don't hide from
me Usa. You don't have to hide from me."

"I...I don't want to..."

Silently urging the blond to speak, Rei squeezed the older girl's hand. Usagi
sighed quietly before responding, "I don't want you to see me so weak."

"Oh Usa..."

The ebony haired orphan pulled the blond closer to her as she whispered, "No
matter how haunted you may be, I'll *always* love you, and I'll never leave you
alone. You don't have to be strong for me."

They stayed in the embrace for a long time, and both of them succumbed to
the comforting darkness of sleep and each other's embrace. However, Usagi's
sleep was not so placid that night as nightmare after nightmare endlessly
assaulted her beleagured psyche.

And the haunted continued in her vengeance.


* * END CHAPTER VI * *

*NOTE: This chapter contains lemon 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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"I hear the voices call
Following footsteps down the hall
Trying to save what's left
Of my heart and soul..."

Chapter VII - Reunion
[Sengoku Period, 1512]


In the early morning, she could vaguely hear the sounds of voices. Voices that
did not belong. She slid out of the warm futon, hoping that her lover would not
awaken. She hastily changed into her usual clothes and grabbed her daisho. A
split second later, the shoji was silently opened and closed.

Rei, oblivious to the absence of her lover, slept on.

* * * * *

The scenery around her streaked past in blurs as she approached the voice and
her face dropped into a grim mask. There were at least sixty-seven men gathered
here, most likely looking for her. It would take more than just herself to
prevent this clan from invading Kyoto. However, she did not have to go far, for
a group of katana wielding men erupted from various places and began to wage a
fierce battle. She sent a silent prayer of forgiveness before she too, immersed
herself in battle.

The world faded around her; her katana swinging and cutting into the enemy's
numbers. The crimson red of blood ran like rivers as she fought man after man,
stabbing, slashing and dismembering them.

Cries of men around her were lost in the thick haze that surrounded her, and
the shrieks of metal scraping and clashing against metal did not reach her. All
that mattered to her was returning home to her lover alive. These men in front
of her were obstacles that needed to be overcome. There was nothing else, just
an obstruction that was to be cleared by the edge of her katana.

However, something felt different in this battle. There was something - no, a
some*one* - lurking in the battlegrounds that would impact this fight. She
could almost sense it...

...like the storms she had sensed long ago.

She wasted no more time on meaningless thoughts but continued in her path of
the damned and the tainted, the shining metal of blood dripping from the razor
sharp edge of the katana. 'The blade will have to be replaced soon,' she
thought idly.

Unbestknown to the blond, there was indeed someone lurking in the background,
waiting for the right time to strike and bring Death to the one who had brought
Death upon the okashira's men.

* * * * *

A groggy Rei woke up to an empty futon. Perplexed and slightly panicked, she
scanned the room with observant eyes and then noticed the katana missing, as
well as Usagi's usual yukata having been hastily discarded. A frown marred her
sleepy features as she stepped out into the main hall, only to bump into the
elegant and unusually disgruntled Michiru. The aqua-haired woman said, "Usagi
is currently involved in a battle at the edge of town with the Ukita clan."

Breathing a sigh of relief, she thanked the woman before making her way to the
kitchen. It was her turn to cook this morning, and she found that Haruka was
sitting with Setsuna, both of them eerily silent. Makoto whispered softly, "I
heard Haruka and Michiru fighting last night."

Rei nodded solemnly before assisting her friend with the meal. She and Makoto
were the youngest at age sixteen and seventeen, with Haruka and Michiru having
turned twenty this year and Setsuna was turning twenty-three. Usagi had turned
eighteen this year, revealing that her birthday had been at the end of June
during one of her drunken moments of happiness. There had been also other
secrets that Usagi had told them, one of them that included a dead chicken, a
frog and a dead corpse. Needless to say, none of them continued eating after
that. It had taken place during a belated "coming of age" celebration for the
blond.

'Now that I think about it...a drunk Usagi does make a hilarious picture,' Rei
reminisced fondly.

One of the rare moments she had shared with them all was while she was drunk
and letting her true colors show. The girl was full of life and laughter, but
she was much too reserved and battle-hardened for it to show all the time.
Usagi had forced herself to grow up without showing emotions. They would only
cause indecisiveness in the end, she had remarked.

Her eyes drifted over to the main room, where Setsuna was sitting in between a
decidedly indifferent looking Haruka and a slightly perturbed Michiru. Heaving
a sigh, she walked in alongside Makoto with the breakfast. All five of them
picked up their chopsticks and began to dine. The stifling silence and tension
was heavy in the atmosphere as they silently ate their meals, each lost in
their own minds.

"Haruka-san?" Makoto queried.

Surprise registered on Haruka's face, since she had never heard Makoto attach
an honorific after her name. "Hai?"

"Whose shift is it today?" asked the brunette.

"Rei's," Michiru answered automatically.

Haruka scowled but nodded stiffly, before standing up and stalking out of the
small house. Michiru's eyes clouded over with tears, and she too stood up and
walked back into the hallway. Several seconds later, the shutting of a shoji
was heard. Setsuna sighed, as did the other two. When the two fought, it was
always a very uneventful experience. Usagi had been staying with them for three
months now, and with the autumn fast approaching, even the pixie-like blond had
learned to steer clear of them during one of their fights.

The three of them were left sitting there to eat their meal, and the sounds of
fierce battle could be faintly heard in the now-silent dining area. Rei was
stewing in worry for her lover, hoping that she would come home in one piece.
Setsuna had her eyes closed in quiet concentration whilst Makoto had begun to
take the empty dishes to wash. The dark-haired girl stood up and left the house
for her shift.

* * * * *

A frustrated curse escaped her lips as she sat in an isolated part of town (due
to the raging battle happening in the other side of town), her thoughts
swirling around chaotically. The fight that had erupted yesterday between her
and her lover was still fresh in her mind.

The hurtful comments traded yesterday had given her a new insight into their
relationship. As if out of thin air, one of Usagi's comments struck her.

'You and Michiru make a good pair. Don't let petty fights interfere with your
bond like I did.'

Sighing, the tall blond sat still, pensive and brooding over the fight. She had
let the petty comments get to her like always, but with the stress of having to
feed an extra person they hadn't thought about, it ended up with her usually
stealing an extra twenty or thirty yen.

'I shouldn't be thinking about Usagi that way,' Haruka reproached herself. 'If
anything, Usagi's one of the least fussiest housemate and does all the chores.'

As she sat there, the time passed and she knew that she would have to get back
to do the chores sooner or later. However, the peace she felt while she was
here made her reluctant to return to the strained silence of the house. So she
decided to stay here for a bit longer. Until she could find a way to resolve
the issues between her and Michiru, she would stay here.

Even if it took her days.

* * * * *

The fabric of her kimono slid against her pale skin as she stood up and walked
out from the room. The ornate orange, amber and brown kimono brought attention
to her shining blue eyes and blond hair. The generous smile on her lips eased
the tension in the room as she sat down and took her place next to their leader
in the room. Ever smiling and exuberant, the blond never failed to be at her
usual place.

"The attack is happening now, my lord," the man said humbly. "Our best general
is out there coordinating the attack."

"She had better retrieve that warrior if she doesn't want to die," he growled
darkly.

"Chiba-sama, with all due respect, she is the best. After all, had she not been
the one who had once defeated Matokori Usagi?" Minako queried sweetly.

Just the mention of that name sent a pang of pain through his stone heart. It
had been a long time since he had heard that name. Despite her gender, the
small and diminutive blond had been the best samurai he had ever encountered,
surpassing even his own best friend Furuhata Motoki.

Pushing unnecessary thoughts from his mind, he sat with his men as he awaited
the report of the attack. If anything, his best General would return with the
results only to exact her revenge. So he let the issue drop and sipped at the
offering of sake pensively.

Minako absently let her hands drift along the armor-clad form of her okashira,
but someone else intruded upon her thoughts, blue eyes haunting her with its
charimsa. How she longed to be in her lover's embrace, instead of living this
parody of love. Her body and heart ached to feel the ghostly tender touch of
the one who had taught her everything she knew, the one who had held her when
the fear became too great and had kissed her when her heart knew joy like no
other.

'Oh love...I'm so sorry...please come back to me...'

Unshed tears brimmed in her eyes as she desperately tried to regain control of
her emotions. It had been their day yesterday, and how she ached to feel the
comforting embrace of her lover. Even though she was a geisha, her lover always
made her feel as if she was a Princess. Their relationship had been secret, but
always full of passion and a sort of playfulness. How she missed it, the warmth
and security given so generously to her.

However, she was paid to be her okashira's woman, not to be moping and mooning
over a lover she had lost because of her own folly. So she hardened herself to
the barrage of emotional turmoil and smiled softly to reassure herself that she
would find her lover again someday.

Someday.

* * * * *

Crystalline tears streaked down her pale cheeks as she sat crumpled against the
wall, the sound of her own quiet, stifled sobs breaking the fragile silence. It
seemed that the walls of remorse and guilt were closing in on her.

Their words to and from each other were reverberating loudly in her head as she
could clearly see the hurt in the emerald green eyes of her lover. She wrapped
her arms around her stomach as each agonizing second of the fight repeated
endlessly in her mind like a mantra.

'Don't know why I saved you from killing yourself. Maybe you should have just
died!'

'At least my father didn't leave me alone!'

'At least I *had* a father!'

"Why...why do we fight like this?" she asked herself.

Silence met her question as she spoke to the empty air. Her body ached with a
fervent need for her blond lover, while her mind kept asking herself why she
had hurt the blond like no other. They had had their share of squabbles, spats
and occasional fights, but nothing like this. Ever since the blond's arrival,
there had always been a strange tension between the two of them.

Berating herself for blaming her troubles on the slim blond girl, she tried to
find a way to justify their fight, but knew deep down that there was no true
justification for the harsh words she had said to Haruka. Haruka deserved much
more than that.

In her hand, the handle of the wakizashi trembled as she tried to fight the
surge of feelings that arose within her, creating a maelstrom of self-loathing
within her.

The wakizashi slipped from her hands.

* * * * *

Parry, block, spin, slash, parry, lunge, step back, parry, slash.

The cycle continued as she defended herself from a second wave that she had not
been expecting. Fatigue was heavy upon her as she desperately tried to save the
town from the invasion. She could see the Fukushima clan's crest shining on the
enemy's gi and she knew that she could not lose, could not bring shame upon her
family's name by being defeated by the Fukushima clan. Never. *NEVER* would she
admit defeat to the Fukushima; so long as she lived, breathed and could swing
the katana, she would continue fighting to destroy and obliterate the accursed
clan that ruthlessly burned her family, her home and her town to the ground,
leaving behind nothing but charred ruins of her childhood.

Unseeing blue eyes continued the endless parade of death, not realizing that
many of the men around her that had been her allies were falling dead next to
her. She saw nothing but the enemy, smelled nothing but blood and death and
heard only the shriek and screech of metal on metal. It was like a rush for her
to be immersed in the euphoric rush of battle. Walking that razor sharp edge
between life and death, making her senses heighten with the experience. She
thrived on it, manipulated it to bring death to those who stood against her. It
was her strength.

Just then, the battle took an unexpected turn. The Shogunate were attacking! In
a desperate attempt to fend off two enemies, she found herself being swamped by
men clad in black. It was at that moment that the Fukushima clan fled, and she
slipped unnoticed from the battlegrounds, praying fervently that the Shogunate
samurai would not come after her.

Exhausted, weary of life and with the adrenaline ebbing away, she had barely
reserved enough strength to make the long walk back to her home. Upon her weary
mind, another memory saw it fit to remind her of her failure. It was strangely
deja vu for the young warrior at that moment.

* * * * *

[***1510, Kamakura, Japan. Kanagawa Prefecture.***]

A cold wind blew around her as I stole silently from the room. There was hardly
any time left before they would find me missing. I have to make sure that I can
escape with my life.

Bare feet made no sound as I descended to the basement warehouse. I knew that
all of the belongings that had been confisgated from me upon my arrival here
was stored in this basement. 'A year of torture,' I mused silently. 'But not
too unpleasant.'

Seeing the opportunity as the guard turned his back, I dashed and jumped upon
him, easily disabling him. I stole into the room and surely, found my gi,
hakama and my daisho sitting in a crate. Discarding my kimono, I hastily
changed into my old clothes, pushed the daisho into my obi and snatched the
small bundle of my possessions before I ran out of the room. In minutes, I was
outside and out of the front gates.

I looked back at the large mansion for the last time. I could not let them find
me. Even though I would be leaving them behind, I had a promise to fulfill.
What more could I do there when my presence was unwelcome? I could do no more
for him than I could for my friend or my former lover. There was nothing left
here for me. I had to move on.

'I'm sorry koishii...Minako...Ami...Sumimasen.'

The cold wind harshly blew my tears away, and I trudged down the path, leaving
behind the Kamakura Mansion. Vague shouts of unrest could be heard as I entered
the forest, and I knew now that they had realized my absence. With great care
and hurry, I trekked my way through the forest before they could find me. There
would be no regret.

No regrets for me.

But why does it hurt so much?

* * * * *

The night was falling and the four occupants of the house silently worried for
their two missing companions. The garnet-eyed Setsuna served the dinner, but
for Michiru and Rei, they could not help but think about their lovers. Haruka
had run off earlier that day and Usagi had been gone since dawn. The Shogunate
had arrived in the middle of the battle to fend off of the Fukushima clan, and
then Usagi had not arrived home. The battle had been over long ago, and Usagi
was still not home. It worried Rei greatly.

Michiru was praying silently that Haruka would be able to make it home without
trouble. The tall blond usually had a habit of attracting trouble. Sometimes,
she wondered how Haruka could manage to walk around town without getting into a
fight. It was mystifying as to why Haruka was so feared in Kyoto, but she let
the matter rest. It seemed that her lover's past was something that she was too
reluctant to share.

Makoto watched her friend carefully, seeing the amethyst eyes tinged with worry
and frustration. The four of them ate silently, hoping that at least one of the
two would reach home soon. Setsuna worried silently over Michiru and Rei; with
Usagi and Haruka missing, the two seemed to be withdrawing from the rest of
them and it worried her. She held great concern for Usagi, someone who needed
the warmth and security of love desperately in her life.

An eerie feeling came over her, as if there was someone or something that was
approaching them. Pushing the notion aside, she too ate silently and watched
the two worrying lovers with a careful eye.

Just then, Haruka came striding into the house, her emerald green eyes deep
with emotions. "Haruka!"

"Where have you been?" Setsuna asked, worry tinting her usual calm voice.

"I was out thinking," Haruka replied evasively. "I just needed some time for
myself, that's all."

"We were worried about you," Makoto said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Well, at
least one of you is home safely."

"What? Where's Usagi? Didn't she come back? I was talking with her and she sent
me back..." Haruka trailed off.

Rei stood up and declared, "I'm going to go look for her."

"Rei, it's dangerous," Makoto protested. "Usagi can take care of herself, and
you know that we don't venture out during the night."

"I don't care!" Rei snapped. "I'm going!"

The ebony haired girl stormed off, leaving a worried and frustrated Makoto, a
relieved yet timid Michiru, and two women who were confused but chose not to
comment. The feelings that Rei harbored for the lithe blond was not a secret,
but with Usagi's reserved manner, it was hard to figure out whether Usagi could
truly open up at all.

Sighing, they all returned to their meal, with Haruka taking a serving from the
kitchen and sitting down at the seat that Rei had previously occupied.

* * * * *

"So...I've found you at last."

* * * * *

After dinner, Haruka and Michiru were both sitting in their shared room, the
tension thick in the air. Makoto and Setsuna also retired to their room, both
of them realizing the need for the pair to have privacy.

"Haruka..."

"I'm so sorry," Michiru whispered softly. "I shouldn't have said what I said,
and it was completely uncalled for. I know I've hurt you Ruka, and it hurts me
to know that I'm capable of hurting someone else like..."

"Hush," Haruka interrupted. "I know what you're going to say, but don't ever
compare yourself to him. I'm not blameless either, Michi. I've said things to
hurt you too, and for that, I'm sorry. It was unnecessary and out of line. It
is I who should be asking for forgiveness."

"Ruka..." Michiru murmured reverently.

"Michi..."

Their lips met in a passionate kiss, and the slender hands of the smaller
Michiru caressed the exposed skin of Haruka. Haruka's arms pulled her lover
close, as if it would bring the woman closer to her heart. Time passed by them
as they locked themselves in the moment of their love, knowing that nothing
would get in between their love.

Nothing.

Haruka pulled away from the kiss, and briefly flashed a smile before untying
the bow that was at the back of Michiru's kimono. The material had become oddly
stifling for the smaller woman, and Haruka knew it. Michiru's hands untied the
obi of Haruka's wardrobe as well. Their passion was mounting and with each
passing moment, their hands worked faster to remove each other's clothes, their
lips meeting again and again in quick kisses.

Michiru pushed Haruka onto the futon and straddled the taller woman's waist,
the contact of flesh against flesh sending an electric thrill through them. A
husky groan escaped Haruka. Calloused hands caressed the swell of Michiru's
breasts and the aqua-haired woman moaned in ecstasy. Their hands traveled down
the miles of smooth flesh and felt their nerves jump at the touch.

"Michi..."

Slender digits trailed up of Haruka's skin and teased the soft tips of her
nipples to hard pebbles, all the while Michiru's lips were placing feather like
kisses along Haruka's neck. Haruka arched into the touch, which also made her
mound press into Michiru's. The unexpected contact sent another bolt of white
hot pleasure through their veins. Michiru moaned and lightly bit into the pale
skin of her lover.

Their unified harsh breaths echoed in the small room as they made love to each
other, unaware of the dangers that lurked around them. As they reached the
ultimate pinnacle together, crying out each other's name, the crows cawed
outside.

* * * * *

Concern and panic were etched into the beautiful visage as she walked around
the town, calling the name that rolled from her tongue. "Usagi! Usagi!"

"Dammit, where can she be?!" Rei hissed.

She walked past the mouth of an alley, looking around for any signs of her
slender blond lover. When the dim light caught a shiny object, it caught her
eye and she turned to find the edge of a katana protruding from somewhere in
the alley.

With great care and caution, she stepped towards the alley and called, "Who's
there?"

"R-Rei?" a weak voice called.

"Usagi!" Rei gasped.

Squinting to see in the darkness, she found the blond huddled against the wall,
looking tired and very weak. She immediately knelt down to help Usagi onto her
feet.

"We were worried about you," Rei said softly, but harshly. "When you didn't
come back, I came out to look for you."

"I'm sorry..." Usagi whispered hoarsely.

Rei slung one of Usagi's arms over her own shoulders and began to slowly aid
Usagi on their trek home. Usagi limped as she walked, refusing to use Rei as a
support. Berating the blond on having common courtesy to warn them next time if
she would be leaving, they made their way back to the house.

The two of them looked up to find a figure standing there. Usagi, too tired to
care, had her head down as she was being forcibly supported by Rei.

"Hello Matokori-san. It's been a long time," the figure murmured.

At this, Usagi's head snapped up, her blue eyes widened for a fraction before
settling back into their distant, guarded prussian blue. Tension sang through
the blond's veins as she took in the elfin features of the figure. Blue eyes,
blue hair and a cold smile upon the stranger's lips. Confused as to who this
person was, Rei wisely chose to remain silent.

"Hello Ami."

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Author's Notes:

Another chapter down. It's not as the previous chapter, but it's still an okay
chapter, right? ^_^ For the Haruka/Michiru fans, rejoice, for the lemon belongs
to them. :) I've been looking for an excuse to write a Haruka/Michiru lemon,
and although it's pretty devoid of many details, I'm going to remind you that
this is during the 1500s, where yuri or shoujo-ai relationships were not:
a) Documented or accepted
b) Very rare
So, it would be unlikely that they would really know what they were doing. I
know, it sounds like a lame-ass excuse, but it's just that with all of those
really clichéd lemons out there, I couldn't write this one without letting it
become another cliché lemon. However, I will write an interlude that will show
an elongated and detailed version of that lemon scene as a peace offering. :)

Look who's back! ^_^ I told you that Ami's not dead. Muwahahahahaha! Okay, uh,
sorry about that. Anyways, the next chapter will also be a lemon that belongs
to Mamoru/Usagi and Rei/Usagi. Mind you, flashbacks are coming more and more
now because Usagi's being haunted much more by her past now. For all of those
Mamoru/Usagi fans, this is a peace offering, so don't kill me. As for the
lovely Rei/Usagi fans, this is your time to rejoice, because their lemon scene
will be quite lengthy. Why? Because I like this couple better. ^_^ (H/M fans, I
already made a promise!! -_-)

Reviews and comments are nice. :) But I'm not demanding them. I don't mind, and
tremendous thanks to all reviewers. School's coming up, so Chapter 8 might be
very very late. -_-; That was the reason for my rush to publish Chapter 7. I
have no clue as to when I will be writing again, so this is my way of leaving
you on a cliffhanger while I go back to school. Just don't call me evil, 'cause
I'm not.

Special thanks to Byakko Rei for her review. You're the reason why I started to
write Rei/Usagi in the first place! ^_^ Now look what you've made me do! :P
(just kidding. Thanks. Really. ^_^)

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

1st draft: Completed. (08.29.2002)

TRANSLATION:

kimono - A garment worn by both men and women in Japan.
okashira - Leader (ie./ Aoshi is the okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, the "leader"
of the Oniwabanshuu.)
hai - Yes, yeah.
-san - A polite term to address strangers or people higher in rank than you are.
-sama - An extremely polite term used to those higher in rank.
gomen nasai - "I'm sorry" An apology term.
daisho - A term used to describe the set of swords, consisting of the long
sword (called a daito) and the short sword (called a shoto).
wakizachi - The short sword of the daisho combination. It is shorter than the
katana and is used during an indoor battle due to the excessive
length of the katana.
sumimasen - "I'm very sorry" or "Excuse me". A very polite term of apologizing
or gaining the attention of another person.


Resources:

http://home.austin.rr.com/scajapa n/HISTORY.HTM
http://victorian.fortunecity.com/duchamp/410/shogun.html< br> http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/glossary.htm