Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Lord of Darkness ❯ A Startling Discovery, Part 1 ( Chapter 14 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Shizuka Kaze 
The other's learn an interesting fact about Rei - a fact that will change all of their lives.
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.18.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 758 | Status: Completed
The other's learn an interesting fact about Rei - a fact that will change all of their lives.
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.18.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 758 | Status: Completed
Lord of Darkness
Chapter 14
A Startling Discovery, Part One
_____________________
Yeah, I _finally_ got around to updating this story again. I'm so sorry to all my faithful readers who had to wait so long
for an update, but I was busy. All of you who have suffered through Senior Year with AP Calculus, AP Physics, AP Government,
AP English, and incompetent teachers know what I'm talking about.
Not to mention tests and finals. But since you're all so great, I'll release you from my ramblings and let this begin.
Oh, and one more thing.
To all Sere/Endy fans: Yes, there will be some romance scenes, but it will build up gradually, some in each update, but chances are that I won't spend an entire chapter on them.
' ' - Thoughts
This chapter is dedicated to Rei fans.
Most characters will make an appearance, but in this one, Rei is in the spotlight. It will mostly told from her perspective.
____________________
Lord of Darkness
Chapter 14
A Startling Discovery, Part One
____________________
Rei looked up from where she had dozed to see the chamber door open slowly. A quick check told her that it was just past Dawn, still too early for anybody to be awake.
'But I guess it's obvious that _he'd_ be awake.'
She thought wryly as she recognized Kunzite. The silver-haired man hesitated a bit in the doorway, but his anxiety overcame his cautiousness as he stepped next to his third-in-command. His voice was lower, more desperate, than Rei had ever heard.
"How is she?"
The blue-haired healer made no sign that she'd heard him, and Rei was startled to see that her eyes were closed.
'Poor thing, I guess that healing cost her more energy than she let on.'
Her violet orbs re-directed their eagle-sharp gaze onto that hated head of white hair and muscular form. She had never imagined that she could loathe anyone with such a passion, but at that moment, she would have cheerfully strangled him. She despised him, from his cape - the sign of his status - down to every strand of hair that graced his unshaved chin. Zoicite¡¯s soft voice brought her back from her happy fantasy of tearing the First General limb from limb.
¡°Much better. She should be awake soon. But I¡¯d recommend a few more days of bed rest.¡±
Something akin to relief and love flittered across his usual emotionless steel eyes as he gazed upon the sleeping girl, but it left as quickly as it had come, causing Rei to wonder if she¡¯d imagined it. She stood up quickly as Kunzite made a motion of stepping closer to Minako. Her voice was low and dangerous, colder than Ami¡¯s ice cubes.
¡°General, if you should take one more step forward, I¡¯ll have no choice but follow through with my warning.¡±
And her flashing violet eyes told everyone present that she indeed would try to roast him. Kunzite stared at her for a moment, subtly probing the anger in her aura. A second later, he inclined his head. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t protect himself, but Rei was volatile when she was angry, not to mention the fact that Minako, no matter how weak and broken her spirit was, would blame herself if any harm came to her best friend on her behalf, and he certainly had no desire to witness another mental breakdown. Besides, as the princess¡¯s friend and servant for fourteen years, Rei had more right to make such a demand than he would ever have.
A soft rustling of robes alerted Rei that the healer had awakened due to the noise. Ami stretched lightly, rubbing her eyes. Her features showed no surprise to see Kunzite standing there, with Rei facing him, her fists clenched at her sides. Her calm voice broke their staring contest.
"Kunzite, she should be awake soon, and I'm certain that she'll be ravenous when she wakes up. Please inform Serenity and Endymion, should they be awake, that they may see Minako if they wish, and entreat Makoto to prepare these foods for her."
She quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper, and handed it to the First General who scanned it with a raised eyebrow.
"Shouldn't she have more solid nourishments? Half the stuff here are liquids!"
Ami shrugged her slender shoulder lightly.
"She hasn't eaten for roughly the past two days. If she takes in too much solid food, her stomach won't have time to adjust. She'll get even worse. We have to gradually build up her immune system."
Kunzite raised an eyebrow.
"It's been only two days."
Rei glared at him.
"That's two days - six meals - too many, in case you hadn't realized, General."
Her voice was close to a snarl, putting special emphasis on the word 'General', reminding Kunzite of the difference in status between him and Minako.
Not a single muscle twitched in the First General's face as he faced the angry girl - woman - in front of him. He bowed, his voice mocking, though his expression still remained blank.
"Of course, Lady Rei. How could I ever dare to question your and Lady Ami's judgment? Since you are so experienced, would you mind to peruse this" he waved the sheet in her face, "and add your suggestions? I could take over your duty watching over Mina-chan."
Rei's snarl grew in intensity, almost to an inhuman level. Zoicite unintentionally tensed, his muscles taut. Something's was very wrong with Rei. The rage seemed to be rolling of her body in submerging waves, but there was something else, something with a feeling of foreboding that he could not place - and did not like. Kunzite took a step back as he
noticed that Rei's eye color had changed. Instead of the flashing purple, they were an endless black. With a feral growl, she lunged for Kunzite's throat, only to be thrown back by an invisible shield. The moment the First General had felt the darkness in her, he'd constructed a force field around the other occupants in the room, quickly knowing without thinking that
Rei was unstoppable. However, now as he stared at her crumbled form lying limply on the ground, her shoulders shaking with barely suppressed sobs, he wondered if he had acted too harshly. Slowly, the released the force field.
"Lady Rei?"
The young woman made no sign that she'd heard, her bangs effectively shielding her features. At last, she sighed, and stood, still not facing them.
"Forgive me. It won't happen again. Please, do not speak to Minako about this; I know she will be worried. I need to go and talk to Nephrite. If Mina's condition changes, please notify me immediately."
Her voice was choked, though the last request came out as crisp and as sharp as ever. Ignoring the curious, if somewhat bewildered, stares she was receiving, Rei wordlessly swept out of the room, her movements unusually heavy. Ami watched her retreating back with a concerned look as the dark-haired girl nearly ran into a wall. A sigh escaped her lips as Rei rounded a corner and was gone from sight. She turned to Kunzite, asking him once again to see Makoto. This time, the General left without any protests.
______________________________
Rei groaned, massaging a throbbing temple. She could feel a massive headache coming, and the 'transformation' just a moment ago certainly did not help matters. She leaned against one of the marble walls, her hand quickly grasping the pretty necklace - a present from her mother on her twelfth birthday - as a wave of nausea hit her. The brilliant amethyst, the centerpiece of the necklace, was comfortingly cool in against her burning palm as she felt her vision go black. Her eyes slid close, her lips silently forming the words from an ancient prayer of the great Battle Lord:
"Oh, great God of War, glorious, magnificent Ares,
forefather of my soul. Hear your child in her time of need.
O, Ares, give me your strength and your unbending will
Allow me to conquer myself, with your divine help.
The darkness consumes my heart, banish it with your words,
The evilness fills my mind, destroy it with one stroke!
Purify this maiden, your obedient child and priestess,
the humble servant of your temple, hear her plea."
The amethyst glowed a vibrant violet, coloring the air around her, cackling with energy. A startled cry escaped her mouth as a streak of purple energy melted sharply into her body. She fell to her knees, both arms clutching her stomach,
fighting for every breath as she felt something tearing at her insides. She gritted her teeth, determined to make no sound, to let the princess rest in peace. The energy around her formed into arrows, piercing her body all at once. Though there was no physical evidence, Rei felt as if she'd been hit dead-on. Throwing back her head, she let the screams of agony pour forth,
no longer able to hold them back. The walls echoed with her painful cries, permeating every hidden crevices of the palace.
And in Minako's room, two people cast worried glances at each other, still watching silently over the sleeping princess.
________________________
Jadeite cursed Kunzite silently, furious at the First General for playing with Minako's heart so lightly. His brow
furrowed at he slowly walked toward the North Wing. He had know Kunzite since they were little kids, and he held a healthy dose respect for the older man, but for some reason, he just couldn't envision the silver-haired man as a playboy. What was that about Minako that changed him so much? The rest of them, himself included, had changed for the better ever since she accepted Endymion's proposal to become a General.
His thoughts were cut short as a bone chilling scream ran out. Jadeite felt his heart freeze; he¡¯d knew that voice anywhere.
'Rei!'
Had he been thinking coherently, he would have been astounded with the speed he moved. Something inside him, something primal, an hidden instinct, told him to protect the girl at all cost, even if it meant losing his life. And Jadeite, unable to resist its call, answered. As he ran, he swore to do unspeakable horrors to the one responsible for the soul-rending screams that tore at his heart.
He skidded around a corner just in time to see Rei utter one last despairing cry before falling to the ground, her raven hair spilling beneath her head: the epitome of tragic beauty. He knelt by her side, gently shaking her unresponsive body. Her head rolled from side to side, causing Jadeite to panic.
"Rei, wake-up!"
'If Kunzite finds me like that, he'll think I hurt her, and ... I'd hate to think of the result.' He thought frantically, almost believing it, too. The hurried pounding of footsteps barely registered in his mind as he held Rei, not knowing what to do, but refusing to just leave her. A barely audible gasp made his head shot up faster than sound could travel.
Serenity stood there, a hasty robe thrown over her slender shoulders, a small hand covering her mouth, her expressive
blue eyes especially brilliant in her pale face. A dark portal shimmered into existence behind her, and Endymion stepped out with Nephrite. The Dark Princes froze in mid-stride, and an audible sharp intake of breath could be heard from Nephrite.
Endymion raised an eyebrow.
"What happened here?"
Jadeite only shrugged, his eyes still not leaving Rei's face. A cry caused everyone's head to snap toward the end of the hallway. Minako, supported lightly by Ami, was walking toward them, looking much healthier, if still somewhat weak. Serenity looked thunderstruck.
"When did you get out of bed, Mina-hime?"
Everyone gaped at her, surprised that she had, seemingly, popped out of nowhere. Nephrite blinked.
"Did you just appear out of the earth, or what?"
Minako shook her head, walking towards Rei's prone form.
"Rei-chan's screams woke me up."
Jadeite glared at her, and what he saw in her face made him furious, and he lashed out at her.
"Aren't you even the slightest bit worried that Lady Rei is like this while no one here has the a damn clue as to
what happened to her?"
Minako's eyes held Jadeite's blazing azure ones steadily.
"Yes, I am worried."
She stated matter-of-factly, with an air of calmness that only infuriated Jadeite more.
"But there's is no way I can help Rei by losing my head. Yet, I believe I know what may happened here. Ami, did Rei ... act very violent the last time you saw her? You said that she left just before I woke up, so you probably were the last person to see her."
Ami nodded, suppressing a shudder as she remembered how Rei had tried to literally kill Kunzite.
"She looked like she truly wanted to murder Kunzite, and her appearance had dramatically changes. Her eyes were a deep black, and her anger had hints of darkness in it. When she attacked us, she was aiming for Kunzite's throat."
Minako nodded quietly, and Ami heard a soft mutter
"I really can't blame her for wanting to kill him."
The princess knelt next to Rei, and ordered Jadeite without words to release her. The blonde general refused. Minako shot him a purely impassionate look and stated with an air of one commenting on the weather,
"General, do you realize what would happen to you if Rei woke up and found your hands all over her?"
Jadeite blushed scarlet, stammering protests, but Minako's words had the desired effect. He let go of Rei in an automatic reaction to explain that he had merely hoped to help the raven-haired girl. Ami gasped, and Minako's arm shot out faster than thought, catching Rei's head before it hit the ground.
"Hmph, Rei dear, when you wake up, I'll have no choice but to put you on a diet. Oh, and Jadeite, I told you to release her, not to drop her unceremoniously on the ground. You wouldn't want her to awake and then strangle you for giving her a massive headache and a lump, would you?"
Without waiting for a response, she motioned for them to move back. Closing her eyes, her hand passed lightly over Rei¡¯s body, golden light flowing from her fingertips. After a moment, Minako removed her hand, her brow furrowed.
"As I thought."
She did not explain her words, but slowly stood up, still in deep thought.
"Endymion, please call Kunzite and Makoto immediately. My room is the closest, so Jadeite, take Rei and move her there. Tell Makoto to bring a bowl of water scented with lavender, rosemary, and jasmine, as well salt, walnut pounded into a fine powder, and raw chicken stomach, ten of them. Ami, I'll need poppy juice, pine needles, and spinal cord of a rattlesnake, the needles of a hedgehog, and the fangs of a cobra, all grounded to fine powder. Also bring the petals and roots of black roses, as well as the leaves of the moonlight herb."
Ami had listened with increasing horror.
"But Minako, almost everything you just named is poisonous!"
"But do you have them?"
"Well, yes, I do, but..."
"Rei is having vision from the greatest priestess ever, the first priestess who served Ares, a lady long dead, but she was incredibly powerful. It was foretold that the girl able to have visions ¨C if she survived, of course ¨C would bring great changes to the world, and save more than this universe¡¯s whole population."
No one spoke after that, trying to silently absorb what Minako just told them. An impatient
"Well, what are you guys waiting for? Get moving, already, unless you would like her to die!"
set everyone in motion. Even Endymion, the crown prince, complied with Minako's orders. Ami sighed softly. Minako was finally well again, and now it was time to save Rei's life.
************************************
Okay, I divided this into parts since I didn't want to overwhelm you with too much reading, and I'm sorry that Jadeite didn't quite yet reveal what he wanted to talk to Rei about. However, it will be revealed before 'A Startling Discovery' is over. Sorry if it seems a little out of the blue for now, I promise it will have reverance in the end.
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See this pretty box, here? Click on the 'Go' button next to it, and leave me a review, 'kay?
Chapter 14
A Startling Discovery, Part One
_____________________
Yeah, I _finally_ got around to updating this story again. I'm so sorry to all my faithful readers who had to wait so long
for an update, but I was busy. All of you who have suffered through Senior Year with AP Calculus, AP Physics, AP Government,
AP English, and incompetent teachers know what I'm talking about.
Not to mention tests and finals. But since you're all so great, I'll release you from my ramblings and let this begin.
Oh, and one more thing.
To all Sere/Endy fans: Yes, there will be some romance scenes, but it will build up gradually, some in each update, but chances are that I won't spend an entire chapter on them.
' ' - Thoughts
This chapter is dedicated to Rei fans.
Most characters will make an appearance, but in this one, Rei is in the spotlight. It will mostly told from her perspective.
____________________
Lord of Darkness
Chapter 14
A Startling Discovery, Part One
____________________
Rei looked up from where she had dozed to see the chamber door open slowly. A quick check told her that it was just past Dawn, still too early for anybody to be awake.
'But I guess it's obvious that _he'd_ be awake.'
She thought wryly as she recognized Kunzite. The silver-haired man hesitated a bit in the doorway, but his anxiety overcame his cautiousness as he stepped next to his third-in-command. His voice was lower, more desperate, than Rei had ever heard.
"How is she?"
The blue-haired healer made no sign that she'd heard him, and Rei was startled to see that her eyes were closed.
'Poor thing, I guess that healing cost her more energy than she let on.'
Her violet orbs re-directed their eagle-sharp gaze onto that hated head of white hair and muscular form. She had never imagined that she could loathe anyone with such a passion, but at that moment, she would have cheerfully strangled him. She despised him, from his cape - the sign of his status - down to every strand of hair that graced his unshaved chin. Zoicite¡¯s soft voice brought her back from her happy fantasy of tearing the First General limb from limb.
¡°Much better. She should be awake soon. But I¡¯d recommend a few more days of bed rest.¡±
Something akin to relief and love flittered across his usual emotionless steel eyes as he gazed upon the sleeping girl, but it left as quickly as it had come, causing Rei to wonder if she¡¯d imagined it. She stood up quickly as Kunzite made a motion of stepping closer to Minako. Her voice was low and dangerous, colder than Ami¡¯s ice cubes.
¡°General, if you should take one more step forward, I¡¯ll have no choice but follow through with my warning.¡±
And her flashing violet eyes told everyone present that she indeed would try to roast him. Kunzite stared at her for a moment, subtly probing the anger in her aura. A second later, he inclined his head. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t protect himself, but Rei was volatile when she was angry, not to mention the fact that Minako, no matter how weak and broken her spirit was, would blame herself if any harm came to her best friend on her behalf, and he certainly had no desire to witness another mental breakdown. Besides, as the princess¡¯s friend and servant for fourteen years, Rei had more right to make such a demand than he would ever have.
A soft rustling of robes alerted Rei that the healer had awakened due to the noise. Ami stretched lightly, rubbing her eyes. Her features showed no surprise to see Kunzite standing there, with Rei facing him, her fists clenched at her sides. Her calm voice broke their staring contest.
"Kunzite, she should be awake soon, and I'm certain that she'll be ravenous when she wakes up. Please inform Serenity and Endymion, should they be awake, that they may see Minako if they wish, and entreat Makoto to prepare these foods for her."
She quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper, and handed it to the First General who scanned it with a raised eyebrow.
"Shouldn't she have more solid nourishments? Half the stuff here are liquids!"
Ami shrugged her slender shoulder lightly.
"She hasn't eaten for roughly the past two days. If she takes in too much solid food, her stomach won't have time to adjust. She'll get even worse. We have to gradually build up her immune system."
Kunzite raised an eyebrow.
"It's been only two days."
Rei glared at him.
"That's two days - six meals - too many, in case you hadn't realized, General."
Her voice was close to a snarl, putting special emphasis on the word 'General', reminding Kunzite of the difference in status between him and Minako.
Not a single muscle twitched in the First General's face as he faced the angry girl - woman - in front of him. He bowed, his voice mocking, though his expression still remained blank.
"Of course, Lady Rei. How could I ever dare to question your and Lady Ami's judgment? Since you are so experienced, would you mind to peruse this" he waved the sheet in her face, "and add your suggestions? I could take over your duty watching over Mina-chan."
Rei's snarl grew in intensity, almost to an inhuman level. Zoicite unintentionally tensed, his muscles taut. Something's was very wrong with Rei. The rage seemed to be rolling of her body in submerging waves, but there was something else, something with a feeling of foreboding that he could not place - and did not like. Kunzite took a step back as he
noticed that Rei's eye color had changed. Instead of the flashing purple, they were an endless black. With a feral growl, she lunged for Kunzite's throat, only to be thrown back by an invisible shield. The moment the First General had felt the darkness in her, he'd constructed a force field around the other occupants in the room, quickly knowing without thinking that
Rei was unstoppable. However, now as he stared at her crumbled form lying limply on the ground, her shoulders shaking with barely suppressed sobs, he wondered if he had acted too harshly. Slowly, the released the force field.
"Lady Rei?"
The young woman made no sign that she'd heard, her bangs effectively shielding her features. At last, she sighed, and stood, still not facing them.
"Forgive me. It won't happen again. Please, do not speak to Minako about this; I know she will be worried. I need to go and talk to Nephrite. If Mina's condition changes, please notify me immediately."
Her voice was choked, though the last request came out as crisp and as sharp as ever. Ignoring the curious, if somewhat bewildered, stares she was receiving, Rei wordlessly swept out of the room, her movements unusually heavy. Ami watched her retreating back with a concerned look as the dark-haired girl nearly ran into a wall. A sigh escaped her lips as Rei rounded a corner and was gone from sight. She turned to Kunzite, asking him once again to see Makoto. This time, the General left without any protests.
______________________________
Rei groaned, massaging a throbbing temple. She could feel a massive headache coming, and the 'transformation' just a moment ago certainly did not help matters. She leaned against one of the marble walls, her hand quickly grasping the pretty necklace - a present from her mother on her twelfth birthday - as a wave of nausea hit her. The brilliant amethyst, the centerpiece of the necklace, was comfortingly cool in against her burning palm as she felt her vision go black. Her eyes slid close, her lips silently forming the words from an ancient prayer of the great Battle Lord:
"Oh, great God of War, glorious, magnificent Ares,
forefather of my soul. Hear your child in her time of need.
O, Ares, give me your strength and your unbending will
Allow me to conquer myself, with your divine help.
The darkness consumes my heart, banish it with your words,
The evilness fills my mind, destroy it with one stroke!
Purify this maiden, your obedient child and priestess,
the humble servant of your temple, hear her plea."
The amethyst glowed a vibrant violet, coloring the air around her, cackling with energy. A startled cry escaped her mouth as a streak of purple energy melted sharply into her body. She fell to her knees, both arms clutching her stomach,
fighting for every breath as she felt something tearing at her insides. She gritted her teeth, determined to make no sound, to let the princess rest in peace. The energy around her formed into arrows, piercing her body all at once. Though there was no physical evidence, Rei felt as if she'd been hit dead-on. Throwing back her head, she let the screams of agony pour forth,
no longer able to hold them back. The walls echoed with her painful cries, permeating every hidden crevices of the palace.
And in Minako's room, two people cast worried glances at each other, still watching silently over the sleeping princess.
________________________
Jadeite cursed Kunzite silently, furious at the First General for playing with Minako's heart so lightly. His brow
furrowed at he slowly walked toward the North Wing. He had know Kunzite since they were little kids, and he held a healthy dose respect for the older man, but for some reason, he just couldn't envision the silver-haired man as a playboy. What was that about Minako that changed him so much? The rest of them, himself included, had changed for the better ever since she accepted Endymion's proposal to become a General.
His thoughts were cut short as a bone chilling scream ran out. Jadeite felt his heart freeze; he¡¯d knew that voice anywhere.
'Rei!'
Had he been thinking coherently, he would have been astounded with the speed he moved. Something inside him, something primal, an hidden instinct, told him to protect the girl at all cost, even if it meant losing his life. And Jadeite, unable to resist its call, answered. As he ran, he swore to do unspeakable horrors to the one responsible for the soul-rending screams that tore at his heart.
He skidded around a corner just in time to see Rei utter one last despairing cry before falling to the ground, her raven hair spilling beneath her head: the epitome of tragic beauty. He knelt by her side, gently shaking her unresponsive body. Her head rolled from side to side, causing Jadeite to panic.
"Rei, wake-up!"
'If Kunzite finds me like that, he'll think I hurt her, and ... I'd hate to think of the result.' He thought frantically, almost believing it, too. The hurried pounding of footsteps barely registered in his mind as he held Rei, not knowing what to do, but refusing to just leave her. A barely audible gasp made his head shot up faster than sound could travel.
Serenity stood there, a hasty robe thrown over her slender shoulders, a small hand covering her mouth, her expressive
blue eyes especially brilliant in her pale face. A dark portal shimmered into existence behind her, and Endymion stepped out with Nephrite. The Dark Princes froze in mid-stride, and an audible sharp intake of breath could be heard from Nephrite.
Endymion raised an eyebrow.
"What happened here?"
Jadeite only shrugged, his eyes still not leaving Rei's face. A cry caused everyone's head to snap toward the end of the hallway. Minako, supported lightly by Ami, was walking toward them, looking much healthier, if still somewhat weak. Serenity looked thunderstruck.
"When did you get out of bed, Mina-hime?"
Everyone gaped at her, surprised that she had, seemingly, popped out of nowhere. Nephrite blinked.
"Did you just appear out of the earth, or what?"
Minako shook her head, walking towards Rei's prone form.
"Rei-chan's screams woke me up."
Jadeite glared at her, and what he saw in her face made him furious, and he lashed out at her.
"Aren't you even the slightest bit worried that Lady Rei is like this while no one here has the a damn clue as to
what happened to her?"
Minako's eyes held Jadeite's blazing azure ones steadily.
"Yes, I am worried."
She stated matter-of-factly, with an air of calmness that only infuriated Jadeite more.
"But there's is no way I can help Rei by losing my head. Yet, I believe I know what may happened here. Ami, did Rei ... act very violent the last time you saw her? You said that she left just before I woke up, so you probably were the last person to see her."
Ami nodded, suppressing a shudder as she remembered how Rei had tried to literally kill Kunzite.
"She looked like she truly wanted to murder Kunzite, and her appearance had dramatically changes. Her eyes were a deep black, and her anger had hints of darkness in it. When she attacked us, she was aiming for Kunzite's throat."
Minako nodded quietly, and Ami heard a soft mutter
"I really can't blame her for wanting to kill him."
The princess knelt next to Rei, and ordered Jadeite without words to release her. The blonde general refused. Minako shot him a purely impassionate look and stated with an air of one commenting on the weather,
"General, do you realize what would happen to you if Rei woke up and found your hands all over her?"
Jadeite blushed scarlet, stammering protests, but Minako's words had the desired effect. He let go of Rei in an automatic reaction to explain that he had merely hoped to help the raven-haired girl. Ami gasped, and Minako's arm shot out faster than thought, catching Rei's head before it hit the ground.
"Hmph, Rei dear, when you wake up, I'll have no choice but to put you on a diet. Oh, and Jadeite, I told you to release her, not to drop her unceremoniously on the ground. You wouldn't want her to awake and then strangle you for giving her a massive headache and a lump, would you?"
Without waiting for a response, she motioned for them to move back. Closing her eyes, her hand passed lightly over Rei¡¯s body, golden light flowing from her fingertips. After a moment, Minako removed her hand, her brow furrowed.
"As I thought."
She did not explain her words, but slowly stood up, still in deep thought.
"Endymion, please call Kunzite and Makoto immediately. My room is the closest, so Jadeite, take Rei and move her there. Tell Makoto to bring a bowl of water scented with lavender, rosemary, and jasmine, as well salt, walnut pounded into a fine powder, and raw chicken stomach, ten of them. Ami, I'll need poppy juice, pine needles, and spinal cord of a rattlesnake, the needles of a hedgehog, and the fangs of a cobra, all grounded to fine powder. Also bring the petals and roots of black roses, as well as the leaves of the moonlight herb."
Ami had listened with increasing horror.
"But Minako, almost everything you just named is poisonous!"
"But do you have them?"
"Well, yes, I do, but..."
"Rei is having vision from the greatest priestess ever, the first priestess who served Ares, a lady long dead, but she was incredibly powerful. It was foretold that the girl able to have visions ¨C if she survived, of course ¨C would bring great changes to the world, and save more than this universe¡¯s whole population."
No one spoke after that, trying to silently absorb what Minako just told them. An impatient
"Well, what are you guys waiting for? Get moving, already, unless you would like her to die!"
set everyone in motion. Even Endymion, the crown prince, complied with Minako's orders. Ami sighed softly. Minako was finally well again, and now it was time to save Rei's life.
************************************
Okay, I divided this into parts since I didn't want to overwhelm you with too much reading, and I'm sorry that Jadeite didn't quite yet reveal what he wanted to talk to Rei about. However, it will be revealed before 'A Startling Discovery' is over. Sorry if it seems a little out of the blue for now, I promise it will have reverance in the end.
||
||
||
||
||
||
\/
See this pretty box, here? Click on the 'Go' button next to it, and leave me a review, 'kay?