Memories: The Phoenix's Fire ----------------------------- PartII Past, The Gardens of Mars… "Do not disturb me under any conditions, I would like to be by myself for a while." The Princess of Mars commended as she walked into the Garden gates, not even waiting for a reply. "And make sure that no one is to disturb me." Repeating her command to make sure they get exactly what she was saying, she closed the gates and walked into the gardens. Strolling alone, she glanced around smiling at the cherry blossoms, it was always so peaceful here she thought as she walked over to her favorite bench, I'm sure that when I get to the Moon Kingdom that this will be the thing I miss the most. She silently watched the petals fall, gliding in the air, and wondered what it was like to be free like that for a moment in time, no duty, no responsibilities, no destiny, but even the petal is destined to fall, and she sighed at the thought. Gently opening her palm to catch a falling petal, "I told you no one is to disturb me!" Turning, she shot a glare at the imposing presence, but gasped in surprise as she met blue-flaming eyes, flicker under the light of the Earth and the sun. Blinking, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming, but he seemed to be the mysterious men of the ball, the man of the shadows, the dream in the fire. "The betrayer." The words slipped out of her mouth as she looked to him, before she could stop herself from saying it. He looked hurt almost, but seemed confused as well. "I'm sorry to disturb you Princess, but I was wondering why you seemed so sad." Gasping in surprise, she looked at him, uncertain how he had known while everyone else had remained oblivious to how she had felt about her destiny. "What…what do you mean I'm sad, I am the Princess of Mars, I have no reason to be sad, why should I be?" She demanded, but the quiver in her voice gave little conviction to what she had said. He said nothing but stare at her, eyes quietly asking and probing, seemingly into her soul, but she refused to back down, proud as she was. "You have no need to lie to me Princess, no need to be strong." She gaped at him, what did he mean, but apart of her seemed to almost loosen its gripe around her. "Who are you?" She frowned. "I am of the shadows…call me Jade." Was all he replied, and the two silently watched each other, both curious, both probing and questioning, yet silence was their only answer, and silence their only question. Crystal Tokyo, The Palace… "Rei-chan, daijobu?" The silver-haired woman asked leaning over toward her violet-eyed friend. "Hai, hai, Usagi!" The woman replied, smiling almost nervously. "I'm quite well, just a little distracted that's all, being that the generals are around, you know, maybe I'd find my own prince in another few hundred years." The others joined in at the joke, a blue-haired woman, wearing silver-framed glasses, leaned over a blond haired man's shoulder and shook her head, smiling gently at her violet-eyed friend. "Rei-chan, no doubt Jadeite would be running to your arms in a day or two being that all the rest of the single or non-single male population in this city do have a knack for that liability whenever you are around." "That's true for all of you girls!" Zoisite said with convection as he mischievously grinned over at Ami, "I remembered the first time I saw Ami-chan, I nearly fell over, and I definitely forgotten I had a mouth to speak out of!" Ami blushed at the compliment. "Oh, but it certainly is true!" Zoisite said as he turned back to the rest of the group. "I don't think any man with eyes that could catch a glimpse of you guys can resist! I'm amazed the guards here don't volunteer to defend this castle-" All the girls blushed at this, but it was Minako who spoke this time. "They do." Zoisite acted perfectly calm at this new change in events, "All…" "Males." Makoto finished. "Uh-huh…" Zoisite said with a nod of his head and looked over to Ami, "They don't hit on you now do they Ami-chan?" His question was cool, but they could sense the jealousy there. "I've been away too long, I have to stake my claim on Ami-chan before…" "Claim?" All the girls screeched at the same time. "We are not property to be claimed!" They all voiced, Zoisite sheepishly waved his hand in front of him, trying to amend his statement, glancing over to Ami for help, but she just glared at him from behind her glasses, laughing nervously he quickly tried to regain his composer. "Girls, girls, you know what Zoi-chan meant!" Endymion quickly interrupted, before the senshi team could toasts his only general at the moment. "And please, his my only general so far, I'd like to keep him in one piece!" Minako was the first to back off and haul the other two to their seats, but it was Makoto who apologized, and Rei, well, Rei glared at Zoisite, but then changed her mind and let the little thing pass over, but she was the last to do so. Ami-chan will take care of him later, she thought with a grin, and settled back down more snuggly. A sudden memory struck her of a garden, filled with cherry blossoms and their petals floating before her, as the vast blackness stood overhead with distant stars and the blue earth, where she settled into a blond-haired man's arms and he had affectionately held her close to him, while the two whispered... Silver Millennium, Mars's Royal Garden… "Rei-chan, what is your favorite star?" The blond-haired man asked, smiling softly down at her, as he held her closer to his body. "I'm not sure, but the Earth do look so lovely from here." She smiled brightly up into the sky, as cheery blossom and their sweetly scented petals drifted by them, sighing she reached out a hand, as if to catch a star, but instead closed it around a drifting petal. "Where do you come from Jade-chan?" She asked softly, resting one palm on his jacket and looked to him curiously. "Perhaps I'll tell you another time." He said uneasily. Glaring up at him, she replied angrily, "When will you tell me anything about who you are? You show up at the palace one day, at my birthday party and then again in here when I asked to be alone, and you seek me out, and you make me-" She faltered, but then quickly regained composer. "You talk to me out of my shell and taught me to trust you, and yet you tell me nothing of who you are or why you're here! Don't you trust me?" She asked, a bewildered look shining in her eyes. "You make me want to tear my hair out in frustration so many times that…oh!" She pulled out of his embrace rather fiercely and stalked over to the nearest cherry blossom tree to regain control over her anger. "Rei-chan," He said gently as he laid a hand down on her shoulders when he reached her, and then wrapped his arms around her waist. "I came because you were so beautiful and so sad that I could not stay away, but I swore that I would not tell you who I was until the time was right, and that is not the time yet my love." He said gently as she turned to him, eyes flashing, but her expression softened as she saw the earnestness of his words. "And do you know what infuriates me even more?" She asked, as she pretended to glare at him, while she leaned closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. "That you always makes it so hard to hate you, and I can't ever seemed to stay mad at you at all!" He smiled and leaned forward, as her voice became breathless. "I can't seem to help myself, I just can't stay away..." She whispered a lull she had written long ago, as she closed her crimson eyes, and they kissed, softly the lull played unheard but to the two lovers, as the Earth shone bright overhead, while the cherry blossoms drifted by, and the stars said goodnight, "Jade-chan…" Present Time, Crystal Tokyo Palace… "Earth to Rei-chan, come in Rei-chan." Makoto said as she waved her hand in front of Rei's face, snapping her out of a memory. "Daijobu Rei-chan?" Minako asked as she leaned over the couch, unfortunately, she lost her balance in doing it and went flying over, one shoe hitting Rei on the head and then smacked Makoto in the face as it bounced, while Minako toppled over and landed on her butt on the other side of the couch, while two other senshis prepared to kill her. "Minako-chan!" Rei and Makoto yelled, while the rest of the group looked on with total helplessness. "So Rei-chan, any new developments?" A young man with brown hair and green eyes asked her, adoration shining in his eyes. She smiled wearily, why does this one have to look so much like Yui-chan? She pushed back the feeling of loneliness and shook her head sadly, as if a world disaster had just happened. "Afraid not Tano-san, no developments around here." Glancing at her watch she gasped in surprise. "Gomen nasai Tano-san, but I'm late for a meeting with a friend of mine. I'm sure you can take the rest of the day off after this last piece of paper work." She said, as she tossed back her shiny black-violet hair, and handed him a folder. "Sayonara Tano-san!" She said as she left the building, man, those guys are getting harder and harder to handle, in the old days they used to stay away from me because of my temper, but now it's almost like another magnate! She sighed, sometimes she wished she were an ugly and old crow, just so that the men would stay away from her and leave her alone for once, but then again, there was advantages, she thought deviously, as she strolled down the sidewalk of Crystal Tokyo in a brisk pace, since she was late for a meeting with Minako. Not that she really minded the attention she thought, as men and boys of all ages stop to watch her pass, I'm sure Minako enjoys this immensely, Rei thought with distress, and I used to, but now it's all just another distraction. She ignored all of the males she passed by, unfortunately, that only lead some of them to follow her like love struck pups, eww! Gross, she thought, they better not slobber all over me like the last time! Picking up her pace, she quickly rounded a corner and snuck into an alley, the dazed men walked by, confused to where she had disappeared to, when they were finally out of sight, she let out a sigh of relief and stepped out, only to have someone slam into her as she turned to go the other way. "Oof!" A male voice groaned, oh great, not another one! She thought as she glanced up and her mouth fell open. "Jad-Jadeite!" She cried in surprise, he in turn stared at her in disbelief. "How'd you know-" He began. "There she is!" They both glanced up to see approaching group of men, all staring adoringly at Rei. "Oh brother!" She said as she jumped up and pulled Jadeite to his feet, "We better ran! The last man who was seen with me was beaten to a bloody pulp, so I suggest we get out of here!" She nearly pulled his arm off as she dragged him running off in the other direction, he wasn't even sure he had a chance to set his feet on the ground before she rounded a corner and leaped up, her legs pushing them off the ground and where they both landed on the rooftop of a small building. Rei landed so gracefully that it seemed she had grown wings and floated to the ground, unfortunately for Jadeite, being that he was dragged all the way there in midair, landing gracefully was out of the question as he fell to his knees beside her. "Get down!" She whispered loudly to him and pushed both of them down onto the cemented floor, just as the mob rushed by. "Oof!" He said again as his face just got slammed into the hard ground. "I swear Rei-san that had it not been that I can take so much abuse from you being that I am a General and a High King, I'd have died by now!" He grumbled. "So you remember who you are then." She said with a glare, as she flipped her communicator on. "Minako-chan, I've got a case two over here, so shopping today would be difficult." She said. "Same here Rei-chan, but I can't believe how much you're getting it nowadays! It's like the third time this week already for you, isn't it?" "I don't need to be reminded Minako-chan." She growled through her teeth. "You know, sometimes I wish I was ugly so that men would stay away from me instead of chasing me all over the city. It keeps me in shape and all, but this is really starting to get old!" "Yeah, ditto! Rei-chan, by the way, daijobu, you seemed to be so distraught these days." The blond-haired girl on the other line looked up worriedly at her violet-eyed friend. "No, nothing's the matter, except that Jadeite got himself stuck up here with me for the day!" She said impatiently, then a scream pierced through the air. "Jadeite's there? Are you two going out yet? Is that why you're so starry eyed all the time? It must've been love! I knew it! It was how Ami-chan looked when she first met Zoi-chan again!" Minako babbled on while Rei got redder and redder on the other side, whether from anger or from embarrassment or both, but that did not stop the fire senshi from blowing up at the girl on the other side. "Minako-chan!" She screamed into the communicator, "What kind of idiot do you think I am? Why would I ever fall for my former enemy? I could never-" Her words were abruptly cut off as she was pulled to the ground with Jadeite's hand over her mouth. "Do you want the whole world to know we're here Rei-san?" He asked worriedly as he glanced around at the bottom of the building, praying that they didn't attract any attention, as well as not wanting to know the rest of her sentence. "Rei-chan! He is so cute!" Minako squeaked on the other line, not caring if the two were discovered. "If you don't want him, I'll claim this one!" "What happened to, 'I'll wait for Kunzite-chan forever!'?" Rei asked sarcastically, even as jealousy began to rise inside of her, but she ignored the feeling. "Oh, Kunzite-chan can wait, I've waited so long for him already, why can't he do the same?" Minako said defensively, "Anyway, you know what they say, 'where there's love, there's always more availability for dating others.'" Minako said with conviction, as Rei's face twitched slightly. "Minako-chan…" Rei said tiredly, as she sighed in exasperation, just as the door to the roof slammed open. "Remind me to thank you later, Minako-chan." Rei grumbled sardonically at her friend, realizing it was their loud conversation that had notified the mob to the roof of the building, "Meet me at the gates." And with that she threw her communicator into her jacket pocket and grabbed Jadeite's arm. "Come on! Don't just stand there, I don't want to stay around for them to slobber all over me!" She said, as she grabbed the blond- haired man's arm and jumped from the roof of the building. Silver Millennium, The Woods at the Temple of Phobos… "I have been called to duty Jade-chan, next week, actually." She said softly, her eyes distant and sad, avoiding his gaze. "Perhaps, we should stop seeing each other." "Rei-chan?" He asked, surprised, as she pulled away from his warmth and stood up from the grassy ground. "I mean who's to say that I'm not meant for someone else, or you for that matter?" She asked, laughing nervously as she turned away, convincing neither one of them, deciding that there was no way around it, she looked down at her hands, and clinched them into fists. "I just don't think that…it'll work out…when I leave…. And you still won't tell me anything more about yourself, other than your name and little things that connects you to nowhere but here." She looked up to the sky and willed herself from crying, turning slowly to face him as she consciously relaxed her body because she knew he wouldn't leave without at least a show of total coolness towards him, so that he wouldn't think it a lie when she tell him that she didn't-that she didn't love him. "I don't know you Jadeite, and I can't afford to love you…please, I don't ever want to see you again." She looked him straight in the eye, suppressing her love, her hurt, everything, just so that he wouldn't feel the pain she already feels for she knew she would never see him like this again, and that she wanted to make him happy, even if it would not be she, for it would be better if she'd just leave him to another who can love him better than she. But she can never return to find the happiness she had found talking to him, and lying in his arms watching the Earth or Jupiter, or any of the other planets well they say love with silence in the air. She did not deserve him, she knew that, but she liked knowing that he did love her, at least think he does for a little while, and it was paradise for her to lay in his arms of love, telling him stories she had heard from long ago under the universal sky, while the cherry blossoms drifted by and by. She was senshi, she was princess, she was priestess, there was no room in her life for true love or happiness she thought, only duty, and I must be content with its cold company. "Rei-chan, how can you say that?" He asked in despair, his gentle blue eyes burning with disbelief and hurt, as he broke her out of her thought, when the reality of what she said sank in. "Don't you know that-" "Iie, for there was never anything between us to begin with." Her body was rigid now, physically she was trying to hold back her pain watching him shake with anger and disbelief, watching him beginning to let go and hate her, but inside she was crying and she knew it would never end until he loved her again. Betrayal can never be forgiven she thought, as she pushed back the hurt, I cannot afford to be weak. "Well then Princess," He said coldly, seemingly having regained his composer, he turned his back to her and stalked towards the shadows, angry, hurt and confused. Watching, she found herself taking a step to run after him and beg his forgiveness. Iie, she thought, it's too late for that. Good, another voice said comely inside of her, now he can fall in love with someone else, and I can be by myself again. She shook her head sadly as he disappeared into the shadows, may he never know how much, she thought, how much I-Ai shiteru, Jade-chan, and ja ne, for no matter what you think may be the truth, you will always have my soul, as it was lost to the shadows the first time we met, and to the fires that were your eyes, may one day we meet on better terms. Slowly she turned, absent-mindedly running a hand along the grove of the tree where they used to hid before moving on, at a last minute impulse she glanced behind to the wavering leaves and draping branches, wondering if she'd ever know how it feels to be held under it again by the one that she loved... Present day Tokyo, Gates of Tokyo City… "Come on!" She said, as she pulled the exhausted Jadeite behind her, just as the memories began to die in his mind, not really sure what they meant in the first place. When they finally reached the columns of marble at the Gates of Tokyo, he pondered how he even got there, for the trip was a bit hazy in his mind. Wheezing he tried to speak but failed to do that well catching his breathe. "You are really out of shape aren't you?" She asked, an amused expression in her eyes, not the slightest bit miffed by the thirty minute ran across the city. "How…do…you…do it…Rei…-san?" He asked between in takes of breath. "What do you mean how do I do it?" She asked, an annoyed expression in her eyes. "I get this type of thing at least once or twice a week for the last six to seven thousand years, and most of the time dragging some guy behind me, while I am practically mobbed by a gazillion other men! Of course I can do it! How else do I stay in shape when the youmas aren't around for me to stay in shape for? You think I'm so fit because I lounge around idly, while doing paperwork?" She was practically screaming at him by then, but he knew it wasn't because she was angry at the mob incident, instead she was really mad at him. Gods! Tasukete (help me)! He thought, for I do not understand her, nor why I am here, simply that it feels right when she is close, but that is but a vague feeling that I cannot even identify, and why does it hurt so much? Why now? He asked silently, why now when he has a vague feeling of danger, and that peace will soon break. So many questions! A flicker. Is it an answer? He asked. Betrayal. Gasping in surprise he stumbled back at the memory of her voice, her voice echoing in his ears, murmuring apologies before her death while he glared down at her in anger, in fear, in hate and in love. 'Gomen nasai Jade-chan, it was all my fault, after all I begun the betrayal and you ended it…' Betrayal. The word seemed to pulse through his body, as he stared wide-eyed at Rei of the future standing before him, looking at him puzzled. "Daijobu Jadeite-san?" She asked in a polite voice, but there was concern there, even though he didn't hear it, all he can hear is the thumping of his heart and the word…betrayal…pulsing over and over again in his head until he was ready to… "Ahh!" He screamed, covering his ears with his hands, as if that could block the sound of his own heart beating against the rhythm of that hated word within his mind. Silence. One step, "Jadeite-san?" Rei asked, now worry written all over her face as she reached for him, the moment her hand touched him though he fought back, as if burned, trying to ignore the hurt that shone in her eyes, even though she tried to hid it. "What's wrong with you anyway?" She asked haughtily, trying to stop herself from feeling that pain that he had inflicted when he had pulled away. Am I that unattractive? She asked herself. "Betrayer!" He screamed at her, chest heaving, eyes wide in both surprise at his own out burst and that of the force of the accusation lying behind that one word. Blue eyes, met violet ones, flashing, but for a moment he was sure he saw the reminiscent image of a beautiful princess with rose colored hair and crimson eyes, staring at him as if he had just ripped her heart out and stomped on it. But the image disappeared. The words were said, unable to be taken back, "Rei-san I-" "Baka! Don't call me that!" She screamed at him, pulling away from his outstretched hand. Her eyes watered, the violet replacing the rouge, this was not the princess he remembered, this was the fierce and yet beautiful warrior maiden he had fought thousands of years ago. "If you are not here to be with me, than so be it!" He tried to move towards her, but she glared at him through her stormy, violet eyes. "Baka! Don't you understand? Don't you remember anything?" She asked, accusation in her voice. "Perhaps you should be more careful with such words, and realize that I'm not the only betrayer around here before you start throwing accusations like those in my face!" Her eyes glittered with unshed tears as she clinched her fists together at her side and stood straight and tall, as tall as she could possibly stand and looked to him straight in the eyes. Her eyes softened for a moment, but it was replaced by a cold, polite look. "Gomen nasai Jadeite-san, I guess I do owe you an apology for what I had done a very long time ago, but perhaps I was wrong after all…" Her voice trailed off, and a single tear slipped through her defenses. "I was wrong in thinking that you would've forgiven me after all this time had passed." An ironic smile crept upon her face, as she bitterly stared him down. "I guess old wounds die hard, ne?" She asked and laughed dully. "I'm getting as bad as Minako- chan with all her misread quotes!" But that did not stop the second tear from falling. "Sayonara Jadeite-san." She said coldly, "Tell Minako-chan that she can have you if she wants, I'm not what you're looking for in a woman anyway." And with that, she glided past him and walked down the streets from whence they came. "Rei-san…" He whispered. "Rei-san!" He cried out, but she did not turn back to him, as her words echoed in his ears 'I'm not what you're looking for in a woman anyway.' Her accusations did not end there, but instead bounced around in his head. "Rei-san!" He cried out desperately, but she ignored him and kept walking, he seemingly rooted to the ground couldn't will himself to chase after her and face her bitterness towards him. 'Don't call me that!' Her voice cried within his mind. "Gomen nasai Rei-chan." He whispered to the winds that blew by, rustling his hair, but she had already disappeared, not even a shadow to be remembered by, never turning back to him. "Rei-chan! Rei-chan?" A cheerful female voice called out, approaching the gates, a golden haired woman with a red bow in her hair approached him while she searched for her violet-eyed friend. Startled when she saw him, she looked confusedly at Jadeite, who was startled to see that it was the girl that Rei was talking to on her little communication device. "Jadeite-chan!" She whispered in disbelief. "It is you!" "Rei left already." Was all he said, before he turned to leave. "Matte!" The woman cried. "Jadeite-chan…Rei-chan just need a little more time to adjust, she's been waiting for you as long as the rest of the Senshi have for our own loves to come back." The blond said, the years gave all of the Senshis an air of confidence when confronted, but hers was the most powerful, for after all she was the leader of the Senshi team. "What if I don't want her back?" He asked acidly and walked away, leaving Minako there, standing, shocked, her mouth agape as the blond- haired man's words started to settle inside her mind. "You're a fool Jadeite-chan!" She cried out after him, her own voice shaking from the sudden uncertainty that it has cause in her own mind. "Don't call me that!" He yelled over his shoulder, giving her a glare, Rei even refused to call me that, why should you have the privilege? He thought, angrily, but then shook his head. Who cares what Rei called him? But in his heart he already knew the damage was done, for both of them, and it was his fault, always his fault. I should've never returned, he thought, why didn't I just die? 'Because we'll always be together, ne?' The face of the Princess of Mars looked to him smiling as she handed him the fragile bloom of a cherry blossom from the ancient groves of the Temples on the moon of Phobos. How they had laughed together than, and could not imagine a life without the other's company, and how stupid he had been for not telling her the truth, and in the end did it matter? A part of his mind asked, she broke your heart anyway. 'Don't leave me my Jade-chan! You promised together forever remember?' She had whispered that to him, when he had turned snarling down at her dying form after the battle, meaning to limp away, and when he turned to destroy her, she held such a loving look that it surprised him and he hasted, but he had plunged the sword down towards her…