Memories: The Phoenix's Fire ----------------------------- Part III Silver Millennium, the Ballroom… "Domo arigato Ami-chan." She had whispered as she saw her blue- haired friend disappear from the screen. "May there be peace for all our souls after this!" She grumbled as she put the communicator away into her dimensional pocket and dragged another guest through the caving ballroom. "I can't believe we had a ball tonight! Of all the nights to fight and I have to rescue idiots who forgets how to walk!" She glared as she practically threw another guest out of the door, hoping they'd run into something that'll knock their senses back, something she had no time to do then, as long as they don't walk in here again! She thought, but some of those noble idiots just might, with a glare at the entrance, she roughly grabbed a trembling woman and said to her in an agitated voice, "Gomen, but I don't have time for this!" She yanked the woman from her corner and start dragging the other kicking and screaming out of the caving room. Damn nobles! She thought disgustedly. "Now stay out!" She said with a shove and out the disheveled woman went. "Komban wa, Rei-san." A cold voice said from behind her, as she spun around, her body rigid and prepared herself for blows, but a cold mocking laughter reached her ears as she looked up and gasped in surprise. "Jade-chan?" She asked, tears of hope shining in her eyes. "Jade-chan, I'm so glade you're here, I was so worried about you and I just wanted to say-" She relaxed from her fighting stance. "Mistake number one!" He said and in a blink of an eye she was slammed against a wall, pain radiated form her back. "Na ni!" She cried out in surprise, as she gaped at him, as his hot breath tickled her neck. "Mistake number two!" He whispered as he slammed his fist into her stomach, while releasing dark energy at a close range. She doubled over in total shock and agony, the wall caved under the force, and blood streamed out of her mouth and down her face, mingled with tears of confusion and fear. "Jade-chan what's happened to you?" She asked angrily, but when he tried to hit her again she blasted a small fire at him to make him jump back in surprise and yelp at the burning feeling racing through him. She quickly stumbled out of his range of hand-to-hand combat, knowing at this point she could not take it. "Why are you doing this? You know Endymion would be quite mad at you for-" "I'm not subjected to the idiotic High Prince!" He said with a bitter laugh, that shocked her again, but when he charged this time, she was ready for him and easily dodged his kicks and punches, but never returning any blows. "I am a General for Queen Beryl, why would I ever care about Endymion anyway?" He asked sardonically. "Jade-chan what are you talking about?" She cried out, as she shot another blast of fire towards him. "Baka! Stop calling me by that foolish name, my name is Jadeite, General Jadeite, you can call me Lord if you wish." He said arrogantly, as the two fought, blow-by-blow. "Don't you remember me?" The girl with fire colored hair looked to him in despair as he took and opening then and smashed her painfully into another wall, the dome creaked and then started to cave, chunks of marble tumbled to the ground. She weakly pulled herself towards the entrance, but just as she go a little way over the door, the whole room collapsed and pain shot up her spine as large pieces of marble fell and landed onto her legs, trapping her. "No!" She whispered in grief, as she weakly pushed against her restraints. A snicker above made her look up to hard blue eyes, once they seemed like the very essence of a hot flame, now there was nothing there but coldness, the fire had died. "I am so disappointed that you Senshi are so pathetic!" He laughed evilly. "Mars fire-" He struck the side of her face, making her fall to one side, wincing from both the new bruise and the pain her legs were giving her. "Not so fast Mars." He said contemptuously, as he held a sword to her face. "But you're not worth my time!" He spate and started to turn around, wondering why he spared her. "Don't leave me my Jade-chan! You promised together forever remember?" She had whispered to him desperately, trying to find the Jade-chan that she had so long ago fallen in love with and had found it all a lie, but she now longer cared anymore, she just wanted him back in her arms again, senshi or not. Snarling, for he had meant only to limp away since she did happen to burn more then just his suit, 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 anyway, if you don't want to live fine, with me! He thought, and when the sword rammed into her body, her eyes never leaving his face, he felt as if a memory tugged at his soul 'I promise to protect you forever Rei-chan, from any sadness or pain, any day, and anywhere! All you need is to call my name!' The blond-haired boy told the dark-haired girl who had stared up to him adoringly with shining crimson eyes. 'Promise to be my Prince forever Jade-chan?' She had asked eagerly, her heart in her eyes. 'Of course, why would I ever want to break that promise? Ai shiteru…Rei-chan." The boy bent down and kissed the girl, while the earth shone from behind them, illuminating the sky, but it was the cherry blossom petals that drifted by with their scent that reminded him of that promise, of that day long ago. "Thunder Dragon!" A female voice broke him out of his trance with her dying eyes staring at him, shining with tears mingled with her own blood, just as the tearing pain went throughout his body. "No!" Rei had choked out from behind all the blood that's threatening to suffocate her, as he fell beside her, he tried to say something and she put a finger to his lips. Jupiter had sprinted to Mar's side and cradled the dark-haired girl's head on her lap, crying out that the other can't die on her. Rei gently lifted her arm up to quiet her grief stricken friend, "I can't seem to help myself, I just can't stay away...kiss me and I will love till the Earth has gone…and the sun and the moon is rising, but don't worry, my love will last forever." She sang gently to him, occasionally choking on her own blood as she stroked his hair soothingly and his eyes slowly started to close. "Arigato Jade-chan, for giving me your love so long ago…gomen nasai, but I guess I didn't deserve it…" She coughed against the rivers running past her lips and her eyes were starting to fade, trying to join him in his eternal sleep. "Ai shiteru…forever…Jade-chan…" She gently laid her hand onto Makoto's cheek, blindly trying to feel for both her friend and her lover. "Why can't I see you anymore Mako-chan? Is the Princess okay?" She asked worriedly, as a spasm of pain ran throughout her body as she gasped, the blade recking her slender body. "Tell min'na-san that…that…gomen nasai min'na…why is it so dark in here Jade-chan?" Her voice began to grow faint as her mind begins to fade underneath the pain and the fears that she had always kept hidden within her. "I'm so scared Jade-chan, you promised to be my Prince forever! Don't leave me here alone Jade-chan! Jade-chan I…" Her eyes went blank as the last of her breath went out of her and her body lay cold in Makoto's arms, surging up once, as if her soul was ripped from her body. "Rei-chan?" The brown haired woman whispered fearfully, but then she screamed, shaking the other's lifeless form. "No, not you Rei- chan! No!" The brown-haired woman held the limp form of the former Senshi close to her chest and cried, cried for all the years they had shared together as friends and parted in death as soldiers. "Why?" She whispered hoarsely, staring into the blackness of the empty universe that had no reply, just before the red fires of Mars shot into the air, like the last wisps of the fire embers' glow. Crystal Tokyo, Rei's Room… She stared at the ceiling, there were no tears, just an empty void inside her chest, and she'd rather be crying she thought, but the tears would not come. 'Rei-san.' His voice echoed off the walls of her room, he might as well have stabbed her again and told her he hated her, it was at least better than that polite pretense, as if standing to be in her presence was hard enough, but she did not cry, and perhaps from that day on she would not cry, she only stared at her ceiling, as if she could see into the blackness of the universe again, and watch Earth spin by, and the sun glowing brightly from afar, and the two moons of her planet shining down on her, and Jade-chan in her arms, watching this all through the falling petals of cherry blossoms. She remembered how he had once asked her if it was always like this on Mars, and she had only smile and said, 'If we wish it so, then it will be, and I wish it forever to rain of cherry blossoms, like a shower of dreams and pale-pink stars for me to wish upon.' She had smiled at her once childish wish that had come true, as had he. 'And now I guess they're more comfort to me than any falling star that I could catch and make wishes upon, their scent always reminds me of peace. Don't they?' She had watched him from under her eyelashes and smiled sweetly. She could not recall what he had said in return, just that look in his eyes as they stared at each other under the heavens. "How did it ever turn out to be this way?" She asked the ceiling, as the silence of the room stretched. I remember a time when Yui-chan once said how he wished that we had children to fill the rooms with laughter. But she had given him nothing but her love, bitterly she contemplated that maybe she had nothing to offer, being that he had given his life to her, she couldn't even give him that much. Her life belonged to her princess, every time she went off to battle, it was for her Princess and all of her beliefs, not Yui-chan, not purely for him anyway. Past Tokyo City, 1999… "Sailor Moon, watch out!" Makoto cried out as she shielded her princess from a blast with her own body. "Jupiter!" They had all screamed out, but Minako snapped out of it and quickly sent a blast towards the monsters before them, there were only two left, but the senshis were worn out from the fight, and now one of their own was down, worry made the situation no better. Mercury tried to approach Jupiter's fallen body, but it was proving to be too much of a risk, trying to ignore it she rapidly typed away at her computer so that the fight would be over sooner so she could check out both Jupiter and Moon. "Fire Soul!" Sailor Mars cried out as she sent streams of flames toward the monsters, one of her weakest attacks, but she had to watch her energy reserves, she couldn't be throwing her mandelas and arrows all night! "Venus, love and beauty shock!" The leader of the Senshis cried, as the two attacks covered and one of the monsters dusted. "One down one to go!" Minako cried triumphantly, but unfortunate for the three of them the last monster took the destruction of its partner as a distraction for the Senshis and quickly approached their fallen princess who was trying to help the hurt Senshi Jupiter. Ami glanced up startled and yelled out. "Usagi watch out!" Forgetting all caution because of her fear. The Princess glanced up startled just as the monster approached, flashing its claws to rip out her pale throat. "No!" They all cried, and this time it was Mars who got there in time, just as the claws lashed out, taking a chunk out of Mar's arm where the Princess' chest would've been, as she pushed the girl from the monster's path. "Venus, love and beauty shock!" The blond haired Venus cried out. "Mercury Rhapsody!" The blue-haired Mercury added to her friend's attack. The monster and Mars screamed in union at the pain that surged through their bodies, as one of them turned to dust and the other landed on the ground with a thud. "Rei-chan! Daijobu?" The odango- haired princess looked at her worriedly, fear shining in her eyes at her friend's wound and that moment's glimpse of death. "Tuxido kamen!" Mercury shook the dark haired man lying half unconscious on the ground. "He'll be fine." The blue-haired girl smiled toward the Princess, easing the other's worry a little. "And Jupiter?" Venus asked as she raised Jupiter from the ground. Mercury frowned as she scanned her friend. "It's definitely serious, but I can take care of this one, it's Mars I'm worried about, I don't want her to bleed to death!" Mercury hurried to Mar's side, scanning and frowning a deep and worried frown. "Bad news guys." The calmness in Mercury's usual voice quivered, "There's poison in her wounds and it's spreading fast! We've got to take her to the hospital!" "No, Rei-chan!" Usagi cried, as she detransformed like the rest of her remaining senshis that were still standing. "To bad the outers aren't here, ne? I wish they were, or else this would never have happened!" Venus said sadly as they tried to lift Mars up, Jupiter was still unconscious, but Tuxido Kamen was waking. "Mamoru!" The Princess cried as she ran to her Prince's side, "Daijobu, Mamo-chan?" She asked anxiously. "I'm fine, Usako." He said with a smile. "Just bruised here and there, that's all." Wincing he bent down and retrieved his fallen hat, but then glanced up sharply and realized that two of the senshis were down and one badly wounded. "A-no?" He asked, disturbed that they were looking to him expectantly. "Mamoru, we need your car to drive Rei-chan to the hospital." Mercury said urgently as she and Minako picked their friend up, Mamoru quickly hurried over and helped by sweeping Makoto into his arms, knowing that the others would have a much harder time with the bigger senshi. They quickly exited the previous battlefield and hurried to Mamoru's car and sped off to the hospital. "Rei-chan hold on!" The odango-haired blond wailed, as they raced down the corridor of the hospital. "Usagi-chan, don't cry…" Her voice was a little faded, her world getting hazier by the minute. "I was only doing my job…there's always a risk…" She tried to speak, but all of a sudden she wasn't sure what she was saying anymore. "Baka! Don't cry…" She said weakly, but not lacking the fierceness behind those words, before she blacked out. "Rei-chan?" A voice called to her, waking her from her warm slumber, shaking her head in trying to shake off the voice, she tried to turn, but found that she couldn't, reluctantly she opened one eye and peeked out at the world she had left behind. "What do you want?" She asked irritation creeping into her voice, but then both eyes snapped open as she tried to sit up, "Where am I?" She asked, a trace of fear in her eyes. "Rei-chan!" A smooth male voice cried out excitedly and she was enveloped into a huge hug. "Na ni!" She looked up startled to meet deep green eyes. "Yui- chan? What are you doing here?" "Oh I'm so glade you're awake!" The young man said happily. "Awake? What are you talking about? What's wrong with me sleeping in the first place?" "You don't remember Rei-chan?" He asked startled, and only then did she realize how tired he looked. "Daijobu Yui-chan?" She asked worriedly, and lifted a hand to caress his cheek, "You look tired." But a thought came to mind, and before she could stop herself, she had spoken, desperate with concern. "Usagi-chan! Is she hurt?" "Iie, she's fine…Why do you ask Rei-chan?" Yuichiro asked, puzzled at the first thing that she said was of her klutzy friend. Laughing nervously, she waved him off, but then another thought struck her though she had no time to voice it when the door opened. Crystal Tokyo, The Fire River Temple… "How long have you been away this time?" She asked herself, as she stared at the once peaceful temple, now dirtied and empty without life or that peaceful feeling that people used to go there to seek. Silently she slid open the door to her old room, but it was empty, as the shadows played on the wall reminded her of sleepovers that the scouts had here long, long times ago. Of Yuichiro and her dancing beneath the light of the moon, to a slow lulling song in the background, of Granpa who used to kick her out of bed when she overslept or tried to hid there to escape chores. How long has it been she wondered, since the last time we truly smiled and enjoyed moments like those? Yui-chan is gone now, she walked over to her window, and moved away tattered, old drapes to let the moon pour in, she gasped as she realized that in a moment, memory upon memory flashed before her, laughing, crying, shouting, dreaming, amongst the shadows that lay there in the vacant room. The bittersweet smile on her face wavered, as tears pooled in her eyes, but she did not cry, those times had come and gone. The people she knew then had grown or died or has been missing for sometime now, whether on their own missions or had moved away. There was no more need to cry over memories, sweet memories when life was lived and taken for granted, when days dragged on and years passed by slowly, not flying away in the blink of an eye. "Sorrow." She whispered to the emptiness, almost poetic that one word, floating and wrapping itself in around the shadows. Those times has passed now, there were no return, only tomorrow, and next year and the year after that, what matters? She wondered, life is death, and death is life, I am apart of neither now. "Now I remember," She said to the darkness, to no one in particular. I haven't returned because it reminds me of everything, when it was perfect… "Perfect…" Did that term ever truly applied to anything in her life? She had indeed done many great things, but then why was she running from her past? When now? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DON'T kill me, but this is getting WAY too long, so I'm going to move onto Minako-chan (Rei's best friend, who by the way is her best friend in the manga, and the two are perfect for each other *NOT that way you sickos!*) Anyho, the sailors are all best friends, Ami-chan looks up to Rei because they're so different; Rei and Minako-chan are best friends because they are so alike; Minako looks up to Ami because they are so different; Jupiter and Rei are very close because they are alike in a lot of ways but also different; and Usagi-chan is the tie that binds them all. Let me let you in on a little secret, I used to hate Usagi-chan, because the DiC made her so…uhhh! It totally did not let her true compassion get into me, it was only till I saw the Japanese movies and a few parts of the mangas did I truly begin to appreciate Usagi-chan. Anyho, Minako-chan is next, Mako-chan is after her, and no…wait, I just got the order wrong didn't I? *sweatdrops* Mako-chan is next, ignore the first half of this note ;) The one reason I really started to like Mako-chan is because Chaos-chan wrote her so well! If you're reading this Chaos-chan, arigato! You're SUCH a great writer! If anyone likes the scouts, even though it has nothing to do with the generals, you've gotta read the The Tales of the Dreamworld collections at http://neoharuka.interspeed.net/stories/dw/index.html and Karasu-chan is sooooo cute! I mean it's not exactly innocent and I would have to rated as R, and violence is frequent, but it is such a GREAT story that makes mine look like YUKKY! Thanx a bunch Chaos- chan *sarcastically glances over at the kawii writer* Anyho, gomen to Yui-chan fans, I love him in the anime, but truly though, I have to say that for Yui-chan to truly win Rei, he has a LOT of growing up to do, and I prefer Jade-chan anyday, something about tall, cute, golden haired guys, who is charming, stubborn, and did I mention CUTE? Oh, I did didn't I, okay HANDSOME! Hehe…HOT, there ya go. ;) Any way, enjoy 0;p my email is: oceanblues@usa.net send me comments, flames, ways to improve, whatever Love ya all e.o.d PS. I'm having a VERY big problem with enemies, because, heck! The scouts are like SUPER strong, they're at least a few thousands years old, it's not like i can pit them against weaklings like Byral (however you spell her name i forgot) or like even Glaxia, and i haven't figured it out yet, so give me time ;p I'm also thinking of getting Reenie involved with Helios, but then that'll mean I'll have to write something in a field that i'm not exactly, totally, comfortable in, since I've only seen a few eps. Anyway, thanx for your time. Ja! e.o.d