Lover of Venus: Part II
Elements of Desire
Crystal Tokyo, café…
"Jadeite was there?" The dark-haired woman asked in surprise,
her eyes widening slightly.
"Hai, and might I add, he is as cute as ever!" Her blond friend
goaded with a grin, forgetting her tale for a moment.
"So that other man, he threw the communicator into your face
after?" The dark-haired woman asked.
"No, Jadeite-kun apologized for him, and I was about to walk
away, when he said 'Hey' and tossed it to me, only that was all he
said!" She exclaimed.
"Don't tell me a small communicator knocked Mina-the-
unconquerable unconscious." Rei said sarcastically, well rolling her
eyes in exasperation.
"Well…" Minako said, and her friend nearly fell off the chair.
"Minako!" She nearly yelled. "That wasn't funny!" The dark-
haired woman hissed at her, rattling the wears as she nearly leapt over
the table to glare at her friend.
"Well…it hit my head pretty hard!" She said, eyes watering
slightly at the glare her friend was giving her at the moment, before
it turned to a frown, then that disappeared and the other laughed!
Laughed! Uncontrollably loud and didn't seemed to be able to help
herself. "Rei-chan!" The blond exclaimed, looking around
uncomfortably, "You're attracting attention!"
"Gomen, I forgot that that was your department." The other said
as she caught her breath and jumped back into her seat before the she
started to laugh again, "Your department!" Laughing so hard that she
was doubling over in her chair.
"Rei-chan? Daijobu?" The other finally calmed down after a
while and had the decency to blush, well, more like turning red because
she hadn't been able to catch her breathe!
"Hai, hai!" Rei snickered. Finally calming down somewhat she
smiled at her and said in a delighted voice, "I don't believe I've had
this much fun since the twenty years ago when Ami did that experiment
in her lab, remember?"
"Hai!" Minako joined in, giggling at the memory. "And that
stuff blew up all of a sudden, KABOOM, and…oh! Remember how we found
her?"
"The look on her face was unbelievable, all black and so dazed
and startled!" Rei and Minako laughed at the old memories, loud enough
to attract the other people, though most were already enchanted by both
women's beauty, and now by their loud laughter.
"Wow! This is bad!" Her long blond hair was tied in braids and
she dressed in a school uniform, to seem less suspicious of course, a
lot of the students were already there and she and Rei was out to
mingle and find out any suspects possible.
"Hai, it is indeed." The dark-haired woman beside her said with
a nod of her head, but her face revealed volumes of what she felt.
Both women looked around their early twenties, like the rest of the
students, dressed in uniforms that resembled that of high school girls,
but the way they held presented made their clothing insignificant and
probably even flattering, giving an air of innocence. But it was there
for that specific reason; the two knew if they were anything more
sophisticated they'd stand out more then they wished, catching only the
attention of some large groups of male students, most of whom were
ogling the two, still it was better than the usual days when they get
mobbed and no one had walked into a wall or street lamp, yet.
"What did you sense here at the night of the murder Rei-chan?"
The blond asked, talking to her dark-haired friend under her breath.
"Traces of evil, magik, and something out of place, I couldn't
figure it out, it's different then the usual homicides or murders from
before. Not just in the style and the act itself, but the feel as
well, it was as if there was a cold detachment, like it was planed but
the thing could care less." The dark-haired woman shook her head in
confusion, "There was something else, something that I did not tell the
others." She didn't like the sound of that.
"What?" She asked hesitantly, but she didn't want to know the
answer.
"It felt…" The dark-haired woman paused and looked pensive, her
eyes turning inwards. "Like no other dark force I have yet to
remember, and yet…it feels so familiar." Violet eyes turned to her in
confusion, but before she could reassure her friend, the former shook
her head slowly and smiled at her. "That's why we're here, to find if
there is more to this story, that is why we need to be students. Any
way, this mass slaughter and leaving messages for the Senshi is getting
to me."
"Hai! It's written to me and Ami-chan already!" I'm surprised
it hadn't written one for you yet Rei-chan!" She whispered back but
soon a smile replaced the frown of concern, "Rei-chan! This is great!
Reminds me of old times!"
"Hai, it does, doesn't it?" Rei grinned. "Hey, where's Artemis?
He still around most of the time, how'd you goad him to stay behind
anyway?" The blond just smiled mysteriously.
"Oh, I have my ways." As the dark-haired woman sighed in
exasperation, knowing exactly what the blond was talking about.
"Yare yare..." the dark-haired woman sighed, shaking her head in
her hands.
"What?" The blond exclaimed.
"This is exhausting!" Minako exclaimed when they were finally
down the street and away from the university.
"Minako-chan!" Rei winced, covering her ears. "Please, I don't
need you screeching in my ears okay? I'm having a hard enough time
trying not to attract attention." Minako either didn't hear or
pretended not to.
"Rei-chan, where have you been?" She whined, hanging on her
friend's arm, and driving the former crazy.
"Minako! Get off of me! I'm not going to carry you."
Minako finally let go and huffed. Walking ahead she only heard
the slight warning of her friend before slamming into something hard.
"Oh no! Not you again!" The dark-haired woman was beside her in a
flash, trying to see if the blond was all right.
"Daijobu Minako-chan?" The dark-haired woman asked. But the
comment brought both women's heads up sharply as they both stared in
disbelief, for different reasons of course. "Komban wan." Rei replied
softly to the snide remark directed at her friend. "But who are you?"
The dark-haired woman was curious as to who would show such disrespect
for her friend.
"Me?" He asked surprised.
"Hai, you, who else would I be asking about?" She asked, her
violet eyes wide and questioning.
"Kun, Seiou Kun." He replied, cutting his first name as short as
possible. "And you?"
"Hino Rei." She replied with a friendly smile. "This is Aino
Minako." Sticking out her hand.
"I know." He replied with a grin in return, and helped the dark-
haired woman to her feet, and stared down at the blond, who stared
between the two of them as if they were from another planet.
"Rei-chan!" The blond cried out, "How could you be so nice to
him?" She asked, jumping to her feet gracefully.
"Huh? Seiou-san is nice isn't he?" The dark-haired woman asked
puzzled. "And you did run into him, you could be a little more polite
about it."
"Rei! He's the one!" The dark-haired woman looked at her, eyes
flashing still in confusion.
"The one?" Her eyes lit suddenly. "Oh! The one! Well then, I
guess I am a little tired. I should go and leave you two alone." She
said smiling.
"Hino-san, I forgot to introduce my friend." The white-blond
haired man said smiling, before yanking another dark-blond haired man
from behind him. "This is Jade, Seiou Jade, my cousin." The dark-
haired woman's face went white.
"Jadeite!" Her voice was laced with surprise and hurt, quivering
slightly. But soon her violet-eyes hardened, "Seiou-san, nice to meet
you." She bowed coldly, and anger flashed before her eyes slightly
when he reached out towards her, backing up quickly she glared at him.
Surprising the rest of the group at this little show. Smiling weakly,
she looked to the white-blond, "Gomen nasai, I really do have to go
now." She turned and left, leaving the three standing there in shock.
"Rei-chan!" The blond-haired girl raced after her, casting a sad
look toward the dark-blond haired man who stood slightly bewildered
beside his surprised friend. Shaking her head sadly, she turned and
ran after her dark-haired friend.
"What did you do this time?" The white-blond asked, after a
stretch of silence.
"Just leave me alone!" The blond man ran off, surprising Kun who
shook his head in confusion, something was brewing here, he better get
some more information about this and soon.
Silver Millenium, the ball...
Kunzite should be here by now, she paced the floor with worry,
her eyes flashing with worry, not at ease at all by the time she
rounded again but this time she slammed right into a soft body. "Oof!"
She gasped as she fell to the ground.
"Minako-chan! Watch where you're going, will you?" The red-
haired woman told her with a glare.
"Rei-chan! Gomen, gomen! I was thinking of-"
"Kunzite-kun again. I know, I know already!" The other said
annoyed, but then her face lit into a grin that made her cringe
slightly. "So he's the lucky fellow that gets Minako sweating like a
cow."
"A cow!" She said, shocked, then anger burned into her eyes.
"I'll show you cow! Venus love and beauty-"
"Opps! Gotta run Minako-chan! I hear Serenity calling." The
other said, turning and disappearing around the corner.
"Hey! Come back here so I can zap you!" She yelled, waving her
fist in the air. A wicked grin crossed her face, and she produced her
heart chain in a wink and was on the others tail, rounding the next
corner she ran into something much harder than Rei's body. "Oof!" She
cried out for the second time that day.
"Gomen Minako, I didn't see you." A familiar voice reached her
ears as warm arms wrapped around her, stopping her flight to the
ground.
"Kunzi-chan?" She looked up into cool-blue eyes and sighed
inwardly, he still can make her heart skip a beat whenever she runs
into him, literally. "Kunzi-chan!" She threw her arms around him,
"Your late!" She frowned, pouting slightly.
"Gomen Minako, the meeting lasted longer than intended and by
then Zoisite was ready to kill me for keeping him away from his Mercury
Princess." He said with a chuckle.
"Oh Kunzi-chan, you work too hard. You know what they say!
Every leader needs a holiday once-"
"I missed you Minako." He said softly, silencing her with his
fingers, and she shyly kissed them before backing off and blushing
profusely.
"Oh silly! You've only been gone an hour and-"
"Minako." He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips, and
this time she didn't pull away, except move closer. So warm, she
thought with a soft sigh. "I love you."
She smiled against his lips, she knew, she always knew, but she
did not return those words, not yet. Not yet, she thought. Not until
negotiations are over and we can finally be together in peace, then
I'll tell him, it will only distract him if I do it now, like he
distracts me with those words.
"Minako-chan! You're getting sloppy on those swings! I don't
want to beat you because you're getting sloppy!" Her rouge-haired
friends voice rung in her head from the last match as the other pointed
the sword at her nose. She was definitely getting sloppier, while the
other, though distracted outside the training ground was definitely
improving within it.
"Shall we go?" She asked. One brow arched in cool amusement,
but she was still slightly out of breath and flushed to her toes from
excitement, all of which spoke volumes of what she was trying to hide
inside.
"Hai Minako, love." He said with a soft smile and led her away,
but she could tell from his slight tense of muscles that he was
surprised by her cool reply and her refusal to return his earlier
declaration of love. I'll tell him…someday, she thought with great
determination, watching him silently but looking away whenever he
turned toward her. Just not today.
"Kunzite." Her eyes narrowed, traitor her mind cried, betrayer
of my heart.
"Hai Sailor Senshi Venus, how amusing it seems that we meet at
last after all that's happened." He said with amusement.
"Betrayer! How could you?" Her eyes misted.
"Cut the dramatics Senshi, we all know that you stands no chance
against me, all your Sailor Senshi has fallen, the Outers were long
gone or has retreated to seclusion. Bow now before it's too late to
your new Queen." He smiled arrogantly.
She smirked, his words perhaps woke her from her stupor, the one
thing that Rei had taught her is that anger is a better weapon than
hurt at times like these, it focus the mind. She hardened, not my
Kunzi-chan, not my Kunzi-chan, not my Kunzi-chan, "Not my Kunzi-chan!"
She screamed, repeating it over and over again in her mind, as if by
doing so she could convince herself. Her sword rose high and she
charged, frowning he sent toward her a powerful beam, deadly enough to
kill, jumping and using the last of her strength she charged at him
from above.
"Pathetic." The blue-light blinded her sight as pain exploded
through her body. His face was the first thing she saw when her vision
cleared, so close, she thought, so close...we were so close to being
together forever...so close...
"Die Senshi!"
She laughed, as she felt the blood fall upon her uniform, saw the
shocked look on his face as he stared down at her sword embedded into
his body. "If the poison doesn't kill you, I certainly will." She
smiled, her face contorted and she looked at him.
"Minako...love." He whispered.
"Kunzi-chan?" Her eyes widened. "Iie! You're not him." She
shook her head in frustration as she fell to her knees beside him and
looked into his light colored eyes, only than did she see the ice,
blue-green melt against the purple, she knew the dagger would strike
her before she felt it pierce her skin. "Aishitru Kunzi-chan." She
whispered and closed the distance between their lips, his own eyes
widened before narrowing. The dagger bit into her uniform, snapping
her spin, pain and then numbness raced through her body and she pitched
forward into his arms. "You know, Kunzite?" Her voice was soft and
filled with laughter. "I can't think of a better way to die." The
dagger bit deeper and blood begun to seep past her mouth. "Gomen," she
crushed her lips against him, using surprise as the arms she could no
longer feel, keeping him close by, she pulled back only far enough to
whisper her goodbye. "Venus...love and beauty..." the blood leaked
through, and with her last breath she smiled at him, pulling back
slightly more, watching him through her long lashes. Their mouths only
inches apart as she stared into those eyes that she had first fell in
love with. "Shock!" his eyes widened.
"Minako, I-"
He's form disintegrated in the wind, and without his body
supporting her own, she fell over. "Kunzite...Ai shitru..."
The world went black.
"Kunzi-chan! Where are we going today?" "Minako!" "Who else
would it be?" "I-" "You better not be cheating on me!" "Minako!"
"Hai Kunzi-chan?" "You'll never change." "Huh?" "But I guess, I like
the way you are right now." "Kunzi-chan?" "Minako, I just want you to
know-" "Kunzi-chan. I know."
Crystal Tokyo, The Palace...
"Rei-chan!" She rushed into the dark-haired woman's room.
"You know Minako-chan, you guys are starting to make a habit of
this bursting-into-my-room thing." The dark-haired woman joked, but
her tear-streaked face spoke volumes of what she was unwilling to show.
"Oh Rei-chan!" She gasped, and gathering Rei into her arms the
two cried.
"Minako-chan," she shut her eyes tighter and tightened her grip.
"Rei-chan, I don't know anything anymore!" She cried, and her
shoulder shook.
"Minako-chan." And they silently wept in each other's arms.
"Rei-chan?"
"Hai?"
"What's love?"
"Love?"
"Hai."
"I'm not sure...I guess it's the ability to...forgive."
"Forgive?"
"Ne, perhaps more than that."
"Than what is it?"
"Gomen nasai, I'm not really sure."
"I always thought love is a desire to be together forever."
"Perhaps...perhaps more than that."
"Na ni? More than that?"
"Hai, perhaps...it is the ability to desire happiness for the
other even if it is not with yourself."
"Not with yourself? You mean a sacrifice Rei-chan?"
"More than that Minako-chan."
"How can it be more?"
"It is knowing what we have to sacrifice and still be able to
wish for the happiness of the other...knowing that they might hurt you
someday because of it."
"Iie! How can anyone hurt the one they love?"
"Because, Minako-chan. We believe in sacrifices."
"Minako-chan?" She looked up to sleepy violet-colored eyes.
"Hai Rei-chan?" She replied, smiling encouragingly at the other.
"You feel better now?" The dark-haired woman asked. Dark-purple
searched her sky-blue eyes for answers.
"Me? I'm better now, thanks." She smiled and rested her hand on
the dark-haired woman's shoulder. "And you?"
"I've had better mornings," the dark-haired woman joked.
"Rei-chan?" She questioned after a moment of silence.
"Hai?"
"Do-do you still love Jadeite-kun?" The other woman's eyes
misted again, but she smiled at her friend.
"I will always love him Minako-chan, but as it was in the Silver
Millennium, it will not work."
"Why not?" She demanded.
"Look at you and Kunzite-kun." Her eyes widened.
"Wh-what do you mean by me and Kunzi-chan?" She leaned over,
clearly confused.
"You argue with him all the time and declares that you despised
him just a few days ago." Rei replied with a frown, wondering why
Minako didn't understand. The answer suddenly dawned on the dark-
haired woman and her own eyes widened. "You mean...you didn't know?"
Rei's voice revealed the shock that the other felt.
"Know what?" Trying to tie together what the other seemed to be
implying at.
"Seiou Kun, that was your Kunzite-kun!" The dark-haired woman said
slowly, letting the information to sink in.
"That annoying and arrogant man?" She screeched after she
realized what her friend was saying.
"He looks exactly like Kunzite-kun, minus the shades and with
that short hair, he's exactly like Kunzite-kun before the end of the
Silver Millenium." Rei shrugged.
"Iie!" Her denial rang throughout the palace. "Not Seiou Kun!"
"It's hit again."
"Again? Already?"
"Hai."
"Rei-chan, we've got to catch this monster before it's too late!"
"My fear is heightened for our citizens." The dark-haired woman
sighed. "Its latest message was for Minako-chan."
"Me?" She screeched, blanching at the thought of it.
"Hai, and I can't seem to be able to stop the damn bastard!" The
dark-haired woman punched the wall with frustration.
"Rei...your language." The blue-haired woman said, her voice
trembling and her eyes sad as a blond-haired man drew her into his arms
to comfort her.
"Gomen nasai, Ami-chan." The dark-haired woman said with a
sorrowful smile. She walked over to her dark-haired friend and wrapped
her arm around the former and the two leaned toward each other.
"Nephrite-kun, have the stars said anything?" The auburn-haired
man tightened his arms around the brown-haired woman and sighed in
frustration as well.
"Iie. The stars have not yet found anything, a magik barriers
was erected and I can do nothing about it."
"I'll try my fire reading one more time." The dark-haired woman
said, straightening.
"Rei-chan," she looked at her friend just as the other shook her
head. "Rei-chan! You'll tire yourself out this way! Breaking through
magik barriers takes too much energy and is far too dangerous, even for
you!"
"We don't have a choice Minako-chan." She sighed and let go,
they all knew that when Rei got like this over a case, there was no
stopping her. That's what made her so good at detective works - other
than the fact that she had special powers. They worried not because
her lack of strength, but her stubborn willingness to meet head on with
danger.
"Hai, hai." She finally relented, "But you watch your step Rei-
chan! The moment you get too deep into this or get yourself into more
trouble than you can handle, I'm taking you out." She said.
Her friend looked startled and finally smiled, "Arigato Minako-
chan. Min'na, thanks for being so worried about me."
Her face brightened and her cheerful mood returned, "Group hug!"
She yelled and everyone laughed and complied.