<> Rei flushed...Did Chad mean what he was saying?

He was on one knee, in front of her, probably about to start declaring his love...and she cared deeply about him...but she didn't love him...Not the way that Serena loved Darien....

"Rei, give me some hope" He said, his voice no longer sounding vacant and stupid--years at the temple had taught him discipline, charm and inner peace...he really was wonderful now.."I left my family years ago, because I didn't want to deal with their demands on me...but now, after almost four years at your temple, I realize that I can return to face them...and the business...but I can't leave without knowing how you feel about me"

Her face contorted a little..."I thought you stopped being such an idiot." She was angry...she didn't want to hear what he was going to say. "Don't be stupid. We'll manage without you." She swirled to leave, but he gently caught her arm.

"Rei, I know your defenses, and I know I lov--."

"Let go of me!" She all but screamed. Flustered he did so. Not much fazed him these days except her.

"Rei, please" He said. "We're good friends, but I want more....think, please before you shut those walls again...I won't hurt you, really. You don't have to say anything now...just know that I love you. And I'll stay if you want."

She didn't want to hear this...she felt flattered, confused....why was she so angry at him? Really, she thought looking up at him, he's good looking (training had toned him, a hair cut had revealed chisled features, and age had ripened them)...He's rich....(well, his family is, even if he didn't want to be, ...He's kind...(He never yells back at me...and he puts up with the moods I get in...) He's loyal (all those monsters, and he never left...) Grandpa loved him (she knew Gramps wanted her and Chad to be married...) ....AND there wasn't anybody else.

"Chad, I care a lot for you ...but I don't. . ."

Now he interrupted. "You haven't thought it through. It's a shock, a surprise...I guess, I never said anything before. I know you don't like surprises too much, but I kept hoping ever since I saw you that...I mean you were so young at first, but... " He blushed, looking a little embarrassed.

Rei mentally rolled her eyes..As if I couldn't guess she thought...but it was different having him realize it to himself and state it out there ...obviously between them. Yet did she want to throw this chance away? "I need to go meditate..." She said....this was too awkward.

"Uh, I mean, part of the reason I'm telling you now is that my family is pushing me to marry someone else, and I told them I've been in love with you."

She felt herself beginning to sweat "YOU WHAT!" She shouted..

"They want to meet you..um don't be mad...it just happened. They don't believe you exist really...they think its just more sign of how irresponsible I am...and this girl, well, she's my father's best friends' daughter. I wouldn't have said anything...eventually,I'd hoped you'd just realize what we have together...but I can't wait..."

"But I"m not!...You cant' do that!" She felt dizzy. He leaned over, and kissed her forehead.

"Think about it Rei...please."

She sat warm in front of the temple fire...it's heat blazed around her, but it was her thoughts that made her burn. She had never prayed to the fire to show her anything about her own heart before...but she needed to now. Why couldn't she love Chad? Was it her duty? She remembered how she and Mina had felt so strongly that duty was their only love--to Sailor Moon ,just before they died for her. They loved her...and that left no room for a love of their own... But that was true to the extent Serena was in trouble. They all knew the next bit of trouble wouldn't happen for awhile...and even then, well, it was a 1000 or so year til Crystal Tokyo. That was a long time to be alone.

She concentrated, and finally, she felt it...the answer...who her true love was....The flames crackled and a face appeared....She fell back shocked. It couldn't be. What did this mean? The flames died abruptly, the face disappearing. It wasn't Chad. It was the face of an enemy who had died a long time ago.....who had been attacked by her and the other scouts and disappeared forever

The name surrounded her...Jaedite...General of the Dark Kingdom/Negaverse ...The flames gone, she was chilled to the bone. She needed to talk to someone. Someone who knew she was Sailor Mars.

The dreams were getting worse. Even worse than the nightmares she'd had after her parents died. She kept seeing a face, that she couldn't quite make out, and hearing her name be called. It wasn't her old boyfriend... no, this man was leagues different.....and he cared about her. She checked the clock. 7 pm...She'd resorted to napping because her sleep was so disturbed...It was a Friday, and not that late. She should see what the others were up to....Serena, she surmised was out with Darien...Now that they were 17, her father grudgingly let Serena spend a lot of time with Darien ....which, they did as they were afraid of losing each other again.

Losing your only love. She knew what it was like to lose her parents, but at least she hadn't suffered what Serena had (however briefly)....or had she? This tortured feeling the dream left her with--it left her hollow feeling. She was missing a part of herself.

And any guy she dated never seemed to be right...They all broke up with her quite quickly...Not that there'd been too many what with the Sailor Scouts taking her time so much. But in the last year, enough guys had grown enough to be taller than her, find her attractive, and not be scared off by her old reputation. She liked that. They all seemed not to call again, right after a month went by....like clockwork. So...she sighed... she was alone...a single sailor...well, not the only one. Even if Ami and Rei had Greg and Chad (Though both never admitted to having boyfriends), Mina was definitely just as single as she was. She too never seemed to hold a boyfriend. Yet in her case, Mina was always substituting one for another...never satisfied. She left a chain of broken hearts, the size of her "love me chain"

Lita slowly picked up the phone. She dialed, and heard Mina's softhearted mother answer the phone. Her voice, rusty from sleep was even more gravely than usual. "Uh, is Mina there?"

"Sure, one second..." The voice said. Faintly, she could hear her mother call "Honey, there's some young man on the phone for you again!" She heard a giggle, and the sound of an extension picking up, and suddenly Mina's sunny voice saying "This is Mina!"

"Some young man!!!" Lita shouted, angry.

"Oh, it's you. Did you just wake up, your voice is more scratchy....I was hoping it was that cute guy they just hired at the arcade, to replace Andrew, since he got a new job. I kind of accidentally dropped something there, with my number on it." She giggled ...then she said. "What's up?"

"I do not sound like a guy!!!" Lita said indignant.

"Erica (Haruka) does, and you think that's cool." Mina said "Besides, guys think that's sexy when your voice is husky. And no, You don't sound like a guy! Sometimes I wish I didn't sound so ditzy."

"That's, uh, different..." Lita felt embarrassed..."never mind that...I just wanted to see if you wanted to do something tonight..."

"You bet...we have the most boring company over, and I'm avoiding Steven, because I'm tired of seeing him, he keeps begging me to go out with him! So this is perfect. Besides I haven't seen you in awhile..."

"Yeah, it s too bad we cant all hang out as much as we used to! Well, I guess if that means less monsters, it's worth it"

"Well, you know what they say --The price of peace is a cheap but thoughtful penny" said Mina.

."Wait,that's not right" Lita sighed...and she'd thought Mina was getting better.

"Greg!!" Ami was surprised and very pleased to see Greg. They'd both done very well in their post high school exams, and could both be attending the same medical school. She wondered if that was why he was here--she hadn't heard from in a long time. He'd then called and told her to meet him at the bus station. She supposed he knew she was busy.. although, the last two years hadn't been so bad since Sailor business had ground to a halt.

She blushed as she looked at him...he'd gotten a lot older.....well, it had been a few years, but he wasn't a boy now...a young man. "I've missed you a lot..."

"Ami..I came to tell you something...and to tell you in person." He frowned. Where could he start? "Let's go to the park."

She nodded, wondering why he was so serious. "Is something wrong?" She asked finally, after tiring of small talk.

"Ami...I kept trying to think the future could change--but somethings don't change...just as somethings in the past don't..."

"Greg?" She said concerned..he looked tortured.

"You'll never love me Ami." He said it though it tore through him to say it.

Her face was hot..."Oh Greg"...Her hand flew to her mouth... Her eyes widened...."Greg..I...don't know what " She knew she should say that she would...but she couldn't ....

He shook his head. "No...I've had a vision again...and, Ami...I don't think we're meant to be." She could see he was a fighting his emotions..and the wave of ice that would stab through her told her he was not doing this to hurt her...he was doing g this because he loved her.

She placed her hand on his "Greg... You must be wrong about what you saw. ..really. It can't be true. I know we haven't had a lot of time, we've both been busy--but next year, we can be in the same school, and then... love takes time....but I...you're very special to me."

He shook his head. "My heart belongs to you. But it doesn't matter....No. I decided to go to England...it's easier for me that way. I'm taking that scholarship."

"Is that what this is about?" She said "I..I was also accepted there..."

"You can't leave Tokyo and your friends, and you know it." He said simply.

"No, you think you know what I can do...you're not the only one who's informed about the future....Stop this." She said.

"This isn't right...is it..."She doubted herself in this...had he met someone else, was this his way of saying ...she thought they understood each other. Sure she didn't feel what Serena did for Darien, but sometimes, love grows slowly, doesn't it?

"There's someone else isn't there?" She said.

"No...not the way you think...Ami....It's not really the future that I'm sensing as it is your past..I ...I've just been thinking about you a lot lately... " He had to tell her the whole vision..

"Do you see someone else with you?" She said then...

"Eventually ...I'm going to meet someone else." His voice was a whisper. That wasn't the vision he'd seen. He looked down...he found it hardest to tell her...jealously coarsed through him...but he felt she needed to know this, because he couldn't stand in her way, and he needed her to know that.

She was gone..

He frowned, and slowly, he dropped the painting he'd done of his nightmares...It showed Ami in another man's embrace, a slight, young, sharp featured man with long red blonde hair tied back... It fell into a puddle, the lines blurring a little. He not noticing this, through his own emotional fog, got up...Was there anything left to say? Except that he knew he never saw his Ami again? That had been the hardest part of his visions of the future... and he knew, deep down, that this future he couldn't change.

Greg threw his head in his hands..whispered to the air "No matter the visions, Ami, I'll always love you....even if you love another" Sadly, but resolutely, he finally, walked off.

From behind the tree, she watched him walk off--"Coward" she thought herself...why did she run? She knelt and picked the drawing. It was quite blurry now, but she could make out herself, in her sailor outfit, being held by another man, wearing some weird uniform that looked familiar... but she couldn't place it in the dim light.

She tried to run after Greg then, but she was too late as she saw the bus pull away. In a daze she walked forward, past the ice cream shop--she needed to talk to someone...and ran straight into Rei.

"Watch where--OH" The shout powered down "Ami! I was looking all over for you"

"What's wrong" they said simultaneously looking at each other's tear streaked faces...

A tiny weak smile broke both their faces..."Um, maybe we should go in and talk over a soda?" Said Rei. Ami nodded..."I think I'd like tha---wait, isn't that Mina and Lita?"

Of course it was, because those two always stood out (just as all the girls did, really, thought Rei, two blondes, a tall brunette, one with blue hair, and of course, her own outstanding good looks).

"Hey guys " Said Lita though she sounded rather preoccupied...Mina turned around, and noticing their faces "What happened!!" She said as she scooted over so they could sit.

"Chad asked me to...well, he declared his love for me"Rei said.

"HE WHAT! " everyone said..."But why are you upset?"

"He leaving" She continued.

"OH..." They said...Ami felt a sinking sensation...she was happy for Rei of course....but this was tortuous.

"Because I told him I couldn't love him"

"YOU WHAT" They shouted , and embarrassed, as the mostly empty soda shop patrons glared at them..."

Uh, why?" Said Lita "He's a great guy...you guys would be great together."

"Yes, he does care for you a good deal. We've all always known that." Ami said. Her voice broke...she was going to start crying again...

"I just...I couldn't...I don't know I'm confused. There's something else ...oh AMI!" She said, as Ami's resolve gave out. The girls turned towards Ami...

"Greg...sniff sniff" She said..."He..." haltingly she told of their meeting in the park. Mina gave her a fierce hug.."hey girl"

."Why that stupid smart alek..." muttered Lita "I'll teach him to see visions.. I'll give him a few visions"

"No...he didn't...he said " This was very faint "he said he loved me, but that I loved someone else..."

Everyone looked confused. "What?"

She unscrambled the paper. "Here..."she said" Look..."

The girls leaned forward to look at the paper, the watery drawing revealed Ami in a man's embrace, but at they unfolded more of the drawing , they realized it showed *all four of them*, embraced by a man, each we wearing the same uniform.

"That's the guy from my dream, that I told you" Said Mina..."And mine too " said Lita..

Rei voice gasped "That's the face I saw in the fire"....

They all stared at the picture...transfixed , till they heard a familiar voice wail "Darien!!! Wait. Let's get ice-cream--it's still open, they're people in there! OHHH, look Hey guys!"

Quite gracefully, really, as one can be dragging a reluctant and tired boyfriend into an ice-cream store, Serena glided up to the booth. "What'cha looking at? Huh?" She said, "Why are you guys looking at a drawing of you embracing the first set of NegaCreeps we dusted? "

Suddenly it dawned on them why the uniforms looked so familiar...but that was about the only thing they understood.

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