Memory 19

“Nephrite! What took you so long to bring her here?” Kunzite asked him as soon as Nephrite and Lita appeared in front of them. Lita looked panic-stricken and slightly flushed. Mina thought it was rather interesting because instead of looking bluish a little as result of the cold night and no coat, Lita’s cheek was flushing warmly. To add her suspicious, Lita’s lips were swollen a little and her hair was disheveled as if someone had ran his fingers through her hair. Her hair could be disheveled because Lita ran her fingers through her own hair but her swollen lips? Mina wondered what had happened between them as she smiled at the thought of the possibilities. She knew she was a little observation about Lita’s appearance, but she was Venus, the famous goddess of love and she can’t stop herself from being paranoid.

“Yeah, we were getting to get worried,” Mina agreed. Serena quickly caught Lita’s hand as a sign for her to sit down. Lita gladly accepted her invitation because she was so nervous and panic that her legs were wobbling and Lita couldn’t think that her legs could support her weight.

Her eyes were carefully hid beneath the thick and curly eyelashes. She couldn’t meet their eyes as she recalled the way she acted before and she certainly wasn’t going to tell them the truth about her true identity but she could tell them a little what happened exactly by twisting the truth a little. Feeling a little self-confident after deciding what she was going to do when they began to ask her, Lita softly raised her glamorous sparkling green eyes and her chin was lifted. Nephrite watched her in admiration on how her courage could come as easily as they go.

“Do you want to tell us what had happened that made you reacted that way,” Serena’s voice was soft as a sign that she wasn’t persuading her but she cared for her. Lita knew that and she felt a little guilty that was going to lie to them. Her mind was demanding her to do exactly what she had planned just now but her heart warned her that her intention to lie to them meant that she was going to risk of her friends’ hatred. But if she told them now, they’ll hate her anyway.

“You don’t have to answer it now if you don’t want to,” Serena assured her when Lita kept silent. She thought Lita felt that she was being persuaded and that was not she wanted her to think. Serena wanted her to now that if she had a problem, she still had her friends to help her.

“No,” Lita finally spoke up. She had made up her mind. She was going to tell them according to her plan and hoped that her stories were convincing enough. “I’ll…I’ll tell you now.” After all, she wanted this to be over as soon as possible. “Lately, I had been dreaming…” Lita paused for a while searching for the word. “…Horrible things.” She said finally. “I thought they were merely ordinary dreams and they’ll go eventually.”

“Did those dreams make you looked terribly fatigue?” Ami asked and Lita nodded. She frowned. She knew that everybody had their nightmares but she had never heard nightmares could cause someone this bad. Insomnia, yes but nightmare, she didn’t think so. Perhaps, Lita was dreaming something from her past. Her past before she became one of the scouts. Ami calculated.

“What were you dreaming about?” Jadeite asked curiously. What could she possibly dream of that made her look like hell?

“I was force to see the same things every night,” she began softly, trying to find a part where she could twist the stories. “A woman, with long, wavy green-blue hair with huge green eyes, full with fear, was running away from something…no, someone,” she corrected hastily. “She was carrying a baby in her hands and then, when she got caught…” Almost true. Lita paused for a while and her body shuddered visibly at the images that were playing in her mind. The pictures of that woman had brutally murdered and the sound of the baby cried as if it sensed that her mother had been killed were so clear that Lita was there when it had happened. “Anyway, she got killed and all that I could do was watched the woman helplessly.”

“That’s all?” Kunzite asked. Lita thought he sounded sarcastic, which Kunzite didn’t, for she was scared for something as silly as that. She narrowed her eyes at him. “As the matter of fact, that isn’t all. I saw a little girl was being abused by her master…” but Rei cut off her sentences. “How do you now that it was her master who responsible for abusing the little girl?”

Suddenly, Lita felt transparent and obvious. “Well, from the way the little girl was…was so still when the…the older woman beat her, I assumed that she was a slave,” she explained. She wasn’t good at lying but she was trying.

“So, what are you dreaming that made you acted like that?” Ami asked. Lita looked at her as if she didn’t understand her question. But her mind was whirling fast, thinking which part that she should lie. The part which I saw Molly. She decided at last.

“I was at a garden when I saw the same woman with her slave and they seemed they were arguing. Even though the older woman who had been talking much and her slave was silent,” Lita told them carefully. “Then suddenly, the world was shaking so hard and the ground were splitting into two, creating large abysses. It was the most horrible images that I have ever seen. I could still hear the sound of people screaming, crying and shouting.”

“Then, what made you acted hysterically. Surely, that wasn’t all, right?” Zoisite frowned in disbelief. Lita glared at him for making this whole thing harder. She wished that they stopped asking her too many questions. Carefully kept her anger restrained, Lita fisted her hands tightly until her hands ached.

“I…I felt something was…um…pulling my legs into…um…into the abyss. The more I pulled my legs away, the…the stronger it pulled me into the abyss and…I…I slipped and fell into the abyss. That’s why I woke up and said those things,” Lita was so nervous when she was lying and her hands were so cold. She wasn’t used to lie at anyone especially her princess but she had to.

“That’s explained everything,” Serena said thoughtfully. Lita looked extremely relief when Serena seemed to accept her stories. “If you don’t mind, I wish to go home. I am tired,” Lita said hastily as she stood up. She knew after this, they would start asking her whether the dreams had anything to do with her past or making plans on investigating who would possibly gave her the dreams. Since she had known who gave her those dreams and why, she didn’t have the desire to listen to all their conversation.

“Sure, Lita. You can sleep here, since we’ve decided to stay overnight here,” Mina said. As Lita walked away, Nephrite watched her in suspicious. He wasn’t sure Lita had told them the truth but he knew Lita was hiding something from them. Something big.

* * * * * *

When Lita entered a room that was situated the farthest from her friends, Lita could sense the presence of something evil. She looked around and found a shadow was sitting on a sofa. Usually, Lita was alerted and quickly transformed but the shadow made her whole body shuddered in recognition. Part of her mind was screaming in warning and demanded her to get away from this room immediately but the shadow stood up and quickly stood on her way.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a voice that she hadn’t heard in nearly two milleniums thundered at her. Instantly, Lita drew back and kneeled in front of the shadow and her whole body was shuddered in fear. She knew that her lady would found her sooner or later but not this soon. She wasn’t ready to go back to Jupiter and lived the life that she had left for nearly two thousands years. The life where she lived in fear of her master’s leather crop or lived in loneliness for everyone was disgusted at her status.

“I’m…I’m not going anyway, my lady,” Lita managed to whisper an answer through her fear. She couldn’t meet her master eyes so she just bent her head.

“Look at me, my slave,” her lady’s voice was soften but full of sinister. Timidly, Lita raised her head. My slave! I hate those words. Without warning, her lady slapped her hard that send Lita to the floor.

“I hate traitors! And I usually kill them in the meanest way!” She thundered but Lita said nothing. She tasted her blood at her lips and her cheek was on fire. After nearly two thousands years old, her master slaps were still very painful. “But you, my slave,” she hissed as she caught Lita’s jaw, forcing her to look at her master’s blazing eyes. “Are much too precious to be killed.” She pushed her slave away.

“I care nothing about your friends or your cute little or even the famous Silver Crystal. I only care for you, my pathetic slave! Only you,” her slender finger pointed to Lita. She’d known it all along. Her master only wanted her; wanted avenge for what she had done long time ago.

“And I can’t capture you right now because my damned real body is trapped at Jupiter!” Hearing all this, Lita could feel a spark of hope, twinkling. Her master could see it and she grew angry. “If you think that I can’t hurt you right now, ask your swollen little lips. They do hurt, don’t they?” Lita brows invisibly furrowed in confusion. Her lips were not only hurt, they were bleeding.

“I can hurt you, your friends out there or even your beloved Earth, right now!” she claimed in triumphantly. “And you surely don’t want them to get involve into something that you’d had done years ago, something that isn’t their business and something that they don’t even know what they’re facing of.” Lita’s eyes widened in fear and understood but she still remained silence.

Her master grasped her slave’s neck and she slowly lowered her face to Lita’s ear. Then, she whispered, “I want to meet you at the largest park tomorrow night and I’ll send someone to fetch you up. Remember, my slave, tell your friends that you don’t to be a senshi anymore. Tell your friends that you don’t even want to be their friends anymore and by the time that night arrived, I don’t want your friends to intrude our meeting, you understand?!”

“But…but milady, one day is too soon…” Lita’s words were unfinished when she suddenly gasped in pain as her master tightened her gripped at her neck.

“I don’t care. Tomorrow night or your friends will be in great danger, do you get my message?” she hissed as she tightened her grip that forced Lita to nodded her head vigorously. “Good,” she said approvingly and she released her slave’s neck. In a flash of light, she disappeared, leaving Lita shaking uncontrollably.

She didn’t want to go back! She DIDN’T! She hated everything about her master. Her sinister smile, her horrible laugh, her frightening words and most of all her black and thick leather whip! It hurt so damned much whenever her master used it on her! Lita let herself to cry hard. Her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably as she buried her face into her hands. Lita wished she were dead. Death was certainly a better choice than living as a slave was with her ominous master. Tomorrow was her last day on Earth.

* * * * * *

Rei knocked Lita’s temporarily door room. She had been sleeping less because she was worried for her friend. Lita hadn’t answered her knocking and Rei immediately assumed that she was still sleeping. After all, after looking visibly pale, Lita ought to sleep longer.

So, Rei went to the kitchen and gasped at how big their kitchen was. Everything was in order as if somebody was willing to spend a long hours, cleaning and tidying the kitchen. Since the generals were incredibly wealthy, they might hire somebody to keep everything in order. Rei reached out for two mugs to make coffee for Lita and herself. Now, the problem was, there were so many cabinets and it would take many hours to search for the coffee. Besides, she would look utterly stupid if she did open every cabinet. Now think Rei. Where would four, wealthy bachelors put that little bottle that contains coffee? She thought as she looked around.

“If you are still thinking where would we put our coffee, it is in the third cabinet from left,” a voice provided from behind, making Rei whirled around and found Jadeite was leaning lazily on his shoulder against the door frame with his mouth was suspiciously curved up into a small smile. Taking out the coffee, Rei tried to be calm and ignored him, waiting for Jadeite to go away.

But, he still didn’t go. Instead, he watched her making drinks. “Since you are making coffee, why don’t you make a cup of coffee for me too.” Jadeite requested in his most polite tone but Rei glared at him as if he had said something scathing. He raised his eyebrows in puzzled at her reaction.

“May I ask you something?” Jadeite was still in his polite tone. Without waiting for her permission although he did ask for it, he asked, “Why did every time we both are alone, all you did is glaring at me murderously, as if I did something sinful?”

Putting down the spoon that she had been longing to throw it to him, she calmly answered his inquiries. “Because, despite of what my friends said, I don’t trust you.” Jadeite furrowed his eyebrows closed. “Only me?”

“No. You and your friends. And you know what. I suspect that it was you who gave Lita all those horrible dreams and God knows what you all intend to do to her or was Lita your first victim?” Rei burst out all the things that she had been thinking last night. She didn’t trust to sleep in the generals’ penthouse but since her princess was persistent, she couldn’t leave her princess slept here without enough guardians. So, she slept for Serena’s sake.

“Do you think that we are still the evil generals?” Jadeite asked calmly and saw Rei glared at him ominously. “I guess it means yes. But have it occurred in your mind that I can kill you right now because you are not in your Sailor Mars uniform and in case you are forgotten, you are in our house, which means I have the better opportunity to win than you.”

“Perhaps you have another plan to follow like first gain their trust than kill them. You think I’m stupid enough?” Rei retorted back.

“Perhaps. But we’d already gain your friends’ trust. Don’t you think we can kill them right now?” Jadeite said. Rei raised her blazing violet eyes, thinking fast the way to answer his statement. Damn! He’s good!

“Maybe…maybe you guys can’t because I haven’t trust you guys yet!”

“Why should we gain your trust to us since it done us no good? Besides, it is much easier if I kill you right now and said to them that you left early. They’ll buy that. After all, they did trust us, didn’t they?” Jadeite’s answer left Rei’s mouth hanging open.

“You think I’m going to trust you if you answered all my accusation? Well, I’m not! So, stop trying to do that!” Rei turned around and finished her half-made coffee. But, she did begin to trust him. All the words he said were true. They could kill them easily right now since they were so off-guard.

Jadeite couldn’t help admiring her spirit. Even though she had lost in the argument, she still didn’t lose her bravado and closed their argument without hurting her pride. He had never met a woman with her hair was raven-black or those outrageous violet eyes. When she was angry, her eyes looked as if in purple fire, so lively and so beautiful. Her shiny straight hair, her smooth and soft skin, her soft and inviting lips; everything about her startling him. Women that he always met were beautiful and sophisticated but they never honest. They were too eager to get his attention and they pretended something that wasn’t theirs. He hated women with breathy laugh, sexy voice with their flirtatious eyes. They were Nephrite’s favorite kind of women. But Rei was something.

“Why aren’t you going yet? Are you going find a perfect time to kill me? Well, I’m telling you, you’re wasting your time,” she turned around to face him with her arms crossed under her breast. She is flattering herself! Jadeite realized and his mouth failed to hide his feeling as it curved up into an admirable smile.

“What had amused you?” Rei asked irritably. You. Everything about you amuses me. Jadeite thought. He didn’t trust his voice to speak up something opposite from his thought.

“Why am I wasting my time talking to somebody to is mute?” Rei muttered. She carried a mug and walked past Jadeite so she can deliver the coffee to Lita. But Jadeite caught her elbow before she could pass the doorframe.

His reaction gained a surprise look from Rei and when she opened her mouth to say something insulting, he placed his index finger on to her soft lips, telling her to be quiet. He pulled the mug from her hand and put it on the table behind him, wanting no barrier between them. Not knowing what he was doing, Jadeite slowly ran his finger up from her cheek to her temple, feeling the beautiful curve. His hand that still holding her elbow had slipped up to her upper arm, seductively.

Rei let the sensual magic consumed her as she closed her eyes, feeling every wonderful thing he had done. His finger had now wandered at the back of her ear, playing with her soft hair and trailed down to the her nape, buried his hand in her thick hair while the hand of his had slide down to her waist. Suddenly, she felt his breathing touched her cheek and his soft lips brushed slightly over hers. Alarmed, she opened her eyes and saw Jadeite’s compelling face was so near to hers that she could smell his manly scent. He smelled so wonderful that her alarm heart slowly turned into excited. She timidly put her hand onto his rough jaw, which had surprised Jadeite because he hadn’t expected for her respond and when she did respond to his slight touch, it pleased him immensely.

Pulling her closer than he had pulled any woman he had kissed, Jadeite began kissing her gently and patient at first. He didn’t want to scare her with his kiss, so he kissed her slowly and undemanding. When Rei brought her arms around his neck, telling him she welcome of his touch at her lips, Jadeite began kissing her hungrily and demanding. A low sigh of pleasure managed to escape her mouth as Jadeite continued tormenting her with his tongue, seeking every corner of her mouth. Rei let him took control since she had a little experience.

Never had any man kissed her so intimately that made her dizzy. No man would want to try. She had a temper that driven every interested man away because she thought that she was busy protecting her princess that she had a little time with her life. But Jadeite was boldly kissed her thoroughly and expertly that managed to make her responded to his touch. She felt he tightened his grasp, not wanting to let her go.

They were so deep in their kiss that they hadn’t heard the sound of the footsteps coming toward the kitchen.

“Have you…” Mina stopped in the middle of her sentence and her jaw dropped opened when she realized that Rei was kissing with Jadeite. Both of them quickly parted when Mina arrived. Rei looked absolutely embarrassed while Jadeite smiled amusedly at the look of Mina’s surprised face.

“Have we what?” he inquired that made Mina closed her mouth. After she regained her composure, Mina turned her attention back to her earlier question.

“Have you seen Lita? She’s gone!”