Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Fire
Part II
Cycle of Our Souls: Heart's Fire
Part III
M is for Mars

Disclaimers:
Nope, not mine. Oh well, at least I can borrow 'em for a little bit. :)
Hey, y'all, it's me again. :) I hope you've enjoyed the story so far (short as it's been), and I just have a quick note or two for this section. The text between the little "@-" symbols (which look like roses to me) takes place in the time of the Silver Millennium, in case you can't tell. I use the Japanese names (or spellings thereof) simply because they seem like the "real" names to me (as I'm sure they do to most of you as well), and they just seem to fit better in this time period. The only exceptions to this are with
Kunzite/Malachite and Usagi/Serena. I'm sorry, but I like "Malachite" better; much more forceful. And "Serena" is just plain pretty. Poetic license, damn it! :)
Anyway, like before the text between the lines of "*" symbols takes place in the "present" (sometime between SMR and SMS) and is mostly just Raye's thoughts. Everything else is a few weeks before this, and if that changes, it will be noted so don't worry.
If you're enjoying the story (or even if you're hating it, but if that's the case, then why are you still reading, silly??) please write me! Please!!
Thank you, drive through.

@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-
Minako, Princess of Venus and leader of the Sailor Senshi, streaked down the halls of the Moon Palace and began banging on the elaborately carved door barring her way. "Rei! Rei-chan, open the door! They're going to be here any minute and I'll not be late because of your vanity!" she cried.
Rei, Princess of Mars, threw open the door and glared at her friend. "My vanity? Minako, if I remember correctly, you cut our training session short by three hours this afternoon in order to get ready."
The blond girl shrugged and turned away. "Come on, Rei-chan, we're going to be late. Ami and Makoto are waiting for us in the ball room. Mako-chan told me they weren't going into the receiving hall until we got there, and if the generals arrive first they'll never forgive us!"
"Why are they waiting for us in the ball room? Seems like an awfully silly place to--"
"I didn't ask, Rei!" Minako cried, grabbing her friend's hand and fairly dragging her down the hall. "All Makoto said was, 'If you're not back in less than five minutes with Rei-chan, I'll send my Thunder Dragon after you!' So we have two minutes left."
Rei's eyes widened. "Nani?!? Only two? Gods, we better hurry!"
Minako let out an exasperated sigh. "That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Before these words were even out, however, the dark-haired girl had run past her.
"Hurry, Minako-chan!" she called over her shoulder. "I don't want to get fried!"

Makoto, Princess of Jupiter, paced nervously back and forth. While Rei was busy questioning the logic of waiting in the ballroom, Makoto figured it was the only place in the entire kingdom where she could pace and not run out of floor.
"Mako-chan, relax," Ami, the Mercurial Princess, said to her friend. "Rei and Minako will be here soon, then we can go join the queen and princess in the receiving hall. We won't be late."
"I'm not worried about being late, Ami-chan," Makoto fairly growled. "I'm worried about..." She threw her hands up in the air and resumed pacing.
"About meeting the generals? Whatever for?"
She sighed and shook her head fiercely, the ponytail she always wore her chestnut hair in nearly whipping her in the face. "You wouldn't understand."
Ami seemed hurt by this answer. "Do you all think I'm not as interested in those of the opposite sex as you are? Just because I concentrate more of my energies on my work doesn't mean I don't notice men! I've heard just as many rumors as you have about Prince Endymion's protectors and, yes, I'm a little
nervous about meeting them too."
Makoto gaped at her studious friend. "You, Ami-chan?? Well, great, now I feel a whole heck of a lot better," she said sarcastically. If Ami was nervous, then there was certainly no hope for the rest of the senshi.
Just then, Rei, followed by a disgruntled-looking Minako, burst into the room. "Are we late? Don't kill us, Mako-chan!" the Martian princess cried.
"No, you're not late... but let's go. Ami-chan just admitted to me that's she's nervous, so if we don't go now I think I might pass out."
"Ami's nervous?" Minako squeaked, trying to force down a giggle. "If that's the case, then there's no hope for the rest of us!!"
Makoto grinned. "That's what I was thinking too."
Queen Serenity's two feline advisors, Artemis and Luna, padded silently into the room. "Are you girls ready?" Luna asked. "The prince and his party are expected to arrive shortly. Come along." Without waiting for a reply, the cats turned to leave, knowing -- or at least hoping -- the senshi wouldn't be far behind.
"Do you think they're really as handsome as everyone says?" Minako hissed to Makoto as they stood in the receiving hall before Queen Serenity and her daughter of the same name.
"Iie; no one is as handsome as everyone says they are," Makoto whispered back.
Suddenly there was a flash of light, and five men appeared before the assembled royal party. Makoto gasped. "I was wrong," she muttered to Minako, who was struggling to keep her chin from hitting the polished marble of the floor.
"Welcome, Prince Endymion of Earth. This meeting between our planet and yours has been long in coming, and we look forward to a prosperous relationship. Let me introduce you to my daughter and her senshi, then you may introduce to us your guardians," Queen Serenity said in her gentle, soothing voice. She motioned to the lovely blond girl standing beside her and said, "This is my daughter, Princess Serenity." The princess curtsied low. "This is Minako, Princess of Venus and the leader of our senshi, and the Soldier of Love." Minako stepped forward and copied her friend’s gesture. "This is Rei, Princess of Mars and our second in command and Senshi of Offence." Rei imitated Mi-nako elegantly. "Next is Makoto, Princess of Jupiter and the Senshi of Defense." Ma-koto’s curtsy was brief and businesslike… she did hate such formality. "And last, but most certainly not least, is Ami, Princess of Mercury and the Senshi of Knowledge." Ami’s curtsy was as fluid as the element she controlled.The prince and his guardians bowed to each lady in turn before Endymion said, "We were most honored by your invitation, Your Majesty, and I hope we are able to form a peaceful understanding between our long-estranged kingdoms. My generals," he said, pointing to each in turn, "are Head General Malachite,
Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoisite."
There was more bowing and curtsying all around until at last the queen said, "Perhaps you and your generals would like a tour of our palace, Prince Endymion?"
He smiled brightly. "We would enjoy that greatly, Your Majesty."
She nodded smoothly. "Serena, would you and the senshi please escort our guests around the palace? You may all get to know one another better along the way, and perhaps even stop at the training grounds."
Serena shared a glance with her four friends then grinned at her mother. "We would love to! Come along, Prince Endymion, and I'll show you the most beautiful place in all the Universe!"
As they walked, they gradually melted from two distinct groups of Moon-dwellers and Earthlings into five smaller ones. The prince instantly fascinated the Moon Princess, and they set off into the grounds, Serena telling him excitedly about the lovely fountains.
Minako felt drawn to Malachite, with his exotic white hair and stern manner. It wasn't long, however, before her bubbly personality had won him over, and they found themselves meandering toward the training grounds, engaged in a heated discussion over their various attacks.
Makoto, for her part, couldn't take her eyes off the tall, charismatic Nephrite. She smiled at him, feeling rather shy, and asked if he would like to visit the moon's planetarium. "I heard you were interested in the stars," she told him hastily. He liked the idea, and so off they went.
Ami, though she would most likely never admit it to her friends, found herself instantly attracted to the quiet Zoisite. It wasn't long before they made their way to the library and were engrossed in a challenging game of chess.
And so Rei and Jadeite were left wandering the corridors of the Moon Palace together. Rei smiled at him and said, "It looks like we've been abandoned, hmm? I guess everyone found better things to do..."
He matched her smile with one of his own. "It truly is beautiful here, Lady Mars. I had heard rumors, of course, but nothing could compare with reality..."
There was something in his voice that made her stop suddenly and turn to look at him. She studied his clear azure eyes for a long time before saying, "Perhaps you would like to see the gardens? Our roses are some of the most beautiful anywhere... next to those of Mars, of course."
"That would be perfect. I love flowers... they're so peaceful and innocent. The Universe would be a wonderful place if it was just children, dogs and flowers," he said softly.
She laughed. "I know a cat or two who would disagree with you there."
"I'm sure you do," he said, amused. "So shall I amend my statement? The Universe would be a wonderful place if it was just children, dogs, flowers and cats."
"Much better." They walked among the flower beds in silence for a while before Rei said, "You'll notice that these beds here," she pointed all around them, "are all shades of light blue... you can see that they form the symbol for Mercury. This is Ami-chan's bed. And then there's orange and blue for Venus, and mine are over there... see the red and blue Martian symbol? Next there's green and pink for Jupiter, purple and black for Saturn, dark blue and yellow for Uranus, dark green and dark blue for Neptune, and then the deep purple-blue and red for Pluto. One for each of the senshi, see?"
Each bed was beautifully and artfully arranged using each of the Scout's colors, and forming the symbol for her planet in elegant, harmonious curves. As all things on the moon, they were cast in the dreamy, silver light that seemed to make everything a little more romantic and lovely. Jadeite stood there next to the comely Martian princess and looked out over the moonscape, and at the Earth hanging big and blue in the dark sky above them, for a long time before saying, puzzled, "There are other senshi besides the four of you?"
"Oh, yes, of course. We are the Inner Senshi, those who protect the princess herself. The Outer Senshi guard the Universe from outside attacks." She frowned. "We don't see them much, which is rather a bit of a shame. I'm sure Minako would enjoy training with them: she's obsessed with her duty, you know." Suddenly feeling as though she'd said too much, Rei blushed. "Don't tell her I told you that."
He smiled, something he found himself doing quite a bit around this girl. "No, of course not. Malachite-kun is the same way, so I understand perfectly."
"Yes, they seem rather well matched. No one stands a better chance of lightening him up than Minako-chan. The roses are through here, come on!" She set off at a run past the beds for Neptune and Pluto, and Jadeite followed, laughing.
@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-@-
Raye woke up, the smile still on her lips, and stretched luxuriously. It had been a lovely dream, one of the few she'd ever had about the Silver Millennium. But one thing confused her... could those have possible been the Dark Kingdom Generals the queen was so warmly greeting? And they had come with Darien, no less. She puzzled over this for a moment, wondering what pieces she was missing, and then let out a sigh. Oh well, she thought, it was still a lovely dream... and I with Jadeite? Hmmm... I would've thought Malachite more my style.
Jadeite... now, as she thought and thought, she could vaguely remember him from her past... and yes, she remembered showing him the Moon Kingdom's beautiful gardens. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine his face but... came up empty. She could see him, tall and broad-shouldered, and hear him, that slightly raspy voice that had always sent chills down her spine, but she couldn't see his face. It was as if... as if someone had gone into her head and surgically removed that particular memory. She tried to imagine the Jadeite she remembered fighting with Amy and Serena, but with the same results.
It didn't matter anyway, she supposed. If the Dark Kingdom Generals had once been Prince Endymion's royal guard, they had betrayed him. And betrayal was something Raye couldn't abide. Whatever had happened between she and Jadeite back in the Silver Millennium was ancient history... and besides, Jadeite was dead. Or so everyone assumed: he hadn't been seen since his abysmal failure to destroy the Scouts at the airport almost two years ago.
Suddenly she heard a rustling in the bushes outside her window. Raye's eyes narrowed and she concentrated her sixth sense, trying to find the source, making sure it wasn't evil... She laughed brightly and ran to the window, throwing it open to a warm and sweet-smelling night lit by the full moon.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered to him, a delighted smile stretched across her pretty face.
"I missed you," he whispered back. "I didn't get to see you all weekend, ya know!"
"It's not my fault you went skiing this weekend, Jay Dalinger," she told him, her voice lightly teasing.
"Can I come in?" he asked, his indigo eyes asking for far more than just entry to her bedroom.
Pretending she didn't understand the full ramifications of this request, she held out a hand. "Hai, come on. Would you like some tea? Grandpa baked muffins today, I think. He makes some of the best muffins in the world and--" Her ramblings were cut off abruptly by a deep, penetrating kiss, the type of
kiss that controls the senses and leaves one gasping for air. She felt his tongue brush against hers, heard his low, soft moan, and pushed him away as gently as possible. "Jay," she said quietly, "I've only known you for a little over a week. Don't you think it's a little soon to be making out in my bedroom?"
Though her eyes twinkled with amusement, he understood how serious she was and he nodded, taking a step away. "I had a dream about you," he said, deciding a change of subject was in order.
She cocked an eyebrow at him and slid into the kimono she wore as a robe. "Did you?" she asked, always interested in dreams.
"Hai. I don't remember much about it... just... comfort and peace and you."
To her surprise, Raye found herself blushing. "Sounds lovely," she finally said, unable to meet his intense blue eyes.
"Yes, you are," he told her, lifting her chin with the tip of his index finger.
"Jay no baka!" she cried, the blush deepening.
He laughed and put his strong arms around her slender waist, pulling her close. "What can I say? It's the truth. You have me under your spell, sweet miko."
"Miko don't cast spells."
"You do," he said, gazing down into her eyes, which seemed the color of dark amethysts beneath the moonlight that filtered gently into the room. "You cast spells with your eyes and your hair and your laugh. You are a spell, my little firefly."
She stiffened slightly at these words. "Why do you call me that? 'Firefly'?" Could he know about her ability to control fire as Sailor Mars? She didn't see how, but anything was possible with Jay Dalinger.
Jay's brow creased in confusion at her reaction to the nickname. "Because of your fire meditations... and the fire I see burning in your soul. If you don't like it, I won't call you that anymore."
"No, I like it... it suits me. I was just making sure you weren't calling me a pyromaniac or something," Raye told him with a grin, pressing her cheek gently against his broad chest and wrapping her arms around him. "So how about that tea?" she asked after a long, comfortable moment.
His chin was rested on the top of her head, her velvety black locks tickling his skin, and he knew he never wanted to move. "Iie, firefly, I have all I want right here. All I've ever wanted," he whispered.
Normally words such as those would have angered the independent and spirited Raye Hino: she was no one's possession, no one to be "had". But for some reason, when Jay said them she was filled with a sense of warmth and comfort, as though this was how things were supposed to be. She smiled and held him tighter, content to be his, content in the knowledge that those words didn't mean she was his possession, but instead his completion. And, some part of her knew, he was hers.
********************************
Completion. How the word mocks me now. Hai, Jay Dalinger was my completion, and I his, and now I wonder if either of us will ever be whole again. Before I met him, I used to laugh at such things; that American film, for example, with its oh-so-famous line, "You complete me." Serena and Lita and Mina all thought it was so romantic, so very kawaii, while I, Raye Hino, cynic extraordinaire, saw it as nothing but romantic twaddle. "One must complete oneself," that was my view.
What a fool I was, what a child. Yes, of course one must be able to stand on one's own, but sometimes... sometimes you find that one person who can help make that standing a little easier. Not a crutch, exactly, but just a... a support. You can survive without it, but life just isn't as easy, isn't as fulfilling.
I remember going to the art museum with Serena one time. We stopped at the Claude Monet exhibit, and all she could say was, "It's all blurry and jumbled. What a mess!" Serena is not a stupid person, I know that, but I also know that her interest in art is somewhat limited -- not because she doesn't appreciate the beauty of a painting, but just because she prefers art to be straight-forward. "Things should look like what they're supposed to be," she explained to me as we left.
Then, only a few weeks later, I was at that same exhibit with Jay. We stopped and discussed the fluidity of Monet's rivers, the passion of his oceans, the joy of his gardens, and the serenity of his snowscapes. It was a magical day, and one so much more rewarding than the trip with Serena. Not because Serena is stupid, or bad company, but because Serena isn't Jay, and Jay is the one who understands me. Jay is the one who completes me. Gods, I told myself I wouldn't go there, but I suppose it's too late now: the words are already written. I should've used a pencil.
If only forgetting was as easy as erasing the marks of graphite on paper. *******************************
End III