'Send me forget-me-nots.' ------------------------- "And where the hell have you been?" "You know. Around." Mars couldn't hold back the toothy grin that swept over her features as she bellied up to the counter and gave Hilde a small wave. "What the hell you mean, around? I thought you were dead for sure!" the woman barked, sliding a glass across the bar top. "Now now," the martian muttered, slamming back half of the burning liquid, "we both know that the only thing that will ever kill me will be the drinks you serve me." "Hah!" "But really, I owe you my thanks." the soldier replied gratefully. "Had it not been for you, I don't know what would have happened that day." Hilde waved the comment off dismissively and ran a critical eye over the guardian. "For what it's worth, you look like shit." "You too." "I hope the other guy looks worse." Mars chuckled. "Of course she does." "Oooh." the barmaid replied. "Did the little doll do this to you?" "What, Mina?" Mars laughed. "Of course not. I just bit off a little more than I could chew." "It's something bad, isn't it?" Hilde muttered softly. "We can all feel it, even us lesser folk. Just something evil..." The soldier fought back against the shudder that threatened to run through her. "Something like that." she replied, her tone hollow. She downed the rest of her drink and let out a sigh, and just as quickly as her dark mood had appeared, it had vanished. She flashed the woman a genuine smile and tossed a wad of bills on the counter top as she rose to her feet. "But I have to get back. Take care of yourself." As the door swung shut behind her, tears prickled the older woman's eyes. The soldier was going to die. She could feel it in her bones. "You too..." ----------------- "What's this all about?" Minako questioned warily, her confusion growing as Rei led her by the hand out to the stables. "It's a surprise." "You know, I'm really starting to hate surprises." the venusian muttered under her breath. "Oh come on." Rei tried, "Have a little faith in me." Minako cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. "Harsh." Rei mumbled, releasing her hand at the stable gate. "Wait here a moment?" The blonde obliged, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips in quiet apprehension. Anything involving large death beasts from hell would be enough to make anyone paranoid as far as she was concerned. And sure enough, the gates opened and Rei reappeared, leading a chocolate brown mare out by the reins. "Oh no. And not just no, but hell no." Minako cried. Rei tilted her head in confusion. "What?" Minako pointed at the beast. "You know what!" She received a blank stare in response. "Never mind." the venusian sighed in defeat, and Rei looked a little hurt. "It's just a horse..." Minako couldn't stop the tiny stab of guilt that pricked the back of her mind. Side effects. More side effects from her time in the Dark Kingdom. It wasn't Rei's fault, really. She was trying hard, and the least she could do was try to be a little more understanding when it came to the random bouts of memory lapses on the martian's part. But something deep inside her wondered idly what, or when other side effects would show themselves. Makoto's words haunted her. 'We can't afford to be messing around right now.' But Rei would never hurt her. She knew that. Didn't she? "I'm sorry." The martian's words startled Minako out of her wonderings, and blue eyes snapped up to meet violet. "Don't be. It's okay." Rei gave her a ghost of a smile, her eyes lost and empty. "Is it really?" The blonde opened her mouth to respond, to do or say anything to reassure her, but the fire soldier was back to her old self in a heartbeat. "So. I wanted to take you somewhere." "We can't just leave, can we?" Minako replied, feeling a little lost and confused herself at the moment. "It's alright. I got special permission." "Where are we going?" "That's where the surprise part comes in." "But the others..." "Are getting their own little break as we speak. It's only for a day." the soldier finished for her gently, giving her a lopsided grin. "Trust me." "But..." "No more buts." Rei hoisted herself up onto the mare, shifting in the saddle. "Just for one day, forget that you're a soldier." "Impossible." the blonde snorted. "Nothing is impossible." "Oh yeah? Then try getting me onto that death beast." Minako laughed. Rei quirked an eyebrow. "Funny, that sounded like a challenge." "It was more of a fact, really. There is no way that you could possibly..." The words died in her throat as the martian dug her heels into the horse's flank, urging the animal into a gallop. Before the blonde could grasp what was happening, a strong arm plucked her from the safety of the ground and she found herself sitting side saddle, encircled by protective arms, as the horse never lost speed. She blinked in cute confusion for a moment before glancing up at the fire soldier. "...I think you just kidnapped me." "Looks that way." "Huh." Rei laughed, warm and deep, and Minako could feel a blush rise to her cheeks. It vanished when she remembered that they were moving at a good clip, and as she tensed, the dark haired woman smiled gently. "Don't worry, Mina. I promise that I won't let you fall. Just lean against me." The blonde complied, dropping her head against the soldier's chest, comforted by the strong heartbeat under her clothing. Maybe it wasn't so bad to pretend to be normal, even if it was just for a day. Their armor could get awfully heavy, just like their burdens, and sometimes it was hard to remember that underneath it all, they were human too. Worry began to gnaw at her though, and her eyebrows furrowed together in concern. Had Rei always been that strong? Minako had been lifted as though she weighed nothing. Was all that dark energy really dissipating? She closed her eyes. No. Best not to think about that now. -------------- "Minako?" A light kiss brushed over her lips, and the blonde stirred. "We're here." Blue eyes fluttered open as Rei slid down off the saddle. Minako stretched briefly, taking in a quick glance of their surroundings. They appeared to be deep in the woods, and she could hear the quiet whisper of running water nearby. The branches of the trees blocked most of the light from the setting sun, but she could still recognize the dirt path leading around a small hill. Her features mirrored her shock as her jaw dropped. "How did you..." "Surprise?" Rei offered quietly with a gentle smile. Tears sprang to the venusian's eyes as she laughed and shook her head. "Definitely." The fire soldier moved forward, placing her hands on the blonde's waist as she dismounted, guiding her down. "I'm glad you like it." "The only people who know about this place are the Queen and myself. How did you know about it?" "It was the Queen's suggestion." Rei explained, unbuckling a traveling pack from the saddle and hoisting it over her shoulder. "She said it was important to you." "It used to belong to my family, before the war." Minako explained as they made their way down the path. It almost felt like yesterday, those long peaceful afternoons, full of love and laughter. "We used to come here to get away from everything else." As they rounded the bend, a small cottage came into view, and it was just the way the blonde had remembered it, down to the front door, still leaning a touch to the left. It looked cozy, with one single stone step leading up to the heavy wooden door, and the outer walls had been coated with white plaster, giving the small home a warm, bright look. Rei grinned. It was beautiful out here, but it was nothing compared to the smile the blonde was wearing right now. "That window." Minako breathed, pointing to one of the two small windows on the front of the structure. "I used to sit there and wait for my father to return from court." She paused before the entrance, resting a light hand on the doorknob. "And it's still beautiful. Someone must have been taking care of it all this time." Rei nodded. "The Queen mentioned assigning a caretaker." "She's amazing." the blonde sighed, eyes sparkling as she cast a shy glance at the warrior beside her. "And so are you, to do this for me." "Go in." the soldier urged gently with a slight nod of her head. Minako obliged, stepping through the door and letting out a tiny gasp as she pressed a hand to her lips. The interior of the cottage was completely aglow with the light of what had to be dozens of candles, and small sprigs of blue flowers adorned the entirety of the home. With lightly trembling fingers, the blonde reached out to a basket on the table and removed a flower, brushing over a petal lightly. "They're from Earth." Rei explained softly, setting the pack down and studying her lover intently. "They're beautiful." the venusian whispered. "That's because they're the same shade of blue as your eyes." Minako blushed lightly as Rei removed the flower from her hands and tucked it behind her ear. "They're called forget-me-nots." "Forget-me-nots?" She laughed quietly. "A little irony there, huh?" "Something like that." Rei sighed and shifted nervously, suddenly finding the toes of her boots to be very interesting. Her brow furrowed in thought as she shook her head slowly, as though trying to clear her mind. "I...I guess I wanted to show you that no matter what happens, in this life or the next, I could never forget you, or the things you've taught me." Minako fell silent and the fire soldier squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard. Funny. All the times she practiced this in her head, it went so much smoother. From somewhere far beyond this last desperate grasp at normalcy, she could hear the last songs of the day from the birds outside, and it nearly broke her heart. They weren't ever coming back here again, and she was sure they both knew it. "I love you Mina." Arms slid around her waist as the blonde pressed her face into the martian's shoulder, and Rei could feel the tears as they soaked through the light fabric of her shirt. She wrapped her arms around the lithe blonde in response, holding her tightly as she shook in the embrace. "I've always known that." Minako whispered. "I've never doubted that for a second." The venusian shifted in her hold, and the faintest of kisses brushed across the hollow of Rei's neck. "It's going to be alright, isn't it?" The fire soldier stiffened as tears stung her eyes. How could she answer that? How could she possibly even begin to answer that? Soft lips graced her earlobe. "Lie to me." Everything felt so desperate and raw, from the way she shook to the pain in her voice, and suddenly Rei couldn't ever remember feeling so utterly defeated. With a strength that masked the uncertainty underneath, she dropped and swept Minako off her feet, feeling as though her very soul was breaking as she rose and arms wound around her neck. The fire soldier carried her into the bedroom, struggling to retain a sense of peace, but as she lay the venusian on the bed, blue eyes fluttered open and tears fell freely. "The others. Do you think they're doing this now?" "I hope so." Rei breathed as her vision blurred, the arms around her neck tugging her down. Gentle hands ran over her body, delicately brushing over scars and old wounds as though to smooth them away, and as butterfly kisses danced across her skin, she wanted to weep. God, it hurt. How could something so soft hurt so badly? Minako took a hold of her hand, lacing their fingers together before leaning forward and kissing her tenderly. Rei ran fingers through the golden locks that seemed to halo the woman above her and squeezed violet eyes shut. She could barely look at her, and it made everything seem so much could have made it, somewhere far away from here. They could have been so happy... "I love you." Minako whispered. Mars choked back a sob. Minako understood. She had always been the only one to understand her, even now, as they moved together beneath silken sheets and angelic lips brushed away every tear. "I'm so scared." The blonde was startled by the frank openness and vulnerability in her words, and the quiet desperation in her voice made her heart ache. She just didn't understand why it had to be this way. They had done so much and come so far, only to find there lifelong walk had dropped them back off at the starting point, a couple of scared little girls trying to find comfort in each other. "I'm right here." Venus replied softly. Rei dug her fingers into Minako's back, gasping. Every touch, every movement, it was all so soft, and she could see the world in broken blue eyes. Every kiss, every brush of fleeting lips was laced with sorrow. She folded, sobbing as a protective arm held her tight and skillful hands pushed her over the brink. ------- Time was a cruel adversary, and already the sky began to glow in shades of reds and violets as the sun rose. Rei pulled the heavy blanket over both of them, and took her lover into her arms. "We have to leave soon, don't we?" Minako asked quietly, pressing close. "Let's not worry about that." the fire soldier murmured, brushing a kiss on her forehead. "We're out of time..." "Not yet." Rei slid her hands down the blonde's nude form. There was so much to say, and so much that they never could say. She had brought Minako here in a bid to show her how much she had loved her, to give her one peaceful night in a sea of uneasiness, but in the end, they were still haunted by the nightmare that threatened to devour them all. Fingers threaded in her dark mane, pulling her close as she took Minako's lower lip between her own. Minutes blurred, spilling over into each other in a haze, and as the martian caressed smooth thighs that wrapped around her, she wished her hands were softer for her lover's sake. She had always been so rough and calloused, where Minako had always been all curves and perfection. A body like hers wasn't made for battle. When Venus whispered her name, it was sweet and warm, tumbling from the lips of a goddess, and Rei wished she could carry the whole load for both of them. She wished she could convince Minako to stay away, to find someplace safe, but knew she would refuse. They were all bound by duty, and she wouldn't leave anymore than Rei would. It was beautiful the way she trembled beneath her on the soft bed, shaking and pleading, lips quivering as they met in a tangled mess, and God, it wasn't fair. Blue eyes shone with a love Rei felt completely undeserving of, and fear dangled over them like a sword on a thread. Please. She didn't even know what she was asking for anymore. Her kisses were sweet, and they tasted of something that could have been so much sweeter in a time without smoke and blood. ---------- "Don't do this!" Venus cried, the words nearly torn out of her throat. Her arms shook and her body ached, and God, if only she could just lie down... Mars shook her head. "There's no choice. It's gone. All of it." She raised her blade, studying the blood that ran down the groove with mild disinterest. "That means you're out of time. You have to decide." "Decide what??" she screamed back, tears blurring her vision. It felt wrong, and she could never remember ever being this tired. "Don't play stupid." the martian sneered, the plates of her armor clinking as she drew herself into a battle stance. "This is what we've been waiting for." ---------- Venus snapped awake, fear wrenching her heart s she sat bolt upright in bed. Mars was immediately awakened, violet eyes blinking in sleepy confusion. "Mina, what is it?" Relief flooded her senses as her lover groggily rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "A...a dream. That's all." "You okay?" Rei murmured, wrapping her arms around the blonde loosely. "I am now." Minako replied, covering the martian's hands with her own. "Mm." Her heart felt heavy as she retrieved her clothing, and the pair moved in silence as the martian readied the horse for the trip home. Minako cast her eyes up at the bright sun in the sky overhead and felt another pinprick of sorrow. It should be raining. "You ready?" Mars asked quietly, and Venus flinched at the question. "I just need one more minute." she replied softly, looking back at the cottage for what she knew would be the last time. "Take your time." Rei said, climbing up into the saddle. "If I could do that, I'd keep you here forever." the blonde stated evenly. The fire soldier blushed lightly and coughed into her fist, the heavy mood broken. "Now you get shy." Minako sighed, holding out a hand. "Whatever." Mars mumbled, taking hold of it and helping her up. Venus slid into the saddle behind her and wound her arms around the dark haired woman's waist. "It was really sweet, what you did for me. Thank you." Rei's face burned as she fumbled for something to say. Minako giggled at her obvious discomfort and rest a cheek against her back. "It's okay. I understand." ------------ Mars paced the palace grounds relentlessly, fear gnawing at her. Her heart had been hammering the entire way home, and she knew why. The fighter in her could sense what was coming, and she knew that they were out of time. By this time tomorrow, everything would be finished. Half of her wished it was over already, while the other half tried to quietly remind her that tomorrow never came until it was too late, and the damage would be done. She kept her eyes sharp, searching for the slightest movements. When the attack came, it would be swift, and they'd have little time to react. It was imperative that they had any advantage they could, even if it amounted to only a few extra seconds. As she began to sweep through the perimeter of the eastern wing, a rustling in the hedges sent her senses into overdrive. A figure encroached in the shadows appeared to be tampering with the barrier system, and without warning, the soldier drew her blade and leapt into the fray, using her shoulder to knock the man to the ground. She raised her sword, ready to plunge it into the intruder's neck, when a startled voice yelped out her name. "Rei?? God, don't kill me!!" She hesitated. "Endymion?" "Nice to see you too." he drawled. "What are you doing out here?" "Helping me." A quiet voice explained. Mars cast a glance to her left, and upon seeing a rather confused Mercury, dropped her stance. "Sorry." She muttered lamely, sheathing her sword and offering a hand to the prince. "I thought..." "I can guess what you thought." he laughed weakly. "What are you guys doing?" "Thanks to the information you provided with the portal, I was able to devise an upgrade to the barrier system. It isn't much, but it should give us a decent chance." Ami replied. "Oh." Rei felt her cheeks burn. Great. Just great. And here she was, ready to cut down their own men. "It was awfully quiet without you around." The prince grunted, rising to his feet and offering her a grin. "It was wonderful. Almost a full twenty four hours went by without someone trying to kill me." "I bet." she scowled. Mercury and the prince shared a laugh at her expense. "Whatever. I'm just happy to see everything is still in one piece." "Preparations are almost completed." Ami confirmed. "All we can do now..." "...is wait." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes! Oh man. We be reaching the end of this demented little train ride, and truth be told, it makes me a little sad. Happily ever after? Complete damnation? It's down to the wire now.
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