Story: Vessels of Fate; Blood of the Mountains (all chapters)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or characters within the
story. Surprise surprise. ^_^

Author's Notes: I am going to make this fic rather episodic. It takes
place after Stars. Assuming I don't go all lazy, there will be new
"villains."

There will definitely be shoujo-ai! I have a vague idea of what I want
to do, but it's not yet mapped out.

This is pretty much a mixture of manga and anime. Manga personalities
(with the exception of Makoto and Ami) and anime closeness, as none of
the girls were very close in the manga.

The relationship between the inners and the outers at this time is
primarily taken from the manga, as the two groups were much closer
there than in the anime.

*PLEASE* leave indepth reviews on character analysis. If you
don't think I've captured the characters correctly, tell me!

Phew, lots of author's note. ^_^;
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Vessels of Fate
By Monikku

A slight breeze played with her long, dark green hair. Setsuna sat on a
wool blanket. The park she was visiting, clearly touched by the hands
of spring, had flowers blooming across the stretch of land. The
smallest of knowing smiles graced her face as she watched two young
girls, Hotaru and Chibi-Usa, play a short distance away. The girls'
laughter filled the air. Setsuna listened on intently, grateful for
such sounds of joy.

Extracting a thermos from a wicker basket, Setsuna poured herself a cup
of herbal tea. As she raised the cup to her lips, her eyes narrowed.
Sensing the presence of someone cautiously approaching from behind,
she placed her tea beside her. She pulled another cup from the basket
in preparation for her hesitant guest. Having filled the extra tea
cup, she waited a moment for the person to make their presence known.

Setsuna tilted her head up slightly, as if to take in the scents of the
world around her, she said, "Rei-chan, would you like some tea?" then
raised her left arm, her hand holding out the proffered cup.

A bit startled, Hino Rei responded in a tone that reflected little of
her apprehension, "Yes, Setsuna-san. Thank you."

Rei took the tea, and sat next to Setsuna. Taking small sips, she
looked on at Hotaru and Chibi-Usa as they picked flowers and played
with butterflies. Setsuna, having retrieved her tea, cradled her cup
in her hands, her hands resting on her thighs. "Spring and youth are
intertwined beautifully," Setsuna said, "both have a way of refreshing
the souls they touch."

Looking at Setsuna from the corners of her eyes, Rei replied,
"Setsuna-san, you are very mysterious."

Setsuna once again brought the cup to her lips, drinking the last of
her tea. The air was pregnant with silence, however brief it may have
been. As the cup left her lips, what seemed like an eternity's passing
for Rei, finally, Setsuna spoke. "The same could be said of you,
Rei-chan."

"Why do you say that, Setsuna-san?" Rei responded.

"You distance yourself from everyone, do you not?" Setsuna replied.

"No," Rei stated flatly, "Not everyone." she continued in her mind.

As if sensing the rest of Rei's unsaid sentence, Setsuna smirked.
Choosing not to push the subject, she opened the wicker basket and set
her empty cup inside. Stealing a glance at Rei as she resettled
herself, she noticed Rei was staring down at the cup she held as
though it had wronged her profoundly.

Rei looked up at Setsuna with determination in her eyes. She spoke
coolly to her, "Setsuna-san, Pluto, when you were first reborn was it
like Hotaru-chan? Were you a baby?" Rei did not wait for a reply, but
instead spoke on, "A few months after your death, you came back into
our lives. None of us questioned a thing, afterall, we had been given
a second life in our current forms, too. Seeing Hotaru, though, I
wonder of the circumstances around your rebirth." Rei paused
momentarily, "I find it difficult to trust you, Setsuna-san. I respect
you, even admire you. I know you would gladly give your life to
protect our princess..." her sentence trailed off. Rei, realising her
distrust was unjust, cast her gaze back down to her cup.

Setsuna hesitated before speaking, a thoughtful expression upon her
face.

"Rei-chan," replied Setsuna in a tone that sounded almost consoling, "I
am more than a senshi, you are correct. My duty expands beyond
protecting the princess. I understand your trepidation, but it is not
needed. While it is not my sole responsibility to protect your
princess... I will still do so with my life. Just as I have in the
past."

Rei looked up at Setsuna, regret shading her features, "I trust your
sincerity." Setsuna only smiled softly in response.

Rei emptied her cup of tea, then handed it back to Setsuna. She stood
up, "Thank you for the tea, Setsuna-san," she said, "and the talk."

Setsuna placed the cup into the wicker basket. She brought her eyes up
to Rei, Rei's features glowed with relief. Her long raven hair swept
across the back of her thighs in the wind.

"You're welcome, Rei-chan."

As Rei took a step in the direction of the still playing Hotaru and
Chibi-Usa, she smirked to herself. She had approached Setsuna to learn
more about her, and though she felt more confident with the woman, she
still knew nothing at all.

Rei turned her head back over her shoulder, her features in a playful
smile. She spoke in a tone of relaxed jest, "Your mystery is intact."
Rei then walked away, taking confident strides more befitting of her
character, revealing nothing of the unsure, soft footed way she had
arrived.

Setsuna let out a single repressed, almost noiseless chuckle as she
watched the young but astute girl saunter away. She spoke softly to
herself, her voice tainted with an unnameable emotion, "Yes, it is."

--------------------

A pair of eyes that had eagerly observed the exchange between Setsuna
and Rei, followed Rei as she walked toward Hotaru and Chibi-Usa. The
eyes then turned back to the older woman, who continued to watch the
two children and their newly arrived visitor. Setsuna's expression
was... "pensive?" Thought the owner of the intruding gaze. "I
wonder what they discussed." the intruder thought on.

The girl who so carefully watched Rei and Setsuna finally was drawn
back into her surroundings. She sat at a picnic table, not far from
where Setsuna had situated herself in order to watch the children. At
the table were six dear and familiar faces, all engaged in separate
conversations. Across, to the far left was Michiru; a gorgeous,
talented young woman she greatly admired. Next to her, Haruka; a young
woman she... hmm, she... well, she wasn't going to get into that. Next
to Haruka, was Mamoru; an ever present source of guidance, and next to
Mamoru, one of her sweetest and closest friends, Usagi. To the far
left on her side of the table was Makoto; the strong, caring
protector. Next to her was the shy, logical, girl genius Ami.

"Maybe Ami can help figure it out!" Minako thought excitedly.

Minako leaned toward Ami, who was engaged in a discussion with Michiru
and Makoto. She tapped Ami on the shoulder. Ami turned her head and
her attention to Minako and said "Yes, Minako-chan?"

Minako, speaking in a low voice, replied "Did you see that?"

Ami looked perplexed, "See what?"

Minako continued speaking in low tones, "Rei-chan was speaking to
Setsuna-san!" She said as though she had made a bizarre discovery.

Ami's perplexed expression seemed to worsen, "Is that a problem
Minako-chan?"

Minako became exasperated by Ami's inability to fully comprehend the
situation, "Yes!" she said, "Well, no," she amended, then continued
on, "It's just very weird, Ami-chan! Don't you think? Rei-chan never
seems so willing to speak to any of us intimately."

Ami responded to Minako in a tone a teacher would use to correct a
unknowingly wrong student, "Rei-chan sees us every day. Nearly
everything that she experiences, we do as well. What need would she
have to speak intimately?"

Minako released an aggravated sigh just as Usagi leaned in towards
them. Apparently Usagi had caught some of Minako's and Ami's
conversation and was now thoroughly intrigued.

A surprised looking Usagi whispered, "Rei-chan is intimate with
someone??"

Ami and Minako, both unaware Usagi had been eavesdropping, looked
forward at the blonde, odango haired girl with dumbfounded
expressions.

"What? Oh no! She's not... uh, _intimate_ with someone," Minako
paused, tilted her head to the side and looked up at nothing in
particular, she spoke in a more suggestive tone "at least... not that
I know of." Her gaze fell back on Usagi as she went on "No no. I was
just telling Ami-chan how weird it was that Rei-chan was speaking to
Setsuna-san privately."

Usagi nodded with a look of vague comprehension. "Ooh!" Usagi said, the
vague comprehension that clouded her face, filtered into her voice.
However, that understanding did not last long, as again she looked
confused. "What was she confiding in Setsuna-san?"

Minako's eyes twinkled. She leaned towards Usagi, with utter delight
painted on her face. In a conspiratorial tone she said, "That's what
_I_ would like to know, Usagi-chan!"

Ami watched on as Minako and Usagi schemed, plotted, and over
dramatized the entire situation. Mildly exasperated, Ami let out a
resigned sigh. Speaking to herself, Ami said, "This is the exact
reason Rei-chan remains so withdrawn. Nothing is sacred between the
four of us, especially not privacy."

Ami turned her attention back to Makoto and Michiru, who were still
talking. Minako caught a glimpse of Ami as she looked up fondly at
Makoto. Minako smiled to herself, and continued to nod in agreement as
Usagi spoke.

--------------------

The moon's gentle light peered in through the bedroom window. A
restless Minako stared at the ceiling. Her body was tired from the
day's lively events at the park, but her mind wouldn't shut off. The
blonde wiggled her toes into a small lump of warm softness that rested
at her feet. "Artemis?" Minako called in a low, mild voice.

Raising his head, the groggy cat replied, "Yes, Mina-chan?"

"Do you think Rei-chan trusts us?" Minako queried.

"With her life." the exhausted cat replied assuredly.

"I don't mean as senshi. I mean, Rei-chan is very," Minako paused a
moment, searching for the right word, "mysterious."

"She can be, I guess." Artemis responded.

"I wonder why?" the blonde said.

Artemis stretched his lithe feline body, "Rei-chan is a very private
person, Mina-chan. I don't think it is that she doesn't trust you
girls, she may just be too proud to reveal all of herself." the cat
stifled a yawn.

"But the 5 of us have been together for years now, Artemis!" Minako
restrained the exclamation, trying not to wake others in the house.

"To pursue her would only make her angry," the cat responded while
curling himself into a ball, resting his head on his paws, "She'll
come around when she's ready, Mina-chan."

"Do you really believe that?" the girl replied, her voice tainted with
a hint of hopefullness.

Artemis lifted his head, "Yes, I do. Now why don't you get some sleep?
You have school tomorrow," Artemis's tone turned into sharp jest, "and
you don't want to be any later than usual."

Minako stabbed the impudent cat with her big toe, knocking him to the
ground. "Goodnight, Artemis!" she said in a false, syrupy sweet voice.

The dazed cat sweat dropped at the girl's tone. "I guess I'm
sleeping on the floor" he thought to himself. "Good night,
Mina-chan." came his reply.

---------------------------

*Author's Notes*

Yep, so this is the first chapter. I haven't mapped out the second chap
just yet, but, as I said before, I have a vague idea of where I'm
going.

If anybody feels like being an editor, email me! I could use one. ^_^;

L0vecat@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Whee! Haven't touched this story in A WHILE! Hopefully I can
keep this up, eh? Anyway, chapter two needed immense revision, hopefully you
all (if anyone is still keeping up with my little story) will enjoy it! More
to come! I promise!
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Vessels of Fate:
Blood of the Mountains

By Monikku

Chapter Two

The afternoon sun shone brightly through the sheet glass windows
of Crown Fruit Parlor. Rei sat at a large, round table, a cup of sweet
tea before her, as she rested her hands in her lap. She was alone. Rei
stared into the distance, completely lost to the world around her. Her
expression resembled a blank slate, waiting to be written, or perhaps
re-written.

Usagi entered the parlor alone. "Hi, Rei-chan!" she exclaimed as
she walked over to, and sat herself across from, Rei. Usagi rested her
hands on the table as she eyed Rei curiously for a moment. There was
no response from Rei. She had not even acknowledged Usagi's presence.
Her eyes seemed, to the golden haired girl, utterly vacant.

Concern shadowed Usagi's features, she slowly waved a hand in
front of Rei's face, "Come back, Rei-chan" she said in a slow,
soothing, and deliberate voice.

Rei shook off the vestiges of a space-out worthy of Usagi in
math class, and rubbed her face with her hands, "Ah, sorry about that,
Usagi. I spaced out for a moment."

Usagi raised her eyebrows playfully, "An understatement! You were further
out than Chibi-Usa in her sleep!" her expression quickly changed back
to protective as she noticed how tired Rei appeared, "Are you sure you are
all right, Rei-chan?"

Rei gave her patent no-need-to-worry reassuring smile, which she honed
specifically for her lovingly overprotective friend, and replied, "Yes, I'm
fine." Usagi seemed unconvinced, having secretly wisened up to Rei's
ways. "Really, Usagi." Rei once again reassured her friend, doing her best
not to become annoyed. Rei always had so little patience for other's concern
of her, especially when it was not needed. Although, for reasons even Rei
could never comprehend, Usagi always managed to wear away at her defenses.

Before Usagi could press Rei further on the issue, Minako, Ami, and
Makoto appeared before them. Usagi swiftly moved to the center of the booth's
circle allowing room for Ami to scoot in, seating herself next to Usagi.
Makoto moved in to take her seat near Ami. As Minako ushered Rei further into
the booth from the other end of the half circle, Rei arose from her seat.

"Leaving?" Minako inquired, as Rei stood.

"No, but I will have to go soon, so I want to sit at the end." came the
reply.

Minako moved further into the booth, and took Rei's previous seat next to
Usagi, allowing room for Rei. Rei then sat next to the blonde, as she did so,
her arm lightly brushed against Minako's. The action caused Minako to intake
a breath unexpectedly. Minako's stomach fluttered in reaction to Rei's
proximity, feeling like the collective strokes of a million butterflies'
wings in spring.

"What is wrong with me?" Minako whispered under her breath.

"What?" Rei asked, as she barely caught Minako's indistinguishable words.

Minako smiled brightly, "Nothing!"

"How long do you think Chibi Usa-chan will be with us this time,
Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked as she leaned against the table, drawing all of
the girls'attention to her, much to Minako's relief.

"Well," Usagi began, "the letter said it was a vacation for her. I think
she just missed us."

"She missed Hotaru-chan." Ami stated. Usagi nodded in agreement.

"It must be lonely for a young girl like her to be the only child in the
palace." Minako interjected. All of the girls nodded their agreements, each
one, in the back of their minds, realising the implications of the statement.

"She really enjoyed the welcoming picnic!" Usagi exclaimed, in an attempt
to lighten the sudden, unmistakeable tension amongst her friends.

"That's good, Usagi-chan. Mamoru seemed to enjoy it, too!" Makoto smiled.
Again, the girls nodded in agreement.

"He did! He did!" Usagi exclaimed childishly in her delight. "He was so
excited to be home. He mentioned after the picnic how wonderful it was to
have everyone there at once."

"Ordinarily, we are all gathered only at times of crisis. It was nice to
see everyone together out of their senshi fuku." Ami said.

Minako snickered nearly inaudibly with innuendo. Rei, the only one to
notice, shook her head as she caught on to the blonde's perverse musings.

Rei turned her attention to Usagi, "When is he going back?"

"Two and a half months from now. American schools take off such a long
summer! I'm so jealous!" Usagi replied enviously, her tone quickly became
sorrowful with the girl's ever shifting and expressive moods, "I wish he were
here longer, though. I don't want him to go back."

"Usagi!" Rei admonished, "You should think of your future the way he
does! Schooling is important!"

"I already know my future, I want my happiness now!" Usagi replied. Over
the years she had begun to enjoy Rei's irritation with her careless demeanor.

Minako giggled at the antics of the two, Rei; always proper and stoic,
Usagi; sweet, naive, and carefree. "I agree with Usagi!" Minako interjected,
"I want my happiness now! I want a berry parfait!" Usagi giggled and raised
her hand in triumph, "I want two!" Makoto and Ami, unable to escape the
infectious goofiness of the blondes, gave their own responses in unison, "I
want a strawberry milkshake!" The four broke down in laughter, Rei left
to roll her eyes at her friends antics. Makoto had only to say the perfect
cliche, "Great minds think alike."

"All of your minds are going to rot," Rei replied, "even Ami's! You two,"
Rei gestured to Usagi and Minako, "are a bad influence!"

Usagi hissed at Rei, "You are starting to sound like Luna!"

"You are!" Minako agreed, "Next she'll be telling you to practice your
attacks!"

"I know!" Usagi responded eagerly.

"She should be!" Rei growled, growing ever aggravated.

Usagi and Minako, simultaneously bidaaed Rei.

"Gah!" Rei exclaimed, as she got up from her seat and stomped away from
the table and out of the Fruit Parlor in a huff.

Makoto leaned into Ami conspiratorally, and whispered to the smaller
girl, "The irony of the situation..." Ami responded before Makoto could
finish her thought, "Is not lost."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mamoru, on his way to meet Usagi at the Fruit Parlor, saw Rei fast
approaching him. Rei, still irritated over the scene she had recently
departed from, stormed her way down the street. Mamoru motioned and smiled to
Rei, naively. "Hi, Rei!" Mamoru stopped and greeted the younger girl warmly.
Rei did not stop, only shouted to the young man "You're girlfriend is a
dingbat!" Rei continued her furious pace, leaving the gentle scholar standing
in the street, utterly bewildered.

Mamoru stared at the quickly fading image of Rei, and felt he had been
left out of an incident he was sure to hear of- perhaps never hear the end
of. He sighed in impending defeat.

Mamoru watched on as Rei stopped in her war path, turned back in his
direction, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "So is her perverse twin!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Rei's pace quickened, her irritation grew to anger. As Rei's anger
deepened, she found herself devoured by fury. With each swift, heated step
she seemed to burn molten lava before her. Rei's eyes flamed, as her head
began to pound as fiercely as her steps.

Rei could not comprehend why she so easily turned to rage, but the burden
of her feelings made her head throb. The pain pounded and burroughed its way
with every beat she took. The longer she walked, the more the pain
overwhelmed her, until it was all she could see. No anger consuming, no
aggravation overshadowing; she only suffered.

The pain stabbed, pushed, pulled and manipulated her as though it had a
mind of its own. It would tidal over her, then subside only enough to keep
her on her feet, to keep her treading her path.

As Rei approached her grandfather's shrine, the agony which had bound her
during her trip began to fade. Slowly but steadily, more and more, as she
traversed the steps to the shrine, the pain diminished. As Rei reached the
entrance to the shrine, her headache had left her completely.

"Thank you, Gods," Rei muttered to herself. She sighed the smokey
remnants of her vice; anger completely forgotten.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rei changed into her priestess clothes and completed various chores and
tasks inside of the shrine. She then swept the front walk, one of many almost
ritualistic tasks of her day. Rei, free of pain, was finally able to take in
a deep, unburdened breath, appreciated the sunny day, and allowed the smells
of spring to fill her lungs.

As she swept away the fallen leaves, she heard familiar tappings. Rei
looked over her shoulder to the entrance of the shrine, and saw a large stick
being held out from behind a shrine pillar. On the end of the stick was a
white rag. Two blonde heads peaked from behind the pillar, one stacked atop
the other, both smiling impishly.

"We come in peace," Minako said placatingly, the other nodded silently in
agreement. "Peace and treats," Usagi added, as she held out a plastic
container holding a slightly melted Fruit Parlor berry parfait.

Rei smirked, as she attempted to hold back the full smile she felt. She
turned around and approached the remorseful blondes. "You two are fools," Rei
stated, her voice filled with nothing but endearment.

"I thought we were dingbats!" Usagi replied.

Rei responded in the only way she felt was just...

"Bidaa!"

to be continued...

Chapter 3

Author's notes: These characters are a combination of their manga and anime
selves. Thus is the reason for Minako being a bit goofier and perverted, Rei
being far more distant and man-hating... and other such non-anime
characteristics.

I hope you enjoy! If not, erm, eh... tell me why! Constructive criticism is
always welcomed!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vessels of Fate:
Blood of the Mountains

By Monikku

Chapter Three

Dressed in her best athletic wear, Minako exits her condominium building.
She begins to stretch her legs in preparation for an invigorating jog.
"Exercise! This will be good for me!" she thinks. "I could use the fresh
air."

"South! South is good. The tropics are south! I'll jog towards exotic
tanned men and sandy beaches! I am jogging for romance!" She begins her
journey, imagining herself jogging to Hawaii... "Maybe the Virgin Islands? My
parents always said they were beautiful."

"Better yet, I'll jog to Puerto Rico, bring home a latin man, give my
mother a heart attack... this sounds like an excellent plan! Then again, if I
wanted to give my mother a heart attack, I could always just tell her I am
Sailor Venus." Minako's expression becomes a bit removed at the thought, her
jogging slows a beat. "Maybe not."

"That'd be a funny conversation, though. "Hey mom, you know those
blasphemous harlots you are always going on and on about, making a show of
saving people in those terrible mini skirts? Well, I am their tactical
leader! Sailor V-enus! Oh, and one of the senshi is a shinto miko! Quick! Get
the holy water, crucifixes, and save our souls!" Minako begins to laugh
hysterically at the thought of the utter shock that would inevitably pass her
mother's eyes.

"Although, Rei does attend catholic school. A miko at TA catholic
school. I guess Rei would call it an important cultural experience or
something. Getting beaten by nuns just sounds kinky to me, those nuns were
MEAN."

"No exotic men at TA. Actually, Rei doesn't even seem to like boys. I
guess an all-girls school is good for her. She can be worshipped by the upper
echelon. Perfect Rei at perfect TA, the stepping ladder school of knuckle
beating nuns. Ha!"

"I sound so jealous, envious, whatever."

"That girl Kotono always follows Rei around like a puppy. She so admires
Rei. Rei is pretty and exotic and cool, but Kotono should show some dignity."
Minako pauses in thought.

"I wonder if Rei confides in her."

"I wonder what the fire tells Rei. Sometimes it seems like the
meditational fire is her only friend."

"Okay, I'm really out of breath. You'd think I'd be better at jogging,
I'm always running to school late, running late inbetween classes, running
late to meetings... and I kick the crap out of demons on a regular basis.
Well, it has been really calm since Galaxia, just the random straggler here
and there."

"Oh, I'm getting a cramp." Minako begins to slow down her pace. "Why the
hell am I jogging, anyway? Screw exercise." Minako stops her jogging and
looks at her surroundings. "I'm only a few blocks from Crown, I'm gonna get a
float and play F1 racing."

She begins to walk a normal pace towards the parlor, "Ah, but I'm all
sweaty, what if there are beautiful boys there?" Minako begins to laugh as a
familiar face comes to mind, "As Rei says," Minako takes on a stern
expression, and imitates Rei's speech and tone of voice, "I have no use for
boys." She again giggles to herself.

"Maybe Rei'll be there." Minako feels a tremor of something she cannot
quite define rumbling in her belly. "I think I hope she is."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hotaru-chan!" Chibi-Usa calls from her spot, laying on the living room floor of the
Outers' home. Chibi-Usa stares raptly at the television. "Hotaru-chan! Sailor V is
coming back from commercial! Hurry up!"

"Okay!" Hotaru quickly grabs a package of rice crackers and trots over to sit next to
Chibi-Usa. "Did I miss anything?"

"No, it just started" Chibi-Usa replies.

---
"Hark! Evil doer! I am Sailor V! Protector of good!" the young woman on screen
stands heroically, pointing at the villain as he hovers over a dark crystal ball. "For your
misdeeds, you shall be punished!!"

"Ah! You may have found my lair Sailor V, but you haven't won yet! I have something
very precious to you!"
(The camera pans to the right, showing a dark haired girl in torn clothes, chained to
a wall. She has many cuts and bruises, and appears to be passed out.)

"Oh no! Miyu-chan!" Sailor V looks on, the tension of her concern racking her visage.

"That is right, I have your precious friend, V-chan, or should I say, Asukawa Rie!" the
villain rings his hands, self-satisfied with his villainy. "Ahahahahah!" he laughs
maniacally. "Perhaps I should reveal to your friend your true identi"
---
Before the program can continue on, there is an interruption by live network news.
Hotaru and Chibi-Usa both holler their complaints.

"Nooo!" Chibi-Usa proclaims, throwing her hands in the air, "It's the last episode of
the season!"

"Miyu was supposed to find out about V-chan!!" Hotaru adds.
---
A news man, sitting behind an anchor desk, bows slightly before speaking. "We
apologise for the interruption, respected viewers. An emergency has arisen. The
woodland surrounding Mount Fuji has been over taken by brush fire. There also appears
to be brush fires spreading across the woodland in Kyoto. I repeat, there are brush fires
across Kyoto woodland and the woodland surrounding Mount Fuji. Any and all tourists
to the area must evacuate! Firemen are working hard to keep the fires contained. We
will keep you up to date on the matters as more information is found! Thank you for
your attention, we will now take you back to scheduled programming, already in
progress."

---
A woman bounds from rooftop to rooftop on the Tokyo horizon while a song plays,
"Though my life may be pained,
my heart is full of love.
Though struggles may arise,
my strength will rise above.
For I share the good will,
of all of the people as one!
There is no foe
my pure heart cannot overcome!
Sailor V! Sailor V!"
---

Chibi-Usa hangs her head, her shoulders slumped towards the ground. "It's over."

"We missed it." Hotaru readily agrees. "I wonder how Miyu-chan responded."

"Forget, Miyu! I want to know if she made up with Hosoki-san!" Chibi-Usa contends.

Hotaru looks on at Chibi-Usa completely unable to understand her fascination with
Hosoki. Rather than begin another debate on Hosoki's worthiness of V-chan, and due
to her concern with the situation at hand, she decides to change the subject. "What do
you think about the brush fires?"

Chibi-Usa sits up, then shrugs her shoulders, "It's been a really dry summer. I guess
it was bound to happen. Although, we probably shouldn't rule out that it is an enemy.
Do you feel any foreboding intuitions?"

Hotaru takes a moment to tap into her senses, she sits silently with a methodical
look upon her face. After what feels like an eternity of anticipation to Chibi-Usa, Hotaru
finally replies, "No." Hotaru says simply.

"Ah, good! I hope everyone is all right, though. It's kind of sad that we can't use our
powers for natural disasters like this. I bet Michiru-san and Ami-san could put those
fires out with ease." Chibi-Usa responds.

"Probably." Hotaru agrees. "I think we should tell Setsuna-mama of the tragedy,
just in case."

Unable to deviate from her fixation, Chibi-Usa blurts out, "I bet Minako tapes the
show." Chibi states hopefully. "She'd probably never admit it, though!"

"She might tape it. Regardless of the quality of the show, I'm sure she's really
flattered by it. I would be." Hotaru replies.

"Think they'll ever make a show on the rest of us? What do you think that would be
like?" Chibi-Usa smiles excitedly at the thought.

Hotaru's eyes squint as she attempts to imagine a Sailor S! show.

---

A girl much taller than Hotaru stands atop a building, her large bosom protrudes from
her senshi uniform, which has purple and pink striping at the fringe. Her long black hair
is tousled by the breeze, and she holds a large staff that looks to be a cross between
Setsuna's staff and Usagi's wand. "I will protect the people of Tokyo from evil!" Sailor S!
declares "For I am Sailor S! I will defeat my enemies with my happy-love wand!!" her
breasts bounce as she lifts her wand with great confidence.

---

Hotaru shakes her head slightly back and forth as her face contorts into a grimace,
"Chibi-Usa-chan, maybe Minako-san doesn't tape Sailor V."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Setsuna sits studiously at a desk in the observatory ruminating over a stack of
reports. She pushes up her glasses with a delicate finger while contemplating the
information before her. In the background, a radio plays news reports of brush fires
spreading within the woodlands of the nation.

"Hmm, these calculations do not seem correct." Setsuna sighs in frustration. "The
ozone has not deteriorated significantly, but the atmosphere appears more heated than
usual. However, there are no mathematical equations in this read out to explain the
source." Setsuna removes her glasses, then rubs her temples with her hands. She
closes her eyes, and attempts to attune herself with the gates of time. "I sense no
enemies!" she exclaims in frustration.

A nondescript man walks into Setsuna's office at the observatory. He is wearing a
lab coat, and seems intimidated by the pensive, green haired beauty, "Ah, Meioh-san?"

Setsuna turns in her chair and rises to her feet before responding to her colleague,
"Yes, Katsuhito-san?"

Katsuhito's eyes widen at the inordinate amount of respect Setsuna has shown, and
bows to her. "You have a phone call, Meioh-san!"

Setsuna smirks humouringly to her colleague, "Meioh-SAN, not Meioh-sama. You
need not bow so deeply."

Katsuhito finds himself blushing over Setsuna's playful admonishment. "Sorry, Meioh-san."

"It's fine, Katsuhito-san. Thank you for informing me of the call." she smiles at the
embarrassed young scientist before her.

"You're welcome, Meioh-san." Katsuhito, feeling quite childish, but fond, after his
encounter with Setsuna, feels relieved to leave the room.

Setsuna sits back down in her chair, and quickly reaches over for the phone.
Perhaps it would be an associate with more comprehensive reports on the phenomena
within the atmosphere... and maybe Haruka just wants her to pick up lotus buns on her
way home. Setsuna smirks at the thought.

"Hello? This is Meioh."

"Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru is on the other end, "Have you heard the news?"

"Yes, I have. I have been reviewing reports on the phenomena all day long. Do you
have an ill intuitions, Hotaru-chan?"

"No, Setsuna-mama. Do you?" the young girl asks.

"None at all, the gates tell me nothing. I suppose this truly is simply a course of
nature, though our readings are erratic at best."

"I guess that is a relief!" Hotaru replies.

Setsuna can hear Hotaru speaking to someone in the background, Chibi-Usa she'd
wager. "Setsuna-mama says it's not an enemy!" Setsuna can barely hear the girl's
reply, but it is audible.

"Good!" Chibi-Usa responds, "I don't want to fight on my vacation!"

"You're starting to sound like Usagi-chan!" Hotaru giggles to her friend. Setsuna
finds herself unable to restrain a quiet giggle over the similarities herself.

"I AM NOT!" she can hear Chibi-Usa yell her defiance quite clearly.

"Thank you for calling me, Hotaru-chan" Setsuna interrupts the girls' conversation.

"Oh?" Hotaru sounds surprised by Setsuna's reaction, "You're welcome, Setsuna-
mama!"

"I have to get back to work, all right?"

"Yes!" Hotaru replies energetically. "If I sense anything, I will tell you."

"Thank you, Hotaru-chan."

"Bye!"

"Bye, Hotaru-chan."

Setsuna hangs up the phone, a smile upon her face. "Chibi-Usa does seem every bit
the likeness of her mother. The two of them are quite entertaining, indeed."
------------------------------------------------------------------------

And so ends chapter three! Huzzah!

comments or question, my email address: L0vecat@hotmail.com

Thank you for reading my work!

Monikku.

Chapter 4

Author's notes- Everything is coming together surprisingly well. I hadn't much
direction when I started this piece, but now that I've written an outline,
I've found inspiration much more easily. Also, this story has been a
lovely platform for probing characterisation I had been dying to do in pieces
for a while now. I hope you all are enjoy it!

As always, if you have any criticisms, please leave a review or email me! They
are always welcomed.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Vessels of Fate-
Blood of the Mountains
By Monikku

Makoto sat at a large circular table, a glass of red juice shimmering
in the sunlight, generously shining in through the large glass windows of the
teahouse. Trepidation tugged at her face; she pondered. She fiddled with
the corner of the page of her book. As she built the courage to address- no,
confront- the girl before her, she found another reason to keep her thoughts
and feelings hidden.

Ami read her newspaper with usual studiousness. Had she been with anyone
other than one of her trusted friends, her partners, her fellow senshi, she
might feel rude by the act. She may have felt an obligation to pay overt
attention to the one in her presence. However, over the years, the casual
nature of her relationships with her friends granted them these kinds of
small freedoms. These small gestures that showed, truly, how close they all
had grown.

"Hey, Ami-chan?" Makoto began, the unsteadiness of her voice readily
apparent.

Ami looked up from her newspaper to eyes that seemed questioning and
unsure of themselves. Ami hadn't often seen Makoto look this way, though she
knew the girl to be self-conscious in the past, what would cause this look to
arise now? She suspected she would find out soon enough.

"Yes, Mako-chan?"

"Well, uhm, I'm not certain how to say this. I'm probably going to sound
like a terrible person." Makoto hesitated briefly, "Maybe I am."

Ami's puzzlement overwhelmed her, she had never seen Makoto look so
guilt-ridden in the many years she had known the girl. "Mako-chan?"

"It's just," Makoto continued on, ignoring Ami's response, "well, I'm
appreciative. I really am! We've fought so hard for so many years, and this
time is what we've longed for! I am so grateful to have achieved it with my
friends, it's just that... all of this peace. I dunno, Ami-chan. Something in
me feels kind of... restless or empty. I feel..."

"Like a warrior with no war?" Ami interrupted.

"Something like that. I guess I feel like, I am a protector with nothing
to protect against. We've fought nonstop for so long, and now that there is
peace, sometimes, I guess it feels really foreign. I would rather never fight
again, but at the same time... something within me feels that... I should be.
I am a senshi, right?" Tears began to well in Makoto's eyes as she continued
on, "I mean, you're reading that paper, and all they talk about on the front
page is the fires. The news reports it constantly, everyone is in a panic,
and part of me..." Makoto's tears begun slowly to shed, "Part of me just
wants it to be the cause of a youma!" Makoto then sobbed quietly, "I am such
a horrible horrible person, Ami-chan!"

Ami felt her chest clench, Makoto was not a horrible person, she was one
of the most sweet, giving, and caring people Ami had ever met. How could she
ever possibly convey to Makoto the gorgeous person she was? There were no
words for her to grasp at, there were no words to give justice to any of her
beloved friends.

Ami's pain heavily shadowed her features as she reached to hold Makoto's
hand. Ami was hesitant with her words, as she carefully selected and weighed
the gravity of each one spoken, "Makoto, you... are the very antithesis of
horrible." Ami paused, searching desperately for the right words, and chose
simply, as any hopeless child would, "You are beautiful."

"The way you feel, Mako-chan, sometimes... I feel similarly, as well. It
is surreal, the peace before us, it is too surreal."

"I have dreams, of fighting youmas, sometimes. Sometimes they are
nightmares," Makoto's voice was only a murmur, the agony of her words bore
such a heavy burden in her heart, "Sometimes they feel... good."

"I have dreams, also, Mako-chan." Ami's hold on Makoto's hand loosened a
bit, but never wavered, "I do not believe they feel... good... because we
relish fighting. I think they feel that way, because we love protecting.
Because protecting this planet didn't just give us a purpose, it set the
course for what will be a millennia of our existences'. Because we love this
planet, we love its people, and we love each other, and nothing feels better
... than ensuring its future. Our future."

Ami punctuated her thoughts, "Parents may not desire their children to
hurt, but they must feel pleased at being able to extinguish their
children's' pains, don't they?"

Makoto smirked as her tears lessened one by one to a mere drizzle, "Are
you suggesting we're parenting the world, Ami-chan?" She even managed the
smallest of giggles at the thought.

"Perhaps not," Ami paused, a smirk crept upon her face, as well, "But
this may be good practice."

Makoto closed her eyes, tightened her grip on her friend's hand, and let
out a deep sigh. The kind that sigh that spoke volumes of torment and relief.
Makoto opened her eyes once more, then gave Ami the gift of a smile of pure
appreciation. Ami's eyes averted for a short moment, as she felt a flash
of embarrassment fill her. Though she had come so far, she still was not
expert at dealing with emotions, muchless appreciation. She brought her eyes
back to Makoto's and returned her smile with one that spoke simply, "No
gratitude necessary."

Both girls, to outsiders' eyes, seemed they were sharing a touching,
loving moment together. Their fingers intertwined, smiling and exchanging
meaningful looks, minutes had passed, and no words were spoken. And to any
bemused outsiders who might know these particular girls, the suspicions were
no different, but the chance for good natured (or, perhaps ill natured) fun
was ready and prepared for pouncing.

"I'm heart broken." a deep, silken voice broke the two girls from their
reverie.

"Good afternoon, Haruka-san!" Ami greeted, as she pulled her hand from
Makoto's. A slight blush crept across her visage, one which Haruka found
charming.

Haruka bowed her head slightly and responded "Good afternoon, Ami-chan,
Mako-chan."

Makoto steeled herself before she took the bait proffered from
Haruka, "Why are you heart broken?"

Haruka slipped her right hand into the pocket of her slacks, one of her
many insinuating, hard-polished, heartthrob gestures, as she spoke, the
expression she wore was a mask of heart ache, "Here I was, torn between which
charming koi my heart would mate an eternity with, the fiery auburn or the
soothing blue, and here they have gone and fallen in love with one another."
Haruka looked away, embellishing the joke to timed perfection. Both girls
blushed furiously at the innuendo.

"Haruka," the melodic voice chastised good humouredly, "play nice." A
soft arm wove itself around Haruka's as the aqua haired vision stood beside
her. To the trained eye, one could easily see how the minute gesture, the
proximity, made Haruka stand firmer, she always appeared more grounded in
Michiru's presence.

Haruka stared at Michiru undauntingly, asserting her innocence, "I was."

"Good afternoon, Michiru-san." Makoto greeted.

"Good afternoon!" Michiru responded cheerfully. "Do the two of you, by
chance, have any plans for the rest of the afternoon?"

Makoto shook her head in the negative. Ami responded, "My archeology club
is having a meeting at five o'clock, but I am free until then."

Removing her arm from Haruka's, Michiru pressed her hands together before
her, a smile spread across her face, "Perfect! Would you like to come to the
house for some tea and socialising? Usagi and Mamoru will be arriving
shortly."

"Hotaru and Chibi-Usa have been tormenting Setsuna all day." Haruka
interjected, snickerering at the memory of her last image of the three,
Setsuna having been bombarded by the two with manga and school yard gossip.

"That would be wonderful!" Makoto responded.

"Ah, I should see if Minako and Rei are free as well, we could make an
event of it!" a light glimmered in Michiru's eyes, being the hostess was
something she always enjoyed. Haruka watched on bemused.

"Should we order more cakes?" Haruka asked.

"Oh, I hope you don't find this forward of me, but what kind of tea are
you serving?" Makoto rose from her seat to stand next to Michiru, "Not a
forward question at all, Mako-chan, I was thinking a blend of black and
spices." Michiru responded. "A light white European cake might go really well
with your selection!" Makoto replied with delight, both women left for the
counter, leaving Haruka and Ami behind.

Haruka watched on as the two figures walked on into the distance... to
spend her money. Haruka shrugged in defeat and looked over to Ami, then, in
monotone, spoke, "Women."

Ami smiled at Haruka with condolence.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Minako climbed into the F-1 racing machine. She ignored as boys ogled
her. Clothed tightly in active wear, her body still shimmered with the barest
sheen of sweat. Rei was not here. For the first time, perhaps ever, the
attention of the boys around her annoyed her.

She wanted them to disappear.

She stared at the list of top players. Haruka's initials were still at
the top from that day, the day she and Usagi followed her around, thinking
stupidly that Haruka was a boy. It never phased Minako to find the truth. "So
what if Haruka is a girl? She's still cool. She's still attractive, right?"

Minako was still attracted.

For years.

Minako inserted her yen and extended a deceptively delicate index finger
to press "Start." The same finger from which her deadly "love me chain"
attack springs forth.

"Haruka," Minako declared to herself, "Today, you are going down!" She
then blushed at the silliness of her own accidental innuendo. "Maybe you are
right now." she giggled to herself.

Minako revved the engine of her F-1 car, and waited impatiently for the
count down. Her left hand throttled the gear shift, her mind focused solely
on speeding ahead to victory. As "Go!" flashed across the screen, Minako
pressed the gas pedal down, and changed the gear shifts with the pressure of
her foot, her hands and feet moved in synchronicity, she felt she was one
with her car, with the machine. This kind of focus felt overwhelmingly
familiar to her; This dance, this game.

One by one, she passed the cars,
then lapped them.

One by one, her obstacles were removed,
then battered for good measure.

As she neared the finish line, she found that victory... Minako sighed.
"Haruka is the wind, afterall." Three and a half seconds, it didn't seem
much, but as Minako knew, in a race, it was everything. "I came close to
rivaling the wind, that must count for something." Minako took second place,
once again. This time, with some amount of pride. Three and a half seconds
was closer than most racers ever get to comparing with Haruka, as far as she
was concerned, she had done magnificently.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Rei-chan," her grandfather called from outside the door of the fireroom.
His face was one of concern as he entered the room. There, his grand daughter
sat close to the fire, her hands clasped together, she was rapt in
meditation. As far as he had known, Rei hadn't moved since last night. No
food, no water, she only consumed the fire, it was her only driving force.
This worried him.

"Rei-chan," he called again, and again, she did not acknowledge him, she
did not even flinch.

Her grandfather laid a plate of rice balls and a large glass of water by
the door, he spoke softly before exiting, in a voice that sounded nearly like
one of prayer, "Be careful of what you search for, sometimes it is best to
allow things to come to you as they are ready to be found."

The caring old man sighed, then left his grand daughter to her own
devices, and wished her well.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

End o' chapter four. Yeehaw.

email me if you have questions or suggestions
or wish to lavish me with praise
(the latter prefered, of course)- l0vecat @ hotmail.com

Oh, and I'm in South Florida, so, uh, if I don't post for a while,
my house might, like, not be here anymore. Whee! Good times.

Monikku.

Chapter 5

Author's Notes: I hope I am not progressing characterisation too quickly
within this chapter. Any comments, criticisms, etc, please comment via email
at l0vecat (at) hotmail.com or leave a message within this thread. Thank you
for reading!

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Vessels of Fate,
Blood of the Mountains
By Monikku.

Minako's cellphone sang melodically, her favourite Ayumi Hamasaki song
cascaded from the small device. She exited Crown Game Room and Fruit Parlor as
she answered the call, "Hello, this is Aino."

"Minako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed gleefully, forcing Minako to remove the
phone from her ear. "We're having a get-together at Michiru-san, Setsuna-san,
and Haruka-san's! Can you pick up Rei-chan? I tried calling her house, but
Ojii-chan said he couldn't get her to come to the phone."

"You want me to pick up Rei? I'm all sweaty." Minako replied.

"So what? Ah, how are you sweaty, anyway?" Usagi inquired.

"Jogging,"

"Ew, you're probably stinky. Go shower first, then pick up Rei-chan! Ah,
what?" Usagi was speaking to someone in the room with her. "Mamo-chan says to
go to Rei-chan's, and we'll pick you two up from there."

"Okay, Usagi-chan, give me at least a half hour!"

"Will do, see you soon!"

Minako closed her cellphone, effectively cutting off the call. She began to
jog home, at a pace much faster than she had traveled to get to the Parlor.
Suddenly her body seemed unburdened and ready for greater trials. Perhaps
incentive was all she ever needed.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rei fell back from her stance in front of the fire, she breathed heavily,
her eyes lidded and teary, from what, she could not place. She hadn't left the
sacred fire in twelve hours, though it only felt minutes to her. She was so
deeply embedded in meditation, it blanketed her consciousness as the thickest
snowfall of winter. Something within the sacred fire managed to chill her to
the center of her existence. There was something asphyxiating her insides, but
she could understand nothing of why.

She could understand nothing. She laughed derisively. People sought her
guidance, they felt she had such keen intuition. However, the one thread that
wove itself continuously throughout the tapestry of her life had been just
that... confusion. Her complete lack of understanding. She was but a frightened
child, encased by the fire, desperately trying to find a shred of meaning.
Always searching for answers to questions she had no strength to ask.

She had no strength.

"I am a fraud," she whimpered quietly to herself. "A fraud!" she cried of
pure frustration.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Minako wore only a towel after having taken a shower. She was whistling
happily, as she opened her closet door, Artemis found this encouraging, if not
slightly unusual.

"What caused such a good mood, Mina-chan?"

"Do I need a reason for a good mood?" Minako replied, sifting through her
clothes, looking for a proper outfit for the occasion.

"You seem happier than usual, for just meeting with friends." Artemis, not
missing the chance to poke a little fun at Minako, commented, "Don't tell me
you have a crush on Haruka again!"

"You enjoy sleeping on the floor, don't you, cat!?" Minako stomped.

Artemis sweatdropped, "Ah, Mina-chan, I was only having a little fun. I
suppose summer makes me friskier than usual."

"Hmmm..." Minako pondered, "What about this outfit?" Minako held up a
burgundy skirt, that seemed a bit short, if Artemis felt at liberty to comment,
which he most certainly did not. She held up, above the skirt, a sleeveless,
white, tight fitting shirt with a loose sloping collar that would, assuredly
reveal quite a bit of cleavage. Artemis sweatdropped once more. "DO YOU have a
crush on Haruka?" Artemis questioned in his mind.

"Close your eyes, I'm going to get dressed." Minako instructed as she began
to untie the knot in her towel. Artemis ascended himself into darkness, as
Minako dressed herself. Moments later, he was once again allowed to open his
eyes. The sight before him was one that left him a bit in awe, had he still had
his human form, and wasn't utterly dedicated to Luna, he would certainly have
taken his chances with Minako. The girl slipped on a pair of white sandals, as
she rushed for the door. "We're going to be late, hurry up!"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rei lay in her ofuro, green tea water simmering and soothing her body,
relaxing her muscles which had been taut and tensed through stress. The steam
rising both dizzied and quelled her senses, she had been torturing herself
slowly. Though, she would never admit to it; She would never allow herself to
see it as such.

A million thoughts trampled through her mind in such a flurry it was
impossible for her to grasp onto one. With every attempt, they slipped through
her fingers, one by one, they all wiggled free. How could she find peace in the
endless chaos that had become her own mind, or perhaps, it was her heart?

Unaware how, or when it had happened, she found herself curled as a fetus,
wound tightly into herself... she was crying. She was sobbing. She was gasping
for air, amidst the intolerable agony of her misery.

Her chest broke and ached, felt teeth sink in, rip through flesh, tendons,
muscle, bone. This was the beast of her despair, and it was mercilessly devouring her, soul-first.

She stepped from her ofuro, with the grace of a drunken salaryman, and
stumbled to the toilet. She vomited bile, her stomach empty from lack of self-
preservation. "What have I become?" she mumbled, "What am I doing to myself?"

Rei rested her head in her hands, she was still sitting on the floor, tired
from fighting.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Minako sat in the moving metro car, on her way to Rei's. She fiddled
restlessly with her fingers, and avoided the gaze of many appreciative boys.
She never noticed how often men stared at her, something about their eyes made
her feel embarrassed, which made her seem coy, which piqued the interest of the
gazing eyes even more, she figured.

"I'm not used to feeling this unsure," she thought. "I hate it!" She
mustered up her usual confident air, and lifted her head with a grace more
befitting her nature. She found a quiet, shy boy, perhaps a year or two younger
than she, glancing at her. Having been caught, he blushed furiously. She winked
at the boy, and could practically see the heat rise from his face in waves.
Minako giggled to herself. "This feels more natural!"

She lifted her gym bag to her lap, having stashed Artemis inside. Cats were
not allowed on public transit, afterall. A fact that Artemis grumbled over
every time the gym bagged was pulled out.

"We're almost there," Minako whispered.

"We better be," Artemis whispered back. "The insufferable indignity" he
finished in his own feline mind.

"No one has been able to get in touch with Rei all day. I wonder what is
going on?" Minako said quietly to herself.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rei stepped from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body. She walked
to her bedroom, and closed the door behind her. Slowly and methodically she
brushed her hair. Inside, she was vacant. She stared impassively at her image
reflected back at her in the mirror, she watched her hands make the same
monotonous movements, and she felt nothing. There was no connection to her
actions, no connection to herself. "Perhaps this is what being dead feels
like." she pondered in her own mind. "Perhaps this is what Oka-san feels now."
She averted her eyes from her reflection, disgusted with herself for thinking
such a thing.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Minako had made her way from the metro station to Rei's shrine with Artemis
in tow. "I hope Rei doesn't take too long to get ready, Usagi-chan and
Mamoru-san will be here in only a few minutes."

Thinking in his mind, "Imposed upon, and asked to hurry up, Rei'll take
well to this plan." the cat rolled his eyes to himself. "Especially with the
mood she's been in lately."

"Mina-chan, I think I will wait outside with Deimos and Phobos. It's been a
while since the three of us had any time together." Artemis informed Minako.

"All right," Minako replied as she reached the top of the steps to the
shrine.

Artemis bounded to the tree Deimos and Phobos were likely to inhabit, many
charms, many hopes and dreams for the future, dangled from its limbs. The
perfect place for protectors of love and peace, for servants to a priestess in
the makings, to call home.

Minako knocked on the door to the shrine, Rei's Ojii-chan opened and smiled
warmly at the young blonde. "Welcome," he greeted.

"Hi, Ojii-chan! Is Rei here?" She asked energetically.

"Yes, she's in bed. She's been meditating very hard before the fire lately.
I'm glad you are here, maybe you can get her to go out and be carefree. I know
I joke, but sometimes she takes things too seriously. She needs a break."

Minako winked at the old man, and gave him a thumbs up. "Don't worry,
Jii-chan, I've come to invite her to a gathering at a friend's house!"

"That should be just what she needs," the old man smiled at Minako
gratefully, and closed the door behind them, as Minako made her way to Rei's
bedroom.

Minako knocked on Rei's door gingerly, a small, unaccountable blush crept
upon her face, "Rei-chan? Can I come in?"

There was no response.

Minako knocked once more, again, there was no response. "Maybe she's
sleeping," Minako thought. She slowly opened the door, and found Rei laying in
bed on her side. Rei was naked, and staring at the wall ahead of her. Minako
turned her head abruptly, her face turning a fine shade of magenta. Minako
apologised profusely for the intrusion. Rei responded coldly, "What do you
want?" Minako found herself nervous and stammering, how was it Rei could make
her fumble so easily? "It's just, uhm, everyone was meeting at Haruka-san's and
Usagi-chan told me she would pick us up from your house, and she insisted that
I come get you and..." Minako paused, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rei responded tersely. "I do not recall ever having been asked
if I wanted to go."

Minako responded empathetically, "Well, Usagi-chan isn't one for asking."
while she continued to stare at the wall.

"It's easier to just give into Usagi, isn't it?" Minako heard a glimmer of
softness in Rei's voice upon uttering those words, she felt a pang she was
unable to describe.

"Shall I wait outside while you get dressed?" Minako asked, her previous
chipper tone vanished.

"Please." Rei replied.

Minako exited Rei's bedroom and rested herself against the wall near her
door. She felt completely dejected. "I feel like a yo-yo, funny how Rei can do
that to me." she whispered to herself.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Artemis thanked the gods for the litheness of his feline body as he climbed
the tree that was the home to Deimos and Phobos. The birds crowed in greeting
to the cat. Should anyone have seen the exchange, they surely would have been
in awe. A cat getting along well with crows? What feat of nature was this?

Artemis greeted the two, "Good afternoon. It's been quite some time!"

The crows had agreed, "It has been too long."

"I assume you are well," Artemis replied.

"We are fine," said Deimos. "However..." The pain reflected in the crow's
voice troubled the feline.

Phobos continued on, "We fear our Mistress is not well, worst yet, we know
not what ails her."

Artemis turned to stare at the shrine, confusion and concern overtaking
him.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

End o' chapter five

Hope you enjoyed it!

Monikku.

Chapter 6

Author's Notes: Eh, this chapter I'm not satisfied with. I think it's
uninspired, personally. Feh. I may re-write it in the future, we shall see.

This characterisation seems more anime Rei than manga Rei, eh, manga Rei
wasn't needlessly annoyed often, huh? Oh well. I shall dub her... aniga-Rei! All
hail aniga-Rei! Er... something like that. ^_^;

As always, thank you for reading! Comments and criticisms welcomed,
blahblahblah, typical crap I insert here. (See chapters 1-5 for quick reference)

Again, this is a blend of anime and manga. Mamoru and Rei never dated in
the manga. They barely spoke, actually.

On with the show...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Vessels of Fate,
Blood of the Mountains.
By Monikku

Rei walked to her closet, and pulled out a simple summer dress. She was
exhausted, and in no mood to socialise. Lately, these feelings were not unusual
for her. She longed only for reclusion. She yearned only to meditate. "To
escape" she whispered.

It seemed she could never walk past a simple mirror without feeling
tremendous dread. She had grown unrecognisable to herself, and it nauseated her.
She repulsed herself. "Is this what depression is?" she wondered. "What a
luxury," she scoffed.

Rei slipped the long, thin dress over her slender, naked body, not
bothering with undergarments. She found a pair of sandals to match the dress and
exited her bedroom to find Minako, still slumped against the wall, by the door.

Rei's eyes turned towards Minako in the barest of acknowledgments, "You
didn't have to wait by the door." she said coldly.

"Sorry," Minako replied, sounding a mix of regretful and nervous.

"Minako-chan?" Rei asked, clearly requesting the girl's full attention.
Minako looked up apprehensively, Rei spoke on, "Don't ever come into my room
uninvited again." Rei's eyes squinted, punctuating the venom of her words.

Minako inhaled deeply, taken aback by Rei's sentiment, she was unable to
reply.

"Usagi isn't here yet?" Rei asked nonchalantly, stepping towards the living
room.

"No" Minako responded monosyllabically, trying not to rouse Rei's anger.
She seemed so short-tempered, as though anything could set her off.

"Even when she's imposing upon people she's late." Rei sighed, "I'm too
tired for this."

"Jii-chan said you hadn't left the sacred fire since last night." Minako
stated softly, tentatively, still taking a great chance.

"I told him not to worry about me. I am fully capable of taking care of
myself." Rei seemed indignant.

"He's your grandfather... I guess worrying is what they do."

"Surely, he must have better things to worry about." Rei replied.

Minako heard a tremor of sadness in Rei's voice. She had so rarely heard
any emotion reflected in Rei, as of late, other than condescension, sternness,
and coldness, that she had questioned the validity of her assumption. "Has Rei
been sad this past week?" she questioned to herself.

Minako, building her strength, confronted the formidable miko, "He's cares,
Rei-chan, we all do. We're all concerned."

Rei stared the blonde dead in the eyes for a long while. Minako felt
increasingly intimidated as the moments passed, but she knew better than to back
down. To back down to Rei was to lose her faith in you; to lose her faith in
your sincerity. Minako felt too deeply her words, to allow Rei the comfort of
casting them aside.

The first to act, Rei closed her eyes and stepped away from Minako, towards
the front door. Minako took a deep breath, her nerves were steadily wearing away
under Rei's ruthlessly resolute frigidity.

Minako followed behind Rei as she made her way to the door of the shrine.
Rei yelled to her Ojii-chan, "We're leaving, Jii-chan! Don't harass any young
girls while I am gone!" Her Ojii-chan smiled widely, "I promise nothing!" his
response feisty in nature.

Rei walked to and sat on the steps to the shrine. Settling herself, she
rest her hands in her lap, staring down at her fingers, she felt daunted as
Minako followed and sat next to her. "I've been so mean to you," Rei thought, as
the blonde tugged at the hem of her skirt. "My feelings, no matter how low, do
not allow me the right to batter those I care for," Rei admonished herself, "
those who care for me." Rei's brows furrowed in sincere pain.

"Minako-chan?" Rei began, she hesitated before speaking on, "Sorry." her
apology felt so meager, but in that moment, she lacked the grace to pluck words
that better flowered her meaning.

"Wuh?" Minako grunted, then thought better of questioning Rei. Minako was
quickly learning to accept Rei's words; silly, wasteful conversations were never
needed, they were downright abhorred by the miko. She knew why Rei was
apologising, why go through the self-satisfying motions of asking?

"Mmm..." Minako responded, putting her hand over Rei's, "Don't worry about
it."

Rei sighed and closed her eyes, remorse overwhelming her unexpectedly.
Minako squeezed Rei's hand, letting her know, Minako had hoped, in the small
gesture, that above all... she was cared for, no matter what.

Lifting her eyes from her lap, along with her shoulders that had slumped to
match her emotions, Rei stared out into the street. She bore an expression
Minako knew well, fruitless irritation, "Gah! Usagi certainly does take her damn
time!"

Minako snickered, nearly completely of relief.

oooooooooo

Artemis descended from the tree and began a slow trot towards his mistress
and Rei. As he did so, her pored over the conversation he had had with the
crows. "Rei was not well? Certainly, her attitude had been erratic over the past
few days, maybe even the past couple of weeks, but Rei unwell?" He wondered at
the cause. "What should I do? Knowing Rei, if I approached her upon the subject,
she would likely brush it off and close me out! If I told Luna, she would
probably want to have a meeting immediately. Bah. She's too strict sometimes."
the cat sighed in frustration, "Hmmm, I'm just going to have to observe her.
Maybe then I will find answers to some of these questions."

Artemis smiled impishly as he reached the girl in question, "I swear to
you, Rei-sama, I didn't eat either of your birds."

"I was more worried they would eat you," Rei fired back.

"They are pretty fierce," Artemis stuck out his tongue.

Artemis' ears perked, "I think Usagi and Mamoru are finally here. Shall we
go down to meet them?"

"Hmmm..." Rei mused, "I am inclined to force Usagi to climb the steps of
the shrine to get us, however!" she paused for emphasis, "I would like to leave
some time today."

"I dunno," Minako spoke in jest, "Usagi-chan is getting fat without gym
class and youma to keep her active, she could use the exercise." Minako winked
at Rei and Artemis.

"Oh, you're one to talk. You can't even have a proper jog now that
volleyball is out of season!" Artemis commented.

"What have I told you about following me, Artemis!" Minako shouted as she
thwapped the pure white cat on the head.

Artemis sat on his hind legs and clasped his throbbing head with his front
paws, "Owowowowow, you're too cruel!"

Rei giggled heartily at the antics of the two. Minako, having noticed,
found herself blushing over the image of the raven haired girl. Rei's hand had
covered her mouth, her eyes were squinting, she seemed... docile and sweet, very
childlike, Minako mused. "Cute" Minako sighed the word to herself, elongating
the vowel.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Mamoru pulled up close to the steps of Hikawa Jinja, his hand twined with
his love, his life-mate, Usagi. Usagi, so unlike herself, had been quiet and
entranced by her thoughts. Mamoru thought it best not to interrupt her,
obviously whatever it was that had overtaken her needed ruminating. Mamoru
watched her carefully as Usagi stared up the steps to the shrine.

"I haven't been able to reach Rei-chan in days," Usagi stated in a soft,
troubled tone.

Mamoru squeezed Usagi's hand lightly, "I'm sure she's fine, Usagi-chan."
Mamoru paused as Usagi turned and looked deeply into his eyes, something about
her gaze consistently brought his heart to skip a beat, though he found himself
expert at masking it. "I know Rei-chan can be worrisomely reticent, but if she
needs you, I trust she will come to you."

"How can you be so certain, Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked, she bore an expression
of doubt.

Mamoru took a moment to collect his thoughts; the reasons behind the
assuredness his emotions felt. "Rei-chan and I have never been very close, I
don't think either of us have ever made much an effort to. But... I feel she
and I have a kind of bond, and that is one of respect. Rei-chan and I are very
alike, I'm sure you know that Usagi-chan." Though Rei-chan may be bolder and
more confrontational, Mamoru corrected to only himself, "Rei-chan has to work
things out for herself, it is her nature."

Usagi did not seem at all comforted by Mamoru's words, she seemed more
worried, if possible, Mamoru thought.

"But, working things out by yourself, that's lonely, Mamo-chan. Neither of
you has to be alone." Usagi brought Mamoru's hand into her lap, and stroked his
fingers with her own.

Mamoru, who had long trained himself to reserve his emotions, always found
himself spilling forward with Usagi. Little by little, he imagined one day,
perhaps not far away, she would break his barriers completely. "We're both very
lucky to have you, Odango." Mamoru leaned forward and kissed Usagi lightly on
the lips. He noticed a faint blush blooming across her cheeks; he smiled in
response. "Very lucky indeed." he punctuated to himself.

Usagi turned briskly as she heard a tap on the car window behind her. She
quickly opened the door and stood before a snickering Minako. Rei rolled her
eyes, seemingly annoyed. Minako leaned into Usagi, "Want us to leave you two
alone?" she spoke, clearly poking fun at her princess.

Usagi blushed furiously, having been caught in a loving exchange with her
future husband. "Shut up!" Usagi yelled at the blonde before her. Rei merely
stood, her arms crossed, staring at the two with unrepentant indignation. She
could not fathom which was worse, the disgraceful display of her prince and
princess, or the perverted glee Minako took in dragging out the scene. "The lot
of you are entirely without refinement," Rei chastised.

"Rei-chan," Minako spoke, "Sometimes you are completely devoid of fun!"
Minako then pinched Rei's side.

"Hey!" Rei exclaimed, "What gives you the right to touch me?!" Rei threw
her hands out, giving force to her words.

"I have it because I take it!" Minako exclaimed, then stuck her tongue out.
Minako bit her bottom lip, a devious thought coming to the forefront. She then
exchanged glances with Usagi. Usagi nodded, as if sensing exactly what Minako
had been attempting to express.

Minako lunged for Rei, Usagi followed swiftly after the girl. They began,
mercilessly, to tickle the raven haired beauty. Rei fought hard against the
laughter welling inside her, but as a man fighting against his primal urges,
her body disobeyed her will.

Mamoru, who, otherwise, would have gotten out to greet the girls, sat in
the driver's seat, feeling he would be safer there from the prodding of Usagi's
friends. A sweat drop appeared as he watched the three sink quickly to the
ground in a fury of giggles, "So much for giving Rei her space." he thought.
Artemis, who had snuck into the backseat at the beginning of the three girls'
exchange, hung his head as he looked on. "They'll never grow up," he sighed.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thus marks the end of this chapter. Eh... feh.

Monikku.

Chapter 7

*Author's Notes* The musical voice that echoes in Rei's head is a paraphrase
from a conversation Rei and Michiru' had during the Stars arch of the anime,
where Michiru compared Rei and Usagi's relationship to her and Haruka's
relationship.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Vessels of Fate;
Blood of the Mountains
By Monikku

Chapter 7

"Even with my friends, I cannot seem to control my heart; its writhing, it's
tidaling over me. IwanttobehappyIwanttobehappyIwanttobehappy. Why am I so
miserable? Why is my heart so unbearably gaping and gushing its lifeblood?
Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop." Rei clasped her hands in her lap as she closed
her eyes. All around her, her friends were laughing, bursting with joy at the
comfort and familiarity of the company they kept with one another.

Rei closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled while brushing a hand
through her hair. The young girl opened her eyes to find herself sandwiched
between Hotaru and Chibi-Usa on the couch she sat. The two girls were eyeing
her quite studiously, making the miko mildly uncomfortable.

Finally, one of the girls spoke, "You have beautiful hair, Rei-san." there
was a short pause, "You'd be a really good candidate for a pretty girl soldier
tv show." Hotaru spoke addressing Rei, though the comment was meant primarily
for Chibi-Usa. "Yeah, she would." Rei looked at the girls with a bit of
confusion. Picking up on Rei's confusion, Chibi-Usa explained, "Hotaru-chan and
I were watching Sailor V and wondered what it would be like if they made a show
about us!"

Minako, walking towards the three girls on the couch, rolled her eyes and
sighed exasperatedly, "Gah, I hate that show. That actress looks nothing like
me and they always make it so ecchi. I understand the concept of fanboys, but
so much service? I'm much more sophisticated than that."

"You? Sophisticated?" there was a shriek of laughter emitted behind the
girls, as Usagi doubled over.

Minako whipped around to glare at Usagi, "I'm way more sophisticated than
the likes of you, Usagi-chan! You trip over your own feet and always act like
such a child."

"Yeah, she does." Chibi-Usa confirmed.

"Nobody asked you, traitor!" Usagi yelled in mock-annoyance.

Haruka stepped to Usagi's side and rest a hand on the girl's shoulder, "My
koneko-chan has a warm, glowing heart. What's more sophisticated than that?"

Usagi blushed slightly, one could not tell if it was Haruka's proximity,
the compliment, or perhaps a mixture of the two.

Rei suddenly felt a sharp piercing sensation just above her eyes, as though
the motion of Haruka's hand pulled a string connected directly to her brain.
Rei's brow creased as she rubbed her forehead.

Haruka leaned into Usagi and whispered something into the young woman's
ear, making her slight blush darken immensely. Haruka straightened her posture,
"I should go help Michiru in the kitchen."

"Ah, Haruka-san is like a pop idol even amongst her friends," Minako sighed
dreamily as she watched the young racer walk towards the kitchen.

With the warmth in her cheeks progressively lessening, Usagi finally found
the courage to slowly pry her eyes from their starings at the floor. As her
gaze gradually traveled upwards, it landed directly onto Rei. Seeing the
expression of pain on Rei's face, she was abruptly overcome with worry.

Though her eyes were closed, Rei could feel the weighty presence of Usagi's
gaze upon her, as if Usagi, herself, were pressed tight against her. Rei found
the immediacy stifling and needed to escape.

Rei quickly rose to her feet and mumbled something about needing air.
Minako wanted to follow the girl, but was halted by the engagement of Hotaru
and Chibi-Usa into conversation about Sailor V.

Usagi stared at the raven haired girl's back as she opened the double doors
which led to the Outer's yard. Usagi ignored the conversations going on about
her, pondering the advice she had gotten earlier from Mamoru. "Should I wait
for Rei to approach me?" She asked herself this as she already began her
descent to the back of the house. Usagi knew well the impatience in her heart.
She could never sit and watch quietly as a friend so obviously suffered.

As Usagi stepped out the double doors, she stopped momentarily to watch
Rei. Rei's arms hung limply at her sides while she stared up at the iridescent
blue sky. Rei was trembling, even in the suffocating heat of the summer's
afternoon. Rei looked so distant to Usagi, but something about her seemed
wholly vulnerable.

Usagi began to close the distance between the two girls as Rei Spoke,
"Usagi, leave me alo..." before Rei could finish her protests to Usagi's
company... Usagi had wrapped her arms around the miko's waist and pressed her
body into Rei's back, holding the young woman from behind.

It was as if all oxygen on the planet had vanished before Rei's grasping
lungs.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Michiru was arranging tea biscuits on a hand painted, European serving
platter when she felt warm arms wind around her waist, pulling her into the
embrace of a heated and inviting body. Michiru felt Haruka's face lean into her
neck, inhaling deeply of her scent. Michiru tilted her head back and closed her
eyes, accepting Haruka's invitation easily, wantingly. Haruka lightly nipped at
Michiru's neck, leaving the barest sensation of teeth against her skin. "I love
you," Michiru intoned in a faint whisper. At any other time, Haruka would have
felt the inclination to make a joke, but at that moment, she basked in the
intimacy and meaning of Michiru's declaration. "I love you, too." Haruka
responded.

The entire afternoon, Haruka watched as her lover played the hostess to
their friends. She knew how Michiru adored every moment, every compliment on
tea, plates, silverware, furniture, atmosphere. She watched Michiru come alive,
and found her glow ravishing. The weight of Haruka's adoration felt a thousand
tons ready to burst.

"You'll make the perfect wife," Haruka spoke into Michiru's ear, tickling
Michiru with the warmth of her breath.

"And who will my perfect husband be?" Michiru's words sang with a glimmer of laughter.

"A businessman, perhaps?" Haruka responded in kind, pulling Michiru closer
to her, "though, he may never appreciate your wiles." Haruka paused, faking deep
concern, "Maybe an artist or musician; someone creative."

"Mmm," Michiru began, "far too temperamental. Our creative flows would
inevitably clash."

"Creative flows," Haruka paused, giving her coming prod the proper impact,
"Creative tangents sounds more apropos."

"Haruka!" Michiru exclaimed in mock annoyance.

"Oh, you know I adore your creativity!" Haruka's tone became far more
lascivious than playful, "Mmm, especially last night."

Michiru broke from Haruka's embrace, and grasped at the plate of tea
biscuits. She turned to look at Haruka, rolled her eyes, and sighed deeply
before speaking, "Incorrigible!"

Haruka raised her hands, feigning innocence as Michiru lifted her head
delicately, pulling herself out of their flirtatious game, cloaking herself in
the grace she had come to be so recognised and revered for, and walked out of
the kitchen. Haruka marveled as her luscious hips swayed deliciously.

Haruka straightened her shirt, then pulled a strand of Michiru's hair from
her shoulder. She took a moment to study the silken, aqua marine thread before
her. "I will be your perfect husband," Haruka thought as she lifted the strand
level to her lips, and blew it off her fingertips.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Usagi stepped higher on her toes and whispered into the miko's ear, "You
don't have to do it alone. Whatever it is, we can go through it together."

"stopitstopitstopitstopit." Rei's throat was too tight to speak the
pleadings in her heart.
"StopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitUSAGIITISKILLINGME!!"

Tears began to drizzle from the stoic girl's eyes, as quietly she began to
cry. Usagi's grip on the girl tightened as she felt the shivers of sadness
tremble Rei's body.

The thoughts in Rei's head trampled one another, seeking desperately the
exit they desired, "Youaresounfair!Youaresounfair!" Rei began quietly to sob as
a musical voice began to echo in the back of her mind, "Your relationship with
Usagi is similar to mine and Haruka's."

"No, it's NOT!" Rei gasped through a sob.

Rei pried herself from Usagi's arms, they felt to her too much like the cold
grip of pain, of depression. Usagi's sincerity was merely a bitter reminder of
the achings in her heart. A reminder of the futility her heart mercilessly laid before her.

A recently familiar cloud began to overcast Rei, as she gazed aimlessly, her
tears taking silent reign over her visage. Brutally, she spoke, "You are always
unphased. You are aware but you," she paused, searching for words, "deny, for your
comfort." She lifted her head to look purposefully at the sky, her disgust tensing
her muscles and filtering into her voice, "Does it make you feel better, Usagi? Does
your pity for me appease you? Does my pain?" Rei ground her teeth, "Should your bleeding
heart fill the void in my chest?" She clutched at her chest, bunching her dress in her
hands, punctuating her last words. Her tears continued to fall, moistening her
clenched fists, reminding her of the unavoidable, of reality. "No, Usagi..."
She shook her head, "no."

Usagi could not say exactly when she began to cry, her eyes, her body, seemed to
exist in a realm distinctly separate from her mind, and her mind from her heart. She stared,
penetratively, at Rei's back. Rei's voice seemed to warble in Usagi's ears... she heard, she
was certain she heard Rei speak, she registered Rei's voice, her words, but it was as if Rei
were speaking a foreign language. "Pity?" She thought. "Pain? Have I caused her pain?" Usagi
felt so bewildered, so overwhelmed with incomprehension. Her tears began to rain harder as
her frustration ascended. She was but an infant, aware of sensation, aware of desire, aware
of need, and little else.

Usagi found herself stepping forward, her hand outstretched, reaching for Rei's back.
reaching for Rei. Rei, to Usagi's bleary eyes, seemed merely a silhouette. She was a shadow.

Rei began to step forward, finding the despair and bitterness that haloed her
exhausting. Merely being in Usagi's presence exhausted her. She ran, never looking back,
both hands clutching her chest, as if to keep the ravine she felt crack within her together.
As if to keep what was left of her heart intact.

Usagi watched tearfully, mournfully, as the shadow of her dearest friend faded before
her, as one of her most beloved disappeared so quickly from her sight. Usagi stretched,
knowing she could not reach. She stretched with the incredible yearning in her heart, to
touch, to comfort,to care for. She wanted so desperately for her legs to move, "MOVE!" but
they would not. Her heart broken in two, weighing like stones in her feet. She fell to her
knees, grasping at her bosom, as Rei who had before her. Attempting to grab at her pain,
as Rei who also could not.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Minako watched two hazy figures through the stained glass windows adorning the doors
leading to the Outer's yard. She attempted her very best to disguise her concern, and maintain
a fluid conversation with the girls before her.

Sailor V, Sailor V, Minako had had enough Sailor V to last a lifetime. Sure, the show
was fictional, only loosely based on the iconic character she had been, but it still was a
reminder of a life she had lived. She wondered vaguely if perhaps anyone ever gave any thought
to that. Perhaps Usagi? Usagi held everyone's secrets, she knew. All of them confided in Usagi,
even if outwardly they acted as though she was an immature gossip, an untrustworthy child. They
all knew better of it. It was all prodding and teasing, but when any are in distress, it was
always Usagi... Minako felt a pang at the conclusion to her thought. "It is always Usagi we go
to. It is always Usagi we long for. And Rei..." she shook her head, as if to shake away thoughts
from her mind all together.

"Minako-chan!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed, breaking Minako, gratefully, from her musings, "What do you
think of Hosoki-san? He's cute, right?"

Minako must have looked as confused as she felt, "Who?"

"Sailor V" Chibi-Usa insisted.

"Uhm, he's cute, I'm sure." Minako said unknowingly.

"I really don't think she watches the show, Chibi-Usa-chan." Hotaru reponded. Hotaru
leaned in conspiratorilly. Chibi-Usa delighted in the uncharacteristic nature of the gesture, "You know who
does watch it?"

"Who, who?" Chibi-Usa asked enthusiatically.

"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru quietly declared.

Minako fixated once more on Rei and Usagi. Her heart leapt as she watched a dark figure run
away, and then, slowly, a blonde head sink. All of her being pulled anxiously to chase after Rei.
Rei. The name echoed in her mind, halting her thoughts. Rei, lately, seemed to be the center of
gravity for all of her thoughts. What good would it be to chase after her? What good would it do,
really? Rei had all but told her to mind her own business, even Artemis insisted Rei wasn't the
kind to be imposed upon. He had told her that Rei needed her own space. And surely it was Usagi
that mended each of their wounds, it was Usagi's light that tended to their hearts. But there Usagi
was, most undoubtedly crying, and Rei had run off. Minako's eyes shone with unshed tears as her
mind swirled a million thoughts, twirling her bosom to knots. Nothing made sense to her anymore,
nothing at all.

"Minako-chan," a low, soothing voice called, awakening her from her reverie. A dark,
outstretched hand presented a warm cup, "Tea?"

"Mmm, thank you, Setsuna-san." Minako smiled faintly in response.

"May I?" Setsuna gestured towards the space next to Minako on the couch.

"Please," Minako responded.

Setsuna settled herself, crossing her legs, and folding her hands comfortably in her lap.
She looked about the room at the smiling faces, focusing particularly on The Outers- on her family.

She spoke in a voice which happily reflected the warmth welling within her, "There was a time
I thought isolation was all I would ever have, and all that I would ever need. There was a time,
so lonely, that I kept myself isolated unto myself, even amongst those around me." She paused, smiling
as Haruka infinitesimally moved closer to Michiru. "I have since learned from my family, that there
is nothing so precious as those that you love. And I have learned from Usagi, from you all, that there
is nothing more important than love itself." Setsuna paused, looking over Hotaru and Chibi-Usa,
"There is no wrong love." Setsuna moved to look at the back door, "There is only love."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you all enjoyed the first part of chapter seven. I tried to do some
mirroring and comparison scenes with the contrasting relationships in an
attempt to perhaps give the situations some depth? Something like that, I
dunno. lol

The plot will begin to unfold very quickly from here on in (I hope), so hold on
to your seats!

Any questions, comments, or volunteers for beta-readers or editors can email me!

l0vecat(at)hotmail.com

Thanks for reading!

Monikku.

Chapter 8

Author's Notes:
I really enjoyed writing the scene with Minako and Setsuna. It was fun to write the effect Minako might have on the otherwise stoic and reserved Setsuna. I hope you enjoyed it, though I did have my own reservations about putting such a cute scene in the midst of all that lovely angst. Pish tosh, oh well.

Is it me, or are my chapters getting shorter and shorter? Ah, but at least I'm writing. ^_^;

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vessels of Fate;
Blood of the Mountains (Chapter 8a)
By Monikku

Their dance of isolation, a world within worlds, each treading their unchanging paths in a sea of stars. Was this what it meant to be a senshi? Were they not a representation, the warm blooded manifestation of these the lonely and inhospitable? If this were so, and their planets were but a reflection of the soldiers' souls, then Minako was certain Venus, tonight, shown with the fiery depths of a star violently burning its last breath.

Minako felt her heart in a way she had never before. "No," she thought, "the day I grabbed my henshin wand, I felt my heart. My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it would explode in my chest. I felt my heart beatbeatbeat, it was all I could feel. It hurt so badly. God, it hurt so much." to be that aware.

Minako blinked hard, then sipped her warm tea. She concentrated on the soothing brew as it travelled from her mouth, down her throat, and into her belly. Her surroundings seemed far off,
the laughter and giddy conversations were a buzz in the background to her. She wanted terribly for Setsuna's words to mean something to her in that moment, but all she felt was her heart.

"Setsuna-san," Minako stared somberly ahead as she spoke, "honestly, does it get any easier?"

Setsuna smirked, a sad, small consoling smile as she reached out and unexpectedly took one of Minako's hands into her own. Minako abruptly looked down at the dark hand enveloping her own. "Honestly?" Setsuna asked. Minako looked up at the older woman, her eyes reflecting the desperation she felt. She nodded to Setsuna, "Honestly."

"Honestly," the dark woman paused, "sometimes."

Setsuna, Minako had noticed, used a tone she had used only once before with the girl, and she thought, surely, Setsuna was speaking the truth. Setsuna was, for the second time in knowing her, treating Minako as an adult. "Am I becoming an adult?" Minako quietly asked in a bewildered tone to herself. To this Setsuna had done something unexpected; she laughed, a long hearty laugh. Minako stared at the woman far more bewildered than she had been in confusion moments ago, and then it dawned on her, "Shit!" she realised she had spoken her thought aloud.

Slipping effortlessly into character, Minako whined petulantly, "Mou, Setsuna-san, don't laugh at the expense of my maturity!"

Setsuna smiled a beaming, unrepentant, and rather uncharacteristic smile at the young blonde, "What maturity?" she spoke in jest.

Minako gasped, "Meanie!" she exclaimed. Setsuna stuck her tongue out in response.

At this, the two women huddled together in a fit of giggles, causing more than a few confused looks to pass their way.

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Michiru, watching inconspicuously, as Setsuna and Minako laughed so warmly in one another's presence, looped her arm around Haruka's. Haruka, never missing a beat in her conversation with Ami and Makoto, held Michiru's arm closer to her body. Sparing another glance at the two women,
Michiru thought "Our girl is growing up." Haruka, as if catching Michiru's thoughts, brows knitted, then turned to gaze at the women in question. Turning back to the conversation at hand, she winked in Michiru's direction. The aqua haired vision smiled warmly.

Ami thought, surveying the nuances of movements between Michiru and Haruka, that the two could seem to have a full, fluid conversation without saying a single word. For a glimmering instant, she felt a pang of longing.

A pang that reverberated simultaneously throughout Makoto. Makoto wondered if the only reason she could easily see the communication before her, was because she longed desperately for it herself. "What must it be like to be so in sync with another?"

Ami's words broke Makoto out of her reverie, "My archeology professor called the club in for an urgent meeting this afternoon. He is well respected throughout the scientific community,
and has many official friends. Apparently, there was some grand discovery found recently, it's all very "hush hush" he says, but he asked his students to come in. I think he may be sharing his knowledge with us."

"Ami-chan, that is so exciting!" Michiru intoned, "it won't be long before you are a respected scientist, yourself. I have great faith in you!"

Ami blushed, "Thank you."

"It's true!" Makoto nodded in agreement. Makoto's words deepened Ami's blush ten fold.

"I will do my best to live up to your expectations." Ami responded, burning a hole into the floor with her embarrassed gaze.

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"Rei..." Usagi sat on the ground, crumpled in on herself. She gasped between sobs, attempting futilely to breathe. The air around her was thick and hot. Humidity wrung her body of moisture, as moments before, her heart had been wrenched of its tears. Usagi was slowly becoming more incoherent as her despair consumed her tear by tear, wasted breath after wasted breath.

Had she felt such pain before? Had she ever known such unyielding misery? She had lost Rei before, had seen as her tears drip onto, then through. Had squeezed so desperately tight to one of the people she held dearest to her heart, while Rei dissipated into nothingness before her eyes. Was Rei disappearing before her now?

Rei had spoke... of pity... of denial. Had Usagi pitied Rei? Rei who was parentless. Rei who was always so stoic and guarded. A mother dead, a father disinterested, had Usagi truly ever taken any of Rei's suffering into consideration? Had she truly allowed herself to sit in thought as to the experience of Rei's life? Or had she always just seen Rei as... strong and cool, even tempered, well maintained, gorgeous, intelligent, wholly admirable? "What a terrible pedastal to stand on," Usagi thought. "What horrible loneliness to inflict upon a loved one." Guilt wracked Usagi's visage as her tears threatened a monsoon.

A million words trampled Usagi's mind at one, "Leave Rei be." "Rei will come to you when she is ready." What did any of this mean? Usagi held her head and began slowly to rock. "denialdenialdenialdenial" Usagi held her chest, leaning forward "Rei-chan? What do I do, Rei-chan? What do I do! I don't understand anything! I want to understand you. I want to understand. I love you so much!" Usagi's forehead touched the warm earth. "Why won't you let me in?"

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More Author's Notes:

Thus concludes chapter 8a! I think I am going to begin breaking chapters in two, it helps me to continue writing if I don't force a conclusion, me thinks. Anyhoosle, I hope you enjoyed! Below these notes is a bit of Omake involved Artemis and Mamoru. I hope you find it amusing! Monikku

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? Tirades? Hate Mail? Luuuurve mail? My mail! L0vecat(at)hotmail-dot-com

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!Omake!

Artemis: Hey, Mamoru?

Mamoru: Yo.

Artemis: You ever get the feeling we are plot devices?

Mamoru: We're men in a shoujo-ai story written by a lesbian.

Artemis: Prejudism!

Mamoru: Ah, so harsh, Artemis-chan, so harsh.

Artemis: And where the hell is Luna!

Mamoru: Having a tryst with that cool guy from the glass movie?

Artemis: *tearful* Luna... my precious Luna...

Mamoru: Oh, grow some cajones, how do you think I feel? My future wife is chasing after super hot, brooding lesbian bishoujos!

Artemis: That is pretty rough, man.

Mamoru: No sh!t!

Artemis: Well, look at the bright side, you might get a threesome out of it!

Mamoru: WRITTEN BY A LESBIAN!

Artemis: Ara, well, look at the bright side, you're not dead yet.

Mamoru: *cries* So cruel.

Artemis: It's not like the actual series hasn't written you off before. Need I remind you of Sailor STARS?

Mamoru: *sobs* But there's so much more to me! SO MUCH MORE! I'm sweet, I'm caring, I'm intelligent, I knit! ARTEMIS, I KNIT!

Artemis: As a great man once told me, "grow some cajones"

Mamoru: I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH!

Artemis: Luna...

Mamoru: Stars...

Artemis: Resident Evil?

Mamoru: -_- Dumbass.

!Omake's End!