Hmm... I better stop saying things that get all of you riled up. ^_^ And also, after so many chapters, you know how hard it is to come up with titles for each one? Even if they are lame... - Kirika ****** Makareus eyed the pink-haired bundle with trepidation from where he stood in front of his desk. *This* was a Sailor Senshi? He found that very hard to believe. The grey-suited man raised an eyebrow dubiously as the human child continued to struggle in her bonds, glaring daggers at him. The youma restraining the human drew his arms tighter around her body, in an effort to secure the wriggling mass. Makareus had never liked children, and especially human children. The demon had been forced to gag the captured 'senshi'; there were only so many threats and screaming one could take. Apparently, according to the child, the other Sailor Senshi were going to rescue her and then 'really, really, whale on him, big time'. At that point Makareus had shoved a wad of cloth in the annoying creature's mouth, ceasing the cacophony and giving all the occupants of his office some peace. "Are you completely sure this is a Sailor Senshi?" Makareus asked the assassin again, while not taking his gaze off the prisoner. The youma guard holding the human winced as she kicked him in the shins repeatedly, her heels drumming a beat on his bones. "Yes, Lord Makareus," the black-clad youma assured the demon. Makareus let out a stress-filled sigh and closed his eyes, banishing the irritating little human from his sight. The attacks on the Sailor Senshi had not gone entirely according to plan. Usually the Silent Blades were very reliable, but so far only one member of the youma assassin order had returned, and the news she had carried did not bode well for the others. Makareus believed that the hospital attack had gone just as badly; he didn't expect any youma to return from their mission. How had the blasted Sailors known they were coming? The demon had heard tales from his agents who used to be posted in Yokohama, about an unstoppable warrior who had single-handedly destroyed his brother, Khairephon, and nearly the entire reserve force with him. Laodameia's late bodyguard, the youma, Aiaia, had also mentioned something about a Sailor Senshi thought long dead being responsible for the carnage back in Yokohama, and who had also contributed to Makareus' sister's downfall. Perhaps Makareus should take the tales more seriously. If the warrior was indeed a Sailor Senshi, and if one alone could do such damage, it was no wonder the war against the group was going so poorly. And now that the demon had tipped his hand, the element of surprise was lost and the Sailor Senshi would probably be scrambling into hiding right at this very moment. And all Makareus had to show for his efforts was a wailing brat of a senshi. "The human said she was a Sailor Senshi in training," the surviving assassin added. "Perhaps we can use her as bait in a trap," Iason piped up, "or, if my Lord so wishes, we can dispose of her right now and leave the carcass where the other Sailor Senshi can find it. The morale blow will no doubt be beneficial to our cause." "Hmm..." Makareus replied in a non-committal tone. He wasn't entirely sure if the senshi would care if such a thing were to be put out of its misery. But the pink-haired entity was a child, and humans cared about their offspring, didn't they? "On another matter," Iason said, "assuming the hospital mission was a failure, and that the human Makoto Kino was in fact a Sailor Senshi, we can initiate another plan." The youma looked at his master to see if he had anything to say, and seeing that he didn't, the creature continued. "We know that Kino attends Juuban High School, in Minato-ku," Iason began, flicking through some papers on a clipboard he carried for clarification. "It is a possibility that some, if not all, of the other senshi attend the same school. We already have agents inserted into the teacher and student populations, and using them, we could find out if there are any unexplained absences, or who Kino's friends are, anything that will lead us to the identities of other Sailors." The youma finished outlining his plan and looked to his master to gauge his response. Makareus opened his eyes and brought one hand up to his face, tapping a finger on his chin in thought. "Do it. Inform the youma in Juuban High School to research Makoto Kino's social activities," he commanded. Iason nodded in obedience. "In the meantime," the demon continued, "I believe I have an idea of how to use this... senshi." He forced out the last word, as if his mouth were rebelling in naming the pink-haired thing as one of the rather formidable Sailor Senshi group. Makareus smiled slyly. His spies in Thrinakie's forces had reported that all the necessary components for the gate had been gathered from his home dimension, and the required spells were currently being weaved into them. In a few days, all would be ready to open the largest trans-dimensional portal there was in Tokyo, and when that happened... the planet would be overwhelmed in a matter of days, perhaps even merely hours. Luckily, once the components were suitably prepared, one needed no skill in the magical arts to activate the portal. Makareus had also been successful in quelling the fighting in Khairephon's former armies, and had integrated all the youma from his deceased brother's ranks, as well as half of Laodameia's, into his own substantial force. Thrinakie had taken the other half of his late sister's troops, but it was of no consequence; Makareus would command *all* of his family's resources soon enough. Once the components for the gate ritual were properly prepared via enchantment, the demon's elder brother would have outlived his usefulness. Makareus was going to eliminate the crusty fossil *and* the Sailor Senshi in one fell swoop. It would leave this world defenceless and easy to takeover, plus all of Thrinakie's empire would become his. And the little senshi brat was going to help him do it. "Keep her alive, for now," Makareus ordered, gesturing towards the child, "I'll have a use for her in a couple of days. But make sure no one under Thrinakie's command finds out that we have a Sailor Senshi prisoner; I want this to remain secret. Understand?" All the youma in the room nodded. "I will make it so, my Lord," Iason said, bowing slightly. Soon, you old goat, soon, thought Makareus, his cunning mind still going over the details of his brilliant plan, marvellous in its simplicity. He would finally be rid of Thrinakie... his older brother already had one foot in the grave; Makareus would help him put the other in as well... ****** Rei snuggled closer to the soft mass next to her, enjoying the sense of warmth and comfort emanating from it. The girl sighed blissfully as she dozed, feeling safe and at peace. A faint snorting and whistling noise was rhythmically coming from Rei's heat source, but the miko didn't mind. The noise was also comforting in a way, as if soothing her, attempting to coax her back into a deeper slumber. Rei's arm rose and fell slowly with every snort and whistle, causing her fingers to rub against a series of ridges covered by a silky substance. Her hand was enveloped by a light object, smothering the aching appendage in a relaxing heat, as if trying to aid in the healing process. Meanwhile, she felt a long, hard, yet supple, object between her legs that radiated warmth in a pleasant place. Rei clenched her thighs around the object a little tighter. So this was what Heaven was like. She could just stay here for all eternity, and she would forever be happy. The gods were in their Heaven, and all was right with the world. A faint frown creased Rei's brow as she heard a voice from far away calling something. She tried to ignore it. How dare someone try to disturb her peace. The voice persisted however, and Rei had trouble blocking it out. It said something like 'wake up' and mentioned another thing about 'being late'. What did the voice know? Rei wasn't late for anything; there was nowhere she had to go, she was in Heaven after all. And as for waking up... the voice could forget it. But the voice would not be denied, and a name was yelled out. Usagi. The voice didn't even have Rei's name right. The mass next to the raven-haired girl stirred and mumbled something, then was still, resuming the rhythmic snorting and whistling again. Rei sighed in satisfaction. But again the voice called out the name, and the warm mass groaned and squirmed in the girl's grasp. The mass went still for a moment, and then Rei felt something soft and moist touch her forehead, followed by a light sucking sensation. For some reason, this pleased her immensely and caused her lips to turn up in a small, content smile. The voice yelled out the name once more, then Rei heard a steady pounding sound coming from below her and gradually getting closer. The mass next to her shifted, and then let out a loud yelp. Rei's source of comfort was torn away from her, and Heaven was shattered. "Crap! I'm sooo late! Sorry, Rei, but I gotta get ready!!" Rei cracked her eyes open and stared at the back of Usagi's pink pyjamas as they moved like the wind out the bedroom door. She could still feel the afterglow of soothing warmth all over her body. Rei slid her hand over the indentation in the bed where her princess had just lain seconds before, feeling the last remnants of heat. She sighed and rolled over onto her back. It had been good while it lasted. Rei continued to lie like a lump on Usagi's bed as she heard the hustle and bustle downstairs. She heard her only love yell at Shingo to get out of the bathroom and then a loud bang. Shingo shouted back some unpleasant insults and then was promptly scolded by his mother, Ikuko. Another, somewhat muffled, shout quickly followed after, this time from Usagi’s father, Kenji, the man howling something about sleeping in for a meeting. The Fire Senshi wondered if it was like this every morning in the Tsukino household. But while the Tsukino’s were lively, Rei on the other hand felt like she had been battered, then run over by a truck, and then battered again. Gods... what time was it? How much sleep had she had? Rei's eyes slowly drifted shut again. It would be rude to sleep in when everyone else was probably up and about, but the girl couldn't help it; she was totally wiped out. Where did Usagi, and not to mention the other members of her family, get the energy from? Rei snoozed for a while, despite the sounds from the family downstairs preparing for the day. An indeterminable amount of time passed, and then she heard a shuffling noise come from inside Usagi's bedroom. The Fire Senshi cracked her eyes open again and rolled her head to the right, in time to see her princess pull over her school uniform top. Rei opened her mouth to speak a greeting, but all she could manage was an unintelligible groan. Usagi must have taken this as a 'good morning', even though it was far from enthusiastic, because she turned around and gazed down at Rei, smiling pleasantly. "Morning, Rei!" Usagi said cheerily. "Sleep well?" The miko merely groaned again in response. "Yeah, I know, I hardly got any sleep either," the blonde replied, apparently able to decipher the meanings behind the Fire Senshi's moans. "But I have school to go to, unlike *some* people I know," Usagi went on, looking at Rei pointedly, "so I guess I'll see you later. Don't sleep too long, you lazy bones!" Usagi then grabbed her book bag from her desk chair and then proceeded towards the bedroom door. She halted before she left however, and briskly walked back to her bodyguard. Rei kept her eyes on her princess the whole time. Usagi leaned down to the tired miko and kissed her gently for a few seconds on the lips, which the girl eagerly returned, despite her exhausted state. The blonde then gave Rei one last bright smile, and then exited the bedroom, no doubt off to school... and definitely late. No surprise there, Rei thought with a grin, the texture of Usagi's lips still being felt on her own. Rei went back to sleep for a few hours, and when she woke up it was around ten o' clock, according to her princess's alarm clock. The miko wasn't sure if it was accurate though, considering how often Usagi was late for Sailor Senshi meetings and other appointments. Nevertheless, Rei dragged herself out of the blonde's bed and decided she had lazed around long enough; there were things that needed to be done today. After Rei had finished her necessary tasks in the bathroom, she returned to Usagi's bedroom and got changed into the only set of clothes she had. The long black coat from Tsubasa was among her garments; the Senshi of Fire had taken to wearing it only at night, but this morning she would have to make an exception. Just as Rei was about to leave, Luna leapt through the open bedroom window and called out to her. The girl turned to face the cat. "Luna, where were you last night? Usagi and I didn't see you anywhere," Rei said. The black feline looked at the miko sternly. "It is no wonder the two of you didn't notice me, with what the both of you were up to," she replied with scorn. Rei blinked at Luna in confusion, and then the reason why the cat was upset dawned on her. Her mind froze for an instant in shock as it fumbled desperately for an excuse, for some plausible reason for why she was in Usagi's bed last night and why they were both doing certain... things. But maybe Luna didn't know everything yet. Rei said the first thing that entered her mind. "Er... I- I don't know what you're talking about," she stated rather unconvincingly. The miko mentally slapped her forehead. How come her brain always failed her when she needed it the most? Luna gave the senshi a withering look. "I know *everything*; I heard what you and Usagi said to each other! You should be ashamed of yourself!" the cat shouted, obviously not too happy with the situation. "You were eavesdropping on us? How could you! Don't you have any sense of privacy?!" Rei yelled back, her temper rising. Luna glared at the girl. "Don't you dare take the moral high ground with me, after what you have done," she said coldly. "You know that Mamoru and Usagi will marry in the future and rule over Crystal Tokyo together! How could you jeopardise that?! And what about Chibi-Usa?! Did you even think of that poor girl?? I'm appalled that you would twist your friendship with the princess, that you would seduce her and come between the future king and queen! Have you no decency?!" she finished in a shriek, trembling with fury. "It's not like that!!" Rei declared vehemently, her own fury boiling over. "I never seduced her! We love each other!!" She balled her fists tightly by her sides, barely controlling her white-hot rage. How could Luna say these things to her?! "You love each other," Luna spat back in disgust, "do you really think whatever warped relationship you have can compare to what Usagi and Mamoru have? They have *Destiny* on their side! Their heir from the future is here, in this time, and if that's not a reason why you should break it off with Usagi, then I don't know what is!" The feline heaved a huge sigh, as if the weight of the world was on her furry shoulders. "Honesty, I don't know what has gotten into all of you, first Ami and Makoto, and now you and Usagi. And *you* should know better, Rei!" Luna shook her head in bewilderment. Rei narrowed her eyes dangerously at the black cat. "Destiny... I don't care about 'Destiny'," she sneered, leaning down to where the cat stood on the bed and glaring directly into Luna's eyes. "I know Chibi-Usa is an issue, and I don't want the girl to be hurt. If she will be negatively affected then I will stop seeing Usagi. But nothing in the future is certain, Luna; Setsuna herself told me that. You don't know what Usagi and I have together, and frankly, I don't care what you think." Luna let out an indignant squawk, but the Senshi of Fire was already speaking again. "Mamoru may have Fate, Destiny, on his side but that doesn't matter to me. This is one fight I *won't* lose. Usagi feels the same way I do about her, and no matter what you, or anyone else says or does, I won't give up this fight, not when there is even a remote chance for us to be together. I'll take on Destiny, Fate, the universe if I have to, whatever you want to throw at me, but I'M NOT GIVING HER UP!!" Rei roared the last words in Luna's face, her lavender eyes burning with a fiery passion and unwavering will to succeed that screamed defiance from her very soul. The feline took a few uneasy steps back, having never seen such a determination in all her life. Rei stood up and looked down at Luna grimly. "Nothing in life is mapped out, Luna," she said firmly, in a much more quieter voice, but with an unshakable resolve underlying every word, "there is no fate but the one you make for yourself, at least, that is what *I* believe, now. I care about Usagi more than anything in existence, and not you, or anyone else, has a right to dispute that." The Fire Senshi finished her speech with a challenging stare at the subdued Luna, as if daring the cat to make a comment about Rei and her princess's feelings for one another. Luna wisely remained quiet. Rei turned away from the black cat and marched towards the bedroom door. But she stopped with her hand on the doorknob and turned her head back slightly over her shoulder to Luna. "I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone about my relationship with Usagi," the miko requested in a clear voice, but with no trace of pleading in her tone, "not for my sake, but for hers. No one but Minako knows yet, with the obvious exception of Setsuna, and my princess wants to keep it that way, for now." Rei then opened the bedroom door and left the stunned feline, the black tails of her long coat rippling behind her in the air. The Senshi of Fire let out a deep breath as she stepped down the stairs. She had meant every word she said to Luna. Rei wasn't going to give up on her princess's love. There was still Chibi-Usa's fate to be concerned about, but the miko had intended to visit Setsuna today and find out about what could happen to the pink-haired girl, and the timeline. But if the news were favourable, then Rei would fight for Usagi's heart with all that she was. She would woo her true love with flowers and presents if she had to, *anything* to make the blonde choose her over Mamoru. The prince may have the 'destined by the powers that be' advantage, but Rei didn't care. The raven-haired girl had never thought she would have even made it this far with Usagi in the first place, but now here was a chance for them to be happy together, forever. And Rei wasn't going to let the chance slip through her fingers. ****** To be continued... Author's ramblings: Alright, how many of you caught the Neon Genesis Evangelion reference? It was pretty obvious (to people who have seen the anime). Originally, I was going to make this chapter longer, but here seemed a good place to stop.
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