This story takes place somewhere during the Senshi's high school
years. It should be ok for anyone to read, just bring Kleenex. ^^

Sailor Moon ain't mine.

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Angst
By: Emporess

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	The room the dark-haired miko sat in was stifling hot. 
Before her flames crackled, heat expanding to coat the walls. The 
young woman seemed not to notice; though sweat beads were developing
on her face. The level she was concentrating at caused a crease
to develop in her forehead. 
	"Rin; Hyou; Tou; Sha; Kain; Chin; Retsu; Zai; Zen!" she ended 
her hand gestures with the last phrases. Violet eyes opened to take
in the fire. Her shoulders fell in disappointment. "Nothing." She
whispered in disbelief. Tears welled up before she brought her hands
to her head.
	Because of this she missed the picture that flashed for a 
moment. A woman with beautiful blonde hair tied up in pigtails.
She held the most benevolent smile.

	The rake made little scraping noises as it cut through the
leaves. The young apprentice leaned on the handle and wiped his
bangs back from his normally hidden green eyes. It seemed no
matter how many leaves he raked, still more would fall. A
losing battle to be sure, but try telling the old Oji-san
that.
	One of the paper screens opened, and a beautiful vision
stepped out. Long raven strands cascaded down her back, and
he was pleased to note she'd changed from the bulky shrine robes
to a red knit dress. Every enticing curve of her body was on
display. The detached look that had enchanted him from the 
moment he saw her was on her face. "Rei-chan." Yucchirou 
uttered with reverence.
	Despite all the years of watching her, he never tired of
her graceful movements, the gentle way she tended the shrine. He
raised a hand in greeting, as she looked his way. Their gazes
locked.
	Oh, how he loved to look in her eyes, drown in those 
amethyst pools. Whether they be heated in anger or those rare
moments of affection she'd shown him, they were always 
hypnotizing in their intensity.
	Except now, when they were red and puffy from crying.
	"Rei-san?" he asked with concern.
	Yucchirou expected her to turn away, shake her head, maybe
yell and say she was fine. Although he didn't catch her upset
often, when he did those were her normal reactions. She always
walled herself off, afraid to let anyone in. It made him sad to
see her upset. He'd give anything to comfort her, to share her
burdens whatever they were. Too often he knew he got nervous 
around her, acting clumsy or subservient. He was just in awe
of her, of the simple joy she could bring him by her mere 
presence. Even after all the years he'd been there, she was
still a mystery.
	However, she did none of the above.
	Rei came forward a few steps, till she was standing at
arms length of him. "Am I pretty, Yucchirou?" she asked in a
low voice. "I mean would someone find me-" a faint blush
colored her cheeks. "attractive?"
	Dumbfounded he stared at her. Stared at her high 
cheekbones. The porcelain skin. The luscious lips that
he had felt on his cheeks only a few times, though he
dreamed of them often. The question she posed seemed
so obvious to him. "Pretty?" he repeated incredulously.
	Even as the words left his mouth he knew he had
made a mistake. Her face began to crumble. Shudders
began as she shook all over. The tears came back. "I
knew it." So strained, those words. Not anything like
her usual voice.
	"Rei-san..." he began, reaching a hand out to her,
trying to muster the courage to tell her the things he
should have said before.
	To his surprise her hand shot out. Her shove sent
him off his feet, sprawling to the floor. "Baka!" she
hissed between clenched teeth as she glared down at him.
"Baka! BAKA!"
	"Rei-san, wait!" he cried, but it was too late. She
had already turned and ran off, not even bothering to look
back at him.
	He watched her retreating form as the melancholy he 
always had with Rei settled over him. The piles of leaves
that he had raked were now scattered from where she had
pushed him. "Baka." he berated himself. "Baka."
	
	Rei ran, her glossy locks trailing behind her like
threads of night. She didn't care where she went, didn't
care what happened to her. What did it matter if she ran
blindly across a street, narrowly missing a car? Who
cared if she was only in her sandals, if her feet started
to hurt. No one. No one cared. And no one ever would.
	She fell against a tree, breathing heavily. Angrily
she wiped away at her tears, bitter tears that wouldn't 
stop falling. This wasn't the way she usually handled 
things. She wasn't used to losing control like this. 'Get
a hold of yourself,' she commanded. 
	But she couldn't. Not after what she'd seen. "Nothing,"
she whispered aloud again. How she wished she'd never thought
of looking in the fire, never asked her questions. At least
before that she'd had hope for the future to cling to.  
	She'd been feeling so lonely, so sad lately. Her friends
were happy, all going to the same school, getting to see
each other in their classes. They still hung out with her of
course, still met at the shrine after school to talk and giggle.
But their conversation usually focused on their school gossip,
who liked who, what this boy said, which ones they liked. Rei
was still at her Catholic High School, so unavoidably she felt
a little left out. Before at least Minako had been at another
school, too. Now they were all together. Except her.
	Sometimes one of the girl's would notice her confusion to
their statement and they'd smile apologetically. "Sorry, Rei-chan.
I forgot you didn't know." 
	That was ok. She was easy to forget. Or so it seemed.
	She shook her head. No use dwelling on thoughts of him.
Doesn't do any good to think of black hair, or eyes like the
ocean, or the half smile that would just barely turn up at
the corner of his lips when he was amused. No reason to remember
that musky scent, cinnamon vapors that would fill her nostrils
when she clasped her fingers around his arm, pressed her face
into his jacket.
	Sighing she stared at her nails, the clean manicured 
fingertips. No, she wasn't sorry he was gone. He hadn't ever
loved her, as she'd wanted, as he loved her friend. What had
he said so many months later? When he'd stared just as she
was doing at her fingers on the table.
	"Gomen, Rei-chan." Smokey voice, the kind to send shivers
up and down your spine. "Gomen." Such a fierce look when he 
met her gaze. Sympathetic. Understanding and regret. "I hope
I never hurt you. I hope I didn't-" Faltering, not sure of
the words. Always he choose his words carefully. Hazy memories
of her, but so vague. Wondering how close they had been.
	"It?s all right, Mamoru-san." Calm and smooth, her shrine 
voice, the one she used to speak to the visitors at the shrine.
"I've remembered all this for a long time, and its nothing. It
was just a crush after all. I got over that a long time ago." 
She smiled, that kind smile, the one to disarm the nervous
ones who felt awkward around a miko.
	"Thank you." The quirky grin, the one he rarely gave when
his odango atama wasn't around. How she had tried to make him 
look like that when they were together. She had treasured each
one of those little victories, each tiny crack in his cold facade.
She'd felt like a chiseler working on a block of ice, eventually
working to free the person trapped inside. But she hadn't.
	A blonde with hair of golden sunshine, of brilliant soul
had. And Rei's efforts meant nothing. It was ok, yes, it was
fine. Their love burned so bright it could scorch you if you
got too close. Her affection for them both made it much easier
to step aside. 
	How strange it had been to feel his hand around hers as
he gently lifted the nails closer to examine them. The grin,
oh the grin was still there. It always resembled something
predatory to her, hunger. Maybe she read desire where there
was none. Maybe not. "they?re so clean." He said.
	"Nani?" She asked, relieved her voice didn't tremor.
	"Your fingernails." Averting his attention back to her.
"Usa-ko could never have fingernails like this." Full magnetism
washing over her. "Elegant."
	"Hai." Low murmur, unable to shift her eyes from his.
	"Like night and day," he chuckled softly, seductive sound
to Rei's ears. Strong hands releasing her own. Stock still she
watched him tilt his head towards hers, so his face hovered
mere centimeters away. "Arigato. For whatever we had." And a 
gentle pressure as his lips grazed her cheek. Then the silent
retreat as he'd left.
	Diplomatic, sensitive man. How good to know she meant 
something, even if he couldn't remember what. And how hard he
made it to forget him. Not fair that he got the selective 
memory. Though it was nice to have something to treasure now
and then. A blessing and a curse in one. Hai, she was happy for 
her friends. She just needed someone else's moments to treasure. 
Someone else who was hers alone.
	The nails she had been examining dug into her hand, as
she tightened into a fist. Faintest lines of blood trailing 
from the gorges. Remembering the fire's response to her
question. Cruel indifference of the kamis, or the only answer
that could be given? She wasn't sure.
	Oji-chan's teachings came back to her, those first
steps in her training. "When we seek divination, we must be
sure it is true knowledge we desire. Sometimes the truth is
not what we wish to see." She hadn't understood the full
meaning of these words until now. Until she'd asked the
fire the question that burned in her, raged as the fire
raged.
	"Who is my soul mate? Who is the one I'm destined
to love?"
	Silence, blankness, no revelations, no divine wisdom. Had
her only love been Jedite, the dark kingdom general who had
surely died in the destruction of D-point if not sooner? Was
that the last chance she had had of happiness? Is that why the
fire gave no answer?
	"Nothing." She murmured again, as if her constant repeating
would somehow make it easier to accept. "Alone. Forever." Indeed
it would be forever, since she knew she was slated to live over
a millennia. 
	With that thought she finally lost it. Sobs shook her like
they hadn't in years, not since she was a small girl. Even Usagi's
death on the asteroid, which had torn her to pieces didn't make
her feel like this. She didn't feel worse, just utterly worthless,
like a failed human being. What made her so different that no one
could love her? Wretched the gasps of breath she took in between
her cries, which bordered on hysterical. Drowning, she was drowning
in her self-pity, her misery. Realizing that only made her feel worse.
	"Rei-chan?" asked a gentle voice, concern and warmth dripping
off the words. Tiny hands touching her shoulders, gently pulling
her into a sitting position on the grass. Such a caring touch,
the fingers sliding over her cheeks to wipe the tears away. 
	"Usagi?" Rei murmured surprised. The lightest of blue 
skies shone from her eyelids, her skin what she'd refer to as
peaches and cream. Such a little pink rosebud mouth, set in
a frown as she took in her dark-haired friend. "How did you
find me here?"
	Oh how beautiful to see the dimples turn up, the 
beginnings of a smile come on to the blonde's face. "I knew
you wanted to see me." So easily she said this, as if it
had always been so, nothing extraordinary about the telepathic
bond she and her fellow Senshi shared. "I noticed how sad you've 
been all week. You didn't talk at all. We've all been so worried."
Smiling she pulled the other girl to her feet. "Come on. Everyone
is at Mako-chan's apartment. They?re waiting for you. We have a
huge dinner to eat!" Usagi's little tongue darted out as she 
licked her lips with anticipation. Rei couldn't stop the giggles
that escaped as her friend started to drag her forward.
	"Usagi?" Rei asked suddenly, halting their steps.
	"Hai?" Usagi turned to meet her, the little skirt she
was wearing flaring out from her legs. Such long legs for
one so short, covered to the thigh in stockings. 
	The shrine maiden reached out and took her hand, 
turning it over so she could gaze at it. Her own fingers
were spread over it as well, making it even easier to compare
the differences. Usagi's nails were stubby, a little bit of
old nail polish still visible on some of them. Underneath them
there was a little bit of dirt, just a smidgen of dark color.
But a stark contrast to the high glossy shine of her own.
"Thank you, Usagi." How she loved to say her name, the intimacy
they shared was almost like a healing balm on her heart.
	All grins again, the blonde pulling her into an embrace,
chest against chest, Rei melting into her. She watched her
dark strands meet Usagi's light ones, reminded of Mamoru's
musings. 'Like night and day' echoed back and forth in her
head. "Daijobu, Rei-chan. Whatever it is I'm sure we can help
you. I can help you."
	Rei returned the loving gaze the other girl sent. "Hai."
They began their walk, Usagi chattering about what they had done
all day, what the plans were for the night. Rei nodded and 
listened contentedly. For Usagi didn't have to worry about helping
Rei.
	She already had.

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This story was written nearly a year ago, and was supposed to be
a co-authored story with another author. What you've just read
is the original I wrote before handing over to the co-author to
finish it. After writing it, I always regretted having to turn
it over for I thought it was complete this way. In the second 
story, Rei goes to Yucchirou, which I've never liked doing in
a story (and personally goes against my view of Rei and Usagi ^^).
So I'm posting this as the completed story. If it did get
posted in the other form (which I doubt), then just look at
this as a revision, ne? ^^
Oh and to anyone who reads my other story 'Fall From Grace' and
is wondering why I haven't posted since March... I've been busy? ^^
I haven't forgotten about it. I'll get Chapter 7 done sooner or
later. You can always go read 'When Plutos Attacks' to tide
you over. It?s a shame its published under Scott Summerton's
name first, I'm so much more important ^_^v

Questions? Comments? Arrows?

Angst88@aol.com
	
-Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.

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