Memories: The Phoenix's Fire
-----------------------------
PartII

Past, The Gardens of Mars?
	"Do not disturb me under any conditions, I would like to be by 
myself for a while."  The Princess of Mars commended as she walked into 
the Garden gates, not even waiting for a reply.  "And make sure that no 
one is to disturb me."  Repeating her command to make sure they get 
exactly what she was saying, she closed the gates and walked into the 
gardens.  Strolling alone, she glanced around smiling at the cherry 
blossoms, it was always so peaceful here she thought as she walked over 
to her favorite bench, I'm sure that when I get to the Moon Kingdom 
that this will be the thing I miss the most.  She silently watched the 
petals fall, gliding in the air, and wondered what it was like to be 
free like that for a moment in time, no duty, no responsibilities, no 
destiny, but even the petal is destined to fall, and she sighed at the 
thought.  Gently opening her palm to catch a falling petal, "I told you 
no one is to disturb me!"  Turning, she shot a glare at the imposing 
presence, but gasped in surprise as she met blue-flaming eyes, flicker 
under the light of the Earth and the sun.  Blinking, she wasn't sure if 
she was dreaming, but he seemed to be the mysterious men of the ball, 
the man of the shadows, the dream in the fire.  "The betrayer."  The 
words slipped out of her mouth as she looked to him, before she could 
stop herself from saying it.
	He looked hurt almost, but seemed confused as well.  "I'm sorry 
to disturb you Princess, but I was wondering why you seemed so sad."  
Gasping in surprise, she looked at him, uncertain how he had known 
while everyone else had remained oblivious to how she had felt about 
her destiny.
	"What?what do you mean I'm sad, I am the Princess of Mars, I have 
no reason to be sad, why should I be?"  She demanded, but the quiver in 
her voice gave little conviction to what she had said.
He said nothing but stare at her, eyes quietly asking and 
probing, seemingly into her soul, but she refused to back down, proud 
as she was.  "You have no need to lie to me Princess, no need to be 
strong."  She gaped at him, what did he mean, but apart of her seemed 
to almost loosen its gripe around her.
	"Who are you?"  She frowned.
"I am of the shadows?call me Jade."  Was all he replied, and the 
two silently watched each other, both curious, both probing and 
questioning, yet silence was their only answer, and silence their only 
question.

Crystal Tokyo, The Palace?
	"Rei-chan, daijobu?"  The silver-haired woman asked leaning over 
toward her violet-eyed friend.
	"Hai, hai, Usagi!"  The woman replied, smiling almost nervously.  
"I'm quite well, just a little distracted that's all, being that the 
generals are around, you know, maybe I'd find my own prince in another 
few hundred years."  The others joined in at the joke, a blue-haired 
woman, wearing silver-framed glasses, leaned over a blond haired man's 
shoulder and shook her head, smiling gently at her violet-eyed friend.
"Rei-chan, no doubt Jadeite would be running to your arms in a 
day or two being that all the rest of the single or non-single male 
population in this city do have a knack for that liability whenever you 
are around."
	"That's true for all of you girls!"  Zoisite said with convection 
as he mischievously grinned over at Ami,  "I remembered the first time 
I saw Ami-chan, I nearly fell over, and I definitely forgotten I had a 
mouth to speak out of!"  Ami blushed at the compliment.  "Oh, but it 
certainly is true!"  Zoisite said as he turned back to the rest of the 
group.  "I don't think any man with eyes that could catch a glimpse of 
you guys can resist!  I'm amazed the guards here don't volunteer to 
defend this castle-"
	All the girls blushed at this, but it was Minako who spoke this 
time.  "They do."
	Zoisite acted perfectly calm at this new change in events, "All?"
	"Males."   Makoto finished.
	"Uh-huh?" Zoisite said with a nod of his head and looked over to 
Ami, "They don't hit on you now do they Ami-chan?"  His question was 
cool, but they could sense the jealousy there.  "I've been away too 
long, I have to stake my claim on Ami-chan before?"
	"Claim?"  All the girls screeched at the same time.  "We are not 
property to be claimed!"  They all voiced, Zoisite sheepishly waved his 
hand in front of him, trying to amend his statement, glancing over to 
Ami for help, but she just glared at him from behind her glasses, 
laughing nervously he quickly tried to regain his composer.
	"Girls, girls, you know what Zoi-chan meant!"  Endymion quickly 
interrupted, before the senshi team could toasts his only general at 
the moment.  "And please, his my only general so far, I'd like to keep 
him in one piece!"
	Minako was the first to back off and haul the other two to their 
seats, but it was Makoto who apologized, and Rei, well, Rei glared at 
Zoisite, but then changed her mind and let the little thing pass over, 
but she was the last to do so.  Ami-chan will take care of him later, 
she thought with a grin, and settled back down more snuggly.  A sudden 
memory struck her of a garden, filled with cherry blossoms and their 
petals floating before her, as the vast blackness stood overhead with 
distant stars and the blue earth, where she settled into a blond-haired 
man's arms and he had affectionately held her close to him, while the 
two whispered...

Silver Millennium, Mars's Royal Garden?
	"Rei-chan, what is your favorite star?"  The blond-haired man 
asked, smiling softly down at her, as he held her closer to his body. 
"I'm not sure, but the Earth do look so lovely from here."  She 
smiled brightly up into the sky, as cheery blossom and their sweetly 
scented petals drifted by them, sighing she reached out a hand, as if 
to catch a star, but instead closed it around a drifting petal.  "Where 
do you come from Jade-chan?"  She asked softly, resting one palm on his 
jacket and looked to him curiously.
	"Perhaps I'll tell you another time."  He said uneasily.
	Glaring up at him, she replied angrily, "When will you tell me 
anything about who you are?  You show up at the palace one day, at my 
birthday party and then again in here when I asked to be alone, and you 
seek me out, and you make me-" She faltered, but then quickly regained 
composer.  "You talk to me out of my shell and taught me to trust you, 
and yet you tell me nothing of who you are or why you're here!  Don't 
you trust me?"  She asked, a bewildered look shining in her eyes. "You 
make me want to tear my hair out in frustration so many times that?oh!"  
She pulled out of his embrace rather fiercely and stalked over to the 
nearest cherry blossom tree to regain control over her anger.
	"Rei-chan," He said gently as he laid a hand down on her 
shoulders when he reached her, and then wrapped his arms around her 
waist.  "I came because you were so beautiful and so sad that I could 
not stay away, but I swore that I would not tell you who I was until 
the time was right, and that is not the time yet my love."  He said 
gently as she turned to him, eyes flashing, but her expression softened 
as she saw the earnestness of his words.
	"And do you know what infuriates me even more?"  She asked, as 
she pretended to glare at him, while she leaned closer and wrapped her 
arms around his neck.  "That you always makes it so hard to hate you, 
and I can't ever seemed to stay mad at you at all!"  He smiled and 
leaned forward, as her voice became breathless.  "I can't seem to help 
myself, I just can't stay away..." She whispered a lull she had written 
long ago, as she closed her crimson eyes, and they kissed, softly the 
lull played unheard but to the two lovers, as the Earth shone bright 
overhead, while the cherry blossoms drifted by, and the stars said 
goodnight, "Jade-chan?"

Present Time, Crystal Tokyo Palace?
	"Earth to Rei-chan, come in Rei-chan."  Makoto said as she waved 
her hand in front of Rei's face, snapping her out of a memory.
	"Daijobu Rei-chan?"  Minako asked as she leaned over the couch, 
unfortunately, she lost her balance in doing it and went flying over, 
one shoe hitting Rei on the head and then smacked Makoto in the face as 
it bounced, while Minako toppled over and landed on her butt on the 
other side of the couch, while two other senshis prepared to kill her.
	"Minako-chan!"  Rei and Makoto yelled, while the rest of the 
group looked on with total helplessness.

	"So Rei-chan, any new developments?"  A young man with brown hair 
and green eyes asked her, adoration shining in his eyes.  She smiled 
wearily, why does this one have to look so much like Yui-chan?  She 
pushed back the feeling of loneliness and shook her head sadly, as if a 
world disaster had just happened.
	"Afraid not Tano-san, no developments around here."  Glancing at 
her watch she gasped in surprise.  "Gomen nasai Tano-san, but I'm late 
for a meeting with a friend of mine.  I'm sure you can take the rest of 
the day off after this last piece of paper work."  She said, as she 
tossed back her shiny black-violet hair, and handed him a folder.  
"Sayonara Tano-san!"  She said as she left the building, man, those 
guys are getting harder and harder to handle, in the old days they used 
to stay away from me because of my temper, but now it's almost like 
another magnate!  She sighed, sometimes she wished she were an ugly and 
old crow, just so that the men would stay away from her and leave her 
alone for once, but then again, there was advantages, she thought 
deviously, as she strolled down the sidewalk of Crystal Tokyo in a 
brisk pace, since she was late for a meeting with Minako.  Not that she 
really minded the attention she thought, as men and boys of all ages 
stop to watch her pass, I'm sure Minako enjoys this immensely, Rei 
thought with distress, and I used to, but now it's all just another 
distraction.  She ignored all of the males she passed by, 
unfortunately, that only lead some of them to follow her like love 
struck pups, eww!  Gross, she thought, they better not slobber all over 
me like the last time!  Picking up her pace, she quickly rounded a 
corner and snuck into an alley, the dazed men walked by, confused to 
where she had disappeared to, when they were finally out of sight, she 
let out a sigh of relief and stepped out, only to have someone slam 
into her as she turned to go the other way.
	"Oof!"  A male voice groaned, oh great, not another one!  She 
thought as she glanced up and her mouth fell open.
	"Jad-Jadeite!"  She cried in surprise, he in turn stared at her 
in disbelief.
	"How'd you know-"  He began.
	"There she is!"  They both glanced up to see approaching group of 
men, all staring adoringly at Rei.
	"Oh brother!"  She said as she jumped up and pulled Jadeite to 
his feet, "We better ran!  The last man who was seen with me was beaten 
to a bloody pulp, so I suggest we get out of here!"  She nearly pulled 
his arm off as she dragged him running off in the other direction, he 
wasn't even sure he had a chance to set his feet on the ground before 
she rounded a corner and leaped up, her legs pushing them off the 
ground and where they both landed on the rooftop of a small building.  
Rei landed so gracefully that it seemed she had grown wings and floated 
to the ground, unfortunately for Jadeite, being that he was dragged all 
the way there in midair, landing gracefully was out of the question as 
he fell to his knees beside her.  "Get down!"  She whispered loudly to 
him and pushed both of them down onto the cemented floor, just as the 
mob rushed by.
	"Oof!"  He said again as his face just got slammed into the hard 
ground.  "I swear Rei-san that had it not been that I can take so much 
abuse from you being that I am a General and a High King, I'd have died 
by now!"  He grumbled.
	"So you remember who you are then."  She said with a glare, as 
she flipped her communicator on.  "Minako-chan, I've got a case two 
over here, so shopping today would be difficult."  She said.
"Same here Rei-chan, but I can't believe how much you're getting 
it nowadays!  It's like the third time this week already for you, isn't 
it?"
	"I don't need to be reminded Minako-chan."  She growled through 
her teeth.  "You know, sometimes I wish I was ugly so that men would 
stay away from me instead of chasing me all over the city.  It keeps me 
in shape and all, but this is really starting to get old!"
	"Yeah, ditto!  Rei-chan, by the way, daijobu, you seemed to be so 
distraught these days."  The blond-haired girl on the other line looked 
up worriedly at her violet-eyed friend.
	"No, nothing's the matter, except that Jadeite got himself stuck 
up here with me for the day!"  She said impatiently, then a scream 
pierced through the air.
	"Jadeite's there?  Are you two going out yet?  Is that why you're 
so starry eyed all the time?  It must've been love!  I knew it!  It was 
how Ami-chan looked when she first met Zoi-chan again!"  Minako babbled 
on while Rei got redder and redder on the other side, whether from 
anger or from embarrassment or both, but that did not stop the fire 
senshi from blowing up at the girl on the other side.
	"Minako-chan!"  She screamed into the communicator, "What kind of 
idiot do you think I am?  Why would I ever fall for my former enemy?  I 
could never-" Her words were abruptly cut off as she was pulled to the 
ground with Jadeite's hand over her mouth.
	"Do you want the whole world to know we're here Rei-san?"  He 
asked worriedly as he glanced around at the bottom of the building, 
praying that they didn't attract any attention, as well as not wanting 
to know the rest of her sentence.
	"Rei-chan!  He is so cute!"  Minako squeaked on the other line, 
not caring if the two were discovered.  "If you don't want him, I'll 
claim this one!"
	"What happened to, 'I'll wait for Kunzite-chan forever!'?"  Rei 
asked sarcastically, even as jealousy began to rise inside of her, but 
she ignored the feeling.
	"Oh, Kunzite-chan can wait, I've waited so long for him already, 
why can't he do the same?"  Minako said defensively, "Anyway, you know 
what they say, 'where there's love, there's always more availability 
for dating others.'"  Minako said with conviction, as Rei's face 
twitched slightly.
	"Minako-chan?" Rei said tiredly, as she sighed in exasperation, 
just as the door to the roof slammed open.  "Remind me to thank you 
later, Minako-chan."  Rei grumbled sardonically at her friend, 
realizing it was their loud conversation that had notified the mob to 
the roof of the building, "Meet me at the gates."  And with that she 
threw her communicator into her jacket pocket and grabbed Jadeite's 
arm.  "Come on!  Don't just stand there, I don't want to stay around 
for them to slobber all over me!"  She said, as she grabbed the blond-
haired man's arm and jumped from the roof of the building.

Silver Millennium, The Woods at the Temple of Phobos?
	"I have been called to duty Jade-chan, next week, actually."  She 
said softly, her eyes distant and sad, avoiding his gaze.  "Perhaps, we 
should stop seeing each other."
	"Rei-chan?"  He asked, surprised, as she pulled away from his 
warmth and stood up from the grassy ground.
	"I mean who's to say that I'm not meant for someone else, or you 
for that matter?"  She asked, laughing nervously as she turned away, 
convincing neither one of them, deciding that there was no way around 
it, she looked down at her hands, and clinched them into fists.  "I 
just don't think that?it'll work out?when I leave?.  And you still 
won't tell me anything more about yourself, other than your name and 
little things that connects you to nowhere but here."  She looked up to 
the sky and willed herself from crying, turning slowly to face him as 
she consciously relaxed her body because she knew he wouldn't leave 
without at least a show of total coolness towards him, so that he 
wouldn't think it a lie when she tell him that she didn't-that she 
didn't love him.  "I don't know you Jadeite, and I can't afford to love 
you?please, I don't ever want to see you again."  She looked him 
straight in the eye, suppressing her love, her hurt, everything, just 
so that he wouldn't feel the pain she already feels for she knew she 
would never see him like this again, and that she wanted to make him 
happy, even if it would not be she, for it would be better if she'd 
just leave him to another who can love him better than she.  But she 
can never return to find the happiness she had found talking to him, 
and lying in his arms watching the Earth or Jupiter, or any of the 
other planets well they say love with silence in the air.  She did not 
deserve him, she knew that, but she liked knowing that he did love her, 
at least think he does for a little while, and it was paradise for her 
to lay in his arms of love, telling him stories she had heard from long 
ago under the universal sky, while the cherry blossoms drifted by and 
by.  She was senshi, she was princess, she was priestess, there was no 
room in her life for true love or happiness she thought, only duty, and 
I must be content with its cold company.
	"Rei-chan, how can you say that?"  He asked in despair, his 
gentle blue eyes burning with disbelief and hurt, as he broke her out 
of her thought, when the reality of what she said sank in.  "Don't you 
know that-"
	"Iie, for there was never anything between us to begin with."  
Her body was rigid now, physically she was trying to hold back her pain 
watching him shake with anger and disbelief, watching him beginning to 
let go and hate her, but inside she was crying and she knew it would 
never end until he loved her again.  Betrayal can never be forgiven she 
thought, as she pushed back the hurt, I cannot afford to be weak.
"Well then Princess," He said coldly, seemingly having regained 
his composer, he turned his back to her and stalked towards the 
shadows, angry, hurt and confused.  Watching, she found herself taking 
a step to run after him and beg his forgiveness.  Iie, she thought, 
it's too late for that.  
	Good, another voice said comely inside of her, now he can fall in 
love with someone else, and I can be by myself again.  She shook her 
head sadly as he disappeared into the shadows, may he never know how 
much, she thought, how much I-Ai shiteru, Jade-chan, and ja ne, for no 
matter what you think may be the truth, you will always have my soul, 
as it was lost to the shadows the first time we met, and to the fires 
that were your eyes, may one day we meet on better terms.  Slowly she 
turned, absent-mindedly running a hand along the grove of the tree 
where they used to hid before moving on, at a last minute impulse she 
glanced behind to the wavering leaves and draping branches, wondering 
if she'd ever know how it feels to be held under it again by the one 
that she loved...

Present day Tokyo, Gates of Tokyo City?
	"Come on!"  She said, as she pulled the exhausted Jadeite behind 
her, just as the memories began to die in his mind, not really sure 
what they meant in the first place.  When they finally reached the 
columns of marble at the Gates of Tokyo, he pondered how he even got 
there, for the trip was a bit hazy in his mind.  Wheezing he tried to 
speak but failed to do that well catching his breathe.  "You are really 
out of shape aren't you?"  She asked, an amused expression in her eyes, 
not the slightest bit miffed by the thirty minute ran across the city.
"How?do?you?do it?Rei?-san?"  He asked between in takes of 
breath.
	"What do you mean how do I do it?"  She asked, an annoyed 
expression in her eyes.  "I get this type of thing at least once or 
twice a week for the last six to seven thousand years, and most of the 
time dragging some guy behind me, while I am practically mobbed by a 
gazillion other men!  Of course I can do it!  How else do I stay in 
shape when the youmas aren't around for me to stay in shape for?  You 
think I'm so fit because I lounge around idly, while doing paperwork?"  
She was practically screaming at him by then, but he knew it wasn't 
because she was angry at the mob incident, instead she was really mad 
at him.
	Gods!  Tasukete (help me)!  He thought, for I do not understand 
her, nor why I am here, simply that it feels right when she is close, 
but that is but a vague feeling that I cannot even identify, and why 
does it hurt so much?  Why now?  He asked silently, why now when he has 
a vague feeling of danger, and that peace will soon break.  So many 
questions!  A flicker.  Is it an answer?  He asked.  Betrayal.  Gasping 
in surprise he stumbled back at the memory of her voice, her voice 
echoing in his ears, murmuring apologies before her death while he 
glared down at her in anger, in fear, in hate and in love.  'Gomen nasai 
Jade-chan, it was all my fault, after all I begun the betrayal and you 
ended it?' Betrayal.  The word seemed to pulse through his body, as he 
stared wide-eyed at Rei of the future standing before him, looking at 
him puzzled.
	"Daijobu Jadeite-san?"  She asked in a polite voice, but there was 
concern there, even though he didn't hear it, all he can hear is the 
thumping of his heart and the word?betrayal?pulsing over and over again 
in his head until he was ready to?
	"Ahh!"  He screamed, covering his ears with his hands, as if that 
could block the sound of his own heart beating against the rhythm of 
that hated word within his mind.  Silence.
One step, "Jadeite-san?"  Rei asked, now worry written all over 
her face as she reached for him, the moment her hand touched him though 
he fought back, as if burned, trying to ignore the hurt that shone in 
her eyes, even though she tried to hid it.  "What's wrong with you 
anyway?"  She asked haughtily, trying to stop herself from feeling that 
pain that he had inflicted when he had pulled away.  Am I that 
unattractive?  She asked herself.
	"Betrayer!"  He screamed at her, chest heaving, eyes wide in both 
surprise at his own out burst and that of the force of the accusation 
lying behind that one word.  Blue eyes, met violet ones, flashing, but 
for a moment he was sure he saw the reminiscent image of a beautiful 
princess with rose colored hair and crimson eyes, staring at him as if 
he had just ripped her heart out and stomped on it.  But the image 
disappeared.  The words were said, unable to be taken back, "Rei-san I-"
	"Baka!  Don't call me that!"  She screamed at him, pulling away 
from his outstretched hand.  Her eyes watered, the violet replacing the 
rouge, this was not the princess he remembered, this was the fierce and 
yet beautiful warrior maiden he had fought thousands of years ago.  "If 
you are not here to be with me, than so be it!"  He tried to move 
towards her, but she glared at him through her stormy, violet eyes.  
"Baka!  Don't you understand?  Don't you remember anything?"  She asked, 
accusation in her voice.  "Perhaps you should be more careful with such 
words, and realize that I'm not the only betrayer around here before you 
start throwing accusations like those in my face!"  Her eyes glittered 
with unshed tears as she clinched her fists together at her side and 
stood straight and tall, as tall as she could possibly stand and looked 
to him straight in the eyes.  Her eyes softened for a moment, but it was 
replaced by a cold, polite look.  "Gomen nasai Jadeite-san, I guess I do 
owe you an apology for what I had done a very long time ago, but perhaps 
I was wrong after all?" Her voice trailed off, and a single tear slipped 
through her defenses.  "I was wrong in thinking that you would've 
forgiven me after all this time had passed."  An ironic smile crept upon 
her face, as she bitterly stared him down.  "I guess old wounds die 
hard, ne?"  She asked and laughed dully.  "I'm getting as bad as Minako-
chan with all her misread quotes!"  But that did not stop the second 
tear from falling.  "Sayonara Jadeite-san."  She said coldly, "Tell 
Minako-chan that she can have you if she wants, I'm not what you're 
looking for in a woman anyway."  And with that, she glided past him and 
walked down the streets from whence they came.
	"Rei-san?" He whispered.  "Rei-san!"  He cried out, but she did 
not turn back to him, as her words echoed in his ears 'I'm not what 
you're looking for in a woman anyway.'  Her accusations did not end 
there, but instead bounced around in his head.  "Rei-san!"  He cried out 
desperately, but she ignored him and kept walking, he seemingly rooted 
to the ground couldn't will himself to chase after her and face her 
bitterness towards him.  'Don't call me that!'  Her voice cried within 
his mind.  "Gomen nasai Rei-chan."  He whispered to the winds that blew 
by, rustling his hair, but she had already disappeared, not even a 
shadow to be remembered by, never turning back to him.
	"Rei-chan!  Rei-chan?"  A cheerful female voice called out, 
approaching the gates, a golden haired woman with a red bow in her hair 
approached him while she searched for her violet-eyed friend.  Startled 
when she saw him, she looked confusedly at Jadeite, who was startled to 
see that it was the girl that Rei was talking to on her little 
communication device.  "Jadeite-chan!"  She whispered in disbelief.  "It 
is you!"
	"Rei left already."  Was all he said, before he turned to leave.
	"Matte!"  The woman cried.  "Jadeite-chan?Rei-chan just need a 
little more time to adjust, she's been waiting for you as long as the 
rest of the Senshi have for our own loves to come back."  The blond 
said, the years gave all of the Senshis an air of confidence when 
confronted, but hers was the most powerful, for after all she was the 
leader of the Senshi team.
	"What if I don't want her back?"  He asked acidly and walked away, 
leaving Minako there, standing, shocked, her mouth agape as the blond-
haired man's words started to settle inside her mind.
"You're a fool Jadeite-chan!"  She cried out after him, her own 
voice shaking from the sudden uncertainty that it has cause in her own 
mind.
	"Don't call me that!"  He yelled over his shoulder, giving her a 
glare, Rei even refused to call me that, why should you have the 
privilege?  He thought, angrily, but then shook his head.  Who cares 
what Rei called him?  But in his heart he already knew the damage was 
done, for both of them, and it was his fault, always his fault.
I should've never returned, he thought, why didn't I just die?
'Because we'll always be together, ne?' The face of the Princess 
of Mars looked to him smiling as she handed him the fragile bloom of a 
cherry blossom from the ancient groves of the Temples on the moon of Phobos. 
 How they had laughed together than, and could not imagine a 
life without the other's company, and how stupid he had been for not 
telling her the truth, and in the end did it matter?  A part of his mind 
asked, she broke your heart anyway.
	'Don't leave me my Jade-chan!  You promised together forever 
remember?'  She had whispered that to him, when he had turned snarling 
down at her dying form after the battle, meaning to limp away, and when 
he turned to destroy her, she held such a loving look that it surprised 
him and he hasted, but he had plunged the sword down towards her?