Disclaimer:I don't own Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi (yeah, spelled it right without looking it up!) does as well as several other companies. Good for them, please don't sue me! Please please please don't sue me...*wails and makes big eyes* There that should do it. Author's Notes at the end, enjoy the last chapter of Rei: First Love and email me at inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com Rei: First Love Chapter Five Rei studied the flames as they swirled and danced in the fireplace. She was exhausted. After spending a night tossing and turning she finally rose with the dawn to meditate but couldn't reach the usual inner calm that she sought before a battle. And it was all three stupid word's fault. Sighing, she rose and stretched. She had to get to the match in a couple of minutes. The whole thing seemed rather trivial now. With a growl for the follies of politics Rei raised one hand and transformed into Sailor Mars. Power coursed through her veins and she smiled at the familiar tingle that her new form brought. Yawning widely she grabbed a Sob Cookie for breakfast and made her way out her door and through the palace to the practice room. Entering, she smiled and waved to Mina who was warming up. Lita and Ami were there also, both as senshi, but were sitting along the sidelines with Nephrite and Zoicite as a rooting section. Lita bounded over and threw a friendly arm around her shoulder. "How ya doing, girl?" Rei snorted and rolled her eyes in answer and Lita chuckled. Ami trotted over also, blue eyes sparkling. With a smile she showed Rei her unbandaged wrist. "Prince Endymion healed it for me! Can you believe it? That's a power I could really use... I really hope this treaty thing goes through because I'm dying to study their powers! I've been talking to Zoicite and Nephrite and you wouldn't believe some of the things they say they can do." Lita smirked. "Are you sure that's the only thing you want to study?" Ami sighed, exasperated, before giggling and hitting Lita playfully on her arm. "Hey, I'm gonna go give Mina a pep talk. She needs to know the butt kickin' Jupiter (got that from the Mixx Pocket Manga) is rootin' for her all the way!" With that Lita flew off, her boundless energy neverending. Rei ducked her head as she whispered to Ami. "Do they have any idea that we're the princesses also? Did Jadeite tell them?" Ami shook her head. "No, not that I can see and Zoicite's still treating me as just another warrior. I can't believe Jadeite found out. I guess that cat's out of the bag..." Rei snorted. "Try that princesse..." With another well meant good luck Ami slipped quietly away and Rei sidled up to Mina. Taking one good look at her mischievous friend, Rei groaned. "You've been meddling. I can see that self-satisfied smile on your lips. Must you always interfere?" Mina chuckled, delighted. "I am the senshi of Love, Sailor Venus!" Rei simply sighed and shook her head once more. "What did you do...wait. I don't want to know till after the match. It'd hardly look good if I killed you in front of the generals, though is rather tempting." With a mysterious smile Mina tossed blonde hair over one shoulder. "You'll see..." Rei buried her face in her hands as she wailed, agony lingering in thelast note as she bit back tears. "Why me?!" * * Jadeite stepped up to battle, azure eyes pinned on Rei. She met them fearlessly enough but then flickered away a moment later. Endymion stepped up, already having called the match to order, and dropped his arms to begin the first fight, theirs. He had drawn her name by chance but had been glad when he had. He had something to do, on Mina's urging, and he only hoped he had the guts to pull it off. Rei wouldn't see that he was her match so he'd show her, by any means possible. As the first blows fell he felt satisfaction that she didn't meet him at half strength but with the same awesome power she had defeated Zoicite with. Parrying fists that rained down on him he responded in kind, his dual swords making her own undefended position weaker as she battled to deflect the multiple weapons. It was a nice trick, fighting with two swords, and not one many mastered. Which meant that not many knew how to defend against it. She did, though, admirably. Jadeite smiled in triumph. "She is incredible in every way, every single way..." he mused as he dodged one well placed heel and whirled to meet her at every turn. It was like an intricate dance, their battle, and it raged with such ferocity that the onlookers saw only blurs of red and gray. Jadeite was grinning wolfishly after several minutes and he saw that Rei was also smiling, pleasure on her face as they fought, each giving all they had and yet neither landing more than glancing blows on one another. Spinning he watched delightedly as she dipped and avoided a low undercut from one blunted blade. Concentration furrowing deep lines on his forehead, he watched intently for an opening. Seconds later he saw it and with a shove sent his graceful partner flat on her back, two sword tips resting on the slight curve of her ivory neck. Glaring up at him through long lashes his heart sent thrills of joy through out the rest of him. Now all he had to do was win her love... Endymion started to call the match to an end but stopped with Jadeite's fierce shake of his blonde head. Never letting his eyes leave hers he whispered, voice low and sure. "Surrender Sailor Mars." Violet orbs seared him in anger and her jaw clenched in fury. "The match is over and I have won," he continued softly. "Do the honorable thing and surrender." Eyes still raging her pouting lips finally formed the loathed words before spitting them out. "Fine, I surrender." Jadeite shook his head again and pressed the fake swords slightly harder against her throat. "Those aren't the right words." Quiet reigned in the room as the rest of their peers watch on and Rei sighed exasperated. "Then what are the right words?" she snapped angrily from her position on the hard wooden floor. Jadeite smiled winningly, he had her now. "Three very simple words, my dear... I love you." * * Rei stared at him, aghast. He had to be kidding and yet his sapphire eyes were very, very serious. He actually expected her to say that here, in front of the scouts and generals and Endymion and Luna?! Clenching her jaw she attempted to rise but the sword tips held her down. Glaring fiercely at him she pursed her lips, refusing to say anything at all. Amethyst and cerulean clashed as their wills went head on. He refused to let her up until she said the words and she refused to say them. "I can stand here all day," he murmured after several minutes of tension filled silence. "And I can lay here all day," she snapped. "It doesn't bother me in the least." With a smirk he lazily pressed the blunted blades harder against her neck still. 'Sister, what on Mars is going on?' came the amused tendril of thought. 'When I look through your eyes I, well, I see a man standing over you holding some kind of wooden weapons. Now my mind can certainly jump to conclusions but perhaps its better if you tell me before my imagination gets out of control...' Indignant in her fury she snapped back at him. 'I'm in the middle of a match, Rani...' She heard him chuckle darkly. 'If you say so, sister dear.' 'Rani! Really, you have the most twisted mind...' He interrupted her. 'Is he the one? The one who said he loved you...' Sighing internally Rei answered him. 'Yes Rani. He's arrogant and proud and...and...and...and...' 'And you love him! Damn it, Rei, tell him already!' 'Why do you think I'm lying on the floor, Rani? He's trying to *make* me...' 'Rei, don't you see?' he asked earnestly... 'He's your match, your soul mate. Otherwise he wouldn't have you flat on your back to declare your love because he knows that you won't do it unless he does this. Look into his eyes, Rei, and tell me what you see.' Eyes flashing Rei glared again and angrily met those oh so beautiful baby blues. Her anger slowly melted away with whatshe found. 'What do you see sister, what do you see?' Mind voice subdued, Rei replied, troubled by her own answer. 'I see myself, Rani. I see myself. I didn't think, couldn't guess that...that...oh, damnit. Rani, what do I do?' 'What I already told you. Tell him you love him.' Closing her eyes Rei gathered her strength around her, her shields, her memories, her misgivings, her fears, and pushed them away. Opening her eyes again she grinned, ruby lips curving upwards in a secretive smile. "Fine! I love you! Now let me up, you great oaf!" Jadeite's faceregistered complete shock, then melted away to pure joy. He threw theswords carelessly away and leaned down to pull her to her feet, both of them oblivious to the enthusiastic clapping that their audience gave their performance. Strong fingers caressed her face before he planted both palms on her cheeks and bowed his head to brush her lips with his own. Trembling Rei felt his feather soft touch as he slowly descended. -And incredible pain shot through her entire body.- With an agonized cry of intense pain Rei fell limply into Jadeite's surprised arms as the other scouts screamed and fell also. The symbols of their respective planets shined brightly on their foreheads as lights colored red, blue, green and orange shot up towards the ceiling. Through the walls the color of dark green joined the beams in a circle with three obviously missing members. No lights of aqua, midnight blue or violet joined them. The circle of light flared brightly then flickered and faded brokenly. As one the scouts moaned and detransformed, their uniforms melting away to that of their princess dresses. Princess and Queen Serenity rushed into the chamber, the Queen's face dark with anger. "What happened?" demanded Kunzite who held the unconscious Mina in his arms. Luna stepped forward, her feline face bleak. "Sailor Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn are dead." As Jadeite cradled the unresponsive Rei in his tight embrace he turned his attention to the Queen. "What does this mean, your majesty?" Crystalline eyes of fury faced him as her aristocratic mouth formed the one harsh word in answer. "War." Author's Notes: Well that was more of an epilogue in length, LOL. On to Lita: Last Kiss, yeah! Let me know what you guys thought about this chapter, if you liked it or not and be honest! Oh and I know there's some inaccuracies in this, with the Outer Scouts but I've been Moonie raised on DIC and Mixx which hasn't gotten to them yet so my limited knowledge comes from the internet. I've never really understood exactly where they were in the Moon Kingdom(just that they were not part of Serenity's court) and I know some bad stuff's suppose to happen when Saturn dies but oh well. Its a story, my story so they're here and nothing happened, like the end of the universe, because Saturn died. Don't get me wrong I really like the outer scouts, this was simply to enrich the plot and add some conflict, nothing personal! Anyway EMAIL! I'll see ya'll later, have a great week. Here's the spiffy people who emailed me this week: Ace Conners, Spring Angel16, Yoshi, stargazer173, Venusian Goddess, and Mn Thanks ya'll!! Oh and say hi to my new pre/proof reader, mercurami!