In Another Lifetime - Six
Usagi-chan
Usagi@tuxedomask.com
I don't own Sailormoon or anything pertaining to.
E-mail me

~~~
"I did another fire reading last night." I spoke 
quietly, not letting my eyes drift from the flame 
in the center of the room.  "It seems they are
saving up for one big attack."

Silence filled the small room as everyone 
thought about what I said.  Migaru was biting
her finger nail as she thought.  Finally, Usagi
spoke what everyone was thinking.

"When?"  

I lifted my gaze to look at her.

"I wish I knew."  She nodded at my response, accepting
what I said.

"The attack...  It'll come from everywhere, hit us
hard and we don't know when?" There was a hint of
hysteria in Misao's voice as she spoke.  

"I'm sorry, I..." I looked at her helplessly.  The
fire wasn't telling me things I needed to know.

"It's not your fault, Rei-chan." Usagi smiled
at me.  "We just need to be prepared all the time."

"It's not that easy, Usako." Mamoru told her gently.

"Isn't it?" She turned to him.  "How did we deal with
it before?"

"That was different.  Those were single youma and 
we could call the others.  From the sounds of it, this
attack will be similar to an attack by all the youma
we faced in a year.  We won't have time to call for
back up." Antai explained.  Usagi nodded, though I 
could tell she wasn't convinced.  

"I might be able to narrow down the attack date, but
I can't be sure of anything." I turned my attention
back to the fire, and gazed at it.  An image flared
up briefly, but I could tell what it was.

It was a picture of Neo-Queen Serneity.  Then it struck
me.  She was psychic, which meant Usagi was as well.
Maybe if we combined our energies...

"I have an idea." I looked up.  "Usagi and I will
read the fire together, and we should be able to 
get more information.  Time, date, place..."

"Let's do it." Usagi agreed without any hesitation.

Slowly the others moved back, creating room for Usagi
and I to sit near the fire.  I fell into a meditative
trance and could sense Usagi doing the same.  The
beads clacked together in my fingers as I chanted 
under my breath.

Slowly images and words came to me.  I couldn't tell
what Usagi was experiencing, but I was in a state of
bliss.

A sharp scream tore me from my euphoria.  It was 
Usagi, and she was screaming.

"No!  No!  Gods no!" She shrieked.  I could see 
pure terror in her eyes as I tried to calm her.
Mamoru was next to her, holding her, trying to
soothe her.

"No..." She whispered softer.  "It's coming..."

Then it hit, with a force I had never encountered
before in my life.

I screamed.

The pain was so intense, I was blinded.  The other 
senshi looked at us in shock, not sure what they
could do.  Usagi and I were screaming, trying to
deal with the pain in any way we could.

"What is it?  What's going on?" Mamoru asked, 
holding Usagi tightly.

"The attack..." I cut out from gritted teeth.
There was no break in the attack.  It seemed as
though they had been planning it and saivng energy
for years.

Maybe a thousand years, or maybe more...

I could hear a laughter, familiar in its evil.  I
knew it, I recognized it.

"What is that?" I asked, hoping one of the others 
could place it.

"What's what?" Misao asked.  "What the hell is 
going on?"

I realized then that they had no clue what was
going on.  Usagi seemed to be bearing the brunt
of the attack, but the others were completely
unaffected.

"Its a psychic attack..." I gasped.  "Only Usagi
and I are..."

Another, stronger wave hit me and I knew we couldn't
last much longer in these conditions.  

'Listen to your heart...' a voice told me.  'Allow 
it to guide you...'

The calm, cool voice allowed me the clarity I needed.
If Usagi and I continued to be attacked, we would both
die.  We needed to fight back, and I knew how.

Slowly I began drawing on all my power as a senshi of
Mars.  I collected it as quickly as I could, hoping it
would be enough to wipe out the source.  I needed to...

Usagi seemed to sense what I was doing and pulled
away from Mamoru.  She clutched my shoulder.

"Rei-chan... No." She whispered.  I smiled
at her, and put my hand on hers.

"Usagi-chan... I have to.." I told her.  Remembering
Mamoru's love for her, and her love for him, renewed
my will.  

Everything in the room faded until it was just Usagi
and I.  She was holding my shoulder, still in pain 
herself.  I drew on every remaining ounce of strength
I had left.  I wanted to send it all in one massive 
attack that would destroy...

Beryl.  The laughter was Beryl.  Rage shot through
me.  Hadn't she ruined our lives enough?  She destroyed
so much love...  In two lifetimes.

"Enough!" I screamed, launching the attack.  All 
my strength, as Sailormars, as a Shinto priestess,
as Hino Rei and as Himoto Rei, was behind the counter
attack.

Slowly the pain faded, but I knew it was over for me.
I had sent everything in the attack, and all that was
left was my body...  Almost an empty husk.

"Rei-chan...  Why did you do that?" Usagi asked,
tears filling her blue eyes.

"I had to..." I replied softly.  She shook her head no,
tears spraying everywhere.

"Serenity...  I had to...  For love." I told her. 
She seemed to understand what I meant.  "And hate."
I added.

"Beryl..." She whispered.  I nodded.

"She took Jedeite from me... So long ago..." My voice
grew weaker, and I knew I was going to die.  It was
okay though.  Maybe in the next life, I'd find Jedeite
again.  Maybe he will be waiting for me...  I hoped so.

"Rei-chan!  Please!  Please!" She cried, burying her face
in my chest.  The others held back, unsure of what to 
do.  We never had time to grow close, like we were 
before, but Usagi was different.  We were close.  We
were always close.

"Rei-chan..." She whisperd, as my vision grew dark.  "When
will we meet again?"

"I hope never Usagi...  Serenity..." I replied, before 
everything was gone.
~~~