Mars Fire Ignite
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Chapter 1: A Secret Admirer
"Another one? Wow, this is getting kinda freakie, don't you think?" Serena said 
over Rei's shoulder as Rei picked up the figurine. It was a beautiful figurine, 
really; one of a phoenix spreading out its wings, getting ready to take flight. 
Carved of gold and opalescent gemstones, it was, by far, the most gifted piece 
of work to have graced the front steps to Rei's temple. 
That was what worried her the most, though. This was the fifth figurine in the 
span of a week, and she still had yet to see who was leaving them. Being 15 and 
the target of a secret admirer is flattering, but somehow, Rei thought to 
herself, this is getting a little out of hand. 
"Look at the way it sparkles! Oooo, it's soooo pretty!" Serena continued, her 
eyes wide and dreamy. "I bet it costs a fortune to have all that gold on it. So, 
have you found who's sending you these neat gifts yet?" 
Rei sighed. "No Serena," she replied with a hint of exasperation. "I don't know 
who it is, and it's starting to bother me. What if this person is a stalker or 
something?" 
Serena got one of those far-off dreamy-eyed looks. "Oooo, that would be so 
romantic, unless he was mean and wanted to kill you, but then," and the dreamy 
look went pensive and concerned, "that wouldn't be too good, now would it? Then 
we'd have to destroy him like those Negaverse monsters. Hmmm..." She started 
pacing on the steps. 
*****
It was a bright and cheery morning at the Cherry Hill Temple, a typical warm 
summer day. Summer vacation was going fairly well for the scouts, for the 
Negaverse attacks were few and far between in the last few months (which worried 
Luna to no end, but no one wanted to waste the summer). As usual, the scouts 
would get together and go shopping, vacationing, or play around in Tokyo, 
everything a group of pretty teenage girls normally do during Summer vacation. 
It was at the end of one of their skiing trips to the mountains that they 
returned to the temple to find a small box wrapped up in velvet cloth and a 
black ribbon, marked for Rei. With all the girls huddled around her, she 
tentatively unwrapped the box, and inside found a note and a gorgeous figurine 
of a ruby broach carved in the shape of a phoenix. While Lita, Mina and Serena 
oohhed and ahhed at the pretty statuette, and Amy pulled out her computer to 
analyze it to make sure it was not a Negaverse trap, Rei read the note: 
I hope you like this mere bauble, Miss Rei, which is not nearly as beautiful as 
you are.
- Secret Admirer 
After that, gifts ended up on the front stairs of her temple almost every night 
for the last five nights. And here was a sixth, this gold and gemstone phoenix 
statuette, which had inscribed underneath its stand: 
To Rei, the Phoenix's fire is nothing compared to the fire in your spirit. 
- Secret Admirer
"I know!" cried Serena as they walked back into the temple. "We'll have a 
sleep-over over here and stay up all night and wait for him. That way, if he's 
dangerous, we'll be here to back you up!" Serena had a smirk on her face for 
having thought up such a brilliant plan all on her own. 
Rei considered this. "I don't know Serena ..." She WAS really curious about her 
secret admirer, and it would be safer to have the scouts here, just in case he 
is a wierdo. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, "why don't I just stay up and see 
him and tell you tomorrow?" 
"Oh, pish-posh, Rei. If you don't, I'll do it anyway, and maybe, oh, I don't 
know, maybe I'll go talk to him myself when I see him." Serena gave Rei the most 
innocent smile she could muster. 
Rei was about to blow-up into a fit, but it came out as a combination 
sigh/chuckle. "Oh, all right. Besides, this might be fun..." 
"But, of course it will be fun!" Serena began hopping up and down. "Gosh, I 
better go call Ami and Lita and Mina. Should I get Luna and Artemis also?" 
"I-" 
"Sure I'll get them! They wouldn't want to miss this. Oh, I'm so excited! Rei's 
gonna have a boyfriend! Rei's gonna have a boyfriend!" Serena started jumping 
down the stair, running for home, singing and bouncing. She turned as she ran 
and cried, "Oh, yeah, and I'm borrowing some of your Sailor V comics!" as she 
held up some comic books in her hand. 
"What! You bring those!... Oh never mind." Rei turned around with a smile and 
continued back into the temple, humming a particular tune and daydreaming about 
all good looking guys and such. She returned to her room, and stared at her 
dresser for a moment, with its new decorations carefully placed on it. Moving 
the silver phoenix and the ruby phoenix statues out a bit for some room, she 
placed the gold phoenix down. Sighing dreamily, she gazed at herself in the 
mirror above her dresser. After a year of being Sailor Mars, she was still the 
deadly beautiful, raven-haired girl from before, with a pools of black for eyes, 
coupling her creamy skin for contrast. "So, who are you, my romantic admirer," 
she said outloud to the mirror, "that knows me well enough to send me gifts of 
this fiery being?" 
*****
Rei had just finished the herbal tea when their was a knock on the front doors. 
Rushing over, she opened it to let in Lita and Mina, each with her own duffle 
bag. "So, we'll get to meet this mystery man of yours, will we?" Lita asked with 
a devilish grin. 
"I don't know, we'll have to stay up to see," Rei replied with a similar grin. 
Mina chuckled. "Don't you guys worry. We'll be up, cause I brought..." she began 
digging in her bag until she brought out a case of soda pop, "... JOLT! Twice 
the sugar, Twice the caffeine! He he he!" 
Rei groaned mockingly. "You haven't started already, have you Mina?" 
"Why, of course I have? What a silly question!" 
They went into the main room, when a second knock came from the door, followed 
by a "Yoo-hoo, is anybody here?" It was Serena, of course. 
"In here, Serena!" Rei replied, as she started pouring out tea into cups. 
Serena and Amy walked in with duffel bags of their own. "Hey guys! Got any food? 
I'm starved!" Typical Serena entrance. 
Rei gave one of her magnanimous sighs. "Yes, Serena, I made us some cookies, and 
I was hoping-" she looked at Lita. 
"I made a cake for everyone!" entered Lita happily, knowing everyone enjoyed her 
cooking so much. Serena squealed in delight, and ran into the kitchen with Lita 
in tow. 
Ami pulled something out of her bag and handed it to Rei. "Here, Rei. I know we 
are going to watch for this secret admirer, but this will make things easier." 
It was a small metal box with a glass circle on one side. 
"What's it do?" 
"Well, it's a motion detector of sorts," replied Ami. "All we'll have to do is 
set it pointing towards the stairs from some bush, and whenever this person 
shows up, I'll know because my computer will start beeping." 
Mina jumped up and down. "Cool! Let's go put it in its place. I can't wait to 
meet him!" She grabbed the box and ran out the door. Rei and Ami looked at each 
other. "We're going to have to keep her away from the caffeine!" they mumbled 
together, and burst out laughing. 
*****
Three hours and two cans of Jolt apiece later, the girls were stuck in fits of 
giggles. It was close to midnight, but they were having too much fun. 
"So Serena," Lita started, "How's Darien? Where's Darien? You didn't have a 
fight again, did you?" 
At the mention of his name, Serena eyes glazed into her dream state and she 
grinned stupidly, just like someone hopelessly in love. "Darien's fine, he's out 
of town visiting some college buddies, and we didn't have another fight." 
Lustful sighs fill the air, and everyone fell into another fit of giggles. 
"Guys!" Ami whispered loudly, and everyone instantly became silent as they heard 
her computer beeping continuously. They all turned to Rei, who all of a sudden 
was pretty pale. 
"Come on, Rei! Don't be a chicken!" Serena whispered as she grabbed Rei's arm 
and started dragging her to the designated window to which they were going to 
spy on the perpetrator. 
As soon as everyone was situated, Rei slowly opened the blinds so that they 
could get a view. Outside was pitch dark, except for the street lights down at 
the street, and the lanterns that Rei lit every night in the front so that the 
stairs were always illuminated for visitors. Crouching on those same steps was a 
cloaked and hooded figure laying down a flat rectangular box wrapped in the same 
red velvet and black ribbon as before, but the box was bigger, like a box that 
you would give that had clothes in it as a gift. The hooded figure then took out 
a note and slipped it through the ribbon. Then he stood, turned around and began 
to leave. 
"Oh no you don't!" yelled Serena, and she took off for the front door. It took a 
moment to register to the others what she was going to do, but it hit them all 
pretty much at the same time. Lita and Mina leapt off after her, giggling 
hysterically. Ami seemed hesitant, but Rei burst to her feet, hoping Serena 
wasn't going to do what she thought Serena was going to do. 
Serena did. 
"Stop right where you are!" Serena shouted as she stood outside pointingat the 
cloaked figure. Lita and Mina crowded around her with their hands on their hips, 
trying desperately to hold stern expressions rather than falling over laughing. 
The figure turned around slightly, but the hood prohibited the girls from seeing 
who was underneath. "Greetings, ladies. I did not realize I had an audience 
tonight." The voice was soft, but definitely masculine. 
"Why don't you show yourself? You cannot get away," Lita said sternly. Mina 
nearly broke into a smile. 
"Now, now, that would just shatter what little self-esteem that I have, ladies. 
Besides-" and suddenly he faltered as Rei came barging out the door. 
"Serena! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Rei cried, fighting the urge 
to strangle her right then and there. Then she glanced at the figure, and began 
blushing. She was in her nightgown after all. 
The figure, meanwhile, had fallen to one knee. "La ... Lady Rei," he stammered, 
gazing at her, "You are even more beautiful in the luminous rays of the Moon's 
pale gaze." 
Rei, by now, was blushing tremendously, while Lita and Mina giving that girlish 
"Aaaawwwwwwwww" that they are known so well for, and Serena had those dreamy 
eyes again. 
"Please accept this simple token of my affection, Lady Rei. I know that its 
beauty is less than nothing compared to that which my eyes are feasting upon 
now, but it is all I can do with the poor supplies that this plain world 
provides me with." And with that, he turned and ran back into the darkness. 
"Wait!" cried Rei, but he was long out of earshot. She looked at the rest of the 
girls, Ami now joining them. They all were looking at the figure with those 
love-struck eyes goggling about (except for Ami, who merely smiled at Rei 
impishly). Feeling her embarrassment wash away, and fighting the urge to slap 
Lita, Mina, and Serena all in a row, she stepped down to pick up the gift, and 
walked inside. 
The scouts crowded in around her again, eager to see what was in the box, but 
Rei purposefully opened the not first: 
I hope this dress looks as good on you as I think it will. 
- Secret Admirer 
"Oooo, a dress!" Serena exclaimed, "Hurry, Rei! The suspense is killing me!" 
"I know someone who's going to kill you if you don't calm down!" hissed Rei in 
her typical Rei-Serena argument tone. She careful began to open the box, and 
gasped audibly as she held out the dress. It was a long, brilliant scarlet, 
oriental style dress made of simmering silk, with patterns of phoenixes flying 
about in darker shades of crimson. The long dress was split up both sides of the 
dress to the upper thigh to expose a lot of leg. 
"Oh my god! This is gorgeous!" Rei cried happily, and stood up to put it against 
her, seeing how it would fit. 
"Rei, there's something else at the bottom," Ami said, pointing to a flat black 
velvet box, about 6"x5" in dimensions. Rei carefully put down the dress, and 
with shaking hands, picked up the velvet box. She stood up, and all the girls 
scrambled to stand up also, as she opened the box... and promptly fell to her 
knees ground in shock, closing it quickly. 
"What?! What was it?!" Serena yelled. 
"Yeah!" Lita and Mina cried together. 
Ami patiently waited, a fabulous grin on her face, for she had managed to catch 
a glimpse of the contents. 
Rei hesitantly opened the box again, gasping for breath, and showed them the 
gold necklace with three rubies the size of marbles situated on the front of the 
necklace that was inside. 
It took a moment for it to register for the girls, and then they all squealed at 
the same time, even Rei. 
"Are they real?" asked Mina after they had stopped. 
Ami pulled out her computer and punched a few buttons. Grinning to herself, she 
calmly put it back in her bag. Then she stood there, smiling. 
"Well?!" Lita spat. 
"Well," Ami began, agonizingly slowly, "the going rate for rubies of that size 
nowadays, assuming they are real, is roughly $5,000 apiece." 
"But are they real?!" That was Serena. 
Ami smiled wickedly for a moment, then nodded affirmative. Rei fainted to a 
cacophony of screams of delight. 
*****
She awoke a few moments later to the smiling faces of the scouts hanging over 
her. "You okay?" Mina asked. 
"Yeah, but I had this dream of-" and she saw the ruby necklace and the dress. 
"oh. It wasn't a dream." Suddenly, she leaped to her feet. "I've got to find 
him! I can't keep this stuff! He's sent me too much valuable stuff! And I don't 
even know him!" 
"Yeah..." Lita trailed off dreamily. "It's so romantic. Hey Rei! If you don't 
want him, I'll take him off your hands." 
"Yeah, I bet you will," Rei replied sarcastically. "Come on you guys! We've got 
to go after him!" And with that, she ran into her room to get dressed. 
The rest of the girls stared at each other, knowingly. It was going to be a long 
night. 



"Good evening, Master Cole. I trust your trip was successful?" said the tall, 
brawny man in the butler's suit as he took the figure's cloak. 
Cole sighed, somewhat discontentedly. "Yes William, but it's not enough. She is 
constantly running through my thoughts, whispering in my dreams. Why, William? 
Why her? She's 15, for God's sake!" Cole marched down the foyer, leaving the 
butler to hang up the cloak. 
William found Cole a few minutes later in the fencing room, practicing away 
viciously with his katana, whirling the blade with astounding speed as he 
watched himself in the mirror. At 18 years of age, Cole had had to go through a 
lifetime's worth of hardship, with losing his parents when he was young to a car 
accident, and having to fend for himself, though most of this was made easier by 
having inherited an electronics company, and the several hundred million dollars 
that came with it. Still, Cole was content to let the executive board of 
directors handle the company, while he struggled to find some meaning in his 
life. He couldn't open up to people very easily, and thus had very few friends. 
This was made even more difficult because he didn't attend a public or private 
school (his tutelage was done strictly through private tutors). He was by no 
means stupid, however, as he had made it through "high school" by the age of 15. 
Cole had decided to put college off for a bit, though, and so, with William as 
his only true friend and confidant, he traveled the world, searching for 
something, anything, to alleviate the sense of loss he felt in his solitary, if 
opulent, life. 
William watched him for a few more minutes. Cole had grown into a fine young 
man, something his parents would have been proud of, thought William with 
fatherly pride. Lean and tone, agile as a cat, and as smart as most college 
degree-bearing individuals, Cole was a sight to see. Perhaps a bit on the plain 
side as far as looks went, with his simple brown hair and eyes, he was, 
nonetheless, a powerful presence. He had a glib and witty tongue, and a wry 
sense of humor, coupled with a profoundly sensitive heart and an almost 
overpowering determination. Being perhaps one of the wealthiest individuals in 
the world did not phase him in the least, and in fact, he rarely used any of his 
money for extravagance. At least, until now. 
With his personal flame of hope slowly dying away to the cold winds of personal 
despair, William had watched Cole begin to whittle away into depression, and had 
been unable to stop it, and so it had been with great joy that William had 
opened the front door one day to let Cole in, and have his young master fairly 
knock him down in jubilation as he began spouting off excitedly about some girl 
that he had chanced upon at the mall. Apparently, Cole had bumped into her while 
not paying attention, then had been dumb struck by the beauty he had run into, a 
15 year old raven-haired goddess of some sorts. It was difficult to make out 
much else, but William was deeply grateful for whoever this girl was as he 
watched Cole dance about the penthouse in a joyful daze. 
And the gifts! After following the girl for a while (he found out that her name 
was Rei Hino), Cole got some insight in some of things that interested her, and 
started having these fabulous gifts made for her. With the dress and the ruby 
necklace, the last tally had Rei now owning over $25,000 in valuables. William 
wasn't worried, though. It made Cole happy, and that was all that mattered. 
"I saw her tonight," Cole said to his friend, pulling out a towel and wiping off 
his face from the slight workout. "Apparently, they were waiting for me." 
"They?" William asked, arching one eyebrow in curiosity. 
"Rei and her friends. Serena, Mina, Lita, and Ami. They seem to be together all 
the time." He looked contemplative for a moment. "I wonder if I can get one of 
them to introduce me to Rei. Ah well, anyway. Oh gosh, William! You should have 
seen her! She was in a nightgown, and she looked sooo good!" 
William arched his other eyebrow, disapprovingly. 
"Well, er, that is..." Cole stammered, "I didn't get a good look, what with it 
being dark and all." He smiled sheepishly. 
The butler sighed as he led Cole to a bathroom for a shower, listening to his 
ramblings. 
*****
Rei forced the girls to go with her to scour the town, and it was close to 5am 
when they returned, struggling desperately to stay awake long enough to get to 
bed. It was a fruitless task, as they found no sign of the mysterious stranger. 
And so, they piled into their sleeping bags and quickly fell into slumber. 
Needless to say, Rei's dreams were filled with visions of a cloaked figure 
beckoning her towards him through the mists. 



"Oh! I have a great idea!" yelled Serena, shattering everyone from their much 
needed sleep. Sunlight was streaming through the windows, and birds cheerfully 
sang the morning away in the cherry trees outside the temple. The scouts, 
however, were staring daggers into Serena, grumbling viciously at such a rude 
awakening. 
"Serena," mumbled Mina from somewhere deep in her sleeping bag, "you're a good 
friend, and I love you, but if you ever do that again, I will personally rip 
your tongue out and eat it for breakfast." 
"You'll have to wait your turn," hissed Lita, her hair tangled and messed up 
from the night. She fixed Serena with a cold, hard stare. 
Ami and Rei slowly emerged themselves from their bags, each looking 
none-too-pleased themselves. "What is it?" murmured Ami, trying vainly to keep 
her eyes open. Rei's hair was in her face, so no one could see the malevolence 
in her eyes. 
"Well," Serena replied cheerfully, "it's obvious this guy is following Rei, 
which means he probably follows her around town. Why don't we go somewhere, like 
the mall, and split up into two groups: Rei and I will wander about shopping, 
while the rest of you keep an eye out behind us for any guy who looks like 
they've taken an interest in us. Then, we can meet up at lunch time and discuss 
what to do with him." She blinked for a moment, noticing that all the girls were 
staring at her in amazement. "What?" she cried. 
"Why, that's actually a good idea, Serena," Rei said after another moment. 
"Maybe you're not a stupid as I thought." 
Serena beamed for a third moment, then glared at the priestess. "Thanks, Rei," 
she grumbled sarcastically. Just then, Luna and Artemis strolled into the 
temple. 
"Morning, girls. How was the slumber party?" asked Artemis, curling up next to 
Mina's sleeping bag. 
"Not done yet," Mina replied, and promptly fell asleep again. 



Cole awoke instantly, smiling broadly as he thought of what the day had to hold. 
People might think him foolish, but he was having the time of his life following 
Rei around. Leaping out of bed, he quickly showered and cleaned up, gobbling 
down a breakfast that William had ready for him. Then, getting dressed, he 
called for his car to be ready. 
"Shall I be expected to have dinner for two ready?" William said, handing Cole 
the car keys. 
Cole grinned foolishly. "No, no. Nothing so drastic yet. I'm just going to see 
what she's up to today, that's all." 
"With or without her permission, sir?" 
Cole stepped into the elevator. "Without, of course." 
*****
The girls took until about lunch time to get up (with careful proddings from 
Luna and Artemis), and then they were off to the mall, eager to find Rei's 
mystery man. Luna decided to stick with Serena and Rei so that she could pay 
perhaps scan for the guy, and Artemis, somewhat reluctantly, ended up with the 
rest of the girls to help spy him out. 
Cole, having watched from afar the girls leaving the temple, followed them 
discreetly, until it was obvious that they were headed for the mall, then took 
off for it to park and spy. Once again, his heart fluttered as he saw Rei in her 
cute white blouse and pink overall shorts. As he drove by them, he was 
ecstatically pleased that she was also wearing the necklace he had given her, 
but some deep corner of his mind became slightly worried that she was wearing 
the valuable token in public. No telling what fool would get envious of such 
treasure... and the necklace. He dismissed the thoughts as he parked. 
"Alright, this is what we'll do," Serena said as they grouped in front of the 
mall entrance. "Rei, Luna and I will start wandering around and pretend 
shopping-" 
"That'll be REAL difficult," whispered Lita to Mina, who giggled. 
"-and the rest of you follow somewhere behind and keep a lookout for him. If you 
see him, then come meet us. Otherwise, we'll meet in one hour at the food court. 
Okay?" 
"I don't know about this," Rei mumbled, shifting her feet nervously and blushing 
ever so slightly. 
"What's not to know? Do you want to find out who it is?" Mina asked. 
"Well, yeah, but-" 
"No buts. Unless you can think of something better, this is what we're going to 
do. Besides," Mina continued with a sly grin, "it can't fail if Ami approves of 
it." 
Ami gave Mina a startled look. "Hey! That's not true! And, anyhow, it seems like 
fun." 
Now it was everyone else's turn to give Ami an amazed look, who shrugged and 
began walking inside. Lita and Mina quickly caught up to her, with Artemis 
grudgingly in tow. 
"Well, ready to find your hunkster, Rei?" Serena was fairly bouncing out of her 
clothes in excitement. 
Giving a mock sigh heavenward, a smiling Rei entered the mall. 



"Ohh, isn't this cute?!" Serena crooned at the stuffed animal in the window of 
the store. They had been there only ten minutes, but already Serena seemed to 
have forgotten the original goal of this particular mission. Rei, standing 
beside her, glanced around nonchalantly, and once again, couldn't see any guy 
following them. She came up close to Serena's ear and said "Aren't you the one 
who's supposed to be looking?" 
"No, no. Luna's doing just fine, aren't you?" Serena replied, looking down at 
the black cat. Hissing back, Luna continued to scan the crowds. 
Just then, Lita, Mina and Ami came running up, with Artemis clutching at Mina's 
shoulders. "We found him!" cried an excited Mina. 
Rei could feel her face blushing, and she stepped behind Serena to try and hide 
herself. "Where?" she whispered. 
"About four stores down. He's wearing a T-shirt and khaki shorts and the black 
baseball hat," Mina replied. 
Serena popped her head out into the walkway. "Where? I don't- Wait! Now I see 
him! Ooo! He's cute!" 
Lita glanced her in puzzlement. "How can you tell? He's still far enough away 
that you can't make anything out." 
"Oh, believe me. I have a knack for these things. He is cute. Come on Rei! You 
look!" and she pulled Rei out from behind her, and about that time, the guy 
turned to look at them. Rei, blushing ferociously now, smacked Serena's hand 
away and leaped into the store to avoid being seen, which, of course, was too 
late. 
Cole, though, was alarmed that the group of girls, especially Rei, had managed 
to find him. Mentally slapping himself for his stupidity, he stepped into the 
store he was currently hiding in front of. 
Not one to let such a fortuitous event get away, Serena grabbed Rei again. "Oh 
no you don't! I spent a good bit of brain power getting this plan going, and by 
the Moon, you are going to meet him," and she calmly began to drag Rei towards 
the guy's hidey-hole. 
Scratching and clawing, Rei struggled desperately to get out of Serena's grasp 
while the rest of the girls watched in amazement at Serena's audacity, even Luna 
and Artemis, not to mention the number of onlookers who had nothing better to do 
than to be at the mall at this time. "Serena, let go of me! I'm going to hurt 
you if you don't! OW! Let go!" 
Somewhat amused, Cole watched the blond girl with the funny balls of hair on her 
head drag the dark-haired beauty. Suddenly, he noticed the rafter far above 
their heads swiveling slightly, as if it was ready to break... 
"Let go!" Rei cried, and managed to snatch her arm back, causing Serena to lose 
balance and fall forward. "Don't you ever do that again!" She began to dust 
herself off, glaring at her friend. At that moment, something cracked above her 
head loudly, and at that moment, the cute guy who had been following them began 
running out of the store and right at Rei. 
Damn, Cole thought as her sprinted towards Rei, I thought these situations 
happen in corny romance novels and movies. 
Rei glanced up and saw the iron rafter falling from the ceiling right on top of 
her, and knew instinctively that she wouldn't get away in time as close as it 
was. In that brief moment, she felt extremely sorry for having picked on Serena 
so much and not being able to continue protecting her from evil anymore. She 
wondered- 
Cole leaped straight at her and dove/tackled her about the waist a split second 
before the beam smashed into the ground with an earth-shattering smash, kicking 
up chips of tile and granite, along with great gouts of dust. People were 
screaming and running, not the least loudest being Serena herself at having such 
imminent danger miss her by mere feet. The breath flew from Rei's lungs as they 
landed on the far side of the beam, and she began choking on the dust as she 
inhaled deeply. 
"Rei! Serena!" Ami yelled as the she, Lita and Mina rushed over to their aid. 
Mina and Lita helped Serena to her feet, hugging her as she began to cry in 
hysterics. Ami found Rei trying to cough out the dust as she lay underneath the 
guy who had just saved her life. He rolled over onto his back, grimacing in 
pain, and noticed the blue-haired girl looking down at them in concern. Thinking 
to himself that this was all going a bit fast for him, Cole smiled wanly at her, 
"Hello Ami." 
Ami looked a bit startled. "You know-? Rei, are you alright?" she asked, helping 
Rei to sit up. 
"Ohhh, I think my head split open when I landed. Are my brains laying around 
anywhere?" she returned, rubbing the back of her head. Then she remembered the 
cute guy and turned to him. "Don't you think that was a bit risky?" she asked 
him in a tone reminiscent to a mother speaking to a child. 
Cole grinned impishly as he sat up. "No mother, but thanks for asking." 
Actually, he was trying his hardest not to collapse in pain. He thought the 
rafter had smashed into his left arm when he had dashed under it, and that it 
might be broken, but he didn't need to tell Rei about that. Besides, he chided 
himself for not having cushioned her fall better, even with the faulty arm. 
"Are you really okay?" Rei asked in concern. 
Having her show this much interest in his well-being set off fireworks of joy in 
his mind. Forgetting about his arm, he tried to wave the question aside as 
insignificant, but instead ending up gasping in pain. Yup, the arm was 
definitely broken. 
"What?! You're hurt!" Rei exclaimed, and forgetting about any embarrassment, 
began shouting out orders to the nearest people to go get help. Ami wrapped an 
arm around Rei's shoulder. "It's okay Rei. It's just broken. I'll tend to it." 
And with that, she began administering to him until help would arrive, trying to 
make him more comfortable. 
"Really, Ami, I'm fine," Cole tried, pushing her away gently with his other arm. 
She gave him a glare that nearly froze his bones, though, and so thought better 
about fighting her help anymore. 
"Rei! Are you alright?" The other girls approached from the other side of the 
fallen beam. Serena looked fine, but concerned. 
Rei smiled at them. "Yeah, I'm okay, but my savior here seems to have broken his 
arm." She turned to the handsome young man. "By the way, I can't keep calling 
you 'my savior' and stuff. What's your real name?" 
Cole looked somewhat nervous at that, but gazing into Rei's deep onyx orbs, he 
couldn't resist her question. "Er, Cole. Cole Gishumi." Ami gasped and nearly 
dropped his arm, but the other girls didn't seem to understand the nature of her 
surprise. 
"You mean, of Gishumi Electronics?" Ami asked, somewhat awed. 
Cole nodded, examining the girls reactions, which were still ones of ignorance. 
Ami turned to the rest of them. "This is owner of one of the largest electronic 
corporations in the world! Its headquarters are right here in Tokyo, the big 
glass building that we alway think looks like a rocket!" 
The girls all had shocked looks on their faces, especially Rei. Cole chuckled 
weakly and nodded his head in a bow towards her. "Well, now you know my little 
secret. I hope that doesn't bother you?" 
"Bother me? What for?" Rei replied. 
"Why, when I ask you out, of course." He smiled as he saw the gorgeous 
black-haired goddess blush a rosy pink and look away in embarrassment. 
"I, well..." 
"No, no," Cole chuckled, waving his good hand discountingly, "I can't ask you 
out now. The situation is all wrong, so you don't have to think about it right 
this moment." He winked at her conspiratorially. "But, rest assured, I will ask 
you, Lady Rei." 
Before she could respond, the paramedics and police arrived, cutting off any 
further discussion as they began questioning everyone and tending to their 
needs. Rei wanted to get another chance to talk to Cole, to tell him how much 
she had appreciated the gifts, to tell him that she wanted to get a chance to 
know him, and a whirlwind of other questions that ran fleetingly through her 
surprised mind, but nothing would come out of her mouth. She lacked her normal 
courage that made her who she was to chase down the paramedics and ride to the 
hospital with Cole, as much as she wanted to. She didn't know him well enough to 
know whether or not she liked him, but he definitely intrigued her. For the 
first time in her life, Rei Hino was confused by her emotions. 
*****
The next day, Rei woke up feeling drained. She had not gotten much sleep last 
night, worrying about Cole, though she didn't know why. She hardly knew him, and 
their was no reason he should have been taking up so much of her thoughts. It 
irritated her, for she always considered herself to be in control of herself at 
all times. Being confused and emotive was Serena's job, and maybe Mina's. 
She slipped out of bed and sat down in front of her dresser to look at herself 
in the mirror. Picking up a brush, she began the chore of removing the tangles 
from her luxuriant hair, a task she found that calmed her tremendously. As she 
did this, Rei noticed the sparkles of the ruby necklace she still wore, and she 
stopped brushing to fall into the beauty of the jewels. Suddenly, she jumped out 
of her seat and quickly dressed in shorts and a blouse. As an after thought, she 
retrieved her communicator, though she didn't feel like she would need it. 
Chances are, the girls would not be able to find her, and then they would call 
her and find out. Oh well, she shrugged, better safe than sorry. 
Of all the seasons, summer suited Rei the most, with the cherry blossom trees 
surrounding the temple in full bloom. She would make her rounds daily, and 
occasionally a flutter of wind would sweep by, causing a storm of petals to rain 
down upon her with there enticing aroma and girlishly pinkish hue that 
contrasted so well with her silky locks and onyx eyes. Today, she just ran 
through the drizzle of cherry blossoms, not noticing that one particular bloom 
had tenaciously grabbed hold of her hair. 
When Rei reached the hospital, the nurse told her that Cole had been released 
last night to go home as the injuries were not serious enough to justify an 
overnight visit. Somewhat deflated, Rei moped back outside. Now what? she 
thought dejectedly. She didn't have his number, and didn't know where to- 
What a minute! She slapped her hand to chastise herself. What was it that Ami 
had said? Something about Cole being an owner of a company. Scrunching up her 
face in concentration, Rei struggled to remember the conversation from 
yesterday, a feat that received looks of amusement from passers-by. 
Electronics company... building in Tokyo... rocket - looking building... Ggg... 
ggish... gish... Gishumi! 
Eyes snapping open in glee, she smiled to herself. The Gishumi Electronics 
Building downtown! And then her face fell again. The building was several miles 
away, in downtown proper. Glancing in that direction, she could see the 
reflection of the glass that was so predominant on it, and still so far away. Oh 
well, I didn't plan anything else for today, she thought to herself resignedly, 
and began her considerable stroll. 
*****
Two hours and many wishes for bus money later, she stood in front of the famed 
spire. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Rei pushed through the revolving 
doors and emerged in a vast entry room that would rival that of the Rockefeller 
Center of New York. She felt incredibly small in such a vast room with a 
considerable number of people wandering in and out of side hallways and the 
seven large elevators located on the far wall. Steeling up her courage, she 
wandered over to the security desk that lay in the center of the room. 
"Excuse me sir," she said nervously to catch his attention. 
Expecting another adult, the guard was taken slightly aback at a 15 year old 
girl, especially one of such breathtaking beauty. "Yes miss? Can I help you?" he 
replied in a deep, rumbling voice. 
"Yes well, you see, I am looking for someone," Rei began, wringing her fingers 
unconsciously. "Umm, a Mr. Cole Gishumi." 
The guard stared at her for a moment, deciding whether or not this teenager was 
worth the trouble to bother the head of the company. "Do you have an 
appointment?" 
Rei swept a strand of hair out of her faces and behind her ear. Eyes somewhat 
downcast, she shook her head and started turning around to head out again. 
Suddenly feeling extremely sorry for her, he picked up the phone. "Hold on 
there," he called out to her. "I'll see if he's available." Smiling at her, he 
dialed the extension. "Yes, this is the front desk. Is Mr. Gishumi available? 
Yes, I realize that, sir, but there is a young woman here to see him. No, I've 
never seen her before. Pardon me? Uh, black, sir. Black, long and straight. Yes 
sir, I send her right up." He turned back to Rei. "Alright, miss. Just sign in 
here, and take the side elevator to the floor marked 'PH'." 
Relieved and somewhat elated, Rei quickly signed her name, and walked over to 
the elevator on the east wall. There was no button to open the doors, but just 
as she was about to return to the guard, the doors opened. Waving back at the 
man, she stepped in and pressed the button marked 'PH'. 
After some 70 stories, the doors finally opened to a grand foyer, complete with 
a plush red carpet running down the middle, a soaring ceiling, various statues 
lining the small hallway, and a burly butler. 
"Ah, Miss Hino, so good of you pay my master a visit. I hope you are feeling 
better after yesterday's unfortunate accident." The butler bowed and gave her a 
warm smile that took away a bit of the edge to her nervousness. 
"Er, I'm fine, thank you, sir. Is Mr. Gishumi okay?" 
"Please, please. There is no formality here," he replied as he led her into the 
penthouse. "The master is fine, if somewhat irritated at being forced to remain 
indoors and inactive. A broken arm doesn't suit him well, it seems." At that, 
the butler chuckled. 
Rei looked somewhat uncomfortable at that, but the butler continued. "No need to 
worry yourself, miss. He knew what he was doing and what consequences could 
occur. There is absolutely no blame on you, so think nothing of it. By the way, 
if there is anything that I can help you with, all you have to do is ask. My 
name is William." he bowed again to her as they came to a set of oak double 
doors. William knocked firmly, then opened them up, revealing a fabulous study 
complete with walls of books, a number of carved pine tables, a VERY large globe 
in one corner, and an ornate cherry wood desk almost against the far wall, which 
was nothing but a huge window. The high-backed swivel chair was turned around, 
and whoever was sitting there was facing the window and out into the city of 
Tokyo this fine summer morning. 
"Yes?" came a familiar voice from the chair, though the individual remained 
facing the window. 
"You have a visitor, Cole," William responded. 
"Can't the Board handle whatever it is?" Cole sounded a little miffed. 
William was about to respond, but Rei held her finger to her mouth to shush him, 
a sparkle of humor in her eyes. She walked up to the desk and leaned on it 
nonchalantly. "Well, I suppose so, but that seems kind of roundabout, doesn't 
it?" She asked, pretending to absently examine her fingernails. 
The chair swiveled around in a hurry at that, but stopped abruptly when Cole's 
leg banged into the desk. "Oww!" Cole yelped, grabbing his stinging shin with 
his uncast arm. Rei burst into a fit of giggles, and even William cracked a 
smile. 
Groaning in irritation, Cole got out of the chair, and limped around to rid 
himself of the pain. "I hope you're both satisfied. A broken arm, and now a 
bruised shin. This is the thanks I get for saving you?" Cole's grimace was 
quickly replaced with that of sly glee, and then elation. 
"What are you doing here?" he asked, bubbling inside with awe and giddiness. He 
watched her eyes go from dancing with merriment to timid and insecure, and he 
realized she didn't quite know why she was here either. Smiling gently, he waved 
aside the question. "It doesn't matter. I'm just very surprised to see you. Are 
you alright?" 
Feeling a little less flustered, she nodded, taking a seat in one of the plush 
chairs pulled up to the desk. "I wasn't really hurt, except for some minor 
bruises here and there. I... I wanted to .... thank you." She was wringing her 
hands for all they were worth. It frustrated her that he could cause her to be 
so nervous, but she couldn't do anything about it. 
Cole kneeled down in front of her. "You're welcome, Lady Rei," he whispered to 
her, tilting up her head gently by the chin. 
In the background, William cleared his throat conspicuously. "Will the lady be 
staying for lunch?" 
Cole waited for her response, hoping with his whole being that she would. Rei 
considered it for a moment, thinking that perhaps she should return to the 
temple and see the girls, but one look at the Cole dismissed that. "Sure, I 
would love to." 
*****
After the tour of the penthouse, the idle chit-chat, the touching upon the life 
stories, and lunch, which consisted of a finely organized three course meal of 
Chinese food (most of which Rei could not eat, there being so much), Rei's 
communicator started beeping in her pocket. 
"What's that?" Cole inquired as the elevator took them to the roof for a view of 
the city. 
"Huh, that's my, um, beeper. Can I use your phone?" 
Arching an eyebrow in amusement, he said "Aren't you a little young to have a 
beeper? Sure, there's one on the roof." 
They continued on their way and the doors opened up onto a large balcony that 
went around the whole top of the building. Cole pointed to a glassed-in patio 
room where the phone was, and Rei excused herself. Shielding the phone from 
Cole's view, she pretended to pick up the receiver and dial a number, while at 
the same time pulling out her communicator and clicking it on. Serena's perky 
and cheerful face showed up. "What is it?" Rei hissed. 
"Hey Rei! Where are you? We came by to get you to go swimming, but you weren't 
at the temple. Tell us where you are so we can pick you up." 
Rei pulled the communicator closer to her face. "Not now Serena. I'm busy. I'll 
call you guys later," she whispered. 
Suddenly, Serena was pulled out of the screen and replaced with Mina. "Come on, 
Rei! We can't go swimming without you! Hey! Is that a patio your in? Just where 
are you?" 
Rei groaned silently. "Goodbye Mina." She clicked her communicator off and 
deactivated it, against her better judgment. There was no way the others were 
going to ruin her afternoon. 
Cole watched her walk out onto the balcony. Enchanted, he marveled at the way 
the breeze swept through her dark waves of hair, the strands blowing to and fro. 
She reached up with a delicate hand and ran it through her locks in an effort to 
keep them in control, but it was pretty useless. Shrugging resignedly, she 
looked up at him, and noticed his stare. "What? Haven't you ever seen wild hair 
before?" 
Snapping out of his reverie, Cole coughed nervously. "Um, yes, well... This is 
where I come sometimes to watch the sun set, and sometimes the sun rise." He 
hoped that would deflect her from his staring at her. 
Gazing around, she gasped softly at the sheer volume of the view. Tokyo 
stretched out before her in every direction on this crystal clear afternoon. 
Easily discernible, the modern heart of downtown spoke of soaring skyscrapers 
reaching for the heavens, though none as high as the Gishumi tower. Suffused 
with a technological artistry of glass, steel, and concrete, along with a number 
of other materials, Tokyo's downtown symbolized humankind's restless urge to 
grow from a firmly established foundation, personified by the calm demeanor of 
the city's rural suburbia. Forested and groomed, the surrounding countryside was 
filled with the old style temples and homes commonplace to traditional Japan, 
not to mention the beautiful gardens Japan was so famous for. 
She wasn't sure, but she thought she could see the Cherry Hill temple from here, 
so clear was the day. Inhaling deeply, Rei marveled that even the air up here 
was pristine, pleasantly cool and light. It seemed the perfect place to meditate 
in serenity. "Mmmm," she sighed, stretching lazily, basking in the breeze. "This 
is so marvelous. I wish the temple were here. It would be wonderful to be able 
to meditate to the rising and setting sun. So comforting." 
Cole scratched his head absently. "Well, if you'd like, you are quite welcome to 
use it whenever you want." 
Rei smiled slightly, fully expecting the charming young man to give her the 
invitation. Giving him a sidelong glance, she replied "Perhaps I'll take you up 
on that." 
They spent the next several minutes in companionable silence, enjoying each 
other's presence. The solemnity of the mood was most soothing, or so thought 
Cole, occasionally stealing glimpses of this rare blossom that he had had such 
pleasure in getting to know. 
Suddenly, she twirled around towards him and grabbed his good arm. The shining 
gleam of her carefree spirit erupted from her eyes, notifying him that Rei had 
just come up with something. 
"Let's go somewhere!" she cried, some vast reserve of joy bubbling over into 
excitement. 
Arching that eyebrow in amusement again, he replied "Somewhere? That's pretty 
general. Anyplace in particular you have in mind?" 
Rei shrugged happily. 
Cole, the perceptive individual that he was, realized she meant something akin 
to the mall, the arcade, or any other hang-out, maybe even the park. He didn't 
think, however, that she realized exactly who she was talking to and what that 
really meant. With a private plane of his own, and a yacht to boot, a general 
"somewhere" for him could easily mean out into the Pacific ocean for a cruise, 
or a hop over to the United States. His particular favorite was Key West. 
"Well," Cole started, tapping a finger on his mouth as if in deep thought, "I'm 
particularly fond of Key West, you know. Fresh tropical breezes, beautiful 
scenery, and a great Sunset Festival every evening. On the other hand, I might 
be convinced to shoot over to the mountains for a little skiing, though it is 
high summer. And then there-" Cole continued on for a few more minutes, careful 
to gauge Rei's reaction. He wasn't too disappointed. 
Rei's eyes widened slightly, and her mouth hung open a bit as she listened to 
his tirade. She shook her head after a moment, as if trying to clear it, then 
tried again. "No, no," Rei said, stopping his fun, "I meant the arcade or 
something." 
"Ahh," he replied with a knowing grin. "Then you should have said so." 
Suspecting Cole was poking fun at her, Rei narrowed her eyes suspiciously, 
leading them back to the elevator. 
*****
"When I get my hands on Rei, I'm gonna kill her! How dare she go off without us! 
I thought we were a team! She's gonna-" Serena went on and on, pacing back and 
forth on the steps of the temple. The rest of the girls sat quietly, for the 
most part amused that Serena was, for once, the one chastising Rei, and not the 
other way around. They were still plenty concerned with the whereabouts of Rei, 
though. She had turned off her communicator, and now it was dusk. No one knew 
where she was, not even her grandfather. 
Artemis was curled up in Mina's lap, trying to grab a quick cat nap, while Luna 
paced right behind Serena. She wouldn't admit it, but Luna was of like mind with 
Serena. Rei was never this irresponsible. What if the Negaverse attacked? They 
were a team, and Luna didn't know how the team would do without Sailor Mars. 
Sighing irritably, Luna sat down. "Serena, calm down," the black cat said, "I'm 
sure she's just fine. She purposefully turned off her beeper after all." 
Serena whirled on her angrily. "How come you're so understanding with Rei and 
are always nagging me about keeping my communicator and stuff! Isn't that a 
double-standard?!" 
Luna nearly fell back under that onslaught, but Serena blinked a moment later 
and sat down beside her, picking up the feline. "Oh Luna. I'm sorry. I'm just 
worried about her." 
This nearly dropped everyone else on their backs. It was well known that Serena 
and Rei cared for each other very much, just as much as any close sisters, but 
to get either of them to admit it would have taken the better parts of 
centuries. 
Lita placed her hand on Serena's shoulder. "Rei would have called if she was in 
any trouble," she said, hoping to offer some measure of relief. 
At that moment, a stark black stretch limousine pulled up in front of the 
temple, pulling everyone's thoughts away in curiosity. The chauffeur got out of 
the limo, tipped his hat towards the girls, and proceeded to open the door for 
the occupant... Rei. 
"Umm, thanks, Mr. William," she offered, unsure of herself in the face of the 
extravagance in front of her friends. 
"Tsk, tsk, what did I say about the formalities, Miss Rei? I shan't have any of 
it. Now then, we will be looking forward to Friday. Shall six o' clock be fine?" 

Rei nodded, and gave William a pleasant hug. "Six it shall be." Turning away, 
she steeled herself for the berating she expected from the scouts. 
As the limo drove away, Rei sucked in her breath, let it out in a whoosh, and 
boldly strode up to them. "Alright," she began, "I'm sorry about turning off the 
communicator, but I knew you guys wouldn't stop... What's wrong?" She trailed 
off as she noticed that the girls were staring at her in shock, even Luna. 
Artemis, after getting a glimpse of the limo and Rei, had gone back to sleep 
contentedly. 
Mina spoke first. "You... you were with Cole?" 
Rei nodded, a tad sheepishly. 
There was a moment of silence as the girls absorbed this. Luna, then, was about 
to begin on the scolding, but Serena, Mina, and Lita pounced on Rei with all the 
prying questions they could think of all at once. Rei, not one to look a gift 
horse in the mouth, began her tale. 
Luna turned to Ami, and whispered forlornly, "Ami, where ever did I go wrong?" 
Ami's only reply was an amused shrug. 
"So, where are you going on Friday?" asked Mina after Rei finished her story. 
"Oh, just to a movie or something." 
Lita frowned. "That hardly sounds like a date. You can't wear that dress to a 
movie. You'd look way out of place." 
Rei rolled her eyes. "It's not a date, Lita. We're just going to hang out. I 
don't even know if I like him. Hell, I just met him today! Besides," she added 
with a sly grin, "he told me he wanted to ask me out on a date, but he wanted to 
wait until his arm healed." 
Serena gained that dreamy look in her eyes again. "This is perfect! You can 
double date with Darien and I! Now I don't have to worry about you chasing after 
Darien anymore- oops!" She clapped her hands on her mouth in surprise. 
Everyone else fell silent, waiting for Rei's flaming temper to take over at such 
a callous slip of the tongue. Rei felt that familiar rush of fire nearly burst 
through her at what Serena said, but just as quickly she stuffed it back into 
her and smiled warmly at the blond-haired friend. "That's okay, Serena. Not even 
your stupidity can ruin my day." And with that, she started humming to her self 
as she strode into the temple. 
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