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A Rei of Hope:
Epilogue
by Soumitra Choudhury
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She opened her eyes, which was her first surprise, so she quickly closed them 
again, then peered out through one, and then the other. Yep, she definitely had 
control of her eyes. 
And face, for that matter. Consciously, she flared her nostrils, scrunched up 
her eyebrows, and puffed out her cheeks. 
Everything seemed to be in working order. 
In fact, she seemed to be alive, and that was her second surprise. Other than a 
terrible weakness that had settled in her bones, along with a disconcerting 
feeling that something was missing, Rei was positive that she still lived. 
"No," she whispered with dawning horror, bolting upright in the bed. "NO! 
Usagi!" 
Rei leaped out of the bed, nearly slipping on the satin sheets, and sprinted for 
the door, screaming madly all the way. 
The door swung open just as she reached for the handle, slamming Rei painfully 
in the forehead and dropping her like a sack of dazed potatoes. 
"Nani?!? Nani?!?" Usagi cried, frantically glancing back and forth in the room, 
looking for an intruder or something before settling her gaze on Rei, or rather, 
the ugly red mark beginning to show on her forehead. "Oh! Gomen nasai, Rei-chan! 
Are you alright? Oh dear, gomen nasai!" She kneeled down beside Rei, gingerly 
touching the quickly-forming bump. 
Rei stared with saucer-wide eyes at the princess, utterly forgetting the pain. 
Usagi is alive! Usagi is alive, and so am I! 
"What's all the commotion?" Chaszmyr asked, silently padding into the room with 
a snowy white brow raised inquiringly. He sported a deep, royal blue doublet 
over a white shirt, and black trousers tucked into soft leather boots. Concern 
touched his sky blue eyes, and he kneeled before Rei. "Why, Mistress Rei, you 
have awakened." He retrieved one of her hands, and kissed it lightly. "It's 
wonderful to see you out and about." He flashed her an absolutely dashing smile, 
helping her to her feet. "Lady Usagi, you really should be more careful. At this 
rate, Rei will never recover from her debacle." 
With a great deal of confusion (and embarrassment on Usagi's part), the 
dark-haired woman allowed herself to be pampered back to the bed, though she 
refused to release a grip on Usagi's arm. Even when they had Rei safely nestled 
back under the covers, she would not relinquish her grip. 
The princess cringed slightly at the vice-like grip. "Uh, Rei-chan, you don't 
need to hold on to me. I'm not going anywhere if you don't want me to." She 
smiled tightly in a vain attempt to hide the discomfort, but Rei noticed it as 
if she were screaming out loud. Very slowly, the priestess released her grip, 
still unable to comprehend how both of them had managed survival. 
"How?" she gaped, trying hard not to leap and smother Usagi, fearing she might 
never let go. 
"Ah, a simple resurrection spell, my dear," Chaszmyr drawled with mock 
nonchalance. "My Beloved is blessed with a trifling of her goddess' divine 
power." Despite his light tone, something in his tone tinged his words with 
concern. 
"So... I was dead... at least, for a little while?" Rei settled back into her 
pillow, trying to digest that piece of information. "Did Xune... you know... did 
she...?" 
Usagi shook her head. "No, Xune's alright. She's pretty tired, but that's about 
it. Apparently you didn't want to come back, and she had to fight for your 
return. She's been resting for a week now, but she's alive." 
"Xune's far away from her goddess as well, and that added to the difficulty of 
the spell," the drow added. "It's not really going to help your state of mind to 
dwell on it. Besides, everything worked out for the best anyway, and now I'm 
here to make sure you girls don't get into anymore trouble." His good humor 
infected even Rei's confusion, a wane smile touching her lips. 
The priestess felt very tired and disoriented, as if the weight of the world had 
been pressing on her shoulders for so long, she had no idea what to do now that 
it had lifted. Somehow, she had made it through her most grueling endeavor yet. 
Her twin was dead, finally, leaving her alone with the power- 
Rei's breath caught in her throat, for she suddenly realized why she felt as if 
some void had entered her body. For an excruciating moment, Rei tried to 
concentrate on something, anything, even a wisp. 
Nothing. 
----------------------- A Rei of Hope: Epiilogue ----------------------- 
When first she opened her eyes, it was with weary wonder. The life she had 
sacrificed, that she had burned away with such a free and unregretting choice, 
had been returned to her. She could not understand. She had felt it slip away, 
had felt with certainty that all she had left to play on this jeweled world was 
complete, despite knowledge that she would have a part in keeping the future 
whole. The future queen of Crystal Tokyo would have had need of her when the 
palace would be under siege, but the Sailor Mars was sure the others would 
handle the burden with fortitude, with the courage she had displayed herself in 
sacrifice. 
And yet, here she was, staring at a dark ceiling, alive and immensely tired. 
Sitting beside the bed, boring her with those eternal magenta eyes, was the 
Sailor Pluto, her staff resting upon one shoulder. 
"I must know, Rei," she said in a desperate voice uncharacteristic of her. "Who 
are you? I cannot see you, but you are here, foreign to me, who has watched over 
the rest of you for more time than I can remember. I must know who you are." 
"Do you still fear me?" That was not what she meant to say, but those were the 
words that emerged from Rei's weakness. 
Pluto frowned, then shook her head once. "Perhaps at one time I did, but no 
longer. With the end of your Darkness, you have been released of the burden of 
the Weave. You cannot play as large a part in the instability of Time anymore. 
No, I do not have the privilege of fearing you any longer." 
"Then," Rei replied, taking in a breath to settle herself, "does it matter who I 
am?" 
"No," Pluto conceded, "I suppose not, but I still would like to know." 
Rei was still in her Sailor Mars form, and she remembered something that had 
come back with her that she had tucked away for later study. Seeing as how she 
no longer had that opportunity, she pulled it out of her dimensional pocket. 
"Perhaps this will explain everything to you, Setsuna," she muttered, holding 
out her outstretched hand. 
It was a shard of gemstone, blood red in hue. 
The gasp that escaped Sailor Pluto was discreet, but enormous in magnitude. 
Tentatively, she reached forth and carefully grasped it, her eyes wide with 
horror, but also with wonder. "Where did you get this?" 
"The future." 
Pluto stared hard at the woman lying in the bed, caressing the shard with love. 
Imperceptibly, her body tensed. "Oh. That is why you are foreign to me." 
Rei only had the energy to nod, her fatigue beginning to overwhelm her again. 
"May I ask you a favor?" 
"Perhaps." 
Closing her eyes at her exhaustion, the Senshi of Fire whispered softly, "Can 
you follow the timeline and see if I exist in this time other than myself?" 
A short silence followed, and Rei did not have the energy to open her eyes and 
see Pluto's reaction, but she fought off her tiredness in hopes that Pluto would 
respond. 
The Senshi of Time contemplated turning the request down, for she knew if 
another Rei Hino existed at this time, then she would know it. That kind of 
paradox would reverberate throughout the timestream. No, somehow, if her 
experiences were correct, the Rei Hino of this time would have vanished, leaving 
nothing of her existence for anyone to follow. Somehow, this Rei had proven the 
stronger of the two to Time, and it had accepted her over the other. Pluto could 
not decide whether that was for the best or not, for she was unaware of the true 
consequences of this particular event, and she did not think she would ever 
know. 
"I will do as you say, Sailor Mars," the elder Senshi murmured, hearing the 
patient's breath take the soft rustle of sleep. "Rest easy, for you have earned 
it more than I will possibly know." ----- 
Rei's fingers brushed lightly over the crystal case holding the jade circlet. It 
seemed so long ago that she had created these display cases, with full 
intentions of discovering the secrets of all her treasures. She knew each had a 
story to tell, each with a history magnificent and grand, some horrible, some 
brilliant, all wondrous. 
A sigh of regret escaped her, one that would remain in this vault with the 
artifacts. She would never unlock their mysteries, now that... 
With lingering steps, Rei stole one more glance at the trove she had created 
once upon a time. Then, with whispered softness, she uttered the password that 
shut the magical portal behind her. An ebon slab of polished stone ground down 
from the top of the threshold, sealing the chamber. As commanded by the spell, 
the rock melded and reshaped until it was nothing more than another wall of her 
bedroom. 
She had promised to allow Szaravel and Xune to study the treasures within, so 
the items would not be truly lost, and yet, in a sense, they would be lost 
forever to her. Without the aid of the Weave, Rei would never study their 
secrets as was her wont. 
Moments later, the young priestess was bundled in thick robes, wandering the 
temple grounds. Evening had settled in, and the winter air held the biting 
crispness of a clear and featureless night. The stars shone like glimmers of 
hope, announcing with a sad joy that the world had escaped yet another 
turbulence that threatened to shake it apart. 
Yet another disaster abated by last minute heroism and sacrifice. 
The sigh that emerged this time coalesced into a breathy cloud, evaporating like 
so much... life. 
Footsteps clicked on the paved path, drawing Rei's attention from the sky back 
to the earth, and to her deepest friend, Usagi. 
"Konnichiwa, Rei-chan." 
"Konnichiwa, Usagi-chan." 
"How are you feeling?" 
"I'm... alright, I guess." 
The two stood silently for a few minutes, Usagi watching Rei, Rei returning her 
attention to the stars. The normal chirps evoked by the night muttered 
soundlessly about them. 
"Rei, look at me." 
The young woman flinched, for she had been expecting this for some time. In 
fact, she had expected the confrontation ever since she woke up nearly a month 
ago, but Usagi had held her tongue in a rare display of patience. Until now. 
Slowly, the priestess brought herself to meet the princess' gaze. Strangely, it 
was not as bad as she had thought. There was confusion in those beautiful 
sapphire eyes, confusion and a tiny bit of wonder. Wonder! 
Almost instantly, Rei knew what the blonde was thinking. Only Tsukino Usagi 
would be confused that she was not the one to stand solely in the fore of this 
battle, to absorb the blow of evil for everyone else, to sacrifice her life as 
she had done more times than any one person could ever be expected to. 
Not only that, but the innocent young woman with a heart so pure that it 
absolutely had to be made of gold, this Tsukino Usagi was in wonder of her 
dark-haired friend because Rei had been the one take her place. It went beyond 
that, however. If it had been anyone else, Makoto, Minako, Hotaru, anyone, she 
would have the same bafflement written in her eyes. It was not the fact Rei had 
taken the responsibility upon herself, but rather the fact that ANYONE would 
consciously accept the responsibility, knowing the consequences as she 
undoubtedly had countless number of times before. 
Without a word, Rei raised a finger to Usagi's forehead, brushed aside a lock of 
hair, and softly kissed her where the crescent moon would shine. "My baka odango 
atama," she whispered fondly. 
Usagi gave her a quizzical look in return, trying to decide whether she was 
satisfied or not. THAT certainly didn't answer any questions. On the other hand, 
it was very nice, if absolutely out of character. "Are you sure you're alright?" 

"Princess, I couldn't be any better. Would you like to have some tea?" 
"No, actually I don't. What I want is for you to tell me where you got that 
Crystal?" 
"That is a long story, and one you won't be too comfortable hearing. I don't 
think I'm comfortable even telling it." Rei shuddered as the events of those 
five days crept back into her mind. "It's another time, another place, one 
that... one that you will never endure again." 
Usagi digested that, chewing on her lower lip in comtemplation. "Does Pluto 
know?" 
Rei blinked in surprise. "How...?" She took a longer look at her friend, and 
realized something new. The princess she had spent almost all of her teenage 
life pestering, badgering, insulting and hardening, was infinitely more 
insightful than Rei had ever given her credit for. Beneath that exterior of 
flippant, childish innocence was a driving mind far more intelligent than 
expected. The dark-haired woman suddenly felt foolish. "Yes, Pluto knows." 
Usagi shrugged, slipping her arm around Rei's and directing them back towards 
the shrine. "In that case, it's alright. Everything is okay. I take it it was 
worth it?" 
Rei stared into those sapphire eyes, seeing her own reflection gazing back in 
the moonlight. Tightening her arm's link with Usagi's, she replied, "Yes, very 
much so." 
"Even the part where I disguised myself as you?" Usagi asked slyly. 
Rei chuckled and nodded. "In the grand scheme of things, that's one for you, my 
princess." 
It was not long thereafter that Usagi had to leave. With all of the excitement 
of the previous few weeks, the princess and her consort had had to put off their 
considerations for their wedding, but that would change now. Before she left, 
Usagi made Rei promise to go shopping tomorrow for bridal dresses. Rei sighed 
mockingly, but agreed joyously. 
It was time for a little happiness. 
Rei watched Usagi leave from the top of the stairs leading to the street. When 
the princess was far enough away that she would never notice, the priestess 
spoke aloud over her shoulder, "Alright, Grell, you can come out now." 
From the shadows hiding beneath the banisters, the Grelloth Noxus flowed forth, 
towering like a giant over Rei. "I had figured you would have noticed me before 
now, Lady Rei." 
She shrugged. "I didn't want Usagi tainted by your presence." Her tone was 
actually light-hearted, and she even favored him with a small grin. 
If the Grell was surprised, he gave no hint. "I am glad you are well." 
"Are you?" Rei gave a sad frown. "It was good to be on the same side, Grell. 
Will we be enemies once again? I had hoped..." She left her words hanging 
expectantly. 
The white mask shook back and forth in the negative. "Do not be foolish, 
Fire-child. Nothing has changed between us. I still represent everything that 
the Senshi abhor, and I will not sway from my goals just because of a peculiar 
predicament which forced us together." He hesitated marginally, then reached out 
with a gloved hand to caress her cheek. 
Rei shuddered at the touch, but did not pull away. 
"I would betray you one day, use you like I use all that are associated with me. 
My dreams are much too despicable for the likes of you, and I would not push 
them upon you in any case. My feelings for you are... a weakness." 
The dark-haired woman stared back, unable to decide whether he was insulting or 
complimenting her. The spark of anger, however, was igniting within her, and she 
pulled back. "We will be enemies from here on, Grelloth Noxus. You do understand 
that?" 
"I understand that very well. The question is, will you understand that?" Rei 
opened her mouth to reply, but he forestalled her. "I know you better than most. 
You are compassionate and self- sacrificing. If you think you can accomplish 
something, then you will try, not matter the odds. Those are all very admirable 
qualities, but they mean nothing to me. If you hesitate for a moment when next 
we encounter each other, I will destroy you with no compunction whatsoever. You 
must be fully aware that I am the worst evil you may ever encounter." 
He stepped back then, and pulled back one side of his cloak, revealing a young 
man that had been standing within the Grell's cloak all along. His face was 
slack with unconsciousness, but he stood upon his own power somehow. 
Rei let out a gasp at seeing the young man. 
The Grell stepped back, releasing his hold on the male, who promptly fell to his 
knees, and would have fallen upon the ground if Rei had not rushed forward to 
support him. Tears blurred into her vision upon touching her lost love of five 
years, and she cradled his head to her chest, gazing up at the Grell with 
eternal gratitude gushing from her eyes. 
"Do not thank me," he interrupted, closing his cloak once again. "I agreed to 
the contract, and the contract has now been fulfilled. I have returned to you 
Cole Gishumi as I said. Hear me, though. He is not as you know him." 
"Nani?" Rei replied, doubt returning to her face. "What have you done to him?" 
"He was, for some time, the host of the Grelloth Noxus, and as such, there are 
irrevocable side effects." 
"What sort of side effects?" Rei growled. 
The Grell turned back towards the shadows. "He will never remember his time as 
myself-" 
"Good!" the woman barked, gripping Cole tighter. 
"-nor will he remember anything about you or your friends." 
The air suddenly felt thick to Rei's lungs, and she struggled for her breath as 
it seemed she had been punched in the stomach. With widening eyes, she glanced 
down upon Cole's handsome face, a host of memorable images coming to her vision. 

"I could not allow him to retain memory of myself, and since you are 
intermingled in his mind with my form, I was forced to remove his memories of 
you as well." He stepped into the shadows and disappeared. I am sorry, Lady Rei, 
but this is the lesson I must teach you. Until next time." He melded back within 
the shadows, leaving a void deep and cold. 
Rei's sobs echoed through the temple grounds. ----- 
"That was very rude of you, Grelly Boy," Baba Yaga mentioned, tipping back a 
shot of some liquor before setting it down upon her table. Through her scrying 
crystal, she watched the anguish of the priestess with a certain equanimity, but 
then grunted in disgust and switched it off. "Still, in the long run, you have 
done her a considerable favor. Don't you agree?" The witch addressed the woman 
standing behind her. 
"Yes, your majesty, it was most necessary," Sailor Pluto replied with no 
emotion. The Garnet Orb glimmered off her deep green hair. ----- 
Winter in France was not that much different from winter in Japan. The same cold 
wind swept through the streets, whistling past awnings, windows and beggars 
alike. 
The Louvre was closed for the night. Several guards made their rounds, waving 
flashlights back and forth aimlessly. They did not take the job very seriously, 
for no one could get through the security measures anyway. This particular 
museum was one of the most difficult institutions of art to burglarize in the 
world. No human could hope to get in, let alone get out. 
Of course, humans are not the only ones to habitat the Earth. 
Standing upon the roof of the museum, she glanced about at the city of Paris, 
then turned her attention to the guard strolling below her. After a few minutes, 
he strode by, leaving her alone once again. 
On silent wings, she fluttered down to the front entrance, landing on delicate, 
bare feet. The huge doors were locked, of course, but they did not hinder her in 
the least. She simply stepped through, phasing past the construction. 
Her eyes scanned the vast halls, searching with a calm directness suggesting she 
knew exactly what she was looking for. The security cameras missed her every 
passage, for the being did not register on the visual light spectrum. When it 
came to the laser detection systems, her eyes usually discovered the invisible 
lines before she passed through, and for those she did not, some force about her 
bent the beams up and over her without breaking the actual connection. 
For all practical purposes, she was not there. 
After some time, she turned a corner, and smiled warmly before approaching one 
particular piece of sculpture. Upon standing before it, she kneeled in respect, 
bowing her head demurely. "The time quickly approaches, my Holy Lord. I come 
with a message." 
"Who delivers this message?" asked a sonorous masculine voice, emanating from 
the artpiece known throughout the world as 'The Thinker'. "I do not recognize 
the voice." 
"I am Serra, my Lord." 
"Serra? I know not of you. Your youth must be extreme." 
Unruffled, Serra raised her purely silver eyes to gaze upon the sculpture. 
"Indeed, my Lord. My position has been raised but recently. I am a mere 1500 
years in service." 
"Ah," the statue exhaled in understanding. "Very well. What is this message?" 
"As sentenced, you will be released 1001 nights before the Silence. As foretold, 
you are released 1001 nights before the Silence." Serra stood, waiting for a 
reply. 
The statue remained voiceless for a long moment, before speaking again. "What of 
my position?" 
"The Solar Spark still wanders the world, awaiting history, though..." Serra 
trailed off, her great white wings fluttering in agitation. 
"Though?" he prompted. 
She shook her head, silver hair cascading down her pale shoulders. "You are 
given permission to free yourself from your exile, Lord Galaghiel. Fate will 
take care of the rest." Once again, she waited calmly. 
At first, nothing happened, and Serra feared perhaps the long imprisonment had 
severely drained the celestial condemned of his powers. After a moment, though, 
the stone began to glow with a holy light, sprouting from cracks within. With a 
creaking grind, the Thinker raised his head from his fist, straightening and 
rising to his feet. The light enveloped his whole form, swallowing the drab 
stone grey and replacing it with a fine bronzed tan. Two wings of burnished gold 
sprouted from his massive back, stretching wide with grand strokes. Like the 
magnificent detail with which the original sculptor had chiseled into the 
statue's physique, so to did this being ripple with masculine beauty, broad of 
shoulders, thick with muscle, exuding grand strength. 
He towered a full seven feet tall, a mortal Adonis, his wings swept out twice as 
wide as his height. Very slowly, the being opened his eyes for the first time in 
several thousand millenia. 
Like his wings, the eyes were burning gold. 
Serra looked unperturbed at the towering man before her, even though he stood 
nearly two feet taller and was completely nude. Far from being embarrased, the 
winged woman nodded in a foreign understanding. 
The General of the Celestial Host had returned at last. 
*****
Whew! It's about time! Uh, alright, here is the address that you may contact me 
with your comments and criticisms: 
meech@mindspring.com 

Meech the Brown Hornet