Smouldering Flames - Moonlit Skies
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Kristin Renee Taylor

This fanfic is rated PG for some mild swearing.
I'm using the North American dub, except for Rei-san, who gets to keep her
real name.


  She was the most annoying person I ever knew. I'm not kidding either.
Every day for the past two years all I ever heard was "Why are you so mean
to me?" and "How come you're always picking on me?" and "Did you have to
yell at me like that?" and "How come you don't like me?" (Which wasn't
true. I did like her; it's just that she was so annoying*.) I had always
answered  more or less the same: "Because you deserve it you lazy, uncaring
twit!" At which point she
would cry and run away and everyone would get upset and try to make me
apologize. I didn't. I said what I thought she deserved to hear.
  Last night started off as a typical night. I had been in my room, doing
some boring piece of writing that the teachers at my school dared to call an
essay assignment, when she came in. She didn't knock or anything, she just
walked in, sat down on my bed, and watched me do my homework. I decided
against arguing with her, at least for now. I couldn't really kick her out
because she wasn't disturbing me in any way. So I tolerated her.
  For about five minutes.
  I sighed and set down my pen. "Is there a reason why you're here?" I asked
her, irritably massaging my temples. I watched her out of the corner of my
eyes as she hook her head. Her silence was slightly distrubing. She was
never silent. "Well," I said, turning around so I could look at her
directly, "you can't just sit there all day. I've
got to finish my homework and then I've got to do my chores."
  "I know, Rei. I'll try not to be in your way," she said quietly.
  I knew that when she started talking like that, then something must have
been wrong. For the first time since she had entered, I looked at her. I
mean I really, *really* looked at her. I noticed with no small amount of
shock that she had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks
were all blotchy. Her hair was kind of a mess and her
clothes were slightly rumpled, but I assumed that was from the strong wind
blowing outside.
  I moved to sit next to her, the bedsprings creaking slightly as the bed
grudginly accepted my weight. It was time to go on another diet.
  I studied her for a long moment, and she looked right back at me. There
was an unspeakable, and totally familiar, sadness in her clear blue eyes
that had never been there before. I knew immediatly what had caused it and I
hoped to God that I was wrong. "What did he do to you?" I asked, surprised
at how calm my voice sounded. I was not calm
at all.
  She seemed surprised that I had asked. She opened her mouth to answer me,
but I cut in harshly, saying, "Don't you dare lie to me, Serena." Her jaw
snapped shut with an audible click. She stood silently and walked to my
desk, absently running one finger along the top of my computer's moniter. I
heard her mumble, "He broke up with me..."
  I stood as well, growling, "That stupid bastard! When I get my hands on
him, I'll--"
  "It's okay, Rei," she said, interrupting me.
  I whirled around and, with my usual tact and wit,  shouted, "'It's
okay!?'" She winced at the harsh, angry sound of my voice. "'*It's okay*?!'"
I repeated,  enraged. "Dammit, Serena, this is *not* okay! The two of you
are supposed to be together!"
  "Rei," she began, but I cut her off.
  "You've waited one thousand years to be together. For God's sake, you've
*died* for him! If you think that I'm just going to let him break your
heart, then you're crazy!"
  "Rei," she said and this time it was not Serena that had spoken, but
Princess Serenity. I stared at her, surprised and infuriated by the unspoken
command she had given me. Somehow I managed to choke down what I had been
about to say, but I still glared at her fiercly. "Rei, please calm down,"
she said and there was no hint of her former steel in her tone. Now she just
sounded tired and sad. "I think
Darien did it for a reason."
  "It better be a damn good reason," I muttered darkly.
  "I think he has a reason," she repeated, "and I don't know what it is, but
I'm going to find out."
  "And if he doesn't tell you?" I asked.
  She pulled out the chair and sat it in with a heavy sigh.
"Then I guess I'll just have to wait. He'll tell me  eventually."
  I stared at her hard. "You don't really think he will, do
you?"
  She looked up at me and said nothing. Her silence was all
the answer I could have asked for.
  Her faith and loyalty in the man that had just dumped her
shocked me beyond belief. She didn't even seem mad at him. How could she
have forgiven him so easily?
  I immediatly answered my own question. She loved him. She loved him so
much that she would forgive him for hurting her. Given similar
circumstances, I sure as Hell would not forgive him.
  "You forgave him," she said, responding to my thoughts.
  "W-What?" I stammered. And I thought I was the psychic one.
  She looked at me knowingly. "You may act all high and mighty, Rei Hino,
but your not made of stone. I knew you never stopped loving Darien." She
stood in front of me, staring me in the eyes. "When you found out that we
were destined to be together, you hated me for taking him away from you and
you hated him for leaving you. But you forgave us because you loved us."
  I started to rebuke her, but trailed off. In my mind I was
remembering when Darien had been captured by the Negaverse. Serena had been
devestated.
  As for me, his sudden ex-girlfriend, I hadn't taken it to well either. For
perhaps the first time in my life, I was unable to meet Serena's eyes.
  And those eyes were beginning to make me uncomfortable. In
desperation to avoid that disconcerting gaze, I reverted to using a tried
and true method of mine. I stoked the fires of my dying anger until it was
blazing once again.
  "I didn't do it because I loved either of you," I  raged, "I did it
because you were the Princess and he was the Prince."
  "Even if I wasn't Princess Serenity, I bet you still would've given him
up."
  I glared at her. "Don't give yourself to much credit, Serena. Had you not
been a princess, I wouldn't give my boyfriend to you or anyone without a
fight."
  She finally smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then you know that I
won't give mine up without a fight, either."
  I blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?"
  She continued on, apparently ignorant of the fact that I had no idea what
she had meant. "You see, Rei, I don't intend on letting Darien get away with
this. I especially don't intend on letting him date anybody else. I had
enough competition from Ann. The last thing I need is somebody else moving
in on my territory. Besides, if there is one thing that you have taught me,
Rei, it's to stay determined
and to go after what I want."
  She grinned at me, quickly regaining her normal levels of jubilence and
hyperactivity. She threw her arms around me, giving me a large and painfully
tight hug. Any ounce of anger that I might've had dispersed like smoke from
a dead fire.
  "Oh, Rei, this is just great!" she cried happily. "I'm *so* glad I talked
to you about this." She pulled back, but held on to my shoulders. She said
sternly, "Now promise me that you won't go and kick Darien's butt."
  "Sure," I said, feeling slightly dazed and dizzy from the
aphyxiating embrace.
  She smiled again and released me. "Great! Now all I have to do is convince
the rest of the Scouts not to kill him. Oh, and Luna and Artemis, too."
  She was already leaving by the time I had recovered enough to think
straight. I leaped out the door after her. "Serena!" I called out. She
looked at me. "What is it, Rei?"
  "Are you going to be okay?"
  Now it was her turn to look surprised. "Of course I am," she said calmly.
She smiled and shrugged. "Actually, now that I've told you, telling everyone
else should be easier." Including myself, her eyes added silently.I wisely
managed to avoid saying that part aloud.
  For her benefit, I switched topics, asking, "You told me first?"
  She nodded and, seeing my look, explained. "Well, Rei, I thought it might
be best to tell you first, seeing as how you know more about Darien and I
then any of the other Scouts. I knew you'd understand me better." And so
saying, she turned and walked away.
  I stared at her retreating back, to stunned to say anything. *I* had
understood *her*? I, Rei Hino, had understood that vapid, ditzy,
meatball-brained, well-meaning, loving, forgiving, *annoying* girl?
  I snorted derisvely and walked back into my room, sliding the door closed
behind me.
  Well. I guess there's a first time for everything.



  Fin.



  Author's notes:

  This was done in more or less one day. I have absolutely no idea where it
came from, but it sounded good so I went with it. I guess I just always
wondered how the Scouts, particularly Rei, reacted to Serena and Darien's
break-up. Which is strange because I really don't like Rei for the vast
majority of the series.
  Oh well. What's done is done. I hope you enjoyed this little bit of
dithering that I did. And if you didn't, go ahead and flame me. I'm ready
for it, baby!
  The story takes place after Serena's first battle with Catzy's droid and
after she breaks up with Darien (As if you couldn't tell.) in the second
half of the Sailor Moon R arc. (Then again, some people may not be able to
tell.)

  Disclaimer:
  Sailor Moon is owned Naoko Takeuchi and a host of other people that had
money. Don't sue me, please. I am simply a poor college student without
anything worth doing to do.

And that's it, folks. Good night! (or morning, or whatever)
--------------------------------
  Kristin Renee Taylor - Bad Gal Extrodinare
  B'ENT - Home of SAILOR MOON: THE REJECTED EPISODES
  http://www.geocities.com/sailorfalcon/
  E-mail: gelles@yahoo.com




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