The Fire Within
Part 3
A Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon story by Amy Lawson/Kixxycatt
lawsg@sk.sympatico.ca

http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/lala/59/fics.htm (My fanfiction
page, not yet up)
http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/lala/59/smoon.htm (My main page.)

Note - This story is at a place in my timeline but I'm not really sure
as to where. I'm not sure what will really happen after this story and
how much the future stories will be affected by this story, and I'll
have to wait and see I guess.

~*~*

(Tokyo)

	It was about two days after Ami's party and my no-show. I knew
she was really going to be mad at me, and I mean really, really,
really mad. I had pretty much hidden from her and the other senshi for
the last two days as well. I really, really, REALLY didn't want to
face them yet.
	"Rei!" Oh, no. Not her. I turned around slowly from my table at
the Crown to face, yes, Makoto.
	"Um, er, hi, Makoto." I winced. Not her, not now..
	"There's a youma at Juuban! Hurry, it's doing something really
wierd!"
	"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" I snapped, following her off to look
for a place we could transform. Ducking behind an alley, I pulled out
my henshin stick.
	"Jupiter Crystal Power, make-up!"
	"Mars Crystal Power, make-up!"
	"Hurry, mars!" Sailorjupiter growled. "And this time you'd
better COME."
	"I'm here, okay?!" I yelled. "We kinda have more important
matters right now, JUPITER." We glared at each other, both keen for
fighting. Sailorjupiter ran off twords where I thought the youma
would be, so I followed, but taking my time. Give her a chance to cool
off before I come and save her life, maybe. Then we'll see who's
forgiving who.

	"Rainbow Moon Radiation!" Supersailorchibimoon exclaimed. The
attack was blocked by the youma-of-the-day, who reminded me of
Haruna-sensi, Usagi-tachi's homeroom teacher. I had met her before,
albit briefly.
	"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" the attack seemed to wound the youma,
but not by much. Where are these coming from, anyway?! I don't know
who's sending them. We already DEFEATED Reiya and Esmerald*!
	"Sailor SENSI!" It yelled, tossing books at the other senshi. I
just hid in a tree, waiting to attack. Sailorjupiter kept on glancing
around with a pretty angry look on her face. And we can guess why, ne
kiddies?
	"Space Sword Blaster!" Sailoruranus' attack rebounded off
'Sailor Sensi', causing the outer senshi to wince. Can't take the
rejection, ne Haruka? I didn't think so. Just like a pathetic outer
senshi. Just like a senshi, actually?
	"Star Gentle.. Uterus!" Oy, that freak Starmaker, gets the MOST
hidious attack, ne? I winced. Still, it didn't do the job on Sailor
Sensi.
	"Hey, you guys, stall it while I check him out!" Sailormercury
ordered, and opened up her mini computer thingy. Sailor Sensi didn't
think to much of THAT, though.
	Sailor Sensi's fist went flying at Sailormercury, and before she
had time to duck, she went hurling to the ground. That's my cue.
Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. I lept of of the tree,
landed pretty bad, and shouted "Mars Flame Sniper..." while leaping up
from the ground. The flaming arrow went haywire and missed Sailor
Sensi completely.
	And hit Sailormercury right where the youma attacked her. I
heard some of the senshi yelling angrilly, at me, at the monster. Some
muffled cries, some angried shouts. I covered my ears and ran. Ran.
Ran far away. Didn't care about anything else. For some reason, I just
had to get out of there.
	And there HE was. Kenji!
	"Kenj.." I started, but felt like slapping myself. I was in for
it now.. how many people know his name that have raven colored long
black hair and well, my beauty?!
	"Rei-chan?" he winced. "You're a sailor senshi?" I bit my lip
and nodded when Sailor Sensi ran at us. And stopped near Kenji. "Well
well well, Sailor Sensi. Get the information needed?" he asked, and
the youma nodded.. at him, my KENJI!.. and bowed briefly at his feet!
	Well, do I attack or just stand here stammering? He's the
opponent! I owe it to my team to defeat him right here right now! And
yet.. I can't. I can't bring myself to defeat him.
	"Looks like I have no choice, Rei." he sighs. "I can't have you
senshi muddeling with my operations. I guess you're going to have to
go down. Sailor Sensi?"
	"WAIT!" I exclaim. "Who.. who says I want to stay on their
team? The good team?"
	He cocks an eyebrow. "Excuse me? You, a mere sailor senshi, wish
to join the EVIL side? Get out."
	"No, I'm not kidding. I want to be with YOU." I insist, grabbing
his wrist again. "Please. Please? You come on our side or I'm coming
with you. I don't CARE about them, okay?"
	"This is just another of your foolish tricks. Sailor Sensi,
please.."
	"No no NO!" I screamed. "I WANT TO BE WITH YOU!" I was digging
my nails into his throat. "I'll do anything! Just let's go, okay! We
can still be together if I come with you, or if you come with me, but
I have to be with you, Kenji!" I sobbed. He winces, and holds me in
his arms.
	"Come on." he sighs reluctantly. "But change the outfit."
	"Okay." I de-transform back into Hino Rei and he grabs my hand,
and we vanish together.
	But I look back in time to see Makoto glaring at me, her eyes
cold and angry. Minako joins her, with a puzzled look on her face.
Makoto leads her away, and then I see no more.

*

(Crystal Tokyo)

	"Rei? Are you in there?" Minako walks into my temple. "It's
midnight. Are you really going to tell me the truth?"
	Good question. Am I? Can I? What if everything goes wrong? What
if she hates me forever? Like everyone already doesn't..
	But, maybe Minako is, well, different. Maybe she'll see me
through different eyes. Maybe I will talk to her.
	"Sit down, Minako-chan." I murmer, softly. "You're in for a long
story."
	"We've got a long time, you know." she smiles, giggling softly
like a schoolgirl. Yes, I remember when she was that, a schoolgirl.
And I liked those days so much better than now. I miss the old Minako.
The old Usagi. The old ME. I miss the 'good old days'. And grandpa.
And everyone else..
	"Okay." I took a deep breath.

**

	"I was, as you remember, about 16 or 17 when I met this guy. It
was like fate or something. It was the day you and the others were
going off to shop, but I was going home. Oh, I remember it so well -
because I discovered he was smiling at me. He wouldn't tell me his
name even though I told him mine.

	Later, I recieved a phone call from him, asking me to meet him
at crown. It was him, and well, I agreed. He still hadn't told me
his name, Minako-chan, and I don't know why. Oh well. Later, Makoto
phoned me, and reminded me of the fact that Ami's party was that day.
At the same time I had to meet him. What could I do? I chose him, for
some reason."

	"And you just shrugged of Ami like that?" Minako intrupts. I
glare at her and she shuts her trap again.

	"Anyway, as it turns out, his name is Kenji, and, well, I have
FUN with him, okay? So I more or less decide to stick with him and
ignore you guys, ne? Well, I'm sorry, but I guess I just have to have
some fun with my life knowing that I could die any day in the line of
duty.

	To make a long story short, we meet, we greet, and we have a
GREAT time, I can't stress this enough! So I kept on meeting him,
showing you guys up for, well, everything, and never giving it a
second thought. This is more or less the biggest problem of the entire
thing, okay?"

	"I always THOUGHT it was something like that." Minako cuts in. I
look at her strangely. "Well, the others thought you were just mad at
Usagi or something, but I knew all along. It was a guy, right? What
happened?" she askes eagerly. I sigh and continue.

	"Then, one day, Makoto came to get me. There was a youma at the
school. So I came, we transformed, yadda yadda yadda**. And anyway, I
didn't go and help out right away. I just stayed behind at watched,
planning to use the element of surprise.

	So the youma knocks down Mercury. I attack, aim at it, burn up
Ami-chan. So I guess it's time for me to run before Makoto gets into
a bloddy rage, ne? And I run into Kenji. I make the mistake of calling
him by name, 'cause nobody really knows it 'cept for me that I'm aware
of, and he knows it's me. But, the youma is listening to HIS orders,
he's on the bad side! Not good at all, right? So he tells me he has to
kill be and begins to order the youma. But, I don't want to lose him..
or die, for that matter.. and make the mistake of telling him I want
to join his side or he can join mine. But I don't care at the time.
So he lets me go to the Dark Side, and I get to see Makoto glaring at
me with a really, really angry look full of hatred and rage and....
well, you know.

	I'll explain the rest in much better detail, Minako-chan. I'll
explain everything anyone said, everything anyone did, just so you can
see it through my eyes. Are you ready?"

*

(Dark Side)

	"So.. So where are we?" I ask nervously. There's a very evil
appearence to the entire thing, very dark. A strange figure appears
before me and Kenji.
	"Who is this girl?!" the figure barks, and steps into the little
amount of light.
	"Esmerald..!" I choke out, not understanding how she was still
in charge of.. whatever this is***.
	"This is Hino Rei, who wishes to join the Dark Side." Kenji
explains, not at all worried by her angry tone for some reason. "And
she is a valuable lesson. Rei is a former sailor senshi, Sailormars,
who wishes to switch sides."
	Esmerald is NOT amused. "Oh, really? How do you know it's not
just another of their cunning tricks to vanquish us as they did to my
old follower, Reiya?"
	"Well, for one thing, Sailormars just finished attacking her old
teamate with her fire arrow, Sailormercury, before running into me,
and without even knowing she was watching." Kenji smiled. He had seen
me? Spying again? For shame!
	"Oh? Really?" Esmeralds frown slowly evaporated, creating an
evil yet amused smile. "This could prove to be interesting. Do you
know what I want, Rei?"
	"What?" I asked. I might as well accept my first mission to
prove to Kenji that I could do it. Probably rob some store, drain some
energy.
	"I still want the rabbit. You see, Rei, I have power. Great
power, for that matter. That's why I didn't die. I just was in a coma,
you might say. But I'm back, and I can still carry out Dimando's
plans. But this time, _I_ am in control. _I_ am the one who can go
with the CORRECT way of dealing with the senshi. And I WILL bring down
Small Lady and destroy her!"
	"Destroy her?" I looked at Esmerald strangely.

	Oh no. I can't do this. I can't, can't do this. It just isn't
possible. What was I ever thinking when I came up with this idea? I
can't elimate any of my friends, or anyone else for that matter, and I
can't kill Chibiusa! Never in my life would I destroy a innocent
child. Oh, I wish I was back with grandpa Hino at the temple, by the
fire. I wish I had gone to Osa-P with my friends instead of meeting
this evil man. Oh, no..
	And yet, how can I leave him now? I love him and hate him at the
same time. Kenji, darling, tell me what to do. I should have listened
to you, and maybe just destroying you right then and there. But it's
too late..
	But I won't desert my friends, not now, not ever. I refuse to do
such a thing to the people who care so much about me. Unlike you. And
yet, I can't leave you, either...
	Oh, no, what can I do? I have ruined my life because of YOU. But
I don't wish I had never met you either. Why can't I be like that
BAKA Usagi and meet my dream man only to find out we've been together
for at least a thousand years?! Why?! And I had met Mamoru FIRST! I
may be over him in one sense but still.. it hurts.. so bad.. which is
another reason I love Kenji so much. He helps me forgive and forget
even though my friends might hate me for it. Why? They don't want me
to be happy for one of the first times in my life?! Why should MY life
be so difficult, anyway?! Why does Usagi's have to be so PERFECT?! It
isn't fair... it just isn't fair.. Kenji, help me out here. Help me..

	"REI!" Esmerald snaps. I wake up out of my daze and glare at my
'superior' who I had previously helped bring down. Oy, the irony..
	"What?!" I bark. She narrows her eyes at me.
	"As I just said, about three times, who are to have alterations
done. Drink this." she handed me a glass full of some black iquid. I
did so and then chose to ask what it was. "In about five minutes, you
will have much different powers.. and become Sailor Darkmars, loyal to
me and me alone." she smiled smugly, and I had a feeling she thought
it was just a trick. But is it, really? I don't know, to tell you the
honest truth.
	"So what do I say to transform?!" I demand.
	"Nothing. It's instand. And you will think like a follower. Act
like a follower. Look like a follower. For all intents and purposes,
you will BE my follower, and in about one second, you're going to be
brainwashed." she laughed her cursed laugh, and I began to feel funny.
Really funny. Like I was going to pass out right then and there. And I
did. At least, I THINK I did. I can't remember what happened after
that, but when I woke up, I wasn't there, that's for sure.

~~~

* Crying Moon, part 8 esp.
** Same as Blah Blah Blah.
*** Esmerald (and Reiya) were in Crying Moon, again part 8 esp.

	Sites to check out:
Here are some good fanfiction sities for you to enjoy. Trust me, you
will like them!

	http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9897/
	Artemis's and Luna's Sailor Moon Central Command Headquarters

	http://solo.abac.com/moonromance
	A Sailor Moon Romance