Part 1: Orsus
Section 1: Adaption
Chapter 2-Kasei Nukumori
Grumbling as she climbed down the cold, rickety ladder, Rei sighed heavily. Her body was sore and bruised from her training, but she knew her friend in the bunk below her felt worse. The guardians were hard on all of them, but they were especially hard with Minako, who was to be commander. Touching her shoulder gently, she whispered, "Mina-chan? Are you up?"
"Hai." [Yes.] The blond-haired girl got up, wincing as her joints creaked like an old woman's. Limping over to the bureau, she pulled out the white shirt and skirt. Underneath it, she slipped on some shorter pants.
Rei was already dressed, and she sighed when she remembered a time when Minako had needed to be shaken awake. Now, she stayed awake for most of the night, enduring pain in silence. In the morning, she could be awoken very quickly–in the unlikely event that she was asleep. Rei herself didn't sleep too well, and she could always tell when the others woke up with nightmares. When they had first come to the Moon, Ami, in the room next to them, had always woken up screaming in the middle of the night. The dreams seemed to have stopped after she adjusted, and everyone slept more comfortably. It wasn't only the sound that had woken them, there was a _feeling_. Shaking her head at her supposed folly, Rei adjusted her shirt, tucking it into her skirt. She was only nine but seemed much older. Going into the bathroom, she washed her face with cool water and smiled as two other dark-haired girls emerged. "Ohayo, Ami-chan, Hotaru-chan." [Good morning.]
They responded, "Ohayo, Rei-chan," and said nothing more. But she understood.
~~~~*~~~~
After they had all recited the morning blessing, Setsuna stood up once more and announced, "Today you will all meet the hime-sama, Tsukino Usagi. When she is older, she will take upon the customary name of ‘Serenity,' as is the tradition of the Moon."
Rei's pulse began to race. Today, she would finally meet the girl they were sworn to protect, the most important girl in the Solar System. And that meant that they would be swearing their allegiance to her when she turned fifteen in six years. So far, they had all been on the Moon for three months. They would be staying another four years, ten months at the very least. Then the Outer Senshi would begin to commence their journeys. Once they had all left, the Inner Senshi would start leaving. They were expected to come back within a year. Then...they would finally reach their dream of being confirmed as senshi, _if_ they all returned. It was a very big if. Sighing, she looked around at the faces of the girls that would be like sisters to her. They were already starting to form attachments and bonds, but she was trying not to feel too fond of them.
Minako she trusted implicitly, and she loved the sunshine and cheeriness she brought with her into any room. Like Setsuna, she seemed to understand the needs and wants of other people with very little to go on. What was more, she knew what it felt like to be treated as worthless, to be tossed away as garbage like Rei had been, but she still accepted others and loved freely.
Makoto was turning out to be a very interesting girl indeed. She was a mixture of warrior and future housewife, someone who loved fine craftsmanship of swords and knives and the tracery of the veins in a leaf at the same time. She had grown up in a hard environment, and Rei considered herself luckier–she had only been thrown to temple mercies rather than deserted allies. Still, she admired the other girl's strength, and they got along fairly well.
Ami was very attached to all of the girls, and they babied her in spite of themselves. Rei knew that while she seemed to be seven years old with her little form, she was lithe and cunning. Her brain was as developed as that of a child many years older, and she was beginning to become stronger than she was. She was strange sometimes, as if caught between two ages.
Setsuna also seemed older than she was, but Rei liked her for her quiet and understanding. She knew what went through their minds, because she had already gone through everything they had. And her spiritual balance...Rei could only hope that one day she would be as developed in the arts as she was.
Haruka was an entirely different story. She and Rei often got into little spats because of the way their tempers raged alike. She was swift as the wind, but she was also as fickle. She could be unsteady and breezy, then solid and unwavering. But she was freedom embodied, and her strength and power was something to be envied.
Michiru was as beautiful and delicate as a lotus flower, but her pretty little manners were already disappearing to make way for the stronger woman about to emerge. She would be compassion and ruthlessness mixed together, her eyes as passionately stormy as the wild seas at times, but she would never lose the grace that was an essential part of her.
Hotaru was becoming closer to Rei, and she treasured the friendship of the younger girl. She was a gem, with childlike innocence but older comprehension of the world and its ways. She always wanted to help out and to heal injuries but was often berated by the instructors, who insisted that tolerance of pain made one strong. Sosei was strong enough with her pain, and she was healing it.
Rei knew she had changed these past three months. She was still a little of Hino Rei, and she would always be little Rei-chan who chased after birds with wings she could not have, tripping over her temple robes. But she would be stronger, independent, and conscious of her own worth. But she had to control her temper...
~~~~*~~~~
"We're starting something new today, ladies." Rei smiled at Luna. She liked the elegant woman who always referred to them as ladies. She was gentle and soothing but also knew what they needed to accomplish to become whole. "Free-fighting. Since we haven't begun to use weapons or powers yet, this will just be to see how well you are at hand-to-hand fighting. Remember to always be honorable towards your opponents, and those who show mercy to their enemies are more revered than those who do not."
The dark-haired girl nodded, purple eyes shining. She was set and ready to show her teachers what she had learned, and she wanted to make Phobos and Deimos proud of her. They were paired up, one-against-one, but the guardians promised that one day soon they would be able to work as teams against each other. The matches were: Setsuna and Minako, Haruka and Rei, Michiru and Makoto, and Hotaru and Ami. She eyed the sandy-haired girl warily. Haruka was known for being uncontrollable and unpredictable in fights, and she didn't want to end up with any more bruises than she had to.
She watched nervously as Setsuna and Minako stepped forward. They bowed to each other first, then waited for Artemis's signal to begin. The older girl waited for Minako to begin, and Rei hoped that her own partner would start first. She didn't like being offensive. The blond-haired girl seemed unfazed, but everyone could tell that she was nervous. As her first punch darted out, Setsuna sidestepped easily, then hooked her leg around the other's ankle. Minako fell, but she rolled aside lightly and sprang up again. It seemed to go on, and on, and on, with one hitting, the other ducking or leaping aside. Occasionally one of them fell, but they always had the agility and speed to leap up once more. While the others began to get bored watching them, Rei, Makoto, and Haruka were caught in the wonderful dance, watching them. They moved gracefully but not flawlessly, and they seemed to work as partners rather than opponents. It was not surprising when Setsuna finally beat Minako, who lay on the ground, but it was a minute before startled applause began. Both girls got up once more and bowed, while the others clapped their respect and praise.
When Artemis eyed her and Haruka, Rei gulped and stepped forth. Almost immediately after the bell rang, she saw the older girl's fist come barreling towards her. Ducking frantically, she was too worried to lash out any blows of her own. Keeping up with the lightning speed at which the sandy-haired blonde worked was enough to keep her busy. Still, she had built up endurance, and Haruka kept missing her. Suddenly, the other girl caught Rei in the chin, and she fell hard. Unlike Minako, she had not learned how to fall properly yet and hit the ground heavily. Barely managing to make it up once more, she cried out in pain when Haruka's fist connected with her ribs. Abruptly, the fight stopped, and Haruka stepped back in surprise. "Rei-chan...gomen, gomen nasai!! I didn't think I hit you very hard....dajibou?" [Sorry, I'm really sorry!... Are you okay?]
The dark-haired girl tried to reply, eyes lucid with pain, but she was finding it hard to breathe. Wheezing, she got out, "It wasn't you, Haruka-chan. I–I broke my ribs a while back, and I don't think they healed properly."
Both guardians and senshi-in-training were too surprised to do anything except Artemis, who stepped forward with concerned eyes. "Rei-chan, lift up your shirt. I want to look at your ribs."
Eyes wide, she managed to scoot herself back a few inches from him. "Iie. Onegai, don't come closer." [No. Please, ...]
Blinking, the white-haired man backed up a few steps. Luna, eyeing her astutely, pulled Artemis out of the room as Phobos and Deimos went over to her. As she also came over, Setsuna ordered sharply, "Hotaru, Ami, come here. The rest of you are dismissed. We'll continue this later. Haruka, move out of the way."
"Demo–" [But–]
"It's–okay," Rei gasped, "it–wasn't—your—fault."
Michiru wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders and pulled her away, with a backwards look at Rei. Makoto also followed, glancing back, but Minako planted her feet firmly. Pushing back her thick, dark green hair, Setsuna glared at her. "Minako, go. You aren't a natural healer, and you can't do anything for her–yet. One day, you will learn how. But for now, leave."
"Iie. She's my friend, and besides that, I'm her commander."
"You aren't her leader yet," Luna said softly, coming back into the room. Nodding towards the door, all the guardians except Phobos, Deimos, Fujiro, and Koori left.
"It doesn't matter," Minako told them flatly, "I'm still her friend."
Rei blinked twice before she felt overwhelming emotion come over her, and she smiled wanly.
Luna nodded to Setsuna, who shrugged and beckoned to the younger girls. Phobos pulled the bottom half of Rei's sweat-soaked shirt up carefully and touched her left ribs gently. She winced in pain but was careful not to move. Frowning, she said, "You didn't just get hurt from Haruka punching you. She can't do this much damage yet. How did you get hurt this way?"
Rei refused to answer, keeping her mouth stubbornly shut even as the tears started from her eyes. Fujiro summoned her charge closer, instructing her quietly. The dark-haired girl flinched away from Hotaru's cold touch at first, but she knew that cool fingers were customary of healers. "Fujiro-chan, I don't know if I can–"
"I know that you can. It isn't extremely extensive damage, but it's bad enough," the guardian said, looking up at Setsuna. The girl nodded and stepped back, face impassive. "Koori-chan, start an energy channel between Hotaru and Ami."
Frowning, the other woman asked, "Are you sure it's time to do this? Can't one of us lend the energy?"
"They are natural healers, Koori-chan. Now."
Sighing, Koori ran a hand through her white-blue hair and took the girl's hand. "Ami-chan, I want you to listen to me carefully...."
Setsuna moved back to where Minako stood and touched her shoulder. The blond-haired girl looked up, then back at Rei. "Why are you angry, Suna-chan?"
"Somebody hurt Rei-chan, and he probably hurt her many times. Do you know who?"
"I...I don't know. She said her parents didn't want her and told her she was useless, but she never told me if they hurt her. Demo...I've noticed that sometimes she favors her left side, and she's always careful to block most blows with the right side of her body." [...But...]
Nodding, the dark-haired one grew silent, fuming inwardly.
Meanwhile, Rei gasped as purple-blue power funneled into her, and the coldness was no longer biting. Instead, it was comforting and pleasant, and the pain was beginning to go away. Her eyelids felt so heavy, but she couldn't sleep yet...could she? Before she knew it, the blackness of peaceful sleep overtook her, and she fell into an undisturbed rest.
"Hotaru-chan, cut your links to Rei and Ami."
Nodding, the petite girl looked inside herself, where there were three colors: dominating purple, a paler light blue, and an intense glowing red. She imagined tying a knot of a bandage, and she tied two of those knots where the power wasn't hers. It returned to their owners, and she collapsed into Fujiro's arms. Ami, who had only supplied her power, also felt a little weak but remained conscious, large blue eyes watching Rei. Suddenly, her guardian scooped her up. "Come on, Ami-chan. You have to rest now. Healing takes a lot out of the patient but even more out of the healer. You must always be careful not to give too much of yourself away, or you can die. We have to teach you the limits that Hotaru already knows."
~~~~*~~~~
Rei woke up drowsily, eyes opening slowly. She was back in her room, but she was sleeping in Minako's bed, which was closer to the ground and had easier access than hers. Watching her were Minako, Setsuna, Phobos, and Deimos.
"Rei-chan?" inquired the concerned blonde, "dajibou?" [Are you okay?]
"Hai. What–what happened?" [Yes...]
"Hotaru healed you, with some help from Ami." Setsuna's dark eyes were serious, and the garnet of them stared intensely into the amethyst of Rei's. "How did you break your ribs?"
Looking out the window, she replied distantly, "I...fell once, when I was younger."
Deimos said quietly, "You'll have to tell us a better lie than that."
Glowering darkly at her, Rei snapped, "I'm telling the truth. I fell."
"All right then," Setsuna cut in diplomatically, "who pushed you?" When she still refused to answer, the older girl scowled. "Rei-chan–"
"All right, all right. When I was at the temple...a few years ago...there was a man there who was put in charge of me. He was a cruel and evil person, and he hurt me many times. No one found out, because whenever anyone else was around, he always pretended to be so sweet and concerned about my ‘clumsiness.' Once, when I spoke back to him, he pushed me out of the window of a second story building. When I fell, he thought I had died, but he was such a coward that he only brought me to a third-rate healer. That's why my ribs never healed properly. But shortly after that, you found me, Setsuna-chan, and I'll never have to go through anything like that again. I'll learn to be strong." At the end of her short monologue, Rei's eyes shone angrily, but she was not crying, and everyone else admired her strength. She wasn't sure if any of the other girls knew, but no one in that room ever spoke of it again.
~~~~*~~~~
Late that night, after the rest of the matches had been completed, Rei was fuming in bed. She had not been allowed to go, not even to watch, and she was tired of lying there doing nothing. Even though she was sleepy after the healing, she couldn't fall asleep. Suddenly, a soft knock sounded on the door. Rei frowned slightly; Minako was in the shower, and she didn't know who else would be coming in. "Hai?" [Yes?]
The door opened, and in came Haruka, looking very abashed. "Rei-chan, gomen nasai. I didn't mean to hurt you. Gomen." [I'm very/really sorry...sorry.]
Blinking, she replied, "It wasn't your fault at all! I had already hurt my ribs before. Ano...I'm sort of glad you hit me." [..By the way...]
"Nani?!" [What?!]
"Well, Hotaru and Ami finally healed my ribs, so they don't hurt anymore. It was dangerous and stupid for me to have been going on like that without telling anyone. Phobos and Deimos told me I could have had serious health problems later in life."
Completely befuddled by her cheerful attitude, the sandy blond-haired one nodded. "You're a good match, Rei-chan."
Sighing, she muttered, "You don't have to be nice to me just because I was hurt, you know."
"I'm not," Haruka replied flatly, "I mean it. One day, you and I will be matched, or maybe you'll be even better. Even though I'm a little better at fighting now, I haven't got the control that you have already. It'll take me years, I guess, or even more. I envy you because of that."
"A–arigato gozaimisu, I think." [Thank you very much...]
Standing up and stretching, Haruka headed towards the door. Looking back, she called, "Oyasumi nasai, Rei-chan." [Good night.]
"Oyasumi, Haruka-chan." [Night.]
Pulling open the door, she was startled by a meatball-headed princess with silver hair that she had nearly run over. "Uh...gomen nasai, hime-sama." [I'm very sorry, princess.]
Smiling, the princess replied, "It's Usagi-chan! Oyasumi nasai, Ruka-chan!" [...Good night.] When the other had left, she walked over to Rei, who was staring at her. Nervously, she said, "Um...konnichiwa? Onegai, don't look at me like that; you're making me nervous. Do I have something big and scary on me?" [...hello? Please...]
"Iie...gomen nasai, hime-sama." [No...I'm very sorry, princess.]
Sighing, Usagi took a chair and sat by Kingusari's bed. "My name is Usagi. Call me Usagi-chan or Usa-chan, onegai. I really don't like all this formality and stuff. Ano, did you know that we're the same age?" [...please...by the way...]
Her head confused by this bouncing little bunny, the raven-haired one nodded slowly. "I'm Rei. Or Kasei Nukumori."
"You were hurt today, ne?"
"Well...sort of. I was hurt before."
"I wanted to meet you before, but you were sleeping, and I didn't want to disturb you. I met everyone, you see! First there was Suna-chan, but I already knew her before. And then Mina-chan...she's very nice. I like her; she thinks the way I do. And Mako-chan! She's so strong! And Ami-chan is so sweet and shy...but so sad! Then there's Ruka-chan. I want to be just like her when I grow up. Don't you think she's pretty and strong?" Without waiting for her to answer, Usagi barreled on, "And Michi-chan is even prettier! She's beautiful! And so graceful. She would make the perfect princess."
Smiling wryly, Rei told her, "She is a princess. Well, she was a princess. She used to be Unabara Michiru of Neptune."
"Honto? Kakkoii! No wonder she's so refined and elegant. And Hotaru-chan reminds me of a butterfly, so delicate and fragile but with a beautiful spirit." [Really? Cool/great!...]
Rei nodded rather dizzily. She had never known princesses could be like Usagi...true, Michiru had shown them that not all princesses were spoiled and snobby, but she also wasn't as open...and...human as Usagi seemed. Hesitantly, she asked, "So what do you think of me, Usagi-chan?"
Considering her for a moment with bright, crystal blue eyes, the silver-haired girl beamed after a minute. "I like you, too. You're pretty, and I love the color of your eyes. But besides that, you have a good soul, like Hotaru-chan. It's different, and it's very warm and fiery, but it suits you. Nukumori is too tame a name for you; I'm glad I get to call you Rei."
Just then, Setsuna knocked at the door and called softly, "Usagi-chan? Are you in there?"
"Hai!" [Yes!] Usagi called back. Turning back to her newfound friend, she apologized, "Gomen nasai, but I have to go now. I'll see you again soon, though–it's a promise." [I'm really sorry...]
"Oyasumi nasai, Usagi-chan." [Good night.]
"Oyasumi nasai!" [Good night.]
~~~~*~~~~
A month later, Rei had just completed a morning of brutal training, and her muscles were screaming. Sighing as she pulled on a clean outfit after a hot shower, she was surprised when the door burst open. Minako came in, hair blowing wildly around her as she cried excitedly, "Rei-chan, hurry up! We're starting the first step in weapons training, and we're going to be late soon if you don't hurry up!"
Groaning, even though she did feel a prickle of anticipation, Rei laced up her boots quickly and followed her blonde friend. Keeping up behind her easily without panting or losing her breath (she had gone through the mountain-running trial, too), she yelled, "What's so good about that? Weaponry isn't that interesting!"
"Well, it is to me! You can stick with your spiritual techniques, but the riveting lights on steel are just...undescribable. It creates blurred reflections, as if it was a pond with ripples spreading all over."
Sighing quietly, the dark-haired girl confessed, "I'm not sure if I want to touch a knife or sword or something like that. It's...unsettling."
Stopping in her tracks, Minako winced as Rei smashed into her from behind, unable to stop her momentum. "Gomen nasai, Rei-chan!! Don't be worried. I'm sure you'll be really great at this stuff." [I'm really sorry...]
Rei shrugged, rubbing her sore shoulders and rotating them stiffly forwards and backwards. Entering the largest training room, she was surprised to find that everyone was there already. Blushing, the last two senshi-in-training took their seats in the large circle. Looking around the room after the color from her cheeks faded, her purple eyes widened in surprise when she realized that only five guardians were in the room: Luna, Aoao, Soyakaze, Kaikii, and Artemis. The white-haired man grinned widely at them, showing his white, even teeth. "My specialty is broadswords. Those are the first things you'll be learning to use. Then sabers. And after that, if you're still alive, we'll work with spears, staffs, whip chains, and sai." Unfastening the long sword at his waist, he pulled it out neatly with a clean snick, and his eight pupils sighed in admiration and awe–even Setsuna. Grinning even wider, he re-sheathed the sword and headed towards the doorway.
"Matte!" [Wait!] Hitohana cried in surprise, voicing all of their doubts, "where are you going, Art-kun?"
Turning around, he smirked widely. "Why, you didn't think you were going to learn broadsword right away, did you? You have to learn how to stand first. Ladies, I leave them to you," he bowed with an elaborate flourish to his fellow female guardians, who were hiding their own smiles.
Pouting, Haruka joined with the brunette girl in her protests. "Masaka...this will be so boring!" [Close to "oh my gosh...etc." but a little worse. It can be in surprise, awe, horror, etc.]
"All right then," Aoao smiled, "why don't you show us what you can do?"
"With a sword?" she asked eagerly, eyes sparkling. Rei, watching, sweatdropped. She knew better than to ask questions or act like this.
"Iie," the Mau woman replied, "with your stance."
"Uh...stance?"
~~~~*~~~~
Late that night, Rei was sitting alone on one of the only balconies that the girls were allowed to be on, in case anyone saw them and guessed who the legendary sailor senshi were–and that could not happen. Leaning her head on her hands, she sighed as she felt her long, black hair fall into her face and in the way of the magnificent view of the Mare Serenitatis. Before she could move and tie it up again, another hand came into view and brushed away the strands gently. Raising her head slightly, Rei smiled when she saw who it was. "Setsuna-chan!"
"Hai?"
"It's so beautiful...the Sea of Serenity. It makes me feel so peaceful, especially after Usa-chan told me the legend about it."
Smiling down at her, the green-haired girl sat down in the chair opposite her. After a few minutes of silence, she remarked casually, "I don't think I've ever seen you at such rest before, Rei-chan. Do you feel happy here now?"
Surprised, Rei felt that she did feel accepted. She was part of something. A team that would love her for who she was, despite her weaknesses and past. She felt that her place among her fellow senshi-in-training was permanent, and she wanted to stay with them. Most importantly, she was happy. "Hai, I do. Arigato, Setsuna-chan." [Yes...thanks...]
"Douitashimashite, demo, what for?" [You're welcome, but...]
"For bringing me here to my new family. For being part of my family."
Eyes shining with tears, the older girl reached forward and hugged her gently. "Then it is I who should be thanking you, Rei-chan. Arigato for counting me as one of your family."
Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and asked, "Honestly, Setsuna-chan, do you think that I'll make a good Kasei-sama? It's so hard sometimes, and so..._strange-"
"I think," the other told her thoughtfully, "that you will be one of the best and most celebrated senshi in history, and that the love you have earned and that you will earn in the future will go with you into eternity, past death. You are fire embodied in a person that I admire and respect, Rei-chan. Your spirit astounds me and everyone else, and we treasure your warmth."
Caelum
