Hmm... well, I've finally put the finishing touches on another chapter.
Who am I kidding?  I sat down and wrote this thing tonight (well, there
was a touch done last night).  I am a pretty quick writer when I sit
down and do it, but I tend to not do that much anymore...

Anyway, it's time for part 17.  If you want to see any of the previous
parts, check out my web page at http://www.angelfire.com/tn/twillia
they're all there (well except for this one and V&J... but that's a
whole other procrastination issue), even if they way to them is a bit
convuluted.  I promise to eventually streamline that page.  Eventually.

Anyway.  This chapter hasn't been preread, which means there are bound
to be some punctuation errors and/or flow problems.  It's fairly solid,
though, so I wouldn't worry about the grammar, etc, too much.  

If you have C&C (not mechanics, unless it's just something bugging you
to death, please... I tend not to revise on the grounds of mechanics and
there are people out there who can better appreciate your efforts)
especially on storyline, suggestions, or just general comments, please
drop me a line.

One of the main reasons I'm making an effort to do a little more writing
is that I've been getting a trickle of e-mail about it lately.  It's not
the only reason, but it certainly helps.

Oh, and if you want to volunteer for the position of Lab Rat (TM) (aka,
prereader), please e-mail me.  Okay, it's not much of a position, but
you do get the chance to bop me with the rolled up newspaper every now
and then.  Oh, and yell and scream at me for doing such and such to this
or that character :)

Anyway, here's Part 17 of The Rebound Effect.  There isn't a whole lot
of action, but it's mostly me trying to blow the cobwebs off my skills.

Part 17

        Rei allowed her eyelids to slide open slowly, taking in the light a
sliver at a time.  She felt disconnected from the world, like she was
floating, and there was a throbbing in her head just wouldn't go away.  
        Vaguely, thoughts of getting up crossed her mind.  She didn't really
know where she was and the ceiling, the only thing she could see from
her current position, wasn't very informative.  Of course, these
thoughts were disregarded almost immediately after inception, but they
were there, none the less.
        The muddle of half formed thoughts and ideas currently residing within
her brain was pierced rather throughly as some dark shape moved across
her vision and something cool and damp settled onto her forehead.
        "Ug," she managed, finding her voice for the first time in what seemed
an eternity.  "Wagh."
        Someone quietly shushed her.  "Just rest, Taika  You've overexerted
yourself, that's all."  
        Taika.  That name seemed familiar somehow.  It was her name, but her
name was also Rei.  More murky thoughts swirled around in her head, but
nothing coherent came into being.  
        There were sounds now, movement.  "Serenity says you need your rest, so
go back to sleep."
        Something about the voice, or maybe it was the name "Serenity" put her
at her ease and she allowed the darkness to claim her once more.

***

        The next time her eyes opened, Taika was herself again.  Well, she was
still tired, but not like before.  This time she managed to get the
willpower to move after only a few minutes of ceiling staring.  
        She was at the shrine.  Which was pretty close to saying that she was
home.
        Something about that thought struck her as funny.  It's amazing how
things tend to come full circle.  She started out here, and, after a
long time, she was here again.  She hadn't been born in this place, but
she had, at the essence, been reborn here as Sailor Mars.
        Somehow, the second time around, the little things were all the more
pleasant.  Especially when you're no longer waiting for things to happen
but just living in the moment.
        After a while, she let the stray thoughts run themselves out, and she
moved to get up.  Some things, it should be pointed out, are easier said
than done.
        The world swam a little as she propped herself on one elbow but
stabilized after a few seconds of disorientation.  After that, it was a
slow, painful process to become upright once more.  Her limbs were
weakened for some odd reason and the everything had an annoying habit of
moving while she was holding perfectly still.
        Eventually, she made it upright and began, with tottering steps, to
make her way to the bathroom.  
        After she washed the sleep out of her eyes, she could at least see
clearly, even if her walking was still suspect.
        Thoughts which had been meandering through her head aimlessly began to
find their way into logical statements.  First of all, why was she so
weak?  
        She tried to remember what had happened, but everything was still
hazy.  She couldn't even remember the last time she had felt like this.
        She dredged her memory for quite a while as she went about her morning
absolutions.  If it was morning, that is.  For all she knew, it was the
middle of the night.

        Some time later, Rei found her sitting outside on the deck, leaning
against one of the supports.  Taika didn't even look away from the cup
of tea she was nursing as Rei approached.
        "You shouldn't be up," she said as she settled down beside her.
        Taika gave a faint grunt of acknowledgment but said no more.  Rei sat
there for a while, silently watching the horizon.  Faint tinges of grey
were just beginning to lighten the night sky.
        "What happened?" Taika asked finally.
        Rei, who had given up on getting Taika to talk to her, started
slightly.  "Happened?  You don't remember?"
        Taika made a negative sound.
        "Well, Serenity says that you used more power than you could handle. 
You got the others here, but you fainted almost immediately.  You've
been sleeping for almost a full day now."
        "No, before that."
        "Before that?  You don't remember the fight with Nephrite?"  Again, the
negative grunt.
"Well, Nephrite showed up at the cooking show you took Makoto to
yesterday... you do remember the cooking show, right?" A small nod. 
"Good.  Anyway, he showed up, did the energy gathering thing and sicked
a youma on you three.  Minako was there, too."
        "Makoto got careless and the youma hurt her... You healed her somewhat,
but by the time you were done, the police were there.  Minako says that
you teleported them all back here, but passed out almost as soon as you
arrived."
        "You've been in bed ever since.  Serenity says that your body isn't
used to channeling so much power at once yet."
        Taika nodded.  She still didn't remember everything, but enough was
back for her to be comfortable.
        "How's Makoto?"
        "Better.  She was in a lot better shape than you were the last time I
saw her," Rei paused and looked over at Taika.  "How did you do that?  I
mean when you healed her like that.  I've seen the wound and it must
have been terrible before you fixed it."
        "It's a matter of control...  It'll be a while before you're ready for
things like that, I'm afraid."
        Rei smiled wryly.  "Figured as much."
        While they had been talking, the horizon continued to brighten until,
finally, the first rounded piece of that fiery orb broke into view.  
        Rei sighed deeply and stood up.  "Do you think you can make it to
school today?"
        There was no answer from her companion so, after a minute or two she
wandered back inside to get ready on her own.  Taika could follow or
not.
        Once freed from the bounds of the horizon, the sun slid smoothly into
the sky, leaving no doubt that the day was there.  Taika heaved one last
sigh and pulled herself to her feet.
        She was already too healed to sleep the day away, and school was no
more taxing than being at the shrine all day.

***

        The stars weren't cooperating.  Not exactly a novel experience for
Nephrite, but an annoying one, none the less.  He was trying to track
down this "silver crystal" that Beryl was so set on acquiring, but
nothing was showing up in his scrying.
        This was the third search he had performed in the last half day and he
was still no closer than when he started.  Not to mention that it was
taking up quire a bit of energy.  He turned a dark scowl on one of the
many tomes he had found in what was once the Dark Kingdom's Royal
Library.
        So far, his more mundane searches had found little about the talisman. 
Some of the history was there, but all before the Dark Kingdom became
Dark.  All of that was useless now.
        Perhaps he was just looking for the wrong thing.  A thought occurred to
him and he returned to pouring over his tomes looking for any mention of
the Crystal.

***

        Zoicite was not, my any means, the most powerful of the dark generals. 
He certainly lacked Kunzite's overwhelming power and Nephrite's
information gathering and divination.  Even Jadeite had outshone him as
a leader.  
        He did, however, have a good bit of skill at espionage.  And treason.
        His search for the Silver Crystal had gone no better than Nephrite's
was, though he did have a piece or two of information that Nephrite
obviously lacked.  
        Of course, it was only obvious to him since he had the only copy of
said information.  He smiled coldly as he took up the book one more
time, feeling the smoothness of its ancient cover.  A plan was forming
itself in his mind even now.  
        Certainly, whoever tried to get the Crystal would have to face the
Senshi first.  A fight would certainly ensue and the winner would be
weakened.  Easy prey for him.
        He smiled wider as he cast the spell that would slid the book in
amongst the others on Nephrite's desk.  He did, after all, have a little
magic at his disposal.

***

        Serenity was somewhat surprised to see Taika at school that day.  She'd
seen her not twelve hours before and she hadn't been in very good
shape.  Other than a feeling of fatigue about her and a tenderness in
her step, she seemed like her old self.
        They were standing by the wall, waiting for school to start.  Well,
Serenity was standing and Taika was leaning.  They were currently the
only Senshi who had arrived.  Even Mercury's punctuality had to make
allowances for sleep that Serenity didn't seem to need, and Taika had
gotten the day before.
        "That last attack was brutal," Taika said, wincing slightly as she
shifted to relieve one ache that had become particularly annoying.  "I
haven't been this banged up in... well, it's been a long time."
        "That attack was no worse than most," Serenity said, sagely.  "You did
most of that to yourself and Makoto was careless."
        "Yeah, I know, but the girls are having a really hard time of this.  I
mean, before it was us against this big evil enemy.  They get to
remember it all.  It's Nephrite and Jadeite that they're fighting, and
they can remember when they were the good guys."
        "I know, but it can't be helped.  They're going to have to learn to
deal with it.  This all might be easier if we hadn't broken the spells
holding Jadeite..."
        "No, it's a good thing that you did that.  Though I've been meaning to
tell you something."
        "Yeah?"
        "Well, when we fought Nephrite a couple days ago... I got a chance to
read his aura and it was different.  When I looked at Jadeite's, it was
a swirling black mist with bits of red and grey in it, but there was a
cool blue in the middle.  I didn't get to see Nephrite's before that...
but it was all black.  Even the reds were muted."
        "I see...  Perhaps Beryl has intensified her spells.  That may make it
harder to save him."
        Taika nodded.  "Not to mention more dangerous.  But we don't really
have a choice in the matter, do we?"
        "No," Serenity said, shaking her head gently.  "I'm just sorry that we
couldn't save our Nephrite.  If not for his sake, then for Naru's."
        "She turned out all right, didn't she?  I mean, she had Umino."
        Serenity grinned mischievously.  "Yeah, but who has him here?"
        "Hey!  He's sweet," Taika responded defensively.  "Besides, not
everyone can get a boyfriend from destiny."
        Serenity grinned cutely.  "But those are the best kind!"
        After that, things degenerated into small talk and then the school day
was upon them.  Somehow, the universe conspired to give them a quite
morning.  Not that it didn't tend to make up for lost time, in the end.

END