Moonies are not right
Pairing: Mars/Jadeite
Prompt: A radio story about magpies. No seriously...
She wasn’t impulsive. She was always in control, always methodical. She never rushed into anything, always considered all the facts. She was patient, and looked at the big picture.
Which is why the girls were shocked when Hino Rei had left the zoo, almost running out the gate. She stopped answering the phone. She closed the temple and took no visitors. No one heard from her for a week. And then, each of the girls received an email with a flight itinerary: a one way ticket from Tokyo to New Delhi leaving in 2 hours.
Mamoru lived the closest to Narita, and so he got on his motorcycle and raced to the terminal. It was nice having superpowers, which meant he didn’t have to worry quite as much about killing himself with some of the risks he took through the heavy Tokyo traffic, but his heart was racing nonetheless. Taking a spill from his bike would not be the worst outcome. Not if Rei got on that plane.
Once inside the airport, he only stopped running long enough to check the monitor for Rei’s flight. He nearly knocked over several people on his way, shouting out apologies but never slowing down.
He saw her, seated near the gate, head down, hands folded neatly in her lap. As always, she appeared to be a portrait of grace and calm, a stark contrast to his own haggard state. She knew he was there, and calmly looked up at him. It was only then that Mamoru saw the truth.
There were no tears of course. Rei was not prone to such displays. But they had been friends for many years now. And Mamoru had learned many things about her, and the things that swam in those amethyst eyes. He read the anguish, and the hurt, and the anger, and so many things that made him just want to take her in his arms and hold her until the rest of the girls could get there and show her just how loved she was, and that she need not feel so alone.
There had been peace for some time, enough for him to officially propose to Usagi, for Ami to finish med school, for Makoto to open a bakery, and for Mina to record an album. They were all starting to dream about a normal life, and it was easy to forget all the terrible things they’d been through, not all of which involved killing demons.
The first boarding call sounded, and Rei rose. Mamoru rushed to her and grabbed her by the hand.
“Were you going to leave without saying anything?”
“There is nothing to say.”
“Rei, we’re your friends. If you can’t talk to us, who can you talk to?”
She looked back at him, and there was fire in her eyes.
“How dare you! Don’t pretend to understand! You of all people can’t!”
The words stung him, especially since he didn’t understand why.
Perhaps because she read the hurt on his face, the fire in her eyes dimmed for a moment before she looked away.
“You have her,” she whispered so quietly, he almost didn’t hear her.
She pulled her hand from his and proceeded to the gate.
“Will you come back?”
She stopped, and considered his question. Her shoulders sagged as she sighed, and then she walked on.
Mamoru knew Rei. She always said what she meant and meant what she said. She didn’t say yes. And she didn’t say no. Which could only mean one thing.
Careful, methodical, patient and thoughtful Hino Rei did not know.
And that worried him most of all.
***
The train would take two days to take her to her destination, and from there, she would still not be at the end of her journey. It left her with plenty of time to think as she watched the country go by. And it also meant she would have many hours alone in the sleeper car with the dreams and memories that had driven her here.
The girls’ memories of their past had started to come in bits and pieces. Sometimes they came in dreams, sometimes in mere feelings or premonitions. And sometimes, the most innocuous things would trigger an onslaught of remembrances, some pleasant… and some difficult.
On this particular occasion, Rei thought back to the day at the zoo. Usagi had wanted everyone to get together to enjoy a beautiful day together, and the zoo seemed a splendid idea. Ami had wanted to study each animal in great detail while Usagi and Minako each merely squealed over how cute each was. Makoto was as enthralled by the various plants as she was by the cute baby animals, and Mamoru played the part of patient boyfriend, all while enjoying the creepy crawly animals that terrified his girlfriend.
Everything had been going well until they reached the elephant pen. Something changed inside Rei when she saw the majestic creatures sauntering along. Something about them seemed… wrong. Like they were sad, and she was as well. She could feel the onrush of memories start to return to her, and while she didn’t understand all of them, she knew she needed to be elsewhere.
And so, she retreated to the temple to meditate, and understand what was happening to her.
***
It was night on Earth, and she could see the Moon. She wished she was back there. Earth always unsettled her. There was a reason her people and the peoples of the Silver Alliance had long ago abandoned this place for their homes among the stars. Earth was backward and untamed, the gods told their people. If they wished to realize their true potential, they needed to forsake this wilderness and build homes in faraway places where they could build it right. They would have to forge those homes from places that were uninhabitable. And in order to do so, they would have to master the hidden magics and potentials within them. Potentials their forgotten kindred on Earth would never master, because they remained too dependent upon Earth and Gaia for their sustenance. It made them subservient, small-minded, less than.
Why her princess kept insisting on returning to this backward, gods forsaken place. What was the allure? She would never understand. But that was Serenity’s way. She and her fellow guardians never did quite understood their curious, wayward charge. Her heart was given to flights of fancy and thought nothing of the old warnings about Earth. To her, it was simply something new, something wondrous.
And then there was Endymion. He seemed well enough: polite, sincere, just. He may, perhaps, have been fated to be a good king.
But he was still a Terran. And that made him trouble.
Like his four generals. Kings in their own right. And definitely dangerous.
Especially the one with the curly blonde hair and blue eyes, filled with mischief and fury. Jadeite was his name. And he infuriated her. His lips were always smirking, and his eyes seemed to pierce all of her carefully crafted veils.
He had been in fine form this evening, and Mars needed some air to prevent her from setting him ablaze. Such an incident would have alerted Queen Serenity to her daughters illicit visits to Earth. There may have been other consequences, but they did not trouble Mars as much.
And so, Mars had ventured into the wilds beyond the grounds of the distant palace Endymion had taken Serenity to this evening, seeking to show off some of the supposed “splendor” of Earth. All Mars saw of this place was ostentatious architecture, and hot, humid weather. The thick jungle only added to the cacophony of this place, such a stark contrast to the meticulous perfection of the Moon Kingdom. Serenity, of course, loved every detail, but she was also a fool in love with another lovesick fool, so what did she know.
The din of noises surrounding her, some barbaric noise she’d heard referred to as bird song, did nothing to improve her mood. There were stories of strange beasts that resided on Earth, beasts that spoke no words and heeded no laws. They merely made noise and did as they pleased, sometimes killing each other and, worse, eating each other. Such savagery was expected of this terrible place.
Still, such chaos was preferable to General Jadeite’s infuriating presence. What was the worst that could happen out here?
Almost as soon as she thought this, she felt the ground shake as a large beast sprang forth. She had never even imagined such a thing. It was the size of a small house, grey with powerful feet and large ears and the strangest nose she’d ever seen. It extended from it’s face as though it was another limb.
And it made such terrifying noises as it reared on its hind legs and flapped those ears. It spoke no words, but Mars knew this beast was angry. The terror within her was so great, she stumbled backwards, and found herself paralyzed with fright as the monster loomed above her, and her fear kept her from using any powers to protect herself.
Dear goddess, but would she die in this horrid place?
Just when it seemed she might be finished, a figure in white with a red cape flashed in front of her with hands raised. The beast trumpeted on, but it had stopped rearing. But still, it stamped its feet and flapped its ears.
Jadeite calmly advanced, extending his had. The beast finally reached out with it’s strange trunk and met his hand.
For a moment, that felt like an eternity, they simply remained like this, and Mars slowly rose to her feet. As she did, Jadeite and the beast took a step towards one another, and Jadeite rested his head against the beasts’ trunk, as he gently stroked it. Eventually, the beast stopped stamping its feet and flapping its ears.
No words were spoken, but Mars was certain something was passing between the strange beast and the Shitennou of Endymion.
When finally, all was still, Jadeite turned back to Mars.
“You were intruding,” he said calmly. “I have explained that you meant no offense.”
Mars wanted to react with indignation, but feared what the beast might do.
“You can make amends to her,” he said as he continued to stroke the beasts’ trunk. He turned back towards to jungle. “You can come on out now. It’s safe, and mother will look after you.”
A smaller beast, a child, perhaps only a few days old, and yet still the size of the Terran horses Mars had seen Endymion and his men ride, poked its head from the brush. It took a few halting steps before dashing behind the sanctuary of its mother’s legs, peering out at the stranger.
“Come, little one. She’s not as scary as she looks.” He said the later with a wink towards Mars. Were the strange beasts here not present, such a comment would have earned him a swift and hot death.
The child beast stepped forward, still hesitant, but also curious. It reached out with its trunk. And for a moment, Mars wondered if it wished to perform the strange ritual she had seen among the Terrans that they referred to as “shaking hands.” She reached out, and surprisingly, felt something like breath escape from the tip of the trunk before it began gripping her hand. Eventually, the child beast became more bold, sniffing around her gown, and patting her hair and her face in the manner of curious infants, reaching out and grasping their mothers’ hand and hair.
“I think he likes you.”
And, in spite of herself, Mars found herself charmed by this wild creature. She looked out the corner of her eye at the majestic mother, who kept a careful eye on her, but did nothing. Now that she was calmer, Mars could see how regal and commanding this strange beast truly was. After a few moments, the mother trumpeted, and turned back into the jungle. The child scampered after her, but not before turning back and raising it’s trunk, before emitting a smaller trumpet.
That brought a rare smile to her lips. Jadeite noticed, but had the decency to look away until her face was calm again. Once she had collected herself, he spoke.
“They are called elephants. They are the pride of this part of the Earth. Many here revere them for their power and wisdom. And they are omens of good fortune, and signs of royalty. You should consider yourself fortunate to have been so warmly met.”
Mars said nothing, and merely pondered his words.
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of something terrifying. A sound that seemed to proclaim the anger of the Earth or some mythical god.
“Come, let us go.”
“What was that?”
“A warning that we are trespassing. Not all the beasts who signify royalty are as benevolent as the Elephant. We should heed it.”
“How can you live like this?”
Jadeite smiled. “Not everything is as it seems Princess. You should not be so quick to judge. The truth will always surprise you.”
***
Rei walked into the jungle with many of those old memories still weighing on her mind.
Not everything is as it seems.
That was true enough when the armies of Earth came marching to the Moon. They looked human, but by that time, all that was left was evil demons.
The man walking towards her with the drawn sword looked like the man she loved. But he was only an echo. Doubt and mistrust had taken him from her long before that horrible day.
He had returned to her once. Just long enough for her to burn him with sacred fire. Repayment for a thousand souls lost a thousand years ago.
And now, as the memories returned, she returned here, to this distant place where once she had seen Jadeite, Shitennou of Endymion in a new light. Maybe it was because she wanted to see her own memories in a new light. She’d been so angry for so long, she wanted to let go.
She felt the ground shake, but she did not fear it this time.
The great beast came into view. She was a fine old matriarch, with eyes that held many secrets, and a grace only one of her age and experience could exude.
Rei reached out a hand and the matriarch reached out her trunk, smelling, touching, welcoming.
They came together and Rei placed her head up against the trunk, as he once had. And she understood how it was he communicated. The matriarch knew many things, not all of which Rei could understand. But they each understood what had brought Rei here.
The matriarch rose her trunk up and let out a mighty trumpet.
There was a rustling in the branches. The footsteps, this time, were gentle, but they resonated in her very soul.
He emerged from the brush, hesitantly at first, until their eyes met.
“Is it really you?”
He spoke the question that had echoed in her own heart as she had heard him approach. She looked into those blue eyes that she knew so well but could scarcely believe had returned to her.
Slowly, she advanced, until she could bring her forehead to his and they rested against each other for a moment, communing, understanding, remembering.
“I thought you were a dream. So many of my dreams were so terrible, I was afraid that you might just be a nightmare too, and that I’d never see you again, or be able to ask for your forgiveness.”
She put a finger to his lips before bringing her own lips to his. Words could be so inaccurate, so imprecise. There were so many other ways of communicating that were deeper, more honest.
It was a long road back to Tokyo, and they would have much time to talk along the way.
Prompt: A radio story about magpies. No seriously...
She wasn’t impulsive. She was always in control, always methodical. She never rushed into anything, always considered all the facts. She was patient, and looked at the big picture.
Which is why the girls were shocked when Hino Rei had left the zoo, almost running out the gate. She stopped answering the phone. She closed the temple and took no visitors. No one heard from her for a week. And then, each of the girls received an email with a flight itinerary: a one way ticket from Tokyo to New Delhi leaving in 2 hours.
Mamoru lived the closest to Narita, and so he got on his motorcycle and raced to the terminal. It was nice having superpowers, which meant he didn’t have to worry quite as much about killing himself with some of the risks he took through the heavy Tokyo traffic, but his heart was racing nonetheless. Taking a spill from his bike would not be the worst outcome. Not if Rei got on that plane.
Once inside the airport, he only stopped running long enough to check the monitor for Rei’s flight. He nearly knocked over several people on his way, shouting out apologies but never slowing down.
He saw her, seated near the gate, head down, hands folded neatly in her lap. As always, she appeared to be a portrait of grace and calm, a stark contrast to his own haggard state. She knew he was there, and calmly looked up at him. It was only then that Mamoru saw the truth.
There were no tears of course. Rei was not prone to such displays. But they had been friends for many years now. And Mamoru had learned many things about her, and the things that swam in those amethyst eyes. He read the anguish, and the hurt, and the anger, and so many things that made him just want to take her in his arms and hold her until the rest of the girls could get there and show her just how loved she was, and that she need not feel so alone.
There had been peace for some time, enough for him to officially propose to Usagi, for Ami to finish med school, for Makoto to open a bakery, and for Mina to record an album. They were all starting to dream about a normal life, and it was easy to forget all the terrible things they’d been through, not all of which involved killing demons.
The first boarding call sounded, and Rei rose. Mamoru rushed to her and grabbed her by the hand.
“Were you going to leave without saying anything?”
“There is nothing to say.”
“Rei, we’re your friends. If you can’t talk to us, who can you talk to?”
She looked back at him, and there was fire in her eyes.
“How dare you! Don’t pretend to understand! You of all people can’t!”
The words stung him, especially since he didn’t understand why.
Perhaps because she read the hurt on his face, the fire in her eyes dimmed for a moment before she looked away.
“You have her,” she whispered so quietly, he almost didn’t hear her.
She pulled her hand from his and proceeded to the gate.
“Will you come back?”
She stopped, and considered his question. Her shoulders sagged as she sighed, and then she walked on.
Mamoru knew Rei. She always said what she meant and meant what she said. She didn’t say yes. And she didn’t say no. Which could only mean one thing.
Careful, methodical, patient and thoughtful Hino Rei did not know.
And that worried him most of all.
***
The train would take two days to take her to her destination, and from there, she would still not be at the end of her journey. It left her with plenty of time to think as she watched the country go by. And it also meant she would have many hours alone in the sleeper car with the dreams and memories that had driven her here.
The girls’ memories of their past had started to come in bits and pieces. Sometimes they came in dreams, sometimes in mere feelings or premonitions. And sometimes, the most innocuous things would trigger an onslaught of remembrances, some pleasant… and some difficult.
On this particular occasion, Rei thought back to the day at the zoo. Usagi had wanted everyone to get together to enjoy a beautiful day together, and the zoo seemed a splendid idea. Ami had wanted to study each animal in great detail while Usagi and Minako each merely squealed over how cute each was. Makoto was as enthralled by the various plants as she was by the cute baby animals, and Mamoru played the part of patient boyfriend, all while enjoying the creepy crawly animals that terrified his girlfriend.
Everything had been going well until they reached the elephant pen. Something changed inside Rei when she saw the majestic creatures sauntering along. Something about them seemed… wrong. Like they were sad, and she was as well. She could feel the onrush of memories start to return to her, and while she didn’t understand all of them, she knew she needed to be elsewhere.
And so, she retreated to the temple to meditate, and understand what was happening to her.
***
It was night on Earth, and she could see the Moon. She wished she was back there. Earth always unsettled her. There was a reason her people and the peoples of the Silver Alliance had long ago abandoned this place for their homes among the stars. Earth was backward and untamed, the gods told their people. If they wished to realize their true potential, they needed to forsake this wilderness and build homes in faraway places where they could build it right. They would have to forge those homes from places that were uninhabitable. And in order to do so, they would have to master the hidden magics and potentials within them. Potentials their forgotten kindred on Earth would never master, because they remained too dependent upon Earth and Gaia for their sustenance. It made them subservient, small-minded, less than.
Why her princess kept insisting on returning to this backward, gods forsaken place. What was the allure? She would never understand. But that was Serenity’s way. She and her fellow guardians never did quite understood their curious, wayward charge. Her heart was given to flights of fancy and thought nothing of the old warnings about Earth. To her, it was simply something new, something wondrous.
And then there was Endymion. He seemed well enough: polite, sincere, just. He may, perhaps, have been fated to be a good king.
But he was still a Terran. And that made him trouble.
Like his four generals. Kings in their own right. And definitely dangerous.
Especially the one with the curly blonde hair and blue eyes, filled with mischief and fury. Jadeite was his name. And he infuriated her. His lips were always smirking, and his eyes seemed to pierce all of her carefully crafted veils.
He had been in fine form this evening, and Mars needed some air to prevent her from setting him ablaze. Such an incident would have alerted Queen Serenity to her daughters illicit visits to Earth. There may have been other consequences, but they did not trouble Mars as much.
And so, Mars had ventured into the wilds beyond the grounds of the distant palace Endymion had taken Serenity to this evening, seeking to show off some of the supposed “splendor” of Earth. All Mars saw of this place was ostentatious architecture, and hot, humid weather. The thick jungle only added to the cacophony of this place, such a stark contrast to the meticulous perfection of the Moon Kingdom. Serenity, of course, loved every detail, but she was also a fool in love with another lovesick fool, so what did she know.
The din of noises surrounding her, some barbaric noise she’d heard referred to as bird song, did nothing to improve her mood. There were stories of strange beasts that resided on Earth, beasts that spoke no words and heeded no laws. They merely made noise and did as they pleased, sometimes killing each other and, worse, eating each other. Such savagery was expected of this terrible place.
Still, such chaos was preferable to General Jadeite’s infuriating presence. What was the worst that could happen out here?
Almost as soon as she thought this, she felt the ground shake as a large beast sprang forth. She had never even imagined such a thing. It was the size of a small house, grey with powerful feet and large ears and the strangest nose she’d ever seen. It extended from it’s face as though it was another limb.
And it made such terrifying noises as it reared on its hind legs and flapped those ears. It spoke no words, but Mars knew this beast was angry. The terror within her was so great, she stumbled backwards, and found herself paralyzed with fright as the monster loomed above her, and her fear kept her from using any powers to protect herself.
Dear goddess, but would she die in this horrid place?
Just when it seemed she might be finished, a figure in white with a red cape flashed in front of her with hands raised. The beast trumpeted on, but it had stopped rearing. But still, it stamped its feet and flapped its ears.
Jadeite calmly advanced, extending his had. The beast finally reached out with it’s strange trunk and met his hand.
For a moment, that felt like an eternity, they simply remained like this, and Mars slowly rose to her feet. As she did, Jadeite and the beast took a step towards one another, and Jadeite rested his head against the beasts’ trunk, as he gently stroked it. Eventually, the beast stopped stamping its feet and flapping its ears.
No words were spoken, but Mars was certain something was passing between the strange beast and the Shitennou of Endymion.
When finally, all was still, Jadeite turned back to Mars.
“You were intruding,” he said calmly. “I have explained that you meant no offense.”
Mars wanted to react with indignation, but feared what the beast might do.
“You can make amends to her,” he said as he continued to stroke the beasts’ trunk. He turned back towards to jungle. “You can come on out now. It’s safe, and mother will look after you.”
A smaller beast, a child, perhaps only a few days old, and yet still the size of the Terran horses Mars had seen Endymion and his men ride, poked its head from the brush. It took a few halting steps before dashing behind the sanctuary of its mother’s legs, peering out at the stranger.
“Come, little one. She’s not as scary as she looks.” He said the later with a wink towards Mars. Were the strange beasts here not present, such a comment would have earned him a swift and hot death.
The child beast stepped forward, still hesitant, but also curious. It reached out with its trunk. And for a moment, Mars wondered if it wished to perform the strange ritual she had seen among the Terrans that they referred to as “shaking hands.” She reached out, and surprisingly, felt something like breath escape from the tip of the trunk before it began gripping her hand. Eventually, the child beast became more bold, sniffing around her gown, and patting her hair and her face in the manner of curious infants, reaching out and grasping their mothers’ hand and hair.
“I think he likes you.”
And, in spite of herself, Mars found herself charmed by this wild creature. She looked out the corner of her eye at the majestic mother, who kept a careful eye on her, but did nothing. Now that she was calmer, Mars could see how regal and commanding this strange beast truly was. After a few moments, the mother trumpeted, and turned back into the jungle. The child scampered after her, but not before turning back and raising it’s trunk, before emitting a smaller trumpet.
That brought a rare smile to her lips. Jadeite noticed, but had the decency to look away until her face was calm again. Once she had collected herself, he spoke.
“They are called elephants. They are the pride of this part of the Earth. Many here revere them for their power and wisdom. And they are omens of good fortune, and signs of royalty. You should consider yourself fortunate to have been so warmly met.”
Mars said nothing, and merely pondered his words.
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of something terrifying. A sound that seemed to proclaim the anger of the Earth or some mythical god.
“Come, let us go.”
“What was that?”
“A warning that we are trespassing. Not all the beasts who signify royalty are as benevolent as the Elephant. We should heed it.”
“How can you live like this?”
Jadeite smiled. “Not everything is as it seems Princess. You should not be so quick to judge. The truth will always surprise you.”
***
Rei walked into the jungle with many of those old memories still weighing on her mind.
Not everything is as it seems.
That was true enough when the armies of Earth came marching to the Moon. They looked human, but by that time, all that was left was evil demons.
The man walking towards her with the drawn sword looked like the man she loved. But he was only an echo. Doubt and mistrust had taken him from her long before that horrible day.
He had returned to her once. Just long enough for her to burn him with sacred fire. Repayment for a thousand souls lost a thousand years ago.
And now, as the memories returned, she returned here, to this distant place where once she had seen Jadeite, Shitennou of Endymion in a new light. Maybe it was because she wanted to see her own memories in a new light. She’d been so angry for so long, she wanted to let go.
She felt the ground shake, but she did not fear it this time.
The great beast came into view. She was a fine old matriarch, with eyes that held many secrets, and a grace only one of her age and experience could exude.
Rei reached out a hand and the matriarch reached out her trunk, smelling, touching, welcoming.
They came together and Rei placed her head up against the trunk, as he once had. And she understood how it was he communicated. The matriarch knew many things, not all of which Rei could understand. But they each understood what had brought Rei here.
The matriarch rose her trunk up and let out a mighty trumpet.
There was a rustling in the branches. The footsteps, this time, were gentle, but they resonated in her very soul.
He emerged from the brush, hesitantly at first, until their eyes met.
“Is it really you?”
He spoke the question that had echoed in her own heart as she had heard him approach. She looked into those blue eyes that she knew so well but could scarcely believe had returned to her.
Slowly, she advanced, until she could bring her forehead to his and they rested against each other for a moment, communing, understanding, remembering.
“I thought you were a dream. So many of my dreams were so terrible, I was afraid that you might just be a nightmare too, and that I’d never see you again, or be able to ask for your forgiveness.”
She put a finger to his lips before bringing her own lips to his. Words could be so inaccurate, so imprecise. There were so many other ways of communicating that were deeper, more honest.
It was a long road back to Tokyo, and they would have much time to talk along the way.