Name: Tsukino Serena
Age: 15
Grade: 10
Guardian: Luna, Moon Cat

Name: Aino Minako
Age: 15
Grade: 10
Guardian: Artemis, Moon Cat

Name: Hino Rei
Age:14
Grade: 9
Guardian: Phobos & Deimos, crows

Name: Kino Makoto
Age: 15
Grade: 10
Guardian: Aoao (bright green), bird

Name: Mizuno Ami
Age: 14
Grade: 10
Guardians: Koori (ice), crab

Name: Chiba Mamoru
Age: 20
Grade: College 3, Junior
Guardian: None

Name: Seishou Kouseinou (Kunzite)
Age: 19
Grade: College 2, Sophomore
Guardian: Shippou (silver), snake

Name: Tabiki Kasen (Jadeite)
Age: 18
Grade: College 1, Freshman
Guardian: Tansei (red & blue), bird

Name: Kousei Kyosei (Nephrite)
Age: 18
Grade: College 1, Freshman
Guardian: Hokushin (North Star), eagle

Name: Kouseki Yosouya (Zoicite)
Age: 16
Grade: College 1, Freshman
Guardian: Erimakitokage/Tokage, (frillnecked lizard, lizard), lizard

Chapter 7-Sonatas of Fire, Thunderstorms, and Walls of Ice

"I don't like college very much," commented Kasen, glaring at his course schedule.

"And why not?" asked the always inquisitive Yosouya, now on better terms with his brother since they served the same "master". "I've had enough of summer, nothing fun or good happens-just swimming. At least college should be semi-interesting."

Staring incredulously at him, the blonde sighed and said, "Only you would be such an idiot to think that."

Indignantly, he sniffed in return. "We can't always be unmotivated idiots like you."

Holding himself back from physically striking his brother, Kasen also tried to hold his tongue, ignoring challenging, cold green eyes. That was the only thing that pleased him now, his eyes weren't black as Endymion's were. Everyone's eyes had stayed the same, except for a new iciness and lack of warmth. "All my blessings for motivated nerds then."

"You-" began Yosouya before stopping abruptly and frowning.

"Dajibou?" He was allowed to be concerned now that they were on the "same side" once more, under their prince. They were just cold, and unemotional. Or so he thought.

Scowling deeply, he replied, "I just thought.....nevermind. Something about loving parents suddenly appeared, but we both know they weren't. We're so lucky college has started, so we can live in dorms away from home."

"Perhaps," the blond with blue eyes replied easily. "I've got a date tonight, leave the key outside for me?"

"What, you're not taking your's with you?"

"Extra baggage, Souya-kun. Extra weight, you have to learn about dating."

Stubborn green eyes retorted, "You aren't 'dating,' as you so very kindly put it. You're going to drain the power of the girl."

"Exactly. Power rushes ALWAYS feel good. Ja ne, then." Teasingly, he added, "Don't sleep too late or stay up in front of the computer."

Feeling deja vu rush over him once more, Yosouya recalled someone saying that to him before. A blond woman with blue eyes...his mother? No, she had never cared about him enough to mind about that, had she? "Uh....hai," he said hastily, realizing Kasen was staring at him and waiting for his reply. "Have a 'good time', don't come home to late yourself. Key's under the flowerpot."

He left, muttering, "Can't believe you managed to keep that puny little plant with disgustingly-cheerful blue flowers alive."

"And I thought you liked the color blue? After all, you've gained an immense ego with all the girls lovingly sighing over your eyes."

Smirking, he looked back and said, "That's the only reason. Ja!"

"Ja, whatever. Don't understand your lifestyle," denounced Yosouya, picking up some books and searching for the computer mouse. "Now, where did I put the darn thing again?"

*ding dong*

"One minute!" He pulled open the door to find a redheaded young woman with large brown eyes. "Konnichiwa, may I help you?"

"Excuse me, are you Kasen-kun's brother?" she asked charmingly, trying to smile.

"Um...hai. Are you....looking for him?"

"Hai," she said, blushing. "I wanted to see if he had any free time tonight."

Raising his eyebrows and wondering how his idiot of a brother managed to cheat on so many women at once, he logically searched for the best answer-Kasen got very upset when one of his many girlfriends dumped him, he always had to be the one to break off a relationship. "Ah, gomen nasai. Kasen-kun just went out with two of his friends, he said he was probably going to be out until late tonight."

Flushing and looking deeply disappointed, which made his still slightly-tender heart sigh, she asked, "Er.....they wouldn't be female friends, would they?"

Trying to look scandalized, Yosouya denied, "Iie, of course not. Two male friends, would you need their names?"

"Iie, gomen nasai for the questions. Arigato."

"You're welcome, ja ne."

"Ja."

With that, he shut the door and went back to searching for his computer disks, having found the mouse buried under a pile of dirty laundry-on Kasen's side of the room, he was now a neat freak with spotless and immaculate sheets to prove it. "Kasen-kun, you owe me. Again. We need to have a talk sometime, preferably in the near future."
~ * ~ * ~
"But ojii-san, I don't WANT to go to piano lessons today!" protested Rei, trying not to whine. Weren't there laws about minors being made to go to piano lessons?

Patiently, the old man motioned for her to get in the car, then slammed the door shut. He didn't choose to answer until they were well on their way, then posed the question, "And why not?"

Blushing scarlet, the raven-haired girl looked at the slightly muddy car floor. "I um......forgot to practice this week. And sensei always forgets who I am! She's getting old, really, ojii-san! She asks me about violins while she's supposed to know I only play piano and sing."

"Stop insulting your sensei. MUST I wrestle with you every Wednesday to get you to go to your piano lessons? Not practicing is your own fault, I don't whether or not your sensei can tell you apart from her other students. She's a good teacher and says you're improving."

"IF I'm the student she's talking about," Rei pointed out.

He had to repress a snicker and turned it into an annoyed sigh, luckily for him. If he had laughed, his granddaughter would have had more ammunition. "I'm sure she is, I sit there and listen to you."

"Painfully banging away as she hums out of tune while I wince and try to see the next line of music while her hand's blocking it? That's why my vocal sensei is so angry, I never learned to read before I get to the hard parts in music, piano sensei always covers it up."

"That's just too bad, can't you develop new habits for each instrument?"

Reminding him a bit less than patiently, she groaned as they pulled onto the street, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

"You aren't old, and I wasn't aware that you became a dog."

"Are you trying to be funny?"

He was saved from answering her and said, "Here we are, Rei-chan. At your lovely sensei's house, give her my best regards. Iie, I'm not staying this time."

"Why not? Does my playing embarrass you?"

The aging man sighed and rubbed a hand over his balding scalp. "Never, Rei-chan. Always remember that. Iie, it doesn't shame me, you won't ever shame me no matter what you do-as long as it's right. Now run along, I have to send Mako-chan to some sort of training she's going to have in a field. I swear, teachers are getting crazier and crazier by the day. Ja ne, Rei-chan, have a good lesson. I'll be back here in an hour."

"Ja ne, ojii-san." Sighing and closing the car door, she slowly marched up the sopping steps as if on her way to a funeral and rang the doorbell despondently. She was immediately greeted with a gushing voice. "Why, Rei-chan!! It's so nice to see you again, I've missed you!"

'It's only been a week,' she mentally reminded, trying to keep the shaky smile on her face. "Konnichiwa, sensei. It's nice to see you again, too." 'Uh huh.' "Come in, come in. How was your practicing been this week?"

Turning pale, she mumbled, "Just horrible."

"What was that you said, darling? You have to speak louder, old people like me are going deaf nowadays!"

'Hai, I'm sure.' "Oh, gomen nasai. I said, okay."

"That's excellent! We can start with the five page sonata then!"

Blinking, complexion fading to pure white, Rei nervously fingered a long strand of black hair and stuttered, "F-f-five pages??"

"Of course, dear, didn't you realize when you practiced? Of course you did, nothing's impossible for my star student, Hino Rei!"

'I am in so much trouble.'
~ * ~ * ~
Kousei Kyosei anxiously looked at his prince after waking up from what felt like a hundred year nap, like Rip Van Winkle, and grinning broadly, he had his old warmth towards his prince again. If only he didn't feel so......unnatural.

"Ohayo, Kyosei-kun. Waking up? Dajibou?" asked the mentioned boy nervously. Or perhaps it would have been better to say man, but Kyosei wasn't positive his prince had grown up entirely yet.

"Ohayo, Endymion-sama. It's morning now?"

Furrowing his brow, he said, "Technically, no, but to you-hai, it is. Why do you call me Endymion-sama and not Mamoru-kun, Mamoru-san, or even Chiba-san?"

Lowering a deep blue gaze that was slightly darker yet still full of stars, the brown-haired man replied, "If you are my prince, it's only proper for a general to call you by -sama, ne?"

Reluctantly, Mamoru shook his head. "In this life, people get suspicious if you walk around calling me Endymion. It's not really a common name in this time period, is it?"

"Do you have all your memories back?"

"Hai," replied the ebony-haired one, blue eyes gleaming fanatically. "Do you remember your's?"

"Slightly. None that seem to influence this life, though," he replied nervously. "I suppose you have an eventual plan for recruiting us so early in life?"

Chiba Mamoru laughed, enjoying the effect. "You feel young?"

"Of course, why not? I'm only eighteen and a freshman in college."

Chuckling again, he said, "You are more than a thousand years old. Besides, go around campus and ask all those idiots wasting power and strength loitering around if they feel old, then report back. My plan? Not quite started yet, it would be wise to finish college soon. Perhaps even graduate school later, if I feel like it. Not necessary, in my opinion. Why achieve what was already done in one lifetime in another?"

"I suppose so," admitted Kyosei, shaking off the last bit of indecision. "I don't suppose you're planning to 'turn' Kouseinou-kun to our 'side' anytime soon?"

Mamoru grimaced at his general and sighed, turning to face the slightly less than sanitary wall. "You've picked up some very disrespectful habits in this life, you know that?"

Blinking, he asked, "I have?"

"I wouldn't say so otherwise. Perhaps not really lacking respect, maybe just in terms of bluntness. Ne, my High General Kunzite, who used to put duty before life, has changed. Something influenced him in the past of this life." Pushing down the lump that had suddenly grown in his throat, he didn't ask the question the brunette thought he would. Instead, he quietly whispered, "There was a time he would have died for me."

"There was a time when all three of us would have," stated Kyosei unemotionally, although he was shaking inwardly.

"And would you do the same in this life?"
~ * ~ * ~
Kino Makoto pushed a strand of stringy, limp, soggy brown hair out of her face and glared menacingly at her guardian. "Aoao-chan, are you SURE this is absolutely necessary?"

"What might 'this' be? Training? Training is very necessary," replied Aoao sweetly, sitting under the cover of some large leaves on a dry branch.

Glowering, the brunette snapped, "I'm standing here in thirty degree weather (Fahrenheit), dripping, soaking, and soon to catch pneumonia. I don't exactly call training an emergency at the moment, what about you?"

Gulping nervously as her charge, looking threatened and pushed past her usual good-natured temper, the green bird hopped to another spot and shifted from one leg to the other. "Erk. It's not my fault that you're not weather-hardened anymore. I remember the Silver Millennium *voice dreamy* and Jupiter, where you came from. It stormed so frequently there, and since you controlled that power, you'd always go out in the rain to do all sorts of outdoor activities, belying all the servants's fears that you would get sick."

Deciding she'd had enough reminiscing and rain, Makoto grabbed her green poncho that nearly matched her eyes, if only it had been a more natural color. "Well," she retorted angrily, "I was alive then too, and I got my memories. It wasn't such a nice time to be alive, at least not that much better than that one." She stomped towards the temple, not stopping when she heard wing flaps behind her and a slightly pressure on her shoulder. For some reason, salty water was flowing down her cheeks, and the only reason she'd known was the bitter taste in her mouth. For the first time that day, she was relieved that the onslaught of rain hadn't stopped, masking her tears.

"Mako-chan, if you want, we can train indoors today. There's an extra room that Rei-chan said would be open, you know how she is with the sixth sense and all."

"Very lucky girl, could have warned me to take a raincoat instead of running back and forth, then walking back here again. What if someone comes into the room?"

The lime green bird grinned and said, "Leave it to me. We guardians have powers too, you know, they're just overlooked by most of the galaxy."

"How powerful are they?"

Smiling again, Aoao mischievously pecked her lightly on the nose and said, "Stop being so curious. Just enough power to make certain people nervous....."
~ * ~ * ~
Seishou Kouseinou sat down heavily in his room-lucky enough to get a single-and sighed. Life was both annoying and confusing these days, and he was left without friends. After he had met the exuberant Kasen, energetic Kyosei, and slightly.....wry yet extremely serious Yosouya, it had seemed he was incapacitated to make anymore friends, although he hadn't really wished for them. Of course, some idiots his own age laughed that he needed the company of boys one and/or two years younger than him, but that didn't mean he had to listen.

Often, his mind drifted back to a little blond girl he remembered in a special part of his mind, a spirit he regarded as an angel. He could just barely recall her voice, wondering why he was alone and if he'd like to play with her, then something about foreigners and names. Children were very straight forward, and nothing was really complicated unless an adult said something strange. Kouseinou closed his eyes and pulled his long silver hair into a ponytail, thinking about a childish voice that had cried, "You're It, Kousei-kun! Come on!" He shook his head and grinned, but alas, the happy expression soon melted into grief.

This strange Chiba Mamoru, almost nothing like the prince of the past, had his friends, fellow generals. Kasen had fallen first. Then Souya, which hadn't been that much of a surprise. He had always suspected something strange had intervened when the blonde had woken up with "amnesia" and only memories of generals. It had been a surprise to see Kyosei go over, he had thought the stars would protect him. Bitterly, he muttered out loud, "Guess there were stronger forces out there. And now I'm all alone. But I won't give in, not without a fight."

A sad voice in his head whispered, "You had a duty to your prince, and you swore in the past. You said you'd never break your promise."

"He's not the same now."

"Same person, isn't he? Different, as you are, in a new life, but Chiba Mamoru is indeed the reborn form of Prince Endymion." Glaring at himself in the mirror, Kouseinou wondered why he had suddenly gotten into the habit of talking to himself. Kasen rarely did it, he talked to everyone and everything, but they chose not to answer most of the them-which was why Kyosei teased him about talking to himself. Speaking of which, the brunette never had to carry on a conversation with himself, he had the stars as companions. Grinning wryly, he remembered many occasion when Yosouya had been doing homework or something else that required great concentration, he had always started muttering to himself, and sometimes after science class, his brother would start laughing at him for mumbling aloud the procedures and observations for labs. Yet another smile melted off his face, happiness and fond memories never lasted, why had the dark-haired Mamoru, with dim, dusky features changed everything in this life and the last?
~ * ~ * ~
Taking a deep breath, Aino Minako pushed up the sleeves of her school uniform and prepared herself for the difficult, tiring, and death-defying task that she was about to face-waking up Tsukino Serena. "Sere-chan, get up, please. We're going to be late to school!"

"Just another minute, okaa-san...."

"I'm not your okaa-san, I'm Minako-chan, remember?"

"Whatever you say, okaa-san," the blonde slurred into her pillow, drooling slightly.

Feeling disgusted and reaching the end of her patience, she threatened, "Tsukino Serena, if you don't get up this moment, I'm going to school without you! And when you're late and Haruna-sensei gives you detention, I won't be staying after this time." When this got nothing but a brief groan and stirring, she yanked the covers off the snoring Serena, long hair tangled and spread out all around her, Minako resorted to tickling.

"AIEEEEEE!!! I'm up, I'm up!! No more *gasp*! No more tickling!" She jumped out of bed, grabbed her own red, white, and blue school uniform, and ran into the bathroom (tripping over quite a few things on her way: chairs, clothes, backpack, and other objects she had left in her way).

Minako sighed ruefully, crystal blue eyes twinkling with remembrance and glee as she made her way downstairs. "Ohayo, Tsukino-san."

"Ohayo, Mina-chan. Remember, you can call me Ikuko-san or -chan if you want. I'm making pancakes for breakfast, do you want anything in your's?"

Briefly thinking, she shook her head and said, "I like them plain, thanks." As Mrs. Tsukino poured the thick, milky batter into the frying pan, she went over to the cupboards and retrieved sugar, an unopened jar of jam, and some maple syrup.

"Mina-chan, is that lazy daughter of mine up yet?" asked Ikuko, her own eyes sparkling in good humor, the whole family teased poor Serena often.

"Hai," she replied, grinning back.

The purple haired woman sighed in relief. "You're a true godsend, Aino Minako. There were times when I had to BEG Serena-chan to get up, good-hearted as that girl is, she can never get up."

Dryly, the blonde set the assorted breakfast items on the table and responded, "Ah, it's nothing. I'd prefer not to have detention every other day after school myself. Has Shingo-kun gotten up yet?"

The woman lifted two pancakes onto a plate and poured more mix into the pan, beaming slyly. "Shingo-kun's been getting up earlier and earlier lately to get dressed. Just listen and you'll hear the hair dryer blowing. He's finally trying to neaten up and look handsome, I think he's got a crush on someone," she winked at Minako.

Blushing, she said, "Gomen nasai if he got your hopes up, Ikuko-san, but I don't think I like him in that way."

"Oh, I expected that. But thank kami-sama he's actually trying to look tidy instead of a walking laundry hamper." At that moment, her daughter thundered down the stars, pigtails and school bag flying behind her, Mina was surprised the strap hadn't broken yet the way Serena swung it. Glaring balefully at her friend, the blonde plunked down and reached for a fork. "Uh, uh, uh! Sere-chan, what bad manners you have! Not saying good morning, and wait till your otou-san, otouto-san, and Mina-chan start eating!"

Hanging her head, Serena apologized, "Gomen, I was hungry. Ohayo, minna."

Giggling, her friend replied, "Ohayo, Sere-chan. You're always hungry!"

Frowning at her, the meatball headed girl pouted and put her chin on the table, yawning. "You woke me up to early, I need the extra food now."

Smirking when they were given permission to eat, avoiding any glances from Shingo, Minako asked, "Serena-chan, doesn't it go down better instead of shoving toast into your mouth as we run out the door?"

The sandy-haired boy laughed along with her and teased, "Yeah, onee-chan. Especially when the bread drops on the sidewalk and we hear you start-"

*WAIL* "You guys are so meeeaaan to meeee! Stop ganging up on me!!" Everyone covered their ears and glowered jokingly at Minako and Shingo, who held their hands up innocently and winced.

~ * ~ * ~
The senshi of Mercury glared icily at her guardian, who scuttled sideways in her unease. "Koori-chan, why do you keep pushing me to go to higher powers when Aoao-chan and Phobos-chan and Deimos-chan have given it a rest?"

Patiently, the blue crab replied, "Mercury, you have to understand that as the weakest senshi, it is important that you have a variety of attacks and good resources in the intelligence department. For example, your earrings."

Gently touching the three small, circular sapphires, she asked, "What? My earrings?"

"Didn't you realize it was slightly odd that you had only one earring, then you transformed and suddenly gained two more in each ear?" When her pupil flushed darkly, she sighed and tried to sound reassuring. "It's all right, I just have to teach you now. Lightly tap the second one in your right ear, a blue-hued visor should appear." When it did, she allowed Mercury to have a few minutes of marveling at the detailed and complex scans she was getting. "Play around with the other four, you'll see they decrease and increase what you can and cannot see, other things like that. Are we ready to go on now?"

Blinking disappointedly, she replied, "Hai, hai. I have Shabon Spray, Shabon Spray Freezing. Please tell me there aren't any more Shabon Spray powers."

Wincing, Koori replied, "There's one more. But the next one isn't, so don't worry." Pausing for the unneeded sigh of relief, she instructed, "You should have gotten used to the basic concept of looking for your inner core of magic and grasping it. Raise your arms above your head."

The senshi complied and looked at her guardian oddly. "I just have my hands in the air?"

"Queen Selenity, help me. Did you purposely plan this kind of torture for us to go through, training these annoying girls twice? No, Mercury, you semi-twist your wrists, yes, a bit like dancing if we must compare it that way, and-"

The crab stared, befuddled as a sudden deluge of swirly, freezing water spun rapidly yet under control in the senshi's hands. She grinned and asked, "Did I do it right now?"

Weakly, she nodded her assent. "Yes, yes. Luna, I swear, next time you aren't backing out on another session, I hate surprises."

"Um....." Shakily, the blue-clad senshi turned pale, beads of sweat appearing. "What do I DO with it??"

"For goodness' sake, throw it at something before you faint from the energy you're using to keep it there!"

Closing her eyes, Mercury threw it in some wild direction, and when she opened them, she gasped. "W-w-w-where did all this ice come from?"

Koori scurried over to the walls and lightly tapped the frozen wood. "Selene, help me. Mercury, how much energy did you USE in your attack? This is more than a foot thick!"

"Is it? I don't exactly know....excuse me, I think we'll have to continue this another time," whispered the girl vaguely. A few seconds later, she had detransformed and lay on the thick layer of ice coating the ground.

Helplessly staring at the unconscious Ami, Koori tried to get to the door, although she knew she wouldn't be able to open it. As she slipped and slid mercilessly on the hard surface, she groaned and cried, "Why me? I couldn't even ice skate even in the Silver Millennium!"
~ * ~ * ~
Later that day, the guardians were off to finish some mundane task, so Makoto and Ami were left to their own devices-something they were very pleased at. By the time the brunette finished her nice, heated shower to warm up, the blue-haired one had made some tea, although neither of their's was as good as Rei's. They went to Makoto's room to wait for the absent priestess, and they were very, very nervous. The raven-haired one didn't like her piano lessons, not one bit, which was why she was always cranky and in a terrible mood after them. Sipping the steaming tea, both girls jumped when Rei stormed in, flaring, and for an instance, Ami could have sworn that her eyes and hair had flamed red for an instance. "Um....konnichiwa, Rei-chan. I take it you didn't have the most pleasant of experiences?"

"That's an understatement," she growled. "Is there anymore tea? And let's not talk about that, a new topic would be preferable."

"One time in my life I'm grateful I don't take an instrument," said Ami softly.

When the miko's purple eyes ignited again, Makoto gulped and handed her a boiling cup. Racking her mind for a good conversation issue, she finally came up with one and smiled. "I know, we can talk about boys!" Both Ami and Rei groaned, neither too hot on the topic. The blue-haired one had always stayed away from them, the inky black-haired girl had just had an unpleasant experience with some at school. "Hey, come on! I'm not talking about particular ones this time, I mean, would you ever want to go out with a guy? Or have a relationship?"

Shrugging, Rei replied, "I guess. If the people in our school would ever grow up and stop going out with sluts. I mean, who cares about looks? Guys, of course."

The other two stared at her for a moment, envying her clear skin, long, shiny hair, and large purple eyes. "Rei-chan, you've really got to be crazy sometimes. What about you, Ami-chan?"

*blush* "Why don't you go first, Mako-chan?"

"Iie!" she grinned, waving her second finger in the air importantly. "You first, darling."

Glaring at her, she sighed and said, "I don't know. Most of the time, people only 'go out' for two weeks, maximum. I'd want one of those fairytale romances that last a long time, if not forever. And who says we'll find the perfect guy at age fourteen? Well, fifteen for you."

"Exactly," nodded Rei emphatically.

Sighing in delight, Makoto's green eyes sparkled enthusiastically as she suggested, "Wouldn't, or doesn't, everyone want to have a fairytale romance? I mean, not only are the princes hunky and nice and all, with the best personalities, the princesses are just......beautiful. Kind, wonderful, magical, the perfect girl some guys wait their whole life to find."

Luna, who had come in, asked, "And do those guys find them?"
~ * ~ * ~
Minako smiled. "Sometimes, sweethearts, sometimes. Then, those very special princes and princesses that found their true loves lived happily every after. The end."
~ * ~ * ~

Paths of Thorns