If you are already reading "Thanks for the memories", you can take it as a sort of prequel, but you can also take it as a solo story.

I WILL WAIT

The ice flowed from his white gloves and hit the two girls.

Rei slowly stood up, "Usagi?"

"I'm not Usagi, I am Sailor Moon!"

Rei looked around at the dark place, people sleeping on the floor. Were they the missing people of the mysterious bus?

Who was the blond guy trying to hit Usagi? She hated him 'cause he was attacking Usagi, the only girl showing affection and not fear for her, her first real friend. She grabbed the blond guy, "Stop it!"

His pale blue/gray eyes stared at her in surprise while he tried to free himself, "Don't get in my way. Step back. You are just a mere human!"

She felt how strong he was; she felt his magic power. He could hit her, he could kill her with his power, but she wasn't scared. And he didn't use his full power on her, even if he could do it, fortunately.

A strange warmth on her forehead, a vision, a pen, and she became Sailor Mars.

When the flames, her flames, wrapped around him, he shouted, "Rascal! Sailor Mars!" and he vanished.

Who was that guy?

She hated him.

Mars wrapped her arms around his neck, "Jadeite!"

His forehead gently touched her one, his blue/gray eyes in her deep purple eyes and his look both serious and sweet.

"I'm glad to be here," she whispered before to kiss him, her slender body pressed against his slim and muscular one.

She could feel his warmth and scent, his arms wrapped around her waist.

Silence around them, just the moonlight entering the window of Jadeite's room at the Court Palace. In the room, just the sound of their panting in that first intimate meeting.

She was Sailor Mars, the last Senshi falling for one of the Shitennou. A slow but total and irreversible fall for that blond Knight, the only one able to pass her chastity vow thanks to his patience and natural kindness. The only one able to tame her fire: Jadeite, the Knight of Patience and Harmony.

She loved him.

Mars avoided his attack and had a step back.

He crossed his arms in front of his face and warded her flames off, having a jump back.

She had a jump to him, pursuing her attack. She wanted to defeat him, Jadeite, one of the Dark Kingdom's General; attack after attack, she tried to hit him while Mercury was fighting against Zoisite, Jupiter against Nephrite and Venus against Kunzite. She wanted the Dark Kingdom's Generals pay for making Princess Serenity's cry.

"Kunzite! Stop! Return to how who used to be!"

Mars glanced at Venus, surprised, "Venus!"

Venus stopped her attack to Kunzite, now the Senshi in front of Queen Beryl's four servants.

"Listen! Everyone! They aren't our enemies!"

Venus' words woke her memories up, and Mars recalled the time she fell in love with Jadeite, a long time ago, her past life.

She couldn't hate him anymore, she just wanted him to regain his memory and be again the sweet guy he used to be. She couldn't fight against him anymore, not that mortal fight.

She tried to hit him but he had a jump back, her powerful kick stopped by his arms crossed on his chest.

"Jadeite!" Male voice distracting the Knight.

Mars' new kick hit his flank, making him moan. She stopped and blushed, realizing she hit him while he was distracted, "Uh! Sorry!"

His hand on his flank, he smiled, "Good move. My fault, I should have been more careful."

She glanced at Kunzite (the one distracting Jadeite) and, by his side, Venus: they were watching her and Jadeite training, Kunzite with curious and caring eyes, and Venus with an amused and sweet look.

Kunzite turned round and walked away, "Jadeite. Be more careful and don't distract yourself this way!"

Mars felt her cheek turning red when Venus had a soft laugh, ready for the blonde Senshi's future playing on that training. Why weren't the other Senshi just content to be friends with the Shitennou, like her and Jadeite, instead of being lovers?

He caressed his right flank, "Prince Endymion told me you are a fierce warrior. It's true."

She blushed even more: she was proud to be a fierce and strong warrior, but those words from him somehow saddened her. What kind of words did she want from him?

"This is why I admire you, Mars. It's because of your passion and strength," he had a step to her, "not just while you fight but in everything you say and do," sweetness in his voice, and it was why she was starting to love him.

Yes, she was starting to love him: Mars' heart skipped a beat, both for excitement and confusion.

"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"

The strong golden light from the Senshi hid the Shitennou, reviving their memories.

"Prince Endymion! Master!"

Mars stared at Jadeite slowly standing up, his pale blue/gray eyes glancing at her, just few seconds before Metallia's dark-violet emanation swooped in on him, killing him in front of her.

She cried all her tears along with Venus, Mercury and Jupiter, tears for their lost love.

Lost love, twice: now and then.

Rei sat up in her bed, drenched in cold sweat; again those confused dreams, collection of images from now, her actual life, and then, her previous life during the Silver Millennium.

She controlled her breath and stood up, walking to her bedroom's window and staring at the yard in front of the Shrine.

The sky was clear and she should have been happy because of Metallia's defeat and a new life starting for her, peaceful life with her friends: Usagi, Minako, Ami and Makoto, her first real friends in her loneliness life.

But she wasn't happy, 'cause something was missing. He was missing, without even a proper goodbye.

She walked to the bathroom and got ready for that new day. She had to go on, forgetting her past love as Senshi and focusing on that new life as normal girl. She had that chance of new life whereas Jadeite didn't, and she couldn't change it.

She dressed her Junior High School's uniform and left her home.

Some day or another, was that pain going to disappear?

The doorbell resounded in the apartment.

Mamoru walked to the door and opened it, "Rei?"

Her schoolbag in her hands and her head down, her long raven hair covering her face like a protective veil, Rei entered Mamoru's apartment, "Usagi told me you have their stones. They have been changed into stones and their spirits helped you during the fight with Metallia." She put her shoes off and rested her schoolbag near the door, avoiding his eyes, "You have the stones, haven't you?"

Direct to the point, Rei's style. Mamoru nodded, "You want to see them, I suppose."

She simply nodded and followed him in his bedroom. She stared at him opening a drawer, taking a small box from it, placing the box on the small table near the bedroom's window and opening it.

Mamoru turned to her, "I'm going to prepare some coffee." He left the room and gave Rei the chance to remain alone; walking to the kitchen, Mamoru sighed, used to that excuse, the forth coffee with the girls along those days: first came Minako, then Makoto, Ami, and finally Rei.

Alone in Mamoru's bedroom, Rei stared at the four stones.

She gently caressed the soft green stone, a strange itching on her fingers when she touched it, "Jadeite." She took the stone in her right hand and looked at her purple eye reflected in it, "Bye." She approached her hand to her lips and kissed the stone, then she rested it in the small box, turned round and walked to the bedroom door, her heart heavy and a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Mars."

She stopped and stiffened. Was it his voice?

"Mars. I can't be by your side any more, I'm sorry. Be happy. Bye."

It was his voice. She turned round and she glimpsed his face, a sweet smile on it, in the foggy emanation coming out the stone. She had a step to that emanation but the stone absorbed it before she reached it.

She wiped her tears away and smiled, "You have always been my only love, Jadeite, and you'll always be. Maybe some day, in the future, maybe in a new life, we'll meet again and we'll be happy, both you and I. I will wait."

She walked away, reaching Mamoru and the coffee's scent in the kitchen.

No, the pain of losing Jadeite wasn't going to disappear. But maybe… maybe some day… she was going to meet him again.

"I will wait for you. Jadeite."