Top : Archives : Story Arcs : Arc 01 Shadows : Chapter 31: Deadly Remembrances

Home | What's New | Favorites | Email Updates

Chapter 31: Deadly Remembrances

Meanwhile, Minako and Yahara were still searching for the king and queen to tell them about Kodia's whereabouts. During this time Minako attempted to figure out just what was wrong with Yahara. However, as would soon become commong for them, Hebi started a fight between the two of them...

"What is wrong? And don't tell me nothing." Minako said, her patience already wearing thin. "I am not going to leave you alone until I get the truth, and you know it,"

Yahara sighed and said, "Mina, I'm telling you, I am fine. Nothing's wrong,"

"Oh, so getting scared by absolutely nothing is a common thing you do, and I have just been totally oblivious to it the whole time." Minako said sarcastically, "It's perfectly natural that you suddenly go all psycho protective on me for no apparent reason. There is absolutely nothing out of the ordinary about you walking around like you've just been to your best friend's funeral, when I'd like to think you'd be happy to be back... Stop me at any time here,"

"Oh no please. Ramble away... You always do," Yahara snapped.

"My rambling is what's bothering you?"

"No! I mean..." Yahara groaned and just started walking in the direction of the royal wing, knowing Minako would follow and continue this line of conversation.

"Yahara please, just talk to me!" Minako shouted after she caught up with him.

"I'm talking to you now, but that's not doing us much good is it?!"

"No we aren't! All we're doing is arguing about something that only you know about! And we wouldn't even have to be arguing if you'd just tell me what's going on!"

"Mina would you just--!" Yahara started to shout, but after taking a deep breath, he seemed calmer, "Just let it go... It shouldn't have to concern you,"

"If it remotely concerns you, it concerns me. Especially if it is worth getting so upset about. If you'd just tell me then--" Yahara started walking again, this time his pace indicating that he was actually trying to get away from her.

Minako finally lost control of her emotions and felt hot tears spring to her eyes again. She ran forward. "Yahara, I heard you before. I heard you saying that you felt like you were alone... And I was right next to you! Maybe you feet alone because you're shutting me out!

"Yahara please... Don't shut me out. You're not the only one who feels alone now..."

Yahara wasn't entirely sure what happened after that. He knew that she was just trying to help, but he did not want to even think about Hebi and what he might...

But he now had to talk about it. And after keeping it from her for so long, he exploded.

"Okay, you want to know what's going on? I didn't actually kill the sorcerror. Surpised? Well get this: he's roaming around here somewhere, and I wouldn't be all that suprised either since he seemed pretty intent on coming to get revenge on me. Not only that, but he seems to have some preverse obession with you...

"How do you know this man and what does this mean?!"

Minako was about to say something, but Yahara continued, "Mina. I did it only to protect you... Of course I was happy to see you, but did you consider that maybe I didn't want to ruin our little reunion with bad news? Goddess, did I mention I just realized that I have repressed memories that are coming up right now? I can't remember anything about my childhood and I know my father did something bad... and I can't remember how mother died and..."

Minako was completely shocked at all that had been said... It was a lot to digest at once, and she had expected-- Well she didn't know what she'd actually expected, but not this...

"I'm sorry..." Yahara said softly, "I've just had to deal with a lot recently... I just need space to work things out... sorry..."

"Don't be..." Minako said, backing away from him, a little dazed herself, "Do you... Do you need a minute?"

"Yeah... I just need a minute... here this hallway... empty hallway... alone..."

Minako left him alone in that empty hallway, still overwhelmed with all she had been told. She went over all that he had said in her mind... Over and over again... Forgotten pasts... A sorceror with an obsession...

And then something hit.

Minako clutched her head and cried out in pain as a torrent of forgotten memories suddenly slammed into her. A barrage of images and words passed through her conscious like lightning, and she could barely focus on one thing long enough to determine word from image...

"...some perverse obsession... How do you know this man? What does this mean... I can't remember..."

Those were her last thoughts before she slipped into oblivion. And unlike Yahara, soon she would remember...

Meanwhile, Yahara was collecting himself in that empty hall, alone... worrying about if he had become so desensitized to murder that he would do it without a second thought... and trying to remember...

"Goddess, I can't remember... and furthermore, I won't be alright until I remember... But I know now I don't want to remember because when I do... I don't know what will happen. Goddess, why can't I start acting my age? Why do I still act like I'm an akward adolescent? Why do I have to go through all that alone again? Why do I always push away the ones I love? Why is it that I make myself suffer everything alone?"

The emotion released itself without Yahara's consent, as his body broke into wraking sobs. He had always been disgusted with himself when he had showed so much emtion in the past, but now he didn't care who saw. This went on for an immeasurable amount of time, but when the last tear dried up Yahara was left with an underlying sense of peace, though a whirlwind of emotion still raged. Yahara slowly got up, and his first thought was to find Minako. He stuck his head out around the corner, down the hallway where Minako was. His eyes scanned the dimly lit hallway, when they came to rest on a crumpled shape on the ground.

He quickly ran to her side, wondering what could have possibly happened in the short imt they were apart... But he slowly thought he knew what it was. Just then Neo Queen Serenity called.

"Oh your highness..." Yahara said as he answered, "Good you're just the person I need to talk to. Minako has passed out and -"

"-Is she alright Yahara?" Neo Queen Serenity asked urgently.

"Yes, we're both alright." he answered without thinking, "So I'll just take care of her until she feels better. I would take her to the Medical Wing, but her ailment is more of a mental one I think. Its just we've had quite a bit to talk about... Anyway, I'll let you know if her condition changes. Well uh bye,"

Meanwhile, Minako was experiencing a number of flashbacks that she hadn't known about before... The first was a visit from her princess and friend, Serenity, the night after she had met Yahara. She quickly relayed just about all of the details when Serenity asked why she was not going to break off her relationship with Nephrite...

"Promise me you won't tell anyone of this... There's another ambassador's son, maybe you've seen him... I can't remember his name... He's the one who wears sunglasses all the time, even indoors. Anyway, he just... well, he's given me a bad feeling ever since he came... And every time I turn around lately, there he is,"

"Oh Minako-chan..." Serenity breathed, "Do you suppose he's dangerous?"

Minako scoffed, "Hardly. I don't think he's anything to worry about, but... well I'd just feel better if I had both Nephrite AND Mysterio around until I'm absolutely sure,"

The next memory was out in the garden, during a rare moment of relaxation for the Venusian Princess. She had been keeping busy, still wary of Hebi's presence, but at the moment she just wanted to be alone and rest for a bit... But that was not to be...

"H- Hebi... What-What are you doing out here... Shouldn't you be with your father or... something?" Minako asked after quite literally running into him.

Hebi smirked and pushed his sunglasses back up higher on his nose, chuckling under his breath. Minako cringed but tried not to visibly show her disgust. After a few minutes of Hebi just staring at her and not saying anything, Minako lost her temper. "Hebi just say what you want and then get out of my way. There I places I am needed,"

"Oh there are many things I want, Venus... You're at the top of my list,"

Minako was now throughly revolted by Hebi's presence and everything about him, and feared him just as much. After telling him off, she attempted to leave, but he didn't appear to want her to go anywhere as hereached out and grabbed her arm rather forcibly and yanked her back. Minako let out a small shriek and tried to wrench free, but to no avail.

"Oh no you don't... I don't want you to forget these meetings... But I think it would be better if you just kept them to yourself... Don't you?"

Hebi tightened his grip on her arm so hard she heard a bone crack. Her light blue eyes were wide with fear and she began trembling slightly while she tried to ignore the immense pain radiating from her now broken wrist. Finally, she nodded in defeat, which finally made him release her.

"Damn you Togeno Hebi..."

Back in the real world, Yahara heard those words spoken. He was now thoroughly shaken as he had had no idea that she even knew his name... He certainly had not told her what it was. She woke up shortly thereafter awoke. She was still terrified from the memories, and even more when Yahara told her that Hebi was in fact the same sorceror...

And from that terror came rage, as Minako's last defense mechanism kicked in. She couldn't stand being scared of anything, so instead she chose to be angry at Yahara. The two traded back insults back and forth, until Yahara shouted, "Why are you doing this?!"

"Because I'm petrified!" Minako snapped automatically. She hadn't even thought about the words she was going to say... She had not even really allowed his words to sink in. But they had been said and there was no taking them back now.

Yahara furrowed his brow in worry and said, "Of what?"

"Him..." Minako admitted in defeat, "Yahara, he... He wasn't anything to me. He was not a suitor or a love interest or anything like that, he...

"He was my stalker."

Submitted by: archives - Hits: 0

Pages Updated On: 22-Aug-2008 - 12:34:42
Links Engine 2.0 By: Gossamer Threads Inc.