First Encounter

Prequel (One-Shot)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. I am not earning a profit from this fanfiction. Originally, it was a collaboration piece between fanfiction writer, Kii and myself. I will be continuing the series sans my co-writer.

This one-shot, "First Encounter," will serve as the prequel to the Dreamscape series. The first three chapters of the sequel are in the process of being revised.

"First Encounter"

By: Inazuma Akai

Once upon a time, as all good stories go, there lived a gentle queen and a benevolent king. Their reign was one of peace and prosperity for earth. Alliances were formed and planets colonized. As with all rules leaders they were under the protection of guardians, four for the solar system and four for earth.

The solar system guardians were known as the outer senshi, ruthless fighters and their kingdom's first defense. The earth-based guardians were called the inner senshi and would gladly give their lives to save the king and queen.

Now one of these inner senshi was a priestess, a beauty beyond compare actually. With hair the color of midnight yet each strand shined violet, and lips a crimson red. Her skin was smooth and flawless. Her psychic talents were a blessing and a curse for her with this duty, bringing with it a never-ending stream of possibilities.

The past, present, and future were constantly monitored by Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time. Yet as the years passed and the likelihood of the kingdom's disaster approached, a kinship between the two grew. Rei Hino. Sailor Mars. She had and always would exist in a world of her own.

The wind gently swept across the realm of solitude. Rei now called this realm, this unreality, her home. It was spring there. But then again, it was always spring. It had once been her favorite time of year long ago, when she had walked among the people she called her friends. When the cherry blossoms would bloom and shower down upon the temple in a fragrant rainfall, they would all sit outside under the trees having picnics and parties. She remembered dressing up sometimes, coming out of her shell to laugh and play. Sadly, it was all a memory now. She could only re-create happier times and watch them, like an unending movie.

Occasionally, she would encounter a dream weary traveler. They'd pass through her realm, bearing news and offering her long-desired conversation. Yet none of them returned. They were not powerful enough. All the magic of the earth seemed to have been drained with the fall of Crystal Tokyo, or as she viewed it, her failure. She had the power to see the future, to foresee the events that would alter their lives forever. But she did not act fast enough. Her sacrifice came too late to save the ones she loved. As punishment, or as a gift, she had yet to figure out which, she was placed in her solitude. In her dream world where it was forever spring, her past haunted her.

She could still hear the screams echoing in her head as she watched her king and queen fall. If only she had given herself to save them sooner, if only. There were so many possibilities. Out of all the endless possibilities, the one to cause her the most horror came to pass.

Silently she walked among the cherry blossoms, her mind reeling backwards in time to the night of her folly.

The heat of the flames encompassed her as she mediated in the huge temple of crystal. Visions flickered across her mind that night - a child playing with a small toy boat in the outskirts of the country, a boy and his sister flying a kite high in the clear sky, the next generation of senshi practicing in the courtyard. Suddenly, the comforting flames seemed too hot. Their gentle crackle turned to a roar as they leapt to life. Darkness descended on her mind as she quickly was sucked into a vision or death and fire.