© 1999 Daerlyn
Chapter 1: Storm Breaking
Author's note: This is a rewrite version. All characters are property of Naoko Takeuchi, except for Lilith, who is property of White Wolf Games Studio, with a few of my own alterations thrown in. Please don't sue me. :) This story is based on the original Sailor Moon TV series, not the American censored version that got force-fed to six-year-olds. If you don't like the fact that Rei is a bitch and Mako and Mina think it's funny, go read someone else's fic, 'kay?
Brief Glossary: The term 'Kami-sama' refers to the old Japanese gods. '-chan', '-san', '-sama', '-kun' are suffixes denoting varying degrees of respect and/or intimacy. No Suffix is either very close (Mamoru and Usagi, Haruka and Michiru), or directly insulting (lack of respect). 'Mangas' are japanese comics. 'Domo Arigato' is 'thankyou very much' (roughly). 'Odango atama' directly translates to dumpling head, but is equivalent to Darien calling Serena 'Meatball Head'. 'Nani' means 'what?'. 'Minna Henshin yo' translates roughly to 'everyone transform!'.
Rei glared at Usagi as the rest of the people gathered on the steps of the temple braced for the storm.
"Usagi!" Rei reached over and snatched her Magic Knight Rayearth manga from Usagi's shocked hands. "Will you ever learn that my mangas are mine! If you want to read them, then ask! And quit leaving them all over the floor, odango atama!"
Usagi gaped at Rei, her hurt feelings evident on her face. "But Rei!" she wailed. "You never read them! You're so selfish!" She started to wail, tears running down her face.
Minako and Makoto started to giggle, while Ami looked away to save Usagi face. Luna and Artemis groaned audibly, and Mamoru hid his smile behind his hand.
Rei crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at Usagi, frowning direfully. "Argh!" She tossed the manga back into Usagi's lap. "Here! Just stop crying!"
Usagi's tears dried as if they'd never been wept, and she lept to her feet. "Domo arigato, Rei!" She threw her arms around her friend.
Rei stiffened and pulled herself free. "Please, odango atama, go away." The rest of the group laughed at the two.
Usagi sat down again with the manga in her lap, smiling blissfully. Mamoru moved over from where he'd been standing at the bottom of the stairs and dropped down beside her, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
"And what stories are we reading today, Usako?" His low voice, wrapped around the name that only he used, made her smile even wider.
Rei looked on in disgust as Usagi started to chatter away in her lilting voice.
"Those two." She shook her head disbelievingly. "I will never understand them."
Makoto grinned. "Now, Rei-chan, be nice." She jerked her thumb at the temple, where they could dimly hear Grandpa yelling. "After all, you've got Yuuchiro."
Rei rolled her eyes. "Please. Save me."
Ami started paying attention again. "From what, Rei-chan?"
Rei glared at her, then turned and stomped up the stairs, waving her arms and muttering to herself. Ami looked hurt.
Minako looked up from her schoolbag, which she had been looking through to hide her giggles. "Ami-chan, I just remembered. I've got this math homework with me, all about trig identities. Can you help me with it?"
Ami smiled. "Sure, Mina-chan." She slid across the stairs to Minako's side and grabbed a pencil. "The secret is in the formula r/y=x . . . "
Makoto quickly tuned them out as she dug through her own school bag, pulling out one of her favorite romance novels. Losing herself in its pages, she looked up only when Rei returned.
"Where are you going?"
Makoto looked up from her book to see Usagi and Mamoru standing at the bottom of the stairs, hand-in-hand. Usagi grinned.
"Mamo-chan and I are going for a walk by the lake."
Minako looked up. "Oh good, I'll come with you!"
Rei, Ami, and Makoto exchanged fast glances. Ami cut in smoothly. "No, Mina-chan, you've almost got this, and if you're distracted you'll lose it, and we'll have to start over."
Minako gave her a sharp look, then understanding dawned. "Oh, of course, Ami-chan," she covered hastily. "You're right. I'll stay here. You guys have fun," she told Usagi and Mamoru.
The two lovers waved and headed off. Makoto looked back at Rei, who was standing at the top of the stairs, her arms crossed as she watched the two walk off with an absent frown.
Mamoru smiled indulgently as Usagi ran up ahead to pick some flowers. He breathed deeply of the fresh air, and looked around with a generally cheerful air. He was almsot knocked over by Usagi's return. She hugged him tightly, then presented him with a bouquet of yellow and red roses. He accepted them gravely.
"Domo arigato, Usagi-san."
She looked up at him, squinting at the sun. Mamoru held the solemn pose a moment longer, then broke into helpless laughter. "I love you, Usako."
Usagi grinned, and kissed him.
When they finally broke apart, a cloud had blocked the warm sun. Usagi shivered. Mamoru considered.
"I think it's about to rain."
"I'll race you to the gazebo." Usagi pointed to the round wooden structure further down the path.
"All right. 1 . . . 2 . . . Hey!" Usagi was off and running. Laughing, Mamoru chased her, his longer legs closing the gap between them. Usagi glanced behind her, saw him, and put on an extra burst of speed. She reached the gazebo, and leaned up against one of the posts supporting the roof, panting. Mamoru reached it seconds later.
"I — win —" Usagi said triumphantly, between gasping breaths.
"Cheater," Mamoru returned, trying to frown and failing utterly.
Usagi got her second wind and stood up straight. "I need some kind of head start. Your legs are longer than mine."
Mamoru smiled. "So what do you win?"
Usagi wrapped her arms around his neck as the rain started to fall. "Why don't we talk about that?"
Minako, Artemis, and Luna all looked out Rei's bedroom window into the rain. "Where are they?" Luna muttered.
Rei, sitting on her bed, didn't respond, just sat with her arms crossed on her bent knees. Makoto watched her with worry. Ami was cheerfully doing Minako's math homework.
Minako shifted. "Maybe we should go after them."
Mamoru finally broke away from Usagi. Something wasn't right. He looked over her head and gasped.
Lightning was crashing across the sky. Floating in the middle of all the chaos was a woman with silver hair and glowing eyes.
Mamoru spun Usagi behind him, and assumed a fighting position.
"Mamoru, nani?" She saw the woman. "Kami-sama!"
The woman lifted long slender hands like claws and spoke in a voice like thunder. Mamoru didn't understand a word of it. The force of her words struck him dead on. He was drowning in waves of blackness.
The last thing he heard was Usagi's scream.
"Mamoru!"
Rei was screaming.
"Mamoru! Mamoru!"
She jumped off the bed and dashed out the door into the rain.
The other three girls and two cats gaped at her. Makoto was the first to move.
"C'mon, something's after Mamoru and Usagi! Henshin yo, minna! Jupiter Star Power, transform!"
"Mercury Star Power, transform!"
"Venus Star Power, transform!"
The three Sailor Senshi ran after Rei, praying they weren't too late.
-------Time Passes------
"Mamoru! Mamo-chan! Where are you?" Usagi's voice was anguished, scared and alone.
Rei winced, listening to her friend's cries from the next room.
"Ami-chan, can't we try to wake her up again?"
Makoto looked up from across the room, where she had been gazing out the window into the starless night.
"Yeah, Ami-chan. It makes me want to cry to hear her like this. Can't we do something?"
Ami sighed and shook her head, still stroking Luna in her lap. Luna was asleep like Usagi, but a much quieter sleep, and looked terribly worried.
"You both know we can't do anything until Minako comes back with Hotaru."
In the other room, Usagi writhed underneath her bed-covers.
"Mamoru!"
Minako and Artemis trotted along the sidewalk towards the apartment where the Outer Senshi lived. Minako shivered, and pulled her jacket tight around her. She went quickly from streetlight to streetlight, wishing it wasn't quite so dark. Relax, she thought to herself. Nothing's coming after you. She remembered Usagi, twisting restlessly in her bed, crying for Mamoru. But what about Usagi? What's coming after her? And can anyone help?
"Minako."
Minako jumped as Artemis startled her out of her reverie.
"Mina-chan, do you think Hotaru will be able to help?"
Minako scowled at Artemis for putting her thoughts into words. "Don't be so pessimistic, Artemis!" She forced herself to sound cheerful. "Of course she will!"
They walked up the steps to the apartment building and into the lobby. Minako went over to the button panel and punched the one for the outer senshi's apartment. The buzzer sounded.
After a few seconds, Setsuna's voice answered from the speaker next to the panel. "Yes?"
Minako took a deep breath. "Setsuna-san? It's Minako. May I come up?"
Setsuna sounded slightly surprised. "Of course, Minako-san. Just let me buzz you in . . ." A loud buzzer sounded and the inner door clicked open. Minako grabbed it and ran through to the elevator, Artemis at her heels.
They got out at the top floor, where the largest apartments were, and walked quietly down the carpeted hallway. Minako stopped at the last door and knocked lightly.
Setsuna opened the door. "Konban wa, Minako-san. Come in." The tall, green-haired woman smiled and stepped back.
Minako stepped into the foyer with Artemis. She smiled weakly. "Setsuna-san . . . " she trailed off. Hotaru had stuck her head around the doorway between the foyer and the sun room.
"Setsuna-mama, who's here . . . " The frail looking 16-year-old's face lit up. "Mina-chan!" She ran to Minako and hugged her. "Why are you here?"
Minako gently pulled Hotaru's arms from around her neck, looking sad. "Hotaru-chan, Setsuna-san, someone took away Mamoru."
Setsuna and Hotaru gasped. "When?" Setsuna demanded.
"Sometime this afternoon, during the thunderstorm."
Hotaru went pale. Setsuna looked like she wanted to curse.
Minako continued. "He was with Usagi. They'd gone for a walk along the river. The rest of us were at the temple with Rei. About two minutes after the storm started, Rei said she heard them calling for us. We went to them as fast as we could, as Sailor Senshi, but we were too late. When we got there, Usagi was lying on the ground and Mamoru was gone."
Now Setsuna did swear. "Shit."
Hotaru and Minako looked at her in surprise. She ignored their expressions. "How is Usagi?"
Minako sighed. "She's uninjured as far as we can tell, but she won't wake up. We tried and she was awake for a few minutes, but then fell asleep again. She's having nightmares, I think, and she keeps calling out for Mamoru. It's awful to listen to. She sounds so scared."
Artemis spoke up. "Hotaru-san, we need you to help Usagi."
Hotaru looked frightened. "But . . . but . . . Artemis-san! I don't know how!"
Setsuna smiled gently. "I'll help you, Hotaru-chan." She put a comforting arm around the girl's shoulders.
Minako smiled gratefully. "Will you come now?"
Setsuna nodded. "But let me leave a note for Haruka and Michiru first."
"Kaioh-san!"
Michiru turned gracefully, her blue-green hair spilling over her shoulders from its high pony-tail. For a moment she couldn't tell who was calling her.
A small boy of about ten ran up to her, holding out a concert programme. "Kaioh-san, will you and Tenoh-san sign this, please? My mother loves your music, and it would mean very much to her!"
Michiru and Haruka smiled at each other, and then at the little boy. "Certainly." Michiru reached into her purse for a pen. "What's your mother's name?" she asked, taking the programme.
The little boy bounced up and down happily. "Domo Arigato! My mother's name is Matsunuma Satomi."
Michiru laughed at the child, while scribbling on the programme, 'You have a lovely son, Matsunuma-san. Keep him well. Kaioh Michiru' She handed it and the pen to Haruka, who signed quickly, and gave it back to the boy. The boy looked ecstatic. "Thank you Kaioh-san, Tenoh-san!" He threw his arms around Michiru's waist and hugged her hard, then repeated it for Haruka, who looked distinctly uncomfortable.
The boy ran off, and Michiru turned to Haruka and linked arms with her. "That was sweet of him," she said.
Haruka grunted. "If you say so, Michiru."
Michiru laughed gently. "Just think back to when Hotaru was even younger, and just as enthusiastic."
Haruka's unconscious smile was contented.
Michiru smiled privately. "Come on, let's go to the car, before every person here asks us for an autograph."
Haruka suddenly realized she was smiling like an idiot, and shook her head slightly. "Uh . . . right, the car. This way."
They made their way through the crowd out into the parking lot. A chill breeze sprang up, and Michiru shivered. Her long blue dress had no sleeves, and was very thin. Haruka paused under a streetlight and grinned impishly. "Brace yourself, love."
Michiru looked up at her. "Nani — ?" She was cut off as Haruka suddenly bent and lifted her up.
"Put your arms around my neck, Michiru. I'll keep you warm on our way to the car." The underlying innuendo in her tone made Michiru blush and giggle even as she lifted her arms obediently.
"Just take me to the car, you barbarian," she said lightly.
Haruka strode across the parking lot to the yellow sports car, then let Michiru down to unlock the door. She vaulted over the hood and landed on the driver's side to let herself in.
After the two women had put on their seatbelts, Haruka leaned over and kissed Michiru softly. "You were wonderful tonight. You played even more beautifully than usual."
Michiru looked into Haruka's eyes happily. "I play for you, love."
Haruka smiled and kissed her again. When they came up for air, Haruka was smirking. "So where to now, Kaioh-sama? The Tenoh chauffeur service lives only to please."
Michiru laughed. "Home, please. Hotaru and Setsuna will want to know how it went."
"Of course, oh light of my life."
Michiru's laughter echoed into the night as the yellow car raced off.
Chiba Mamoru woke up slowly, reluctantly. He opened his eyes, and winced, shifting his shoulders. His arms were chained to the cold stone wall behind him, above his head. He was seated, and his ankles were chained to the floor.
Mamoru lifted his head and looked around. He was in a windowless cell built out of grey stone. It was rather chill, and had a slight damp smell. His only source of light was a burning torch in an iron ring beside a massive wooden door.
Mamoru glanced down at himself, and shook his head, ignoring the ache. Instead of the gray slacks and light cotton shirt he'd been wearing with Usagi, Mamoru was dressed only in his boxer shorts. He shivered. This wasn't turning out to be a good day. It had started well, with him and Usagi going for a walk along the river. Then the approaching storm had sparked a race for the gazebo just off the path. Usagi had won, and collected her prize in the form of kisses. Then, as they were locked in each other's arms, evil laughter had floated up behind them. Mamoru had turned to see a silver haired woman with glowing eyes hovering just outside the gazebo, as the storm got into full swing around her. She had lifted both arms and said something in a language Mamoru didn't recognize. After that all he remembered was pain and darkness.
Mamoru pulled himself together. Obviously, his first order of business was getting out of his chains. He wondered if one of Tuxedo Kamen's roses could do it. Unfortunately, the magic rose petal that he needed to transform had been in his wallet, which was — hopefully — with his pants. Wherever those were.
He sighed again. Calling out for help was probably a bad idea, he decided. It would indicate to whoever had captured him that he was weakened. Assuming of course, that they hadn't just dumped him here and forgotten about him. Mamoru realized he had no idea how much time had passed since he'd been attacked. He craned his neck to look at his wrists. Nope, no watch. Dammit.
Mamoru gave up for the time being, his thoughts turning to Usagi. He prayed, that wherever she was, she was in a better condition than he was. The thought of anyone degrading her like this made him see red.
Usagi . . . he thought. My Usako, where are you?
A knock sounded in the Kino apartment. Makoto, Ami, and Rei all jumped and ran for the door. Luna, dumped unceremoniously off of Ami's lap, woke with a start, looking surprised and disgusted.
"Awp!! What was that for?!"
Rei looked back impatiently. "Quit snoozing, lazybones. Someone just knocked."
Makoto opened the door a few inches, and peeked outside. Seeing who it was, she opened the door all the way.
"Mina-chan, Hotaru-chan, Setsuna-san! Thank God you're all here." She stepped back to let them in.
Hotaru went in first. "How is Usagi?" she asked, looking worried.
Makoto sighed. "Not good. She's still asleep, and —"
Suddenly Usagi's voice was heard from the bedroom. "Mamo-chan? Come back!" She sounded utterly desolate.
Makoto's eyes looked suspiciously damp. " — and she's still calling out for Mamoru."
Artemis, on Minako's shoulder, hopped onto Hotaru's. "Hotaru-san, stop blocking the door," he chided gently. She blushed, and moved further inside, nodding to Rei and Ami. Minako and Setsuna followed her.
Ami stood up. "She's in here," she told them, walking into the bedroom.
Usagi was lying on the bed, dressed in her pink pyjamas. They were wrinkled and twisted, from her restless tossing and turning. She had kicked the bed clothes off, and was shivering. Ami frowned and picked up the sheets and blankets.
"She called out to Mamoru, and told him she was cold, so we covered her with extra blankets. Later, she kicked them off, and got cold again, so we covered her, but she won't stay still!" Ami sounded angry and frustrated. Hotaru could tell it wasn't directed at Usagi or any of the rest of them, just the general situation. Ami wanted to be a doctor, and any situation where she couldn't help somehow was terrible for her.
Hotaru, with Artemis still on her shoulder, moved past Ami to sit on the edge of the bed, next to Usagi. She delicately reached for Usagi's flushed face.
"Usagi-san," she whispered, almost to herself. "Usagi-san, where are you?" Her face was blank, her eyes wide and unseeing.
Hotaru used her healing sense to probe Usagi's body. Minako had been right, she was physically uninjured. Hotaru breathed silent thanks. But where is her mind? she wondered. Where has she retreated to, and what happened to make her go there?
Hotaru removed her hands from Usagi's face. Setsuna was across the bedroom, her eyes closed, muttering under her breath. Praying? Hotaru thought, then dismissed it. Ami was watching Usagi closely, searching for any change. Minako looked intently at Hotaru.
"Well?"
Hotaru shrugged, and stood. "She's hiding."
"Nani?"
"Usagi-san has been traumatized, and now she's hiding. I don't know if I can help her. I'm not a telepath. I'll try, but first I need to know more about what happened. I need to talk to Rei."
Hotaru left the room, leaving them behind her.
Ami looked up at Setsuna, who was still muttering to herself.
"Setsuna-san."
Setsuna stopped muttering and opened her eyes. "Yes?"
"What were you doing?"
Setsuna shrugged. "Thinking. Praying." Trying to find out why I didn't know this was happening! Setsuna was not about to tell Ami that she, Sailor Pluto, had no clue what was going on here. This was not a planned event, and Setsuna, Guardian of Time, knew very well what unplanned events could do to timelines. Chaos. Utter chaos. It wasn't something she looked forward to.
Ami looked somewhat sceptical, but let it pass. Instead, she followed Minako into the main room of Makoto's apartment.
Rei was sitting on the couch, her face filled with a sort of numb horror as she told Hotaru what she had felt the day before.
"I had an odd feeling all day yesterday, but I didn't think anything of it. I'm too sensitive — the smallest things set off warning signals. I should have paid more attention!" She paused, lost in self-recrimination. Hotaru, perched on the coffee table, didn't say anything, merely waited for her to continue. After a few moments, Rei did.
"Usagi and Mamoru said they were going to take a walk along the river. Minako wanted to go with them, but Makoto and I made her stay with us. We wanted to give them some time alone. Maybe fifteen minutes later, the storm started, so we figured they'd be back soon. But they weren't . . . " Rei stopped speaking, and looked lost. Hotaru leaned forward and took her hand.
"Rei-chan," her voice was gentle. "Rei-chan, this was not your fault. But you must tell me what you felt."
Rei nodded, and swallowed hard.
"I had . . . I guess you'd call it an out of body experience, or something. I could hear them, like they were right behind me, and for a moment, it was like I could almost see them . . . but I felt the force that attacked them. It caused the storm. It felt like Mettallia and Master Pharoah 90 all tangled together. Evil." She shivered. "Unbearably evil. So I told the others. And we ran to them. But we were too late, and the whole time I could hear them screaming, and then we found Usagi and I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't find Mamoru at all, and Usagi . . . well, she was like she is now." Rei's eyes were dark with pain.
Hotaru frowned. Metallia and Master Pharoah 90? Together? This is bad. Very bad. Hotaru had never encountered Metallia, but she had known Master Pharoah 90 more intimately than any of the other Senshi.
Hotaru suddenly felt very scared.
Haruka pulled her house keys out of the pocket of her dress pants. Her left arm was around Michiru's waist, and Michiru's head was on her shoulder. Haruka tried to sort her keys out one-handed, and realized it wasn't working. She squeezed Michiru, then gently propped her agianst the wall. Michiru dozed on, oblivious. The concert had worn her out.
Haruka shoved the key in the lock and grabbed Michiru again before she fell over. Sighing, she steered her lover firmly into the apartment, grabbed the keys on her way through the door, and kicked it shut behind her.
"Setsuna?" she called quietly. "Hotaru-chan?" No answer. Haruka shrugged, and picked up Michiru again. Her partner had been tired after the concert, but Haruka had convinced her to go for dinner, and the restaurant had a good band, so they'd danced until the early hours. Now Michiru was asleep in her arms, and she didn't mind a bit.
Entering her bedroom, she kicked off her shoes on her way in, and laid Michiru down on the king-sized bed. Haruka straightened and removed her dinner jacket, draping it over Michiru's rocking chair. Deftly, she undid all her buttons and dropped her white shirt on the floor, with her pants following seconds later. Moving to the dresser, she rummaged around until she found a set of blue flannel pyjamas. She pulled them on quickly, and then tried to remember what drawer Michiru kept her nightgowns in.
The blonde woman searched in the dark for several minutes, then finally gave up, pulling out one of her own over-sized t-shirts instead. Moving back to the bed, she carefully pulled Michiru into a sitting position. Michiru mumbled sleepily as the t-shirt was pulled over her head, and Haruka paused, waiting to see if the aqua-haired woman would wake up. But she passed back into whatever dream she was having, and Haruka gently put her arms through the sleeves and laid her back down, tugging the covers over her.
"Night, love," she whispered, dropping a light kiss on Michiru's forehead. She then stood and went out to the living room to stretch out on the couch and watch some TV. On her way, she stuck her head into Setsuna's room, to see if she was still up.
Setsuna's bed-side lamp was still on, but the bed was made, and Setsuna was nowhere to be seen. Haruka frowned, and went to Hotaru's room. The same thing. Her frown deepening, Haruka walked into the living room. On the coffee table lay a message in Setsuna's precise handwriting. Haruka read it, mystified.
'Haruka, Michiru,
Hotaru and I are at Kino-san's apartment. Meet us there when you can. We were looking forward to hearing about the concert.
Setsuna'
Haruka stared at the paper in her hands, thinking. Kino-san's apartment? Why would they be there? Unless . . . something happened to Usagi!
She dashed back into the bedroom she shared with Michiru.
"Michiru!!" she yelled, flipping the light switch, flooding the room with brightness.
Michiru blinked and groaned.
"Haruka . . . Haruka, are we late?" she mumbled.
Haruka groaned. "No, Michiru! Something happened to Usagi! We have to go meet Setsuna and Hotaru at Kino-san's apartment!"
"Ara . . . ." Michiru suddenly sat straight up. "Setsuna and Hotaru are at Mako-chan's? Something must've happened to Usagi!"
Haruka, though worried, still grinned wryly. "Swift, Michiru. Find clothes. Let's go." She picked her own pants up off the floor as she spoke.
Mamoru was dozing, his head nodding until his chin rested on his chest. His wrists were numb. He had established what felt like hours ago that his hands, no matter how he twisted and squished his fingers, were not going to slide through the shackles. His shoulders ached, he had no feeling in his ass. Somehow, he managed to ignore all of that, and doze a bit.
~ . . . Usagi . . . ~
She was across a deep chasm. Almost in another dimension. Mamoru stood at the very edge and tried to reach her. All he could hear were her cries.
~. . . Mamo-chan! Mamoru . . . Where are you? Mamo-chan? . . . ~
He called, but his voice was not loud enough. She couldn't hear him, and until he somehow managed to make her hear, she would never turn to see where he was.
~. . . . Usako . . . ~
Mamoru forced himself awake. No! I won't think like that. I will escape, and I will get to Usagi!
He tried to gauge whether his chains gave him enough slack to stand. Clenching his fists, he pulled against the chains on his wrists until he was crouching. Immediately, his knees began to hurt. Fortunately, from there, standing fully was a simple matter. There was just enough slack in the chains, although a good stretch was out of the question.
"Finally."
The calm, crystalline voice made Mamoru jump. He hadn't seen or heard the woman who now stood before him enter.
She was tall, taller than he was. Her silver hair was gathered into a bun and drifted down to her ankles. Her eyes were an undefinable shade of moonlight. She was dressed in a silver unitard which left very little to the imagination. Her black boots reached almost to her knees.
Mamoru glared at her.
"Who are you?"
She ignored his question. "Finally," she repeated. "I was half-afraid you'd given up. Humans always seem so much more defiant on their feet rather than on their rears."
Mamoru was confused. "What are you?"
The silver-haired woman smiled. "I am Kurai Shinsetsu . . . Once, humans called me Lilith."
Mamoru looked at her in astonishment. "Dark Earth? Are you related to me — Endymion?"
She turned to the door, placing her right hand flat against it. It slowly opened towards her. She looked over her shoulder at Mamoru.
"Related, Endymion-sama?" Her lips curved in a smile. "Not by blood."