Rivalry After Dark

Author: Lady Anaira

Seiya has returned to earth and Mamoru has some choice words for his rival.

The trees rustled as the warm summer night breeze floated through the park playing gently with the raven hair of the owner of cold royal blue orbs that were locked with angry azure eyes, as one young man stared down his rival. "What are you doing here?" a steely voiced asked as he glared at his opponent. The sensation of this person's presence had been too overwhelming to deny and it had called him away from the warm embrace of his beloved.

Azure eyes narrowed in anger at the tone of voice the young man had used. "I could ask you the same thing." The statement raised the hackles of the young man, his opponent was dangerous but it seemed that this person was unaware how dangerous the tight rope they walked on truly was.

His answering smirk spoke volumes as he laid a golden glowing hand against the trunk of the nearest tree tapping into his connection with the Earth. The tree resonated with the glow of Mamoru's hand like the beat of a heart and the tree's branches seemed to run through Mamoru's hair gently. "Nothing happens on this planet that I am not aware of."

"Humph. I highly doubt that." A snort of derisive laughter left the fool's mouth and sent a spark of anger rippling through out him.

The gentleman sighed as he thought of the reason behind this person's sudden reappearance. "You can't have her." his voice calm but icy as his eyes went to the full moon above their heads. There was no question as to whom he could possibly be speaking about. They both knew but it seemed only one of them had been bred to be a fool.

"Is that jealousy I hear? Nevertheless, you cannot speak for her." Azure eyes narrowed in anger at the young man's presumptions. How dare he think that he could speak for her? Has he forgotten completely of the power that I wield or the strength that lies within me.

He straightened, removing his hand from the tree. Fool. I am dealing with a fool in love. "You don't seem to understand or dare I say you don't wish to." The lines around his mouth hardened at that thought. "She's not some plaything that you can trifle with when you please, Seiya-kun." See there, I will try to be respectful since she is my Usako's friend and she helped her while I was dead. However, all bets are off if she doesn't get the hint soon.

The smile that crossed Seiya's face was pure malice as she spit out, "The way you have Chiba?"

Mamoru's eyes closed in frustration, Oh how I hate this woman and her self-righteous attitudes. I am so close to blasting this woman and then spending the rest of my life apologizing to my Usako.

"Or do you fear that Odango would choose a woman over you." Seiya smirked the idea sent wonderful chills throughout her body. Now was the time to strike if she could drive a wedge of doubt into Mamoru's heart then Odango would be her's. "Perhaps you only think you love her because she was once Princess Serenity and you were Prince Endymion. Maybe you don't love her and only think it is what you should feel."

A ripple of electricity flowed forward from Mamoru as his eyes flashed golden shocking Seiya even as the man laughed. The sound of his laughter set Seiya on edge as there was something primal and dangerous in that sound. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to antagonize the former Prince of Earth.

Mamoru's hands encompassed the area around them, "If you truly believe that then you are as much a fool as the rest of them were." Perhaps a little history lesson shall set her straight.

"Rest… of them?" Seiya stuttered just what was this man talking about. She couldn't remember Usagi talking about anybody else the only trouble they had ever discussed was the whole Galaxia incident.

"So she didn't tell you. Maybe you should wonder why that is, Seiya. Could she not trust you with the information? Or maybe she couldn't find it in herself to open up to you. My Usako isn't one to hold secrets at least not for very long." Mamoru smirked at the nervous look on Seiya's face. "The others, Demando, Beryl, Nehelannia, Ail and Ann, and well you know about Galaxia." Although Mamoru was less than pleased at the memories those names unleashed within him but the tree's gentle pulse was enough to remind him to stay his anger and keep his power quelled.

Then the fool went and opened her mouth, "Didn't they succeed?" Seiya was confused. Why would Odango have kept this from her? Hadn't she proven that she could be trusted? Or perhaps Chiba was making all of this up just make her stop pursuing Odango?

The very fact that she phrased her response as though it was a question showed how little she truly understood. "You don't seem to understand that temporary success is not a victory." Mamoru's cold voice retorted. "You are a fool if you believe it is." His eyes swept towards Seiya and then back to the backdrop of the park around them.

"I am no fool, Mamoru-kun." Seiya knew that Mamoru had just dismissed her as an unworthy opponent, one not worth expending the necessary energy that a fight would require. However, she was also beginning to feel the pressure of standing up to Mamoru. Is this the reason that there have been no other suitors for Usagi's hand? Is Mamoru realy that intimidating to the rest of the human populace? However, I am not human and I will not be easily cowed into submission.

He knew she was offended that he had dismissed her, but it was obvious that although Seiya knew the strength that her Princess, Kakyuu held and the raw power that Usagi commanded she didn't know one iota that Mamoru's power was on equal footing with Usagi's. "Oh, but you are, you don't understand that I may have loved her as Endymion. I may have died for her then but I live for her now. Though I fought her love in the beginning it was I, Chiba Mamoru, not Prince Endymion whom fell in love with Tsukino Usagi, not Princess Serenity."

"What are you trying to say?" Seiya didn't like where this conversation was going. Mamoru was supposed to be willing to give up on Usagi. He wasn't supposed to be arguing with her. That was not how she imagined the scenario going. Mamoru was supposed to say that he understood and that Seiya's love was stronger than any love he could offer the former Moon Princess.

Mamoru looked at the full moon above them, the one thing that never failed to remind him of his beloved fiancee. "That I have loved my Usako from the moment we met long before my memories of the past were recovered." He was beginning to think that Seiya's head was full of smoke since she couldn't remember that Usagi was already in love.

"But you've been brainwashed by Galaxia." It was true that he had been and that it had not been the first time, however, it was not because he was weak, on the contrary it was because his love for Usagi had been so great that he had sacrificed himself to save her. It seemed that Seiya could not understand the true depths of his devotion for his beloved.

I'm running out of patience for this conversation. This woman might end up being ash if she does not leave my Usako in peace soon."That may be so but I've always loved her. She always called out to me, how do you think I was healed?" Blue eyes narrowed in mounting anger as they flashed golden.

It is time to thrust the knife into his heart. "Do you think she can trust you?" Seiya cried out in her frustration with Mamoru. She wanted him to see that his abandonment of Usagi when she needed him most whether it was willingly or not showed how little faith she should actually put in Mamoru's love.

That's it! "That is enough." Mamoru's voice rang out as another pulse of power left him in his anger. The spark of anger that had been thrumming throughout his body was quickly turning into a raging inferno that would eventually need to be unleashed.

The shot of power was like a quick jolt of electricity and it shocked her. "Can't handle the truth?" She gritted out as the pressure that she had felt earlier slowly built up. Seiya felt the warm air turn icy as the gentle breeze soon turned rough, the trees in all their glorious strength bent to the will of Mamoru's power.

His rage was growing and he knew that he was releasing small bolts of his power at the woman. However, it seemed like she still didn't realize the full magnitude of his power. "I know the truth, you are the one having problems. I refuse to allow you to hurt her." Because he knew that's how it would end up. His sweet Usagi was so kind that she would believe it was all her fault.

"I think you've done enough of that for the both of us." She threw back in his face. Why couldn't Mamoru understand that his love wasn't enough and that he was not good enough for a woman of Usagi's caliber.

"Watch yourself little girl, you're on my planet and your forgetting your place. I am still Earth's Prince." The wind turned into a hurricane battering at Seiya's strength while Mamoru stood in the eye of its calm. "She is my betrothed, my future wife and Queen, the future mother of my children." This will end and soon I am tired of being nice to someone whom has only continued to insult and undermine my love and devotion. Mamoru's eyes flashed golden; she will learn the full extent of my wrath. May Usagi forgive me.

"I can stop it the future is not set in stone." Seiya's rage snapped and she was ready to fight Mamoru for Usagi. What is he but a weakling? What power can he possibly possess; he is nothing but an Earthling.

"I see you intend to continue fooling yourself into thinking you have a future with her." Mamoru pinched the bridge of his nose in mounting frustration. "We are the two halves of one soul, she is my destiny just as I am hers. You will not mar her happiness by making her feel guilt when she turns you down. Make her feel any kind of sorrow for your pain and there will be no place in any of the galaxies that you can hide from me." His warning, however fell on deaf ears. It seemed this Soldier was unwilling to listen to reason and brute force would be the answer of the day.

"You think highly of yourself." She retorted.

Mamoru's anger snapped and his blue eyes turned golden shocking Seiya when they stayed that way. The wind around them grew into a more devastating force pushing against her, the branches of the trees that surrounded them scratched at her, trying to pierce her. Their roots aimed to wrap themselves around her and Seiya realized that she had pushed Mamoru too far and now would be the time to retreat before she perished and never got a chance to turn the Odango's affection.

"Usa is mine just as Serenity is mine. You'd do well to accept that." Mamoru bit out as Seiya left him to his thoughts. The gale disappeared as Seiya escaped. He would not allow this woman to come between him and his beloved. "You can come out now." Mamoru ordered the people who had danced on his radar since he had left his home.

"That was uncalled for Mamoru-san…" Ami timid voice began to chastise him.

"Well I think he was well within his rights." Zoisite cut her off even as he earned a glare for doing so.

"Usa, is not a possession." Ami bit out as her own temper grew.

"No, Ami, she is not. She's my heart, the reason…" Mamoru tried to placate the Soldier of Mercury.

"Yes, yes, we understand she's the ying to your yang. The light to your dark." Haruka interrupted, "It's all quite beautiful and you did a wonderful job of putting her in her place. Just don't forget that Usa's happiness as well as fealty lies with you." Haruka chuckled, "Although I can't believe Seiya thinks she can come between you and my princess." A cracking of knuckles let the others know exactly what she would have done had she been in Mamoru's place. Seiya would have left a lot more bloody than she had been allowed.

"There is no greater fool than a fool in love with someone they can't have." Zoisite said sagely, "But as Haruka has already stated."

"I am not concerned about Usako abandoning me. Not to say I'll be a fool and take advantage of her love but I belong to her. I always have and I always will. "Mamoru said as he turned to look at his three companions. "Now you three should be heading home."

"But your safety?" Ami questioned.

"The Princess requested that we keep you safe when you left so abruptly." Zoisite finished.

"For her peace of mind we agreed."

Mamoru laughed, "Is there anything she cannot get you to agree to."

"We'll escort you…"

"No escort is necessary; I'm going home to my beloved whom is waiting for me. I'll be fine and I'll reassure her."

"As you wish." they said as he left them watching his escape.