AN: I realize that this is, in some ways, like many other stories of its kind at this point. I hope that you'll stick with it though. Hopefully, it'll be worth it.
Mamoru woke with a start. He had heard a noise that had brought him out of his sound sleep. He looked around his bedroom as he sat up, trying to locate the source of the sound.
"Mamoru? Is everything ok?"
He smiled over to the still mostly sleeping form of future wife. "I think so, Usako. I thought I heard something. Like… a sharp cracking sound."
Usagi opened her eyes fully, "Thunder?"
Mamoru chuckled softly. She was not as scared of storms as she once was, but Usagi would never enjoy storms.
"I don't think so. It sounded like… something breaking…"
Usagi grinned, "Whatever it was, I didn't do it."
This time, Mamoru laughed out loud, "Dear one, you've not been clumsy for a long time now." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Mmmm."
Mamoru started to lay down when he suddenly got worried. "I wonder." He got out of bed and moved over to his desk. Turning on the desk lamp, he groaned at what he saw.
"Mamoru?" Usagi's voice was concerned, and she came over to stand with him, trying to see what was the cause for the groan. When she saw it, she hugged him, "Mamoru. I'm sorry."
Lying on the desk were three whole stones, and one broken in half. "Zoisite…"
In an apartment across town, another young doctor awoke with a start. His hand came up to touch his face, smiling to feel flesh under his finger tips.
"Wait, of course I'd feel flesh." He shrugged and decided to get up to make himself a cup of tea. He passed a mirror and blinked as he looked in it, for a moment not seeing himself. He shook his head, feeling odd, and decided that instead of a cup of tea, he'd play for a bit to calm down whatever was going on.
He turned on the light in his living room and moved to sit at the baby grand. His fingers wondered idly over the keys, before he began to play, to lose himself in the music.
He had not expected to lose himself in memories too.
When he finished, there were tears running down his cheeks, and he felt like his heart was breaking in two. How could he face her tomorrow? Or ever?
"Ami. I'm so sorry."
Rei had woken feeling as if something was not right. It was a feeling she knew well. And one she had not felt in a long time.
She knew better than to ignore the feeling. Getting up, she pulled on a robe and moved to the Sacred Fire. Perhaps she would find answers there.
She watched the flames for a while, concentrating, feeling herself connected to them. She found herself immersed in them, felt as if she was in them, though the fire did not hurt her skin. She saw faces she did not expect to ever see again. Saw them each behind herself, Ami, Makoto, and Minako. She started to scream, until she realized that all of them were facing a common enemy. An enemy standing between them and Crystal Tokyo. An enemy standing over the broken bodies of Usagi and Mamoru.
Her eyes snapped open, and her jaw set in determination. Whatever this new threat was, they'd defeat it.
"Rei?"
The priestess looked over to the little black cat who had stayed at the Shrine rather than invading on Mamoru and Usagi. "Luna. Looks like the Senshi are back on duty. But we can let the others have a full night of sleep before we tell them."
The cat nodded, "We'll call them in the morning. Get some sleep Rei."
"You too, Luna." She smiled and then moved back to her own bed, more disturbed by the appearance of the men than by the warning of a new enemy. The enemy, they could and would defeat. The men? They were an enigma.
