Chapter 7

Author's Note: this is word emphasis, titles of books and songs

This is past scenes

- this is past scene telepathy-

- this is present telepathy-

Toshima:

Marcus yawns as he wakes up for the day and when he goes to stretch he finds himself restricted by the dark haired girl curled up at his side. He was just glad it was the weekend, this gave Conejo time to recover from her battle with the youma. He was also glad she had accepted the truth about her role in the past. Still, it concerned him that she'd snapped and had to get away. Hopefully she'd tell him everything soon, as he really wanted to know what had pushed her over the edge. No one left their life like that unless they were well and truly miserable. Sarah Damon pushes the door open and Marcus waves his mother away. He'd wake 'Nejo soon enough, she needed the sleep.

Makoto smiles as she smells breakfast cooking, Burgermon had taken to cooking foods other than burgers so that meant Makoto sometimes had breakfast waiting for her after she was done with her morning jog that never followed the same path twice. She did that deliberately so DATS couldn't follow her as easily. Palmon and now Floramon were looking over her plants while Mushroomon looks after the mushrooms she was growing in the apartment next door. Conejo's sponsor had managed to buy the whole apartment building and now Makoto could have her fungi garden. Makoto takes her shower and then eats the breakfast that Burgermon had made for her and Renamon.

While all that is going on Thomas is racking his brains trying to figure out how to catch the rogue destines. None of them worked out in the open and they couldn't catch them on camera. It galled him to realize that they had saved his ass several times over. How had they reached that next level of power anyhow? What had prompted them to go to that level and how could he attain it for himself. He hated admitting to the fact that he needed saving but all of his and Gaomon's current opponents were too strong for them. Yoshino was still on light duty from getting her bell rung like that which made things that much harder on everyone.

Miki and Megumi were still adjusting to being field operatives as well. Then there was the fact that he had to be a middle school student again. The Commander-General was sure Damon Masaru, preferring to be called Marcus was one of the rogue destines and that the Digital World itself had chosen the rogue ones. Thomas just couldn't understand why that brash idiot had been chosen by the Digital World.

Sailor Stratus frowns as she observes Thomas Nordstein from the shadows, none of the DATS destines had yet to comprehend the lesson that Marcus, Conejo/Usagi, and Makoto had, that digimon were living breathing being and had feelings too. They weren't just an enemy to be eliminated. Marcus loved fighting although with him being Marcell reincarnated that wasn't hard to believe, and even he talked things out first. That was Conejo's influence on him right there. The Sailor protector of the Digital World was worried about this dimension, only three, well four, if you counted Keenan Crier, in Digiworld, understood what being a Digidestined was all about. Then again, in Keenan's case he grew up in the Digital World.

Yoshino was the only one close to figuring the truth out but even she didn't quite understand, always going on about DATS regs. How the hell DATS had gotten started up in the first place Stratus didn't understand but, she was going to make sure that Kristy Damon got her Data Link and partner. No way in hell was she going to allow DATS to continue on in the vein it had been, government should have no part of the Digital World or the Digidestined. Kristy's Data Link would be red and orange like Takenouchi Sora's turned when her partner digivolved to the ultimate level. It made sense since Kristy's partner would be a male Biyomon.

Park near Tomoe Residence:

Hotaru smiles as she plays with her new white kitty friend, Artemis. She had read his tags, it was nice for her to have someone to tell her worries to though she did wonder why she seemed to know him from somewhere. It concerned her somewhat because she could swear she had never seen him until a little while ago. What Hotaru didn't realize was that Sailor Saturn was fighting to give her, her memories of the Silver Millennium while Mistress Nine was fighting to keep Hotaru in an un-awakened as a senshi state.

Artemis watches over the young Sailor Saturn and realizes Minako had been right. Hotaru had told him about the lab accident and Artemis realized that her father must have made a deal to bring back his dead daughter. That meant that he had to awaken her the proper way and not just toss her into a fight like Luna did with Moon, Mercury, and Mars. Artemis was also quite disgusted with Sailor Mars as the girl had yet to get over her own ego. Luna should never have fed her ego like she did. Artemis could fully understand why the hime got fed up and left if she had to put up with shit like that all the time from the reincarnated Martian.

Thanks to Minako Mizuno Ami was developing and learning how to harness her inner bitch. Hopefully this meant that Sailor Mercury would soon be putting the Martian in her place when the occasion called for it.

Damon Home:

Marcus manages to get Conejo out of bed and helps her stretch out before heading down to get some food. She really had pushed her body past its limits the day before. Sarah was surprised to see Conejo literally leaning on Marcus to walk, " She ended up fighting a youma yesterday and pushed her body past what it normally handled, we'll be working on that. I've already helped her stretch out this morning. " Marcus answers his mom's unasked question.

Sarah nods to show she understood and then the young couple takes the time to tell her about the Silver Millennium. To say she was stunned would be an understatement, that a mother would do that to her own child, and the fact that her son was a powerful prince reincarnated. Not to mention her son was dating Kristy's favorite Sailor Scout. Conejo had also explained everything that had been going on in her life and why she had finally gotten fed up. Sarah was ready to storm Juuban and have a knock down drag out fight with both of Conejo's parents. She completely understood why the fourteen year old had felt the need to reinvent herself.

Conejo's head drops onto Marcus' shoulder after she eats, back asleep. Marcus couldn't really blame her, she had done a lot yesterday. " Is she really all right, Marcus? " Sarah asks her son.

" She's fine, she just did a lot yesterday. She should be awake for most of tomorrow, today she needs the rest, I just had to make sure she actually ate. I'm going to get her settled on the couch and then I need to train myself, hardcore. I need to get back to where I was at this age during the Silver Millennium because something tells me I need to be able to protect my hime. " Marcus says.

" How hard are you going to be training? "

" Brutally, mom. On Nemesis the training was beyond brutal the only ones that could match someone trained on Nemesis were the Lunar trained senshi, they were wickedly brutal in hand to hand combat. " Marcus admits, he did wonder where Sailor Dike happened to be along with Nike, Hesper, Eos, his cousin, Nyx, Destiny, Current, Ebb, and Flow. Those were just the Outsiders he could think of off the top of his head. He had met them all back then since he had been dating the High Lunar Princess and very few had known she was also the High Lunar Senshi as well.

Juuban:

Sailor Venus is currently cursing Sailor Mars out in her native Venusian for once again posturing instead of just attacking and getting the job done. She had thought the dressing down she had given the Martian the last time would have made it so the lesson stuck but, apparently Mars had a problem with retaining useful information. " Crescent Beam! " she whisper shouts her attack even as Mercury is typing away in the background, searching for the weakness of this particular youma.

" Fire Soul! " Mars shouts out.

Venus rolls her eyes as the youma dodges this attack as well, dammit, they needed some freaking help and Mars had managed to help alienate the one person that could have helped them out tremendously. She really hoped Artemis awoke Saturn soon because quite frankly she needed competent help and not an ego driven maniac. Damn Luna to Tartarus and back for letting that ego get so far out of hand. Venus dives to the side and comes up in a crouch from her roll, firing off a V Crescent Shower and immediately follows it up with a Crescent Beam. Mars had dodged by face planting and then she was forced to roll to the side and come to her feet, sending off one of her anti-evil talismans.

Luckily it hit before the Crescent Beam did and that meant that they managed to defeat the youma. Mercury was quick to head back to the shrine as Venus was already advancing on Sailor Mars. They always went over the battles afterwards at the shrine but, Mars was going to be getting another dressing down, " How incompetent are you! We went over this the last time! You don't posture unless there are civilians nearby. If there aren't stealth is what is needed! Seriously, I can understand why Moon left you high and dry, Sailor Mars! "

Zoisite's eyes widen as he watches the public dressing down. Venus must be really pissed if she was tearing into Mars in a public setting. The senshi only ever got dressed down by their leader in public if they well and truly screwed up. Mars must have really pissed the Captain of the Guard off. Even Kunzite was surprised to see his former lover tearing into the girl in a public place. Mars really fucked up this time.

" Shut the hell up, I know exactly what I'm doing, Sailor Slut! " Mars roars back.

Kunzite and Zoisite's eyes both widen in horror, " Is she suicidal? " Kunzite asks the sunny blonde beside him.

" Must be, the last being to call a Sailor Venus Sailor Slut was three Uranus' before the current one and no one knows what happened to her. "

Mars is brutally backhanded and lands on her ass, " Like hell you do, little girl, this isn't a video game! There are no damn resets! If we can take out a youma without making it a spectacle then we should! Instead you're parading around like a two yen trollop out looking for a quick yen to make! This is serious and you need to get your goddamned head out of your ass before you get one of us killed! "

Venus leaves Sailor Mars sitting there and two stunned Shittenou in her wake. Kunzite's eyes were filled with lust, damn she was sexy when she was pissed off. Mars just sat there, not quite able to comprehend what had just happened while the two remaining Shittenou return to the Negaverse to discuss the latest turn of events with the senshi.

Toshima:

Marcus pants as he returns from his run of ten miles, 'Nejo would kick his ass at this. He'd barely been able to handle it, but he could. He makes sure to stretch out and he drinks down some of his sports drink. He hadn't been kidding when he said he was going to train hard core earlier. It needed to be done and as soon as he could. Of course, he also still needed to patrol tonight, otherwise he could get seriously screwed over, or the district with just relying on those government people.

Once he's rested enough he starts to go through an exercise program that he would have to start doing every morning before school and then up the intensity of it once it got to be too easy.

Damon Home:

Inside Conejo tosses and turns as her memories take an unpleasant turn while she dreams.

Princess Serena smiles as she sets foot in the receiving room, Prince Marcell of Nemesis had asked that the Moon Princess be allowed to give him a tour of the Moon. Her mother had no way to refuse the request without looking like she was hiding something. Sailors Nyx, Jupiter, and Nemesis would all be her guards while on the tour with Prince Marcell, Nemesis so she could catch up with her cousin once more. Marcell arrives alone as he didn't need guards, he was dangerous enough on his own.

That was part of the reason why Queen Serenity wanted him nowhere near her daughter. Of course, she had no way of knowing that Hotaru had already ensured that they had met. They make sure to act as though they hadn't met, pulling it off perfectly, though Marcell's eyes inquire if she was all right. He remembered her break down and was hoping he could help keep them from happening. That would require a major amount of sneaking around though. That would be half the fun in breaking up the gilded monotony of his and the Moon Princess' life.

The tour is going well until Sailor Jupiter is slammed into an adjacent pillar. Serena and Sailor Nemesis both react immediately, " Umbraporters. " Serena mutters, Marcus had reacted to the danger just as quickly though he makes sure he's in a position to intercept any attack on his hostess. His cousin was also positioned like that but, she was also checking on the downed senshi.

Serena's sapphire eyes widen as she feels the movement through the shadows and is shoving Marcell out of the way before she can even comprehend that she had moved, though she did injure one of their opponents. The minor victory came at a major cost as the High Princess of the Sol System collapses backwards into Marcell. The Prince of Nemesis instinctively catches her and almost immediately his hands end up coated with her blood, " Shit, cous, we gotta end this now! " Marcell calls out, kneeling and propping the blonde princess up even as he tries to stem the bleeding.

Sailor Nemesis' eyes widen as she takes in the sight of the hime, " Only Nyx and the hime can sense movement within the shadows. "

" No, Duo, call him, he's our only chance now. " Serena gasps it out.

Marcell blinks, " Prince Duo of Pluto? "

" Mine and Hota-chan's half-brother. Duo can…win. " Serena manages to say before her eyes roll into the back of her head.

- Yo, Duo, your little sister is bleeding out and we have umbraporters after us. High princess little sister.-

Mere seconds later all six assassins have been knocked out and tossed out of the shadows, with shadows binding them for the moment. Prince Duo of Pluto skids out of the shadows and over to his half-sister, " Dammit, Renity, why? "

" To save me. " Marcell says softly, if Duo and his cousin hadn't known him so well they wouldn't have heard the worry, concern, and fury in his voice. He was pissed that if not for Serena, his hostess, he would have been the one to take that hit. Duo is already helping him apply pressure to the wound.

" Nemesis, call Mercury! "

" No good, she's on Mars right now for diplomatic reasons. " Nemesis answers.

" Is she stable enough to teleport her to Nemesis? " Marcell asks.

Sapphire eyes slit open, " What 'bout, nii-chan? "

" No good, Renity, not even Heero can make it here fast enough to make a difference. He's brokering a deal with Kinmoku at the moment. " Duo answers.

Serena locks her determined and trusting sapphire eyes with Marcell's emotionally charged jade eyes, " Teleport me! I'll live. "

" Dammit, imooto, you're not immortal yet. " Duo snaps.

" Only chance. " Serena retorts, - Marcell's my soul bonded mate, Duo. I didn't realize it until after I saved him.-

- You and Heero can never do things the easy way, can you?- Duo asks her.

" Marcell, you supply the direction and I'll supply the power. You just focus on where we need to go and on sharing some of your power with Renity. "

Marcell was still looking into those trusting and determined sapphire eyes, " Share but…" Marcell trails off as the connection he had felt when he first met her and had barely noticed makes itself known. A brilliant orange glow surrounds the Prince of Nemesis while a mix of silver and purple surrounds Serena. Sailor Nemesis and Duo both lock eyes silently swearing to say nothing of what they were witnessing. The initiation of a soul bond which were quite rare in this era. The respective auras leave their owners and surround the other, merging in the middle to swirl around each other.

- You'll be fine, Serena.-

- I know, you'd literally drag me back, besides, I don't think papa would like it if I died just yet, Marcell.-

Duo manages to get them to Nemesis and Marcell had directed them straight to the infirmary. Marcell immediately starts shouting out orders and stays as close as he can, with the bond just now forming he needed to be as close to Serena as possible, " Duo, you'll have to deal with the Queen. "

" All I need to do is tell Heero what happened and he'll handle the queen. They were the queen's assassins. My cousin will have made sure they got into Heero's personal dungeon. I'm gonna go call him now. Damn, Hee-chan's gonna be pissed. " Duo mutters.

- Hey, don't worry so much. It's very hard to kill me and nii-chan.-

- Astral projection, right? I guess we should get to know each other better while we can. You'll probably be here for a while, that wound is nasty and you've lost a lot of blood, hime.-

- Gah, I get enough of that shit from the damn courtiers! Let's just be people right now and not royals, Marcell.-

- I can agree to that, Serena. It is nice to be treated as a normal person, it rarely happens when you're a royal, there's way too damn much kowtowing. That's why being treated as a person is so nice.- Marcell says. Out of the corner of his eye he could just make out a shadow shaped like Serena. Marcell didn't have any sight related abilities so he couldn't see spirits and the like.

Conejo rolls over, almost whimpering but she keeps her silence. If one were to look closely you'd see her eyes scrunched up and the tense set of her body. The bonding between her and Marcus in their last life had nearly ended in tragedy. It was the spike in her emotions that brought Marcus to her, and running a finger along her forehead shows him the memory playing in her dreamscape at the moment, " Oh, Conejo, ¿por qué ese recuerdo(Oh, Conejo, why that memory)? "

He had remembered that moment the night before, " Hora de despertar, princesa( Time to wake up, princess). "

Golden topaz eyes slit open and Marcus almost didn't notice how the fingers of her right hand threaded through his left hand. He helps her sit up and pulls her to her feet, - I'm all right, Marcus.-

- Yeah, I know but, dammit, did you have to remember that? Why the hell did you take that attack for me?-

- I had to, my body just moved on its own, Marcus. I knew I had to protect you even if I didn't realize why until after I shoved you aside.- Conejo replies.

Marcus blinks when they reach the kitchen and he sees the note his mom and sister had left for them. Thankfully Sarah Damon had left food behind and Marcus sets it out. Conejo fell upon the pasta salad like Scooby Doo on Scooby Snacks. Marcus shakes his head, he'd gotten used to how she loaded up after major occurrences. " 'Nejo, cómo eres realmente(how are you really)? "

Conejo sighs as she meets his dazzling green eyes, this side of Marcus only came out rarely, " Estoy bien, realmente dolorido y cansado. Voy a ser bueno para la escuela el lunes(I'm fine, just really sore and tired. I'll be good for school on Monday). "

Marcus sighs and runs a hand down her free arm, " ¿Vas a estar bien si me voy de patrulla esta noche(You gonna be all right if I go on patrol tonight)? "

Conejo leans into his side, - Estaré bien. No podemos dejar todo en manos del gobierno(I'll be fine. We can't leave everything up to the government). -

" All right, fine. Don't hesitate to call me if you need help though. " Marcus says.

Conejo rolls her eyes, " Honestly, I think you're worse now than you were when we were married. "

Marcus blinks at this, " I am not. Besides, I am not Marcell, not entirely. Yeah, I'll admit to loving you, the first stage of the soul bond wouldn't have been completed otherwise but, the thought of losing you is terrifying, 'Nejo. "

" Usagi, Tsukino Usagi. "

Marcus freezes, that level of trust she was showing in him, damn. What had he done to earn the name she was born with in this lifetime? What Marcus didn't understand was the fact that all he had to do was be himself and be there for Conejo. " Why tell me now? What did I do to earn that kind of trust? "

" Because I may actually take my life back one day, I probably wouldn't even be considering becoming Usagi again if I had never met you. You actually listen to me, let me vent my doubts, fears, concerns…I wasn't allowed to do that before. I don't have to be the strong one all the time anymore, you let me be vulnerable. " Conejo admits.

" Usagi is your past, Conejo is your future. You'll feel trapped again if you go that route, I can already tell. You left for a reason, part of it being you didn't get any respect. Another part of it was hiding your true self. More and more of whom you really are is coming out the longer you hang out with me. "

Conejo sighs, " Being SM pushed me over the edge. I was getting no relief in any corner, oh, Naru-chan tried but, between my parents and Mars…dear Amaterasu, I almost went back to my dark days. "

" Dark days, 'Nejo, what are you talkin' about anyhow? "

" From six to eight I must have tried every manner known to man to kill myself and none of them took. In a way I finally succeeded by changing identities. I didn't even have my little brother Shingo in my corner. Treasure Kristy, Marcus, she's a gem of a little sister. "

That news hit Marcus hard, " You were so low as a kid that you tried killing yourself? "

" My parents hate me and they have never even tried to hide it. I was born the wrong gender for them. " Conejo says bitterly.

Marcus winces, apparently Conejo had finally decided to vent and he was the one she was venting to, " Nothing I did was ever good enough. Track star, ha, who cares. Straight A's, who gives a damn. Woe betide me if I get detentions though, or failing grades, get to school late, read my manga. Amaterasu, it was so fucking annoying and stifling. I spent most of my money in an arcade for a damn reason! "

Marcus was almost knocked off his feet when she practically tackled him, from a sitting position. His arms wrap around her automatically, cradling her to him. " Let it out, 'Nejo, you know I won't judge you. "

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Digimon.