TOTAL STORY REWRITE! ALL CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN EDITED

Chapter Seven
Missing

Day 5 (Monday)

Usagi moved quickly through the school, searching for signs of the other girls. She'd expected them to be outside, waiting for her, when she arrived. She finally found them holed up in the upstairs girls' bathroom. There were tear tracks on their cheeks, and Usagi pulled out the Luna disguise pen to fix them up.

"Hey, it's alright girls. It's going to be okay. We'll get them back," Usagi soothed and coaxed until they were all ready to go to class. She was almost glad Rei didn't go to school with them this morning, although that would have to change. They honestly needed to be together to be at full strength.

"I'm sorry Usagi," Ami said. "It just hit us all at once this morning." She let out a little sniffle, and Usagi hurried to hug the bluenette.

"I'm not mad. Don't be sorry." She gave Makoto and then Minako hugs as well. "Do you think you can do this today? Maybe you should call out."

"No, we can't leave you unprotected." Makoto's voice seemed to grow stronger as it hit her that Usagi was her princess and needed protection.

The four of them trooped back down the stairs and made it to Haruna-sensei's classroom several minutes early. The class was already filling up with students and they moved in and took two of the tables near the front. Usagi gathered everyone's homework and turned it in, then gave each of the girls a warm smile as she returned to her seat.

"So did you guys get Jadeite into the high school this morning?" Minako whispered, sitting next to Usagi. The other two leaned forward from the desk behind them.

"Yeah." She smirked. "It was a bit of a struggle to get him to let Rei go, but we let him know in no uncertain terms what her grandfather was capable of." She snickered a little at the memory. "He almost broke down when he saw Mamoru."

"I bet. I really wish I knew a way to hurry up and get our guys back." Ami sighed.

Minako squeaked. "Problems," she murmured, and Usagi turned to see Bradley approaching.

"Let me handled this," Usagi said in a quiet voice. She stood and walked over to Bradley, asking if she could speak to him for a second. The boy nodded and followed her.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Bradley. Minako really, really likes you, but she's just found out her marriage is already arranged. She won't be allowed to see you anymore." She sighed. "I really wish this had happened sooner so neither of you had to be hurt."

"Are you lying to me?" Bradley's voice shook. "If she doesn't like me she could tell me."

"No actually." Usagi shook her head. "As a matter of fact he may arrive soon. Not at our school. He's in high school, but there is little choice for either of them in the matter. It's been arranged since before they were born. She just didn't know."

Bradley looked over at Minako who was silently crying again, her head on Ami's shoulder. He nodded. "Can I at least be her friend?"

"As long as you know that's all it can ever be, then yes. She probably has a lot of mixed feelings about it. She knew him a long time ago, and she does love him, but it's difficult all the same." Usagi was trying very hard to stick to the truth. "As a matter of fact, all four of us here, as well as Hino Rei, now know our marriages are already arranged."

Bradley looked at her in shock. "But it's not exactly common anymore!" He sounded upset, even angry on their behalf.

"You've met Chiba Mamoru though right?" He nodded, remembering how the man had been kind in spite of Bradley's stupidity. "He's my betrothed. I didn't know for the longest time. I thought maybe I didn't even like him all that much..." She gave him a warm smile. "But now I couldn't be happier."

"As long as you all end up happy it's fine, I suppose. I don't think I'll ever really understand the Japanese culture though."

Usagi laughed. "Sometimes we don't get it either. Especially people like me who are loud and wild. But focusing on honor and the needs of others is important no matter the culture right?"

Bradley just nodded. He went over and gave Minako a brief hug. "I understand," he said. "Be happy with him if you can." He moved to his own desk and Usagi sat back at hers. She explained what she'd told Bradley.

Naru and Umino rushed into the room with Yukio and several others. Yukio sat next to Bradley and they started speaking in hushed whispers. Naru and Umino took the desk next to Usagi and Minako's. They were panting and out of breath, but started looking around in confusion a minute later.

"Where's Haruna-sensei," Umino asked loudly. If she'd called out he probably would have been the first to know. The boy seemed to know everything about everything.

"She's probably in the bathroom." Naru said.

From the back of the classroom came a shout. "Arranged Marriages!?" Looked like Bradley had told Yukio. Which meant soon the whole school would know. Crap. She'd only explained to save his feelings. Umino raced over to the two boys, but Naru came over to Usagi and the girls.

"Do you know what they're talking about?" Naru asked quietly. She had seen the look on Usagi's face.

"Yes. Me and the girls all recently learned the names of our future husbands." Usagi whispered.

"You're going to be with Chiba-san aren't you?" Naru looked hopeful. "You're obviously in love."

Usagi could only nod her head. Had everyone been able to see it? Naru gave her a tight hug.

Usagi felt something was strange about their teacher's long absence. She went to the front of the classroom and picked up the phone to call the office. "Gomen, but could you please tell me how much longer Haruna-sensei will be?" She asked when the receptionist picked up.

"We'll find her." The receptionist promised, and Usagi hung up.

Jadeite, Mamoru, and Rei were all waiting outside the fence when they were released two hours later. Usagi ran for Mamoru and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "I didn't see her! I didn't!" She insisted.

Four teachers from the middle school and two from the high school had been drained, nearly to death, a few days prior. None of them had seen them or they would have made sure they were taken to the hospital. Usagi felt guilty. Instead of checking for the injured, she and Mamoru had run off to be alone together.

"This isn't your fault Usagi." Jadeite hissed. "It's mine!"

Rei reached out and rubbed his shoulder, but it didn't seem to help. Usagi pulled herself together and turned to him.

"No Jadeite! You were under Metallia's control. You didn't know what you were doing!" Rei nodded in agreement and all the others piped up to convince him, but he still seemed withdrawn.

Mamoru cleared his throat. "Jed... None of us blames you for what you did. You were being controlled. Now it's all the more imperative that we rescue the others. We don't want them feeling the way you are right now. This wasn't your fault."

Jadeite nodded, but didn't seem entirely convinced. Usagi hugged him, and together the group began to walk towards the game center. They were all saddened by what had happened, but at least there hadn't been any deaths. Usagi clung to that.

She wondered if there was a way she could get in to see the four teachers, and possibly heal them. Almost as soon as she thought it Mamoru shook his head.

"Usako, you aren't strong enough for that yet."

"But..."

"Please listen. I know you helped Naru once, sharing your energy with her, but that was one person and you were weakened by it. Trying to heal so many would leave you too weak and vulnerable, and we need you strong. Until all of us can take down a Youma on our own, you have to keep being strong for the rest of us."

Usagi nodded. She wasn't happy about it, but she would do what she had to do to protect the others. She wished she knew how to increase her powers, and help the others increase theirs. All of them needed to be at their strongest. She sighed and kicked at a pebble.

Mamoru's arm went around her waist and he hugged her close.

"Mamo-chan?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever taken out a Youma by yourself?"

"Once," he said, and frowned. "It was before I knew you were Sailor Moon. It was near your house, and I panicked, thinking about losing you before I even had a chance..." He frowned. Of course, in those days he had been constantly arguing with himself about whether or not he really could be with her. He'd wanted to protect her from the dangers of the Negaverse. "There was just this overwhelming emotion in me. I lifted my hand and said something, but I can't remember what it was. And the Youma turned to dust and you were safe."

"Wow. I didn't even sense it." Usagi looked over at him. "Do you know I love you?"

Mamoru smiled. "Yes. Do you know I love you?"

"Yes." She snuggled closer to him.

They reached the Crown and he opened the door for her and the other girls. Jadeite was at the rear, with Rei, and urged him inside. Motoki came over, frowning.

"I heard teachers at your school got hurt too," he whispered.

Usagi nodded. "Haruna-sensei was one of them," she explained.

"They let all the students from both schools go. I guess none of them even realized the teachers were missing until some of the kids called the offices."

They slid into a booth and Motoki took out his order pad. He knew all of their orders except for Jadeite's and only asked him what he wanted. Motoki gave him several strange looks, and Usagi wondered if he somehow recognized him even with the glamour. She looked over at Jed but he shook his head. Apparently he wasn't ready to tell yet.

Kunzite paced. Jadeite hadn't returned after his latest attempt to gather energy. Zoicite and Nephrite looked up at him, also concerned. While Queen Beryl didn't exactly care where they were as long as they answered a summons, they had no clue where he was, or if he was alright.

"Should we search for him?" He asked in a quiet voice, running his fingers through his silky white blonde hair.

The other two nodded. "He could be injured. Or..." Zoicite frowned.

"Don't say it!" Nephrite hissed at Zoicite. "He's fine!"

None of them could explain the bond the four of them shared when none of the other denizens of the Dark Kingdom seemed able to form attachments. They had remained close since being awoken a year before, and had worked together, planning and plotting. The other strange difference between them and the others is that none of them seemed inclined to take more power. They didn't want to overthrow Beryl and take her place.

"Azabu Juuban district," Zoicite said finally. The other two nodded and together they transported away. They had to find Jadeite, and bring him home.

Grandfather Hino stared into the Great Fire. Flashes of future events were revealed to him in that way. But some of the future events had simply vanished the night before. One moment he'd known they were coming, and the next he'd sensed that they had disappeared.

And it had to do with the young man who had been in his granddaughter's room all night. Rei hadn't thought he knew. He snorted. Of course he knew. He was quite aware of everything that went on with the girl. He'd long known she was a Senshi, known she had a difficult road ahead of her.

But last night her path had changed. She would still face many of the same hardships, but now she would not be alone. The young man would stand by her side. Which was good because his granddaughter had conceived the night before, and would soon adopt a son. In a very short time she would have a family to care for while also still being a Senshi.

She would leave him for a time, he knew. But he would have Yuichiro to help him in her absence, and she would return, slightly older, and much wiser, ready to take over for him when the time came.