Chapter Nine
"Are you ready for school, Usa-chan?" Mamoru's dark voice wafted down the hall toward her and she sighed, flipping her bag shut and standing half-heartedly. It had been a week, and all her things were around her. But she still felt unbearably empty. The Dark Kingdom had all but vanished since the murders and the Tokyo Police couldn't find anything on what had happened. From all looks and appearance, no one else had ever stepped foot in the rooms, not even an out-of-place shoe mark could be found among the prints. They were stumped, Usagi was sick, and Mamoru was still pissed.
Usagi, of course, had an alibi and couldn't have done it, they had no enemies and there was no sign of a break in. All in all, the situation was by far out of their control. They were just now coming to that particular realization, much to the despair of the blond. It wasn't like they could do much against the supernatural, but it had been comforting that someone cared.
"Don't forget your lunch, Usa-chan. Do you need a ride?" Mamoru's tender eyes spoke of nothing but concern, and yet she felt leaden against it. He only cares because he needs help finding the princess, nothing more. Her mind had been turning against her, showing her impossible things. All day, all night the visions haunted her. She found herself near screaming and shaking only yesterday. Thankfully, Mamoru had confined her to her room yesterday for sleep and then left for work. He hadn't been there to witness her crumble beneath the force of her visions, of her pain.
"Eiie, Arigatou. I'd like to walk today." She murmured half-heartedly and he sighed again, wanting to help her, but not knowing how. Instead, he simply nodded and passed her the lunch bag he'd spent the morning getting ready for her. It was the first day back since the deaths, nothing had been put in the papers about it, no one knew it had even taken place. The tragedy that was Tsukino Usagi's life was her own, and the only one who would ever be there for her was a college student with ulterior motives. The bitter taste of bile rose in her throat as she took the bag and headed out the door.
The walk was long and uneventful. She was filled with doubt about the new lifestyle. Mamoru's hospitality was impeccable and he always seemed to know exactly what she needed and when without a word spoken between them. All in all, it was the perfect arrangement for their designs. In a few days, she would want to train again, they would fight one another in the old junkyard and get ready for the oncoming war.
The one Usagi was going to start. If the Dark Kingdom wanted to play dirty, the little blond would more than oblige them. Already the white hot fury was the only thing that kept her sane, kept her moving. In the end, it would be the only thing strong enough to save her from herself.
"Usagi-chan!" Naru called from down the street. The blond turned half-heartedly to watch the redhead speed her way forward. Something in her smiled at the remembrance of her old friend. Through all of this, it seemed that they had grown apart. It was only natural for there to be a space between them when Usagi's sole mission in life was to defeat a supernatural enemy. But she mourned the loss of her friend anyway and felt herself smiling outwardly as laughing green eyes met her own. "Usagi-chan! Where on earth have you been!?"
"Gomen, I …" She paused, some great force holding her back from surrendering the loss of her parents. Each time she tried, her mouth wouldn't form the words. "I've been sick." She murmured finally, eyes dark. Naru instantly panicked. Usagi had never looked so completely worn out before. There were dark circles beneath her eyes and her shoulders slumped in utter defeat. Her skin seemed pallid and pale, her hands shook as they held her school bag.
"Usagi-chan, are you alright?" it seemed like the old Usagi had been replaced by a shipwrecked imposter…Naru's throat restricted against tears at seeing her friend like this. The blond just shrugged.
"Hai. Come on, let's get going before Haruna-sensei has a fit." She tried to smile at the words, but it was painful. Her friend nodded quietly. This was more than sickness. But what could she do to help with Usagi was so obviously not looking for it? She simply smiled, and walked beside her friend toward the jr. high.
Usagi flung her door open haggardly and stumbled through, feeling far more drained than usual. Strange visions had been stuck in her head all day, terrifying things and someone calling to the princess despairingly. She shook with fatigue even as her school uniform shirt was flung against the opposite wall. Just this morning, Mamoru had given her a lecture on keeping the room clean, but she frankly didn't give a damn right now. All she wanted was rest from the dreams, from the visions, from the aching loneliness, from herself.
She wept helplessly, feeling her knees begin to give under the pressure of her body. Blackness swam at the edge of her vision and she leapt toward it hungrily. Anything but feel like this…
The blond teetered unsteadily and fell in a heap across the bed.
Several hours later, that's exactly how Mamoru found her.
Her blond hair hung limply across the bed, pooling beside it in waves. Her shirt had been removed and thrown carelessly across the room, the look on her face so peaceful. Mamoru lost all capacity for speech, staring at the young angel draped so haphazardly across the bed. A professional photographer couldn't have set up a more perfect picture had he tried. Her school skirt rode up against those creamy white thighs; hands draped one across her stomach, the other beside her face, a single beam of light across her eyes –courtesy of a misplaced Venetian blind, breaths heaving against a dangerously low riding satin black bra.
The sight nearly caused heart failure for poor, unsuspecting Mamoru, who could only stare with eyes as wide as headlights. Kami, if he didn't know her better; he'd suspect the little vixen of trying to seduce him. He could tell she'd simply fallen asleep in the middle of undressing and pitied her. She had been so tired lately, hardly even getting up. Strengthening his resolve, (and desperately trying to ignore the sudden tightness of his pants,) he walked forward and lifted the girl carefully, adjusting the skirt so it was at a more proper level and pulling the sheets back. He couldn't begrudge her the sleep she so desperately needed, even if he was absolutely afire with curiosity as to why she'd left the door open.
Once settled in, he pulled the blankets up around her neck, hesitating to touch her face. That sweet feeling had been growing inside over the past week, unexplainable and undeniable. Usagi had been so helpless against the enemy, something that had seemed far in the past after that last fight. She had been powerful, fearless and certain. There had been no hesitation in her attack, no staring into the danger frozen and waiting for his rescue. She had been more than capable of taking care of herself. He had been a comrade, not a savior.
The sudden role shift hadn't really bothered him until now, when the places had been changed in real life. Here, he upheld savior status where before, he had been a comrade. Usagi slept on, unaware of how the tables had turned over the past few weeks…and how he had begun to feel more than attraction. Somehow, the words escaped him for what it all meant, for what came after that.
He left the room, still puzzling over the thoughts. What comes after attraction? What was that perfect feeling that seemed to grow every time he set eyes on her? He shook his head, jumping into the shower to wash away the day. School was getting more and more burdensome, work tiresome. All he really cared for in the day was to come home and see Usagi staring blankly at the TV or trying to work on her schooling. Her mouth would twist in concentration and her eyes would narrow as her frustration grew. It was a beautiful sight, her feet twisted together beneath the chair and her beautiful neck exposed as she bent.
He had been surprised just how often she could be found working on it. All those weeks spent making fun of her for her grades must have sparked something, because the effort seemed almost incessant. There were times though, when she was staring listlessly, that her eyes would grow impossibly wide and she would almost seem to be screaming in her mind, or shuddering away from something.
His eyes traced over her things in the shower, almost drowning in that perfect feeling. It was beautiful to see someone else's things in the shower beside his, made him feel more at home. They smelled of her, like jasmine and sweet pea, all things beautiful and bright. Mamoru smiled at the thought, still looking at her things as he finished.
Blood spurted from all directions, splashing against her as the cries of the fallen echo across her mind. The dirt is soft and stained, riddled with those dark lines, and soft pieces of flesh. Usagi screamed in horror again, watching as a demon twice her size lifted a man and tore his arms off, more blood, arms thrown through the air. Her face is splattered and dark, her arms are bound.
Witchy red eyes laugh at her through the sky as the demon comes forward, slimy arms gripping her body. Someone calls for the princess in the distance as she's lifted, grip crushing her lungs, ripping at her insides. She screams…she screams….
Lightning rumbled across the sky, drowning out the scream as Usagi shot upright in bed, body drenched in sweat. She felt…slimy…covered in blood…thunder rumbled through the apartment seconds later, causing another shriek to burst from her throat painfully. She stood, shaking uncontrollably and gripping her arms. It wasn't blood, just sweat. Heaving an unsteady breath of relief, she glanced around as another lightning bolt tore the sky apart. Her whole being wanted to scream, wanted to hurl. The lightning brought visions of blood, the thunder was screaming. She stumbled around the room, looking for any kind of relief. But there could only be one, and he was across the hallway.
"Mamo-chan?" she asked quietly, peering though the darkness. Her whole body shook and she nearly screamed as another bolt of lighting tore the sky in half. "Mamo-chan?" she asked louder, gripping at the door jamb. It was so embarrassing to feel helpless against a storm, but with the dreams on top of that, her nerves were shot. He was the only way out, and she knew it.
"Hai, Usa?" he grumbled, still mostly asleep and shifting slightly. She gasped for breath, trying to get her hands to relinquish their hold on the wood. Tears coursed freely down her face in fear and she held back a sob.
"Mamo-chan…I –I can't…" she whispered, almost losing her voice to the darkness. She wanted so much to simply collapse and lose consciousness like yesterday, but couldn't. A sob escaped her and the man bolted upright, staring toward the doorway and small, terrified girl standing there.
"Oh, Usa, what's wrong?" he slipped out of bed and made his way to her carefully, watching as her shoulders shook. She practically launched herself at him as light ripped through the room and managed to stifle a tiny squeal as her arms vice-gripped his waist.
"G-gomen nasai, Mamo-chan, demo…I had a –a nightmare…and the storm…" she winced, gripping him tighter as the resulting thunder rumbled through the apartment. He nodded, gripping her shoulder and running his other hand through her hair.
"It's ok, Odango. Come on, just sleep in here tonight." She allowed herself to be led to the king sized bed and let him lift and set her down between the sheets. A dark corner of her mind screeched in fear of doing this, for some reason, in a bed with Mamoru would break her resolve to stay away from him. But she couldn't help throwing herself into his arms as the storm raged outside like an angry tiger. He simply whispered soothingly to her and held her close till her nerves finally gave out and she fell asleep.
It was dark outside. White water lapped at a silver shoreline and the breeze smelled of jasmine and spices. The air was heavy-laden with some unknown presence, as if the very area seethed with an unknown awareness. The sky was black and coated in billions and billions of stars, far more than Usagi had ever seen on a clear night. She felt warm and safe, protected by strong arms that held her close and a dark voice that whispered soothingly in her ear. Above her head hung a beautiful blue crystal ball. In an almost mocking manner, it looked like a variation of the moon and the land she stood on was a strange variation of Earth.
Mamoru stood there with her, soothing her and holding her. She sighed and leaned her head back against a silver and black breastplate. It was calm and peaceful here, a place where nothing could touch her, a place where she could be with her dark prince and rest….
Usagi grinned to herself and shifted, wondering why there was light slanting into her eyes when it was obviously nighttime. She blinked, yawning and stretching. It was so warm here, wrapped in Mamoru's arms and waking to a new morning. Her dream, for once, had not left her shaking and jumpy. All was at peace in the world and the memories, nightmares, and responsibilities couldn't touch her here. She shifted closer, taking deep breaths of him. Mamoru always smelled so nice.
Reality hit her like a splash of frozen water. She was lying in Mamoru's bed, in his arms, smelling him? She'd dreamt about him?! Horror shot through her and she tried to wriggle free, but he was much too strong. Her face was firmly plastered against his chest and her hands were against his waist. Kami! How in the heck had all this happened?! She froze as the slumbering giant began to moan and shift, afraid of what he might think of the situation. The sheets rustled in the silence and her heart was pounding obnoxiously loud. Blue met blue and she froze, feeling suddenly akin to a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car.
He looked so concerned. For her. He was concerned for her? It had been very sweet of him to allow her to live here, but was he really so worried? She took a deep breath, almost ready for him to ask her why she'd come in last night, but looked down. There across his shoulder splayed the black dragon uncoiling around a rose. She reached forward tentatively to brush a fingernail across it in wonder.
"D-does it mean anything?" she asked quietly, looking back up at him. He nodded, suddenly amazingly comfortable with the situation. He had woken with Usako in his bed, and in his arms, and all in the world was right. The feeling was so overwhelming, he had to force himself to speak.
"The dragon is protecting the rose because it is everything he loves, everything he lives for. His claws only point outwards and the tail around the stem isn't constricting. The rose itself attracts him with it's beauty, but repels him with the thorns. You can see them scratching his scales, but they never cut deeply. It's kind of like you and me, actually. I do everything I can to protect you, and you just make fun of me for it." He grinned playfully at her and she smiled lightly back.
"That's beautiful. You're a secret poet, aren't you?" He shrugged, watching as she returned to the tattoo in fascination. If only every day were like this, he would wake up to those amazingly clear sapphire eyes and they talk intimately and cuddle beneath the sheets… Mamoru realized suddenly that he didn't care if they found the princess or not, just so long as Usako and him could stay like this forever. Everything in the world was right; nothing could touch them as they lay there. Mamoru was sure that even if the world did turn inside out, so long as it all came back to this, he would survive. Usako made him so happy, she always did.
"So, what was wrong, Usa-chan?" he murmured quietly, watching as she began to nibble on her lower lip and refused to look up at him. It was adorable and aggravating all at once, and he loved it.
"I'm scared of lightning storms." She whispered quietly, half afraid he'd laugh at her. A tiny smile broke out across his lips as he watched her struggle with the answer. She was blushing a little, creamy skin nearly melting into the sheets. The picture was dually charming and disarming to the older student as he watched her blink nearly invisible lashes. "Since I was just tiny, I couldn't stand the thunder rumbling across the sky and the sudden light crashing through the house. Mama would always laugh and hold me when I was scared and it wouldn't bother me as much."
He smiled at the memory and leaned back to watch her. That puzzlingly sweet feeling was overwhelming now, with her hands against his chest. She smiled up at him, a real smile. It was marked improvement from any other time her family had been mentioned. He hoped that the times would grow more and more constant, that she wouldn't choke on her sobs or hide from him to cry. Her smile was stunning when she wanted it to be, breathtaking in the moonlight, a highlight of his day anymore.
The very earth shuddered, revolting in disgust. Mamoru's head shot up instantly, knowing what that usually meant. Usagi watched as his eyes changed to that steely dark blue and she understood instantly. She was on her feet, hand raised above her head and transformation phrase screamed through the space of the apartment. A second later, Sailor Moon stood in her place and she was racing for the balcony door. Tuxedo Kamen barely had time to follow her.
In a race across the rooftops, she once again outdistanced him in her rush. There was a sudden thrill of fear as Mamoru realized what she was doing.
Sailor Moon could think only of one thing: to kill the bastard. His kiss still haunted her sometimes, that demanding and revolting thing that had been a far cry from Mamoru's, his hard hand against her chest, forcing her. She shuddered at the memory and jumped from the building to the street. She'd kill him. She'd tear him to pieces with her bare hands.
The battlefield opened before her, Youma being held back by the other three Senshi as Zoicite watched from fifty feet in the air, somewhat disinterestedly. Sailor Moon glared upward, using her momentum to leap up to him. The other blond hardly had time to register the impact before his body was born down into the street hard enough to cause a crater. There was a flurry of white as Sailor Moon sent punches directly into his face, screaming at the top of her lungs obscenities. The hits kept coming, Zoicite screaming also in pain and trying to defend himself from the enraged Senshi. It was no use, Moon felt the give of his skull and just kept pounding long after it squished. Her gloves were stained, her fuku gone dark as she continued to scream and hit the mass before her.
Mercury stared in horror as Sailor Moon literally beat Zoicite into the ground, all her emotions screaming out against it as she stumbled across the broken ground to the ex leader of the Senshi. Moon was beside herself, screaming bastard over and over as her hands came up red and sopping from the mass. Mercury's stomach turned to see what the other girl had done in her fury and she gripped a shoulder to pull her away.
"Get OFF me!" Moon screeched, tears coursing down her face as she continued to hit. Then Tuxedo Kamen was there, tearing the blond from the ground. Mercury could only stare and turned to purge her stomach of it's contents. Mars stood behind her, bruised face from the fight. She looked ashen as she looked at what was once their enemy. Moon had ripped him to pieces in her fury. What on earth had caused such anger?!
"Moon! Stop! Get a hold of yourself!" Tuxedo Kamen roared, fighting to hold the girl as she screamed to go back to punching her enemy. Jupiter paled visibly to see her friend like that, so completely lost to her fury. Kamen held her back, refused to let go as her bloodied gloves ripped at his hold. Then she crumpled to a mass of blood soaked tears on the street, pounding at the pavement as she cried. Kamen held her long after that, watching as her friends surveyed the damage. Mercury was sobbing uncontrollably at the sight, unable to control herself. The blood, the blond hair was so familiar….
"Come on, Moon, let's go home." Kamen whispered finally, lifting the sobbing girl from the street to carry into distance.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" Mamoru seethed, pacing the living room mere minutes later. Usagi sat quietly on the couch, watching him go back and forth, wondering when he was going to explode. Didn't he realize it was justice? Didn't he realize that Zoicite deserved every inch of what he got? That dead corpse taste still ran rampant through her mouth as she thought of the mess it had been. Blood for blood, that Dark Kingdom retch got what he deserved. "Do you have any idea what the officials are going to say, let alone the press. You're a public figure, Usa-chan. You can't just go around beating the bad guy to a pulp. It was wrong, Usa, not just sick or twisted or bad for press. Wrong."
"Was it?" she asked quietly, watching disinterestedly as he glared at her.
"Yes! He might have deserved it, Usa, he might have earned it, but that was over the line on your part. Vengeance is dangerous, even after it's done. If you lose yourself to it…" he paused, kneeling before her to cup her face. "Usa, vengeance is a disease of the mind…I…I don't want you to…" He couldn't form words anymore, those glazed lifeless eyes were so…dead. Had he lost her already?
"It's done, Mamoru-san." She whispered, the formal tone deafening as she stood. "I can move on now. You'll be late for work." She warned, walking out of the room. Mamoru could only stare at the place she'd been, wondering.
