Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: Romance/Revenge
Summary: It's been one year since the defeat of Galaxia. Another enemy has risen and suddenly Mamoru is acting different. The Senshi start disappearing and everyone's going into a panic. What's happening?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: Hellz yeah! This is my second update this week! I'm on a roll! Maybe things are starting to look up for my updates of joy and I. I only wish I were able to update THREE times a week. Heh, that only happens with web comic updates…anyway, read on, minna-sama!
The Second Act - Chapter Ten
"So, what do you want?"
Before Rei was Hotaru. She had a grin on her face, and Rei despised it. It wasn't like Hotaru to never grin like that. She always wore a pure, innocent, genuine smile. That grin was a constant reminder that she was the enemy. "Well, Rei, I only came here to tell you that a part of you will die," Hotaru explained simply. She put her hands behind her back. "Do you think you can watch me kill someone today?"
Rei stared at the girl with confusion and anger, her eyebrow beginning to twitch. "Hotaru, why are you giving up so easily?" she asked. "Why are you letting this happen to you?" Hotaru tilted her head. "What do you mean?" Rei suddenly pulled her up the steps of the jinja. When they were at the top, Hotaru didn't have anytime to react for what came next.
"Akuryo Taisen!"
Being bombarded by two people wasn't really Usagi's idea of fun – it was actually downright painful. It was like being squeezed into a hug by Makoto. Apparently, Ikuko and Kenji had some kind of strength tucked away somewhere that Usagi didn't know about.
"Usagi, did something happen to you?" Ikuko asked as she tore herself from her daughter. Usagi shook her head. "No. Why?" Kenji looked at her quizzically. "You weren't home for weeks. There had to be something wrong," he answered. Usagi dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "If you're worried about school, I do most of the homework," she smiled. She walked towards the stairs when Kenji called her. She stopped for a moment, wondering if she should turn around and face him or just keep going. When Kenji called her again, she stood still.
"This isn't about your studies. We want to know what's going on with you."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Usagi, you left us without warning. Tell us what's wrong. As your parents we want to help you with whatever your going through."
Usagi glared at him and her mother. "I said I didn't want to talk about it!" she yelled. "You think I can tell you anything like that'll help? You wouldn't understand, so just shut up and leave me alone!" She went up the stairs. At the top, Shingo stared at her as if she were stupid. "Dumb Usagi, they'll ground you forever at you at this rate," he sighed.
"Shut up, Shingo!" Usagi shouted. "If you really want that much attention, ask! Do not mess with me." She went into her room and slammed the door behind her. She slid down to the floor and watched Luna walk towards her. She asked where the blonde had been. Usagi never answered. She never expected this to happen. She hadn't meant to yell or get anyone upset. Why did Ikuko and Kenji have to pry like that? Thinking of that unforgettable moment stressed her out already. Imagining Kenji finding out scared her to death. Mamoru changed, and she remembered that. Even though seeing him made her uneasy, he didn't deserve any pain he received.
"Tsukino Usagi, get back down here this instant!"
Usagi looked at Luna with a sigh. "The enemy knows everyone," she said. "She knows the people we love because of that. I just told my parents off and I screamed at my brother after putting up with his crap for years. I think it's time." Luna's eyes widened. She shook her head rapidly, telling Usagi to reconsider.
"TSUKINO USAGI!"
"My life is already screwed up, Luna," Usagi continued. "My best friend is in love with me, Mamoru is a damsel in distress, and I don't know what to do anymore. I'm supposed to be the damn leader, and I don't know what to do." She heard the footsteps come up the stairs. She got up and lifted her brooch from her dresser. When the door opened, she put her head down.
"Tsukino Usagi, who do you think you are?" Ikuko asked. "I brought you into this world, and I can definitely take you out of it." Usagi giggled without meaning to. She bit her lip to stop herself, but that didn't help. "Sorry, continue."
"Tsukino Usagi, what exactly is so funny?" Kenji asked as he sat on her bed. "Before your punishment, humor me."
"If mama tried to kill me, it wouldn't matter. I would come back."
Both parents blinked. What was that supposed to mean? Not really wanting to know, Kenji announced, "You, Tsukino Usagi, are grounded. You will make an effort to get higher grades; you will no longer read manga; you will only eat three meals a day; and you will not leave this room. Do you understand me?" Usagi shook her head. "And why is that?"
Usagi faced both parents. She noticed Shingo standing outside the door. She held up her brooch. "What's that?" he asked softly. Usagi smiled at his curiosity. "I am the Pretty Soldier, Sailor Moon…" Shingo's jaw dropped. "No way."
"In the name of the Moon, I will punish you."
Eyes darted from one body part to another as shock filled the Senshi of Time's face. She couldn't believe this was all it took. If this were done earlier, this wouldn't have been so complicated. Rei sighed as she sat at Hotaru's feet, silence remaining dominant in the room. The miko stared at both the older woman and the younger girl. She wondered if Hotaru…the real Hotaru would take this opportunity to regain control of her body.
"I'm assuming Haruka and Michiru are asleep at this hour," Rei sighed. Setsuna nodded. "Do you think she'll be the same as before?" Rei asked. Setsuna leaned against the wall. She thought about her answer and sighed. "Usually, your ofuda only paralyzes enemies. Maybe something's happening inside of Hotaru."
"Internal conflict is the dilemma facing the character inside and its impact on that character," Rei recited with her eyes closed. She opened them and noticed the look Setsuna was giving her. "I haven't gone to school in a while. I have to know something when I go back." The green-haired woman couldn't help but laugh. Rei cracked a smile even though she was being serious. "Well, Rei, at least you seem enthusiastic about going back to school."
"That's bad. School is evil."
Rei and Setsuna's eyes went back to Hotaru. She was looking up at the ceiling. "How long have I been out?"
"About an hour."
Hotaru made a small sound with a slight nod. She sat up and scratched her head and turned to Setsuna. "I hurt someone – I just know I did…but I don't know who. I can't remember anything at all. Please tell me who it was." Setsuna looked at Rei. Her features showed indifference. She looked back to Hotaru and sat beside her. "It was Haruka. She's already healed, so don't worry," she replied with a slight smile. "Besides, she knows her little Hotaru would never do anything to hurt her papa." Hotaru smiled back and embraced her.
"Aw, how touching."
Setsuna glared at Rei. The raven-haired girl apologized for the sudden statement. She left the room, taking her communicator with her.
Usagi sat in the living room with Luna on her lap. The cat purred as the blonde scratched the cat's ear and stared into space. Kenji, Ikuko, and Shingo sat across from her. They were in total shock. They couldn't believe their Usagi was the Sailor Moon. The clumsy girl they once knew almost vanished because of this? She didn't mature because of her age and growing responsibilities as a teenager transitioning into an adult? This was all because she was Sailor Moon?
"You were the one who told me to like Luna a few years ago?" Shingo asked.
"Yeah."
"You snuck out to who knows where in the middle of the night?" Kenji sighed.
"On some occasions."
"You haven't done anything…careless, have you?" Ikuko spoke softly. Usagi suddenly giggled. She couldn't answer the question without a smile on her face. She wondered why she felt so giddy. Maybe telling her family something important made her happy. The weight that had been on her shoulders for years was finally lifted. It was finally nice to smile carelessly like she used to.
"Depends on what you mean by careless."
Ikuko opened her mouth, but she didn't have the chance to speak. Luna's ear twitched. She heard something faint. "Communicator, Usagi," she purred. Usagi excused herself as the remaining three stared at Luna. A talking cat would definitely be something to get used to.
Meanwhile, Usagi found her communicator on the dresser. She answered it and saw Rei. "I need you at the jinja. It's important." Usagi frowned. She was doing something important, too. "Kind of having a talk with my family?" she asked. "Can't it wait?"
"Of course it can't! I wouldn't have called if it could!" Rei fumed. "You make it seem like everything that happens to you is important, but when I need to do something, it's just irrelevant," Usagi mumbled. The miko sighed. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked away. "Just make sure you get here in half an hour," she said. The transmission ended. Usagi sighed. She had just left the jinja! What else could be happening?
"So, are you and Rei getting back together again?"
Usagi noticed Luna jump on the bed. She glanced at the mirror and saw that the door was open. She also saw her parents and Shingo trying to eavesdrop from outside the room. Turning her attention back to Luna, she spoke, "What? No. Rei needed me for something else." Luna gasped. "You got that far? You're a sly one, aren't you?" she grinned. Usagi blushed as she shook her head rapidly. "We're not like that!"
"So, you guys are trying to be the innocent ones, huh?"
"No, Luna, we're just friends! That's all!"
Usagi sighed as she collapsed on her bed. She really didn't know what to do. Rei needed her for some reason, and she was supposed to be in the middle of a discussion with her parents. On top of that, Rei had given her a time limit. That was just perfect.
"Just go."
Usagi sat up to see Shingo leaning on the wall. "If it's really that important, you can go." He smiled at her and gave her the thumbs up. Usagi returned it with a grin. She ran out of her room, nearly knocking down Ikuko and Kenji, and rushed out the house.
Hotaru stretched her limbs. Cracking sounds were heard here and there, and she loved it. She felt better than before. She had more energy, and it felt good. "Hey, did anything else happen?" she asked. "Like what?" Rei sighed as she lied on her bed. Hotaru shrugged as she scratched her head. "Anything that I did while I was…you know…"
"You became Haruka in your own way."
Setsuna felt Hotaru wrap her arms around her waist. "I said I didn't want to become Haruka-papa! Why did it happen?" she shuddered. Setsuna shook her head at Rei, who shrugged. "She asked the question. I only provided the answer." Setsuna rolled her eyes. She gave Hotaru a pat on the head, hoping the girl would calm down. It took a couple of minutes for her to regain her composure. "It won't happen again. It won't happen again," she muttered to herself. She took a deep breath and let it out. She broke away from Setsuna with a smile. "It's okay. I'm alright."
Rei saw the little girl Hotaru used to be in that smile. She closed her eyes at a job well done.
"I got here as fast as I could! I…"
All eyes went to the door. Usagi was leaning against it for a moment. She panted as she saw Hotaru. She looked at Rei and Setsuna. Rei sighed and closed her eyes again. Setsuna smiled and nodded. Turning to the youngest of the four, she began trembling. Hotaru smiled. "What? Are you really going to stand there or are you going to freak out and squeeze me to death?"
Usagi lunged toward the girl. Hotaru stopped smiling as she realized the danger of being hugged by Usagi. When the blonde embraced her, she lost her balance. She fell on Rei who felt really displeased. One plus one equals two. Hotaru plus Usagi equals pain. "Get off me!" she yelled. Usagi ignored her as she squeezed Hotaru. "Usagi, I'm very uncomfortable," the girl choked out. Usagi pulled away and apologized.
Setsuna laughed at the commotion. She ignored the shocked stare she got from Usagi. She only gazed at Hotaru. 'I finally have you back, my hime-chan.'
Haruka yawned as she opened her eyes slowly. She groaned as she turned around. She felt so tired, and she really wanted to get out of bed. She didn't understand the weird feeling, but that was how she felt. She looked over Michiru's sleeping form to see the clock. She groaned and shut her eyes.
"Stop it."
Haruka opened one eye with great disdain. She saw Michiru with her eyes closed. She was probably half asleep. "Stop what?" Haruka asked groggily. Michiru placed her index finger on her lips. Haruka got the hint, causing her to grumble to herself.
"Stop it, Haruka."
Haruka sat up and rubbed her eyes. She narrowed her eyes when she looked at her lover. Brushing the aqua hair aside, Haruka planted a kiss on her lips. Michiru pushed Haruka away and groaned. "Not now."
"But how am I supposed to make a lot of noise without getting you agitated?"
Michiru smiled. The thought was nice, but it didn't help the situation. She opened her eyes when she felt Haruka kiss her neck. "No sex," she sighed.
"Who said we would have sex?"
Michiru hooked her arms around the blonde racer's neck. She enjoyed the feeling of Haruka's soft lips on her skin. It made her sigh with bliss and run her fingers through Haruka's short hair. "I love you, Haruka."
For a moment, there was silence. Haruka propped herself on her elbows and gazed into Michiru's eyes. "I love you, too, Michiru," she whispered. She leaned in for a kiss until she heard the front door open. Haruka got of bed quickly with Michiru behind her. They left the room. After a few moments, they heard voices.
"Are you sure Haruka-papa is alright?"
"Hai, hime-chan. I checked her wounds already, and they're all gone."
Haruka and Michiru went wide-eyed. Their Hotaru was finally home? They rushed to the source of the voices. When their search ended in the living room, a short blur rushed towards them. It embraced Michiru first. She stumbled back but regained her balance. She looked down at the dark-haired girl clinging to her. She smiled as she looked at Haruka. Haruka was disbelieving. The blonde stared back at Setsuna. The woman stood there as if there was nothing different.
Hotaru tore herself from Michiru and stared at Haruka. She put her hands behind her back and fidgeted around. "I heard you were hell bent on trying to get me home…so I want to thank you," she murmured. She paused for a moment and looked down at the floor. She gained a smile when she looked up. "You're the coolest papa in the world." Haruka picked her up as if she were a feather. "I don't have to be the coolest papa in the world to want my hime-chan back home," she grinned.
Michiru walked towards Setsuna and whispered, "Is she really herself?" Setsuna nodded. "We owe it to Rei." Michiru gave her a curious look. Setsuna explained what happened, using Rei's exact words. Michiru sighed as she watched Haruka and Hotaru enjoy themselves. She really had to thank the miko. They all did.
It was finally after noon. Everyone had enough energy to trek to the Hikawa Jinja whether they wanted to or not. Since there was an actual emergency – or at least something senshi-related to talk about – Rei didn't mind all the yelling that would probably occur. She was lying on her back as she stared at the ceiling. Usagi sat at her feet.
"Why did you call me first?"
Rei shrugged. "Because you're the leader, so it's only natural."
"That's it?"
Rei laughed a little. "You're the one think of the most. It's not like I can think of you and just call someone else. That doesn't make any sense." Because Rei was lying down, she could see the grin on Usagi's face. "Oh, Rei, your feelings are getting in the way of your judgment. I mean, if any of the others were Sailor Moon, would you really call Usagi anyway?"
Rei sat up immediately. Usagi never talked in third person like that. Before she could react, she was pinned to the bed. Usagi hovered over her. When her hands released the miko's wrist, she felt something pierce her arms. She screamed in pain with her eyes shut tight. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. She looked at what was keeping her pinned to the bed. They were knives, but where had they come from? She looked back to the girl above her. Usagi was grinning at her evilly.
"I can't let you get away that quickly," she said. "Now, you took Hotaru from me, isn't that right?" Rei glared at Usagi defiantly. The blonde giggled as she kissed Rei's nose. She changed her form; Usagi had been replaced with Eris. "Well, now I think you can answer me," she spoke. "Unless you want to experience more pain." Rei refused to answer. Eris shook her head as she felt something stab her legs. "Come on, Rei, this is a simple question."
"I only helped Hotaru remember where she belonged! She did the rest!"
Eris rubbed the miko's stomach with satisfaction. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' Now then, if you took Hotaru away from me, then I'll have to do the same to you. You know, an eye for an eye." She leaned closer to Rei and whispered, "I'll need your help." Rei screamed in pain as more knives stabbed her arms and legs. "Don't worry, Rei. Before you know it, pain will be like an aphrodisiac." Eris planted a kiss on Rei's lips. At that same exact moment, Rei felt a sharp pain in her stomach. The kiss prevented her from letting out a sound, as Eris' played with her tongue. She tried to breath and stay awake, but she couldn't. The feeling of energy surging through her body couldn't be felt. All of her senses were failing her.
"An eye for an eye, Rei."
Rei woke up with a start. She panted as she wiped the sweat away. She looked at her arm and legs. There were bloodstains almost everywhere. She looked at her stomach. There was a hole in the shirt, and bloodstains were present. She sighed in relief. That may have been a dream, but the effects definitely existed in reality.
She got out of bed quickly. Experiencing such pain was…well, painful. She had been stabbed repeatedly. Sure, she had died before, but being stabbed more than once was more than she could take. She took a deep breath and let it out but regretted doing that. She suddenly felt light-headed, and her body felt weird altogether. Without a second thought, she ran out the room and headed toward the bathroom.
"Hotaru's really back?"
"Yeah! I saw her this morning."
"Then why didn't you tell us?"
"It was so early. I didn't want to disturb anyone…"
"But Usagi-chan, this is important. We wouldn't have minded at all."
"Sorry, everyone. We should see her again later though."
"…I guess."
"Come on, Minako-chan, Haruka will be so happy, she'll make sure we see her."
"Mako-chan's right. Let's all go to the jinja then. It'll be convenient for Haruka-tachi."
"True, true."
Rei rubbed her head after she put on her clothes. She had taken a shower and brushed her teeth thoroughly. She had thrown up a couple of times, probably because of what had happened in that dream. She sighed as she collapsed on the bed.
"Isn't this the same position you were in last time?"
Rei sat up immediately. She looked in the corner of the room and found Eris. "What the hell are you doing here? Wasn't stabbing me enough for you?" she asked venomously. Eris laughed. "I haven't seen you in a while. Just making up for lost time," she explained. Rei stood up. She wasn't about to get stabbed again. "I suggest you leave now."
"Why? We have so many things to do right now! We can't just sit here and wait!"
Rei stared at the evil woman warily. She was up to something – that much was obvious. It made Rei wonder what she was planning. Suddenly, Eris disappeared from her spot and reappeared in front of Rei. She stumbled back. "I think you know who the first target is, right?" Eris asked. She wrapped her arms around the miko's neck and stared deeply into her eyes. Rei was unable to look away. It was like Eris was staring at her soul. Soon, her eyesight became blurry. Eris grinned. She could see the sudden vacancy in Rei's eyes.
"I asked you a question, Rei."
Rei smirked. "Of course I do, my mistress."
Ami walked down the street with a smile. Hotaru was finally back! The Sailor Senshi wouldn't be complete without the young girl. Something would be missing. Now that she was herself, everything would be better. They finally had someone to help defeat this enemy. Sailor Saturn was the strongest of all of them – after Sailor Moon herself. With her, the enemy wouldn't have a chance! Besides that fact, Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna would be in chaos without her. The youth that kept them alive had vanished. It was like their happiness had disappeared because Hotaru wasn't there. Ami sighed. She just couldn't wait to see the normal Hotaru again.
Suddenly, she felt someone pull her. She tried to yelp, but her mouth had been covered with a hand. Before she knew it, she was at the jinja. There was no way she could just teleport there! What was going on?
"Calm down, Ami-chan. Don't think about it too hard."
Ami's head was tilted back slightly, revealing her neck. She felt cold metal against it, meaning only one thing. She shut her eyes tight before feeling the last bit of pain she would never feel again.
-End Chapter Ten-
Akuryo Taisen – Evil Spirits, Begone
Ofuda – talisman issued by Shinto shrine
Does Eris have full control over Rei? Is this apart of her plan? Will Usagi tell the others she told her family her secret? Stay tuned for more. Til next time
Serenity101