AN: Apologies for the wait. I confess I was a bit at a loss as to what was happening next. But, the writer's block is slowly unraveling. I hope you enjoy!

Never Gone

Chapter Ten:

I'll Forget You

Ami stared unseeingly into her cooling cup of tea. The early morning crowd mulled about around her, oblivious to the brooding foreigner sitting alone in the corner. It was not uncommon to see students of varying ethnicities in the shop, and Ami was a frequent visitor. Every morning, she would come in for a cup of tea, sit at the same corner table, and read. Thus, as she stared into the void, the world passed along without her.

She had not slept well. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it—a sterile hospital room filled with machines beeping out a steady rhythm of life barely there. She would wake up hot and flushed, her heart racing and her mind spinning. And each time, she was filled with a sense of foreboding. Something was wrong; very, very wrong, but she could not figure out what it was.

She rubbed her head. The lack of sleep was making it hard to think. Her head was sore. She hoped the hot tea would help. The steaming beverage always cleared her mind. But, with all things today, it was not working. Everything was off; out of balance in a way, as if she was missing something very important. Something from the past? She sat back. Yes, the past had been interfering with her life.

The pain in her head increased. She winced and rubbed her temples again, closing her eyes as she did so. She needed to think. No problem was too hard for her as long as she could focus.

The dreams were the key. When there was trouble, the mind often gave alerts in the most vulnerable states such as sleep. Warnings of danger would come in dreams. It happened with Rei. It seemed now it was happening with her. She replayed the dream in her mind. A hospital. She had been in a hospital. And then, the dream had shifted into the past.

The past…

She rubbed her temples harder; her head hurt.

What about the past? There was something in the past…someone…someone calling to her. She tried to focus. It had to do with the mirror. The mirror was important.

The dream was growing fuzzy. Her face scrunched in concentration. She needed this part to be clear. The hospital was so clear. Every detail was burned into her brain—the heart monitor, the IV, the bright lights, and the doctors. But the mirror was slipping away.

The past was slipping away.

"Ami?"

Ami jumped.

Ryo smiled apologetically. "Gomen," he said softly.

"Ryo-kun," Ami greeted in surprise. Ryo was not an early riser. Why was he here?

"May I sit down?" he asked, almost uncertain.

Why is he so hesitant today? Ami wondered as she nodded and indicated the free chair across from her. Ryu gratefully sat down. He sat with his head down and his shoulders slumped. He was acting so nervous. What was wrong?

"Ami," he began, glancing up at her. "I know you probably don't want to talk about the other day."

Other day? A memory from a few days prior rose in her mind. She had been coming in to have lunch with him. Something had happened.

"But I," he trailed off, gathered his thoughts, and then pressed on. "Ami, I just can't leave it at that." He placed a hand over hers and looked into her eyes, pleading. "I love you," he said firmly. "And I don't want us to fight."

Ami blinked. They had had a fight. But she couldn't remember what about. She covered his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I don't want to fight either," she said slowly.

The relief was visible on his face, so open, so innocent, so warm and inviting. He had never been good at hiding his emotions. It was something she always loved about him. He was such a wonderful boyfriend. "Then you forgive me?" he asked in earnest.

Ami titled her head. "For what?" she asked. What had they been fighting about? Something about the past. Her head hurt so badly. She closed her eyes again and waited for the throbbing to die down. "Gomen," she whispered once the episode passed, taking all thoughts of the past with it. She reached for her tea with a smile. "It must be the stress of the exams, but I can't remember what the fight was about."

Ryo returned her grin. "Must not have been that important, then, right?"

"Hai," Ami confirmed. For a moment, she thought she saw something flash through his eyes, something dark, almost sinister, but she dismissed it as a trick of the light. Ryo was her perfect boyfriend—smart, caring, compassionate, and always willing to let her have her way. He never irritated her, never challenged her, and never questioned. He was truly the best.

She was so glad she had him.

THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!

Tamaki convulsed on the bed. Hiro was immediately at the glass, watching anxiously as his son gasped in pain and curled into a fetal position. The spell passed. Tamaki remained curled in on himself, an agonized expression on his face. Hiro slammed his fist against the glass pane in frustration, feeling the hollow void of his usefulness all to heavily. "Tamaki," he moaned.

On the other side, another name slipped into the sterile air, unheard by all save the poor soul suffering within.

THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!

"…Ami…"

Ami looked up.

"What is it?" Ryo asked.

Ami watched the crowd of café patrons, eyes narrowed, searching; for what, she was uncertain, but she could have sworn…

She shook her head. "Nothing," she said, turning back to him with a tired smile. "Just my imagination."

THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!

"How long until you arrive in England?"

"Seven hours from now," Umino informed. He, Seiya, and Makoto were in the back of a black town car speeding down the highway towards the airport. "England is six hours behind us. It will be mid afternoonish when we arrive there, evening here."

Across town, in a small apartment, Mamoru paced anxiously in his living room, his attention riveted on the phone currently set on speaker mode. "And when will you reach Tamaki?"

"Hopefully the same evening, sire," Umino replied over the phone.

"Meaning, ideally, you should have the cure by tomorrow morning?" Kyouya asked. He was sitting on the couch, an icepack resting on his head. At first, he had refused the cold compress, but Minako had insisted and Mamoru had all but ordered. Thus, he sat, his dignity suffering as his beloved held the pack against his still feverish forehead.

There was a pause over the phone before Umino asked incredulously, "What is Lord Kunzite doing there?"

"My job," Kyouya growled back. His patience was growing increasingly thin.

"You should be resting!"

Kyouya rolled his eyes. "You are not my doctor."

"But, I am," Mamoru intervened before a fight broke out. He knew his general well enough to know the signs. Kyouya, like his persona of old, did not enjoy being out of control of the situation for an extended period of time. He would fight the decision.

True to his nature, Kyouya sat up, Minako following with the icepack. "With all do respect, sire,"

"Go to bed," Mamoru said firmly. "That's an order."

For a moment, it looked like the silver-haired young man would protest, but, with a heavy sigh, he stood, resigned to obey.

"Come on, baby," Minako cooed, wrapping an arm around his waist. She led him down the hall to her room. The door shut behind them a moment later.

"Thank you, master," Umino said.

"He's not going to like this," Mamoru replied, turning back to the conversation at hand. "Seiya is traveling with you, correct?"

In the car, Umino cast a furtive glance at Seiya who was currently drifting somewhere between awake and asleep cradled in Makoto's arms. The brunette did not mind in the least; in fact, she encouraged the behavior by messaging her lover's head. Umino resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Now was not the time for nonsense. "Yes, sire, and, before Lord Kunzite can use that as an argument, Lord Nephrite is currently sleeping and will most likely be asleep on the flight as well."

"Please stop being so formal, Umino," Mamoru pleaded for the third time since the call began.

"My apologies." His tone implied his lack of sincerity.

Mamoru rubbed his eyes. It was barely past noon, and he was already exhausted. It had been a long first half of the day. "When you arrive, you'll go straight to Tamaki?"

"Correct."

"And you'll administer the antidote?"

"That is the plan, yes."

"You sound hesitant," Mamoru noted. "What are you not telling me?"

There was a pregnant pause. In the silence, Mamoru's mind began to fear the worst.

"If my calculations are correct, Lord Tanzanite has been exposed to the poison for twelve hours now, or at least will have been by the time we arrive. That is a generous assumption at best. This poison is not designed for lengthy exposure. It is meant to kill and kill quickly." Umino paused once more, as if the news were too heavy to even speak. "I…know not what state he will be in when we arrive."

The hope drained from Mamoru's heart at those words. He sank into the couch under the weight of dread. He could not fathom the truth. He could lose Tamaki?

A warm hand—a touch physical, mental, and magical—drew him from his melancholy. Usagi, his lovely wife, squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "It will be ok," she whispered before bringing him close into the safety of her arms. "He'll be alright. Ami should be with him by now."

"We can only hope, your Highness."

Usagi giggled, breaking the tension. "Stop calling me that, Umino! I've known you since Junior High! It's so weird! I'm still me!"

"Of course, your Highness."

The two old friends shared a much needed laugh, knowing he had done that on purpose that time. "Umino," Usagi said after a moment, a though occurring to her. "Have you told Naru where you're going?"

Umino narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "No," he said.

"Why not?" Usagi gasped. "She needs to know!"

"Know what?" Umino asked. His tone turned dark as the repressed bitterness of years filled with watching his dear Naru fret and worry and fear for her dear friend passed before his eyes. "I will not lie to her. I'm not as good at that as you are."

Usagi took the words like a physical blow, stunned into silence and then shamed by the truth contained within.

Before any could reprimand his accusation, Umino said curtly, "I'll inform you when we land." And then, he ended the call.

Mamoru looked at his wife, feeling her shame. She had never wanted to cast Naru out of her life. But she could not tell her. It would have put her in danger. Usagi had only wanted to protect her friend. As a result, she had lost her.

"Usako."

Usagi stood quickly. "I'm going to call Ami to let her know what's going on."

THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!

Ami almost did not answer her phone. She was enjoying her momentary peace brought about by Ryo's presence. But her phone refused to be ignored. After the sixth insistent ring, she dug it from her purse and flipped it open. "Moshi moshi?"

There was a crackle of static followed by a distorted greeting.

Ami stood up. "Hold on, Usagi, I can't hear you." She smiled apologetically at Ryo before she maneuvered her way to the front door. The cool morning air greeted her as did a clearer signal. "Ok."

"You need to go back inside!" Usagi insisted.

"What? I can't hear you inside. The signal isn't very strong."

"But you need to stay with Tanzanite!" There was a strange urgency in Usagi's voice as she rambled on. "You need to stay with him until the others get there. Ok?"

Ami blinked in confusion. "Stay with…who? Usagi, what are talking about? Is everything ok over there?" Usagi was silent. For a moment, Ami thought she had lost the signal. "Usagi? Usagi? Moshi moshi?"

"You're not with Tanzanite?"

"With who?" Ami asked again.

"Tanzanite!" Usagi insisted.

"Why would I be with a mineral?" Ami asked with a laugh. Her friend was acting strange today.

"He's not a mineral."

"Yes, it is," Ami said. "It is in the same family as—"

"That's not the point!" Ami was taken aback by the force in her usually jovial friend's voice.

Ami frowned. Whatever this was, it was obviously important to Usagi. She glanced at her watch. She would have to leave for class soon. Patiently, she asked, "So what is the point?"

"The point is you're supposed to be with Tanzanite. Why aren't you with him?" All vehemence was replaced with quiet confusion and something more…fear? Ami was not certain.

But she was annoyed. Why was everyone being so insistent about her social interaction all of a sudden? First that guy from yesterday, now this. They had never cared about her social circle in England before.

Her head ache—the one that had been conquered by Ryo's loving company and a fresh cup of hot tea—was returning with a vengeance.

Thankfully, Ryo appeared in that moment to rescue her. "Ami, is everything all right?"

Ami covered the receiver. "Hai." She returned to the call. "Listen, Usagi, I need to go."

"No!"

"I have class," she insisted. "I'll call you when I get out and we can straighten this Tanzanite thing out, ok?"

"Ami! Ami, wai—"

Ami hung up. A sliver of guilt penetrated her heart at being so rude. But she was in no mood for nonsense. She had classes to attend and grades to repair. She had lost focus the last few weeks. It was time to reclaim some academic ground.

"What was that about?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing."

Ryo's eyes were narrowed. "It didn't sound like nothing."

Ami shook her head as she pocketed her phone. "Just Usagi being Usagi. She wanted to know something about minerals. I confess I was a bit confused. I'm sure it's nothing." At least, she hoped it was nothing. The urgency in Usagi's voice bothered her. What was so important about that mineral?

"He's not a mineral!"

Dancing green eyes…lips twisting with laughter…loose curls falling in an unruly mass around his thin face…

Her heart twisted.

Her head ached.

…a mirror…something to do with a mirror. She rubbed her temples with a groan.

"Ami?"

"I'm fine," Ami said. Ryo was not so convinced. Ami tried to wave him off with a smile. "Come on. Let's go to class."

She never saw the dark worry burning in the back of his eyes.

THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!

Usagi let the phone slip from her numb fingers. "Ami's not with Tanzanite."

"What?"

Usagi met Mamoru's startled eyes. "She sounded as if she didn't even know who he was."

The news crashed over Mamoru like a tidal wave, destroying what hope he had had left. He slumped over, his hands covering his face, running through his hair, balling into fists only to cover his face again as he tried desperately to comprehend. "It's over," he said. "It's over. He's dead."

"We don't know that," Usagi said.

"What else could happen?" Mamoru asked, jumping from the couch. Fear poured from him in waves as he paced back and forth. "They won't get there in time! Ami isn't there! Oh, why didn't I bond them when they got here? Chikosu!" His agitation vanished with those words, replaced by an empty pain that echoed with failure. "I shouldn't have waited," he whispered. "Why did I wait?"

Usagi slowly walked to his side and took his hand, leading him back to the couch, where they sat. He drew comfort from her arms as he lamented his decision. "I wanted to do it right this time," he said. "There was never a formal bonding ceremony, not back then. My father's soldiers were chasing us. I had to find them and bond them as quickly as I could. This time…this time I wanted to do it right. I was so happy when they came back; I just didn't think…" He buried his face in her shoulder. "I didn't think this would happen."

"No one did," Usagi soothed as she stroked his hair.

"I shouldn't have waited." Mamoru cursed himself for his foolishness.

Usagi took his head in her hands and forced him to look at her. "What then?" she asked. "What would have happened had you reformed the bonds before this happened?"

"I could have done something," he said.

"You would have suffered the same fate." Her eyes grew serious, her tone firm, and her presence regal as she said, "Imagine; this parasite reaching the Golden Crystal, the Sacred Fires that birthed all magic. There was a reason the Terrian scientists were able to procure a vial of the most deadly biological weapon to ever be produced in the Silver Millennium."

Mamoru's eyes grew wide with understanding as her words sank in. "You?" he breathed.

Princess Serenity nodded. "There was a reason my mother forbade the use of that weapon. She forbade it." Then, Usagi smiled through. She kissed her husband and pulled him close, her purifying light battling the darkness of his fears. "We will conquer this."

Lying there in her arms, he believed her.

AN: I am out of town next week, so the next installment will inevitably be delayed. But, anyway, reviews are love!