Chap. 11: A Glimpse of Hope

RECAP:

Unazuki stared at the beautiful blonde girl, Mamoru glared holes through a smirking Haruka, Motoki tried to get his act together, Hotaru laughed at their expressions as Chandeny smiled at Haruka...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

First as he saw Usagi and Haruka smirking at each other did the full situation get a real hold of Motoki. His best friend has kissed his little sister. His jealous best friend has kissed his innocent little sister! His soon-to-be-dead ex best friend kissed his poor little sister!!! Someone was going to pay!

"Mamoru! What do you think you're doing?! How dare you molest my baby sister like that?! I'll kill you!!!"

Motoki was angry. And those who knew the blonde knew also that when the quite individual was for once angry that he was a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for Mamoru, he'd been on the receiving end of Motoki's fury more often then not. First when he was still teasing Usagi and Motoki was forced to give the dark-haired emo guy a piece of his mind, then when Usagi left, Motoki went on a rampage and now when he kissed Unazuki out of pure anger, jealousy and desire to hurt Usagi the same way she hurt him.

He was in for more then a tongue-lashing from his best friend and he knew it. Unazuki and Usagi were Motoki's little sisters, even if the not-related one acted more like it then the real sister, and Motoki knew no pardon when it came to those two. Friendship took second place to protecting the two girls that mean the life to Motoki and Mamoru was well aware of that fact.

"Are you crazy?! Do you a death-wish these days, or what?! Kissing my sister like that, and in front of me!!! Do you know what I can do to you?! Do you know what I WILL do to you for that?!"

Now if Usagi didn't have that emotional attachment to Mamoru, and if this situation happened when he still had no memories and was teasing her, she would be, just like Haruka and Hotaru, rolling on the floor, laughing her head off at the sight of the quite blonde towering over an obviously scared super-hero, screaming his lung off at the other guy.

But as it is, she was sitting quietly in her seat and waiting for a moment to stop Motoki's rampage or Mamoru might as well go search himself a nice place for his grave.

As Motoki stopped to take a breath, Usagi took the chance and with her calm voice quickly demanded the attention of the screaming blonde as well as the others.

"Onii-chan, that's quite enough, stop it, please."

Motoki stopped right in opening his mouth to scream again and all eyes focused on Chandeny, who sat in the booth like a queen on her throne.

"Don't waste your breath, Onii-chan. I'm sure your sister is well capable of handling the situation herself. And if your screaming at Mamoru has anything to do with me, then don't bother, Mamoru's acting like an jealous child, he can't hurt me."

She then turned to a stunned Unazuki.

"I believe we haven't met before. I'm Chandeny Tsukino, a friend of your brother's and Mamoru's ex-girlfriend. Please excuse the immature behavior of my ex; he sadly still thinks he's got right to be jealous, over what, though, I'll never know."

Not sparing Mamoru a glance, she turned her attention to Haruka and Hotaru who were trying to compose themselves.

"Haru-chan, Hotaru-chan, your behavior is inappropriate. Sit down and behave, we'll talk about this at home. I understand Hotaru-chan, but you're an adult, Haru-chan, get a hold of yourself."

Haruka straightened, cleared her throat and took her seat graciously, but not without a little blush staining the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, of course, Chandeny-hime, that was very immature of me, it won't happen again. Please spare me from telling about this to Michiru, I won't hear the end of it otherwise."

Chandeny gave her blonde protector a once over and sighed, "No worries, Haru-chan, my lips are sealed. But I think you'll have to bribe Hotaru-chan into silence," the Princess and the youngest Senshi exchanged glances and Hotaru giggled again, giving Haruka the creeps and making her promise the young girl everything from earth to sky, just not to tell the ocean Senshi anything.

Chandeny ignored the playfulness her Senshi displayed and turned once to Motoki while Mamoru eyed Haruka with distaste and a small question in his head.

'Would it have been different if I could have been more like this man, like this Haruka? He seems serious and very aloof, but he can loosen up like I see. Maybe I should've been more like him...'

Usako's voice, once again shook him out of his thoughts. She was speaking to the Furuhata siblings, ignoring both him, and her now bickering two companions.

"Onii-chan, Unazuki-chan, join us. A few more friends are going to come shortly, too. I would like to introduce you to four very special young men, and a young lady who manages to hold Haru-chan on a short leash. They should be here any minute now."

Hearing that Haruka blanched. She was sure Hotaru was going to tell Michiru of her more then ungraceful behavior from a few minutes ago, and the other Senshi would make Haruka's life miserable for the next few years if she ever found out. Once again turning her attention to Hotaru she promised to buy her that big doll she'd been admiring since they came to Japan, that had been far to expensive for Haruka. Hotaru, satisfied, nodded her head and promised to seal her lips.

Neither she nor Chandeny had bothered to tell Haruka that Michiru and the Generals were going to come, along with Naru and Umino. Michiru has gone to pick-up Usagi's old friends and Nephrite was out gathering the Generals who had gone out to explore the city.

Just as Motoki joined Chandeny and her friends and Unazuki still debated with herself over leaving Mamoru after she asked to join him, the door opened and in walked four very familiar girls in school uniforms.

As the Inners spotted their Princess sitting there, looking carefree and chatting happily with Motoki, they couldn't bring themselves to move. They stood like glued to the door-way.

Amy locked eyes with a desperate looking Mamoru and guessed that his encounter with Usagi didn't go well. Minako seemed the first one to regain her composure. Seeing Motoki sitting with Usagi stirred hopes and she sauntered over to the booth, sitting herself across Motoki's lap and sanding a cheerful 'Hi!' in Chandeny's direction.

Motoki flushed a deep red before kissing Minako on the cheek and worriedly glancing at Chandeny who was looking at them with a raised brow. That didn't look too good. Motoki was well aware that the former group has parted ways with Usagi over some reason or another and that Usagi still deemed them unworthy her forgiveness. That much he has gathered from a sobbing Minako as she came to him a few nights before, crying, and saying that Usagi was back but that she hated them. He had tried to get Minako to calm down but that had gotten her crying even harder and mumbling something about someone undeserving her tears, betrayal, hypocrites and a jewel, kunzite, if he remembered correctly. After that they had started kissing and everything else was a blur in Motoki's memory, but he seemed to recall Minako mumbling about kunzite a few more times during their make-out session. Why she seemed obsessed with that precious stone, Motoki didn't know, but made a note to get her something with that stone for her birthday, or maybe Christmas.

The other girls seemed to have gotten a bit braver since Usagi didn't leash out on Minako and moved to greet her as the bells giggled again.

Everyone looked at the door and five breaths hitched.

Motoki felt Minako stiffening on his lap and looked the four young new-comers over.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Jadeite and Nephrite had been arguing for almost full twenty minutes and it was getting heavily on Kunzite's nerves. Beside him Zoisite kept sighing and shaking his head, agitating the pale-haired leader even more.

Kunzite never felt more thankful as finally the Crow arcade came into view and fastened his steps. Zoisite hastened after him and the two idiots kept bickering.

The automatic doors swished open, small bells chimed, and Kunzite walked in, turning his head slightly back and glaring daggers at Jadeite who had flung an arm over the taller Nephrite and kept going on about comparing two girls.

"I'm telling you, man, it's hilarious! I mean, one is an Amazon, a hell of a woman, and the other a wimpy school-girl. Granted both are brunette and green-eyed, but as different as day and night. Come on, it would be like comparing Pyro and Mercury!"

The last comment earned him a glare from Zoisite, which went unnoticed by the obnoxious blonde.

The door closed behind the four men and Kunzite finally snapped.

"Will you shut up, Jadeite?!"

Suddenly the room they were in was eerily silent and all four Generals looked around. They spotted three of the former Inner Senshi standing not too far away looking shocked, the Prince sitting on a chair and gawking at them, a red-head standing a few feet away from the Prince, the Princess sitting between two Outers and Psyche on a blonde man's lap, next to Sailor Saturn.

Kunzite felt his stomach clench and wanted nothing more then rip the other man's insides out, but refined and only sneered at Minako.

"That much for you being Psyche. Even your taste in men has gone spiraling down. I doubt the Goddess would be pleased with you wearing her name. I know I'm ashamed of what has become of you. A wimpy blonde, hugging a poor excuse for a man."

Minako blanched and lowered her gaze, unsure of what to do. That angered Kunzite even more; his Psyche would be trying to rip his head off by now. He opened his mouth to insult the blonde couple more, but the Princess stopped him, before he could go through his insults or Motoki standing up to his injured male pride.

"Quite, Kunzite! I won't stand you insulting my friends!" Catching how that sounded, Chandeny added, "Motoki is like a brother to me, dare not insult him! Have I made myself clear, Kunzite?"

Kunzite, defeated, bowed his proud head and murmured a quick apology to the Princess and the blonde man. He desperately wished Serenity would drop this act, he longed for nothing more then to close his beloved Psyche into his arms and kiss her senseless. He knew the others had similar wishes regarding the rest of the Inner Senshi. But orders were orders, and coming from Serenity they were all the more effective. While they always had loved and respected their Prince, they never feared him; the heiress to the Moon Throne was another story. Even knowing Serenity's peace-loving nature they feared her, she was powerful and the four Senshi guarding her, weren't exactly all laughter and sunshine either. Psyche was not the leader for nothing. She had a cool head and was strong, her strategies were without a fault, her swordsmanship only rivaled by himself. She indeed was the leader of the Innner Senshi. Mars, or Pyro, like Jadeite like to call her, was very temperamental and served her element the fire, pretty well; she was really scary when provoked. Mercury, cool, composed, quite and timid but lethal when she needed to be, she was the personification of her element, the water. Jupiter was the Amazon with the soft heart, the tallest of the group had enormous physical strength, he'd never seen anyone lift a human, or lunarian man that effortlessly, she was thunder indeed.

Then there were the Outers. Their leader was the tomboyish and hot-headed Uranus, with her personality she matched her element, the wind, perfectly, both were unpredictable. Always by Uranus' side the intelligent and elegant Neptune, the quite Senshi was everything her guardian, the ocean had to offer. The most serious of them was the oldest, Pluto, Senshi of Time and guardian of time gate, thy didn't know much about her, only that she was eternal, as long as Time is existing so is Pluto. The last but not the least was the youngest, and probably most powerful of the Senshi, Saturn, the quite young girl ruled over death and life, her guardian the star of death, Saturn. Never had anyone freaked the composed General as much as the frail little girl with the empty eyes.

A feeling of being watched crept over Kunzite and he looked to the left, seeing Saturn staring intensely at him. He suppressed a shudder.

Moving unwillingly in the direction of the girl who scared him shitless, Kunzite bowed to Chandeny before taking a seat, not before shooting one last glare in Jadeite direction, daring the blond to open his big trap.

But the other Generals had their own little thoughts and worries. Jadeite was staring holes through Rei who kept glaring back at him, Zoisite was looking longingly in Amy's direction making the shy girl blush, and Nephrite was making Makoto fidget under the intense gaze of his grey eyes.

This didn't go unnoticed by Mamoru who looked between the Senshi and the Generals, sneaking glances at the two leaders who looked at anything but each other. It was clear that the Generals wanted to be near the girls, but followed Usagi's orders painfully correct. The Princess was entertaining herself with Hotaru and the blonde man, Haruka, refusing to look at Motoki even as she spoke with him, Minako being still on his lap the reason. Hotaru and Haruka seemed indifferent to the whole situation, the young girl teasing the man, who kept begging her for something, making both Hotaru and Usagi laugh.

The giggling of the bells was heard again, soon after followed by a soft gasp. Everyone turned around to look.

There stood the aquamarine haired girl, Michiru, Usagi's brother Shingo, and Naru and Umino. Naru was the one who gasped, not at seeing Usagi, but rather at the tall brown-haired man, standing almost directly in front of her. Nephrite.

An ear splitting scream shook the arcade in its foundation, and was heard on the island of Hokkaido where a snow-wolf began howling.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

AN: Chapter 11 finished! So what do you think?

Chapter dedication to all of you who can guess whom I'm going to bring into the story in the next two chapters! Please read & review!

Jas