A relieved smile spread across Mamoru's face as he came out of Usagi's room to the sight of all the Senshi filing in. "Glad to see you all made it back in one piece. Usagi will be glad to see you when she wakes up."
"She's asleep!?" Rei asked, disbelief heavy in her voice. "We're battling some crazy weirdo in space and she's taking a nap?"
"You wouldn't be here now if it weren't for her." Haruka started angrily.
"Rei, have you learned nothing from this past week?" Ami stated as she glared at the fiery priestess, the shame of their behavior toward their princess still burning in her mind.
Rei flushed a bright red. "I was just surprised, that's all," she muttered as she looked at the floor. She was just so used to criticizing Usagi that she hadn't thought before opening her mouth.
Ignoring the others, Setsuna approached Mamoru. "Is she alright? She didn't drain herself too much did she?"
Mamoru shook his head. "She's fine, just exhausted. She hasn't moved since she sent you off. She'll probably sleep through the night."
Setsuna smiled. "That's not a bad idea for the rest of us, either."
Mamoru took in their disheveled condition. "I take it you had to fight your way out? Is anyone injured?" he asked as he looked around at the Senshi, attempting to see if anyone needed medical attention.
"No, just a bit bruised," Minako reassured him.
"Thanks to Jupiter," Michiru said with a grateful glance at the brunette.
Makoto blushed at the praise, but shook her head in denial. "I was just the closest. I'm glad I made it in time."
Haruka wrapped her arms over Michiru's shoulders. "We're glad, too."
Ami frowned as she thought back on Setsuna's words. "What happened to Usagi?"
The other Inners all looked up at her question and fixed their gazes on Mamoru.
"Did something happen while we were gone?" Minako asked, anxiety rising in her eyes.
"No, no, she's fine. Really. Using the Ginzuishou to find you and teleport the Outer Senshi there just wore her out," Mamoru hastily explained, raising his hands, as if to ward off an attack.
"She used the Ginzuishou?" Rei breathed, the color draining from her face. "Do you know how dangerous that is? She could die if she uses it. She has died from using it." Rei's voice had risen as she'd been speaking and she took a threatening step toward Mamoru.
"Rei, she knew what she was doing. She's fine," Setsuna said softly, placing a hand on the younger girl's arm.
"But she could have died and we weren't here for her..." Rei protested weakly, fighting back tears.
Setsuna wrapped the priestess in a comforting hug. "She didn't die and she did it for you. All of you. We could not have stopped her if we had wanted to."
Makoto nodded solemnly. "Usagi is fearless when it comes to protecting her friends and loved ones."
Michiru spoke up. "Setsuna is right. We should try to get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll all feel much better and Usagi will be able to fuss over us to her heart's content."
"She lives. The cursed daughter who killed your wife and destroyed your kingdom is still alive," the cloaked figure rasped as he glared into his glowing purple orb. "How can you tolerate this? Do you not wish to see her pay? She must die for her sins," he continued in a hypnotic monotone.
The tall blonde man standing before him nodded in agreement. His eyes blazed with rage and his hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly. "The demon child must die," he stated. With a swirl of his golden cape, he was gone.
The cloaked figure cackled with satisfaction and resumed watching the events in his orb. Soon, very soon, the Ginzuishou would be his, and the Earth would be no more.
The weekend was spent with the Senshi and Mamoru all getting to know each other and Usagi better. The Outer Senshi were losing their hostility for the Inners. Makoto's actions on Rubeus' ship had gone a long way in thawing the ice. Everyone was impressed with how well Usagi was dealing with her blindness, although some of the changes in her character were a bit disconcerting for those who knew her best. With many of her memories of her life on the Moon returning, Usagi had begun to naturally fall into some of the mannerisms of Princess Serenity. She was quieter and moved with a cautious grace. She was still bubbly and cheerful, but she would sometimes get a pensive look upon her face that worried her friends. On Sunday night, the Inner Senshi and Mamoru departed for their own homes as they all had school the next day. Mamoru was reluctant to leave, but Usagi pushed him gently out the door, explaining that she didn't want to be responsible for his grades slipping. What she didn't tell him was that she had a feeling of unease and wanted everyone as far away from her as possible when the danger came.
Usagi sighed as she pressed her forehead against the door that Mamoru had just exited through. Already, she felt colder and the darkness pressed against her without the comforting presence of Mamoru and the Inner Senshi. She shivered slightly and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She didn't have much time. He was coming for her again soon. She could feel the evil approaching like a giant tidal wave of inky cold. She had to leave so he wouldn't get the Outers! Listening carefully, Usagi couldn't detect the three women. Tentatively, she did a gentle probe, careful not to be noticed. A small smile escaped her as she found Haruka and Michiru 'occupied.' A faint blush stained her cheeks and she quickly retreated, not wanting to intrude. Her scan moved on, seeking Setsuna. Of all the Senshi, Pluto would be the hardest one to remain hidden from. Usagi was pretty sure she could use the Ginzuishou to hide her whereabouts, but it wasn't a sure thing. Setsuna was in the kitchen, but she seemed a bit agitated. 'Okay, it's now or never,' Usagi thought to herself. She brought out the Ginzuishou and concentrated. She needed a remote location where no one else would be caught in the crossfire...
Setsuna straightened abruptly. "Serenity," she breathed, eyes wide with apprehension. She ran out of the kitchen to the living room, but there was no sign of the Princess. A sense of impending disaster had been growing within her all day, but she had not expected Usagi to simply disappear. Trying to remain calm, she looked in Usagi's room with a slim hope that she had simply gone to bed. After searching the house with no sign of the diminutive princess, Setsuna reluctantly knocked on Michiru and Haruka's door.
Haruka answered the door, raising one inquiring eyebrow. Setsuna rarely disturbed them in the evenings.
"The Princess is gone," Setsuna stated quietly, the panic she felt firmly squashed beneath her iron control.
Haruka merely nodded. She knew things had been going too well for the last couple of days. "We'll be right out," she said and then shut the door.
Michiru looked up apprehensively as the blonde returned. "What's wrong?" she inquired, concerned by the expression on Haruka's face.
"Usagi is missing and Setsuna is spooked. I could see it in her eyes. Even when we were going after the Princess in the park last week, she wasn't this scared. Angry, yes, but not scared. This is bad," Haruka explained as she dressed.
"What? How could Usagi be missing? She's blind, how far could she go?" Michiru protested as she jumped out of bed. Her brow wrinkled as she grabbed a blouse. "Why would she want to leave? She was so happy that we were all together..."
"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to ask her when we find her."
"You don't think someone took her, do you?" Michiru asked.
Haruka shook her head. "No, we would have known. Setsuna would have known, at the very least."
Setsuna looked up from her cup of tea as the other two women entered the dining room. "I've notified the other Senshi and Mamoru. They're on their way." The three sat in silence and waited, each trying to figure out why Usagi had left and where she had gone.
