Chapter 10

Minako's P.O.V.

We all ran towards Mamoru's apartment as fast as we could, hoping to catch him before his morning jog. I was ahead of everyone else because I had a lot of running experience on my morning dash to school. I, like Usagi, valued my beauty sleep.

We probably looked like a bunch of lunatics as we ran through the streets, dodging business men on cell phones and children slurping ice cream cones. We finally made it to Mamoru's apartment complex, running up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. We arrived at his apartment, panting as I rang the doorbell. No answer. We all groaned as we realized we were too late and had to try and find him on the streets. I could tell by looking around at the others that they were tired from all of the running. It wasn't exactly short distance from Rei's to Mamoru's. Being the leader of the Inners, I knew I had to be a good example. "Come on girls, we can do this. We have to find him, the future depends on it! And so does Chibi-Usa!" I said, adding the part about Chibi-Usa to get Hotaru to perk up. They all nodded and ran down the stairs behind me. I felt bad because Rei was probably getting smacked by my hair and Michelle was probably getting smacked by Rei's hair. But I ignored it and ran through the apartment lobby and back onto the streets, searching for any sign of the black-haired man. I decided to run towards the park. I didn't stop running as I turned my head and yelled back, "The park!" I turned my head back around to find myself running into someone's hard chest. My body rebounded backwards, catching Rei and Michelle on the way. We all tumbled to the ground, tangled together in a mass of legs and hair. I prepared to yell at whoever was in my way, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Oh my gosh, Minako are you alright?" Mamoru said, helping us up. I could hear everyone heave sighs of relief when they realized who it was.

"Thank goodness! Mamoru, we've been looking all over for you!" Michelle said, brushing dirt off of her. Mamoru stared at us questioningly.

"Not here," Hotaru warned. I nodded and got on my toes so I could whisper in Mamoru's ear. There were way too many people around to say what I needed to say out loud.

"It's about Usagi. We know what the Negaverse wants," I whispered. He stiffened at my words and nodded.

We followed him back to his apartment and settled ourselves in. Rei and I made ourselves at home on his couch, while Michelle sat up straight in a recliner and Hotaru sat on the floor. Mamoru leaned against the wall, ready for our explanation.

I decided to be the first one to speak. "As you know...Usagi's...changed," I started. He nodded in agreement, and I noticed how tired he looked. There were dark circles under his eyes and his eyes seemed a little puffy. Poor guy...

"I did a fire reading last night after you came to me. The fire showed me a bunch of different things, and I was only able to catch a few. They are all connected to either Usagi...or the Heart Snatchers," Rei said, her voice quivering with fear. I watched as Mamoru's expression changed from one of seriousness to one of worry. He eyebrows furrowed, and lines appeared on his forehead.

"Not this again..." he said. I knew he was thinking of her birthday. Suddenly his eyes almost popped out of his head.

"HOLY CRAP HER BIRTHDAY!" Mamoru said. I pulled out my phone to check the date; Juna 29. Tomorrow was her birthday. Rei choked on the water she was drinking as she realized it too. Hotaru didn't know when Serena's birthday was.

I gasped. I didn't have anything picked out for her. I'm assuming no one else did either. Hotaru looked back and forth from the coughing Rei to me. "Tomorrow's Usagi's birthday," I said, filling her in. She nodded. Mamoru stood and started pacing.

"It makes sense now. The Heart Snatchers are back, and they're trying to do a repeat attack and take Usagi's Heart Crystal," he said, running his finger through his ebony hair. I shook my head furiously, causing him to stop and stare at me.

"Not quite...remember when the Heart Snatchers revealed Usagi's Heart Crystal, and it had a bright, vibrant shine?" Michiru said, standing. She walked towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. He nodded. "'Well, that shine was bright enough to be seen from universes farther than Kinmoku. Any kind of negative forces could have seen that shine, and that's what we think these new enemies are. They're after her Heart Crystal, Mamoru," she said, blinking back tears. His face paled even more than it already was, which I didn't even think was possible.

"The Silver Crystal is a part of Usagi's heart. Everything that goes on in Usagi's heart goes on with the Silver Crystal, and vice versa. When that monster attacked her today, it sapped some of the life energy from the crystal. That's why it was pulsing, and her heart was doing the same. It was in the process of stealing her Heart Crystal. It's probably halfway out of her body," Rei said, standing beside Michiru.

Hotaru clasped her hands together and said, "You are the only one that can help her Mamoru. If you can get her to start feeling emotions again, and return the warmth and love to her heart, then the Silver Crystal will regain its strength and her Heart Crystal will go back where it belongs. But in the meantime, we cannot let her get attacked again. If she does, who knows how long it will take for them to retrieve her Heart Crystal."

Poor Mamoru had to sit down. He put his head in his hands, thinking hard about everything we just told him.

"So...why does it take them so long to retrieve a Heart Crystal?" Mamoru said shakily. I bit my lip, thinking of how to answer his question. Rei came to my rescue.

to be a lot stronger the next time we see them with Serena's life energy," Rei said with a sigh.

Hotaru stood, her face pale and her expression grim. Mamoru looked up at the small girl, warmth in his eyes despite his state of grief.

"There's something I haven't told you," Hotaru said nervously. We all stared at her, waiting for her to go on.

"Kaliya...she's...dangerous to us. Mamoru, you have to keep Serena away from Seiya as much as possible..." Hotaru said. She was hiding something...something big. But my blonde mind couldn't process what she was saying as fast as Rei and Mamoru could. Mamoru's face looked completely shocked. He wasn't even moving.

"What...how...why...?" Mamoru said, running his hand through his hair. I looked back and forth from him and Hotaru, wondering what was going on. Tears filled Mamoru's eyes, and his shoulders started shaking with silent sobs. The sight of him like that, the usually so strong and so casual Mamoru sobbing like that, crushed me. The love he had for Usagi was bigger than the love in all of the world. But I was still confused.

"What? What's going on?" I said, walking over and putting a hand on Mamoru's shoulder. Rei collapsed onto the couch and put her head in her hands. Rei lifted her head up, tears in her eyes, and said:

"Seiya's the father."