Devotion:
A Valentine's Story
Epilogue

***Mamoru's POV***

Mamoru sat up, shaking his head. The blast had taken out most of one wall and something heavy had hit him. Thankfully he healed faster than any of the others. He stood on shaky legs and looked around the room. The first thing he saw was short red hair, and a bloody forehead. Haruki was just sitting up as well. That was good. Between the two of them, they could heal everyone.

He heard the sounds of a battle raging outside, but at the moment his focus was getting the others healed. He searched the rubble for Usagi, and finally found her, laying on her belly, her arm at an odd angle, and one of her legs trapped under a game machine which had landed on it's side.

"Usako!" he yelled, scrambling through the debris to her side. He lifted the machine and shoved it away from her, then pulled his wife into his arms. "Usako," he whispered, noting her head was matted with blood, which was still oozing from a gash near her temple. Golden sparks erupted from his hands and he poured healing into her.

When Usagi's eyes blinked open she gave him a small smile, then blinked and reached up to touch his face. "What hap- THE KIDS!" she hurried to stand, swaying slightly, and searched the room for any sign of the children.

Haruki and Setsuna were pulling tables and chairs out of the way to get to Kunzite and Minako. Mamoru turned to search as well. He found Ikuko and had to heal her quickly before moving on. They searched, but the sounds of battle continued beyond the walls. He wanted to henshin and go help Uranus and Neptune, but he needed to make sure the children, and anyone who wasn't a hero, was healed before he could.

Feeling frustrated and worried, he continued his search.

"Mamo-chan! Motoki!" Usagi cried out, her voice full of despair.

He rushed toward the sound of her voice. She was cradling Motoki's head in her lap. He didn't look good. In fact, Mamoru couldn't even tell if he was breathing. Putting his hands on Motoki's chest, Mamoru sank healing into him as quickly as he could. Motoki still didn't stir and he felt panic threaten to overwhelm him.

"Go Mamo-chan. I can do CPR," Usagi urged. He nodded and left her to it, finding Reika a few feet away, her eyes blinking owlishly.

"World Shaking!" came a cry from beyond the shattered wall. Mamoru wanted to rush to their aid, but he knew that if Naru and Umino or the judge were injured, they could die quickly. They didn't have natural healing abilities like the rest of them. He sighed, continuing to look.

"I've got the judge!" Kunzite yelled. "He's okay."

Kenji stood on the other side of the room. "Naru is hurt, but Umino is fine. Where are the kids?"

Mamoru made his way to his father-in-law to heal Naru, but his whole body was shaking. Worry creeped over him. He didn't know what to do.

"Motoki is awake," Usagi shouted. "He's going to be okay. So is Reika."

He saw Haruki searching through the pile of game machines behind the counter and worried about what he might have found, but he knew he had to turn his attention to the fight soon. "Someone find the kids. The girls need help."

Sailor Moon appeared at his side then, and Mamoru let his own henshin take him. "The rest of you stay safe, get the others out, and find the children," Moon urged as they made their way out the door.

Tuxedo Kamen strode up to the red-haired man, hoping to divert his attention. When Rubeus turned and met his eyes, he let vines creep out of the pavement and slither unnoticed up his ankles even as the man lifted a hand to attack. In the same moment, Sailor Moon, who had crept closer on the sidelines, shouted "Moon Healing Escalation," and he felt the wash of her magic over him.

The silvery light of healing flowed over Rubeus, who tried to flee. Caught in the bind of the vines Tuxedo Kamen had used, he screamed in frustration. The healing light continued to envelop him until his entire body seemed to sag, and then he was panting heavily. It took longer than he'd ever seen healing take before, and he could hear Sailor Moon panting.

When Rubeus stood back up, he was wearing clothing quite similar to what the Shitennou wore, but it was crimson with silver edging. The man gasped as he caught sight of the change and turned his eyes to look at Sailor Moon.

"What?" he asked, sounding strained.

"You're safe," Neptune explained, making her way to his side as the vines disappeared.

"How? Why?"

"The sisters will explain... once we get them out of there," Uranus said, nodding toward the destroyed arcade.

Rubeus covered his mouth with his hand, and let out a strangled sob. "No!" he ran toward the building and the rest of them could do nothing but follow. "What have I done?" his anguished cry reached their ears and Tuxedo Kamen could only feel empathy. He remembered when he had been forced into evil acts of his own.

Tuxedo Kamen released his henshin, becoming Mamoru again, as he climbed through the broken window and into the damaged building. He heard people calling out to each other, but he still didn't see the children anywhere. Worried, he turned to ask Usagi where they might have landed, and gasped.

As he ran toward her, a young man with dark blue hair and blue eyes wrapped his arms around Usagi and promptly disappeared.

Author's Note: Why, yes... I do know I'm an evil awful, mean writer who has just left you hanging. In my defense, I did warn you.

Don't miss Reverence: An Easter Story! I hope to have it out in the beginning of April. I already have a bit of it done. He he he.

I'm praying my computer troubles, writers block, and personal issues are dealt with for the time being... because let me tell you, I missed writing for you all! Please review and tell me what you thought of the third book in my holiday series.

And tell me, which one of the Sailor Moon movies do you think it would be best to tackle next? I want to add those in.