Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon R
Act 21
A few days had gone by since the battle in the UFO and Joshua sat at the table where the Senshi would gather staring blankly at the wall. He had done the one thing that he never thought he would have done: He took an individual's life in battle. Sure he wasn't given too much of a choice. It was either him or Rubeus but still! Cloud never showed his dark side to ANYONE before! What would happen if he had to do it again? Would he readily accept it OR would he leave the Senshi and abandon his sister? Ah moral dilemmas...how bad do they absolutely SUCK!
The good news for him was that one of his "moral compasses" had just entered the room in Kino Makoto. She always told him straight out how she felt about things and today was no different when she heard about what happened from Usagi. "You did the right thing Joshua. She told him flatly "You accepted a fight where the winner was the person that lived. What could you have done to prevent it?" She asked and Joshua smiled a little at his "big sister"'s logic. It WAS the right thing to do under the circumstances given. What was more amazing was the fact that for one day Nephrite and the Shitennou were unified in helping him defeat the Black Moon! Was it inevitable that Joshua had to give in to his "Dark Side" too OR was it someone else that was going to get to show theirs soon for the benefit of the team? THAT was going to be an interesting question for sure.
As Makoto took her seat at the table consoling the man she called her "younger brother" the rest of the team came down and Ami was the first to speak. "So its true...you were once an apprentice to Kunzite...right brother?" The girl genius asked and Josh just nodded. Even though Ami wasn't necessarily scolding him he knew that tone and it wasn't something he needed at the moment. He had some other things to think about like helping to get Rei-chan back now that Rubeus was dead. The team knew this and watched as he went into his room with Luna following close behind.
"Ami-chan" Makoto started "I think you were a little cold to him don't you?" The brunette asked and Ami nodded. Sometimes even the greatest minds can say things in a manner they didn't mean. Ami made it a point to apologize to her brother when she got him alone. As it stood Zoisite was back with the Shitennou so he didn't really have anyone to talk to outside of her and that was because he lived with her. Makoto realized this and decided the best thing for Joshua was simple: Not to focus on fighting with the Senshi but to work on his song for the concert in a weeks time!
Inside Joshua's room
"You did well Joshua." Luna said in a complimentary tone. Josh half-smiled at his friend's remark but it still bothered him a bit. He KILLED someone! He did something that his sister DIDN'T do as "Dark Mercury" when she fought against the Senshi and in a moment of...whatever he KILLED a person! How in the hell was he supposed to feel?
"I'll be fine Luna" He started snapping out of his funk "I just need a few days away from combat to be able to get right for the big day coming up. First Minako is going to do her first performance in a long time and the day after..." He trailed off in a kind of excited tone. THAT was the person Luna wanted to see!
"There you go Josh!" Luna exclaimed almost giddy "Focus on the mission YOU have right now and we'll do the rest with the Black Moon. As long as you still have Rei on your mind you are going to need to focus on winning her back from them and bringing her back to our side. I think no...I KNOW you can do it Curtis-san!" Luna exclaimed in praise and then took her normal spot behind Joshua's chair and kissed him on the cheek before waving and walking out of the door.
Luna Tuskino: Perfect House Pet and GREAT motivational speaker if you need her :)
Alright back to the story...
The next few days went as the Senshi and Joshua planned: The Senshi worked on fighting off Dimande and Emurade on their own(and this DID include the services of Mercury) while Joshua worked on his music in either the HQ or at the studio that Minako recorded to just say "hell with it" and get away from being a Senshi for awhile. The reason Joshua hung out at the studio was to do what he called "Perfect the Perfected". He was a true perfectionist with his music and made sure that the song he was going to perform for the "one time only" at the hospital was spot on perfect BUT there was just one thing missing in his mind...
"Hey I have a question guys" Josh said from the booth after he finished the latest take "Do you think this track would work with Minako's vocals on it?" He asked and they all thought it was a brilliant idea but there was the one issue that they all knew about: Minako was still recovering in the hospital.
"The idea sounds great Curtis-san!" The manager exclaimed and but also explained what he already knew and Josh understood perfectly the situation at hand. They did make an agreement amongst themselves to see if she would be okay with recording it with Joshua after she got out and this gave Joshua an even BIGGER idea: Why not record it LIVE!
As the days drew closer to Minako's release from the hospital Joshua made sure not to act too out of the ordinary when he visited his new friend...problem was on this particular day that bastard manager that Joshua hated was there so he made a detour to Saeko's office!
[KNOCK KNOCK]
"Come in!" Saeko said and when she saw her son walk in to the office she had a smile on her face that an Atomic Bomb couldn't get rid of! It wasn't often that Joshua visited his mother's office but when he did it was always a treat. "Hey mom how's things been going around here? I know you've had the late shift but other than that anything up?" Joshua asked and she just shook her head and Josh knew that things were all rosy then.
"What can I do for you today Joshua?" Saeko asked and Joshua explained his situation of needing to talk to Minako but there was a certain...jackass he needed to get rid of(he used stronger verbiage but we are trying to stay "T" here). Saeko told him that she would handle it and for him to wait there. He did as told and when she came back she was smiling ear to ear! Why? Well apparently Minako was tired of hearing from that man and was hoping Josh would stop by. He thanked his mother and onto the room he went
Room 315
"What's good gang?" Josh asked Artemis and Minako as he set foot in the room. Artemis leaped off the table he was sitting on and climbed on Joshua's shoulder immediately. While they already knew the reason for his visit they were just happy to see him because...well her manager was getting damn annoying to say the least!
"Looks like someone missed you Curtis-san." Minako said as she sat on the side of the bed while holding onto the table in front of her. Joshua watched carefully to make sure that she didn't do anything to potentially hurt herself since her recovery was going along nicely.
"Cats have like a magnet for me I guess Minako and I love me some cats so its fine with me." Joshua said as he pet his new friend on his shoulder with Artemis purring contently. Minako knew that her friend didn't just come for a pleasure visit though and did ask him about the purpose for his trip at which point Josh put on his "BUSTED!" face and Minako wondered why.
"I was at the studio doing some work like I've been doing lately to keep my mind off of...some bad stuff I felt like I did and I had this crazy idea..." Josh said but was cutoff by Minako in the process. "I heard about it from the label Joshua and I can't promise you anything but if I'm feeling up to it I will definitely do the performance with you." She told Joshua and when he looked at Artemis he was smiling. He knew Minako well and if she was determined to do something she did it. That is what made them alike more than anything in that neither wanted to settle for second place and it was something that Joshua valued in a comrade and a friend. THAT is what Minako had become to him now more than anything!
As the days went by Joshua went through his ritual of either working in the studio or practicing in the HQ with Makoto and Luna as an audience. Either way you sliced it Joshua was starting to get in his "other element" and in an odd way the Senshi needed this! They needed their Warrior to not have anymore doubts about what he did and to be able just "do him" as Minako put it. Joshua applied this logic to his practice and the performances got more and more passionate from the "Heavenly Warrior"! Luna called it "The exact opposite" of when Rei used to sing it!
When the day came for Minako to get out of the hospital Josh hatched a plan to get her out without any issues. That was the one thing that she asked him to do the day that she was to leave the hospital and he did it to a tee WITHOUT acting like a pretentious dick! When he got her out and escorted her to her limo she thanked him kindly and told him to "Be ready for the performance of a lifetime". He THOUGHT she was talking about herself...oh was he WRONG!
When Minako held her performance at the Hospital Joshua asked for the girls to come watch it. None of them put up a fuss about it and as they watched her perform "Romance" Joshua couldn't help but nod his head to the music and the vocals. He knew his girlfriend had some damn good pipes but he never realized how good Minako was! Damn tomorrow was going to be a fun day if it worked out!
That night Joshua was pacing in his room like he had a "significant other" expecting and Ami understood why: For the first time in Joshua's life he had to overcome a bout of stage fright to try and overcome. Performances in front of the 2-3 people was one thing but, much like Rei-chan, he wasn't used to having to do this! In his mind this was his one chance to get his girlfriend back!
The Next Day/Hospital Courtyard
This was the day that Joshua had feared but at the same time was genuinely looking forward to! This day was his shot to try and break the spell cast on Mars by Rubeus and the Black Moon. Joshua worried about two things:
Mars wouldn't show
Minako would stand him up
Gut check time...what would happen?
The song started and Joshua walked out dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and red tie. This was about the only other condition Minako had that Joshua would have to "dress up" a little and he had no issue with that. It was something he did a lot anyways!
To try and gather himself(and buy Minako some time) Joshua introduced himself and explained that it was his first time ever singing in front of a crowd of people before(okay it was his second but they didn't have to know that right?) and he hoped that everyone enjoyed the performance he was about to put on. Somehow as the song started Minako popped up on stage next to him and whispered in his ear "Let's do this!" right as the music cue came for Joshua to start the song.
To say the crowd was electric was an understatement! The crowd(which had been sitting during the intro) was standing and clapping during the whole song and Joshua looked in the back and saw what he wanted...MARS HAD SHOWN UP! Seeing this Joshua continued the song as a path cleared between him and Mars as if it was just the two of them there and factually...it was! Why? Well let's just say Josh had some "Special Security" that he wasn't aware of at the time!
You see the Black Moon was hip to the game that was being played and tried their best to get in. Here was the problem: The Shitennou heard about the performance through a flier that Joshua sent them and they made DAMN SURE that it went off without a hitch! It also didn't hurt that the rest of the Senshi were there helping them clear the droids and the vermin from the premises either! Diamande realized he was outmatched on this day and fled while the performance that "nearly brought rain" was finishing up and at the end of the song the most incredible thing happened: Heaven and Hell reunited and they sealed it...with a kiss!
MARS AND CLOUD WERE BACK TOGETHER!
End of Act 21
(NOTE: The "Heaven and Hell" reference solely means that Joshua is the "Heavenly Warrior" and Mars...well my nickname for her through the Sailor Moon Universe was always "Hell's Senshi" so I think it kind of fit)