Ner words in this chapter: 3,453
"Talking Japanese"
[Talking English]
'Thinking'
{Talking on the phone/fireplace/two-way-mirror}
{Text message}
–Parseltongue–
Thinking in 3rd person POV/Dream/Memory/Flashback/Others
Letter/Journal/Book/Newspaper
Time change/Date of time
Change of POV
Chapter XVII
–Onmyōji-plushie & Sanjōin Masato–
Thursday, 11 May 1995
SN's POV
Nefuraito looked at the stars as it gave him his new target. Only to find a foreigner brown-haired, grey-eyed toddler holding a chibi Onmyōji-plushie. Looked like he had found his new target… and if the Sailor Senshis would find it… Nefuraito would've love to see them fight against a Yōma-Onmyōji.
Nefuraito left on his sports car and arrived a road with merchants on every side. A blue-haired Japanese woman was shopping with the one-year-and-half taller-than-the-norm baby with her. With a flick of his wrist, Nefuraito made wind fly the plushie in his own direction and the boy whined. Just as the woman was turning around to go fetch the Onmyōji-plushie, Nefuraito took hold of it and cursed it.
"Here you go. You need to be more careful with it, Boy-a."
"What do we say, Tommy-kun?"
"Awiga'ou." The boy babbled and hugged the plushie close to his chest.
Nefuraito messed with his hair, before he bowed his head at the woman, who bowed her head thankfully. Nefuraito started to walk away, only for an off-age short-haired blond teen in priest's clothes to bypass him. Nefuraito stopped dead on his tracks and looked back as Jedaito-kun approached the duo that Nefuraito had just left behind. Don't tell him that the other had already found the new target?
"Taitō-san."
"Tsukino-okusan, do you need a hand?"
"Don't you have work?"
"Hino-sama sent me out on my lunch break because I misplaced Potter-sama's bentō…" Jedaito-kun replied as he blushed.
The woman tusked and offered the shopping bags.
"I'll make you lunch when I'll be done shopping." She agreed and Jedaito-kun bowed, before picking the shopping bags. "What was your idea, Taitō-san? Find a cheap place to eat out?"
"Yes, Tsukino-okusan." The teenager agreed as he followed the woman with the bags in his hands.
"This is a marketplace, no restaurants." Tsukino-okusan argued and the toddler laughed as Jedaito-kun groaned embarrassed. "You really come from a small town… I'll teach you the best and cheapest closest to the shrine on your next break."
"Thank you, Tsukino-okusan."
Nefuraito looked at the other Shitennō and how at ease he was with pretending to be a mundane.
–O&SM–
HJP's POV
Harry smiled as Tommy didn't release his new plushie, while he set him on his own seat of the bicycle. According to Mrs Tsukino: Tommy hadn't even read or played with either of his snake-plushies. Which sure was unusual… but Tommy knew that plushie was a version of Harry.
He rode the bicycle slowly, Usagi and Luna walking by his side.
"He really loved that plushie, didn't he?" Luna asked amused.
Tommy babbled to his plushie from his location behind Harry on the bicycle, making the three laugh.
"He always was too mature. It's nice to see him so hyper." Harry agreed. "He'll get bored eventually."
Tommy whined negatively. They arrived the Hikawa Shrine and while Harry stored the bike, Tommy paddled away with his plushie in hand towards the private area of the shrine. He ended up finding him on Rei's bedroom using the plushie to fight against Rei's animal-plushies collection. Harry sent an apologetic look at Rei as she followed him, to which she grabbed all her plushies that looked remarkably like bad guys and set them before Tommy on the Yōma corner.
"There you go, Tommy-kun. Plenty of Yōmas to defeat."
Tommy babbled thank you and returned to his battle. The three shared looks.
"Looks like I'll need to ask Mamoru-kun to get me Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury and Tuxedo Mask as well." Harry put in amused.
"Well, don't army soldiers buy their children toys of soldiers? This is basically the same." Rei agreed back, making them laugh. "Now to serious matters… any idea on how to locate the" [Princess?]
"Taitō-san has been meditating to try to remember how she looked like." Harry offered. "And, unlike you guys, I'm no reborn – I don't have past memories locked away."
The two girls blushed.
"Luna-chan?"
Luna shook her head.
"My powers were locked until Usagi-chan took the Band-Aid hiding my half-moon mark on my forehead. Most of my past memories are locked as well. I know that we are… but it's like it only comes when the new memory is most needed."
Harry passed a hand through his hair and glanced at Tommy fake-using magic spells to throw the fake-Yōma away.
–O&SM–
Ami had just arrived from cram school when they all felt a wave of Dark Aura. The four stood ready to strike and Taitō run inside the room. Harry looked at him as the other looked around and then run towards Tommy. Before any of them could react, Taitō threw the plushie away from the whining Tommy. Harry frowned confused and then a massive Dark power came from the plushie, which grew and turned into a Yōma-version of Harry's Wizard-self.
[I'm going to kill Nephrite!] He snarled.
Then they heard Rei's grandfather calling them to be quieter. The five looked at the Yōma and then at the door.
"How many people outside?" Rei asked, picking the passed-out Tommy as Harry used magic against magic to keep the Yōma away.
"Too many." Taitō replied.
Usagi picked Harry's necklace and the powder was thrown at the walls, making them shine as the magic was activated. Rei gave Tommy to Taitō, as Harry and the Yōma fought on an equal level to keep the toy-version of Harry's Wizard-self at bay. The three girls shifted just as two Wizards entered. They looked at the Yōma and then back just as a Bombarda exploded the bedroom. Harry grunted as the ceiling exploded.
"Sorry, Sailor Mars. I tried to hold it but it is more than just Wizard powers."
"Just take it outside so it doesn't destroy anything else." Sailor Mars agreed.
"We'll send someone to fix the place afterwards, but first we need to call the Aurors to help defeat it." The Wizards offered and Sailor Mars nodded thankfully as Harry grabbed his Nimbus 2000 from his necklace, enlarged it and flew at the Yōma, flying it out the ceiling.
–O&SM–
SJ's POV
Jedaito run to Hino-sama, who was being bodyguarded by two Witches in kimonos like Gotōda-keishi's and set the blacked-out toddler's body on his arms.
"I have to go help them, Hino-sama."
Even though the Wizard-control not to see that something off was going on, the Priest nodded.
"I'll watch over Potter-kun, Jedo-kun… pretty girls." He added the last part pointedly, as if said women couldn't hear him.
Jedaito nodded at the Witches and then let his priest attire shift to his tracksuit and struck beside Tuxedo Mask at the Yōma. Nefuraito-senpai had gotten them an enemy to fear. Onmyōji-san was someone that had left Jedaito gasping for breath… but a Yōma-version? Three Sailor Senshis, one Wizard, Jedaito, Tuxedo Mask and five of Gotōda-keishi's men were being unable to find it's weak point.
"Damn it, Onmyōji-san." Tuxedo Mask snarled. "What's your weak point? What's your Achilles' hill?"
Potter-sama – who had just put his black robe on with the hoodie up like he used to wear when he fought Jedaito in the beginning to make it more obvious of who was the enemy – pointed at Potter-kun in the old Priest's arms, who in his mind-manipulation stance was still giving a ball to his two female guardians…
Jedaito shared a look with the other man fighting beside him, then he approached Potter-kun as Tuxedo Mask backed him up.
"Onmyōji-san!" He called and the Yōma looked back, just as Jedaito set a fake-shard against Potter-kun and through him.
Potter-sama gasped loudly, but nothing compared to the scream of pure rage from the Yōma which struck at Jedaito.
"Now, Sailor Moon." Sailor Mercury hurried.
The tiara struck and the plushie Yōma was actually blasted into pieces. Jedaito avoided the spell going his way by inches. Potter-sama run to him and Jedaito offered the unarm baby.
"What…? But you…"
"Wizards have magic tricks… I have some myself." Jedaito agreed. "The Yōma was connected with Potter-kun's life-source. I hoped that your weakness would be too strong to make it forget to check if it was still active." Jedaito explained and as the other picked the toddler. "If before we had any doubt on who was the strongest, now we don't. Not even all of us plus actual magical police managed to fight a Yōma-you."
All the Wizards laughed as Potter-sama stuttered.
"When I find Nephrite, I'm going to beat him into a pulp before the mind-control spell is broken. First it was Sailor Moon's weakness… now my" [son?] "This has turned personal!"
Jedaito knew better than to mention that he had done exactly the same.
"Then, Beautiful, would you like to take care of Potter-kun with me?"
Everyone turned towards Hino-sama still trying his luck with his guardians, who were smiling amused. Sailor Mars groaned and approached, pulling him inside the being rebuilt shrine.
"Ojīsama…"
"But pretty women…" the Priest argued, not even realizing that his granddaughter was dressed as Sailor Mars.
"Hai hai…"
–O&SM–
Friday, 12 May 1995
HJP's POV
Harry arrived the Game Centre Crown store and traded a bill with Motoki as Tommy hiccupped.
"What happened?" Motoki asked, looking at the baby surprised.
"The Wizard-plushie got destroyed by a stray." Harry explained, setting down on the counter the crying Tommy. "Any idea where's Mamoru-kun?"
"He hasn't come yet, but he promised to bring me dinner." Motoki offered, giving Tommy one of his juices. "You are welcomed to wait or to try your luck."
Harry signalled Tommy on the counter and Motoki nodded. The British teen moved towards the claw game and set a coin, doing his best to catch a plushie that looked like him. Only to bypass the time. He groaned. He looked up when someone entered the store, to actually see Mamoru with a bentō box for Motoki.
"And you say we pamper him, Harry-sama."
"His favourite got shredded by a stray dog." Motoki offered.
Mamoru set the bentō on the counter beside Tommy and then approached Harry, took hold of the console as Harry put another coin and quickly caught the plushie that Harry had failed to. Tommy nodded back in tears and hugged the new plushie, finally accepting his drink.
"You need to be more careful with it, Tommy-kun." Mamoru claimed as he set a hand on Tommy's hair.
Tommy nodded again as he sipped through his straw and hugged the new plushie with the other hand. Harry looked at the plushies in the claw game and found Sailor Mars besides Sailor Mercury. Groaning at himself, he set another coin and used the console to make the claw descend between the two and did his best to grab their arms at the same time. Mamoru approached and helped him before they moved the claw to the entry where Mamoru made it open and drop the two at the same time. Harry accepted the plastic bag from Motoki and set the two new plushies inside.
"Just need Tuxedo Mask and Tommy gets the whole set."
"And Sailor V." Motoki offered.
"Sailor V doesn't fight alongside the other Sailor Senshis." Harry argued, making the other two laugh.
"There's no Tuxedo Mask." Mamoru put in, looking through the plushies. "If I see one, I'll do my best to catch it and you'll give me the coin later."
"Thank you."
The juice fell from Tommy's hands down the counter and onto the floor. Harry looked at him confused and ready to reprimand him, but Tommy started pointing outside the shop and babbling angrily. Harry turned and saw Naru walking down the road with… wait a moment… was that…?
"Do you know them?" Motoki asked Tommy, to which the baby hissed in return and it clicked on Harry that Tommy had just recognized who cursed his plushie…
The bag with the plushies was grabbed from his slack hand and stored behind the counter, while Motoki picked Tommy and went to fetch a mop. Mamoru took hold of Harry and guided him out and after the two.
"Isn't that your classmate? I believe I saw her once with Tsukino-chan."
"Osaka Naru-chan." Harry agreed, while picking his mobile phone and rang Rei.
{Moshi moshi.}
{Is Taitō-san with you?} Harry asked and heard the mobile phone being passed along. He glanced sideways to Mamoru and knew that he had to shield the way he worded it. {Your Senpai is having a date with Naru-chan!} He said instead of what he really wanted to.
{What? Where are you?}
{With Chiba Mamoru-kun tracking after the two. Tommy stayed at the Game Centre Crown with Furuhata Motoki-kun.} He put in pointedly, hoping that Taitō would've realize his dilemma.
{Keep an eye on him. Do not strike… do not put [Prince]-sama in more danger than he already is until we get there.}
{[Roger that.]} Harry agreed and hung-up.
"What did Taitō-san say?"
"To avoid interaction until he gets here."
The two shared look and walked a few steps backwards so the duo wouldn't notice that they were being followed.
–O&SM–
Harry nodded at the approaching girls and Taitō; Nephrite actually looked to be enjoying time with Naru.
"He is being smart, staying in semi-public areas." Harry put in.
"You think he knows he is being followed?" Ami asked, looking at the blushing Naru at whatever Nephrite told her.
"He knows." Mamoru agreed. "Is always in a position where if we were police: we'd hurt Osaka-chan."
The girls groaned.
"Senpai is taunting us to strike in such a public location." Taitō agreed.
"What has he done besides the going out with a 14-year-old girl?" Mamoru wondered.
"The stray?" Harry asked. "It wasn't an accident. He put a bomb on Tommy's plushie and, if not for Taitō-san, it would have blasted on Tommy's hands!"
Mamoru's lips thinned, before Harry saw Nephrite enter with Naru into the nearest park. A chance…
"Let's divide into groups and corner them. Rei-chan, can you go with Mamoru-kun?" Harry proposed at realizing the two had disappeared and there were three possible routes. Rei looked at her ex-boyfriend and then nodded, knowing that she was the only one with powers out of them without needing to shift or to out the Wizardry World. "Ami-chan…"
"I'll go with Taitō-san." She agreed.
Usagi nodded and they went separate ways. Harry immediately shifted alongside Usagi.
"Remind me to compensate Motoki-kun big time, Tommy made a mess with his juice and the older is also babysitting him." He put in as the two ran after Nephrite.
"I will." She agreed. "Why is Nephrite using Naru-chan as a shield?"
"She is in-love with him."
"She…?" Sailor Moon gasped and they cornered the other two against a corner of the park.
Harry grabbed his wand and struck at Nephrite, only for Naru to step in the between.
"Get out of my way, Osaka-chan. That's not the man you think he is. Nephrite is a" [Knight] "of 2000-years ago who was reawaken and is trying to destroy the Earth."
The girl looked back at Nephrite as his clothes changed back and then at Harry again.
"I don't care. Sanjōin Masato-sama or Nephrite-sama, I still love him."
Nephrite smirked obviously believing that he wouldn't be attacked with Naru as his shield and Harry groaned, while Sailor Moon grabbed the powder and threw at the floor.
"Take care of her." Harry warned at Sailor Moon, who nodded and both struck. Sailor Moon held back Naru while Harry fought Nephrite. The Wizards started popping in and Nephrite started having to defend himself from several wands until he was held still. "Break his mind-control." Harry asked them.
Naru gasped, struggling in Sailor Moon's grasp.
"What…?"
"Your boyfriend? Is being controlled against his will to be evil. So, do us a favour and step back while we undo the damage." Harry snarled at her and Sailor Moon glared at him as the ginger girl started to cry. "Fine, you explain. They'll just erase her mind afterwards." He groaned.
Jadeite and Sailor Mercury showed up. The two Sailor Senshis walked the crying Naru away while the Wizards destroyed the mind-control.
Finally, Nephrite blacked out and fell forward. Jadeite took hold onto him before he'd fell down and used his own powers to shift both their clothes back. The Wizards nodded back and went to deal with Naru and Mamoru and in the end Naru was travelled away by the Wizards, probably to her house.
"Apparently his alias is Sanjōin Masato." Harry offered and Taitō nodded.
Taitō pulled Sanjōin over his back as Harry and the Sailor Senshis shifted back, they joined Rei and Mamoru on their way out the park. They sat Sanjōin in the passenger seat of a sports red car, that had two hanger seats on the front but no backseat and Usagi pointed into the Game Centre Crown store's direction.
"Chiba-kun can drive us there on Taitō-san's car." She offered.
Taitō nodded and took his keys out, giving Mamoru who accepted with a bow of head. Harry sat next to Nephrite and put the seatbelts over the two of them, before Taitō drove them to Harajuku and they arrived just as Professor Snape was arriving for his weekend. The man looked back and then at the starting to awake Sanjōin.
Harry didn't even hesitate. He moved his hand back and then punched him with his full strength, knocking the other unconscious.
–O&SM–
SJ's POV
Snape-hakase raised a questioning look at Jedaito as Potter-sama stormed inside the house.
"Nephrite-senpai put a Yōma after Potter-kun." Jedaito translated as the House-elves took the unconscious Shitennō into the dining table for a second row of mind-control break. "Potter-sama is being over emotional."
Snape-hakase sighed.
"Get him in my lab." Hakase said, only to immediately after repeat in another language at realizing he hadn't said in a language that the House-elves could understand. "If it's like last time it will take a while… and see to it that Harry doesn't blow up the house while I work!"
Jedaito nodded as Potter-sama practically punched a wall in his anger.
He certainly didn't fancy Nefuraito-senpai when his mind-control would fully break and he would have to deal with what he had done…
With Jedaito? Potter-sama had been accepting.
With Nefuraito-senpai? Potter-sama looked like he snapped…
The girls arrived in Jedaito's car with Prince Endymion-sama driving. Hino-chan picked Potter-kun and brought him inside. Prince-sama approached Potter-sama and before any of the girls or Jedaito could stop him because of Potter-sama's decontrolled magic…
Potter-sama's magic went under control and submitted instinctively to the Prince's human-self.
"I know you are angry. I know that Taitō-san's Senpai gave you reasons to. But you need to calm down and be the man of the house. Go hug your girlfriend, calm down your son. Do not let them see you like this."
Potter-sama breathed through his nose before he nodded and approached Tsukino-chan, pulling her into a hug while accepting his son from Hino-chan. Tsukino-chan picked Potter-kun and the two stayed in a family moment. If Jedaito didn't know that Potter-sama didn't swing that way, he could almost say the three looked like an actual family.
Mizuno-chan and Prince Endymion-sama spoke towards the humanoid-looking House-elves in the foreign language, who started setting up the dining room's table for dinner by hand.
(TBC)
Next chapter: Genetic
~Isys