Chapter 25

"He looked at me like I was the stars when all I'd ever felt like was the dark nothingness between them."

― Ranata Suzuki

Dawn was breaking over the horizon and Usagi was still out cold. They both slept through the alarm, missing practice. It had been the first time in months since he had slept that late and Usagi was still sleeping. Looking over his shoulder to check, he found her where he had left her; on her belly, sheets wrapped around her waist, and her hair everywhere. He had to move several strands just to see her slumbering face.

Even passed out, Usagi's silver bands coursed through him while his gold pulsed in her. So far, they had only had sex once while not connected, Usagi's way of punishing him for benching her, and he didn't care for it. It was still amazing, but the difference was shocking, making him never want to be disconnected from her again.

It was that connection that allowed him to know she was in distress before she even woke. So did the small twists and turns she did on the bed along with a few moans that grew in volume and grief. By the time he was at her side, she sprung up. Her head popped up off the mattress and her entire body tensed with fear.

"Mamo?!"

"I'm here."

She wasn't fully awake. The cry she made when she said his name was half in sleep from the dream. Laying beside her, he held open his arms and she crawled into them, using abnormal amounts of strength to hold him to her.

Her mind was still replaying what she saw and he watched. Usagi probably didn't want to say out loud what her dream had been since it was once again him dying. This one was new though, the zombies from the other night tore him to pieces. The part that really upset him though was how Usagi gave up after that and allowed herself to be drained to death.

The tension she now held wasn't from the fear of her dream, it was from his anger as it rolled off of him and into her. "It was just a dream, Mamo."

"And yet, you're still thinking about how little would change if it wasn't."

He expected a fight but she was all out this morning. Curling deeper into his hold, she let out a small sob. "I'm sorry."

Could he really blame her? If she died...he didn't really want to think about it but the results would be similar.

"And you're angry with me?"

She was calling him out and he couldn't even fight her on it. Neither of them had the right to get angry at one another for the lack of desire to live on without the other. So he just wrapped himself a little tighter around her, his sweats and the sheet the only things the two of them wore at the moment.

Once they were both calm, Usagi taking longer than him understandably, he left her to get dressed and headed for the kitchen. What would a girl like Usagi like for breakfast? It's not like he had memories to help him with this, Serenity just ate fruit or bread and he had never woken up next to Usagi before.

His supplies were limited, pretty sure his tofu was no longer good. So he was left with white rice that he put a fried egg on top of, toast, some miso soup, and a few strawberries that were dangerously close to over ripe.

It was hard not to stare and feel a little cocky, the way Usagi attacked her food like a starving woman. Interesting to say the least, he liked to believe he caused some of that from the night they had in his bed. The blush on her cheeks when she caught him staring wasn't really confirmation, but it still caused him to baulk with his own bashfulness.

"You have class, right?"

Munching slowly on toast, the only thing she had left to consume, she watched him now. "Yeah...but I was thinking I'd skip today."

"Why?!"

He shrugged but the truth was, he didn't trust her to be alone when another attack came. It wasn't rational, he couldn't stay home forever and watch her no matter how much he wanted to.

"Mamo, you can't skip class. Especially not for me. I promise, I'll be good."

Looking inside her head, he could see she meant it. Sliding forward, he pressed his knees against hers and wrapped his hands around her thighs. One of the good things about being forced to eat in his living room, there was no large dining table between him and his goal. "Maybe I just want to stay home and play with you?"

Her eyes went wide but a small smile soon grew on her face to replace her astonishment. "Even if that were true, it's not a good enough reason for you to slack on your dreams…"

"You're my dreams."

"Mamo…"

A chuckle released and he released her, grabbing their dirty plates instead. "Alright. Good thing we have our connection because if we didn't, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me."

"I'm only trying to keep you on track."

"You should stay on track as well." He added, not looking back at her.

When he did look up again, she was lost in thoughts, ones he waded through. Although wild and raging, there was one major theme within them.

"Usako…"

The fake smile she wore wouldn't have fooled him even if he wasn't able to feel and hear her thoughts. Shaking her head didn't clear those thoughts or feelings either. "I just…"

"Miss them." Nodding, he quickly cleared the distance to her and kneeled before her. "I meant it, Usako. You can go back to your parents anytime. I will protect you and them."

"I know. I believe that you can, I just…"

"Don't want to risk it?"

It's not as though he could blame her. If he could, he would take her far away where no one would ever find them if it kept her safe from the creatures now targeting her. She was his family, the only family he had left and like hell he was going to give her up. A real smile finally formed on her cheeks, a pink hue along with it as he realized she was listening to him call her family. She slid forwards to perch on the couch and wrap arms around his neck.

"I love you."

Hands on her hips, he was tempted to pull her the rest of the way into his lap on the floor. "I know."

Resisting temptation, he settled for a deep kiss before releasing her for school. Even if it pained him to split ways, each of them going to their own paths, he settled for the tingle that was her silver strands tangled with his gold as they stretched them as far as they could go. When the distance became too great, he had her humming in his brain.

So when he felt her heart start to race and then her mind go blank, the only thing he felt was a terrified rage.

~*O*~

There were benefits to spending the night at Mamoru's. The breakfast he made was better than the usual oatmeal at the boys' place. The down side stood waiting for her at the school's gates.

Three Senshi and two cats, all very pissed off and looking at her.

"Good morning, everyone." She murmured.

When she tried to go around and into the school, Rei shot out her arm to stop her. "Huh uh, no you don't. Where were you last night young lady?!!"

She fought off a giggle. "Young lady?"

"Rei," Minako drawled, "I already told you where she was."

Minako's words were in her defense but her tone spoke volumes. She was mad too.

"I want to hear it from her."

The Pyro had fire in her eyes but Usagi tried not to be intimidated. "I stayed at Mamo's last night."

"Damnit. You shouldn't be near him! Not like that!"

Makoto wrapped an arm around Rei, trying to calm her down. Now Usagi needed to be calm. "Why not? We've got nothing better to do?!"

"Is that what this is about Usagi-chan? You're punishing us for benching you?"

Concern and regret dripped from Makoto's question and Usagi's anger faltered. "No, of course not. I may not agree with it but I know you have the best intentions."

"Then why?" Rei fumed.

"Because...I love him. We belong together. We're...soul mates."

"Told ya!" Minako shouted as if winning a bet.

"It's not a good thing, Minako!" Rei barked in response.

Luna put a paw on Usagi's leg, gaining her attention. "Usagi-chan, are you sure about this?"

She didn't understand why they were questioning it. They were there for their first lives and their second. Even if she wanted to, there was no escaping, she was born to love Mamoru just as he was born to love her.

"You're being a fool. Just like Serenity. How can you claim to be nothing like her when you make the same stupid mistakes again and again?!"

Makoto grabbed hold of Rei tight, forcing the Miko to be quiet. Usagi looked at each of them one at a time, none of them saying a word of defense for either side. So she turned on her heel and marched into school. The distraction would be welcomed and Rei went to another school entirely. She needed a break, going right for Ami who sat alone in their first class.

The bluenette looked a little surprised to see her which only made Usagi feel guilt in her belly. Something Mamoru quickly erased with his comforting strands connecting them. She vaguely wondered if he saw the fight or felt it?

"Ami-chan. I hear you have a boyfriend?"

Blushing a bright red, Ami ducked her head, hiding her face. "Who told you that?"

"Rei. But I wish I had heard it from you?"

"He's not...really my boyfriend."

"But you like him?" A heartbeat of hesitation and Ami nodded slowly. "And he likes you so why not?"

Blue hair flew around as Ami tossed her head back and forth. "I have...obligations. Too many obligations. I can't worry about things like crushes and boyfriends right now."

"We all have obligations, Ami-chan," she whispered, the classroom starting to fill, "but you can't run from love."

"Is that what you did? Did you run? Is that why you've been so distracted lately?"

Usagi hadn't realized she was so transparent. "Yeah, I ran. And it caught me anyway. All I did was hurt myself. And the man I love."

Ami nodded in understanding, the Sensei hushing the class for it to begin. He was going on about fission when she felt it. The whole room felt as if it flipped and she was the only one stuck to the ceiling. Looking around, no one noticed not even when wisps of smoke started to curl under the door. It was like it was alive, snaking its way up to one person and then the next. As soon as a tendril touched their skin, they hit the desk, out cold.

Panic set in after the first three and Usagi jumped to her feet, only to be pulled back hard. "Usagi-chan, stay down."

Ami threw her to the floor behind and put herself between her and the smoke but it didn't come near the two of them at all. All because Ami put up a wall of ice.

Looking up from her spot on the cold tile, she took in the warrior before her. "How long have you known?"

Ami flinched but didn't turn. "Since you left us at the arcade. The shop that was broadcasted all over the news? We watched it, all of us in our little booth. But you weren't there. Because we were watching you almost die on the screen."

"Why didn't you say anything??"

Ami shrugged, keeping her eyes on the smoke as it recoiled out of the room. "You didn't seem to want me to know…"

"Of course, I didn't! I didn't want any of you to know and be in this hell with me again!"

"You were running. But love always catches up to you, Usagi-chan."

Ami faced her then, tears streaming down her face. She held out a hand and Usagi took it, letting herself get pulled to her feet. Once on her own two, she wrapped her arms around Ami, the ice goddess returning it in earnest.

The last of her Senshi had returned to her.

And not a moment too soon, screams from out in the hallway and in other classrooms hit their ears and then went eerily silent. "Are they putting the whole school to sleep? Why?"

"They must want to drain everyone at once. What other reason could there be?"

Usagi didn't tell Ami that the enemy was targeting both her and Sailor Moon. Instead, the two of them snuck out into the hallway, looking for a way out.

"We should transform and save as many as we can before the rest show up."

Ami looked around the empty hall. "Where's Mako? She should be out here too."

"Maybe they got her already?"

Just as the words left her mouth, the door to Makoto's classroom flew off its hinges and into the wall, a blast of lightning behind it. Running out behind it, Jupiter skidded across the floor and stopped to search. When her eyes landed on the two of them, the thunder beast visibly relaxed, but it was short lived.

Ramming into her, a strange blue and pink body had Jupiter against the wall where the door had once hit. It had its hands around her throat, choking her and draining her at the same time.

"JUPITER!!!"

Ami was already pulling her away, dragging her down the hall and far from the scene. But her scream had gotten the attention of the creature. Its head flicked to her and blood red eyes glowed back at her.

It was the same monster from the arcade.

There wasn't really any point to running but Ami still tried, turning them around to flee. But the creature shimmer before them and knocked Ami back on her ass.

Hovering over her, the monster grinned wickedly. "Hey there Tsukino. Long time no see."

"Not long enough if you ask me."

So fast, she couldn't see it, the pinkette grabbed her throat and lifted her off the floor. Kicking her legs did nothing but she still tried, tried to get free. A large icicle lodged into the creature's shoulder and her hold faltered. It gave Usagi a little air and strength to lift her feet and plant them in the womaniod's chest. They both went backward.

On the floor, Usagi scrambled to get to her feet and Jupiter was the one to pull her all the way to them. Before her, Jupiter and Ami stood, tall and unshaking. It only pissed the monster off more.

"I want Tsukino."

"You can't always get what you want, Brat." Jupiter spat.

"Better get used to it!" Ami added.

The grimace the creature wore quickly flipped to a grin again. It had a shiver running up Usagi's spine. "If Tsukino doesn't come to me now, I'll just kill all her family and friends."

"She's bluffing." Jupiter said without thought.

Out of nowhere, Ami and Juptier went up in the air. What looked like roots of a tree now held them by their ankles. They went up, distracted with protecting her, and sick pink light of their energy being drained followed.

"No." The monster cackled, too busy watching her prey to notice Usagi. "NO! Stop it!!"

"Why?"

"Because I'll...I'll come with you. You don't have to hurt them or anyone."

"Usagi-chan...don't…" Ami was already weak, blood rushing to her pale face.

"We can handle her."

Jupiter begged but there was nothing to be done. She stepped up to the monster, who grabbed her by the neck again and everything went black as she shimmered them away.