Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ami finished getting ready and walked back to her room and saw Zoisite trying to put on a clean shirt. Since the day he started staying with the bluenette, one of the times the Shitennou went to check up on him they left a small bag with clean clothes for him to wear, and something a little more formal for the memorial included. Ami walked over to the side of the bed he was sitting on and helped him button the crisp white shirt "You should have told me—your injuries are still delicate. You need to take it easy."
Zoisite flinched slightly and looked at Ami helping with a blush on his cheeks. It felt so natural for him to be around her and to stay under the same roof. His green eyes looked into her blue eyes and smiled softly, "You look very beautiful." Ami blushed and stepped back, tucking a strand of black-blue hair behind her ear, "T-Thank you." she looked at her black, mid-length dress and smiled "I felt this was more appropriate for the ceremony."
"You do not need much to look regal, Ballerina," Zoisite slowly stood up, "In my humble opinion."
Ami felt her cheeks flush with shyness and handed the blonde his black jacket, "Thank you," he said softly as he put it on.
"How are you feeling?" Ami asked shyly, trying to avert the conversation to something else.
"Much better, just a little sore here and there but I believe I will be able to go home." Zoisite said and gave Ami a warm smile "I thank you, Mercury, for everything you have done for me."
"I should be the one thanking you, you saved my life." Ami helped him by zipping his black leather jacket mid-way, "You stepped in between me and that woman—if it wasn't for me, you would not have gotten hurt."
"We have to stay in this together—it is not about pointing our fingers and blame each other for what happened." Zoisite cupped Ami's cheek gently, "But, you have to keep in mind that I am here to serve my Prince—however this situation unfolds, I must stay on his side."
"You make it sound like if you would fight against us... again," Ami frowned and stepped back, giving the blonde a worried, almost hurt glare. Zoisite noticed her tensing up and walked over to her to hold her hand, "I will not fight against you, Mercury. That is not what I meant. I am talking about measures the Prince might take to keep your Princess safe—measures she might not like or agree to follow."
The bluenette exhaled softly, "I understand," she felt his warm hand on her chin as he lifted her face up to look into his eyes "We can fight this, we will fight this—together."
Ami leaned her head on his chest and listened to the soft and steady beat of his heart. She closed her eyes for a minute, thinking about the many things she would have to leave behind due to her duties as soldier making her quiver and feel vulnerable; her blue eyes slowly opened and sighed softly "Together..." she whispered, wishing time and destiny would have been nobler to bring him sooner into her life. Ami had a feeling and she was afraid things were not going to be the same after this second encounter, that she would not have another night with him to eat ramen and talk about other things but just about their duties as soldiers. She wished things could have been different for them and realized that it hasn't been a tragic love story just for the princess and prince but for them too.
Zoisite noticed the melancholy in Ami's blue eyes making it clear that words were not really necessary to describe what they were feeling. He cared for her the same way she did despite trying to prove otherwise, "Mercury," his voice came out as the softest of whispers and cupped her cheek with his hand, "Beautiful ballerina—you have my heart in your hands." Ami's eyes widened "W-What..."
The blonde looked down and smiled shyly "Nobody has ever looked after me the way you have before—I will keep that with me forever." Ami's eyes glazed with tears and twirled her finger with one of the pieces of blonde hair framing his face "I just wish things were different."
Zoisite leaned down and looked into her eyes with endearment, "Things can be different—if you let them," His lips brushed hers in a small peck that sent a million of crashing feelings to Ami's heart making her feel lightheaded and with a stomach full of butterflies; she looked at him dazed and marveled "Do you really believe so?"
Zoisite chuckled and nodded "I know so, Ballerina—I just do."
Ami smiled and wrapped her arms around him in an innocent and loving embrace, his words giving her the fuel to accept her fate and nature as a girl born with divine energy and power but a girl who also wanted to love and be loved in return. Thinking about how many times she could feel attracted to somebody and that never really developed into something more, it was because nobody could ever understand her the way the celestial general did. Since the day they met, they immediately felt a friendly bond that if nurtured, it could be something greater than they ever imagined; now all she had to do was to let it happen.
O—o—o—o—O
Asteria walked through the long corridors that led the main court and throne room of the Lord of the Underworld. Her spiked high heels clicked a crisp sound against the immaculate and dark mirror-like floors accompanied by the melodic, metal sound of her chains moving along with the swing of her hips.
The long, dark doors opened as she walked in silence a large room and kneeled in front of a dark throne. She knew that no matter how strong or how influential a being may be, one never was to appear without notice before the dark lord. She rested her arm on her bent knee and hung her head low to show her respect, "You have called for my presence, My Lord?" her deep, strong voice echoed in the room. Hades opened his cold, grey eyes and looked at her with not a single trace of readable emotion, "I have, Asteria." he crossed his hands on his lap elegantly, "I want to know the status of the task I commanded you to follow."
Asteria looked up, her pitch-black eyes looked at the man in a dark armor and nodded, "I have made contact with the rural planet, My Lord," she shook her head and frowned, "But its protector was nowhere in sight—instead, I was met with a Sailor Senshi and another kind of Guardian."
"Ares' daughter?" Hades frowned, Asteria shook her head "Hermes' daughter,"
"I see," The lord of the underworld leaned his head on his hand and gritted his teeth, a common gesture from the man when something was not entirely pleasant for him. Asteria had learned to read Hades' gestures and mannerisms like the palm of her hands. The lord of the underworld was a god of few words, he was quiet and analytical but also, intimidating—very intimidating.
"I caused enough commotion to provoke the hybrid—it should come around soon enough."
"They are protecting it—Saturn included." Hades snarled with indignation and looked at the dark goddess kneeling in front of him, "She is not following her duties as Sailor Senshi. That is why I chose you to take over the task."
"Yes, My Lord." Asteria bowed her head and gave the lord of the underworld a quizzical glare, "Are the High Gods aware of this situation, My Lord?"
Hades stood up and walked down the stairs of his high throne made of bone and metal. His dark cape flowed behind him like a shadow, his dark hair flowed like a curtain of smoke behind him as he slowly moved towards the goddess who immediately stood up to meet his eyes. Hades looked down at her and arched his brow, "Ares has been keeping everyone busy with this foolish idea that the seal in Tartarus will break, he keeps tainting his reputation with stupid ideals—my brother, the God of War... how appalling,"
"My Lord," Asteria nodded and narrowed her dark eyes with intrigue, "May I ask why you want its soul with such insistence?"
Hades's expression never changed, it was still stern and cold serving right to his title of god of the dead "Because it has something it should not be in its command—and of course, I want it. If I have that under my control then the Underworld will gain a new dimension of power,"
"It is a matter of protection then," Asteria said with a calculating tone in her voice. The lord of the underworld tilted his head up with pride, "It is a matter of having control over magnificent power that could do wonders for me and this realm." his dry voice fell a few decibels, showing his disgust regarding the matter, "That dynasty is a curse, I see no point in preserving what is left of it—a hybrid... a disgusting creation between an ancient creature and a mortal. Helios was always complicated and this is the result of his actions... but what can you really expect from those of Titan blood."
"My Lord," Asteria arched her brow, "About the Terran Titaness... I still have shadows searching for her soul but is still nowhere to be found,"
"I do not care about her—she can wander in Purgatorio or wherever she thinks she is safe for as long as she likes for now. When I get hold of her damn offspring she will have no other option but to come out and face her sentence. I will be accomplishing two things at once without Serenity pleading for mercy and understanding, and Ares..." he sighed and rolled his eyes with mockery, "Well, he is digging his own tomb with his stupid actions,"
Asteria nodded "Yes, My Lord."
"Fear is something you install to others to get what you want," Hades said lowly, "It is like a curtain of smoke that permeates deep into their minds. I am giving you more than enough time for you to perform as asked." Asteria bowed her head in respect and nodded, "I will follow your command, My Lord—I shall bring the results you are expecting soon enough."
Hades glanced at her for a minute before walking back to his throne, "I expect nothing less from you Asteria. Your loyalty is bound to this realm and to me. Perform as asked, get the task done, and bring me the hybrid's soul."
Asteria bowed her head one last time and walked out of Hades' throne room. Her pale lips curving into a devilish smile as she opened the portal that would take her to her nest and where she also welcomed the blonde general for her own convenience. After his return from Earth, she has kept his body suspended and deeply unconscious and has been feeding him the energy the shadows have been gathering from the people on Earth. She looked with pride at her accomplishment and grinned with pleasure as her dark, claw-like nails caressed her lips, "Fear is something you install to get what you want, indeed, that is true My Lord, but, it is also the power you need to rule it all." she narrowed her black eyes, "Which is why I will have to scare you too."
O—o—o—o—O
Rei sat inside the prayer room at the temple, her grandfather's urn was resting right in front of the sacred fire as the priestess prayed for his soul and bid her goodbyes to him from the physical world. The shitennou had come to give the priestess their support alongside her friends and remained silent, not really paying attention to the couple dressed in black that just walked into the room and decided to stay in the back until the ceremony was finished. Rei chanted the last of her prayers and threw some sand into the sacred fire to feed it and lighten his grandfather's path to his eternal rest; she sighed softly as she caressed the urn and smiled sadly "Say hi to Mama for me, would you Ojisan?" she turned and smiled at her friends, then widened her eyes in shock to see the couple in the back, "U-Usagi! Mamoru!"
Usagi smiled and waved her hand, surprising the girls including Luna and Artemis. Minako widened her eyes "Wait," she turned to Kunzite, who had already informed her that Mamoru was aware of the situation but she was very surprised how he managed to locate the prince when not even they knew where they had gone for their honeymoon. The silver-blonde nodded at her friend ad responded the hug when Rei wrapped her arms around Usagi, "Oh my goodness... you came!"
"Of course we came," Usagi smiled and gave a tight nudge at her priestess friend before pulling back, Rei shook her head in disbelief, "B-But, this is your honeymoon." Rei turned to Mamoru and patted his arm, "Now, I feel terrible,"
"No, no... don't worry about it," Mamoru said softly and shook his head, "You are our friend—of course we were going to be here."
Rei sighed softly and gave her blonde friend a scolding look, one that took Minako by surprise, "I asked Minako-chan not to say a word about it,"
"It's okay Rei-chan," Usagi tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, "This is exactly the reason why we chose to stay close, we were in Sendai, close enough to come back in case of an emergency and this was an emergency for us."
"This means a lot to me, really," Rei looked at the royal couple with tears in her amethyst eyes, "Thank you so much,"
"Anytime, Rei-chan." Usagi smiled and looked at the urn resting close to the sacred fire "Is Hino-san going to stay in this room from now on?" Rei turned to look over her shoulder and shook her head "No, just for tonight," she turned and smiled sadly "Then I will take his ashes to his room—that will always be his special place,"
Usagi nodded and saw Luna coming towards her and kneeled down to greet her, "Luna, it's so good to see you," she hugged the dark lady cat and picked her up before walking out to the porch with the rest. "When did you get here?" Luna asked her princess with surprise. Usagi put Luna down next to Artemis and sat next to them, "Today—around noon,"
"How was your honeymoon trip?" Artemis asked softly and polite as always. Usagi pet him behind his ears and smiled with a hint of guilt due to what happened on the last day of their stay, "It was lovely, Artemis, thank you for asking,"
"I did not know you were going to return so quickly..." Minako joined their conversation and sat next to her silver-blonde friend, "When Kunzite told me he had sent a message to Mamoru I didn't think he would look at it right away you know—considering the reasons for your absence."
The mention of the message pulled Usagi back to her malicious thoughts of her husband's messages with another woman and frowned when she clearly remembered there was no message from the general on his phone and she never thought of other ways they had to communicate. Soon after the ceremony ended and walked out, the group was divided into two with Ami, Makoto and Rei sat around Usagi, Minako, and the lunar advisors on the porch while the shitennou and Mamoru stayed by the *Ema, the place where people left their prayers to the gods, at an appropriate distance from the girls to give them more privacy to discuss the events with the dark soldier. Zoisite was the first to greet the prince; while he was as close with the prince as much as the other shitennou were, of all four, the blonde general was the one that always addressed the prince with honorary titles first as a way to show his respect, "Master," Zoisite bowed his head, "I was not expecting to see you this soon."
Mamoru looked at him and narrowed his eyes, still slightly affected with a migraine he had since morning, and also, because he still was not too fond of the word master, but no matter how much he pleaded or tried, the generals were too set in their ways and he just had to accept it and let it go, "How are you feeling Zoisite?"
The blonde looked at the prince and nodded, "Much better now, thank you. I am almost fully recovered—all thanks to Mercury who looked out for me these couple of days."
"We do not know much about her intentions, Endymion," Kunzite said in a warning tone, "But she was very interested in meeting the protector of this planet."
"Sailor Moon..." Mamoru narrowed his blue eyes, showing disgust; the shitennou shook their heads "No, she asked for you," Nephrite clarified, "She never mentioned Princess Serenity,"
"That same night, when Mercury and I were attacked the Outer Senshi came to us. It was the Senshi of Silence who gave us more information about this woman—she is linked to very dark forces," Zoisite said with a worried tone in his voice. Jadeite followed and let out a heavy sigh while crossing his arms, "She is one crooked being Endymion—she is from the Underworld."
Mamoru frowned "The Underworld?"
"For what Sailor Saturn told us, she guards one of the gates in the Underworld, yes." Nephrite nodded; Kunzite followed and crossed his arms just like Jadeite, "What she did was just to send a message—she could have caused more damage right then and there if she had wanted to."
"She doesn't know yet who exactly is she looking for—she doesn't know me, but her messages have been successfully delivered," Mamoru's voice lowered with disgust, "As a natural mechanism of offense she targeted whatever stood in her way to get our attention,"
"And she certainly did. It is strange that she appeared just when the famous exhibition will be released to the public," Kunzite narrowed his eyes, "Venus has informed me it will happen soon,"
"She compared herself to a Polemarchos, Endymion," Zoisite turned to the prince with concern, "The only woman we know that holds such title is Her Majesty, and because there are reasons behind it,"
Mamoru pursed his lips "I suppose the only one that could give us more specific information about her would be Ares but—well, it's obvious why he hasn't come as often."
"Often?"
"He's been here before—his energy is all over the place... it lingers in the air," Mamoru muttered and peered at Usagi who was talking to the girls, "But it's not him I worry about, but Serenity—" he sighed heavily, finally letting his frustrations flow out of him, "I'm worried about her—she began acting very strange yesterday... I don't know if these messages have reached for her too," his prismatic blue eyes darkened as he looked at her, "I must not let this woman get close to her by any means."
-O-
"It seems like all of you have gotten along very well," Usagi said with surprise in her voice as she looked at the girls with a more relaxed look in their faces, "I'm glad to see that."
"They have been very attentive." Ami thought on how Zoisite had been looking out for her despite him being injured. Makoto smiled and nodded, "They were not our enemies when we first met them so I suppose that has something to do with it."
"Yes, especially the white-haired General with Minako." Artemis said with a playful tone making Minako blush all shades of crimson, "Hush, Artemis!"
Usagi widened her eyes, "You are finally getting along?"
Minako tried her best to look cool and that she had everything under control but the intense pink shade in her cheeks was giving her shyness away, "Let's just say we had a little fallout after your wedding but we got to talk and now things are much better, thank you." she turned to Artemis and flicked his ear making him jump in his defense, "Hey!"
"You are such a tattletale," Minako muttered and turned to Usagi completely ignoring the feline's glare. "So, are you guys going back to continue your honeymoon?"
Usagi shook her head "No, I don't think so—we'll stay here." she turned to Rei and patted her hand as if preventing her from saying something apologetic, "We still have days off so, it will help us settle down and get used to being together every day."
"I don't believe that is going to be a problem," Luna said softly.
"Luna's right," Rei smiled softly, "It's something you always wanted and you waited for this for years,"
"Yes," Usagi nodded with a faint smile. There was something odd in Usagi's voice that Minako caught right away. As a senshi of love, her powers were enhanced the moment Usagi entered the strongest phase of her role as senshi but also, because she knew her like the palm of her hand. She felt there was something bothering her but she was trying her best to cover it with smiles and innocent giggles. It was obvious it was something she did not want to tell the girls and advisors together, so she had to wait for the perfect time to address it without sounding too invasive.
They continued chatting about the things that happened during their absence starting by how Jadeite exposed his feelings to Rei and how she painfully turned him down. About Makoto's enlightenment and how to really pursue and accomplish her dream to have her own business thanks to Nephrite's advice and about Ami's surprising and unexpected closeness to Zoisite and what happened with the mysterious woman that attacked them.
"I wish I could have known about this sooner..." Usagi said with regret, "We had a honeymoon at the worst possible time."
"Don't feel guilty about this Usa-chan," Ami leaned forward and held her hand, "There was no way any of us knew this could happen—it was sudden and unexpected."
"Well, yes but, before the wedding... the fight with Athamas..." Usagi sighed and shook her head, "We should have been more careful—more alert."
"Athamas hasn't appeared again," Minako waved her hand, dismissing the man with disgust, "Not that I miss him or anything."
"Yes, everything is so erratic and it literally makes no sense. We don't know who we are going against but whoever that is, it has nothing to do with the fact that you were not here," Rei put her hand on Usagi's shoulder, "Don't blame yourself for this—this was your time,"
"I will always feel responsible for anything that happens to you," Usagi said with a faint smile gracing her lips, "Whether you like or not,"
"Well, don't." Rei said, "We're Sailor Senshi and we are also not alone. There is a reason why they're here too and that only makes us stronger against the enemy."
"Rei-chan is right, Usagi-chan," Ami nodded, "Zoisite got hurt because he was covering for me while I tried to look for a weak point to attack this woman—not because he was not strong enough to fight her,"
"I understand what you're saying... but I still feel like I should have been here sooner, I know how important your grandfather is to you." Usagi turned to the priestess with a sad look, Rei tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Usagi's ear and shook her head, "I am at peace—I know he is resting, I know he is happy. I will miss him yes, but as long as he is happy I am happy."
"Rei-chan..." Usagi was moved by the priestess' sweet words and tightened her grip on her friend's hand. Rei smiled at her and pulled her closer in support. "We're together in this Usagi-chan, you have us and we have you." Minako leaned forward and patted her princess' hand "And Mamoru has your back too, so that's a plus,"
"Minako's right, with his awakening we have more to our advantage," Rei said softly and tilted her head with curiosity, "Has he mentioned anything about that?"
Usagi shook her head, "No, not really. I mean... I know it's there, but, since that day he hasn't mentioned anything about how he feels, what he sees or what he remembers. All I know is that he has memories and skills that didn't come back to him when we all reacted to the power of the Silver Crystal but there is something else, I can feel it... I am more aware that I am Serenity and not just Usagi anymore... it's crazy..."
"So, what you are saying is that another side of you as Serenity awoke when Endymion did," Minako said with wonder as she watched Usagi nodding in agreement and moved her hands to emphasize what she was trying to explain, "But, don't misunderstand my words... it doesn't feel wrong or that we are not ourselves anymore—it just feels like we're stronger."
"I find it strange that he hasn't said anything—about what he remembered," Ami bit her lower lip, "Or about the power he learned he has."
"All he said was that he could feel everything—his link to Earth is strong and he remembers everything like if it just happened yesterday. I also know he is upset about not knowing anything until now," Usagi sighed softly "He's mad at the Queen."
"The Terran Queen?" Rei frowned, Usagi nodded "He's hurt—he feels let down,"
"Well, we can't blame him, he was kept from knowing a very shocking truth in both of his lives," Makoto said sadly, "Good thing the Shitennou are here for him and he also has us to support him."
Minako put her hand on top of Usagi's and tightened her grip to let her know she was there for her no matter what else was troubling her. It was a connection only they shared since the very beginning; it was more than obvious how close the five of them were with one another but with Minako was something else, it was a proximity they nurtured way back in the day that had lasted up to date.
"Megumi-san? Is she okay?" Usagi turned to her blonde friend who only nodded in response. Makoto shifted in her place and sighed softly, "She's with Haruka-san and the others... they don't want her to leave their side, she's safe."
"You don't sound too excited about it," Usagi arched her brow and pursed her lips, "Did something else happen besides the attack?" her blue eyes never left Makoto's forest green eyes and tilted her head to the side with a sad smile, "Well... the more things happen, the more Haruka-san worries about you and that reflects in how she interacts with us, Megumi-san included."
Usagi knew what the Amazon meant by that and let out a heavy sigh. Luna went to sit next to Usagi and patted her paw on Usagi's hand with the grace that always characterized her, "Don't worry, Usagi-chan. Queen Serenity always mentioned how she wanted Prince Endymion to be with you and protect you—whatever Haruka-san thinks is not a reflection of the truth." Usagi turned to Luna and scratched her behind her ears and smiled softly, "She did?"
"She did not say it with those exact words but she implied it—constantly," Artemis joined the conversation, "And we must keep in mind Queen Serenity was an important pillar of an Alliance respected and supported by every god in the galaxy. When the Terran Queen was still acknowledged as a goddess, Earth kept its rightful place in that Alliance. When she left the divine realm, all relations were cut off but its input was still important. Earth's reinsertion to the Alliance was essential to strengthen the bond giving our Queen more reasons to fight for the cause. The moment we all found out about your romance with the Terran Prince, Her Majesty saw a light at the end of the dark tunnel because he was going to face the gods and deal with their demands bringing a new opportunity to negotiate, things were looking hopeful but they never got to be fulfilled."
"Hmm..." Makoto frowned, "This only makes me think that everything that has happened up until now might be caused by the gods." she bit her lip. Ami frowned and turned to look at her friend over her shoulder with curiosity "You really think so?"
"Artemis just said it—Queen Serenity and Prince Endymion were going to plan a strategy to reinsert Earth in the Alliance and reinforce their initial bond, one, the gods have been reluctant to accept for very stupid reasons if you ask me," Makoto shrugged her shoulders, "But now that time has passed and that Princess Serenity has married Prince Endymion the possibility is on the table once again, giving more than enough reasons for them to try their best to stop it from happening."
"That makes so much sense..." Minako widened her eyes with awe, "You are very good Mako-chan,"
Makoto smiled and wiggled her brows, "I know,"
Rei turned to Usagi and held her hand, "The question here Usagi-chan, is if you are aware of the battle that is ahead of us—your union with Mamoru is accepted here but not up there. You basically married their enemy and you as the heir of a very important empire this causes friction."
Usagi nodded without a hint of fear in her eyes, "I am aware of it and I don't care—" she turned to Minako and the others with a daring look in her face, "You better than anyone know I could care less about that, I love Endymion. My feelings are not going to change and I will not budge to their taunts and threats." the authority in her voice took everyone by surprise, "We promised to find a way to be together—we knew we were going to need to fight whoever opposed our union and if all Olympus is going against us, so be it..." she blinked a little confused by the look of shock in the girl's eyes, including Luna and Artemis, "What? Did I say something odd?"
"There is definitely a strong influence from the Prince in you," Artemis said with admiration, "I remember that sudden determination and boldness in your character. I remember your constant arguments with the Andromedian about how much you wanted to learn how to fight or when you fought for the rights of your people." Luna nodded and sighed, "Oh yes, it sure took Queen Serenity by surprise..."
Usagi blushed, "Well I did want to learn... I was tired of being an amusement to everyone, I felt like a doll... I felt nobody took me seriously," With this new piece of information, Artemis felt more intrigued to know what happened to her back then and just how much did she actually know. Leaning forward, the white cat narrowed his green eyes with wonder, "Usagi... did he really teach you?"
Usagi blinked "W-What?"
"Did Prince Endymion really teach you how to fight? Did you actually hold a sword?"
The blonde princess turned to Mamoru who was still deep in a conversation with the Shitennou and smiled softly before she turned her attention back at Artemis and nodded, "He did—" she sighed softly, finally releasing that tension the conversation was putting on her, "But he was always very strict with the things he taught me because he has never wanted me to kill anyone, he said he never wanted my hands to be tainted with blood. He taught me skills for defense because he knew Athamas was being abusive—he didn't tell me he knew... but... now I can see it was more than obvious that he knew," her face turned sad, "I didn't remember any of this until that day when he got his memories back. There are so many things I remember now that I didn't when the Silver Crystal first reacted." she looked at Artemis, then at the girls with the same sad look in her eyes, "I know the things he did—I know he was not someone to be played with. He had the authority and enough power to move large crowds to follow his command... I know he was cold and hermetic when he got upset but I also know him better than anyone and I know he is not a bad person, he never did what he did to inflict fear on others. Every single did he did was to protect his family and his Kingdom... to give the inhabitants of Earth a place to live safe and happy," the princess let out a soft sigh, "But... I don't want him to do that anymore..."
"Do what, exactly?" Minako frowned.
"Follow his path as Polemarchos," Usagi looked up at the blonde, "I do not want him to hold that sword and kill anyone anymore,"
Artemis sighed heavily, knowing where this conversation was going, "Usagi—I understand your words but saying that you are against the idea of him being a Polemarchos is like if you would be against the idea of the girls being Sailor Senshi,"
"I know,"
"It's who he is, Usagi-chan..." Luna said with a soft, understanding tone to join Artemis' reasoning. Usagi nodded and bit her lip, "I know and I understand... I just—"
"I know," Minako wrapped her arms around her friend who was now on the verge of tears, "We know—but you just said it, he is not a bad person."
Usagi shook her head with despondency, "No, he is not—he's not..." she couldn't take her emotions at bay anymore and broke into sobs, startling the girls, "Usagi-chan, what's wrong!?"
Minako quickly turned to Mamoru who had turned with alarm to look at his wife the minute he heard her voice breaking with emotion; the blonde rubbed her friends back and gave him a sad smile, one that silently pleaded him to come to her aid. Mamoru jolted to his wife's side and wrapped his arms around her in a warm and secure embrace giving Minako the opportunity to step back. She looked at the couple with a soft smile as she silently reassured Usagi's words: the terran prince was not a bad person.
Usagi immediately sensed the change of the embrace, while Minako's was warm and sisterly, Mamoru's was protective and comforting and slowly responded to it by wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggled her head in his chest as she continued to sob for a while longer, "Usa... what happened?" Mamoru turned to Minako with a worried look, one the blonde clarified as she leaned closer to his ear, "She is a little overwhelmed with everything that's been going on lately,"
Mamoru sighed in understanding and pulled his wife closer and started to lull her gently by rocking her back and forth, a tactic he had learned worked for her whenever she felt anxious or depressed, "It's okay Usa, let it out... let it all out,"
It was endearing for the girls, shitennou, and lunar advisors to see the devotion Mamoru had for Usagi knowing the kind of warrior he was; there was no question that his love for her was deeper than the oceans on Earth and as infinite as the universe itself. Minako went to stand next to Kunzite who was looking at her with quizzical eyes, "I will tell you later," she mumbled loud enough for him to hear and held his hand tightly. Rei leaned closer to pat Usagi's hand that was still holding onto Mamoru's black shirt, her grip was so tight her knuckles were turning white, "You're tired, Usagi-chan... you need to rest... it's been a long day for you too," the priestess looked down at her watch and sighed, "It is quite late."
Makoto frowned and leaned closer to look at her friend's watch and widened her eyes, "Whoa, is it this late already?!" Rei nodded, "Yes, and all of you all have an exhausted look on your faces—go home and sleep." she chuckled softly, "I didn't know it was this late either... no wonder I feel like I am about to plummet any minute now,"
"Rei-chan..." Ami looked at her with a worried expression but Rei shook her head, "It's okay Ami-chan, I am going to be okay. I promise."
"Call us if you need anything," Mamoru turned to look at her, "Don't mind the hour," Usagi moved enough to be able to turn and looked at her friend with teary eyes, "Please?"
The action made Rei chuckle with endearment, "Seriously? You are the one who looks more tired than any of us! Go to sleep for the love of god."
"Rei-chan..." Usagi frowned not taking the priestess joke and giving little to no option for Rei no negotiate, "Alright, I promise."
"I will call you in the morning," Minako grabbed her purse. Makoto followed, "Me too, so be prepared."
Rei smiled, "Alright, alright—all of you are acting like worrisome parents... stop it,"
"Sorry—it can't be helped," Makoto pinched Rei's cheek softly, "We are one strange family, remember? Can't turn our heads the other way when one of us is having a hard time," she turned to Usagi, "Hear that Usa-chan?" Usagi looked at Makoto with wide eyes and nodded with resignation. Mamoru looked down at her and kissed her forehead, "Come on Buns, let's go," he pulled away and helped her stand up, "Do you feel okay to walk?"
"Yeah..." Usagi said in a sheepish tone and leaned her head on his arm and turned to wave her hand at everyone before putting Mamoru's arm around her shoulders. Kunzite nodded and turned to the girls with the same tired look in his face as everyone else, "We shall leave as well." he frowned and turned to Zoisite, "How are you feeling?"
Zoisite nodded, "I can walk—do not worry," his green eyes rested on Ami and gave her a soft smile, "I thank you again, Mercury." Ami blushed and turned to Mamoru who was also giving her nod in gratitude for her attention towards the general before looking down at Usagi, "Ready?" Usagi nodded softly and turned to Luna, who immediately answered her unasked question "It's alright, I will stay here with Artemis." The princess leaned closer to Luna and gave her a soft kiss on her head, "I love you, Luna. You and Artemis are always going to be welcome with us." Luna purred and smiled, "I love you too Usagi-chan."
Minako wiggled her brows at the white cat, "Alright Artemis—way to go." Artemis sighed in defeat as he turned to look away, "You never change,"
"Yes... yes..." Minako laughed and waved her hand dismissively, both guardian and senshi having their own discussion and making everyone laugh in the process. Away from the discussion, Jadeite turned to Rei and tilted his head down, "Are you going to be alright?"
Rei widened her eyes, surprised by his gesture "Y-Yes," she answered softly, "What you said really helped me feel much better."
Jadeite crossed his arms and smiled, "You are not alone Mars. Look around you, you have too many people that love you, keep that in mind." he shrugged his shoulders playfully, "You even have me, so..." he said between chuckles, being more Jadeite the sweet and sarcastic joker than Jadeite the soldier and it was something she really much appreciated. Rei smiled at her friends who had become her family as they walked away and let out a releasing sigh, "I love you too guys... thank you... for everything."
O—o—o—o—O
The next morning, Usagi opened her eyes and it didn't take long to realize Mamoru was not in bed with her anymore. Frowning and wondering about the hour, she looked for his phone as it was usually the closest for her to check on the time since she always left hers either inside her purse or at a random place around the apartment and pursed her lips when it was also nowhere to be found. Not really sure why, but she felt a wave of panic taking over her and jumped out of the bed and quickly walked out of the bedroom to look for him. As she was getting close to the living room she heard he was talking to someone whom she immediately deduced was over the phone since there was no response from anyone in the apartment and leaned on the wall as she waited for him to continue with the conversation.
"You have been very insistent. I was away, I couldn't answer you—I know there are things we still need to do."
Usagi frowned when she heard Mamoru's voice was coming from the kitchen and it was almost in whispers, "I can't talk louder—" she heard him making an abrupt pause and sighed tiredly, "Because I am not alone—yes, she's here."
Usagi froze in her hiding spot and took a deep breath when she figured out with whom he was talking to. Her vision slowly became cloudy from the tears that were starting to pool and ready to roll down her flushed cheeks. She felt like if her heart was ripped from her chest and smashed against a wall like a crystal ball.
"Yes, I'm pleased—yes, I am very impressed, yes, you're good—listen, I need to keep this conversation short because she can wake any minute now and I don't want her to know I've been doing this, we can continue this when I see you."
Usagi bit her lower lip as she continued listening to the one side conversation feeling like all air was stolen from her lungs.
"I will go see you later today—I will tell her I am going to the hospital—yes, I know."
That was all Usagi could handle and returned to the bedroom to hide under the covers in a poor attempt to find some comfort. Minutes later, she heard him roaming around the bedroom and then closing the bathroom door behind him completely unaware that she was pretending to be asleep.
Usagi uncovered her head and looked for his phone again, hesitating if it was a good idea to see if there were new things she could find, maybe a picture, maybe another text as she held the sleek black phone in with a shaky hand and felt it's warmth for being active for who knows how long before she woke up. Shaking her head and swallowing her tears, she decided it was best to leave the device on his nightstand and turned her back on it. Her face was turning red from containing all of her anger and pain coiling in her chest and the pit of her stomach like the most poisonous of snakes.
She covered her head when she heard him come out of the bathroom, now fully dressed wearing a royal blue, v neck sweater over a white t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. She hated he had shaved and combed his hair the way she liked it, she hated he had put on her favorite cologne, right now, she hated with all of her might how handsome he was. Completely unaware of her turmoil, Mamoru sat on his side of the bed and put his black metal watch and his wedding band before turning to look at his wife and leaned closer to kiss her on her temple to wake her up, "Usa,"
Usagi now hating herself for yielding to such adorable gesture, opened her eyes and looked at him pretending to be surprised. Two could play the same game—she thought bitterly. "Mamo-chan? W-What?" Mamoru smiled and kissed her on the lips softly, "I have to go out for a while but I will be back as soon as I'm done, okay? I promise."
"W-Where?" Usagi rubbed her eyes, faking her sleepiness, "Where are you going?"
"I have to go to the hospital,"
"Why? You're on vacation leave..."
"There is something they need me to address with urgency,"
"B-But—you're on vacation leave..." Usagi frowned confused, Mamoru combed her loose hair to the side and cupped her cheek "I know Bunny, and I am, but this is something I can't ignore and leave for later... it's quite urgent." Usagi bit her lower lip and nodded, Mamoru kissed her hand, "Go back to sleep, Buns, I will be back shortly," he smiled, "Alright?"
"Yeah..."
"I love you, Usako." He leaned to kiss her softly on the lips. The words felt like shards of ice to Usagi's heart but as much as she didn't want to at the moment, she was crazy in love with him too. Her lips craved his, her skin his touch, and her eyes craved being looked at by his magnetic blue eyes. Naturally, she responded to the kiss only to part a minute later and watched him leave.
After a few minutes and with a heavy heart, she walked to the living room following the scent of his fresh cologne that still lingered in the air, feeling stupid and confused as she wondered what she could have possibly done to make him do such thing behind her back. She sighed heavily and walked to the kitchen to put some water to boil to make herself a cup of tea when the elegant sound of her doorbell took her by surprise. Usagi walked to the foyer thinking Mamoru probably have forgotten his keys or something and quickly opened the door; her tired blue eyes widened when she saw Minako standing at the other side, "Minako-chan?" she said with surprise. Minako chuckled, "Wow, so, you weren't kidding when you said you would sleep a lot once you got married, huh?" Usagi leaned on the door and rubbed her now swollen eyes, "What time is it?"
"Almost noon," Minako said and handed her friend a hot cup of cappuccino "Here, I brought you something sweet and warm, not that you need it but—you know... it's cappuccino and it's from our favorite place,"
Usagi smiled at her friend's gesture and stepped aside, letting the blonde walk inside. Minako stepped on the fancy grey carpet in the foyer and took her shoes off while taking a look around, "You're alone?"
"I am alone," Usagi said with a sigh and closed the door with disinterest and walked past Minako and towards the living room and sat on the couch, "Thank you, for the cappuccino,"
"Sure, anytime." Minako looked around again and clicked her tongue with curiosity, "So, where's Mamoru?"
Usagi took the lid of her cup and took a small sip of her hot beverage, "I don't know—out... somewhere."
Minako frowned and sat next to her friend on the couch. She looked at her in silence for a moment and narrowed her eyes with concern, "Usagi-chan, are you okay?" Usagi took another sip of her hot drink and put it on the coffee table, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"You are the worst liar ever," Usagi turned to Minako with a frown, "What?"
"I know there's something else—you were acting strange yesterday. You were melancholic, sad—I don't know how to put it." Minako took a sip of her own drink, "I know you too well to know when something is bothering you."
"Ugh, am I so predictable?" Usagi said with annoyance and combed her hair back with her hand, not really caring for the mess her hair was at the moment. Minako looked at Usagi and frowned, "Usa—you know you can count on me. Did something happen? Is it something you can't tell Mamoru?"
Usagi couldn't take it anymore and broke at the mention of her husband's name. She covered her face with both hands and started sobbing with anguish, scaring Minako in the process, "Usagi!" she went to her friend's aid and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace "What's wrong? What's going on?! You're scaring me..." Usagi pulled back and wiped her tears with her hand brusquely and bit her lip, "Mamo-chan is cheating on me."
Minako's blue eyes widened two times their size in shock, "WHAT!?" It took her several minutes to process Usagi's words and for some reason, the blonde started laughing incredulously, "No, no—what?! What?!" Usagi looked at her friend deadly serious, "He's cheating on me."
"Wait, am I hearing right?" Minako frowned and shook her head "Is Mamoru we're talking about here, right?"
"Yes, yes—Chiba Mamoru." Usagi said slightly annoyed, "My husband."
Minako shook her head "No, no—it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense."
"What doesn't make sense? He's cheating!" Usagi frowned, Minako took a deep breath and put her cup on the coffee table "He's Mamoru! He can't be cheating!" The blonde frowned with disbelief, "I mean—he's your fated Prince. Literally."
Usagi exhaled heavily, "Yeah, I will give you a couple of more minutes to assimilate this information. I was the same when I found out—or even worse." Minako felt her heart sink in her stomach and slouched on the couch with shock, "That's why you broke into tears yesterday?" Usagi sighed and nodded, "Yes."
"H-How? When?" Minako shook her head, trying to come around the idea of her friend's husband being with another woman behind her back. Usagi licked her lower lip slowly and took a deep breath, "I found out by accident—he left his phone unattended and went to take a shower, we just found out about Hino-san's passing and I had started packing. His phone began to ring restlessly I immediately imagined it would be one of you guys calling to give us more news when I saw a woman's name on the screen."
Minako sighed heavily with relief, "Oh Usa, that doesn't mean he's cheating! He's a doctor—he gets calls from strangers all the time!"
"Mamo-chan doesn't give his phone number to patients unless is very serious," Usagi frowned, "At first I thought it could be someone from the hospital too but then I thought everyone knew he was on his honeymoon—he gave notice at the hospital that he was going to be away. Motoki knows... he would be the first to let whoever didn't know that he wasn't available,"
"Usagi-chan, it could have been an emergency or something. That woman might as well have been a nurse!"
"No Minako, she is not a nurse," Usagi said dryly and bit her lower lip, "Something told me there was something strange about that call... so that's why I ended up checking every call and messages without him knowing of course." Minako widened her eyes in shock, "You what?!"
"I surfed through everything in his phone—I know, I'm a psycho." Usagi leaned her head back and sighed, "I don't know who that woman is but it bothered me how she called him Mamoru with such... casualty. Like if she knew him better than I did."
"Usa..." Minako looked at her friend sternly, "I've been a psycho too—trust me. I know what it's like to be cheated on but come on, you? Also, of course, you were going to find things if you had your mind set to find them! That's a psycho's number one principle!"
"Minako-chan, not even I call him by his full name—I never call him Mamoru,"
"Because you chose not to. It's your thing—you put chan in everyone's name and turn it into a totally cute thing."
"Why are you defending him!? Aren't you my friend?" Usagi frowned with hurt all over her face.
"Okay, okay..." Minako raised her hands defensively, "Look, you know I am always going to be on your side, but I am trying to help you think straight and I want to be as partial as possible on this because it's not a random person we're talking about here... so what did the message say?"
Usagi blinked, "What?"
"You said you read his messages, you stalked every single thing in his phone, so, what did you find?" Minako crossed her arms, Usagi sighed and rubbed her face with frustration, "It said something like, 'Mamoru where are you?! Call me as soon as you see my message—I need to see you...'" she said in a high-pitch tone, trying her best to imitate the woman's voice even when she had absolutely no idea of how it sounded like but she imagined it was very annoying. She sighed, "It bothered me so much—hell broke loose right after."
"What do you mean?" Minako frowned.
Usagi looked at Minako, "I asked him about his ex-girlfriends."
"Usagi!" Minako shook her head, "Why? Why did you do that?"
"Because I wanted to find if one of them was the woman that was calling him with so much insistence!"
"And?"
Usagi bit her lip, "Well, things got very awkward and uncomfortable because he didn't want to say anything,"
"Oi, Usa-chan..." Minako covered her face and shook her head, Usagi sighed heavily, "I know—I know... I tried to fix things, I asked him to forgive me but then this morning... I caught him talking in secret and I heard him say," she looked at her friend and raised her hand to stop her from interrupting her, "I did hear him say that he couldn't talk loud because I was around and that he was going to say he was going to the hospital when in fact was going to see her."
Minako widened her eyes, "Oh,"
"Ah, see? I am a psycho for a good reason," Usagi slouched on the couch and covered her face with her hands, "This is killing me inside."
"It just doesn't make any sense—" Minako frowned, "Usagi, this is your husband we are talking about. The man who has been professing his love to you for more than two thousand lifetimes, who died protecting you—who has been with you every on every step of the way. I just can't believe he is cheating. I would normally say 'yeah, he's a cheater—ditch the bastard! but, no—this is Endymion, your Mamo-chan." she leaned forward and gave her friend and soul sister a stern look, "Usagi, you need to talk to him,"
"What?" Usagi moved her hands away, "And what am I going to say?"
"Usagi, have you ever thought of the tiny possibility that he is trying to surprise you with something?" Minako frowned, "He has done it in the past, no?"
Usagi widened her eyes, "W-Well..."
Minako sat back, and crossed her arms, "Look Usa-chan, it's not because I am defending him, trust me, if I find that he is cheating I will be the first to make him regret it but I want to give him the benefit of the doubt for now and I think you should too. Just remember what happened when he gave you the ring or when he said he was in America and that he wasn't going to be able to be here for your birthday when in fact, he was already here talking to your parents and us about his plans to marry you; or when he surprised you on Christmas day and you were in a sea of tears because you couldn't believe he took a 15-hour flight just to see you just for the weekend. I'm sorry Usa-chan, nuh-uh, I just—no." she shook her head, "Mamoru is my good friend too and we fought a lot back then over you to just believe he would do something like that, also come on—you're his Princess." the blonde sighed, "What's that woman's name? Can you remember?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Well—if you're going all psycho mode I might as well do too."
Usagi chuckled, only heavens knew how much she loved Minako. Sky could be falling in pieces, or she could be robbing a bank and Minako would be with her, she was her partner in every crime she dared to commit. "Shimuta Chieko."
"Hmm—no, doesn't ring a bell... though her name sounds kind of fancy,"
"Gee, thanks." Usagi sighed and leaned forward to grab her hot drink and took a sip. Minako chuckled, "Come on Usa-chan—you need to clear your mind. It doesn't matter how much you try to be part of the majority of girls who get to experience a horrible heartbreak—you are not one of us." The blonde took her friend's hand and smiled, "But on a more serious note, Usa... you really need to talk to him, tell him what's been bothering you. You just got married and I know there is too much love flowing between you two... trust me, I can see it."
Usagi sighed softly, "I don't even know how to bring the conversation up."
"You don't need to bring anything up, just be clear." Minako said, "But you have to be calm. Problems cannot be solved if you yell, our worst side always shows up when we are angry." Both blondes turned to the door and saw Mamoru walking into the foyer with a paper bag in his hand, "Minako!" He greeted her with a smile.
"Hey, Mamoru!" Minako smiled and waved her hand from the couch, then turned to the blonde and hugged her quickly, "Talk to him," she whispered in her ear before standing up and turn to grab her purse, "Well, I am leaving you two lovebirds alone now,"
"You're leaving just because I got here?" Mamoru frowned, "I'm hurt."
Minako chuckled, "Well yes!—as the Senshi who represents love, I must let it flow freely, you just got married and I am being a third wheel. Plus, I got stuff to do—"
Mamoru chuckled, "Sure... give Kunzite my regards," he turned to toss his keys on the huge plate and smiled when he felt Minako's wide eyes on him, "Yes. I know." he said as he turned to look at her with a smile. Minako narrowed her cornflower blue eyes and pointed her finger at him, "Just how much do you know?"
Mamoru crossed his arms, "You two patched things up and are finally moving past your differences as a couple," his sapphire eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why? Is there more to know?" Minako blushed and shook her head thinking of what happened after their wedding, "No, no, no reason." Mamoru crossed his arms and smiled, "I want to thank you for helping him investigate about that exhibition,"
Minako smiled in return and shook her head, "Of course, it's one of the perks of working at a TV station... today's the press conference, I will let you know how that goes, I know there are going to be reporters from our station present," with one soft pat on his arm and using him as support, she slid her feet in her sand colored wedges that complimented perfectly her pale-yellow jumpsuit and smiled at Mamoru in gratitude when she saw him opening the door for her like a true gentleman, making it even harder to believe that he would cheat on her precious friend. "Thank you, Your Highness,"
Mamoru chuckled, "See you around, Princess Venus," Minako chuckled in return and waved her hand at him as she turned to leave, "Bye!"
"Bye," Mamoru closed the door and walked inside the living room and handed Usagi a paper bag, "I brought you bre—" he looked at the clock on the wall then at the silver blonde and chuckled, "Well, I guess it's lunch now."
Usagi looked at him surprised, then at the contents inside the paper bag "Thank you," she said softly, then frowned when she noticed it was only one bowl of their favorite sweet and spicy stir-fry from her favorite noodle place, "You only brought food for me?" she turned to Mamoru who as drinking water in the kitchen, "Yes, I had a quick bite a while ago at the hospital." Usagi turned and sighed, "Everything okay?"
Mamoru put the glass in the sink and walked back, "Yes—just a few things here and there. They wanted me to sign some papers... that's why they were urging me to go as soon as possible."
"Ah," Usagi muttered and put the paper bag on the coffee table and curled like a ball on the couch again. She wanted to let the matter go and follow Minako's advice but she was starting to become really frustrated and obsessed with the whole ordeal. She could not accept he was lying to her because just like Minako said, he was her Endymion—her Mamo-chan but without really wanting it her insecurities began to boil like bubbling water in a pot and without even filtering her thoughts, she realized it was too late to control it. "Where were you, really?"
Mamoru looked at her from the hallway on his way to the bedroom and frowned, "What?"
Usagi turned on her seat and leaned her arms on the back of the sofa, "Where were you?"
"Usa, I told you I went to the hospital," Mamoru let out a small chuckle, "Why are you asking me like you didn't believe me?"
Usagi's delicate fingers curled tightly and narrowed her crystal blue eyes to show him she was not in a playful mood, "Because I don't." The gesture and the tone of her voice were enough to alert Mamoru that something was not right, he crossed his arms and frowned at her with genuine confusion, "What?"
"You were not at the hospital," Usagi muttered with a dry tone in her voice, "Why don't you just tell me and avoid all awkwardness?"
"What awkwardness?" Mamoru's frustration started to grow from this point forward. He felt the ambient between them was unusually unsteady and shook his head, trying to understand, "Usa—I'm not following."
"Fine. Don't tell me," Usagi shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes with annoyance, a gesture Mamoru couldn't ignore anymore because he really disliked being treated with such high levels of cynicism. With her sudden change of mood during their honeymoon, the strange conversation they had in the car and her sudden emotional breakdown at Rei's and now this, it was more than clear that it was something she had against him personally and it was starting to play with his patience. He took a deep breath and walked back to the living room, once he stood behind the sofa facing Usagi he narrowed his prismatic blue eyes with deep concern, "Usa, what's going on?" In response, Usagi frowned and looked up at him with defiance, "According to you—nothing's going on."
"I don't understand," Mamoru shook his head again and sighed, "Baby, why are you acting like this? You've been weird ever since we made the decision to come back,"
"Don't call me baby,"
Mamoru sighed again, he was trying his best to be as patient and careful as possible to avoid a bigger discussion, "Is it because we came back?"
"No,"
"Do you want to go somewhere else? Do you want to do something else?"
"No,"
"Then what is it? I really don't understand why you are being like this,"
Usagi shook her head with wonder as she continued to glare at him loaded with exasperation, "I wonder how much longer you are going to continue with this stupid game you're playing,"
"What stupid game!?" Mamoru ran his hand through his midnight hair, "I don't understand a single thing you're saying, you are just talking in codes and I can't—" he rubbed the bridge of his nose and turned to walk away, feeling completely baffled by the whole situation, "I'm sorry, I can't keep up with you... not like this,"
"Oh, I'm sorry... you can't keep up with me?! What is that supposed to mean?" Usagi arched her brow with disapproval. Mamoru sighed heavily and raised his arms with defeat as he turned to face her again, "I'm sorry Usa, I can't do it—whatever this is," he shook his head, "I don't know what you are expecting me to do, not until I know what is going on. Whenever you feel like talking, you know where to find me, I am more than happy to talk and find a solution together to whatever problem there is. I don't do well with passive aggressive hints and cryptic messages, I'm sorry." he turned to walk back to their bedroom making Usagi feel enraged and mocked by his actions; she felt like he was dismissing her and her feelings by turning his back on her and let another wave of insecurity and jealousy take over her, making her blurt the words out of her mouth with no filter and no control, "Send my greetings to your new lover,"
Mamoru stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her over his shoulder and narrowed his dark blue eyes with disbelief; there was evident confusion in his handsome face but also great shock, "What did you just say?" he said with an offended tone in his voice. Usagi moved away from the couch and followed him to the hallway with one of the pillows in her hand, "I know what you're doing—I'm not stupid. You think I wouldn't find out?"
"Find out what!? I never said—" Mamoru widened his eyes with shock when Usagi hit him with the pillow with all the force she could muster. "Usa, what the hell?!" he raised his hands in frustration, "What is the matter with you?!" Usagi threw the pillow at him with rage and rampaged towards him and started to push him away with force, feeling little to no sympathy for the man, "I know you are seeing someone else! I know you are cheating on me!"
"Have you lost your mind?!" Mamoru raised his voice with irritation, "Where in heaven's sake you got that idea from?!"
"I saw the messages—I saw the calls. I saw everything." Usagi shook her head, "And don't you dare to say you don't know what the hell I am talking about. She called during our honeymoon trip more than once and when I asked you, you only said some random thing to distract me like if I am some stupid girl,"
"Usagi—" Mamoru's warm voice was gone at this point, "Is this why you have been acting so strange? Because you inspected my phone? You are telling me, that you really think that I would do something like that to you? Really?"
"I saw everything!" Usagi raised her voice, immediately regretting it and by the look in Mamoru's eyes this discussion was not going to end well, or to end anytime soon but even still, it was hard for her to stop. "I saw the infinite list of calls from her, I saw her messages! Since when a woman can call you sweetheart or by your name just so casually?" she was now on the verge of tears, "It was our honeymoon! How long has this been going on for her to not know you were getting married?! Everybody knew how come she did not!? Are you actually cheating on her with me? Or another woman for that matter!?"
"I can't believe we are having this discussion..." Mamoru shook his head with bewilderment, "You went as far as looking into my personal things like I was some jerk who would do something so disgusting and low. Usagi, I have never, ever hidden anything from you. I would never do anything like that to you and you know it."
"Mamoru! Stop lying to me!" Usagi raised her voice again and pushed him again, her eyes widened when she realized it was the first time she ever called him by his name without any cute or respectful honorifics attached to it or without being playful, "I heard you talking over the phone with her this morning, I heard you say you couldn't talk because I was here and that you were going to tell me you were going to the hospital... You don't think I know you don't give your number to just anybody!?"
"Usagi, I can't say much about the matter while you are acting like this,"
"Why are you defending her?!"
"I am not defending her!"
"Then why are you doing this to me?! Why are you lying to me this way!?"
"What gives you the right to think that I am being unfaithful to you?! That I'm a liar?! You are being unreasonable and paranoid." Mamoru said dryly and rubbed the bridge of his nose again, trying to keep himself together and fuel their argument with more anger, "That's why you were so insistent on knowing how many girls I dated in the past—this is why you were so defensive on our way home..."
"You have been talking to a woman I don't know for god know how damn long and you still can't tell me who the hell this woman is?" Usagi narrowed her eyes, "Is she that good?
"What?!"
"Is she that good to keep you entertained?"
Usagi, sto—" Mamoru's blue eyes widened when he felt her hand slapping him across his face and turned to look at her with horror. Usagi shook her head and took a step back, realizing what she had done; for a minute she felt incredibly guilty and incredibly ashamed for her actions but her anger and insecurities had taken the best of her at this point and there was no turning back. The damage was done, she had slapped Mamoru for the very first time in all of their years together. Her eyes widened when she started to feel the aftermath of her actions and started to enter in a new stage of panic, "I-I... Mamoru... I'm—"
"You have gone too far, Usagi," Mamoru shook his head, his expression was one of stupor and pain—heartbroken, "Too far,"
"Why can't you just admit it..." Usagi closed her eyes and let her tears started to roll down her cheeks before she pushed him away again, carving more pain in both of their hearts, "Why couldn't you just tell me you didn't love me anymore instead of going behind my back!?"
"I don't need to admit anything to you. It's all in your head for some damn reason! You are attacking me and you are being disrespectful towards me,"
"Mamoru!"
"I can't believe this..." Mamoru shook his head and walked back to the living room with Usagi storming behind him, "I can't believe you think so low of me—I can't believe you don't trust me."
"Then why do you give me reasons not to trust you?!"
"When have I ever given you such reasons?!" Mamoru frowned and turned to look at her with anger and hurt, "When have I ever failed you Usagi?! When have I ever done anything to hurt you?! If you are so sure I am cheating on you... if you are so sure that I am this asshole that goes around and sleeps with other women behind your back, then what the hell have we even been doing all this time?! After all we have been through over the last thousands of years to be where we are now—was all it just for nothing!? You really believe this was all just for my own fucking amusement?!" his sapphire blue eyes turned indigo as he looked at her with tear-glossed eyes, "Answer me!"
"I don't know—you tell me, I thought we were in love," Usagi dried her own tears with the back of her hand in a brusque and careless manner. Mamoru raised his brows and scoffed with sarcasm, really impressed by her defiant and cutting stance, "Wow, well, I thought that too... I thought we trusted each other," he shook his head and walked to the foyer, startling Usagi, "Where are you going?"
"I can't be here." Mamoru muttered in a cold tone as he put his shoes on again, Usagi frowned, "So, what, are you going to run away now? Is this how you deal with things Mamoru? Is this how you are going to leave things between us—unanswered? Why can't you just tell me who the hell she is!?"
"No, Usagi—" he turned to look at her with hurt, "Don't mistake things, I am not running away, but at this point, I don't need to give you any justifications about anything I do or don't do. I can't be here right now—it kills me to hear these things because I would expect to hear them from anyone in the damn universe, anyone, Usagi, except you. I need to get away before this gets out of control and we end up hurting each other more than we already have. I don't want any more damage to be caused by having this stupid discussion because this is what it is—stupid." Mamoru turned and opened the door and took a deep, hoarse breath, "I guess it's true what is said about me then—I am a fucking monster." with that said, he grabbed his keys and slammed the door behind him leaving a very surprised Usagi crying while staring at the door.
I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.