Divinity: Fates and the Afterlife

Chapter Forty

Usagi stood staring at the door for a long time hoping with all her might Mamoru came back; she wished for once in his life to be distracted and forget something that would make him have to return. She really wished she could rewind time right before she made the terrible decision to raise her hand and slap him across his face with such contempt, knowing perfectly well it was right then and there when things escalated to catastrophic proportions and got out of their control. She broke in tears when she realized that for the first time in thousands of years, the prince was not going back to her arms to make things better like he always did and just knowing that she had to do with it was tearing her apart.

An hour later or so—Usagi wasn't sure anymore, she decided to go and take a hot shower and distract herself by doing chores around the apartment. She did the laundry hoping this time nothing would get shrunk or dyed into another color, including Mamoru's white coats and scrubs. She folded and organized their clean clothes in the closet, washed the bed sheets, dusted and cleaned the apartment like she never has before in her life and even tried to cook dinner but eventually gave up once she began feeling the ravages of the fight she had with her husband and the fact that what she meant to cook was still defrosting in the sink. Usagi had done everything she could to keep her mind occupied and kill time but she was always brought back to that heated argument and that angry slap she gave Mamoru. After pacing the apartment for what she felt was an eternity, Usagi finally sat on the couch to wait for any signs from Mamoru but the more she waited in silence, the more his absence pained her with every passing hour.

With a heavy heart, she curled into a ball on the sofa and hugged one of the pillows for support while staring at her phone wishing to get a text from her husband to at least let her know where he was. The aftermath was starting to get its toll on her and pushing her to the very edge of having a panic attack. Usagi couldn't hold it any longer and broke in heavy sobs again immediately regretting not following Minako's advice. Between choked sobs and inaudible words, the princess opened her eyes and looked around the dark apartment and started to feel it was becoming unusually cold, making her feel foreign and unwelcomed; it didn't feel like home, it just wasn't the same without Mamoru around. Usually, around this time, he would be in the kitchen cooking dinner for them and she would be sitting in the counter listening to music, talking about the most random things, laughing and joking between loving and tender kisses.

This was the first time in all of their time together they had an actual fight. Sure, like any other couple they had different opinions but they always talked things through and come up with a solution but this time, things were different. This was the first time they raised their voice at each other, called each other by their names without any endearing terms or charming nicknames; this was the first time they actually hurt each other's feelings, the first time she heard him curse at something that had to do with them and the first time she ever turned violent towards him. Mamoru had never talked to her in such cold tone before or stormed out in the middle of a discussion; he was not the kind of person that would leave things undone. Mamoru was practical and analytical, the kind of person that barely ever raised his voice no matter how exasperated, disgusted or annoyed he was; unlike her, he could get upset, frustrated—angry even, and yet, he would keep a low calm tone in his voice and remain calm to find a solution to whatever problem was ahead but he also knew how to put limits and when he has had enough and this time it was one of those particular moments. This was the first time he ever looked so distraught and broken; this was the first time she saw him lose that unbreakable and admirable patience he was known to have.

At this point, Usagi no longer knew what else to do, it had been hours since Mamoru stormed out and it didn't look like he was going back anytime soon. The more she went back to think about it, the more she realized there was no given time for any apologies or explanations since it went from 0 to 1000 in a matter of seconds. Guilt was starting to kick in and play its cruel games on the silver-blonde's head when she turned to look at the hour on the clock in the living room and bit her lower lip with concern, "It's almost nine... where are you Mamo-chan—where did you go?" Usagi let out a heavy sigh and started to consider her options and take the first step and do whatever she could to make things better. She thought about calling the hospital and see if he was there and go there to see him but in case he was, what was she going to say? What she could possibly say to make things better when she accused him of being a jerk and a liar. Mamoru was a very patient man and he had a heart of gold, but that didn't mean he would let anyone stomp on him and humiliate him and whenever he reached his limit, his sweet personality would give a 180-degree turn and it would become stoic and imposing. The man had an intimidating character when challenged, and he had a pride he liked to keep intact, like a true Leo.

"Ami-chan might know something..." Usagi muttered hopeful and leaned forward to grab her cell when the phone in the apartment began ringing. Jolting with hurry from the couch she went to answer hoping with all her heart it was Mamoru on the other end, "Hello?"

"Hi, good evening—who am I talking to?"

"Good evening," Usagi frowned completely taken by surprise, "Who are you trying to reach?"

"I am looking for Chiba Mamoru, this is still his apartment's phone number, right?"

The blonde froze with the phone in her ear, "Yes... this is his wife..."

"Oh... I see..."

"May I help you?"

"Is he available? I need to speak to him, it's quite urgent..."

Usagi frowned with annoyance at the woman's blunt approach, "Who is this?"

"Hisakawa Chieko,"

"Hisakawa... Chieko?" Usagi widened her eyes and tightened her grip on the sleek wireless phone. This was the woman that disrupted the last moments of their honeymoon and the reason for her current situation with her husband and now, she had the nerve to call home, "He's not home at the moment,"

"Do you know where I can reach him or at what time?"

"No," Usagi answered bluntly, allowing the remains of her anger began to take over of what was left of her emotional state, "But I suppose you can try to call his cellphone."

"It's turned off, that's why I am calling this number—I found it in an address book but I wasn't sure if it still was his number,"

Usagi took only the first half of the woman's comment and frowned with worry, "Wait, his phone is turned off you say?"

"Yes—I've been trying to reach him all afternoon but I can't seem to find him anywhere. I called the hospital where he works but nobody could give me any information on him and it's very important for me to talk to him, there is more paperwork I need for him to sign." Usagi heard the woman sighing heavily with exasperation, "I am sorry to have bothered you, I will try and contact him on his cellphone again."

"Would you like to leave a message?"

"No, it's alright. I will call him again. Thank you—good night."

"Good night." Usagi slowly pressed the end button and put the phone back on its base now feeling completely worried for her husband's whereabouts and went back to the living room to grab her phone and checked if there were any missed calls from the girls and immediately texted Ami to ask if she was at the hospital and if she knew anything from Mamoru, hoping she wasn't with any patient so she could answer soon. Her heart froze in her chest when she read the bluenette's quick response:

"Hi Usagi-chan, no, sorry. I am no longer at the hospital but I did see Mamoru there around noon, there is one case with the med-board he was asked to take a closer look and assist this morning. Why? Everything okay?"

Usagi let out a sob and tried to hold her tears when the bluenette confirmed Mamoru's version and felt like a bucket of bricks fell over her head. She quickly sent a quick reassuring response followed by a thumb's up and a heart emoji and quickly dialed his number only to confirm what the woman told her was, in fact, true when her call was directly sent to his voicemail; his phone was turned off. With a shaky hand, she turned again to check the hour with a worried frown, "Where are you Mamoru?" Usagi mumbled on the verge of tears. Uncertainty was killing her inside and now all she could do was to call for help, and the only person she would trust for these sorts of things and the only one that knew what was going on, "Usagi-chan?"

Usagi stood up and began pacing the living room while taking hasty breaths to keep herself from having a nervous breakdown, she didn't even try to pretend she had everything under control, she was a mess and she couldn't take it anymore, "Minako-chan... this is a disaster..."

"What happened?!"

Usagi rubbed her temples as she slowly broke down into tears, "I ruined everything—I didn't..." she took another deep breath, "I didn't mean to... I—" she heard Minako's worry on the other end, "Usagi, tell me what happened,"

"I couldn't control myself and told him everything... I told him I read his messages and that I knew he was cheating..."

"And what happened? What did he say?"

"That he wasn't... but things got so bad to a point we both raised our voices and yelled at each other—he was so upset and stormed out of the apartment and hasn't returned ever since. I feel so terrible Minako-chan... I don't know where he is and that woman just called asking for him too,"

"What?!"

"I don't really know if it was her—she had the same name but her surname was not the one I saw on his phone. The thing is, this woman can't find him either... he turned his phone off and he is not at the hospital—which by the way, Ami just confirmed he was there at noon." Usagi sighed heavily and started to sob with mortification, "Minako, I don't know what to do... you were right, I shouldn't have yelled... I should have listened to you and follow your advice... I don't know what came over me... I shouldn't have said what I said to him—"

"Usa, I am heading over there—please wait for me,"

"No—I want to know where he is! I need to know if he is alright—it's nine in the evening and there are no signs of him!"

Close enough at Kunzite's apartment, Minako sighed and turned to the white-haired general who was taking a sip of his coffee in the living room and exhaled softly, not knowing how her friend might take the news, "Usagi, I am with Kunzite at his apartment—he's here."

"W-What?"

"Mamoru—he's here," Minako bit her lower lip softly, "He was already here when I arrived an hour ago but he's in Kunzite's room and hasn't come out. For what Kunzite has told me, he's not doing very well."

"I am heading over there." Back to the other apartment, Usagi ran to the bedroom to change her pajamas for something more appropriate to go out and went to the closet to grab a pair of shoes but stopped mid-track when she heard Kunzite taking over Minako's phone, "Princess..." his deep voice caught her off guard, "Good evening." Usagi felt her heart sink in her chest and sat on the bed, fearing the worst, "Kunzite..."

"Endymion is here—do not worry about him, he arrived this afternoon and has been sleeping in my bedroom all day,"

Usagi's eyes began burning with tears, "I was telling Minako that I was heading over—"

"I suggest you let him spend some time here. I know it is not the ideal due to the circumstances, but he... well... he needs to do some thinking,"

"But this is my fault—why is he the one who has to do the thinking?!"

"He's upset Your Highness, and it is best to talk things over when both parties have cooled down. Nothing good can come out when two people are upset—do not worry, Venus and I are the only ones here and nobody else has to know about this. Nephrite is helping Jupiter with some cooking project, Zoisite is having dinner with Mercury—something about noodles, and Jadeite decided to keep Mars some company at the temple. I highly doubt they will return early enough to realize the Prince is here."

Usagi leaned her back on the wall and slowly slid down to the floor and started sobbing, "Kunzite..."

"I know Your Highness—but I assure you, this is for the best. If it helps to know he is not angry at you, but he needs time to deal with what happened this afternoon, whatever that was. He needs some space and time alone."

At his apartment, Kunzite turned his gaze at Minako with worry, "Princess, I will ask Venus if she can go over there and keep you company, I highly suggest you do not spend the night alone."

"Please Kunzite—please let me go and talk to him, I need to talk to him... if he's angry, at least I need to do my part to solve this..."

"I do not think it is the best if you came at this moment—I haven't spoken to him either, Your Highness, the minute he walked in I immediately sent him to my room and he put the lock on the door." he heard Usagi sigh, "Please Kunzite, let me know if anything happens..." Usagi's strained voice nearly broke the general's heart, it was evident that both of them were under too much stress and dealing with the consequences of being mad at each other. Kunzite never imagined this could actually happen, not even on their darkest days they put their bond under such strain, they were unbreakable, he was a witness of it and he could not accept it, "Do not worry, Your Highness, I will,"

"Thank you, Kunzite... I am very sorry you had to find out about this..."

Kunzite sighed and shook his head, "Endymion did not know where else to go and he was too confused to wander around the city on his own—I am glad he confided in me and came straight over here, like I said, he just needs time to think. He has gone through much stress lately and needs some time on his own to put things into perspective. This happened very often when we lived in the Palace—this is his way to clear his mind and think things straight."

Usagi sighed softly and nodded, "Yes, I do remember, the only difference is that I was there to help him..."

Kunzite smiled sadly, "I know Your Highness, and you will soon enough. He will come around, trust me." he heard Usagi sniffling at the other end, "Thank you Kunzite, and again I am sorry for all of this..."

"Do not thank me, Princess, I am honored to be at your service. Please try to have some rest—be assured that I will look after him, I will put Venus again," Kunzite turned to Minako and handed her the phone, which immediately took, "Usagi-chan, I am on my way, okay?" Usagi sobbed softly, "Okay... thank you Minako-chan."

The blonde hung up the phone and sighed heavily as she slouched on the couch for a minute; Kunzite narrowed his eyes with suspicion, "You know what happened, am I right?" Minako turned to look at him like a deer in the middle of a lonely road and after a quiet minute, she nodded. It was Kunzite's time to sigh as he lay back on the couch and pursed his lips, "Well, I believe I am to do some damage control once the Prince wakes up and decides to get out of that room and I have an idea of what mood he's in, so I must be prepared."

"Was he angry?" Minako whispered, trying to keep the conversation as private as possible. The white-haired general looked at her and shook his head slowly, "No, not angry... hurt." he muttered softly, "He arrived here with a confused stare and completely lost. He did not need to say anything for me to know it was something related to Princess Serenity, I have seen that look before."

Minako took a deep breath and after a couple of seconds exhaled; her blue eyes looked into his grey ones, "I believe you have to know since you are now involved in this matter," she pursed her lips and leaned closer, "Usagi-chan found some messages and calls from a mystery woman in his phone and came to the conclusion that he was being unfaithful to her and well... hell broke loose this morning after she overheard a conversation he apparently was having over the phone with her and confronted him about it." Like in slow-motion, Kunzite's eyes widened twice their size in shock, "Oh—so they did have an argument,"

Minako shook her head, "For what Usagi-chan told me, that was not an argument but a fight. He did not want to continue with it and stormed out of the apartment slamming the door on his way out. Although, what happened between the time I left them alone and the time he decided it was enough and left... well, that we don't know."

"So, we do not know who this mystery woman is?" Kunzite frowned with intrigue; Minako shook her head, "No, but it really surprises me that Usagi-chan would believe he would do something like that," Minako shrugged her shoulders trying to understand but she was as affected by this as the general and her friends, "I didn't see the messages, I don't know what kind of conversations he was having with this person, but it sure made Usagi mad."

"I do not believe he is being unfaithful—if you ask me." Kunzite stood up and walked to the kitchen, Minako blinked a little startled by his sudden gesture and followed him quickly after, "I don't think so either, but, Usagi-chan's argument is that this woman called him on his personal number, so clearly, she is not a patient—she's someone close to him,"

Kunzite leaned on the counter as he waited for the new batch of coffee Minako put to brew on the machine and pursed his lips, "I will wait until he comes out and have a word with him—you should go see the Princess and try to comfort her, she is very upset and mortified." Minako sighed and walked around the kitchen bar and wrapped her arms around his neck, "It is so ironic—we were the ones who wanted to break them apart so long ago and now, we are the ones trying to bring them together."

Kunzite arched his brow, "I never had anything against Princess Serenity—I truly believed she is the Prince's perfect match but times were different back then and I suppose we were too afraid to stand up for them because we didn't know what to expect, we were new to believe divinity existed. Now it is a different scenario."

Minako nodded and stood on her tip toes and gave him a soft kiss on his lips, "I suppose it will also be a different scenario for us too, huh?" Kunzite nodded and responded to the small kiss, he wrapped his arms around his Venusian girl and lifted her up and kissed her with more passion this time; he parted slightly hazed and smiled widely, "My dear Venus, that should not even be a question..."

O—o—O

Inside the bedroom, Mamoru was laying on Kunzite's bed while staring at the ceiling unaware that Minako was in the apartment with the general talking about the situation between Usagi and him. After he stormed out of the apartment, he wandered the streets of Azabu very much like a zombie and ended up at the general's apartment almost in an automatic mode and in a hazy trance. The minute Kunzite opened the door he was sent to the bedroom without asking for any explanations. Mamoru felt heavy and unresponsive, he was awake but at the same time he was not entirely conscious; he could hear noises coming from the living room but his brain could not process what they were, he didn't even care. He stayed motionless staring at the ceiling without realizing when he fell deeply asleep, or so he thought he was asleep.

Mamoru felt like if his soul was being pulled from his body and soon found himself in the middle of a long hallway, everything looked hazy around him but it was clear enough for him to know he was somewhere else, somewhere nostalgic. He paid close attention to the intricate details in the dome-like ceilings and the floor to ceiling stained glass windows. There were candles and flowers arranged in many exquisite golden candelabras and crystal vases, fancy carpets on the impeccable marble floors and the particular delicate scent of roses lingering in the air. He continued walking as if he knew where to go and let a sense of familiarity wash over him as he reached for a golden handle of a majestic door made of rich wood with gold engraving and walked into the large room.

He took a look around the large foyer that led to a fancy living room surrounded by many shelves full of a wide variety of books of all sorts. More than a living room it looked more like a study as he noticed the many parchments strategically placed over an exquisitely carved wooden coffee table. The large windows were closed and covered by long and velvety deep blue drapes which only meant it was late at night. Mamoru felt a magnetic energy that was obliging him to stay, it felt like a calling. He was about to turn and walk away when a familiar voice caught his attention, a voice that clearly was calling to him from behind the two large oak doors in front of him.

Whatever conversation was happening inside, it sounded like a discussion. Mamoru felt a strong tug in his chest and opened one of the heavy doors feeling completely drawn to it; his navy-blue eyes widened in shock when he spotted a beautiful dark-haired woman in a deep burgundy gown sitting elegantly on a large bed inside what looked like a fancy bedroom and next to her, there was a man, one who appeared to be himself. In a reflex, Mamoru looked down at his hands and noticed they were unusually cold and almost translucent and turned his gaze back to the couple sitting in the bed and shook his head with disbelief, "What—what is this?" he tried to move but now it was like if his feet were pinned down to the wooden floors. Shocked and with his blood running cold through his veins, Mamoru took a deep breath and let the moment play in front of his very eyes like the strangest of movies, making him realize soon after he was inside a particular memory from his past.

-O-

"Open your eyes Endymion… listen to your heart not just your mind. Not everything in this life can be resolved by thinking with a cold head, you need the fire in your heart to fight for what you want, you have to fight. You are a fighter Endymion, I taught you well," her warm hand caressed his warm cheek.

"How do you know for sure? You just met her once…" Endymion's muttered dryly as he looked at the terran queen giving him a smile full of tenderness, "That was enough for me to know her."

Endymion frowned with confusion but before he could retort her comment the terran queen shook her head and let out a soft sigh, "I recognized that look in her eyes… that smile… I've seen it before. That is proof enough for me to know she is madly in love with you..."

"When?"

"A long time ago," Gaia cupped her son's cheek lovingly, "Endymion, do not let your heart be clouded by deception. Do not hurt yourself this way… do not torture yourself anymore," she tilted her head with wonder, "Do you not you love her?"

"Of course I do, very much," Endymion said with exasperation as he ran his hands through his midnight hair, "But this is too much for me—she could have told me there was another person… it is not just the fact that she is engaged Mother, is the fact that she kept that a secret from me… she could have told me and I could have understood. We both knew this was not going to be easy but we were willing to find a way to be together." his prismatic blue eyes turned azure, exposing his heartbreak, "That is what hurts me, the fact that she never mentioned it, that she did not trust me enough to talk to me about this," he sighed and averted his glossy gaze away from his mother, "I am angry at myself—I should have been preparing myself for…" he trailed off and felt his blood run cold in his veins as he turned to face his mother who had a stern look on her face; Gaia crossed her arms and sighed, "War."

The prince nodded and looked down, "I have so many things to do—I have an enormous responsibility over my shoulders, I do not have the time to think about this and here I am weeping like a scolded little boy,"

"You sound so much like your Grandfather…" Gaia looked away with remorse, the dry tone in her voice made Endymion frown with confusion, "What?"

Gaia shrugged her shoulders trying to show some disinterest in her comment but remained with her gaze averted from her son's, "It is in your nature to be this prideful… I know this well because I am the same way."

"Mother?"

Gaia turned to look at her son, "But the truth is Endymion…" she sighed softly and patted his hand, "That even the strongest warriors are allowed to cry once in a while and admit their feelings, I have learned that over the years and you should do it too—do not be so hard on yourself,

Endymion's frowned deepened, "Mother?"

"Yes, dear?"

There were genuine wonder and puzzlement in his handsome face, "You did not say anything when I said I was a mortal… you did not ask me if it had to do with all of it." The queen arched one brow and raised her hand in expectation, "Well, does it?"

"Mother, there is a reason why all this is so complicated… why it is so difficult for Serenity and me to be together."

Gaia nodded, "I know dear," her eyes looked into her son's eyes with reassurance, "I know why." Endymion shook his head and leaned closer, "Wait, you do?" Gaia nodded, "I have known since you introduced her to me."

"And you are not going to say anything about it?"

"There is nothing I can say,"

"Then, why can't you understand my point?"

Gaia exhaled heavily, "Because you are as capable of giving her as anything she needs as the man she is supposed to be marrying... and even more,"

"I am a mortal, Mother, there is no point of comparison," Endymion arched his brow with annoyance. Gaia mimicked her son's gesture but instead of showing bother, she showed great pride, "You are a warrior,"

"So is he,"

The queen frowned and crossed her arms, "Since when you like to play the role of a victim? It does not suit you…" Endymion widened his eyes, "I am not playing any roles,"

"Oh, yes you are," Gaia frowned with disapproval, "Those are not the words of a warrior."

"Why do you keep saying that?! Enough of it, I am a soldier just like anybody else."

"You are a Polemarchos, Endymion," Gaia said with determination in her voice. Endymion rolled his blue eyes with annoyance, "That is just a term we used back in the field but who—" Gaia arched her brow and pointed the sword sitting proudly in his belt, "Remember when I gave you that sword?"

Endymion looked down at it "Yes,"

"Do you remember what I said to you that day?"

The prince pursed his lips for a moment, "That it was a sword made for warriors and that has stayed in the family for many generations, you said it belonged to my great-grandfather, my grandfather and you…"

Gaia nodded "That sword is sacred," she gave him a small smile, "To be a warrior Endymion… you need much more than just courage to face all the obstacles life can put in your path, it needs heart, passion, belief—since you were born you let us know you had all those qualities. It is your fate. You had a different training, one that went beyond just knowing how to swing a sword to inflict pain, you hold something special within you. You are an admirable leader to your people and that grants you the title of Polemarchos."

-O-

The terran queen turned to Mamoru, who was still standing by the door, "That is why you have to rely on each other—so that sword serves its purpose, the purpose to protect those dear to you. She made a mistake, yes, but sometimes love is crazy like that and even the love most pure can be tainted with jealousy. You know that, very well."

Mamoru widened his eyes with surprise and realized the man next to her was no longer next to the queen and shook his head with bewilderment, "H-How?" he frowned, "Why did you never tell me the truth?"

Gaia gave him a sad smile and shook her head slowly, "She is mortified Endymion—she did not mean to hurt you, even the kindest of hearts can feel insecure sometimes. You too have felt that same jealousy and madness... you too have made mistakes, do you remember now?"

"That is not what I asked," Mamoru shook his head slowly, showing his anger and frustration, "Why didn't you trust me? Why didn't you tell me the truth!? Why did you left me in the dark for so long, knowing nothing about you, about the family I am part of?!"

Gaia sighed softly and walked over to him, "It is time for you to open your eyes Endymion... she is waiting for you,"

"No! I need an ans—" Mamoru widened his eyes when she felt her warm hand on his cheek, feeling completely helpless by her gentle touch. Gaia tilted her head and closed her pale green eyes slowly, as if she was trying to fight her tears, "It's time to go back to your time... wake up, my setting sun."

-O-

Mamoru opened his eyes and gasped for air. He looked around and groaned softly as he felt his soul was slowly returning to his body and sat on the bed while rubbing the back of his neck and thinking of what just happened. It felt real and vivid, like if he was indeed talking to somebody but he also remembered having that exact conversation a long, long time ago and frowned when he realized it started as a dream and turned out to be some sort of revelation. He closed his dark blue eyes and sighed heavily, "No, no, no...why do you keep doing this?"

O—o—o—o—O

Usagi slowly walked back to the living room after she opened the door for Minako and welcomed her friend. The minute the blonde stepped inside she wrapped her arms around her princess and friend and comforted her as she cried her heart out with mortification, "Minako-chan..." she breathed between her heavy sobs. Minako closed her eyes and rubbed her back softly in support, "Cry all you want Usa-chan—I'm here,"

Usagi shook her head and kept sobbing, "I feel so bad... I feel so bad Minako-chan..."

"I know Usa-chan, I know."

"I threw a pillow at him..."

Minako blinked, "You—what?"

Usagi sniffled, "I threw a pillow at him..."

"You guys are too adorable—even when you have a fight," Minako sighed softly, startling Usagi "What? Why?"

"Seriously? A pillow? If it was me having a fight with someone I would have thrown—I don't know, a plate, a glass... a lamp..."

Usagi sniffled and looked at her friend, "I slapped him, Minako,"

Minako's eyes widened twice in size, now this was something she was not expecting to hear from her friend, "Wait, you what!?" Usagi nodded and started crying again, "I know what I did was awful Minako, I know..."

"Usagi... why did you do that?"

"I don't know what came over me... I still don't know..."

The blonde ran her arm around Usagi in a supportive gesture and walked to the living room, "Come on, tell me what happened," she frowned and pointed the paper bag on the coffee table, "What is that?"

Usagi sniffled again, "That was supposed to be my lunch," with a soft cry, she sat on the couch bringing her knees up and started sobbing again, "He brought it for me after he came back from the hospital..."

Minako frowned "Usa—you haven't eaten anything all day?" she looked at the clock and shook her head with worry, "It's past nine!"

"I'm not hungry..." Usagi looked up, "I feel awful... we never fight—" she turned to look at her friend and held her hands with desperation and a hint of hope in her crystal blue eyes, "Did you see him?!" Minako shook her head, "No. Kunzite said he locked himself in his room and hasn't come out since he got there,"

"His phone is turned off..." Usagi pouted her lips and hugged her knees again, "Not even that woman could reach him."

"About that... do you finally know who that woman is?" Minako frowned, Usagi shook her head, "She did sound like she knew him—you know, more than the average person."

Minako tilted her head, trying to find more to this situation that could help bring some peace of mind to her friend, "What did she say?"

Usagi sighed softly, "That she had been trying to reach for him but his phone but that has been unavailable all afternoon—she said it was kind of urgent and that she needed him to sign some papers..." she looked at Minako and gave her a shy glare, "Yes, I know what you are thinking,"

"You do realize now that this was just a fit of jealousy, right?"

"The circumstances were different—it looked shady," Usagi frowned, "Why would he say over the phone he was going to the hospital when in fact was going over to see her."

"But you said you talked to Ami-chan,"

"Yes,"

"And, what did she say?"

Usagi exhaled, "That he was there by the time he left this morning,"

"Usagi-chan..."

"I know Mina-chan, I know—I'm a psycho," Usagi rubbed her red eyes, "You were right... I should have followed your advice and talked to him but I don't know what came over me... I got so mad, I felt this burning sensation in the pit of my stomach, I couldn't control myself,"

"Jealousy, that is what came over you." Minako shrugged her shoulders, "And I understand your point, really, I do. I understand you found everything so strange and that woman triggered it, you got jealous," she sighed, "I have to admit this is very weird,"

"What is?"

"You... getting jealous of him, it's been a while," Minako shook her head confused, "Why it was so different now?"

Usagi sighed, "I'm not blind Minako-chan, I know Mamoru has a charm that attracts a lot of women, wherever we go, women always notice him and up to some point I've come to terms with it because he deals with the same stuff too when guys stare at me with this uncomfortable glare in their eyes, but I don't know—it's weird see women stare at your boyfriend with a gaping mouth. No matter how serene I try to handle things, no matter how cool I try to look, it gets me every time."

"Usa, you say it like if he provoked any of these situations on purpose... it's not his fault, the man is very good looking—with all due respect, but he is! Of course women will look at him like hungry hyenas but do you know why none of them do anything to catch his attention?"

Usagi sniffled and shook her head, "Because he pushes them away with an annoyed glare? I don't know..."

Minako shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind Usagi's ear, "No. Because when they see you together they instantly know just how madly in love he is with you by the way he looks at you," Usagi widened her swollen eyes, "Mina-chan..."

"You don't need to be a descendant of the Goddess of Love to see it, it's there—the way he looks at you, the way he talks to you. Every gesture, every smile, every wink, and flirt—they're crafted only for you. And you know why? Because you see beyond his looks, you know this man like no one does, Usagi. You see more of him and he values it Usa-chan, like you have no idea. I'm telling you because he has told me that more than once." Usagi widened her eyes with shock, "Really? He really told you that?"

"Yes, really—we're good friends, you know?" Minako smiled proudly, "Usa-chan, that gorgeous man is not your boyfriend anymore, he's your husband and you are his wife—you are transcendental lovers, two people that fought the laws of nature to be together. Hun, do you really think a random girl is able to crush that by just calling him by his name with no honorifics? Come on..."

Usagi sighed with sadness, "I know Minako-chan... I should have talked to him first instead of letting my anger and jealousy get in the way," she leaned her head back and took a deep breath, "Kunzite's words—the more I think about them, the more sense they have."

"What do you mean?" Minako frowned, Usagi sighed softly "It has been a lot for Mamo-chan since Megumi walked into his life again and I am not saying it's a bad thing but—"

"He has gotten a lot more to process than just his memories, yes, that's true." Minako said softly; Usagi nodded while she looked at the ceiling, "Maybe it was all that Minako-chan, maybe it was the fact that he hasn't said much about it, that I know he is not doing so well. I want to help him and I don't know how, I supposed what bothered me the most about that woman calling him and her way to approach to him so casually was because it made me feel like she was closer to him than me, despite being married. I wish I knew what he is thinking, I wish I knew what to do—I wish he stopped putting everything on his shoulders and allow me to help him. I wish he didn't have to go back to being a person that kills... I wish he didn't have to be a Polemarchos..." Usagi sniffled, "I wish they just let us be..."

"You need to tell him all this," Minako rubbed Usagi's back in a circular motion to calm her nerves, "This is important for him to know,"

"I am in a crazy state of anguish, I don't know if he is coming back—he has never done this before. He has never walked out on me, he has never raised his voice at me... you should have seen the look in his eyes Mina-chan..." Usagi broke in sobs again, "I don't know if he will be able to forgive me—I called him a liar, a cheater, I taunted him and his sweet intentions and even challenged him. He brought me my favorite food from my favorite place and even offered me to talk and find a solution and in return, I threw a pillow at him with anger, I pushed him away."

Minako took a deep breath, "He will come back," she shook her head, "He loves you too much, too much."

"After this, I don't know anymore Minako..." Usagi started to cry again, "I really don't know..."

O—o—o—o—O

Casanova Akira and her team of explorers and archaeologists walked into the conference room formally dressed with a briefcase and stopped behind the podium. The young treasure hunter prepared her laptop to begin with the press conference and showcase of her team's discovery. "Good evening," she said softly and adjusted the microphone as she looked at all the flashes and reporters with a face of anxiety and blunt curiosity.

"Thank you all for coming," Akira turned to her team and then at the crowd of hungry photographers and reporters and cleared her throat, "Over the past couple of months we have been concentrated on studying, recollecting proofs, and trying to put many pieces together concerning the recent discovery found buried deep underground on March 31st in what we called Voronja Cave—at the explored pint of 7,208 66 ft. The expedition team reached a depth greater than 6,600 ft., and explored the cave up to 6,824 ft." she turned and changed the page on her presentation and put the first picture, "Prior to the descent, and after a long time of doing research it came to our knowledge that the precious jewels and crown of the leader of the Golden Tribe were buried somewhere in this point—we initiated the descent at noon that day and took us almost an hour of pure descent. To our surprise, temperatures were below normal, considering the depth we were under." she changed the slide, "Streams of water led us to what we thought was the location were the treasure was said to be, but instead—" she turned and changed the slide, "We found ourselves on another type of grounds."

Indistinctive chatter began to fill the room alongside the murmurs and scribbling and typing sounds. Akira turned to Toshi, who nodded with reassurance and continued the presentation, "Surrounded by bioluminescent matter, we were found walking on frozen grounds of stone and marble." she changed the slide and heard the crowd gasp in surprise and continued showing the series of photographs and video as she explained the many characteristics of the buried ruins. "To our surprise, the ruins have been preserved due to the almost helical conditions and is surpasses the two-thousand-year mark of antiquity, taking us straight to believe this place existed in prehistoric times. We managed to stand on what appeared to be the main court, several spaces that could easily have been garden and what appeared to be personal chambers—to name a few." Akira continued changing the slides, "We decided to mark that place as the 'Main Court'; we found the floors were made of the purest marble and was marked with this symbol—which it's known to be the astronomical symbol for Earth."

Akira turned and licked her lips as she saw Mikael standing in the back with his arms crossed and the coldest look on his face. The blonde man narrowed his eyes and looked around the crowded room waiting for some kind of reaction on what Akira was saying. He moved from his position and walked around the large conference room as he continued listening to the woman in the front.

"At this point, I will start taking questions—yes?" Akira pointed out at a young reporter, "Miho Kirihito from The Sun of Japan—are there any indications of whom could have inhabited those ruins?"

Akira turned to look at the slide and pointed out the marking engraved at the center of the court, "The symbol here shows to be an emblem—it is known that those who wear or mark their descent with these types of emblems are those linked to Monarchy." She turned to the crowd, "We considered the possibility of this place being owned by a cult that may have praised astronomical beliefs but these ruins follow a clear line that it was a Royal Palace at one point in history."

She gave the opportunity to another reporter, "Sakashi Aita from The Independent Sun of Japan, Akira-san—those ruins, are you saying there were people living underground?"

"We did not find any human remains—bones, clothing or DNA that might be preserved in such conditions but we did find items for personal use that led us to think that in fact, this place was inhabited by people once." Akira nodded.

"Ito Akemi, from Nippon Network News—Akira-san, can you go a little further into explaining the origins of these ruins? How people could have lived under such circumstances?"

Akira took a deep breath, knowing what her analogy might provoke, "The origins to these ruins are still unclear and we will continue studying every detail until we find a clearer view of what we encountered. However, I do not believe these ruins have been built and that its inhabitants lived underground."

"What does that mean?"

"That those ruins were buried there—those remains were put to rest there by something or someone we yet do not know,"

"But due to the depths, that sounds illogical—it makes no sense, who could bury such majestic ruins so deep underground, and to keep them in such conditions?"

Akira nodded and started to feel the stirs of commotion in the room, "This is where we need to keep an open mind while you witness this presentation—the symbolism carved and engraved in stone and marble floors, doors, and some walls they all alluded to be connected to some sort of divinity." she turned and changed the slide, "There is an extensive amount of myths and legends that suggest our planet and all the universe is guarded and protected by divine creatures—gods. These gods are said to inhabit their respective planet—the symbolism gives us a clue that this was the shrine or palace to the one that protected Earth."

The once noisy room suddenly started to calm to an almost uncomfortable silence, Akira noticed. Another reporter raised his hand, "Are you saying these ruins belonged to a god?"

"Yes. In ancient times, it was believed this planet had mystical powers... and many legends and myths suggest there was a protector or guardian, so we are taking as a possibility that this place was the home to those blessed with those powers. Along the many samples we found and took for examination, there were items for personal use such as brushes made of pure gold, broaches with exquisite raw and polished jewels, fabrics, decorative accents, hand painted ceramic tiles, etcetera."

"Couldn't exist the possibility that this place was built to be a shrine to honor the gods you mention? Don't you think it is a little out there to say this place belonged to gods?"

Akira sighed softly, "The characteristics of a Shrine defer from the ones of these ruins—that is why my guess points out more to believe this was a sacred place. The home that guarded those with the divine power of Earth,"

Another reporter raised her hand, "Is there a lead to a descendant? If monarchy is being involved is there a lead to know if this has a lineage?"

Akira widened her eyes, "W-We have not look into that just yet—"

"And if there is one, would you say its linked to the strange events we have been encountered lately or, in the previous years?"

"I cannot comment on that—I am only showcasing what we found and explain it from an archaeological point of view." Akira shook her head, without noticing Mikael was walking to the podium and grabbed the microphone, "To answer your question yes—there is a descent to these ruins and we are currently looking for it."

Akira widened her eyes with shock, "M-Mikael! What are you doing?!"

Mikael turned and pushed Akira with force with a growl and turned to one of the cameras recording the conference and pointed his finger at it, "Terra Protectorem, non-novi te ex - tradere, et ostende nobis faciem tuam crystallus." An unnatural smirk crossed his slim face, "Si tibi non vis pati propinqui."*

Akira looked at Mikael with worry, "Mikael... what?" she shook her head and tried to stop him by pulling him away from the podium, "What are you doing? What is this?!"

A snap echoed, triggering something inside Mikael that soon took possession of him, turning his eyes pitch black and turned to push the girl away again and knocked her head against the floor. He turned to the crowded room and began coughing without control, releasing a black matter from his body like tar burning everything it touched. "It's coming... it's coming..." he muttered with a strain in his voice before falling unconscious. Asteria materialized from the ashes floating in the air and looked down at the crowd screaming and trying to escape the room in a frenzy and smirked with satisfaction, "Pitiful mortals," she extended her hand and began absorbing their energy, making them fall unconscious one after the other.

The woman in black narrowed her eyes and looked at the gathered energy she now held in her hand and narrowed her black eyes, "I will find you—I always find what I want, I always get what I want," she muttered and vanished the same way she appeared, in the ashes.

Akira groaned and slowly opened her eyes and saw a woman in black sucking what it looked the life of the people trapped in the room. She turned to the side and saw Mikael unconscious with a black stain still flowing from his mouth and tried to make her way towards him without being unnoticed, "M-Mikael..." she called out to him and extended her hand to reach for his when she felt she was being picked up and taken out of the room from a side door, she looked up and saw Reika, covering her mouth with her sleeve and other reporters that had managed to escape then turned to her savior, "Toshi... M-Mikael..." her body soon gave in to the stress of the moment and fainted before she could say anything else.

O—o—o—o—O

Mamoru walked out of Kunzite's room and into the living room and saw the general sitting on the sofa drinking the last of his coffee, "Ah, you are awake," he leaned forward and left his empty cup on the coffee, "I was not expecting it to be this soon,"

Mamoru sighed and rubbed his temples, "I'm sorry, I didn't know where to go—my head is a mess right now and I am having the worst of migraines,"

"That I know," Kunzite looked at him, "You do not need to tell me, you look like a mess too, but, I am glad you came here—you are the kind of person who does stupid things when you are upset."

"Excuse me?" Mamoru arched his brow.

"You almost married a crazy woman in a fit of anger and jealousy or have you forgotten?" Kunzite gave the prince a quizzical glare; Mamoru rolled his eyes with annoyance and let out an exasperated sigh, "Great, now everybody is going to rub that in my face."

Kunzite narrowed his eyes with confusion,"Who is everybody? There is nobody here..."

"Never mind." Mamoru growled and leaned his arms on the back of the black leather sofa and hung his head low; his dark hair covered his eyes but Kunzite did not need much to know the prince was in a deep state of anguish, "Are you not being a little too hard on Her Highness?" to this comment from the general, Mamoru looked up with a confused frown, "What?"

Kunzite sighed softly, "Come on Endymion, since I learned of your love affair with Princess Serenity, I have been a witness of the effect she has over you."

The prince pursed his lips for a minute, he was too tired to even try to pretend he had everything under control, at this point he didn't care as control was the last thing on his mind right now, "She believes I am having an affair with another woman,"

"Well, are you?"

"Of course not," Mamoru answered bitterly and looked at his friend with disgust, "What is the matter with you?"

"Then why does she believe such thing?" Kunzite exhaled with exasperation, "Please sit down—seeing you in this state baffles me—have some coffee, there is some in the kitchen," Mamoru took a deep breath and went to the kitchen to pour himself some of that coffee he mentioned and walked back looking at Kunzite like a scolded child kid and sat on Kunzite's opposite end of the sectioned sofa keeping a certain distance with his general and friend. "Well?" Kunzite arched an expectant brow.

"Serenity read an exchange of messages I had with a woman I know," Mamoru said dryly and sighed, "Last year, we started looking at properties and Usagi fell in love with a house but unfortunately, it was already in the process of being purchased by somebody else. A couple of months ago, I was informed the house did not sell and that it was put on the market once again but that there were several people already taking interest in purchasing it." He took a sip of his coffee and leaned his head back, allowing the warmth of the dark liquid sooth his troubled spirit, "I knew I had to bid for the property, so I looked for the person I needed to talk to to start negotiations and it turned out to be my legal advisor's daughter, who I have known for many years... and with whom I sort of had a romantic relationship when I was fifteen years old."

"Ah, I see where this is going..." Kunzite rubbed his forehead, "Go on,"

"I have been negotiating for that house for months and she has been helping me with all the paperwork, she's a realtor, it's her job and she knows people who can get things done faster and more effectively. All this, I have been keeping it a secret because I wanted to surprise Serenity... because I know how much she loves that house." Mamoru rubbed his right temple to sooth some of the pain from his migraine, "I don't know how she managed to see my messages with her but not the ones that had the information on the house—the point is, she accused me of being unfaithful among other things I do not want to go into detail right now. Things escalated too quickly and I didn't want to continue arguing with her so I left before I could say something else I would regret later."

"She is beyond mortified Endymion," Kunzite crossed his arms, "She was looking for you,"

"She came here?" Mamoru turned to Kunzite with a frown, Kunzite shook his head, "No, she called Venus,"

"So, Minako knows about this too?" Mamoru said with both surprise and annoyance, "Great,"

"She was visiting me when the Princess called, Venus has nothing to do with this—the point is that she is in the same conditions you are, so I let her know you were here and that you would most likely spend the night here." Kunzite leaned forward, resting on his knees, "Endymion..."

"I know Kunzite—" Mamoru looked at his friend, interrupting him "It's just that..." he shook his head, "Things have been very complicated lately and it did not hit me until I heard her say those things," he narrowed his sapphire blue eyes, "I know what I am Kunzite and it has been drilling my head ever since Ares appeared, since I held that sword. I am aware of the tremendous mess my family left behind and that somehow I am also responsible for it, but, I just couldn't handle her words because it wasn't just me thinking the worst of me but it was also her," he looked for his phone in his pants' pocket to turn it on and widened his eyes when he felt a sharp pain pounding his chest, Kunzite frowned with worry, "Endymion?!"

Mamoru flinched and gasped for air, "I smell sulfur..." he jolted from his seat and ran towards the door, "I need to go back to Serenity,"

"What?!"

Mamoru turned to Kunzite with a frown, his blue eyes darkened with menace, "They're here."

I do not own Sailor Moon, just this plot and some of the characters.

AN*Earth Protector, I know you are out there—show your face and hand us the crystal if you do not want those close to you affected.