By Wyvern (Konnichi wa!) japeena@hotmail.com
Rated PG
Hi everybody! So, I *finally* got around to writing the next part to this. Gomen nasai that I took so long, but I was feeling rather stumped there for awhile. Thanks for being patient! *^-^*
Thanks again to all of my friends, even if they *have* been BUGGING me for the past 2 weeks to get this done. BAH! I love you guys!
**********Standard Disclaimers Apply
I don't own any of these marvelous peeps. Darn you Naoko! *shakes fist* Darn you to heck! NO! WAIT! DON'T LEAVE! WAAAAAAAAAAH!! Bring them back! I'm sorry sorry sorry! *relieved sigh* Phew. **********************
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Mamoru sighed and closed his eyes again. It seemed like the past few days had been just one large blur of sedatives and sleep. Not that he was sure he would have been much more were he not on the drugs, just tired. His chest felt heavy, and his thoughts ran thick through his mind.
Usako was gone. He was laying injured in a hospital, unable to get up and even try to find her. Not that he had anything to even start the search with. But, if he could at least TRY.
Thankfully, it appeared that he could be out sooner than he had thought. Somehow, he was healing quickly; very quickly. He'd always suspected part of his power centered in the healing magics, but now it was being confirmed with each passing day. The medical staff was stumped. They'd never seen a wound close so quickly. For a short while, they weren't too sure how to handle such a situation, and had only taken him off of the drugs that morning.
The one small window in his room was mostly covered by a thin curtain. The nurse had hastily drawn it across, and so left a minor portion of the night revealed. With what could be defined as either misfortune or pure luck, the moon was in the right point in the sky to be seen through that small rectangle. It was only a sliver in the sky, a curved white line that burned into his eyes. Immediately he thought to Serenity, and turned away from the window.
Although the memories were still sharp with pain, that night he found that they had a reverse effect then they had other nights by actually helping put him to sleep. The more he thought of her, the harder it was to keep his eyes open. And slowly, with the moon smiling down on him, Mamoru drifted off into a dream-filled sleep.
~*~*~
Selenity chose that exact moment. Stepping out of the dimensional pocket she occupied and partly into that of the mortal world. The room was dark, but with her spirit it took on a slight white glow. Right away she looked to the sleeping figure on the bed, for the first time in the few nights she had been watching him, in a peaceful slumber.
If one were to watch her, they would swear that she flew over to the bed, her feet never touching the ground and her legs never moving. Reaching out a hand, she motheringly smoothed back a few stray bangs from his fore-head.
Placing a palm over her heart, the Ginzuishou appeared beneath her hand. It's light engulfed the room as she uncovered it, but Endymion still did not stir. That was how she saw him. Prince Endymion, the young man who had earned her daughter's love, was once again going to be asked to hold a secret from his love. It would not be the last time, Selenity knew, and it wasn't the first. However, she was confident that he would do all that was within his power to guard it, and therefore the Princess.
Turning her hand over, she released her grip and watched as it fell towards the ground. But a short distance down, it stopped abruptly and snapped upward a bit, dangling from a golden chain. Leading a delicate hand down to one of his strong ones, she opened the fingers and placed the necklace into it. Closing his fingers around it, she leant down and kissed his fore-head. "Protect this, and our shared heart."
Her duty now fufilled, Selenity stood, wiped away a tear, and left, waiting until the next time she would be called upon. The next time she would be able to see her daughter, and feel her heart smile.
~*~*~
The Sailor Senshi stood in a wary state, encircling Hematite and the new youma. It was certainly nothing that they had ever seen before. The only distinguishing feature about it was the feminine shape. The colouring was completely white, no facial features or hair, not even a tacky outfit as the others tended to demonstrate.
It simply stood stock still beside Hematite, waiting for instructions supposedly. "What...what is it?" Sailor Venus asked quietly.
"Blank Slate," Hematite replied, apparently having heard her. "She is a youma in the making, you might say. You see, I couldn't really decide on what kind of youma to call upon, or person to target and then transform, so I decided that perhaps being emmersed in the battle might help in the choice," she explained with a slightly smug expression. "And I am very glad I did really."
"What do you mean, witch?!" Sailor Mars asked harshly.
Hematite scowled and turned dark eyes on her. "You always did shoot your mouth off, busu." Sailor Mars growled, taking a step forward. "What do you THINK?!" Hematite snapped. "How does an evil Senshi sound? Sailor Venus getting that long blond hair shrivled in flame, or Mercury electrocuted by volt after volt of lightning?"
The Senshi around the circle now saw this fight at a whole new level. They each took attack positions around the circle, just waiting for the first move to be made.
~*~*~
Artemis ignored the twig poking into his neck, and continued his watch of the battle through the bush. The fight was not looking good for their side. A youma Senshi? The worst part was, there wouldn't be any way to heal them, since the Ginzuishou was lost, and only Sailor Moon could use it.
Behind him, Luna rose her head up from her paws and trotted over to stand beside him. Her eyes were dull, but a hint of curiousity sparkled in them. She looked up to the battle, and started in shock. "USAGI!?" she shouted.
Artemis jumped at the sound of her voice, the first she'd uttered in many days. "Luna?" he asked. The black cat was staring open mouthed at the fight scene, her tail upright in the air. A muscle in her shoulder jumped, her intentions becoming clear an instant too late as she bounded out from behind bush. "LUNA!" Artemis screamed, but if she had heard him, she wasn't paying any attention.
~*~*~
Movement in the shrubbery off to the side caught Hematite's attention, and she whipped her head around to watch it. A black cat came running out of the foliage towards her, slowing to a walk as she neared. The cat panted heavily, her red eyes wide.
Hematite's lips curved in a smile, and she bent down, one hand out-stretched. "Pretty kitty," she purred.
"Luna!" Sailor Mercury shouted.
Without skipping a beat, Hematite said softly, "Luna, come here. Come to me." Luna didn't hesitate and skipped over to her palm and buried her head into it. Hematite smiled and gently picked her up, stroking her head. Looking back to the Senshi, she smiled. "You know what? Never mind." She looked down and smoothed a finger over Luna's crescent moon. The red eyes snapped open, the colour sinking into a crimson.
Blank Slate suddenly moved and walked over to Hematite, who lay Luna into its arms. "Yamate!" Artemis shouted and ran up into in the clearing, but he was too late. Hematite snapped her fingers, and Blank Slate and Luna suddenly disappeared in a cocoon of black energy that spun itself up from the ground.
"LUNA!" Sailor Jupiter and Venus screamed.
"Iya!" Sailor Mars shouted, Mercury stood behind her, her face twisted in horror. With another snap of the fingers, Hematite dispelled the cocoon, and there stood a changed Luna.
Human, and dressed in a red and black dress resembling a bloomed flower. Her long black hair was spun into a braid that circled around her head and then back to form a braided pony-tail. Her crescent moon was now silver to mirror Hematite's, and a black ribbon was tied around her neck; the entrails leading down behind her knees.
"Luna?!" Sailor Mars asked, startled. Luna looked over and narrowed her eyes.
"Of course not!" Hematite snapped. "Now she is my pet, one that will help me to destroy you all!"
"DOUSHITE?! Why do you insist on destroying us?!" Sailor Venus screamed. Hematite suddenly lost her cool composure and whirled around, pointing an accusing finger, her eyes were glowing dark.
"Don't you DARE speak to me with such impudence, murderer!"
"Murderer?" Venus breathed, taking a step back.
"You must ALL pay for your actions!" Looking around the circle, she rose into the air, her long dress floating above the ground. Beside her, Luna lifted off slightly as well. "I will not REST until you have suffered the same as I and my beloved!" Artemis and each of the Senshi gasped, unable to believe what they heard. "And that is why," Hematite continued, flying over to Luna and putting a hand on her shoulder, "I have chosen your little guardian kitty. She will know how to hurt you all the best."
Luna smiled. Hematite leaned up and whispered into her ear. Luna quickly whispered back, her answer rewarded with a dark smile from her mistress. "Perfect. Why take such pains as I had initially thought?" A trail of smoke then spun up from the bottom of her dress, engulfing both her and Luna in it. Looking back down to the Senshi, Hematite grinned. "See you soon," she waved.
"LUNA!!" Artemis screamed, tears beading in his eyes.
"USAGI!" The Senshi yelled, their voices dying out as she and Luna disapeared.
~*~*~
Mamoru woke slowly, blinking his eyes open. He sighed. So the reality was the reality, not a dream as he had hoped. Nothing had changed.
Except.....except there was something warm in his hand? Sitting up in bed, he pulled his hand up and opened it. There was the Ginzuishou, connected to a delicate golden chain. He gasped and pulled it up. "How-? Princess?"
Looking over to the window, the curtain was pulled fully back, blowing in a light breeze. The moon was still only a sliver, but now it was strangely in the center of the window, winking down at him with a different light it seemed.
Had Usagi given this to him? Was she still alive, and fighting secretly for them? Knowing Usagi, Mamoru couldn't picture her being a 'behind the scenes fighter,' but he didn't want to think of the alternatives.
The crystal abruptly became warmer, drawing his attention down to it once more. He knew he would have to protect it, since the Nega-verse would no doubt be looking for it. Until the other Senshi arrived, he would have to hide it safely. His eyes fell on the chain, and he briefly wondered why that was there.
Deciding to follow such an instruction as what seemed to have been given, he looped the necklace around his head. The crystal came down to lay just at his upper chest, a warm reassurance in the dark. He closed his fist around it again, as if sealing his vow of duty to keep it safe.
Mamoru didn't notice the smoke that had been seeping into the room, creeping its way across the floor towards his bed. It wasn't until a wisp of it curled up onto the bed that he was aware. He stared at it quizzically. No smell, and of such a black colour that didn't suit this little amount of smoke. Suddenly, his eyes felt incredibly heavy. He blinked a few times, shook his head, but the room was spinning.
He tried to throw aside the covers, but he found his limbs too heavy to move. His back fell up against the wall, he tried to fight off this feeling. But he lost. With a vocal sigh, his head fell limp, and one arm dangled loosely off of the side of the bed.
~*~*~
"USAGI!" Sailor Jupiter screamed, reaching out a hand as if to hold on to her. Opening her eyes, there was an empty patch of sky where her friend had once been.
"Artemis!" Sailor Venus exclaimed, at ran over to him. He lay on the ground, unconcious.
"He fainted?" Mars asked incredulously.
"I guess so," Venus answered, picking him up carefully in her arms and stroking his head. "Poor Artemis."
"What...what now?" Mercury wondered aloud. For a few moments, the Senshi stayed silent.
".....she called me a murderer," Venus' choked words broke the silence.
"I think she meant all of us," Jupiter said.
"And she said she was going to make us pay for... for killing her beloved?" Mars asked.
"That must be it," Mercury agreed. "Demo, who is her love?"
"And why does she think we killed him?" Venus added.
Jupiter slammed her fist into her palm. "It must be the workings of the Dark Kingdom. They've done this to her."
"We've got to turn her back!" Mars exclaimed.
Mercury nodded, but held up her hands. "We will, but first there may be a bigger problem. Remember, she vowed revenge upon us."
Venus snapped her head up in shock. "You mean against our loved ones!" Mercury again nodded her head. Without another word, the Senshi ran from the clearing, each heading in different directions.
~*~*~
"Ojii-san!" Rei shouted, bursting into the temple.
"Rei?" his voice met her frantic ears, and she sighed in relief.
"Ojii-san, daijobu?" He snorted and put his hands on his hips.
"Of course I'm all right! What's going on?" Rei shook her head.
"N-nothing. I just...I had a nightmare."
"A vision?"
"Iie! Iie...gomen. Gomen for waking you. Go back to sleep," she said, turning him around and pushing him towards his room.
"Demo-"
"Gomen! Now, sleep!" she ordered. He gave her one
more odd look then shrugged and slid the door shut.
"Strange girl," he mumbled. Rei sighed and tossed some of her long hair behind her shoulder.
"It doesn't make sense, why didn't she come here?"
~*~*~
Makoto threw up another stone to his bed-room window, praying that he would hear it. She let another one go, but this time it came into contact with a fore-head. "Ita!"
"OH! Shinazuki-chan?"
"Mako-chan?" his voice sifted down through the night, a welcome sound to her ears. "What's wrong?"
He was all right? But...why? He was the only person truly close to her anymore, and it would only make sense for Usagi to have targeted him. It didn't fit together. "Mako-chan?" She realized she hadn't answered him.
Scrambling for something to say, she looked around frantically. "Eh...eh....Shinazuki-chan...I just wanted to tell you...." her eyes fell upon his garden, "that you're flowers are looking a little dry! Well ja ne!" she finished hastily and ran away.
"Mako-chan?! What the--Mako-chan?" he shouted after her, but she accelerated her run and ducked behind a corner. Pulling out her communicator, she buzzed the others. "Minna? Shinazuki-chan is fine! How about you?"
Minako's face appeared on the screen. "My parents aren't hurt...." she sweat-dropped and ducked away for a second. "But they aren't too happy that I waked them up. They're throwing pillows at me!" She was suddenly thwacked with an object from the side, then replaced by Ami's worried face.
"My mother is fine, I just checked up on her at the hospital."
"Ojii-san hasn't seen anything either," Rei said.
"This isn't making sense," Makoto said. "Shouldn't Hematite have tried to make a move on at least ONE of our loved ones?"
"I know! It's just not adding up," Minako said, rubbing her head.
"Oh NO!" Ami suddenly burst out.
"Nani?" the other girls asked.
"Luna told Hematite something just before they left! Something that Hematite said would make her plans easier!"
"So?" Minako asked.
"It wouldn't BE easy to hurt each of us singularly! She's gone after someone close to ALL of us!" For a moment more, the girls stood in silence. Then a shared idea struck them both.
"Mamoru-san!" they each shouted in unisen. "I'll meet you at the hospital," Makoto said, then switched off the communicator and broke into a furious run.
~*~*~
Hematite swept into the room, Luna appearing soon after. They both walked over to the bed and peered over to the unconscious figure. "So, this is their joint weakness?" she asked the youma. Luna nodded.
"Hai, Hematite-sama." Hematite waved a hand. "Don't call me that! Call me....Hema-chan! I like that!"
"Un!" Luna replied with a smile. Looking back over to Mamoru, she grinned. "I think that he will serve your purposes."
"I think so too....." Hematite leaned in to look closer. "I---I remember him...he...."
"Nani?"
"He.....OH!" she stood up and gasped. "He... was the guy I found here before!" Clapping her hands together, she giggled insanely. "This is great! I can pay the Senshi back, AND get a little bonus! Alright then..."
Hematite then untied one of the ribbons around her wrists. Luna pulled the arm that hung down free up, so that Hematite could tie the ribbon around his wrist, fastening it into a tight knot. The hand fell down again at it's release, the ribbon sweeping the floor.
"I suppose we're done then. They'll know, and try to prepare. Then we'll have fun," Hematite said. Luna nodded, her raven braids swaying slightly. The two looked back at Mamoru, and teleported out of the room.
~*~*~
The girls met up at the front of the hospital, each gasping for breath. "We have to get to him!" Makoto breathed. Running into the lobby they went straight for the elevator, ignoring the alarmed protests of the nurse at the front desk. At his floor, they checked the halls and then made a dash for his room.
Slipping into the room one by one, Minako clicked the door shut softly behind her. "Hit the lights!" Rei hissed. Ami stumbled around for a couple of moments and finally found the panel, flipping the flat lightswitch up.
The girls each gasped in fear at what the light brought. "Mamoru-san!" Minako said, alarmed. Makoto rushed over to where he was collapsed and took hold of his shoulders, giving them a slight shake.
"Mamoru-san! Mamoru-san, wake up!" she said worriedly. His head bobbed back and forth as she jarred his body, but his eyes didn't open. Ami came over and pressed two fingers to his throat.
"He's so cold!" she remarked. "But, he has a heart- beat."
"Then why isn't he waking up?" Rei asked.
"I don--"
"Minna, look!" Minako exclaimed, pointing downwards. Four sets of eyes locked down at his wrist, and widened.
"We have to get it off him," Ami said, pulling his hand up.
"Does anyone have scissors?" Rei asked.
"Kuso, I wish I'd brought my purse. I have a nail file in there," Minako mumbled.
"Give it here," Makoto said, taking his wrist and bringing it up to her mouth.
"Mako-chan?!" Rei asked, shocked. Taking it in her teeth, Makoto began to pull and gnaw at the ribbon.
"Is it working?" Minako asked.
"Hol- on," Makoto grunted. Her eyebrows pressed together as she bit down harder. After a few more agonizing moments, she finally pulled away and then gave a tug at the ribbon, breaking it from his wrist. To all of the girl's relief, Mamoru groaned and shifted in the bed.
"It worked! All right Mako-chan!" Minako said cheerfully. Ami moved around and gave his cheek a pat, noticing the change in the temperature of his skin.
"Mamoru-san? Daijobu?" His eyes blinked open slowly, then snapped open at the blue head above him. "Ami? Wh--what's happening?"
"You...you...we'll tell you later," Rei stuttered. He looked around and gave her an odd look, then gazed over to the other girls. He looked at Minako, his eyes narrowing in question.
"Who--"
She blushed, then smiled brightly. Stepping into her Sailor V pose, she laughed. "I'm Sailor Venus! We... never really met before. My name is Minako Aino," she said, coming over and bowing slightly.
"Oh. Hai, I remember," he said, mostly to himself. His eyes fell upon the broken ribbon on the sheets, picking it up with a careful grasp. "What's this?"
"Mamoru-san...." Ami started, looking uncomfortable. "A lot has happened in the past few weeks. We were going to tell you on one of our prior visits, but we've just been figuring it out now for ourselves as well."
"Nani?" he asked. Makoto sighed and sat down in the room's chair. Minako leaned back against the wall, Ami and Rei took a seat down on the bed.
"This is going to be a shock," Rei said softly.
"And take quite a while to explain," Makoto added.
When they finished, Mamoru was dazed and upset. Usako? A soldier of the Dark Kingdom, out to destroy the Senshi, and now targeting him? "This...this is...."
"Nuts, I know," Minako said. He put his head in his hands. The Ginzuishou fell forward from beneath his shirt at his hunched position. Suddenly remembering it, he closed a fist around it. The warmth seeped through the shirt, helping to comfort him enough to sift through all this new information.
Reaching out behind his head, he pulled the chain over and let the crystal fall down from his hand. The Senshi gaped in astonishment. "The Ginzuishou!" Makoto gasped. Mamoru nodded and set it down on the bed.
"I woke in the middle of the night with it in my hand. I don't how it got there, since I didn't have it when I fell asleep."
"Do you think Hematite gave it to you?" Rei asked.
He shook his head. "That wouldn't make any sense. From what you've told me, she should be looking for it. And besides, I had it when I was knocked out."
"Then why didn't she take it?" Minako pointed out.
"Perhaps she can't sense it when it's with me," he suggested. Ami thought for a moment, then nodded.
"That could be. Especially if Queen Selenity was the one to give it to you."
"Nani?" the girls asked.
"Well, think about it," she began. "How did we escape the Dark Kingdom? How did Mamoru get the Ginzuishou? It would probably make sense that it's the handi-work of Queen Selenity helping us to get her daughter back safely."
Minako snapped her fingers. "Which means that it WASN'T her who Hematite was talking to! Why would a girl with no memories respond to a past mother?" she asked rhetorically.
"Most likely, you're right," Ami confirmed. "Anyway, the fact that she can't tell when you have it means that you are going to have to be the one to keep it. We can't experiment to see if any of us have the same effect, since if we were wrong we would lose it. However, you having it is also dangerous since she has now targeted you as the vessel for revenge."
Makoto nodded and picked up the ribbon. "She's just warning us with this. She WANTS us to try and stop her, for us to take pains to protect you."
"I can take care of myself," Mamoru said.
"Not like that you can't," Rei retorted. "Haven't you noticed? Your healing has been miraculous, but you are still weak. You can't fight as Tuxedo Kamen like that yet. If you ask me, you're just healthy enough to leave the hospital."
"Un!" Minako agreed. "If we can get you out of here, then it might be harder for Hematite to--oh...no," she stopped and sighed heavily, "I forgot about Luna. She will be able to tell her where to reach you."
"Actually, Luna has never been to my apartement," Mamoru corrected.
"Oh! Well then it WILL work!" Minako said.
"Hai. But who knows how long it will take her to find out where you live?" Makoto pointed out.
"If we're lucky, long enough to figure out a way to get Usagi back and for Mamoru to fully heal," Rei said. Makoto sighed and leaned her head on a fist. "And if we're not...."
Rei shrugged. "Then we improvise."
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Now, normally, I might put "Dun dun DUN!" here, except that that was a VERY anti-climatic ending. Tho, I suppose it would be......a rather dry: ta da. ;p
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! A little longer, but I like to keep them fairly short.
Japanese Words I Used (Just in Case)
Un! = Yeah!
Daijobu = Are you all right? (Or) You're all right.
Iie = No
Nani = What
Demo = But
Doushite = Why
Gomen/Gomen Nasai = I'm sorry/I'm so sorry
Iya = No (to an action)
Hai = Yes
Busu = Pig, but about the absolute WORST thing you can call a girl
Kuso = Damn (Or any other of a bunch of bad words)
Ja ne = See you later (or something along those lines ;p)
Minna = Everyone
Yamate = Stop
Ojii-san = Grandfather
Whoo! That's a doozy! Hope it helps though!
Suki da yo!
Ja ne,
Wyvern