Oi…Long time no write, ne minna-san? ::backs
away from angry group of readers:: hehe… ^^;;
::laughs nervously:: I came up with this,
right? RIGHT?! Anyway, I had to make this
story go somewhere, so I took a good long break
to do that…
Many thanks to those who e-mailed me!
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami
ML: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mizuno_updates
Chapter 7: Illusions
Sweat beaded along the side of a certain
Shinto priestess as she stood before a raging
hearth. Her eyes were shut tightly in
concentration rather from the heat, lips
stretched thinly across her parched lips in
chanting prayer.
Earlier, she'd caught a slight glimpse of
an evil aura, very close to the proximity the
Juuban district. It was very brief and she'd
decided to leave the thought be. Her Senshi
side, however, demanded that she question all
evil things, however minuscule the feeling might
have been.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, revealing
striking violet depths. The sweat upon her brow
had suddenly felt cold. A chilling breeze
managed to wedge itself through a tiny crack by
the entrance of the meditation room. For some
reason, even by the comforting flames of her
meditation fire, Rei felt that breeze chill up
her spine.
Through those paper-parched lips of hers,
she uttered one word in a fearful voice…
"Takumashii…"
***
Mamoru paced about his room. He grabbed a
shirt lying in a nearby chair and placed it over
his shoulders. Insomnia was the reason for his
edginess. His pacing caused creaks to resonate
in the small room.
I'd better stop, he thought. The
neighbors aren't going to be too happy with
noise at night.
For almost all his life, he could remember
those dreams. Dreams of a silhouetted princess
begging him, *needing* him. She called out to
him constantly and he usually woke up with a
puzzled look spread across his face. However,
for the last few weeks, ever since that…that
*dream*, he felt an odd detachment. He even
stopped having those dreams that he had become
so familiar with. They were so routine that
they had built themselves into his character,
his life. When they disappeared so abruptly,
they left a vacant spot in his being, his
nature.
Mamoru took a seat by the bed, not caring
if the sheets fell to the ground or not. He
fixed his eyes on the bright orb above, his
blurry vision of the moon finally lulling him to
sleep.
"Where are you?" He whispered, eyes shut,
before he fell back into a dreamless sleep.
***
"I love it!" Usagi squealed, exploring
her surroundings. She stared upwards in awe,
eyes shining innocently in the dim lights.
"There's so many of them!" She twirled about,
eyes never leaving the objects above her.
Gyokuren braced on arm on a crimson padded
chair and smiled casually. "I'm glad," he
stated simply, watching Usagi plop down on a
seat in childlike wonder. "I'm surprised you've
never been to a planetarium," he mused quietly,
eyes never leaving the little blond sprite
before him. "I literally grew up in these
places."
He glanced upwards at the twinkling lights
above in the darkened dome-shaped room. The
artificial stars seemed to flash at him,
greeting him. For some reason, his frequent
visits to the planetarium provided him a mellow
comfort that real stars could not during the
daylight hours.
Usagi turned to him, eyes still aglow.
"How did you find about this place?" She placed
her head across the top of the seat backing,
bracing herself on the arm rests. Her blond
hair spilled down the side of the seat, coating
it with the golden color of her hair. Under the
meager light, it too seemed to radiate just as
vibrantly as her bubbly personality did.
Gyokuren chuckled lightly. Goodness, she
was a beautiful sight, but…her heart was not
with him, nor would it ever be. He knew where
she belonged, and it wasn't in his arms.
Yesterday's conversation at the café, her tears,
her voice, her anguish told him more that she
could understand herself. No, he shook his
head. She was a beautiful star, twinkling in
the night sky, and out of his grasp.
"I don't even remember, Usagi-chan." He
paused and pursed his lips together in
remembrance of his first visit. "Although, I
started to come in these places when I was very
young…perhaps four or five. This place is close
to Takumashii, so I can come here during my
lunches."
An image of a chibi Gyokuren came to mind
as Usagi listened to him. Giggling good-
heartedly, she pictured him ten times shorter,
raising his arm in an attempt to reach the
twinkling little lights above. A mop of
ruffled, light blond hair would cover his eyes,
a sign that he was in dire need of a hair cut.
His chubby hand would try to pick at the lights
unsuccessfully, but he knew one day, he would
find a way to pick those jewels in they sky. An
ambitious little creature, he would be.
Usagi sighed. Any girl would love to be
with him. Such a caring heart…a prince charming
indeed. She sighed again, feeling her heart
flutter ever so slightly. She wished the best
for him. The image of chibi Gyokuren seemed to
amuse her as it came back into her mind.
However, this strange smacking sound was in the
background as the child in her mind tried to
pick another star from the sky. She tried to
ignore the smacking sound, concentrating more on
the little figure trying to play with stars,
however, try as she might, the sound would not
leave the recesses of her imagination.
She blinked, frowning, the image of chibi
Gyokuren vanishing from her mind's eye. The
smacking sound becoming more prominent. She
looked at Gyokuren, who seemed to be preoccupied
with a scene before him. She too, looked in the
direction that captured his attention. A large
frown seemed to cover his features as well.
There, on the other extreme side of the
row of seats were a couple busy in an embrace.
"Awfully loud, ne?" Usagi frowned again,
furrowing her eyebrows.
"Yeah. The acoustics in this place are
great," remarked Gyokuren shaking his head. No
respect…besides, *who* would make out in a
planetarium, of all places?
Usagi leaned forward, attempting to make
out the couple in their heated embrace. A
reddish hue spread across her pale cheeks.
They watched as the couple broke their
embrace, gawking at them like tourists. Usagi
watched as one stroked the other's cheek
tenderly as they tightened their grasp over each
other.
Suddenly, the one of them looked up,
piercing eyes staring right at their unwanted
observers.
Usagi and Gyokuren gasped in unison, faces
becoming red as a cherry tomato. Usagi squinted
at the couple, making out their features in the
dim light of the dome-shaped chamber.
"Mamoru?" She whispered, surprised.
"Usagi," he whispered as well. Ryoko gave
him her concerned face, turning his face away
from the person behind her with her fingers.
She raised her eyebrows. Usagi? Who's Usagi?
Turning, her chestnut eyes met those that
mirrored the oceans.
They gazed at each other momentarily,
looking each other over questioningly. The girl
at the arcade…murmured Usagi. She blinked,
breaking their eye contact, shaking her head to
clear it of the confusion raging within.
"Gyokuren, let's go." She took his arm
and tried to drag him away from the dark dome
room. However, the man was firmly planted in
his spot. "Gyo-kun!" She reprimanded, dragging
him away inch by inch. However, her attempts at
avoiding another confrontation with Mamoru
disappeared from her grasp. She raised eyes
from their observation of the carpet underneath
to face a couple linking hands before her.
"Hello Mamoru," she heard Gyokuren greet
cordially. "It's nice to see you."
"Gyokuren," Mamoru grit out between
clenched teeth. He turned to the blond with
odangos planted firmly on her head. "Usagi."
Usagi nodded mutely, not meeting his gaze.
"Mamoru, won't you introduce me?" Usagi
heard the other woman say while tugging at
Mamoru's sleeve.
"Gomen," he murmured to her, smiling
warmly. "This is Ryoko," he motioned toward his
lady friend. "…and this is Gyokuren and Usagi,"
he gestured likewise to the pair before him.
His eyes lingered on Usagi for a while before he
shook his head free of the illusion.
"Pleased to meet you, Gyokuren, Usagi,"
Ryoko greeted warmly, plastering her signature
sweet smile on her face.
The four stared at each other awkwardly
for a moment, as if they were collecting data.
"Well, this is certainly…odd," Gyokuren
managed to utter, breaking the uncomfortable
silence between them.
"Gyo-kun, we've got to go," Usagi said in
a small voice. She tugged on her arm to
illustrate her meaning. Gyokuren nodded, and
together, they inched their way to the entrance
to the star room.
"Wait, Usagi! I need to talk to you!"
Mamoru called out to their retreating forms.
His muffled footsteps seemed to resonate in the
dome just as well as his voice did. He grasped
Usagi's arm as she turned her blond head
reflexively.
"Mamoru, I don't want to talk to you," she
whispered firmly, undoing his fingers from her
arm. He only grasped more firmly.
"I really *need* to talk to you," he
hissed, indigo eyes aflame.
"No, you don't. You've got Ryoko to talk
to," she said aloud, cerulean eyes dimmed. "You
don't need me," she stated more firmly than
she'd intended to.
"But!"
Despite Mamoru's protests, Usagi tugged
Gyokuren along. Those tears were attempting to
resurface again and it took all of her will to
quell the strange feelings dancing at the pit of
her stomach. Both she and Gyokuren left the
dome, and Mamoru. She'd be free of him—for now.
A beeping noise disturbed her from her
pondering. She recognized the familiar sound to
be the Senshi communicator. She paused in her
steps, smiling winsomely at an extremely puzzled
Gyokuren.
"Uh…pager. It's probably mom. I was
supposed to be back a while back. See you
tomorrow?" She asked nervously, hoping that
he'd buy the story she'd just conjured up.
He nodded. "Go ahead, I know my way
home." She smiled gratefully in response.
"Bye!" She called out, as Gyokuren
watched her departing figure disappear.
***
"My my, what a nice little place we've got
here, brothers…" A hulking shadow whispered
through undefined lips. She grabbed a screaming
student who was trying to scamper away. Placing
an arm around the terrified person, she drew the
energy from the student. She left only a limp
form lying on the ground, books and papers
scattered in all directions by it. "Takumashii
*is* a nice place for energy. There's so much
of it lying around, just for us."
The stone embedded in the shadow's arm
glowed bright violet momentarily before it
returned to it's natural amethyst color.
"Having fun, Noi?" Tenki, the third—and
youngest—shadow muttered distastefully as he
grabbed another bystander and drew the energy
from their terrified form. He looked very
bored..well, that is, if one could see the
features of a shadow... He looked over his
shoulder at his brother, Shin, who seemed to be
having a grand time. "Tell me, Noi, why do we
have to do the dirty work?" His sister grinned
at him affectionately. Tenki would always be
her curious little brother to her…
"Because," she answered coolly, draining
the energy from two more students. "we were
commanded to. Now, we wouldn't want to go
against *her* wishes, would we now, ne?"
Tenki gave his sister one good, hard look,
then relaxed as her words sunk in his logical
mind. He watched as she performed her duties in
a professional manner, unlike his other sibling,
Shin. Shin seemed to find some sort of 'fun'
around this task, as he barreled the people out
of their wits before taking their energy.
Such an unnecessary task, Tenki shook his
head, disagreeing with both this mission and his
brother's way of dealing with the people. Noi
always made more sense anyway, he shook his head
in his shadow-like way, returning to his task of
collecting energy.
"And who are you, my pretty?" Noi grasped
a blond by the collar as she struggled to free
herself. Her chocolate brown eyes widened with
fear. Her textbooks tumbled to the ground. A
name on the flap of the open textbook caught
Noi's sharp vision. Ryoko…
"So, Ryoko, is it? I really must thank
you for your contribution of energy." Noi
grinned wickedly. "It's greatly appreciated!"
Slowly, little by little, the energy
flowed from Ryoko's struggling body to the
polished smooth stone embedded in Noi's arm. It
glowed briefly in completion of it's task,
leaving Ryoko's limp form on the ground.
"Stop right there!" Two voices cried in
unison, alerting the shadows.
"Hmm…I wonder who that is?" Tenki dropped
his half-drained victim on the ground, moaning
his indignities before slumping into the world
of unconsciousness.
"Senshi," Noi whispered, dropping the
unfortunate soul who caught her eye on the
ground as well. He did much the same as Tenki's
victim did before he too lost consciousness.
"Well well well," mused Noi in a menacing voice,
"Two Senshi and three of us, ne, Tenki?"
Tenki glanced back at his brother, Shin,
who was still occupied with barreling innocents.
"Correction, two are here in mind *and* body…"
Tenki sweatdropped, glaring at Shin. He
shrugged and settled into his fighting stance as
he gazed into the eyes of his enemies.
"Fire Soul!" Mars cried, meeting her two
gloved fingers together in her prized attack.
Noi and Tenki jumped back with lightning
speed, avoiding the onslaught of flame. The
fireball shot past them, slightly grazing past
their figures. Noi turned to Tenki, who nodded
mutely in response.
"Mars, let me take a shot," Sailor Moon
suggested, feeling a sense of confidence surge
into her veins. Rei nodded and stepped aside.
"Moon…Tiara…" The Senshi of the Moon
began, voice echoing into past millennia where
her power had originated from. "MAGIC!" Sailor
Moon shouted, performing her last stance before
hurling the tiara accurately at the female
shadow.
The shining discus flew past everyone and
everything, meeting Noi with deadly accuracy.
However, the Sailor Moon's desired effect didn't
occur.
There, sitting in the palm of the shadow
warrior, was the discus, immediately going dim
in contact with Noi's touch.
"Tenki, go." Noi grasped the tiara,
throwing it back at the Senshi of the moon,
where it landed neatly at her feet.
Tenki nodded as he raced to the blond
Senshi, smiling maliciously. He grasped her by
the shoulders, sending her flying toward a tree
on the campus. Her back came in painful contact
with the tree trunk as the event caused birds to
fly from their nests in a frightened frenzy.
Her struggles were rendered useless as Tenki
pinned her on the tree.
"Let's see what kind of power you've
got…You look like a feisty one, ne?" Noi strode
closer to the blond Senshi.
"Get away from her!" Screamed Mars,
running to come to her best friend's aid. "You
hurt her, I'll—" She was cut off as a blast of
energy barreled into her exposed abdomen, to
Sailor Moon's horror.
"That should keep you busy for the time
being." Noi lowered fluid her arm, glancing
once more at the unconscious Senshi before
turning to the legendary Senshi of the moon.
Sailor Moon remained voiceless in fear, but not
for herself, for Rei. "Now, as for you…"
"No," Sailor Moon uttered, trying her
utmost not to quiver. Noi gave her a merciless
grin as she raised that shadowy limb of hers
once more. Slowly, the dim outstretch of a limb
extended into claws, settling themselves within
Usagi's thin wisps of blond hair. The claws
grasped Usagi's head painfully, causing the
golden tiara on her head to pinch her painfully.
However, try as Usagi might, she couldn't
struggle out of the confines of Tenki's
restraint measures or Noi's claw.
Noi's amethyst stone began to glow a
vibrant violet as the energy transferred from
Usagi's strained form.
***
Mamoru strolled along the sidewalk, his
thoughts revolving around his last meeting with
Usagi. Ryoko had left him to pick up something
from the university campus.
…You don't need me…
Usagi's words echoed in his mind as he
reminisced about the moment that had just
occurred five minutes ago. Then the truth hit
him at full force like a ten-pound brick.
"But I do need you," he mouthed silently,
the words unheard by anyone. However, the
phrase shook the logic foundations of his mind
loudly.
A scream pierced into the air,
interrupting Mamoru's train of thought. He rose
his head abruptly, eyes scanning the area. His
eyes widened at the sight before him.
There, pinned next to the tree, was sailor
moon, a figure that he'd helped many times as
his rose-throwing alter ego, Tuxedo Kamen.
However, he was frozen in his spot, eyes
beholding the impossible.
Two shadow-like creatures surrounded her,
one holding her firmly against the rough trunk
of the tree, another dug their clawed limb in
her blond tresses. The brooch fixed on sailor
moon's Senshi fuku burst open, emitting a
blindingly bright light. Glistening pink
ribbons appeared around her, sparkling under
midday sun. Sailor Moon screamed once again
before falling into the dark depths of
unconsciousness. The ribbons vanished, leaving
her civilian form behind.
Another figure appeared floating in
midair. A wide malicious smirk smeared across
her demonic features. Fiery red hair spilled
down the length of her back. She beckoned with
a clawed finger at Usagi's limp body, moving it
toward her. With a snap of her fingers, she,
her minions and Usagi disappeared.
Time stopped for Mamoru. He felt only his
heart thump within his chest. His eyes glazed
over the figures at the overgrown tree. Fingers
became icy, his entire body oddly numb with
fear.
"Usagi is Sailor Moon," he murmured
quietly, as he too slumped to the ground with
muffled thud.
***
hehe! Done! Done! Done! ::sees handful of
readers coming at her with flaming bushes::
wait…::blinks:: is that namida and antigone at
the forefront? Gah! they've got long pointy
sticks with them! ::inches away slowly:: now,
now…be *nice*… ::laughs nervously as antigone
and namida give mizu a classic I-look-like-I'm-
going-to-skewer-you-with-that-glint-in-the-eye
look::
^^;;
mizu: umm…what are you going to do with those
bushes? ::raises eyebrow:: ^^;; ::touches the
flames gingerly:: ahh…circulation returning to
fingers…
antigone & namida: --;;
Many thanks minna-san!
Comments? Questions? Flames? E-mail to:
tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami
away from angry group of readers:: hehe… ^^;;
::laughs nervously:: I came up with this,
right? RIGHT?! Anyway, I had to make this
story go somewhere, so I took a good long break
to do that…
Many thanks to those who e-mailed me!
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami
ML: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mizuno_updates
Chapter 7: Illusions
Sweat beaded along the side of a certain
Shinto priestess as she stood before a raging
hearth. Her eyes were shut tightly in
concentration rather from the heat, lips
stretched thinly across her parched lips in
chanting prayer.
Earlier, she'd caught a slight glimpse of
an evil aura, very close to the proximity the
Juuban district. It was very brief and she'd
decided to leave the thought be. Her Senshi
side, however, demanded that she question all
evil things, however minuscule the feeling might
have been.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, revealing
striking violet depths. The sweat upon her brow
had suddenly felt cold. A chilling breeze
managed to wedge itself through a tiny crack by
the entrance of the meditation room. For some
reason, even by the comforting flames of her
meditation fire, Rei felt that breeze chill up
her spine.
Through those paper-parched lips of hers,
she uttered one word in a fearful voice…
"Takumashii…"
***
Mamoru paced about his room. He grabbed a
shirt lying in a nearby chair and placed it over
his shoulders. Insomnia was the reason for his
edginess. His pacing caused creaks to resonate
in the small room.
I'd better stop, he thought. The
neighbors aren't going to be too happy with
noise at night.
For almost all his life, he could remember
those dreams. Dreams of a silhouetted princess
begging him, *needing* him. She called out to
him constantly and he usually woke up with a
puzzled look spread across his face. However,
for the last few weeks, ever since that…that
*dream*, he felt an odd detachment. He even
stopped having those dreams that he had become
so familiar with. They were so routine that
they had built themselves into his character,
his life. When they disappeared so abruptly,
they left a vacant spot in his being, his
nature.
Mamoru took a seat by the bed, not caring
if the sheets fell to the ground or not. He
fixed his eyes on the bright orb above, his
blurry vision of the moon finally lulling him to
sleep.
"Where are you?" He whispered, eyes shut,
before he fell back into a dreamless sleep.
***
"I love it!" Usagi squealed, exploring
her surroundings. She stared upwards in awe,
eyes shining innocently in the dim lights.
"There's so many of them!" She twirled about,
eyes never leaving the objects above her.
Gyokuren braced on arm on a crimson padded
chair and smiled casually. "I'm glad," he
stated simply, watching Usagi plop down on a
seat in childlike wonder. "I'm surprised you've
never been to a planetarium," he mused quietly,
eyes never leaving the little blond sprite
before him. "I literally grew up in these
places."
He glanced upwards at the twinkling lights
above in the darkened dome-shaped room. The
artificial stars seemed to flash at him,
greeting him. For some reason, his frequent
visits to the planetarium provided him a mellow
comfort that real stars could not during the
daylight hours.
Usagi turned to him, eyes still aglow.
"How did you find about this place?" She placed
her head across the top of the seat backing,
bracing herself on the arm rests. Her blond
hair spilled down the side of the seat, coating
it with the golden color of her hair. Under the
meager light, it too seemed to radiate just as
vibrantly as her bubbly personality did.
Gyokuren chuckled lightly. Goodness, she
was a beautiful sight, but…her heart was not
with him, nor would it ever be. He knew where
she belonged, and it wasn't in his arms.
Yesterday's conversation at the café, her tears,
her voice, her anguish told him more that she
could understand herself. No, he shook his
head. She was a beautiful star, twinkling in
the night sky, and out of his grasp.
"I don't even remember, Usagi-chan." He
paused and pursed his lips together in
remembrance of his first visit. "Although, I
started to come in these places when I was very
young…perhaps four or five. This place is close
to Takumashii, so I can come here during my
lunches."
An image of a chibi Gyokuren came to mind
as Usagi listened to him. Giggling good-
heartedly, she pictured him ten times shorter,
raising his arm in an attempt to reach the
twinkling little lights above. A mop of
ruffled, light blond hair would cover his eyes,
a sign that he was in dire need of a hair cut.
His chubby hand would try to pick at the lights
unsuccessfully, but he knew one day, he would
find a way to pick those jewels in they sky. An
ambitious little creature, he would be.
Usagi sighed. Any girl would love to be
with him. Such a caring heart…a prince charming
indeed. She sighed again, feeling her heart
flutter ever so slightly. She wished the best
for him. The image of chibi Gyokuren seemed to
amuse her as it came back into her mind.
However, this strange smacking sound was in the
background as the child in her mind tried to
pick another star from the sky. She tried to
ignore the smacking sound, concentrating more on
the little figure trying to play with stars,
however, try as she might, the sound would not
leave the recesses of her imagination.
She blinked, frowning, the image of chibi
Gyokuren vanishing from her mind's eye. The
smacking sound becoming more prominent. She
looked at Gyokuren, who seemed to be preoccupied
with a scene before him. She too, looked in the
direction that captured his attention. A large
frown seemed to cover his features as well.
There, on the other extreme side of the
row of seats were a couple busy in an embrace.
"Awfully loud, ne?" Usagi frowned again,
furrowing her eyebrows.
"Yeah. The acoustics in this place are
great," remarked Gyokuren shaking his head. No
respect…besides, *who* would make out in a
planetarium, of all places?
Usagi leaned forward, attempting to make
out the couple in their heated embrace. A
reddish hue spread across her pale cheeks.
They watched as the couple broke their
embrace, gawking at them like tourists. Usagi
watched as one stroked the other's cheek
tenderly as they tightened their grasp over each
other.
Suddenly, the one of them looked up,
piercing eyes staring right at their unwanted
observers.
Usagi and Gyokuren gasped in unison, faces
becoming red as a cherry tomato. Usagi squinted
at the couple, making out their features in the
dim light of the dome-shaped chamber.
"Mamoru?" She whispered, surprised.
"Usagi," he whispered as well. Ryoko gave
him her concerned face, turning his face away
from the person behind her with her fingers.
She raised her eyebrows. Usagi? Who's Usagi?
Turning, her chestnut eyes met those that
mirrored the oceans.
They gazed at each other momentarily,
looking each other over questioningly. The girl
at the arcade…murmured Usagi. She blinked,
breaking their eye contact, shaking her head to
clear it of the confusion raging within.
"Gyokuren, let's go." She took his arm
and tried to drag him away from the dark dome
room. However, the man was firmly planted in
his spot. "Gyo-kun!" She reprimanded, dragging
him away inch by inch. However, her attempts at
avoiding another confrontation with Mamoru
disappeared from her grasp. She raised eyes
from their observation of the carpet underneath
to face a couple linking hands before her.
"Hello Mamoru," she heard Gyokuren greet
cordially. "It's nice to see you."
"Gyokuren," Mamoru grit out between
clenched teeth. He turned to the blond with
odangos planted firmly on her head. "Usagi."
Usagi nodded mutely, not meeting his gaze.
"Mamoru, won't you introduce me?" Usagi
heard the other woman say while tugging at
Mamoru's sleeve.
"Gomen," he murmured to her, smiling
warmly. "This is Ryoko," he motioned toward his
lady friend. "…and this is Gyokuren and Usagi,"
he gestured likewise to the pair before him.
His eyes lingered on Usagi for a while before he
shook his head free of the illusion.
"Pleased to meet you, Gyokuren, Usagi,"
Ryoko greeted warmly, plastering her signature
sweet smile on her face.
The four stared at each other awkwardly
for a moment, as if they were collecting data.
"Well, this is certainly…odd," Gyokuren
managed to utter, breaking the uncomfortable
silence between them.
"Gyo-kun, we've got to go," Usagi said in
a small voice. She tugged on her arm to
illustrate her meaning. Gyokuren nodded, and
together, they inched their way to the entrance
to the star room.
"Wait, Usagi! I need to talk to you!"
Mamoru called out to their retreating forms.
His muffled footsteps seemed to resonate in the
dome just as well as his voice did. He grasped
Usagi's arm as she turned her blond head
reflexively.
"Mamoru, I don't want to talk to you," she
whispered firmly, undoing his fingers from her
arm. He only grasped more firmly.
"I really *need* to talk to you," he
hissed, indigo eyes aflame.
"No, you don't. You've got Ryoko to talk
to," she said aloud, cerulean eyes dimmed. "You
don't need me," she stated more firmly than
she'd intended to.
"But!"
Despite Mamoru's protests, Usagi tugged
Gyokuren along. Those tears were attempting to
resurface again and it took all of her will to
quell the strange feelings dancing at the pit of
her stomach. Both she and Gyokuren left the
dome, and Mamoru. She'd be free of him—for now.
A beeping noise disturbed her from her
pondering. She recognized the familiar sound to
be the Senshi communicator. She paused in her
steps, smiling winsomely at an extremely puzzled
Gyokuren.
"Uh…pager. It's probably mom. I was
supposed to be back a while back. See you
tomorrow?" She asked nervously, hoping that
he'd buy the story she'd just conjured up.
He nodded. "Go ahead, I know my way
home." She smiled gratefully in response.
"Bye!" She called out, as Gyokuren
watched her departing figure disappear.
***
"My my, what a nice little place we've got
here, brothers…" A hulking shadow whispered
through undefined lips. She grabbed a screaming
student who was trying to scamper away. Placing
an arm around the terrified person, she drew the
energy from the student. She left only a limp
form lying on the ground, books and papers
scattered in all directions by it. "Takumashii
*is* a nice place for energy. There's so much
of it lying around, just for us."
The stone embedded in the shadow's arm
glowed bright violet momentarily before it
returned to it's natural amethyst color.
"Having fun, Noi?" Tenki, the third—and
youngest—shadow muttered distastefully as he
grabbed another bystander and drew the energy
from their terrified form. He looked very
bored..well, that is, if one could see the
features of a shadow... He looked over his
shoulder at his brother, Shin, who seemed to be
having a grand time. "Tell me, Noi, why do we
have to do the dirty work?" His sister grinned
at him affectionately. Tenki would always be
her curious little brother to her…
"Because," she answered coolly, draining
the energy from two more students. "we were
commanded to. Now, we wouldn't want to go
against *her* wishes, would we now, ne?"
Tenki gave his sister one good, hard look,
then relaxed as her words sunk in his logical
mind. He watched as she performed her duties in
a professional manner, unlike his other sibling,
Shin. Shin seemed to find some sort of 'fun'
around this task, as he barreled the people out
of their wits before taking their energy.
Such an unnecessary task, Tenki shook his
head, disagreeing with both this mission and his
brother's way of dealing with the people. Noi
always made more sense anyway, he shook his head
in his shadow-like way, returning to his task of
collecting energy.
"And who are you, my pretty?" Noi grasped
a blond by the collar as she struggled to free
herself. Her chocolate brown eyes widened with
fear. Her textbooks tumbled to the ground. A
name on the flap of the open textbook caught
Noi's sharp vision. Ryoko…
"So, Ryoko, is it? I really must thank
you for your contribution of energy." Noi
grinned wickedly. "It's greatly appreciated!"
Slowly, little by little, the energy
flowed from Ryoko's struggling body to the
polished smooth stone embedded in Noi's arm. It
glowed briefly in completion of it's task,
leaving Ryoko's limp form on the ground.
"Stop right there!" Two voices cried in
unison, alerting the shadows.
"Hmm…I wonder who that is?" Tenki dropped
his half-drained victim on the ground, moaning
his indignities before slumping into the world
of unconsciousness.
"Senshi," Noi whispered, dropping the
unfortunate soul who caught her eye on the
ground as well. He did much the same as Tenki's
victim did before he too lost consciousness.
"Well well well," mused Noi in a menacing voice,
"Two Senshi and three of us, ne, Tenki?"
Tenki glanced back at his brother, Shin,
who was still occupied with barreling innocents.
"Correction, two are here in mind *and* body…"
Tenki sweatdropped, glaring at Shin. He
shrugged and settled into his fighting stance as
he gazed into the eyes of his enemies.
"Fire Soul!" Mars cried, meeting her two
gloved fingers together in her prized attack.
Noi and Tenki jumped back with lightning
speed, avoiding the onslaught of flame. The
fireball shot past them, slightly grazing past
their figures. Noi turned to Tenki, who nodded
mutely in response.
"Mars, let me take a shot," Sailor Moon
suggested, feeling a sense of confidence surge
into her veins. Rei nodded and stepped aside.
"Moon…Tiara…" The Senshi of the Moon
began, voice echoing into past millennia where
her power had originated from. "MAGIC!" Sailor
Moon shouted, performing her last stance before
hurling the tiara accurately at the female
shadow.
The shining discus flew past everyone and
everything, meeting Noi with deadly accuracy.
However, the Sailor Moon's desired effect didn't
occur.
There, sitting in the palm of the shadow
warrior, was the discus, immediately going dim
in contact with Noi's touch.
"Tenki, go." Noi grasped the tiara,
throwing it back at the Senshi of the moon,
where it landed neatly at her feet.
Tenki nodded as he raced to the blond
Senshi, smiling maliciously. He grasped her by
the shoulders, sending her flying toward a tree
on the campus. Her back came in painful contact
with the tree trunk as the event caused birds to
fly from their nests in a frightened frenzy.
Her struggles were rendered useless as Tenki
pinned her on the tree.
"Let's see what kind of power you've
got…You look like a feisty one, ne?" Noi strode
closer to the blond Senshi.
"Get away from her!" Screamed Mars,
running to come to her best friend's aid. "You
hurt her, I'll—" She was cut off as a blast of
energy barreled into her exposed abdomen, to
Sailor Moon's horror.
"That should keep you busy for the time
being." Noi lowered fluid her arm, glancing
once more at the unconscious Senshi before
turning to the legendary Senshi of the moon.
Sailor Moon remained voiceless in fear, but not
for herself, for Rei. "Now, as for you…"
"No," Sailor Moon uttered, trying her
utmost not to quiver. Noi gave her a merciless
grin as she raised that shadowy limb of hers
once more. Slowly, the dim outstretch of a limb
extended into claws, settling themselves within
Usagi's thin wisps of blond hair. The claws
grasped Usagi's head painfully, causing the
golden tiara on her head to pinch her painfully.
However, try as Usagi might, she couldn't
struggle out of the confines of Tenki's
restraint measures or Noi's claw.
Noi's amethyst stone began to glow a
vibrant violet as the energy transferred from
Usagi's strained form.
***
Mamoru strolled along the sidewalk, his
thoughts revolving around his last meeting with
Usagi. Ryoko had left him to pick up something
from the university campus.
…You don't need me…
Usagi's words echoed in his mind as he
reminisced about the moment that had just
occurred five minutes ago. Then the truth hit
him at full force like a ten-pound brick.
"But I do need you," he mouthed silently,
the words unheard by anyone. However, the
phrase shook the logic foundations of his mind
loudly.
A scream pierced into the air,
interrupting Mamoru's train of thought. He rose
his head abruptly, eyes scanning the area. His
eyes widened at the sight before him.
There, pinned next to the tree, was sailor
moon, a figure that he'd helped many times as
his rose-throwing alter ego, Tuxedo Kamen.
However, he was frozen in his spot, eyes
beholding the impossible.
Two shadow-like creatures surrounded her,
one holding her firmly against the rough trunk
of the tree, another dug their clawed limb in
her blond tresses. The brooch fixed on sailor
moon's Senshi fuku burst open, emitting a
blindingly bright light. Glistening pink
ribbons appeared around her, sparkling under
midday sun. Sailor Moon screamed once again
before falling into the dark depths of
unconsciousness. The ribbons vanished, leaving
her civilian form behind.
Another figure appeared floating in
midair. A wide malicious smirk smeared across
her demonic features. Fiery red hair spilled
down the length of her back. She beckoned with
a clawed finger at Usagi's limp body, moving it
toward her. With a snap of her fingers, she,
her minions and Usagi disappeared.
Time stopped for Mamoru. He felt only his
heart thump within his chest. His eyes glazed
over the figures at the overgrown tree. Fingers
became icy, his entire body oddly numb with
fear.
"Usagi is Sailor Moon," he murmured
quietly, as he too slumped to the ground with
muffled thud.
***
hehe! Done! Done! Done! ::sees handful of
readers coming at her with flaming bushes::
wait…::blinks:: is that namida and antigone at
the forefront? Gah! they've got long pointy
sticks with them! ::inches away slowly:: now,
now…be *nice*… ::laughs nervously as antigone
and namida give mizu a classic I-look-like-I'm-
going-to-skewer-you-with-that-glint-in-the-eye
look::
^^;;
mizu: umm…what are you going to do with those
bushes? ::raises eyebrow:: ^^;; ::touches the
flames gingerly:: ahh…circulation returning to
fingers…
antigone & namida: --;;
Many thanks minna-san!
Comments? Questions? Flames? E-mail to:
tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami