Date: February 18, 2001
Disclaimer: Lookie!!! I have a piece of lint! And for this beautiful piece of lint, I am willing to exchange it for ownership of Sailor Moon!....What do you mean no thank you?!?! **huffs** Fine...it's your loss, really.....**thinks to self: 'Not..'** **sighs** As you can see, I don't own Sailor Moon, nor will I ever...but that doesn't stop me from saving the mountain gorillas who were kidnapped by the Eskimos and are now kept somewhere in Argentina....Shhhhhh!!! Don't tell them I know...I've been onto them for months now....
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He was late. Usagi looked at the clock again. He never went this long without calling. Usagi could tell it was worrying her mother more just by glancing at her. Distress clouded Ikuko's eyes as the clock ticked by. The door opened and Usagi's heart skipped a beat. It dropped as soon as her father walked into the room.
"What's with all the sad faces? Am I really that hated by my family?" Kenji joked lightly, trying to get them to liven up.
Usagi shook her head and explained, "Shingo isn't home yet. He was supposed to be home an hour and a half ago. He is soooo going to get it." This she concluded by motioning to her mom. Her dad nodded knowingly as he saw the worried and angry look on his wife's face.
"Don't worry, aisai. He's probably just at Mika's house, doing a project, and forgot to call," he reassured and hugged his beloved at the same time. Usagi's mother loosened up a bit but still had a guarded appearance on her visage, ready to pounce the next time the door opened. The seconds turned into minutes. Sooner than anyone thought, it had been forty-five minutes since Kenji had come home. Ikuko had dinner on the table and everything was set out. She had denied Usagi and her dad the food until thirty minutes had passed. Then, she allowed them to eat, but refused to partake herself, just pushing the food around with her fork while looking at the clock every two seconds.
Abruptly, Usagi's mother stood up and marched to the phone. She then preceded to dial Mika's phone number.
"Moshi Moshi? Kayama-san? This is Tsukino-san. Is Shingo over there with you right now? He isn't? Have you seen him at all today? Iie? Arigato. If you see him, please tell him to get his butt home. Sayonara!" she concluded with defeat. She put the phone into it's cradle carefully and turned slowly to her husband.
"Anata, I'm scared. Where is my Shingo!?" She finally broke down and tears streamed down her face. Usagi had never seen her like this before. Kenji hurried over and gathered her mom in his arms. They just stood like that; him murmuring reassurances in her ears while she cried silently. Usagi quietly retired to her room and laid down on her bed. A black ball of fur laid sleeping on the pink covers until Usagi's arrival awoke her.
"What's wrong, Usagi?" Luna asked after a long yawn. "You look like a zombie." She licked her paws and started to subconsciously wash her face. Usagi stared blankly at Luna for a moment, not quite registering what was asked.
'Where is Shingo? I know I never really showed much concern for the baka, but I still love him. I'm worried about him. What if he was kidnapped? What if he's out there, lying in the street and hurt too much to move? And what about Okaa-san? She might have a nervous breakdown right now.' Finally seeing that Luna had asked her a question, Usagi snapped out of her stupor.
"Ne? Gomen. What did you say, Luna?" she asked dazedly. Luna sighed deeply and looked at Usagi intently.
"What happened, Usagi? What's the matter?" she asked worriedly. Usagi furrowed her brow in concentration.
"Shingo hasn't come home yet. Okaa-san has called Mika's but he isn't there. She just collapsed crying. I'm really worried, Luna. What if he's hurt?" she ended brokenly with her lip quivering in apprehension. Luna studied her charge sympathetically.
"Don't worry, Usagi. I'm sure he is fine. Wherever he is, he's probably dreading coming home. Who knows what your mom is going to do to him once he walks through that door," Luna quipped. Usagi gave her a half smile and nodded her head in agreement.
"You're right. The little worm is probably doing this just to get us worried," she said this, more to convince herself than Luna.
"Just lie down, Usagi. I'll go downstairs and see what's going on. Then, I'll come up later and inform you on the progress," Luna put in motherly. With that, Luna made sure the heroine was in her pajamas and under the covers before she left the room. Though thinking it was impossible, Usagi fell into an unsettled sleep.
She woke up at midnight with a black cat pawing her chest. Amber eyes implored Usagi to awake. Usagi sprang right up into a sitting position with Luna falling over in the process.
"Well? Is he home?" Usagi pounced her friend for news. Luna, laying sprawled across the bedspread, got up slowly and looked at her charge with sad eyes.
"Oh, Usagi. I'm sorry but he hasn't come home yet. Your parents have called the police but they can't do anything until he's been gone for twenty-four hours. They called school and he was there today. That was the last time anyone has seen him. Gomen," Luna reported. She watched as tears gathered at the edges of Usagi's eyes and her bottom lip started to tremble. Finally, the tears fell, looking like crystals on porcelain skin. Usagi laid back down and the tears continued to pour forth without mercy. Luna watched as she fell into another restless sleep, dried streaks marring her cheeks and salty stains blotting her pillow.
Someone was watching her. Everywhere she turned, Usagi couldn't get away from those eyes. Not only that, but it was pitch black. She couldn't see anything. The person watching her could be right next to her and she wouldn't even have known it. Usagi was shaking fractiously and she couldn't control it. Just the knowledge and sense that she was being watched sent chills up and down her spine. She finally gave up with her futile search and sighed despairingly. A hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Usagi screamed and tried to jerk the hand off but it just gripped tighter. A cold and haughty laugh stopped Usagi dead in her tracks as she turned around slowly, dreading what she would find. Yet, as much as she tried to turn, nothing was there. Another hand covering her mouth sent her hysterically screaming and continued as she awoke.
Usagi sat up gasping for breath after the nightmare. Cold sweat trickled down from her forehead as she stared blankly into space. Luna had not stirred since Usagi had awakened.
'She could probably sleep through a war,' Usagi thought to herself wryly. Sighing, Usagi lay back down and closed her eyes. Her mind kept on replaying the scene over and over again. She doubted very much that she would get much sleep that night. Ten minutes later found her totally zonked.
The bird's chirped cheerfully through Usagi's window, ignorant of last night's traumas. Usagi cracked one eye open before painfully closing it.
"Too bright," she muttered, voice husky with sleep. Heaving a sigh, she braved to open both her lids and got up slowly. Glancing at her bunny clock, Usagi saw that it was 5:30 in the morning.
"Uuuhhhh!! What am I doing up this early?" she asked as she plopped back down. The memory of Shingo's disappearance came rushing back and Usagi stifled a cry. After tossing and turning for two minutes, she got up again reluctantly.
"Gr.. I don't have to get up for another hour yet I can't go back to sleep," she complained. Finally, she got up all the way and started to get ready for school on time. After her last strand of hair was in place, Usagi descended down the stairs for a normal, unrushed breakfast. She stopped cautiously on the last step.
'This is freaky. I don't smell anything cooking and it's totally quiet,' she thought to herself as she ventured into the kitchen. Her mother was sitting on the stool, her head resting on the counter asleep. When Usagi peeked into the family room, she saw her dad sleeping on the couch with the cordless phone clutched halfway in his hands.
'They must of stayed up all night,' she sympathized. Quietly, she crept back in to the kitchen and pulled out some bread.
"Contrary to what my friends believe, I can cook...toast," she murmured proudly to herself. She sat down and the table and munched silently. The whole time, Usagi had flashbacks of her and Shingo. She would see him and her playing video games together in the family room, him always beating her, of course. Their trivial fights and rivalry would replay constantly without much prodding. She even saw the few rare moments when it paid to be related; her scaring away bullies for him, he comforting her when they were both punished for sneaking out to see a local concert not long ago. She shook herself mentally to try to get out of her sober mood.
"Shingo will be back," she vowed to herself. After she finished breakfast, she took it upon herself to rouse her parents.
"Hey, Okaa-san. It's time to get up," Usagi said softly as she poked her mother gently. Her mother stirred for a second, and then opened her eyes.
"Usagi? Honey, what are you doing up?" she said, her voice gruff with sleep. Usagi smiled tenderly and turned to get her book bag.
"I have to go to school. You have to concentrate on finding Shingo now that he is probably awake for you to contact," she teased lightly, believing with all her might that Shingo would soon be safe and sound at home. Her mother nodded mindlessly and got up mechanically to wake her father. It was then that her mother realized how early it was. Ikuko stared at her daughter in shock as she watched Usagi depart. Usagi opened the door to leave for a sedate walk to school. That was, she tried to leave. There, on the floor of Usagi's front porch, was an unconscious Shingo.
Usagi walked slowly down the street to school in a daze. After she had discovered her brother, her parents came rushing to the door to tend to his needs. She furrowed her brows as she tried unsuccessfully to determine where he was last night. There were no marks on him to suggest of bodily harm. Usagi was so deep into her thoughts that she didn't even watch where she was going, which was no surprise there...
Mamoru took a sharp breath of air as something, or someone, slammed into him. He smiled, knowing instinctively that it was little Odango Atama. He quickly covered the smile with an indifferent front and looked down at the golden-haired girl.
"Geez, Odango, watch where you're going!" he reprimanded coolly. Usagi looked up, startled out of her reverie by Mamoru's deep voice. Normally, her heart would curiously speed up and she would have trouble thinking of anything else besides insulting him. But today, Shingo's mysterious disappearance and then reappearance diverted her from her usual comebacks.
"Gomen, Mamoru," Usagi mumbled while promptly sidestepping him, continuing on toward Juuban Middle School. Mamoru stared at the vacant spot that once held his dear Usako. He turned his head anxiously in her direction, confused and worried at her strange behavior. Without thinking, he ran after her, catching up in no time.
"What's wrong, Odango?" he queried, frowning at her concentrated visage. She looked up at him, seeming to see him only vaguely.
"Nothing, Mamoru. Did I say there was?" she asked inattentively. He raised an eyebrow, curious as to how she was allowing them to have an actual conversation together.
"Well, I only assumed that something was wrong. I mean, you haven't once told me to not call you Odango, nor have you tripped over anything!" he teased lightly, distress ever present in his deep blue eyes. Usagi nodded thoughtfully, only half listening to what he was saying. Seeing school only a block away, Usagi finally snapped out of her trance.
"I'm sorry Mamoru for bumping into you. But I need to get to school before I'm late. Have a nice day. Ja!" she excused herself politely, and then jogged away.
Mamoru stared after her, unsettled even more. Looking at his watch, he knew for a fact that Usagi was definitely not late. In fact, she was forty-five minutes early! He sighed in frustration, compulsively running his hand through his hair.
"What's wrong, Usako?" he whispered into the air. Only the song of the morning birds replied.
"What's up, Usagi?" Makoto asked as she chewed on her specialty curry. At her friend's nonexistent response, Makoto glanced at Usagi. "Man, what is wrong with you today? You've been acting really strange all morning!" Ami and Naru looked up, also, and peered at their best friend.
Usagi, aware of her many stares, jerked to consciousness. She smiled wanly as she perceived the many curious looks that her friends freely gave.
"I'm sorry. Things have just been...weird lately. It's nothing to worry about," she reassured softly, smiling brightly as though to convince them there was no doubt. Naru and Ami nodded slowly, trusting her to be honest. Makoto only gazed at her for a few more moments.
"So....what was going through your mind when you showed up early today? Haruna-sensei almost had a heart attack...hehehe, Usa, you shouldn't do things like that to her," Mako-chan joked, desperately looking for a conversation. Usagi smiled deviously, momentarily forgetting about last night's incident.
"It was mean, I know. But that doesn't signify it wasn't priceless either," Usa giggled as she relived her earlier 'achievement.' Everyone else laughed also, the scene replaying continuously in their heads.
Ami was the first to settle down. She remembered what occurred after, though, that concerned her. Usagi stared into space the whole morning. Of course, that in itself wasn't the strange part. It was the fact that Usa was actually thinking that bothered her. Usa's brow was furrowed the whole time and she concentrated on one point for two whole hours. She also hadn't fallen asleep once. Her best friend was notorious for slumbering twenty minutes into class. Yet, she didn't comment any of this to her, knowing that Usagi would tell her if anything was wrong. After the lunch bell rang, the quartet packed up and headed to class.
"Is everything set?" the magnetic voice questioned. The minion nodded its head fearfully while keeping its eyes down. "Good, tell Lazuli to dispatch the jaki." The lesser jaki bowed elaborately and scurried off to do his bidding.
The dark figure smiled obscurely to himself. He had waited so long to achieve his goal. He glanced into his large ring, the setting as large as a half dollar. An image appeared in the black stone and the man smiled widely.
"Soon, my precious, soon," he breathed huskily, vanishing in a implosion of darkness.
"Konnichi wa, Motoki!" the lighthearted blonde greeted as she and her friends entered the Arcade.
"Hi Minako. Hello girls," he welcomed warmly as they sat down in their favorite booth. "What can I get you guys today?" he asked as he pulled his order pad out.
"Two cokes, two ice teas, and let me guess, Usagi, a double fudge milkshake," Mina bade sunnily.
"Actually, I'm not very hungry. Just get me a water," Usagi requested. Everyone stared at her, their eyes wide open in shock. She ignored them, just like she had been doing for the past four hours. In class, she had paid attention, mainly to get Shingo off her mind, and answered Haruna-sensei's question correctly. Not only that, but she managed to get most of her homework done during class. Her friends kept on giving her strange looks and whispering behind her back. She knew they weren't trying to hurt her but it did. Was she actually like that in real life? Thinking back, she could see how her personality was dimmed by her few faults. Yet, looking critically at them again, she found it hard to find any other characteristics. Usagi's eyes watered slightly. She held them back, as she had been doing all morning.
"Umm, sure Usa," Motoki answered and left to get their orders. The jingle of the door bells rang out, but it was only noticed by Motoki.
"Konnichi wa, Mamoru! How are you doing today?" he asked as he poured the tea mix together.
"Not bad. I aced another test," he answered while flashing a boyish grin. Motoki shook his head tediously, knowing the answer before it had even left his mouth. The day Mamoru didn't do well on a test was the day Cambodia became the leading economic power.
"Say, did you run into Usa this morning?" Motoki asked curiously. Mamoru grinned in response.
"The question is did I not? But alas, yes, as I do every morning, I ran into her," he ended, almost melodramatically.
"Was she acting weird when you did?" Motoki persisted. Mamoru perked up at this.
"As a matter of fact, hai, she was. Why do you ask?" Mamoru asked, barely containing his concern. Which didn't go unnoticed by Motoki. The blond smiled to himself and answered before he could be questioned.
"Well, she has been really...subdued since she has come in. You know, not her usual self. I was just wondering how long this has been going on," he explained as he finished the orders, handing his friend a coffee without even being asked. He left Mamoru to think while he went to serve the drinks.
Mamoru's brows furrowed as he glanced over at his Odango Atama. Obviously this was a problem that she wasn't sharing to anyone, even her friends. That in itself was weird. Usually, if asked, she would tell them, not wanting to keep any secrets. Mamoru stared hard at his coffee as Motoki returned.
"You should talk to her about it." Mamoru looked up to see his only friend observing him with a discerning regard.
"Me? Why would she want to talk to me?! We hate each other!" Mamoru exclaimed.
"Really?" Motoki asked while raising his brow skeptically. Mamoru nodded emphatically, downed the rest of his drink, paid, and left quickly. Motoki followed him with his eyes the whole time.
'Why do you deny yourself, Mamoru?' he asked silently to himself. He shrugged and walked back to the girls.
"Is there anything else I can get for you guys?" he asked, his eyes lingering worriedly on Usagi. At their negative shakes, he sighed and left to serve his other customers.
"I better go, guys. Okaa-san told me to come home right after school. Even now I'm going against her request just being here," Usagi stated as she rose from her seat.
"Usagi....what's wrong?" Rei asked in concern. Usagi stared her straight in the eye. Then she smiled brightly.
"Nothing! Ja ne minna!" she concluded as she turned around and promptly walked home.
"I'm worried about her," Mina expressed. The others nodded but didn't say anything. They didn't know what else to do.
The signal went off at 1:34 A.M. exactly. Usagi would know, she was still up. She hadn't been able to fall asleep since she laid down. Shingo awoke and claimed that he didn't remember anything after he got out of school.
Usagi jumped out of bed after the first two beeps. She was ready to go get something off her mind.
"Let's go, Luna! We're going to be late!" the blonde urged as she climbed down the convenient tree. Luna awoke sleepily and looked around.
"Huh?"
The first available alley was also, consequently, the one that Usagi transformed in. Sailor Moon emerged not a second later, running towards the park. She fell on her butt as soon as she ran into someone.
"Oohh...I'm usually more graceful in this form," she muttered while rubbing her sore bum. She looked up suddenly, remembering her obstruction. He stood at 6'7", brooding and arrogant. Black hair that fell to his ears shined in the moonlight. Sailor Moon gasped when she saw the black eyes. Never had she seen such a color so dark! He smirked as soon as they made eye contact.
"Well, well, well! What do we have here?" he mocked while raising an eyebrow. Sailor Moon gulped.
"W-wh-who are you?" she asked, alarmed. He smiled like a cat who got the canary.
"Merely a commoner who wishes to be in your presence, Miss Moon," he replied. Sailor Moon knotted her brows in worry.
"I'm sorry, but I really must be going. I have work to do," she apologized, standing up quickly and preparing to dash away. His smile grew even wider, and she started to get uneasy.
"I wouldn't go if I were you. Something awful might happen," he warned quietly with his eyes half-lidded. Sailor Moon's back straightened up and she turned around to stare at him.
"Are you threatening me?" she asked in shock, "I demand to know who you are!" He bowed low before her.
"My apologies, dear one. I am Obsidian, your most humble admirer." He rose confidently, and regarded her in haughtiness. Sailor Moon cocked her head to the side, peering intently into his eyes. He gazed right back. She shook her head, as if to clear some sort of spell he had over her, and looked at the clock in the building nearby. Her eyes widened as they saw 1:47 flaunted in red. Gasping, she turned and ran toward the park. Turning the corner, she proceeded to fall flat on her butt again. He leaned up against the stone wall nearby and smirked again.
"I must say, you are determined. But you have yet to hear my predicament," Obsidian declared smoothly. Growling, Sailor Moon stood up again and glared at him.
"I don't want to hear about your predicament. Go talk to a freaking psychiatrist. I really need to go. My friends are in trouble and might need my help," she ended her tirade, huffing and puffing in exhaustion. He simply raised his eyebrow in amusement.
"I'm afraid that you do want to hear me out. It involves your dear brother, Shingo. I believe that's his name," Obsidian pondered thoughtfully. Sailor Moon's eyes narrowed as he mentioned Shingo's name.
"I don't know who you are talking about. I have no brother named Shingo," she tried to cover up. Obsidian shook his head as he laughed quietly to himself. He pushed off against the wall and strode toward her. Sailor Moon started to back away, but stood still after a few feet. She had to remain calm and fearless. Even if she felt like running down the street and hiding under her covers.
"I know all about you, Sailor Moon....Usagi," he whispered the last part while he reached up and stroked her cheek. She jerked away, repulsed.
"What do you want? What about Shingo?" she demanded hotly. "You're the one who took him away last night, weren't you?!"
"Guilty as charged. I must say, you are quite smart for a D average student, if even," he remarked with a grin. "Sadly, I must ask for you to end your days as Sailor Moon. I don't want you getting hurt. There is only so much I can control."
"And if I refuse?" Sailor Moon asked indignantly. Obsidian smirked as though he would enjoy answering that question.
"I took that answer into consideration and determined that I didn't like it very much-"
"Well that's just too bad-" she interrupted before he cut right back in.
"-therefore, I took the liberty of insuring it would never come up. Yesterday afternoon, I had your brother inserted with a special crystal. I must say, it is my pride and joy. It took me quite awhile to make. Anyways, this crystal is harmless right now, but if you cross me, I must say...the consequences would be dire," Obsidian ended maliciously. Sailor Moon gasped. Shock, fear, and anger all flashed through her eyes as he watched.
"How could you?! How could you be so cruel as to do such a thing?!" she questioned brokenly as she thought of her innocent brother. Tears started to trickle down her face. Obsidian inhaled sharply, once again struck by her beauty. Her cheeks were rosy, eyes a sorrowful, watery blue, and her hair cascaded down her back as the wind continued to tease it.
"It is all part of my plan to get what I want," he finally got out. He stepped forward and wiped a tear away. "And I will have it," he whispered vehemently before disappearing into a silent implosion of night. She sniffled and wiped the rest of her tears away, trying to get rid of all evidence.
"I wouldn't tell anyone of this meeting if I were you," a voice echoed in the empty space.
"There you are, Odango! I cannot believe you never showed up! What were you doing, stopping for a midnight snack?!" Sailor Mars vented angrily. She always did this, especially when she was very worried. Sailor Moon turned her head toward the raven-tressed girl.
"I'm sorry, Mars. I got hung up," she spoke softly as she glanced up at her friends. They all gazed at her in anxious concern. Jupiter stepped forward and placed her hand on Moon's shoulder.
"What's wrong, Usa-chan? You can tell us," she coaxed. Moon looked to the ground, staring hard at the particularly interesting sidewalk.
'I wouldn't tell anyone of this meeting if I were you.' Sailor Moon gulped and looked straight at Jupiter.
"Nothing's wrong. I just got confused as to where we were supposed to meet," she gave a lopsided smile, lying through her teeth. The concerned faces still remained, but appeared to be more masked. Sailor Moon faked a yawn and pretended to look at her watch.
"Wow, look at the time! I need to get to bed. Can't wake up early with only so little sleep," she winked and did the V sign, running off into the darkness.
"I can't help but think she was lying..." Venus commented.
"Gee, you think, V? Seeing how she didn't have a watch on, nor does she ever get up early, excluding today. Not to mention, she could have just beeped us to ask where the battle was," Mars counted off as she tried to discover what was up with Usagi. The others nodded in agreement, each deep within their own thoughts as they separated to their own homes.
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That's it for now.....it'll take me about another 4 months to come up with the next chapter....MUWAHAHAHA!!!...**sigh** Fine, I'll try to get some more in....^.~
:3D~
MOUSY BUTT!!!