Author's Notes at bottom - Enjoy!
@------
Flee to Destiny
Chapter 13 - The Past Comes a Haunting
By: Bethany
Editor: Meara
Rated: PG
@------
The sound of a pin dropping on the hardwood floors
would have caused an echo, I was sure. The silence was
thick between us and the Outer Senshi - and uncomfortable.
I was thankful when Setsuna finally began speaking.
"The Silver Milieum was a time of peace in the solar
system. The only remote trace of hostility was between the
Earth and Moon. But it was so scarce that we never suspected
something coming of it. And maybe it wouldn't have, except
for a much stronger force invading the universe." The Senshi
of Time closed her eyes, clutching the Time Staff and drawing
it closer to her, as if drawing strength from it.
"I could do nothing at the time of the invasion outside
of warn the planets in its path. One by one Uranus, Neptune
and Saturn were defeated. By passing the inner planets without
our notice, it attacked Earth with its powerful grip - taking
over completely. With the destruction of the Earth Kingdom,
the Moon was the only authority left in the solar system that
could fight. The power of Serenity was strong, and would have
prevailed eventually. The power behind the evil knew this, and
therefore took a different direction - something no one could
have prepared for.
"By this time the Queen's daughter - Princess Serenity -
had already fallen in love with the Earth prince. It was no
secret, despite what the young couple thought. But there was
someone else, someone who also lusted after the young heir to
the Earthian throne; Beryl. Tapping into her jealousy, the evil
Metallia played on Beryl's desires and fed her power. When the
final battle of Earth came, Endymion refused Beryl and she
became enraged. Promising Beryl that she could have revenge,
Metallia lead Beryl and her followers to the Moon where she
tried to kill the Princess."
I couldn't remember the last time I blinked. I felt
Mamo-chan gripping my hand, but sensed nothing else. Everything
that I had wanted to know for so long was being laid before me.
So why was I so scared?
"I believe you know what happened after that, Endymion
took the blow meant for Serenity and fell. In her grief, the
Princess killed herself. Queen Serenity, seeing everything
from afar, took no notice when Metallia attacked her. Her
last breath was a promise to her daughter, which is the
reason we are all here today." Setsuna sat back like the
effort it took to say all of this drained her. She sighed,
her eyes closing for a long moment.
"But what does this have to do with now? And Shingo?"
I mumbled, afraid that if I spoke too loud I would break the
spell that had been cast over everyone in the room.
For a long minute no one spoke. Finally Haruka began,
leaving off where Setsuna had stopped, acting like I had never
spoken. "When Queen Serenity released the power of the Moon,
Metallia was driven back out of the solar system. It has taken
her thousands of years to work her way back to Earth. When she
finally made it back to take over Beryl again, she was weak.
That is the reason for all the Youma who drained human energy.
But now that Beryl is dead, she needs another body to do her
bidding. For all we know, she needed it all along."
"We suspect," Michiru began in her soft voice. "That she
has been trying to take several humans for this, but none were
capable of with standing her power and not resist it."
My eyes grew so wide they hurt. Flashbacks... bruises that
covered Shingo's body... Youma's trying to take him... Beryl's
desire for my unborn baby... I chocked on the sob that rose in
my throat. I simply couldn't find the words to ask the questions
burning in my mind. And even more, I feared the answers.
Mamo-chan must have been thinking the same thing as I;
only he could say what I found too hard. "Would there be any
markings on a body it tried to take? Any evidence?"
Hotaru's eyes sparked interest, but she said nothing.
Michiru nodded. "Dark splotches, bruising perhaps." Her delicate
eyebrows rose at the look of utter despair on my face. "Did
Shingo have any of these signs?" I didn't have to answer; the
look on my face said it all. Michiru nodded like she was
confirming an earlier thought.
"But the bruising stopped months ago, didn't it Usagi?"
Rei fumbled, obviously as taken back by this information as I
was. "Then surely that means--"
"That only confirms that he wasn't strong enough to
fight it off," Setsuna interrupted her, bursting my small
bubble of hope. "Evil to the body is like a disease, it
feeds off the system. The bruises indicated his body fighting
it off, when they stopped appearing; his body no longer had
any resistance. How long ago was the last bruising?"
"Nearly five months ago," I mumbled. I just couldn't
believe what they were saying. For months, under my nose,
the enemy had been feeding evil into Shingo? But how... and
more importantly: "Why are you telling me this now? When it's
too late to stop them?"
Haruka smirked with the arrogance of Uranus. Only they
were one and the same. But how? The moody, self-persistent
Sailor Uranus and the courteous Haruka that had helped me
that day in the rain...? "If we had known about the condition
Shingo was in, we could have prevented this altogether."
I didn't have time to react to what she was implying
before Mako-chan blew up. "If you had known?" she bellowed,
looking as if she were getting madder the longer she thought
about it. "Are you saying we were supposed to come crawling
to you, tell everything we know, when you didn't even want
us around to fight? You have to got to be kidding me!"
Haruka looked to Michiru for help, but the petite Senshi
said nothing. Mako-chan and Haruka continued to glare at each
other and I thought they may start arguing again, but Hotaru
placed herself between them and held her hands up calmly.
"Fighting will not help," she said softly, but with a firmness
that surprised me. I noticed how pleased Michiru and Setsuna
appeared at her performance. "We were wrong, Haruka-papa. And
you know that. Demo," she turned her slender body towards
Mako-chan. "Fighting amongst ourselves will not help Shingo,
or our Princess."
Haruka backed up to the fireplace and sulked, Mako-chan
doing much the same when she found none of the rest of us would
join her crusade. Hotaru turned towards me, her face a mask of
serenity. "The first thing we need to do is find Shingo. And
hope," she paused, a flickering sadness coming and going in
her eyes. "That we are not too late to save him."
It was nearly midnight before the Outer Senshi left,
promising they wouldn't be far if I needed them.
"We can protect Usagi-chan just fine," Minako shot back
when Haruka said this.
"We'll see," was the Senshi of Uranus' reply before she
softly shut the door, putting any further discussion to and end
- for now.
"We'll see," Mako-chan mocked, wagging her head. "What the
hell does that mean, anyways?"
Mamo-chan rose, holding his hand out to me. Gratefully I
took it and stood, gazing at my guardians and the lunar cats.
"Let's not argue, onegai. I just want to fine Shingo and restore
some sense of peace and order in my life."
Rei nodded thoughtfully. "That's all we want, too."
Mamo-chan and I bid everyone goodnight. And, talking Chibi-Usa
went upstairs to sleep. The guest bedroom Minako had appointed us
was quiet large, nearly as big as the living room in our apartment.
In the center of the room was a large mahogany bed with four posts
that reached towards the ceiling. On either side of the bed was
matching nightstands with lamps. A doorway to our right went into
the adjoining bath.
Mamo-chan placed Chibi-Usa's crib at the foot of the bed and
pulled out a suitcase I hadn't noticed earlier. He caught sight of
my wondering gaze and smiled slightly. "Ami grabbed some things we
might need..." He opened it up and grabbed a pair of pajama pants
for himself and a nightshirt for me.
I changed quickly and crawled in the bed next to Mamo-chan.
I stared out the window until I could faintly hear Mamo-chan's deep
breathing indicating he was asleep. But no matter how tired I was
or how much I longed to fall into a dreamless sleep - I couldn't.
Call me crazy, but the silence in this house was getting on my
nerves. I longed to hear the noises that were so frequent in our
apartment.
I felt Mamo-chan reach out, pulling me towards him. I
snuggled against his chest, but still couldn't get comfortable.
"What's wrong?" he asked, breaking the silence and nearly scaring
me to death since I assumed he was asleep.
"Nothing," I mumbled. I broke free from his arms and got up
to check on Chibi-Usa. The moonlight coming in through the window
gave her an angelic glow as she slept soundly. Her small fingers
were balled into fists above her head and her small chest softly
rose and fell with her breathing. Smiling I pulled the pale pink
blanket up over her chest and returned to bed.
Reassured Chibi-Usa was fine, I lay back on the bed and
curled up against my Prince's back once more. Listening to the
gentle thumping of his heart, I finally fell into a restless
dream.
Over and over I seen Shingo's clone burning in the tub,
except in my dream I could hear him screaming. My name, for
help... over and over... screaming his pain....
"USAGI!"
I sat up quickly, the dream so vivid I was sure it was real.
Beside me Mamo-chan slept on. I breathed a small sigh of relief,
thinking surely if someone had been screaming, it would have woken
him.
As if on cue, Chibi-Usa stirred and then began crying. I
glanced at the clock, surprised that instead of having for only
minutes as I had thought, it had been nearly two hours. With my
eyes burning, I rolled out of bed and went to the crib.
Chibi-Usa's small face was scrunched up and red, her tiny
fists waving in the air above her. When I picked her up she
calmed some, but not altogether. I didn't want to wake Mamo-chan
up (he could get up next time, I figured) I started downstairs.
Such a huge house so late at night seem to take on a life of it's
own. Without the sounds of traffic, or life in any form, I thought
I could hear the house breathing. I had to laugh at myself, being
scared at my age to walk through a dark hall.
No matter what I did or said to myself to try and take the
fear away, though, it was persistent. I was thankful when I finally
reached the first landing and the kitchen where I could turn the
light on and let it chase the shadows back to the corners. Balancing
Chibi-Usa in one arm, I felt up the wall for the switch that would
turn the kitchen light on. Finally I found it, turned it on... and
promptly screamed.
"Easy!" Haruka seemed terribly embarrassed as she jumped up,
waving her hands in front of her.
I managed to clamp my mouth down, but my body still shook so
badly I feared I would drop the baby. I leaned against the wall for
support, all the while gasping for breath. "What are you doing? How
did you get in here? Why were you sitting in the dark?" I fired my
questions sharply, without so much as pausing for a breath. Chibi-Usa,
who had temporarily been shocked by my scream, began wailing again.
I tried to rock her as I glared at Haruka, waiting for an answer.
The Senshi of Uranus moved with a feline-like quality; stealthy
and graceful, yet very much aware of her surroundings. She pulled
a chair out for me and waited until I was seated before she sat
across from me. For a few minutes she stared at her clasped hands.
When she didn't say anything, even I glanced at what held her
interest to see if the answer were somehow there and I hadn't
taken notice.
Chibi-Usa continued to cry, and seeing no other choice,
I began feeding her. Even though I told myself that I shouldn't
be, I couldn't help being self conscience - even embarrassed -
to breast feed in front of Haruka, knowing what I did about her.
However, Haruka seemed oblivious to what I was doing, as well as
to the blush that tinted my face red. When she looked up, her
expression was as solemn as death as she finally began speaking.
"The truth is, I was... I wanted to make sure everything was
alright." Her eyes shifted from mine almost as soon as she
completed her excuse. I wondered if she really thought I was
gullible enough to believe that was her only motives.
I narrowed my eyes, embarrassment forgotten. I was
determined to understand this person. After all, we were
all Senshi - surely we could get along. "The Inner Senshi
and Mamo-chan are more than qualified to protect me, I believe,"
I retorted in a dry tone that sounded remarkably like the one
she had used on us many times before. "Why don't you be honest
for once, hmm? Tell me the real reason you're sitting in
Minako's kitchen, by yourself, at three in the morning."
An emotion that bordered on respect flickered across
Haruka's face briefly before she meet my accusing gaze
without so much as blinking. A few tense seconds passed
until finally she looked down again, a few blonde strains
of hair gently caressing her forehead. She looked beyond
her clasped hands, though, to a memory that I couldn't see
- but I felt she could, more clearly than she would like.
"It's strange, really, that I can remember some things
with such clarity and others not at all. I can see the
day my planet fell like it had happened only moments ago.
I was meeting with members of my head guard; we were
discussing the impending enemy when the alarms sounded.
I fought with all I had; we all did. But in the end, it
wasn't enough. I watched my childhood friends get blown
to pieces; I watched members of my family crumple up and
die all around me. We gave it our all, and when we had
no more to give it moved on to conquer the next planet."
I hadn't noticed until now what a deep, manly voice Haruka
had. I felt so moved by the way she spoke softly, painfully.
She looked up at me again, her eyes glassy. "I failed you
that day, Princess. I'm not going to do it again."
I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until she
finished. I exhaled deeply, feeling tears spring behind my
eyes. I had only thought of myself up until now, how I had
been affected by everything that had happened. But I wasn't
the only one whose life had been destroyed. There was thousands
whose world ended with mine. I glanced down, Chibi-Usa's eyes
were half closed and she lazily drank some milk and then stopped
to doze for a moment or two.
I tried to think of something to say, something of comfort,
but I could think of nothing; nor did I have time to. The sound
of footsteps caught our attention and I looked up expectantly just
as Mamo-chan came to the entryway. "There you are," he mumbled,
walking further in the room. He glanced at Haruka, nodded briefly,
and looked back to me.
"I was to come back to bed." Without saying a word, I knew
that he wouldn't go back upstairs without me. When I was sure
Chibi-Usa was asleep again, I stood. Before I walked out of the
kitchen, though, I looked back at the blonde Senshi, seeing her
in a different light. "Thank you, Haruka-san." She said nothing
as I left and ascended the stairs. But she didn't need to say
anything, I understood perfectly.
@------
The morning sun filtered by the sheer curtains the following
morning pulled me awake. I stretched my body out, feeling around
beside me for Mamo-chan. When all that greeted me was an empty bed,
my eyes snapped open. It didn't take long to find him, though. He
was at Chibi-Usa's crib - attempting to change her diaper. I got
out of the bed, yawning as I did so, and stepped up to the other
side of the crib. He stood back, obviously proud, but the corner
of his mouth twisted with confuse. "Why does it look funny?"
I giggled and went around the crib, pointing to our
daughter's bulky diaper. "You have to pull her bottom up to
get the diaper under her." Undoing the diaper, I pulled her
small feet up so that I could put the diaper in place.
Mamo-chan flinched when I had finished and looked up
at him. "Doesn't it hurt her to pull her legs up like that?"
Laughing I told him no. Mamo-chan went over to the suitcase
to dig out clean clothes, shaking his head in disbelief all
the while. "I wouldn't want someone pulling my legs up over
my head like that," he mumbled to himself.
"You're hopeless, my love," I told him, kissing the
back of his neck and in the same swift movement sprinting
towards the bathroom, shutting and locking the door.
"Hey!" he protested, but I ignored him and got in the
shower.
When I was done, I realized I was so determined to
shower first I had forgotten my clothes. I wrapped a towel
around myself and opened the bathroom door. At first I didn't
see Mamo-chan anywhere, but that didn't last for too long.
As soon as I was clear of the bathroom door, I was lifted
up and thrown on the bed. I screamed as my dark haired
Prince began tickling me without mercy. "I'll show you!
Sneaking past me!" he laughed, his fingers dancing over
my ribs until I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe.
"Stop!" I yelled, trying to push him off me. It was
about as effective as a fly on an elephants back. The small
knot I had my towel held together by suddenly fell apart,
leaving me as naked as the day I was born - and well in
Mamo-chan's appreciative gaze. He stopped tickling me, and
even though I was grateful for that, I still had a hard time
catching my breath.
A part of me was scared to death and eager to conceal
my nudity under his eyes. After all, despite everything, I
was still a virgin. But there was something in his eyes,
something so loving and gentle that I found I couldn't speak,
let alone move away.
His gaze drank me in from head to toe like a man dying
of thirst. I held my breath as he placed his hands on my small
of my stomach; his skin touching mine sent waves of warmth all
over me.
"Usagi, are you okay?" Rei lightly knocked on the door,
but neither Mamo-chan nor I moved, or answered. Without any
warning, Rei pushed the door open. "Usagi, I heard screaming,
I--" We both looked over just in time to see the Priestess stop,
her face turning a bright red. "Gomen!" she squeaked and slammed
the door shut.
I stared at the door, still in shock from Rei's sudden
burst in the room and even faster departure. Mamo-chan placed
his lips on my throat, and instantly Rei was long forgotten.
@------
I hummed as I dressed Chibi-Usa in a pink summer dress
and tied a small bow in her short stubble of hair. Her eyes
were a clear, sparkling blue - just a shake lighter than mine,
but not as dark as Mamo-chan's. When she smiled, her eyes
seemed to light up with joy. I recalled Ami explaining to
me that all babies were born with blue eyes; I prayed
Chibi-Usa's would stay.*
Mamo-chan and I acted like two sneaky teenagers as we
slipped quietly down stairs and into the kitchen where the
Senshi were. But either Rei had squealed or we looked too
happy, because four sets of knowing eyes meet us when we
walked in.
Mako-chan placed two huge stacks of pancakes on the table
and winked at me. "How did you all sleep, or need we ask?" I
blushed, which was as good as a confession to them. Mamo-chan
sat next to me, mumbled a "fine" and busied himself making our
plates.
We had just about finished breakfast when the Outer Senshi
returned. Haruka acted no differently and I said nothing about
the conversation we had the night before. She acted just as
indifferent as ever, making me wonder if she and I had really
spoken, or if I'd dreamt it.
Mako-chan made no bones about her feelings. "Have you no
words of wisdom for us little people this morning?" she asked,
glancing up from her plate with a syrupy sweet smile on her
face.
Haruka made no reply, only Michiru had the decency to look
embarrassed for the both of them. Setsuna looked indifferent to
the tense air the two Senshi had created and Hotaru actually smiled.
Ami stood, directing herself to me. "We should get started.
My mother will watch Chibi-Usa." I bit down on my bottom lip. I
wanted to get Shingo back as soon as possible, but the idea of
leaving Chibi-Usa with some one who was a stranger to her didn't
sit well with me. The only comfort I had was that Dr. Mizuno had
been my OBG-YN with my pregnancy and I trusted her completely.
Mamo-chan brought the baby bag down and we left with Setsuna,
who claimed the Time Gate was the fastest way to travel.
When we returned everyone was already discussing the course
of action to take. Mamo-chan sat with his arm around me, knowing
that I had cried when we left Chibi-Usa and was likely to begin
again if given the chance. Determinedly I told myself that she
was safe, and that was all that mattered. I concentrated on
listening to what was going on around me.
"The other night after the clone incident at Usagi and
Mamoru's apartment, I found a dimensional portal at one end of
the closet in Shingo's room," Ami explained. "That's how the
Youma were getting to him and how they eventually took him.
Both Michiru and I have examined the vortex, but the only
conclusive evidence we have found is that someone has been
passing through it recently. If it wasn't for that activity
I fear we would have never discovered it to begin with."
Mamo-chan sat forward, his fingers pressed together
under his chin. "You don't know where it goes? Or what we
should expect if we pass through it?" he asked indubitably,
his voice edgy. It was unlike Mamo-chan to question such
things, I glanced at him wondrously. "We have access to
technology that today's scientists only dream of, and the
only thing we can find out is that someone has passed through
it? After what happened the other night, I could have told
you that."
It was clear from the look of shock on Michiru's face
and that of anguish on Ami's that they wished almost as much
as we that they had more facts. I squeezed Mamo-chan's leg,
shaking my head slightly when our eyes meet. "I'm sure they
tried to learn more, but were unable to," I said evenly,
directing myself at Mamo-chan more than anyone else.
Mamo-chan nodded his head and ran his long fingers
through his dark hair. He sat back, exhaling deeply. "I'm
sorry, I'm just frustrated, I suppose." Michiru nodded and
Ami looked relieved.
Haruka, of course, heard and felt what she wanted -
and couldn't help herself but to add gasoline to the fire.
In her eyes he had insulted Michiru alone, and as I feared -
that was enough to get her started. "I don't see you doing
any better, cape boy," she grumbled in our direction.
"Especially not by the Princess. You can stay beside her
while she has your kid, but don't have the decency to marry
her--"
"Enough!" Even Haruka looked shocked at my outburst,
as if she never believed I'd have the nerve to stand up and
stop her from having her say. One look at Mamo-chan told me
how angry he was, but I refused to listen to anymore. "Haruka,
you have no right to say anything about my personal life. It's
none--"
"Anything pertaining to your life is our business," she
started to argue, but I stood up.
I may only stand four feet eleven, but I tried to pack
as much authority into my voice as possible. Without any warning
I felt warmth in my forehead, feeling like it was trying to push
through my skin. "It's none of your business," I finished, locking
gazes with the Senshi of Wind. Suddenly a brilliant glow blast
through the room, causing everyone to block their eyes until it
lessened.
"Usagi-chan..." Luna breathed, her voice full of amazement.
I looked dead at her, not understanding. It seemed everyone in
the room was struck speechless by what they seen, even Haruka.
I glanced around the room, hoping someone would speak
instead of gape at me. In passing, I caught my reflection in
the mirror above the fireplace and beheld a crescent moon, a
replica of Luna and Artemis', shining brightly on my forehead.
It was rather large and sat proudly between my eyebrows.
Luna shook her head, but kept her eyes open as if afraid
she was seeing things and didn't want to close her eyes and risk
it disappearing. "Your birth right," my guardian feline whispered.
She finally closed her eyes and lifted her head up towards the
ceiling. "Thank Selene," she said almost silently.
Thank Selene? I thought. Why? For a constant reminder of
who I was? Not Tsukino Usagi, not even Sailor Moon. But Princess
Serenity. The girl I had fought with all my life in one form or
another had just succeeded in completely taking over my life.
No, don't thank Selene. Curse her. Curse her for allowing
me to think I was my own person for almost eighteen years, and
in one swift movement taking it all away.
My body folded and I was falling... down... down... but
always when I fell, he caught me. His worried blue eyes were
over me, calling my name over and over. But this time I refused
to give into the darkness. No, it was a common for a Princess
to faint.
Not this Princess. I would prove to them all I wasn't the
weakling who killed herself so many years ago. No, I would prove
to them all I was wiser. Most of all, I would prove it to myself.
I stood back on my feet and looked again at the girl in the mirror.
@------
The sun's rays had just disappeared over the ocean when
we arrived back at the apartment Mamo-chan and I shared. As we
approached the bedroom door, I felt a cold breeze whip down the
hall. It was soon to become to clear where it was coming from.
"It's the same as it was the night Shingo disappeared," I
whispered, placing my palm on the door. The imprint of my hand
in the frozen wood stayed a few seconds before disappearing. I
tried to the door handle to no avail, but I didn't think there
would be. This was familiar to me, much too familiar.
Tuxedo Kamen gently pulled me away from the door and tried
the handle. I could tell from the look on his face that he didn't
think it would open, however. He stood back and kicked the door,
making it swing open. Inside the room was covered in ice. It hung
from the bed, the toys, the night stand, even the light fixture.
"Dear Lord," I heard Jupiter mumbled behind me. I could only
silently agree with her.
Memories that my mind had buried came back as I stared in
that room. I could remember shoving on the door, and then it swung
open. Only it felt more like someone had been standing on the other
side, waiting for the right moment to let it go. And then... My eyes
darted to the closet. I could remember Shingo screaming and as I
looked up from the pool of my own blood I thought I had seen Shingo
being dragged into the closet.
I blinked, walking across the small room to join the Senshi
who were at the closet door discussing the vortex inside. "They
were ready for us," I said, running my hand down the ice covered
wall.
"So much for the element of surprise," Pluto stated dryly.
"Now we just do it the old fashion way," I stepped up to the
vortex and peered into it. "Through the front door." Without so
much as a warning, I walked through, leaving the Senshi to follow.
To my surprise when I stepped out I found myself in a room very
much like the one I had just left, except this one was missing the
ice and cold. I waited for the other Senshi to join me, but none
else came through the portal. I hesitated, one part of me wanting
to go back and the other telling me to go forward. Before I could
make that decision, it was made for me.
When I turned around, the portal was gone. "Great," I mumbled
to myself. Mamo-chan is going to kill me when he finds me.
It occurred to me that if this looked exactly like Shingo's
bedroom in my apartment, then perhaps beyond the bedroom door was
the rest of the apartment. And if I was lucky, at least one of the
Senshi would have came out of the portal close by. With all of this
decided (also note I decided I was crazy for going in alone) I went
towards the door and turned the handle. To my disappointment, when
I opened the door there was nothing. And mind you, I mean nothing
literally. Unless you count black space that went on forever in
all directions.
"Shimatta." I looked around in the small room I had come
in. The closet door no longer contained a portal, the window
didn't open. I even searched under the bed, but only found a
pair of socks. The drawers all contained the same thing that
Shingo's real dressers contained. Puzzled, but not finding
anything to help me, I came to the conclusion there was only
one thing to do.
I opened the bedroom door again and looked into the
black abyss. Holding my breath, I said a small prayer to
the powers that be; and walked out of the room.
--End Chapter 13.
* - Okay, we all know that poor little Chibi-Usa (hey, I can't help
it if I like her a lot, k?) has red eyes. But I can't understand
how the girl has parent's and grandparents with blue eyes, and yet
hers are red. So, since this is my story and I want her eyes to be
blue - so be it! ^_^!
Annnnyways, here is chapter 13 - as promised. I have already completed
chapter 14, I just haven't typed it yet. Since I'm going to the moutains
this weekend, I'm going to try and get over here to get it typed up and
to my editor so that there is no death threats sent my way ^_^
So, unless something prevents me from doing so (or you) See you next
week for Chapter 14 - Senshi in Wonderland.
@------
Flee to Destiny
Chapter 13 - The Past Comes a Haunting
By: Bethany
Editor: Meara
Rated: PG
@------
The sound of a pin dropping on the hardwood floors
would have caused an echo, I was sure. The silence was
thick between us and the Outer Senshi - and uncomfortable.
I was thankful when Setsuna finally began speaking.
"The Silver Milieum was a time of peace in the solar
system. The only remote trace of hostility was between the
Earth and Moon. But it was so scarce that we never suspected
something coming of it. And maybe it wouldn't have, except
for a much stronger force invading the universe." The Senshi
of Time closed her eyes, clutching the Time Staff and drawing
it closer to her, as if drawing strength from it.
"I could do nothing at the time of the invasion outside
of warn the planets in its path. One by one Uranus, Neptune
and Saturn were defeated. By passing the inner planets without
our notice, it attacked Earth with its powerful grip - taking
over completely. With the destruction of the Earth Kingdom,
the Moon was the only authority left in the solar system that
could fight. The power of Serenity was strong, and would have
prevailed eventually. The power behind the evil knew this, and
therefore took a different direction - something no one could
have prepared for.
"By this time the Queen's daughter - Princess Serenity -
had already fallen in love with the Earth prince. It was no
secret, despite what the young couple thought. But there was
someone else, someone who also lusted after the young heir to
the Earthian throne; Beryl. Tapping into her jealousy, the evil
Metallia played on Beryl's desires and fed her power. When the
final battle of Earth came, Endymion refused Beryl and she
became enraged. Promising Beryl that she could have revenge,
Metallia lead Beryl and her followers to the Moon where she
tried to kill the Princess."
I couldn't remember the last time I blinked. I felt
Mamo-chan gripping my hand, but sensed nothing else. Everything
that I had wanted to know for so long was being laid before me.
So why was I so scared?
"I believe you know what happened after that, Endymion
took the blow meant for Serenity and fell. In her grief, the
Princess killed herself. Queen Serenity, seeing everything
from afar, took no notice when Metallia attacked her. Her
last breath was a promise to her daughter, which is the
reason we are all here today." Setsuna sat back like the
effort it took to say all of this drained her. She sighed,
her eyes closing for a long moment.
"But what does this have to do with now? And Shingo?"
I mumbled, afraid that if I spoke too loud I would break the
spell that had been cast over everyone in the room.
For a long minute no one spoke. Finally Haruka began,
leaving off where Setsuna had stopped, acting like I had never
spoken. "When Queen Serenity released the power of the Moon,
Metallia was driven back out of the solar system. It has taken
her thousands of years to work her way back to Earth. When she
finally made it back to take over Beryl again, she was weak.
That is the reason for all the Youma who drained human energy.
But now that Beryl is dead, she needs another body to do her
bidding. For all we know, she needed it all along."
"We suspect," Michiru began in her soft voice. "That she
has been trying to take several humans for this, but none were
capable of with standing her power and not resist it."
My eyes grew so wide they hurt. Flashbacks... bruises that
covered Shingo's body... Youma's trying to take him... Beryl's
desire for my unborn baby... I chocked on the sob that rose in
my throat. I simply couldn't find the words to ask the questions
burning in my mind. And even more, I feared the answers.
Mamo-chan must have been thinking the same thing as I;
only he could say what I found too hard. "Would there be any
markings on a body it tried to take? Any evidence?"
Hotaru's eyes sparked interest, but she said nothing.
Michiru nodded. "Dark splotches, bruising perhaps." Her delicate
eyebrows rose at the look of utter despair on my face. "Did
Shingo have any of these signs?" I didn't have to answer; the
look on my face said it all. Michiru nodded like she was
confirming an earlier thought.
"But the bruising stopped months ago, didn't it Usagi?"
Rei fumbled, obviously as taken back by this information as I
was. "Then surely that means--"
"That only confirms that he wasn't strong enough to
fight it off," Setsuna interrupted her, bursting my small
bubble of hope. "Evil to the body is like a disease, it
feeds off the system. The bruises indicated his body fighting
it off, when they stopped appearing; his body no longer had
any resistance. How long ago was the last bruising?"
"Nearly five months ago," I mumbled. I just couldn't
believe what they were saying. For months, under my nose,
the enemy had been feeding evil into Shingo? But how... and
more importantly: "Why are you telling me this now? When it's
too late to stop them?"
Haruka smirked with the arrogance of Uranus. Only they
were one and the same. But how? The moody, self-persistent
Sailor Uranus and the courteous Haruka that had helped me
that day in the rain...? "If we had known about the condition
Shingo was in, we could have prevented this altogether."
I didn't have time to react to what she was implying
before Mako-chan blew up. "If you had known?" she bellowed,
looking as if she were getting madder the longer she thought
about it. "Are you saying we were supposed to come crawling
to you, tell everything we know, when you didn't even want
us around to fight? You have to got to be kidding me!"
Haruka looked to Michiru for help, but the petite Senshi
said nothing. Mako-chan and Haruka continued to glare at each
other and I thought they may start arguing again, but Hotaru
placed herself between them and held her hands up calmly.
"Fighting will not help," she said softly, but with a firmness
that surprised me. I noticed how pleased Michiru and Setsuna
appeared at her performance. "We were wrong, Haruka-papa. And
you know that. Demo," she turned her slender body towards
Mako-chan. "Fighting amongst ourselves will not help Shingo,
or our Princess."
Haruka backed up to the fireplace and sulked, Mako-chan
doing much the same when she found none of the rest of us would
join her crusade. Hotaru turned towards me, her face a mask of
serenity. "The first thing we need to do is find Shingo. And
hope," she paused, a flickering sadness coming and going in
her eyes. "That we are not too late to save him."
It was nearly midnight before the Outer Senshi left,
promising they wouldn't be far if I needed them.
"We can protect Usagi-chan just fine," Minako shot back
when Haruka said this.
"We'll see," was the Senshi of Uranus' reply before she
softly shut the door, putting any further discussion to and end
- for now.
"We'll see," Mako-chan mocked, wagging her head. "What the
hell does that mean, anyways?"
Mamo-chan rose, holding his hand out to me. Gratefully I
took it and stood, gazing at my guardians and the lunar cats.
"Let's not argue, onegai. I just want to fine Shingo and restore
some sense of peace and order in my life."
Rei nodded thoughtfully. "That's all we want, too."
Mamo-chan and I bid everyone goodnight. And, talking Chibi-Usa
went upstairs to sleep. The guest bedroom Minako had appointed us
was quiet large, nearly as big as the living room in our apartment.
In the center of the room was a large mahogany bed with four posts
that reached towards the ceiling. On either side of the bed was
matching nightstands with lamps. A doorway to our right went into
the adjoining bath.
Mamo-chan placed Chibi-Usa's crib at the foot of the bed and
pulled out a suitcase I hadn't noticed earlier. He caught sight of
my wondering gaze and smiled slightly. "Ami grabbed some things we
might need..." He opened it up and grabbed a pair of pajama pants
for himself and a nightshirt for me.
I changed quickly and crawled in the bed next to Mamo-chan.
I stared out the window until I could faintly hear Mamo-chan's deep
breathing indicating he was asleep. But no matter how tired I was
or how much I longed to fall into a dreamless sleep - I couldn't.
Call me crazy, but the silence in this house was getting on my
nerves. I longed to hear the noises that were so frequent in our
apartment.
I felt Mamo-chan reach out, pulling me towards him. I
snuggled against his chest, but still couldn't get comfortable.
"What's wrong?" he asked, breaking the silence and nearly scaring
me to death since I assumed he was asleep.
"Nothing," I mumbled. I broke free from his arms and got up
to check on Chibi-Usa. The moonlight coming in through the window
gave her an angelic glow as she slept soundly. Her small fingers
were balled into fists above her head and her small chest softly
rose and fell with her breathing. Smiling I pulled the pale pink
blanket up over her chest and returned to bed.
Reassured Chibi-Usa was fine, I lay back on the bed and
curled up against my Prince's back once more. Listening to the
gentle thumping of his heart, I finally fell into a restless
dream.
Over and over I seen Shingo's clone burning in the tub,
except in my dream I could hear him screaming. My name, for
help... over and over... screaming his pain....
"USAGI!"
I sat up quickly, the dream so vivid I was sure it was real.
Beside me Mamo-chan slept on. I breathed a small sigh of relief,
thinking surely if someone had been screaming, it would have woken
him.
As if on cue, Chibi-Usa stirred and then began crying. I
glanced at the clock, surprised that instead of having for only
minutes as I had thought, it had been nearly two hours. With my
eyes burning, I rolled out of bed and went to the crib.
Chibi-Usa's small face was scrunched up and red, her tiny
fists waving in the air above her. When I picked her up she
calmed some, but not altogether. I didn't want to wake Mamo-chan
up (he could get up next time, I figured) I started downstairs.
Such a huge house so late at night seem to take on a life of it's
own. Without the sounds of traffic, or life in any form, I thought
I could hear the house breathing. I had to laugh at myself, being
scared at my age to walk through a dark hall.
No matter what I did or said to myself to try and take the
fear away, though, it was persistent. I was thankful when I finally
reached the first landing and the kitchen where I could turn the
light on and let it chase the shadows back to the corners. Balancing
Chibi-Usa in one arm, I felt up the wall for the switch that would
turn the kitchen light on. Finally I found it, turned it on... and
promptly screamed.
"Easy!" Haruka seemed terribly embarrassed as she jumped up,
waving her hands in front of her.
I managed to clamp my mouth down, but my body still shook so
badly I feared I would drop the baby. I leaned against the wall for
support, all the while gasping for breath. "What are you doing? How
did you get in here? Why were you sitting in the dark?" I fired my
questions sharply, without so much as pausing for a breath. Chibi-Usa,
who had temporarily been shocked by my scream, began wailing again.
I tried to rock her as I glared at Haruka, waiting for an answer.
The Senshi of Uranus moved with a feline-like quality; stealthy
and graceful, yet very much aware of her surroundings. She pulled
a chair out for me and waited until I was seated before she sat
across from me. For a few minutes she stared at her clasped hands.
When she didn't say anything, even I glanced at what held her
interest to see if the answer were somehow there and I hadn't
taken notice.
Chibi-Usa continued to cry, and seeing no other choice,
I began feeding her. Even though I told myself that I shouldn't
be, I couldn't help being self conscience - even embarrassed -
to breast feed in front of Haruka, knowing what I did about her.
However, Haruka seemed oblivious to what I was doing, as well as
to the blush that tinted my face red. When she looked up, her
expression was as solemn as death as she finally began speaking.
"The truth is, I was... I wanted to make sure everything was
alright." Her eyes shifted from mine almost as soon as she
completed her excuse. I wondered if she really thought I was
gullible enough to believe that was her only motives.
I narrowed my eyes, embarrassment forgotten. I was
determined to understand this person. After all, we were
all Senshi - surely we could get along. "The Inner Senshi
and Mamo-chan are more than qualified to protect me, I believe,"
I retorted in a dry tone that sounded remarkably like the one
she had used on us many times before. "Why don't you be honest
for once, hmm? Tell me the real reason you're sitting in
Minako's kitchen, by yourself, at three in the morning."
An emotion that bordered on respect flickered across
Haruka's face briefly before she meet my accusing gaze
without so much as blinking. A few tense seconds passed
until finally she looked down again, a few blonde strains
of hair gently caressing her forehead. She looked beyond
her clasped hands, though, to a memory that I couldn't see
- but I felt she could, more clearly than she would like.
"It's strange, really, that I can remember some things
with such clarity and others not at all. I can see the
day my planet fell like it had happened only moments ago.
I was meeting with members of my head guard; we were
discussing the impending enemy when the alarms sounded.
I fought with all I had; we all did. But in the end, it
wasn't enough. I watched my childhood friends get blown
to pieces; I watched members of my family crumple up and
die all around me. We gave it our all, and when we had
no more to give it moved on to conquer the next planet."
I hadn't noticed until now what a deep, manly voice Haruka
had. I felt so moved by the way she spoke softly, painfully.
She looked up at me again, her eyes glassy. "I failed you
that day, Princess. I'm not going to do it again."
I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until she
finished. I exhaled deeply, feeling tears spring behind my
eyes. I had only thought of myself up until now, how I had
been affected by everything that had happened. But I wasn't
the only one whose life had been destroyed. There was thousands
whose world ended with mine. I glanced down, Chibi-Usa's eyes
were half closed and she lazily drank some milk and then stopped
to doze for a moment or two.
I tried to think of something to say, something of comfort,
but I could think of nothing; nor did I have time to. The sound
of footsteps caught our attention and I looked up expectantly just
as Mamo-chan came to the entryway. "There you are," he mumbled,
walking further in the room. He glanced at Haruka, nodded briefly,
and looked back to me.
"I was to come back to bed." Without saying a word, I knew
that he wouldn't go back upstairs without me. When I was sure
Chibi-Usa was asleep again, I stood. Before I walked out of the
kitchen, though, I looked back at the blonde Senshi, seeing her
in a different light. "Thank you, Haruka-san." She said nothing
as I left and ascended the stairs. But she didn't need to say
anything, I understood perfectly.
@------
The morning sun filtered by the sheer curtains the following
morning pulled me awake. I stretched my body out, feeling around
beside me for Mamo-chan. When all that greeted me was an empty bed,
my eyes snapped open. It didn't take long to find him, though. He
was at Chibi-Usa's crib - attempting to change her diaper. I got
out of the bed, yawning as I did so, and stepped up to the other
side of the crib. He stood back, obviously proud, but the corner
of his mouth twisted with confuse. "Why does it look funny?"
I giggled and went around the crib, pointing to our
daughter's bulky diaper. "You have to pull her bottom up to
get the diaper under her." Undoing the diaper, I pulled her
small feet up so that I could put the diaper in place.
Mamo-chan flinched when I had finished and looked up
at him. "Doesn't it hurt her to pull her legs up like that?"
Laughing I told him no. Mamo-chan went over to the suitcase
to dig out clean clothes, shaking his head in disbelief all
the while. "I wouldn't want someone pulling my legs up over
my head like that," he mumbled to himself.
"You're hopeless, my love," I told him, kissing the
back of his neck and in the same swift movement sprinting
towards the bathroom, shutting and locking the door.
"Hey!" he protested, but I ignored him and got in the
shower.
When I was done, I realized I was so determined to
shower first I had forgotten my clothes. I wrapped a towel
around myself and opened the bathroom door. At first I didn't
see Mamo-chan anywhere, but that didn't last for too long.
As soon as I was clear of the bathroom door, I was lifted
up and thrown on the bed. I screamed as my dark haired
Prince began tickling me without mercy. "I'll show you!
Sneaking past me!" he laughed, his fingers dancing over
my ribs until I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe.
"Stop!" I yelled, trying to push him off me. It was
about as effective as a fly on an elephants back. The small
knot I had my towel held together by suddenly fell apart,
leaving me as naked as the day I was born - and well in
Mamo-chan's appreciative gaze. He stopped tickling me, and
even though I was grateful for that, I still had a hard time
catching my breath.
A part of me was scared to death and eager to conceal
my nudity under his eyes. After all, despite everything, I
was still a virgin. But there was something in his eyes,
something so loving and gentle that I found I couldn't speak,
let alone move away.
His gaze drank me in from head to toe like a man dying
of thirst. I held my breath as he placed his hands on my small
of my stomach; his skin touching mine sent waves of warmth all
over me.
"Usagi, are you okay?" Rei lightly knocked on the door,
but neither Mamo-chan nor I moved, or answered. Without any
warning, Rei pushed the door open. "Usagi, I heard screaming,
I--" We both looked over just in time to see the Priestess stop,
her face turning a bright red. "Gomen!" she squeaked and slammed
the door shut.
I stared at the door, still in shock from Rei's sudden
burst in the room and even faster departure. Mamo-chan placed
his lips on my throat, and instantly Rei was long forgotten.
@------
I hummed as I dressed Chibi-Usa in a pink summer dress
and tied a small bow in her short stubble of hair. Her eyes
were a clear, sparkling blue - just a shake lighter than mine,
but not as dark as Mamo-chan's. When she smiled, her eyes
seemed to light up with joy. I recalled Ami explaining to
me that all babies were born with blue eyes; I prayed
Chibi-Usa's would stay.*
Mamo-chan and I acted like two sneaky teenagers as we
slipped quietly down stairs and into the kitchen where the
Senshi were. But either Rei had squealed or we looked too
happy, because four sets of knowing eyes meet us when we
walked in.
Mako-chan placed two huge stacks of pancakes on the table
and winked at me. "How did you all sleep, or need we ask?" I
blushed, which was as good as a confession to them. Mamo-chan
sat next to me, mumbled a "fine" and busied himself making our
plates.
We had just about finished breakfast when the Outer Senshi
returned. Haruka acted no differently and I said nothing about
the conversation we had the night before. She acted just as
indifferent as ever, making me wonder if she and I had really
spoken, or if I'd dreamt it.
Mako-chan made no bones about her feelings. "Have you no
words of wisdom for us little people this morning?" she asked,
glancing up from her plate with a syrupy sweet smile on her
face.
Haruka made no reply, only Michiru had the decency to look
embarrassed for the both of them. Setsuna looked indifferent to
the tense air the two Senshi had created and Hotaru actually smiled.
Ami stood, directing herself to me. "We should get started.
My mother will watch Chibi-Usa." I bit down on my bottom lip. I
wanted to get Shingo back as soon as possible, but the idea of
leaving Chibi-Usa with some one who was a stranger to her didn't
sit well with me. The only comfort I had was that Dr. Mizuno had
been my OBG-YN with my pregnancy and I trusted her completely.
Mamo-chan brought the baby bag down and we left with Setsuna,
who claimed the Time Gate was the fastest way to travel.
When we returned everyone was already discussing the course
of action to take. Mamo-chan sat with his arm around me, knowing
that I had cried when we left Chibi-Usa and was likely to begin
again if given the chance. Determinedly I told myself that she
was safe, and that was all that mattered. I concentrated on
listening to what was going on around me.
"The other night after the clone incident at Usagi and
Mamoru's apartment, I found a dimensional portal at one end of
the closet in Shingo's room," Ami explained. "That's how the
Youma were getting to him and how they eventually took him.
Both Michiru and I have examined the vortex, but the only
conclusive evidence we have found is that someone has been
passing through it recently. If it wasn't for that activity
I fear we would have never discovered it to begin with."
Mamo-chan sat forward, his fingers pressed together
under his chin. "You don't know where it goes? Or what we
should expect if we pass through it?" he asked indubitably,
his voice edgy. It was unlike Mamo-chan to question such
things, I glanced at him wondrously. "We have access to
technology that today's scientists only dream of, and the
only thing we can find out is that someone has passed through
it? After what happened the other night, I could have told
you that."
It was clear from the look of shock on Michiru's face
and that of anguish on Ami's that they wished almost as much
as we that they had more facts. I squeezed Mamo-chan's leg,
shaking my head slightly when our eyes meet. "I'm sure they
tried to learn more, but were unable to," I said evenly,
directing myself at Mamo-chan more than anyone else.
Mamo-chan nodded his head and ran his long fingers
through his dark hair. He sat back, exhaling deeply. "I'm
sorry, I'm just frustrated, I suppose." Michiru nodded and
Ami looked relieved.
Haruka, of course, heard and felt what she wanted -
and couldn't help herself but to add gasoline to the fire.
In her eyes he had insulted Michiru alone, and as I feared -
that was enough to get her started. "I don't see you doing
any better, cape boy," she grumbled in our direction.
"Especially not by the Princess. You can stay beside her
while she has your kid, but don't have the decency to marry
her--"
"Enough!" Even Haruka looked shocked at my outburst,
as if she never believed I'd have the nerve to stand up and
stop her from having her say. One look at Mamo-chan told me
how angry he was, but I refused to listen to anymore. "Haruka,
you have no right to say anything about my personal life. It's
none--"
"Anything pertaining to your life is our business," she
started to argue, but I stood up.
I may only stand four feet eleven, but I tried to pack
as much authority into my voice as possible. Without any warning
I felt warmth in my forehead, feeling like it was trying to push
through my skin. "It's none of your business," I finished, locking
gazes with the Senshi of Wind. Suddenly a brilliant glow blast
through the room, causing everyone to block their eyes until it
lessened.
"Usagi-chan..." Luna breathed, her voice full of amazement.
I looked dead at her, not understanding. It seemed everyone in
the room was struck speechless by what they seen, even Haruka.
I glanced around the room, hoping someone would speak
instead of gape at me. In passing, I caught my reflection in
the mirror above the fireplace and beheld a crescent moon, a
replica of Luna and Artemis', shining brightly on my forehead.
It was rather large and sat proudly between my eyebrows.
Luna shook her head, but kept her eyes open as if afraid
she was seeing things and didn't want to close her eyes and risk
it disappearing. "Your birth right," my guardian feline whispered.
She finally closed her eyes and lifted her head up towards the
ceiling. "Thank Selene," she said almost silently.
Thank Selene? I thought. Why? For a constant reminder of
who I was? Not Tsukino Usagi, not even Sailor Moon. But Princess
Serenity. The girl I had fought with all my life in one form or
another had just succeeded in completely taking over my life.
No, don't thank Selene. Curse her. Curse her for allowing
me to think I was my own person for almost eighteen years, and
in one swift movement taking it all away.
My body folded and I was falling... down... down... but
always when I fell, he caught me. His worried blue eyes were
over me, calling my name over and over. But this time I refused
to give into the darkness. No, it was a common for a Princess
to faint.
Not this Princess. I would prove to them all I wasn't the
weakling who killed herself so many years ago. No, I would prove
to them all I was wiser. Most of all, I would prove it to myself.
I stood back on my feet and looked again at the girl in the mirror.
@------
The sun's rays had just disappeared over the ocean when
we arrived back at the apartment Mamo-chan and I shared. As we
approached the bedroom door, I felt a cold breeze whip down the
hall. It was soon to become to clear where it was coming from.
"It's the same as it was the night Shingo disappeared," I
whispered, placing my palm on the door. The imprint of my hand
in the frozen wood stayed a few seconds before disappearing. I
tried to the door handle to no avail, but I didn't think there
would be. This was familiar to me, much too familiar.
Tuxedo Kamen gently pulled me away from the door and tried
the handle. I could tell from the look on his face that he didn't
think it would open, however. He stood back and kicked the door,
making it swing open. Inside the room was covered in ice. It hung
from the bed, the toys, the night stand, even the light fixture.
"Dear Lord," I heard Jupiter mumbled behind me. I could only
silently agree with her.
Memories that my mind had buried came back as I stared in
that room. I could remember shoving on the door, and then it swung
open. Only it felt more like someone had been standing on the other
side, waiting for the right moment to let it go. And then... My eyes
darted to the closet. I could remember Shingo screaming and as I
looked up from the pool of my own blood I thought I had seen Shingo
being dragged into the closet.
I blinked, walking across the small room to join the Senshi
who were at the closet door discussing the vortex inside. "They
were ready for us," I said, running my hand down the ice covered
wall.
"So much for the element of surprise," Pluto stated dryly.
"Now we just do it the old fashion way," I stepped up to the
vortex and peered into it. "Through the front door." Without so
much as a warning, I walked through, leaving the Senshi to follow.
To my surprise when I stepped out I found myself in a room very
much like the one I had just left, except this one was missing the
ice and cold. I waited for the other Senshi to join me, but none
else came through the portal. I hesitated, one part of me wanting
to go back and the other telling me to go forward. Before I could
make that decision, it was made for me.
When I turned around, the portal was gone. "Great," I mumbled
to myself. Mamo-chan is going to kill me when he finds me.
It occurred to me that if this looked exactly like Shingo's
bedroom in my apartment, then perhaps beyond the bedroom door was
the rest of the apartment. And if I was lucky, at least one of the
Senshi would have came out of the portal close by. With all of this
decided (also note I decided I was crazy for going in alone) I went
towards the door and turned the handle. To my disappointment, when
I opened the door there was nothing. And mind you, I mean nothing
literally. Unless you count black space that went on forever in
all directions.
"Shimatta." I looked around in the small room I had come
in. The closet door no longer contained a portal, the window
didn't open. I even searched under the bed, but only found a
pair of socks. The drawers all contained the same thing that
Shingo's real dressers contained. Puzzled, but not finding
anything to help me, I came to the conclusion there was only
one thing to do.
I opened the bedroom door again and looked into the
black abyss. Holding my breath, I said a small prayer to
the powers that be; and walked out of the room.
--End Chapter 13.
* - Okay, we all know that poor little Chibi-Usa (hey, I can't help
it if I like her a lot, k?) has red eyes. But I can't understand
how the girl has parent's and grandparents with blue eyes, and yet
hers are red. So, since this is my story and I want her eyes to be
blue - so be it! ^_^!
Annnnyways, here is chapter 13 - as promised. I have already completed
chapter 14, I just haven't typed it yet. Since I'm going to the moutains
this weekend, I'm going to try and get over here to get it typed up and
to my editor so that there is no death threats sent my way ^_^
So, unless something prevents me from doing so (or you) See you next
week for Chapter 14 - Senshi in Wonderland.