As usual on Monday mornings Mamoru's alarm clock woke him at 6:30 in the morning, but unlike every other day he actually got up, turned it off, and took a shower instead of ignoring it for an hour and a half in favor of sleep. It was in the shower that he noticed a horrible bruise on his right shoulder and his entire arm was sore. Did I fall out of bed? It was plausible, but not very probable. There had been times before when he had woken up with mysterious injuries, but nothing this painful.
He dressed carefully making sure to wear a shirt that hid the bruise but it was already smaller than it had been when he noticed it. That was another unusual feat. All of his mysterious wounds always healed faster than humanly possible. He knew that this one would be gone by early afternoon, and only a little stiffness would be evidence of the thing when he got home this evening. Usagi… what if…
He ran out of his bedroom to find her in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She had managed to find his waffle iron, and was making blueberry waffles. She looked none the worse for wear, maybe a little tired but she was still in her pajamas so he couldn't see any bruises. Her hair was a little limper than normal, but it was exceedingly hot this morning. He turned on the air conditioner and went back into his room to grab his jacket. When he came back into the kitchen Usagi saw him and giggled softly.
"What?" He asked sitting down at the table to watch her. She pulled a waffle out of the iron with a fork careful not to burn herself and set it on a stack next to her.
"You're still wearing that green jacket. It's the same one you used to wear when we were kids." Merriment still rang in her voice and Mamoru looked down at it.
"You know what? Your right. I hadn't even thought about it. Why? Don't you like it?" He became suddenly self conscious and started picking at the sleeves. Usagi placed a plate of waffles and syrup before him and took his hand to stop him.
"It looks very good on you, but isn't it a little old?" She asked softly and he was more thinking about her touch that her words so he could reply honestly.
"Maybe a little, but it's my favorite." He sounded just a little bit forlorn and she giggled softly again.
"Then by all means wear it till it falls apart. And it does look good on you." She repeated and went back to her waffles finishing off the batter before sitting down with her own plate. He watched her for a few moments before starting on his own food.
"You look tired." He told her. She yawned and grinned.
"I am. I feel like I didn't get a wink of sleep last night." She shook her head and shrugged just a bit then looked at the floor. Luna sat there looking back at her. "Morning to you too kitty. Mamo-chan where did you put the cat food?" He pointed to a cabinet and she got up to get it, he thought somewhat stiffly. Watching her carefully, she crossed the floor and opened the top cabinet for a second he thought he saw the skin of her back looking just a little bit red, right where the bottom of her shirt rode up just a bit, but before he could get a second look it was gone.
I must be imagining things. Why would she have the same weird accidents I do? He studied his food while he ate trying not to watch her out of the corner of his eye. She pet the cat for a few after feeding it then went back to her food. She had just taken her dish to the sink when the doorbell rang. She looked down at her pajama's then grinned. He got up to answer the door knowing there wasn't a way she could. He was surprised to find Rei waiting outside.
"About time. Come on. We're going." She ordered quickly and loudly not giving him time to think or really understand what was going on. Her eyes sparked with energy and the cherry red dress she wore added to it and somehow, in a wind he didn't feel, her waist length hair waved as though in a breeze.
"Going where?" He stammered. She gave him a sour look.
"Don't you pay attention to your radio anymore? It's been on the scanner all morning. There's been another incident and we need to get there before those idiots screw it up again." It was obvious that she mean the police when she said idiots and Mamoru felt the beginnings of anger, but he hadn't the time right now.
"Okay, I'll be right back." He told her than hurried back into the kitchen. Usagi was putting a sandwich into a paper bag along with a bag of chips he grabbed his keys off the hook.
"I gatta go. I'm not sure what time I'll be home." He told her. She turned and held out he bag which he took.
"Lunch. I have a feeling you would have forgotten." She said softly. She seemed a bit subdued and this was the first he noticed it, but he said nothing. He grinned.
"COME ON CHIBA!" A very familiar voice yelled from the doorway. Mamoru missed Usagi's look, and if he had seen it, he might have stayed just a bit longer, but he didn't. Instead he ran out of the room with a goodbye. The door slammed and Usagi was left by herself. She looked around the room then at her cat.
"Do you really think it was her?" She whispered. The cat looked at her but said nothing and she laughed at herself. "Your right. It couldn't have been. Come on Luna." She said before going into her room. She shut the door firmly and put a chair under the doorknob just in case. Then carefully, and with a slight gasp of pain she lifted her shirt over her head revealing a very large and very red welt on her back. It went from over her right shoulder, to just below the waistline. It had been healing during the night, but it still hurt.
"Usagi!" A small feminine voice gasped. Usagi looked at Luna and frowned. The cat circled the woman looking at the wound carefully. "That's horrible!" Usagi agreed.
"I know Luna… it hurts too. I would hate to think what would have happened if the Moonlight Knight hadn't deflected it with his shoulder. I hope he's okay." She said softly looking out the window and at the miniature rose garden. She smiled at the memory of flying roses. Luna went into the closet and came out with a roll of material in her mouth which Usagi took from her and started wrapping around her wound.
"It shouldn't take to long to heal, but you really have to be more careful Usagi… some day he wont be there to save you. What are you going to do then?" The cat had a point and Usagi knew it. The thought had crossed her mind more than once.
"I don't know Luna, but it's hard to imagine a battle without the Moonlight Knight there to help me. He's always been there for me, but you are right. I'll have to try harder…" She sighed and cut the end of the bandage tucking the ends under it securely. She moved to get up, but instead sat there on the bed looking off into space. After almost five minutes Luna jumped up onto her lap snapping her back to reality.
"Your thinking about them again aren't you?" She asked softly. Usagi nodded and began to pet her absently running her fingers through Luna's soft fur.
"Yeah. I keep thinking that all of a sudden they'll be back besides me, fighting. Every time I fight I keep hearing their attacks in the back of my mind and I expect to turn and see them right there, but they aren't. I miss them so much Luna, but this is what they wanted. Do you think they are truly happier this way?" She was on the verge of tears as she had been so many times in the last few years.
"I honestly don't know Usagi, but they asked to leave, to have their memories erased, and I can't, for one, blame them. I know you don't either." She purred softly licking Usagi's palm delicately in affection. "After Beryl and Mistress 9… Rini going back…all the fights…I can understand." Usagi nodded and wondered.
"It's my fault they left… if I had just been able to convince them to stay…if I had been a better leader..." She sighed softly and a few tears fell from her cerulean eyes.
"You know better Usagi. You are the last one to blame. Things got to be to much for them to handle. Everyone has their breaking point. Don't worry. You're doing great and everything is good. You and the Moonlight Knight can take care of it although I must admit that it is odd." She nudged her hand and Usagi absently scratched behind her ears.
"What is Luna?"
"Nothing Usagi. Just something I remember that doesn't matter now." Luna muttered mad at herself for saying something. The problem was that when the others had asked to have their memories erased, some of it had bled over to Usagi. She didn't remember the old Tuxedo Kamen/Moonlight Knight or the fact that he really was Mamoru. Now that they were living together, Luna could keep a better eye on him, but…. Everything was so messed up.
"If you say so Luna. I need to get back to work or my editor's gunna kill me." She said not really caring as she finally dragged herself off the bed and grabbed some clothes from the closet. Tossing them on, she went over to the desk and turned on her computer. Waiting for it to boot up, Luna leapt from the bed to the desktop sliding so the mouse almost went over the edge. Usagi made a grab for it, catching it at the last moment.
"Luna, be careful. I can't afford any more mice." She placed the mouse back on the mouse-pad careful to keep it away from the cat.
"I don't know why they call them mice when they look absolutely nothing like one. They are fun to play with though." Luna pawed it until Usagi pushed her paw away. "I still want to know how you ever managed to become a comic book writer, especially for the Sailor V series." Luna told her for the hundredth time.
"It's very easy once you think about it. I just entered the contest using a real story from Sailor Moon, and they liked it. From there on, it's history. Now hush. I can't pay rent if I can't work." She stared intently at the computer screen finding her spot then beginning to type. Luna twisted around in a circle a couple times then sat down to watch Usagi who kept twitching from time to time as she accidentally bumped her side.
At the same moment Rei was dragging Mamoru by the arm to argue with yet another police officer. No one seemed inclined to let the odd woman anywhere near the crime scene not that he really blamed them. If it hadn't been for the seriousness of it all, he wouldn't have let her on it either. But she had to go, and thing's where very serious.
Two people had been fatally injured this time and their deaths weight heavily on everyone's mind. Thirty-one year old Kunicida and his twenty-nine year old wife Rheico had died when they lost consciousness and their car crashed into a two-story cement parking garage. They where discovered early that morning when fifteen other people who had also lost consciousness awoke. Other injuries included a broken arm, and a hyper extended knee from a bicycle accident.
Everyone had been taken care of, but the incident was still unexplained. According to the few witnesses that were willing to talk, it had started at about eleven twenty. After that they didn't remember anything till early morning. They all reported feeling very weak all of a sudden, and sick to their stomach.
The area nearby showed extreme destruction and scorch marks as though someone had taken a flame torch to the place, but instead of it all being just burnt, only certain areas were effected. More like blast marks from laser guided missals, except if that had been the case, everything in the area would have been completely decimated.
Mamoru had no idea what was going on, and although they had clues aplenty, nothing really amounted to anything. One thing above all worried him. It was only eight blocks from Matoki's arcade. Only a stone throw in his mind.
Turning he watched Rei go from place to place touching everything and seemingly getting no results. She looked even madder than she had this morning when she picked him up. He rubbed the bridge of his nose feeling a headache coming on and his shoulder continued to throb. Why me? He kept asking himself and one answer kept coming back. Cause you're supposedly the best. Yeah right. He sure didn't feel like it.
Clues, or more like the lack of them kept running though his mind. The systematic movement of the occurrences and the fact that this one like the first two had happened at night. He couldn't possibly pass them off as heat stroke. What else could it be? Someone had mentioned that there were reports similar to these over four years ago. He planned on checking up on it after Rei was done. Four years was a long time. He had still been in college.
"Chiba!" She had snuck up on him and her voice in his ear just grated on his nerves. To think he had actually been friends with the woman. For that matter, to think Usako had been. No… bad train of thought. If he let his mind wander to her, he'd never be able to focus.
"What Rei?" He asked with what he felt was considerable patience. Apparently only he thought so.
"Chiba, I thought your boss told you to treat me like one of the force. I bet you don't treat the other officers like this." She said indignantly. The officer she had just been fighting with overheard and they both heard him clearly.
"That's what you think lady." The officer turned away and didn't see Rei's furious glare or Mamoru's smirk. Thank you Tony! Mamoru yelled in his mind. He'd have to remember to buy that guy a couple of drinks. He managed to have the smirk covered by the time Rei finally returned her gaze to him.
"Alright. Fine then. Let's go back to the office. I'm sure you can find something to do there since you are completely useless here. I don't know why someone said you where the best. I haven't seen you do anything worth any notice." She said it under her breath but they both knew it was for his ears. He said nothing and simply followed her to the vehicle.
"That's okay. You can take me back to my apartment. I have to get my bike." He told her as they headed out. She rolled her eyes and took a sharp left not meant for a car as old as hers. He debated saying something, but he didn't want to end up walking. She dumped him off outside the apartment complex and drove off without a word. Mamoru stared after her and muttered a curse.
Looking up at the building he figured that it wouldn't hurt to go inside and have lunch. Maybe Usako was still there. He headed inside and waited for the elevator. His headache subsided a bit but his shoulder was still bothering him so he reminded himself to take a couple painkillers too.
He opened the door to hear the unmistakable voice of Usagi, who sounded even angrier than Rei had. She was in the kitchen and talking to someone on the phone in a wildly animated conversation. He listened for a moment before going in.
"What do you mean I can't add another character? It's part of the storyline, and I've been working up to it for MONTHS!" There was a brief pause while whoever it was answered. "I don't care what the critics want. It's the story, and after three years I doubt their going to change the writers of one of the most famous comic books in Tokyo." Another pause. "Well then have HIM call me and I'll explain it to HIM too." She slammed the phone down so hard he winced hoping the phone wasn't broken.
"Usako?" He asked gently rounding the corner to the kitchen. She was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room with the phone in front of her. Instead of looking angry, she looked about to cry. When she saw him she made a noticeable effort to control her emotions and smiled up at him.
"Oh. Hi Mamo-chan." She said softly. Again she looked about to cry when she covered her face with her hands. "I guess you heard that." She peeked at him through the fingers and he nodded. Quickly she closed the holes hiding her eyes.
"What was that about?" He finally entered the kitchen and picked up the phone which was miraculously still in one piece. He hung it back on the wall and turned back to Usagi who continued to sit on the floor, but had removed her hands. She was angry again and it shown from her eyes.
"Oooo those jerks wouldn't know a good story if it bit them on the…" She stopped herself from saying it.
"Story? You're a writer?" He hadn't even thought to ask about her occupation. There was a whole lot he still had to learn.
"So I thought till those morons decided they didn't like where I was taking the story. I write the storyline for a comic series. Sailor V. Heard of it?" She asked innocently self-conscious about her work. His eyes widened.
"Of course I've heard of it. You used to rave about it when you where still in Jr. High. Everyone in Japan had heard of it. You're really the writer?" She shrugged and nodded.
"For now. I have been for about three and a half years, but…" She shrugged. Climbing to her feet she groaned slightly then stretched.
"So… what's wrong with it?" Mamoru hadn't actually read the series, but it was very popular and he knew the basic storyline. Heroine saves the city night after night while no one is the wiser. He heard her sigh and although she was still angry, it didn't come out in her voice.
"For about a year now, this mysterious helper has been saving Sailor V when she gets into trouble. A guy… in an Arabian outfit." She grinned at the thought. "Anyway, I've been building it up so that she finds out who he is even though he has no idea that he really is the Moonlight Knight. BUT, the publisher seems to think that adding another main character into the story will change the 'Sailor V' image. Like she was meant to be alone for the rest of her life." She sighed again and rubbed the fabric of her sleeve against her chin.
"I don't know, maybe they're right, but it's just the way the story goes." She made a growl-like noise and shook her head clearing it of angry thoughts.
"It means a lot to you doesn't it?" Mamoru said out of the blue. He hadn't even been thinking it, but he said it anyway. She looked at him for a moment then nodded.
"Yeah, it does. It's every young girls dream to find out that somehow their different, special. Even so, she shouldn't be alone. I don't know, that sounds ridiculous, but if I were Sailor V that's how I would want it." She smiled a little sadly and he couldn't have known how deep the feelings where behind all this, but she felt deep in her heart that in real life it should be the same way. She wasn't sure how Mamoru fit into it, since she already had a Moonlight Knight, but it didn't matter now.
She looked up at him and the all the vulnerability she felt as both Usagi Tsukino and Sailor Moon filled her eyes. Mamoru took a step towards her and found his arms filled with the lovely young woman he had come to care for. He held her tight and she held him both receiving comfort as well as giving it. The tingling between them seemed to erupt and engulf them, but both enjoyed the sensation to much to complain and after a moment it subsided to a dull roar.
"Thank you Mamoru." She whispered. She leaned back just a bit looking up at him and he smiled.
"I'm not sure what your thanking me for Usako, but you're welcome." He kissed her gently then hugged her again before letting go. Both of them were reluctant to do so, but that's just the way things were.
"Why aren't you at work?" She asked suddenly realizing that it was the middle of the day. He looked at his watch and grimaced reaching to the fridge to grab something to eat.
"Miss psychic decided that she'd had enough of me. I really need to go to the office but I had to get my bike, so I figured that I'd come visit and grab something to eat I seamed to have misplaced my sandwich." He grabbed the bowl of tuna fish and turned to find the bread. Usako was unusually silent and he looked up at her with half a spoon of tuna in his hand. The food plopped on the bread, but he didn't notice.
"Usako?" She moved her head just a bit when she heard her name, but continued to stare into space. Mamoru set down the spoon and waved a hand in front of her face. She blinked and looked at him. "You okay?" She blinked a few more times before registering the words.
"Oh? Yeah. Sorry…" She looked down at the floor and it was obvious that she was trying either to hide something, or hide from something. He wasn't sure weather or not to pursue it.
"What'd I say Usako?" He asked softly so that she wouldn't realize he had asked the question. It was a trick he'd tried to use before.
"I used to have a friend who was physic… a long time ago. We always fought, but we were still friends." She whispered still staring off. She was thinking out loud.
"What happened?" Again his voice was low and unobtrusive. He was surprised this worked on her, as it rarely worked at all, but she was emotional.
"We had a fight, a big one, because of me… because of… " Her eyes widened and she snapped to attention catching herself just in time. She looked at him sad, and depressed, but completely shut off from him. Mamoru knew he'd gone to far, but for some reason he felt he had to know. She turned away and wiped her eyes although the tears were barely evident. Whatever it was had hurt her very deeply. He placed a hand on her shoulder at which she started to flinch, but she didn't.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. She nodded softly knowing that it wasn't his fault, and that she had almost slipped was enough to put up her personal shields. She couldn't tell him, he couldn't know. It was a good thing Luna hadn't been anywhere near to hear her slip up. How could she have almost said something?
"It's okay Mamoru-chan. I shouldn't have said anything." She shrugged his arm off and hurriedly made his sandwich while he watched her. She knew he was, and could feel his eyes on her, and for once it didn't bother her, or even make her self-conscious. She handed him his sandwich then grabbed him some lemonade out of the fridge pouring it into a glass for him. This he took also just watching her. Finally the food made it's way into his mouth when she left the room for a moment.
She locked herself in the bathroom and grabbing a cool cloth she wiped her face with it scrubbing her face and any trace of the tears. Looking at herself in the mirror, she cursed under her breath softly then tossed the rag in the sink. It was then that she noticed that the movement no longer hurt. Carefully she lifted the bandage up and looked at the completely normal skin underneath. The wound was gone. She unwound the bandage and looked again. Completely and utterly gone.
Out in the kitchen Mamoru reached over to put his cup down and realized that it didn't hurt to move. He placed his sandwich down too, then carefully felt the area of his previous wound. Nothing. He whistled softly and looked around to make sure she hadn't seen him. Then he finished his juice and sandwich quickly to cover his thoughts. Somehow a wound that had taken all morning just to stop throbbing, had healed in under five minutes. Neither of them understood why.
Usagi wound up the bandage and tucked it into her bag under the sink then checking one last time to make sure it was really gone, she went back into the kitchen to see Mamoru grab the keys to his motorcycle. She knew he had to leave, but that didn't stop her from not wanting him to. He saw her out of the corner of his eye and smiled softly.
"You okay?" He asked to which she nodded. He reached over and tucked a stray strand of hair out of her face and she looked up at him meeting his eyes. "If you ever feel you need someone to talk to Usako, I'm here." No… she shook her head.
"Thank you Mamo-chan, but this is something I need to work out for myself. I hope you have a better day at work." She told him as he turned to leave. He nodded and fought the urge to hug her again before leaving. After the door shut she looked around the empty kitchen and after cleaning it, she went to her room for a nap. She'd had an emotional morning and for some reason it seemed like the energy had been zapped out of her. Luna curled up beside her purring softly and the sound relaxed Usagi and she was soon asleep.
He dressed carefully making sure to wear a shirt that hid the bruise but it was already smaller than it had been when he noticed it. That was another unusual feat. All of his mysterious wounds always healed faster than humanly possible. He knew that this one would be gone by early afternoon, and only a little stiffness would be evidence of the thing when he got home this evening. Usagi… what if…
He ran out of his bedroom to find her in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She had managed to find his waffle iron, and was making blueberry waffles. She looked none the worse for wear, maybe a little tired but she was still in her pajamas so he couldn't see any bruises. Her hair was a little limper than normal, but it was exceedingly hot this morning. He turned on the air conditioner and went back into his room to grab his jacket. When he came back into the kitchen Usagi saw him and giggled softly.
"What?" He asked sitting down at the table to watch her. She pulled a waffle out of the iron with a fork careful not to burn herself and set it on a stack next to her.
"You're still wearing that green jacket. It's the same one you used to wear when we were kids." Merriment still rang in her voice and Mamoru looked down at it.
"You know what? Your right. I hadn't even thought about it. Why? Don't you like it?" He became suddenly self conscious and started picking at the sleeves. Usagi placed a plate of waffles and syrup before him and took his hand to stop him.
"It looks very good on you, but isn't it a little old?" She asked softly and he was more thinking about her touch that her words so he could reply honestly.
"Maybe a little, but it's my favorite." He sounded just a little bit forlorn and she giggled softly again.
"Then by all means wear it till it falls apart. And it does look good on you." She repeated and went back to her waffles finishing off the batter before sitting down with her own plate. He watched her for a few moments before starting on his own food.
"You look tired." He told her. She yawned and grinned.
"I am. I feel like I didn't get a wink of sleep last night." She shook her head and shrugged just a bit then looked at the floor. Luna sat there looking back at her. "Morning to you too kitty. Mamo-chan where did you put the cat food?" He pointed to a cabinet and she got up to get it, he thought somewhat stiffly. Watching her carefully, she crossed the floor and opened the top cabinet for a second he thought he saw the skin of her back looking just a little bit red, right where the bottom of her shirt rode up just a bit, but before he could get a second look it was gone.
I must be imagining things. Why would she have the same weird accidents I do? He studied his food while he ate trying not to watch her out of the corner of his eye. She pet the cat for a few after feeding it then went back to her food. She had just taken her dish to the sink when the doorbell rang. She looked down at her pajama's then grinned. He got up to answer the door knowing there wasn't a way she could. He was surprised to find Rei waiting outside.
"About time. Come on. We're going." She ordered quickly and loudly not giving him time to think or really understand what was going on. Her eyes sparked with energy and the cherry red dress she wore added to it and somehow, in a wind he didn't feel, her waist length hair waved as though in a breeze.
"Going where?" He stammered. She gave him a sour look.
"Don't you pay attention to your radio anymore? It's been on the scanner all morning. There's been another incident and we need to get there before those idiots screw it up again." It was obvious that she mean the police when she said idiots and Mamoru felt the beginnings of anger, but he hadn't the time right now.
"Okay, I'll be right back." He told her than hurried back into the kitchen. Usagi was putting a sandwich into a paper bag along with a bag of chips he grabbed his keys off the hook.
"I gatta go. I'm not sure what time I'll be home." He told her. She turned and held out he bag which he took.
"Lunch. I have a feeling you would have forgotten." She said softly. She seemed a bit subdued and this was the first he noticed it, but he said nothing. He grinned.
"COME ON CHIBA!" A very familiar voice yelled from the doorway. Mamoru missed Usagi's look, and if he had seen it, he might have stayed just a bit longer, but he didn't. Instead he ran out of the room with a goodbye. The door slammed and Usagi was left by herself. She looked around the room then at her cat.
"Do you really think it was her?" She whispered. The cat looked at her but said nothing and she laughed at herself. "Your right. It couldn't have been. Come on Luna." She said before going into her room. She shut the door firmly and put a chair under the doorknob just in case. Then carefully, and with a slight gasp of pain she lifted her shirt over her head revealing a very large and very red welt on her back. It went from over her right shoulder, to just below the waistline. It had been healing during the night, but it still hurt.
"Usagi!" A small feminine voice gasped. Usagi looked at Luna and frowned. The cat circled the woman looking at the wound carefully. "That's horrible!" Usagi agreed.
"I know Luna… it hurts too. I would hate to think what would have happened if the Moonlight Knight hadn't deflected it with his shoulder. I hope he's okay." She said softly looking out the window and at the miniature rose garden. She smiled at the memory of flying roses. Luna went into the closet and came out with a roll of material in her mouth which Usagi took from her and started wrapping around her wound.
"It shouldn't take to long to heal, but you really have to be more careful Usagi… some day he wont be there to save you. What are you going to do then?" The cat had a point and Usagi knew it. The thought had crossed her mind more than once.
"I don't know Luna, but it's hard to imagine a battle without the Moonlight Knight there to help me. He's always been there for me, but you are right. I'll have to try harder…" She sighed and cut the end of the bandage tucking the ends under it securely. She moved to get up, but instead sat there on the bed looking off into space. After almost five minutes Luna jumped up onto her lap snapping her back to reality.
"Your thinking about them again aren't you?" She asked softly. Usagi nodded and began to pet her absently running her fingers through Luna's soft fur.
"Yeah. I keep thinking that all of a sudden they'll be back besides me, fighting. Every time I fight I keep hearing their attacks in the back of my mind and I expect to turn and see them right there, but they aren't. I miss them so much Luna, but this is what they wanted. Do you think they are truly happier this way?" She was on the verge of tears as she had been so many times in the last few years.
"I honestly don't know Usagi, but they asked to leave, to have their memories erased, and I can't, for one, blame them. I know you don't either." She purred softly licking Usagi's palm delicately in affection. "After Beryl and Mistress 9… Rini going back…all the fights…I can understand." Usagi nodded and wondered.
"It's my fault they left… if I had just been able to convince them to stay…if I had been a better leader..." She sighed softly and a few tears fell from her cerulean eyes.
"You know better Usagi. You are the last one to blame. Things got to be to much for them to handle. Everyone has their breaking point. Don't worry. You're doing great and everything is good. You and the Moonlight Knight can take care of it although I must admit that it is odd." She nudged her hand and Usagi absently scratched behind her ears.
"What is Luna?"
"Nothing Usagi. Just something I remember that doesn't matter now." Luna muttered mad at herself for saying something. The problem was that when the others had asked to have their memories erased, some of it had bled over to Usagi. She didn't remember the old Tuxedo Kamen/Moonlight Knight or the fact that he really was Mamoru. Now that they were living together, Luna could keep a better eye on him, but…. Everything was so messed up.
"If you say so Luna. I need to get back to work or my editor's gunna kill me." She said not really caring as she finally dragged herself off the bed and grabbed some clothes from the closet. Tossing them on, she went over to the desk and turned on her computer. Waiting for it to boot up, Luna leapt from the bed to the desktop sliding so the mouse almost went over the edge. Usagi made a grab for it, catching it at the last moment.
"Luna, be careful. I can't afford any more mice." She placed the mouse back on the mouse-pad careful to keep it away from the cat.
"I don't know why they call them mice when they look absolutely nothing like one. They are fun to play with though." Luna pawed it until Usagi pushed her paw away. "I still want to know how you ever managed to become a comic book writer, especially for the Sailor V series." Luna told her for the hundredth time.
"It's very easy once you think about it. I just entered the contest using a real story from Sailor Moon, and they liked it. From there on, it's history. Now hush. I can't pay rent if I can't work." She stared intently at the computer screen finding her spot then beginning to type. Luna twisted around in a circle a couple times then sat down to watch Usagi who kept twitching from time to time as she accidentally bumped her side.
At the same moment Rei was dragging Mamoru by the arm to argue with yet another police officer. No one seemed inclined to let the odd woman anywhere near the crime scene not that he really blamed them. If it hadn't been for the seriousness of it all, he wouldn't have let her on it either. But she had to go, and thing's where very serious.
Two people had been fatally injured this time and their deaths weight heavily on everyone's mind. Thirty-one year old Kunicida and his twenty-nine year old wife Rheico had died when they lost consciousness and their car crashed into a two-story cement parking garage. They where discovered early that morning when fifteen other people who had also lost consciousness awoke. Other injuries included a broken arm, and a hyper extended knee from a bicycle accident.
Everyone had been taken care of, but the incident was still unexplained. According to the few witnesses that were willing to talk, it had started at about eleven twenty. After that they didn't remember anything till early morning. They all reported feeling very weak all of a sudden, and sick to their stomach.
The area nearby showed extreme destruction and scorch marks as though someone had taken a flame torch to the place, but instead of it all being just burnt, only certain areas were effected. More like blast marks from laser guided missals, except if that had been the case, everything in the area would have been completely decimated.
Mamoru had no idea what was going on, and although they had clues aplenty, nothing really amounted to anything. One thing above all worried him. It was only eight blocks from Matoki's arcade. Only a stone throw in his mind.
Turning he watched Rei go from place to place touching everything and seemingly getting no results. She looked even madder than she had this morning when she picked him up. He rubbed the bridge of his nose feeling a headache coming on and his shoulder continued to throb. Why me? He kept asking himself and one answer kept coming back. Cause you're supposedly the best. Yeah right. He sure didn't feel like it.
Clues, or more like the lack of them kept running though his mind. The systematic movement of the occurrences and the fact that this one like the first two had happened at night. He couldn't possibly pass them off as heat stroke. What else could it be? Someone had mentioned that there were reports similar to these over four years ago. He planned on checking up on it after Rei was done. Four years was a long time. He had still been in college.
"Chiba!" She had snuck up on him and her voice in his ear just grated on his nerves. To think he had actually been friends with the woman. For that matter, to think Usako had been. No… bad train of thought. If he let his mind wander to her, he'd never be able to focus.
"What Rei?" He asked with what he felt was considerable patience. Apparently only he thought so.
"Chiba, I thought your boss told you to treat me like one of the force. I bet you don't treat the other officers like this." She said indignantly. The officer she had just been fighting with overheard and they both heard him clearly.
"That's what you think lady." The officer turned away and didn't see Rei's furious glare or Mamoru's smirk. Thank you Tony! Mamoru yelled in his mind. He'd have to remember to buy that guy a couple of drinks. He managed to have the smirk covered by the time Rei finally returned her gaze to him.
"Alright. Fine then. Let's go back to the office. I'm sure you can find something to do there since you are completely useless here. I don't know why someone said you where the best. I haven't seen you do anything worth any notice." She said it under her breath but they both knew it was for his ears. He said nothing and simply followed her to the vehicle.
"That's okay. You can take me back to my apartment. I have to get my bike." He told her as they headed out. She rolled her eyes and took a sharp left not meant for a car as old as hers. He debated saying something, but he didn't want to end up walking. She dumped him off outside the apartment complex and drove off without a word. Mamoru stared after her and muttered a curse.
Looking up at the building he figured that it wouldn't hurt to go inside and have lunch. Maybe Usako was still there. He headed inside and waited for the elevator. His headache subsided a bit but his shoulder was still bothering him so he reminded himself to take a couple painkillers too.
He opened the door to hear the unmistakable voice of Usagi, who sounded even angrier than Rei had. She was in the kitchen and talking to someone on the phone in a wildly animated conversation. He listened for a moment before going in.
"What do you mean I can't add another character? It's part of the storyline, and I've been working up to it for MONTHS!" There was a brief pause while whoever it was answered. "I don't care what the critics want. It's the story, and after three years I doubt their going to change the writers of one of the most famous comic books in Tokyo." Another pause. "Well then have HIM call me and I'll explain it to HIM too." She slammed the phone down so hard he winced hoping the phone wasn't broken.
"Usako?" He asked gently rounding the corner to the kitchen. She was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room with the phone in front of her. Instead of looking angry, she looked about to cry. When she saw him she made a noticeable effort to control her emotions and smiled up at him.
"Oh. Hi Mamo-chan." She said softly. Again she looked about to cry when she covered her face with her hands. "I guess you heard that." She peeked at him through the fingers and he nodded. Quickly she closed the holes hiding her eyes.
"What was that about?" He finally entered the kitchen and picked up the phone which was miraculously still in one piece. He hung it back on the wall and turned back to Usagi who continued to sit on the floor, but had removed her hands. She was angry again and it shown from her eyes.
"Oooo those jerks wouldn't know a good story if it bit them on the…" She stopped herself from saying it.
"Story? You're a writer?" He hadn't even thought to ask about her occupation. There was a whole lot he still had to learn.
"So I thought till those morons decided they didn't like where I was taking the story. I write the storyline for a comic series. Sailor V. Heard of it?" She asked innocently self-conscious about her work. His eyes widened.
"Of course I've heard of it. You used to rave about it when you where still in Jr. High. Everyone in Japan had heard of it. You're really the writer?" She shrugged and nodded.
"For now. I have been for about three and a half years, but…" She shrugged. Climbing to her feet she groaned slightly then stretched.
"So… what's wrong with it?" Mamoru hadn't actually read the series, but it was very popular and he knew the basic storyline. Heroine saves the city night after night while no one is the wiser. He heard her sigh and although she was still angry, it didn't come out in her voice.
"For about a year now, this mysterious helper has been saving Sailor V when she gets into trouble. A guy… in an Arabian outfit." She grinned at the thought. "Anyway, I've been building it up so that she finds out who he is even though he has no idea that he really is the Moonlight Knight. BUT, the publisher seems to think that adding another main character into the story will change the 'Sailor V' image. Like she was meant to be alone for the rest of her life." She sighed again and rubbed the fabric of her sleeve against her chin.
"I don't know, maybe they're right, but it's just the way the story goes." She made a growl-like noise and shook her head clearing it of angry thoughts.
"It means a lot to you doesn't it?" Mamoru said out of the blue. He hadn't even been thinking it, but he said it anyway. She looked at him for a moment then nodded.
"Yeah, it does. It's every young girls dream to find out that somehow their different, special. Even so, she shouldn't be alone. I don't know, that sounds ridiculous, but if I were Sailor V that's how I would want it." She smiled a little sadly and he couldn't have known how deep the feelings where behind all this, but she felt deep in her heart that in real life it should be the same way. She wasn't sure how Mamoru fit into it, since she already had a Moonlight Knight, but it didn't matter now.
She looked up at him and the all the vulnerability she felt as both Usagi Tsukino and Sailor Moon filled her eyes. Mamoru took a step towards her and found his arms filled with the lovely young woman he had come to care for. He held her tight and she held him both receiving comfort as well as giving it. The tingling between them seemed to erupt and engulf them, but both enjoyed the sensation to much to complain and after a moment it subsided to a dull roar.
"Thank you Mamoru." She whispered. She leaned back just a bit looking up at him and he smiled.
"I'm not sure what your thanking me for Usako, but you're welcome." He kissed her gently then hugged her again before letting go. Both of them were reluctant to do so, but that's just the way things were.
"Why aren't you at work?" She asked suddenly realizing that it was the middle of the day. He looked at his watch and grimaced reaching to the fridge to grab something to eat.
"Miss psychic decided that she'd had enough of me. I really need to go to the office but I had to get my bike, so I figured that I'd come visit and grab something to eat I seamed to have misplaced my sandwich." He grabbed the bowl of tuna fish and turned to find the bread. Usako was unusually silent and he looked up at her with half a spoon of tuna in his hand. The food plopped on the bread, but he didn't notice.
"Usako?" She moved her head just a bit when she heard her name, but continued to stare into space. Mamoru set down the spoon and waved a hand in front of her face. She blinked and looked at him. "You okay?" She blinked a few more times before registering the words.
"Oh? Yeah. Sorry…" She looked down at the floor and it was obvious that she was trying either to hide something, or hide from something. He wasn't sure weather or not to pursue it.
"What'd I say Usako?" He asked softly so that she wouldn't realize he had asked the question. It was a trick he'd tried to use before.
"I used to have a friend who was physic… a long time ago. We always fought, but we were still friends." She whispered still staring off. She was thinking out loud.
"What happened?" Again his voice was low and unobtrusive. He was surprised this worked on her, as it rarely worked at all, but she was emotional.
"We had a fight, a big one, because of me… because of… " Her eyes widened and she snapped to attention catching herself just in time. She looked at him sad, and depressed, but completely shut off from him. Mamoru knew he'd gone to far, but for some reason he felt he had to know. She turned away and wiped her eyes although the tears were barely evident. Whatever it was had hurt her very deeply. He placed a hand on her shoulder at which she started to flinch, but she didn't.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. She nodded softly knowing that it wasn't his fault, and that she had almost slipped was enough to put up her personal shields. She couldn't tell him, he couldn't know. It was a good thing Luna hadn't been anywhere near to hear her slip up. How could she have almost said something?
"It's okay Mamoru-chan. I shouldn't have said anything." She shrugged his arm off and hurriedly made his sandwich while he watched her. She knew he was, and could feel his eyes on her, and for once it didn't bother her, or even make her self-conscious. She handed him his sandwich then grabbed him some lemonade out of the fridge pouring it into a glass for him. This he took also just watching her. Finally the food made it's way into his mouth when she left the room for a moment.
She locked herself in the bathroom and grabbing a cool cloth she wiped her face with it scrubbing her face and any trace of the tears. Looking at herself in the mirror, she cursed under her breath softly then tossed the rag in the sink. It was then that she noticed that the movement no longer hurt. Carefully she lifted the bandage up and looked at the completely normal skin underneath. The wound was gone. She unwound the bandage and looked again. Completely and utterly gone.
Out in the kitchen Mamoru reached over to put his cup down and realized that it didn't hurt to move. He placed his sandwich down too, then carefully felt the area of his previous wound. Nothing. He whistled softly and looked around to make sure she hadn't seen him. Then he finished his juice and sandwich quickly to cover his thoughts. Somehow a wound that had taken all morning just to stop throbbing, had healed in under five minutes. Neither of them understood why.
Usagi wound up the bandage and tucked it into her bag under the sink then checking one last time to make sure it was really gone, she went back into the kitchen to see Mamoru grab the keys to his motorcycle. She knew he had to leave, but that didn't stop her from not wanting him to. He saw her out of the corner of his eye and smiled softly.
"You okay?" He asked to which she nodded. He reached over and tucked a stray strand of hair out of her face and she looked up at him meeting his eyes. "If you ever feel you need someone to talk to Usako, I'm here." No… she shook her head.
"Thank you Mamo-chan, but this is something I need to work out for myself. I hope you have a better day at work." She told him as he turned to leave. He nodded and fought the urge to hug her again before leaving. After the door shut she looked around the empty kitchen and after cleaning it, she went to her room for a nap. She'd had an emotional morning and for some reason it seemed like the energy had been zapped out of her. Luna curled up beside her purring softly and the sound relaxed Usagi and she was soon asleep.