LOver's Last Breath
Chapter 2
THIS PART IS NOT SAP!
~'~
The title of the chapter explains all I need to say.
Usagi yawned and turned over, burying her head in the soft
pillow. Instantly, instinctively, she threw an arm out to
see if Michael was there. She sighed as her arm hit
mattress.
Opening one sleepy blue-gray eye, she peered at the blurry
numbers on the clock. Almost ten... Michael was already
gone. Both the chill of his side of the bed and the time
told her that he'd been gone for a while. She sat up and
rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
The flight to Tokyo had been thankfully eventless. Minako
had chattered the entire way, and after a long, happy
reunion with the outer senshi, who'd invited them (or
ordered them, however one sees it) to stay with them in
their mansion.
Remembering this important fact, Usagi took a few sleepy
minutes to find a long shirt to slip on, and wrapped a
chenile bathrobe around her before stumbling down two
flights of shag-carpeted stairs into a large, bright kitchen
where Haruka was sitting at the table, drinking coffee
straight out of the pot, dressed only in a white tanktop and
a pair of black boxers as she stared into space.
Michiru glared disdainfully at her lover, sipping her tea
daintily, dressed for the day already in a neat, navy-blue
blazer and skirt. Setsuna, wearing a dark red bathrobe,
perched upon a counter drinking coffee out of a huge cup.
Hotaru was missing-- oh, yes. School, Usagi remembered.
She searched the cabinets for a mug and pried a growling
Haruka away from the pot long enough to pour herself enough
to wake her up. The wonderful pot was immediatly snatched
back by the taller woman, who hugged it to her breast, then
yelped as the heat seared through her clothing. She glared
at it for a moment, and then, almost defiantly, began
chugging the black stuff.
Usagi made a disgusted snort. "How can you drink that?" She
wondered, adding spoonfuls of sugar and cream to her own,
nursing it carefully until it was more of a caffeinated malt
rather than a bitter drink.
"Ungh." Haruka grunted, taking another big gulp.
Michiru rolled her eyes. "It's routine, Usagi. She does this
*every* morning."
Setsuna made a noise that sounded suspiciously like she was
trying to hide a laugh. "Well, Michiru, some of us aren't as
lucky to be able to wake up after a night of no sleep
without the aid of coffee."
Usagi raised her mug towards Setsuna, grinning
mischeivously. "Amen to that!"
Michiru looked at her watch, and stood up. She rinsed her
teacup out in the sink and watched her lover demolish a few
more cupfuls of coffee.
"I need to go, love." She said, giving the half-asleep
blonde a kiss on the cheek. Haruka nodded vaguely as Michiru
left.
"Give her until the pot's empty, and then she'll be awake
and grumbling about how Michiru left without kissing her
goodbye. And after that, she'll be playing twenty questions
with you." Setsuna swung her legs around to face Usagi
better. "I'm sticking around for that. I want to know what
you've been up to these past few years, Usagi. And just
where you picked up that man."
Usagi raised her eyebrows. "What? Don't you like him?"
Setsuna looked, unexpectedly, like the young woman she was,
physically, for a few seconds. "Are you kidding? He's
sensitive, he's sweet, he's handsome. He was up and four
a.m., *whistling* **cheerfully**," she emphasized, shooting
a look at the racer guzzling coffee, "and asked me how I
was. He even made me coffee before Haruka woke up. And then
he left with the sunrise." She looked thoughtful. "It was
romantic, in a way."
Usagi smiled dreamily. "I know. If he knew his way around
the kitchen and wasn't petrified of you four, he would have
made breakfast and woke me up." She sighed. "And the man
knows how to cook." She added, as Haruka finished off the
pot of coffee happily and turned to glare at Setsuna.
"Michiru *did* kiss me goodbye." She muttered, stomping over
to the sink and splashing cold water in her face before
returning to her seat. "I'm not completely brain-dead."
Setsuna just rolled her eyes and finished off her own cup.
Haruka spun on Usagi. "When are you going to talk to the
inners?" She fired.
Usagi shrugged. "Whenever I think I can do it without
bloodshed."
"What about Mamoru?"
"What about him?" Usagi retorted, daring Haruka to venture
further into that subject. "I'm happier with Mikey than I
ever was with him. Mikey is everything I could ever want.
And Mamoru can just marry what's-her-face and live pseudo-ly
happily ever after."
Haruka grinned. "Good. How long have you and blondie been
together?"
"Better part of my "absense"." Usagi laughed quietly. "And
you're going to be nice to him."
Setsuna chortled. "She'll love him."
Haruka stared at her. "Why?"
"He's only your biggest fan. He knows more about Ten'oh
Haruka than *you* do, Haruka. It's only a matter of time
before he figures out you're Uranus. But you didn't hear
that from me."
Usagi fought to keep a straight face. "Setsuna, one would
think that, not only are you gaining a sense of humor,
you're actually relaxed."
Setsuna shrugged. "I'm on vacation." She pulled a small,
thick book out of her bathrobe and tossed it at Usagi. " Rule #943, Page 693, paragraph 87, line 12. While on vacation, I can say whatever I damn please. And do whatever I damn please. And
be whatever I damn please. Etc."
Usagi just shook her head, but before she could give it
back, Haruka had snatched it and was leafing through the
pages like a madman.
"Hey!" She shouted, stopping at one particular page. "It
says here that you don't have to use currency!" She
eyeballed the plutonite. "Is *that* how you managed to get
that huge hottub without killing one of our accounts?"
Setsuna retreived her rulebook, smiling mysteriously.
"Maybe."
Usagi rolled her eyes and set her cup down as she brushed
her hair out of her eyes.
Haruka noticed. "That reminds me. What's with your hair?
It's short and brown."
Usagi gaped at her. "Haruka, it reaches past my ass. You
call that short?"
Setsuna grinned as the blonde opened her mouth to retort. "I
think that our beloved friend means that it's about two feet
shorter than the last time we saw you."
Usagi shrugged. "That was six years ago. I'm twenty-four
now. You guys would have been looking for a girl with
extraordinarily long, blonde hair. So I cut it and dyed it.
It worked well enough until one of Minako's friends started
talking about me to her." She frowned. "What a small world
it is."
Haruka grinned. "I was thinking the same thing last night.
Since when do you curse, Koneko? And exactly why does he
call you his "little sexy vixen"? And I'd like to know the
story behind "at least, pant pant, you're not trying out
your Arnold impressionations again, love bunny". Do indulge
us."
Usagi's face was a mottled red, and she sputtered a few
uninteligible phrases. Finally, something was
acknowledgable: "Well what about you, "my hot, sweet honey
love"?" Her face was still red, but she managed a grin. "We
weren't the only ones being loud."
Setsuna groaned, and reached for the teapot. "Gods, don't
remind me. I've been talking about soundproofing the walls
for years, but now that you're here, I'm calling the guys
today. Kakanura-san owes me a favor, anyway."
Usagi glared at Haruka. "Well, if someone hadn't forced us
into her car at knifepoint, we wouldn't be keeping the
lesserly lucky people awake, now would we?" She hinted
pointedly.
Haruka shrugged. "Lost you once, Koneko. Die before it
happens again." She summed it up simply.
Usagi sighed, and stretched her arms. "Well, I need to shop.
Michael has a benefit party-thing tomorrow night and it's
formal, and I don't like anything I have."
Haruka's eyebrows raised. "What exactly does Love Bunny do,
Little Sexy Vixen?" She deadpanned.
Flustered, Usagi stammered out her reply. "He's a "political
debater", and he's working at the embassasy." She grinned a little. "He loves it. And the hours aren't half
bad, and the only times he comes home in a bad mood is
never." Her eyes glazed over, and she stared into her own
dream. "He's so good at what he does, and he loves it so
much when he comes home to another failed cooking attempt
and chinese take-out..."
Setsuna looked at Usagi curiously. "You really love him,
don't you?" Her voice was almost wistful.
Usagi jerked out of revere and looked at Setsuna dreamily.
"Oh, believe it."
Haruka shrugged. She thought of Michiru and grinned
foolishly. "Yeah. I know how you feel."
Usagi jumped to her feet. "Haruka, let me get dressed, and
then you're taking me to the mall. You get dressed too." She
dashed up the stairs, laughing at some joke her mind had
cooked up.
Haruka looked at Setsuna, who stared after the faux-brunette
woman. "Can she love blondie?" She asked, concerned.
Setsuna shrugged. "If she loves him, that's all that
matters. And Mamoru is still dating Keiko, so it's easier
this way." A smile graced her features. "And Michael does
love her. You can tell."
Haruka nodded, standing up. "I know."
~'~
"What about this one?" Usagi danced out the dressing room,
the long, pink skirt flaring up around her. The saleswoman
thought it looked fantastic, but Haruka made a face at the
grandmotherly neckline and the color.
"Too conservative, Koneko." She responded. "Try the blue one."
Usagi pouted, and stomped mockingly back into the stall.
Haruka leaned back int her chair, grinning.
"Your girlfriend is very pretty, sir. What's the occasion?"
The woman asked, observing the relaxed way Haruka sat, not
flinching at the extravagant princetags on the gowns.
Haruka did her best not to smirk. "She isn't my girlfriend,
but she's going to a formal benefit with her--" She looked
back at the stall. "Has he popped the question yet, Koneko-
chan?"
Usagi snorted. "Not yet. I think he will tomorrow night,
though. He promised me a surprise."
Haruka continued her reply. "-- her boyfriend. And she needs a dress."
"But we're just friends!" Usagi called back through the
door. "She's already got a girlfriend. A very elegant,
beautiful girlfriend that would kill me if I made a go for
her "hot, sweet, honey love". Ha ha."
"The same to you, little sexy vixen." Haruka retorted,
deadpan. The lady riased an eyebrow, but made no further
attempt to disect the reasoning because the door to the
dressed room swung open and Usagi sauntered out, grinning.
Haruka lost her composure for a moment. Somewhere in the
background, a shattering of glass and a couple of catcalls
were heard. And finally, the racer was able to choke out one
weak question. "What happened to the blue?"
The dress was red and slinky, with no back and straped about
half an inch thick. The neckline dropped dangerously low,
showing off more cleavage than Usagi wouldhave normally
dared to show. The hem of the dress slanted across her legs,
one end brushing the back of her shins while the other side
rode mid-thigh.
"Well?"
"This is old, but it was made for you." The woman breathed.
Usagi looked to Haruka, who was straightening her tie
meticulously. "Well?"
Haruka nodded. "We're getting it."
Usagi clapped her hands happily. "Goodie!" She dashed back
inside the stall and slammed the door.
The woman looked down at Haruka, who was busy muttering into her hands that Michiru was going to kill her, and couldn't
resist a smirk. "Not your girlfriend, eh?"
Haruka wasted no time paying for the purchase, and bags on
arm, they left the shop.
"Ooo!" Usagi spotted the familiar food court, and couldn't
help but squeal. She looked up at Haruka, pleadingly. "Can
we get something to eat? Pleeease?" She begged, pulling on
the taller woman's arm.
Haruka grinned. She was hungry anyway, and it would be a day
that never came when she could ever say no to that look,
whether it was on Usagi's face, or Michiru's, or Hotaru's.
God, she was such a softy.
She allowed herself to be uncerimoniously dragged into the
semi-cricle of resturants, happy because Usagi was back. It
was nice to see that some things never changed.
A few minutes later, they were sitting at a table, Haruka
eating noddles while Usagi sat with a huge pile of french
fries and hamburgers in front of her. At Haruka's strange
glance, she'd gotten defensive.
"You don't just spend six years on the north american
continent without liking fries, alright!" She proceded to
drown the diced potatos with soy sauce-- which earned her
many odd looks-- and devour the pile.
She was starting on her third hamburger when she suddenly
froze, the greasy sandwich half-way to her mouth. Her big,
blue eyes were wide with shock at the sight of something
behind Haruka.
Haruka twisted around to see, and her eyes narrowed.
Mamoru, accompanied by Keiko, Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami,
were walking towards the food court, laughing and talking
like they were very old friends.
"How dare they!" Usagi gasped. "Those... those..." She
proceded to curse in English, and Haruka was happy that at
least some of the people around them couldn't understand
what she was saying.
Ami, who was carrying several bags from a book store,
spotted Haruka. She tugged on Makoto's sleeve, pointing, and
Haruka turned around with a groan.
"Sorry, Koneko." She mumbled.
Usagi shrugged. "I'm your neice, Rebecca, from the states. I
don't understand much Japanese, and I'm only seventeen." She
took an angry bite from her hamburger, muttering something
most likely foul under her breath.
"But my only brother is twelve--" Haruka began to protest,
but cut herself off.
"Hey, Haruka-san!" Minako had raced ahead and reached them
first. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She whispered hurriedly, looking
over her shoulder. "They insisted on saying hi."
Usagi smiled at her old friend. "It's alright."
"Haruka-san, have you been hiding under a rock?" Makoto
teased, coming up behind Minako. "Ah, have you been cheating
on Michiru?"
Haruka smiled her usual self-assured smile. She had known
Usagi on sight-- and Minako should know well enough to play
along-- but still... "Mako-chan, I would like you to meet my
neice, from the USA, Rebecca." She switched to English.
"Rebecca, this is Makoto, and Minako. And Ami--" She
gestured to each. "--Rei, Mamoru, and Keiko."
Usagi gritted her teeth and looked up, straight into
Mamoru's eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Are you
friends of Ruka's?" Her Japanese was heavily accented and
she stumbled on a few words, for good measure. "I apologize,
if my Japanese isn't very good."
"It's alright." Mamoru encouraged smoothly in English. Usagi found
herself relaxing as she thought of Michael. She was actually
able to smile back. "Are you enjoying Japan?"
"Oh, yes!" Usagi exclaimed. "It's very beautiful here."
"You know," Rei spoke up. "You look so familar. I swear I've
seen you somewhere before."
"Yes, I was just thinking the same thing." Ami agreed.
Keiko seemed to be thinking too, and with a slight giggle,
she tugged at Mamoru's arm. "Hey, Mamo-chan, she looks like
that old friend of your's... I think her name was Usagi. In
the face, I mean. Usagi was blonde, wasn't she?"
Usagi cursed mentally.
Minako saved her. "Yeah, she kinda does, doesn't she? Maybe
if her hair was longer. But the eyes are wrong, and Usagi
was shorter."
Haruka thought she might die of laughter later, but nodded
seriously. "I hadn't noticed."
It seemed everything was safe, until a familar head of curly
blonde hair began running towards the small group. "Bunny!"
The tall man called.
Usagi almost fell out of her chair, but quickly covered.
Before Michael could yell her real name, she jumped to her
feet, startling Ami, who stood closest to her, and raced to
Michael who caught her up in his arms.
"How'd you know I was here?" She asked, smiling.
"Setsuna." He replied. "She said that you were here, so I
decided to surprise you." He looked over his lover's
shoulder at Haruka, who was staring at him like he'd grown
another head, and Minako, who was doing her best to
inconspiculously hide behind Makoto.
"Are they friends of your's?" He asked her quietly, feeling
how tense she was.
Usagi nodded, and leaned up to whisper furiously in his ear.
"Call me Becca around them, love. And you don't know Minako,
alright? I'll explain later." She raised an eyebrow. "Time
to prove you're the actor you claim to be, foxy."
He looked at her oddly, but shrugged. "If you say so,
Becca!" He said merrily, raising his voice purposely.
Minako fell over in relief, and Haruka looked longling at
her chilling noodles.
"Mikey," Usagi explained, in perfect English. "These are friends
of Haruka's." SHe led him over, and noted with satisfaction
that Michael was taller than all of them. "This is Minako,
and Mako... Makoto, and Rei, and Ami. And this is Mamoru and
uhm... Keiko." She giggled, seemingly pleased at getting
them all right.
"Minna, this is Michael Stanton. Rebecca's boyfriend. They're
staying with us until they find their own house."
Usagi rolled her eyes, knowing very well that her next house
would be a crystal palace.
"Michael Stanton!" Mamoru exclaimed. "I know you. You're the new boy at the Embassy! Chiba Mamoru."
"Chiba-san!" Michael laughed, and shook the other man's hand. "I thought you looked familiar. Yes, I remember. You're the head of the hospital." He looked around. "What an amazing coinsidence."
Usagi stared up at Michael. "You know him?" She asked, without thinking, in her native language.
Michael nodded. "Bunny, this is the man I was telling you about the other day. He's the one backing the new program that will help decide over the new mecdical policy."
Usagi stared blankly at her old fiancee, stunned. She remember Michael telling her all about it, but she'd never made the connection. "Oh." She whispered softly.
Keiko didn't like the bewildered way Haruka's neice was glaring at her boyfriend. "Mamo-chan, shouldn't we be going? I thought we had that meeting to go to." She mentioned it like there was a secret behind it.
Rei smacked her forehead. "Oh, yeah! Seiya and Yaten will start another fight if we're late. The temple barely made it out."
Ami smiled at Haruka. "The outers are free to come." She invited.
Usagi was outright gaping. They had told Keiko about the senshi! Yes, that was the only thing, the way she was so friendly with all of them and even Haruka seemed to know everything. It was then the necklace that hung around Keiko's neck caught her eye.
She made a choked kind of gasp. Her broach! Her transformation broach hung around Keiko's neck like some sort of perverted trophy. Usagi remembered throwing it at Mamoru, but she had never, *ever*, thought that they would replace her.
Haruka followed her gaze and closed her eyes, waiting for the explosion.
It never came.
Confused, she opened her eyes to see Usagi, glaring at Keiko like she was the daughter of Queen Beryl. In two short, measured steps, she crossed the distance between them and snatched the broach with a swipe of her hand almost too quick to see.
Keiko cried out as the fine, golden chain bit into the back of her neck before breaking.
"How dare you." She hissed, startling all except Minako and Haruka. "How daye you fucking wear this, you little bimbo."
"Hey!" Rei shouted, beating Mamoru to it. "Give that back! It isn't your's."
"Oh, shut up, Rei." Usagi snapped at her former best friend. "Go stare at your fire and stay out of this. It *is* mine." Her narrowed eyes caught Makoto quietly reaching into her pcoket for her henshin wand, and rolled her eyes. "Michael, let's go. We'll leave them to their business."
"Usa..." He began, but stopped at the furious tone she used. He'd never seen her like this. "Alright." She started to lead him away, but was stopped by Mamoru.
"I can't let you take that." He threatened darkly.
"You won't touch her." Haruka told him, cracking her knuckles. "We both know that broach as much belongs to Keiko as it does to you. She'll take it if she wants to."
Minako looked at the floor and said nothing.
"But..." Ami was speechless, but Makoto wasn't.
"You're full of shit, Haruka! She can't have Usagi's broach! I don't care if she's your neice, your sister, or your mother! I won't have it!"
Michael started, and turned at the violence in Makoto's voice.
Haruka smirked. "And Keiko shall have it?" She challenged.
Keiko scowled. "Just because you don't like me doesn't mean you can give away something as powerful as that, Ten'oh-san. I know how to use it. She doesn't."
Usagi pulled away from Michael, her blood boiling at temperatures pfreviously thought unobtainable by large stars. She turned on Keiko, blood rising to her face. She held the circular bauble up, and waved it tauntingly.
"Oh, you want the broach, do you?" She cooed, her voice too sweet and her eyes dripping venom. "You know how to *use* it? And I don't, do I?" Her face went bitter and her voice dripped toxin. "I known more about this broach than you can ever hope to even dream of. How did you trick it, Keiko? How did you make it think *you* were *Usagi*?"
"Bunny, what's going on?" Michael asked, as Ami, Rei, and Makoto stepped back, concealing one hands behind their backs. He was nervous at the way Mamoru was glaring at his lover furiously, and how Keiko resembled a spitting cat.
"I did not trick it!" Keiko shrieked. "Mamo-chan gave me that broach when the other Sailormoon ditched them! They needed someone to use it, to win their fights for them when she would not! Luna gave it to me!"
Usagi took a better look at the broach in her hand, and laughed. "Oh, my god. You only have the training broach. What am I so pissed about? Of course, you probably can jsut barely use that!" She nearly doubled over.
Aburptly, she stood straight, making them all jump.
"Don't do it." Haruka pleaded mentally. Minako just smiled. If only Luna and Artemis were here to see this.
"Do you want to see power, Keiko?" Usagi purred. "Do you want to feel true power?" She smiled darkly, and gripped the locket tight, making it glow softly as it changed into a more familuar heart shape with wings. "I will show you power. I will show you how to use the broach."
"Usa-chan," Michael stepped back, into Haruka.
"Just watch." Haruka directed. "This is what she's been hiding from you, Michael. Your girlfriend is a very wonderful person."
"Usa--" Ami was closest to Michael, and sudden realization crashed upon her. "Oh my god." Her henshin stick clattered to the floor, and her eyes threaned to roll back into her head as the blood drained from her face.
Makoto caught Ami as Usagi thrust the now heart-shaped broach into the air, and three bursts of light followed.
Her eyes were fixed on Keiko, and as the last light vanished, a streak of bluish silver lightning shot out from the broach and struck the redhead full in the chest, throwing her back into the wall, a good twenty feet away. Mamoru ran for his girlfriend while Rei's jaw fell.
"Let's go." Haruka ordered. "Now." Before Mamoru gets his bearings on straight, she added mentally. SHe had seen the earth prince when he was enraged and even though she knew that she could take him if she needed to, she doubted anyone else would appreciate a dead Mamoru very much.
Minako grabbed Michael by the arm and dragged him after Usagi and Haruka. Ami pushed away from Makoto and took a couple of desperate steps after them, but gave up to look at Mamoru, who was helping a shocked Keiko to her feet.
She hugged Makoto, unconcerned about the horde of curious onlookers gathering. "Did you see?" She shouted excitedly. "it was her! I don't believe it!" She hugged Rei, hugged Makoto again, and then dashed off in another direction, muttering something about Luna.
"What the fuck just happened?" Makoto was bewildered and angry. Mamoru helped Keiko back over to the much smaller group, glaring daggers as Keiko limped.
"Minako left with them?" His voice was eerily calm.
Rei nodded, still speechless.
"Ami ran off." Makoto supplied. "I think she lost it, finally."
Mamoru glared in the direction that the four had left in. "I think we need to hold a meeting. A mandatory meeting. I even want the starlights there."
Makoto nodded, reaching for her communicator as Mamoru led Keiko off.
Chapter 2
THIS PART IS NOT SAP!
~'~
The title of the chapter explains all I need to say.
Usagi yawned and turned over, burying her head in the soft
pillow. Instantly, instinctively, she threw an arm out to
see if Michael was there. She sighed as her arm hit
mattress.
Opening one sleepy blue-gray eye, she peered at the blurry
numbers on the clock. Almost ten... Michael was already
gone. Both the chill of his side of the bed and the time
told her that he'd been gone for a while. She sat up and
rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
The flight to Tokyo had been thankfully eventless. Minako
had chattered the entire way, and after a long, happy
reunion with the outer senshi, who'd invited them (or
ordered them, however one sees it) to stay with them in
their mansion.
Remembering this important fact, Usagi took a few sleepy
minutes to find a long shirt to slip on, and wrapped a
chenile bathrobe around her before stumbling down two
flights of shag-carpeted stairs into a large, bright kitchen
where Haruka was sitting at the table, drinking coffee
straight out of the pot, dressed only in a white tanktop and
a pair of black boxers as she stared into space.
Michiru glared disdainfully at her lover, sipping her tea
daintily, dressed for the day already in a neat, navy-blue
blazer and skirt. Setsuna, wearing a dark red bathrobe,
perched upon a counter drinking coffee out of a huge cup.
Hotaru was missing-- oh, yes. School, Usagi remembered.
She searched the cabinets for a mug and pried a growling
Haruka away from the pot long enough to pour herself enough
to wake her up. The wonderful pot was immediatly snatched
back by the taller woman, who hugged it to her breast, then
yelped as the heat seared through her clothing. She glared
at it for a moment, and then, almost defiantly, began
chugging the black stuff.
Usagi made a disgusted snort. "How can you drink that?" She
wondered, adding spoonfuls of sugar and cream to her own,
nursing it carefully until it was more of a caffeinated malt
rather than a bitter drink.
"Ungh." Haruka grunted, taking another big gulp.
Michiru rolled her eyes. "It's routine, Usagi. She does this
*every* morning."
Setsuna made a noise that sounded suspiciously like she was
trying to hide a laugh. "Well, Michiru, some of us aren't as
lucky to be able to wake up after a night of no sleep
without the aid of coffee."
Usagi raised her mug towards Setsuna, grinning
mischeivously. "Amen to that!"
Michiru looked at her watch, and stood up. She rinsed her
teacup out in the sink and watched her lover demolish a few
more cupfuls of coffee.
"I need to go, love." She said, giving the half-asleep
blonde a kiss on the cheek. Haruka nodded vaguely as Michiru
left.
"Give her until the pot's empty, and then she'll be awake
and grumbling about how Michiru left without kissing her
goodbye. And after that, she'll be playing twenty questions
with you." Setsuna swung her legs around to face Usagi
better. "I'm sticking around for that. I want to know what
you've been up to these past few years, Usagi. And just
where you picked up that man."
Usagi raised her eyebrows. "What? Don't you like him?"
Setsuna looked, unexpectedly, like the young woman she was,
physically, for a few seconds. "Are you kidding? He's
sensitive, he's sweet, he's handsome. He was up and four
a.m., *whistling* **cheerfully**," she emphasized, shooting
a look at the racer guzzling coffee, "and asked me how I
was. He even made me coffee before Haruka woke up. And then
he left with the sunrise." She looked thoughtful. "It was
romantic, in a way."
Usagi smiled dreamily. "I know. If he knew his way around
the kitchen and wasn't petrified of you four, he would have
made breakfast and woke me up." She sighed. "And the man
knows how to cook." She added, as Haruka finished off the
pot of coffee happily and turned to glare at Setsuna.
"Michiru *did* kiss me goodbye." She muttered, stomping over
to the sink and splashing cold water in her face before
returning to her seat. "I'm not completely brain-dead."
Setsuna just rolled her eyes and finished off her own cup.
Haruka spun on Usagi. "When are you going to talk to the
inners?" She fired.
Usagi shrugged. "Whenever I think I can do it without
bloodshed."
"What about Mamoru?"
"What about him?" Usagi retorted, daring Haruka to venture
further into that subject. "I'm happier with Mikey than I
ever was with him. Mikey is everything I could ever want.
And Mamoru can just marry what's-her-face and live pseudo-ly
happily ever after."
Haruka grinned. "Good. How long have you and blondie been
together?"
"Better part of my "absense"." Usagi laughed quietly. "And
you're going to be nice to him."
Setsuna chortled. "She'll love him."
Haruka stared at her. "Why?"
"He's only your biggest fan. He knows more about Ten'oh
Haruka than *you* do, Haruka. It's only a matter of time
before he figures out you're Uranus. But you didn't hear
that from me."
Usagi fought to keep a straight face. "Setsuna, one would
think that, not only are you gaining a sense of humor,
you're actually relaxed."
Setsuna shrugged. "I'm on vacation." She pulled a small,
thick book out of her bathrobe and tossed it at Usagi. " Rule #943, Page 693, paragraph 87, line 12. While on vacation, I can say whatever I damn please. And do whatever I damn please. And
be whatever I damn please. Etc."
Usagi just shook her head, but before she could give it
back, Haruka had snatched it and was leafing through the
pages like a madman.
"Hey!" She shouted, stopping at one particular page. "It
says here that you don't have to use currency!" She
eyeballed the plutonite. "Is *that* how you managed to get
that huge hottub without killing one of our accounts?"
Setsuna retreived her rulebook, smiling mysteriously.
"Maybe."
Usagi rolled her eyes and set her cup down as she brushed
her hair out of her eyes.
Haruka noticed. "That reminds me. What's with your hair?
It's short and brown."
Usagi gaped at her. "Haruka, it reaches past my ass. You
call that short?"
Setsuna grinned as the blonde opened her mouth to retort. "I
think that our beloved friend means that it's about two feet
shorter than the last time we saw you."
Usagi shrugged. "That was six years ago. I'm twenty-four
now. You guys would have been looking for a girl with
extraordinarily long, blonde hair. So I cut it and dyed it.
It worked well enough until one of Minako's friends started
talking about me to her." She frowned. "What a small world
it is."
Haruka grinned. "I was thinking the same thing last night.
Since when do you curse, Koneko? And exactly why does he
call you his "little sexy vixen"? And I'd like to know the
story behind "at least, pant pant, you're not trying out
your Arnold impressionations again, love bunny". Do indulge
us."
Usagi's face was a mottled red, and she sputtered a few
uninteligible phrases. Finally, something was
acknowledgable: "Well what about you, "my hot, sweet honey
love"?" Her face was still red, but she managed a grin. "We
weren't the only ones being loud."
Setsuna groaned, and reached for the teapot. "Gods, don't
remind me. I've been talking about soundproofing the walls
for years, but now that you're here, I'm calling the guys
today. Kakanura-san owes me a favor, anyway."
Usagi glared at Haruka. "Well, if someone hadn't forced us
into her car at knifepoint, we wouldn't be keeping the
lesserly lucky people awake, now would we?" She hinted
pointedly.
Haruka shrugged. "Lost you once, Koneko. Die before it
happens again." She summed it up simply.
Usagi sighed, and stretched her arms. "Well, I need to shop.
Michael has a benefit party-thing tomorrow night and it's
formal, and I don't like anything I have."
Haruka's eyebrows raised. "What exactly does Love Bunny do,
Little Sexy Vixen?" She deadpanned.
Flustered, Usagi stammered out her reply. "He's a "political
debater", and he's working at the embassasy." She grinned a little. "He loves it. And the hours aren't half
bad, and the only times he comes home in a bad mood is
never." Her eyes glazed over, and she stared into her own
dream. "He's so good at what he does, and he loves it so
much when he comes home to another failed cooking attempt
and chinese take-out..."
Setsuna looked at Usagi curiously. "You really love him,
don't you?" Her voice was almost wistful.
Usagi jerked out of revere and looked at Setsuna dreamily.
"Oh, believe it."
Haruka shrugged. She thought of Michiru and grinned
foolishly. "Yeah. I know how you feel."
Usagi jumped to her feet. "Haruka, let me get dressed, and
then you're taking me to the mall. You get dressed too." She
dashed up the stairs, laughing at some joke her mind had
cooked up.
Haruka looked at Setsuna, who stared after the faux-brunette
woman. "Can she love blondie?" She asked, concerned.
Setsuna shrugged. "If she loves him, that's all that
matters. And Mamoru is still dating Keiko, so it's easier
this way." A smile graced her features. "And Michael does
love her. You can tell."
Haruka nodded, standing up. "I know."
~'~
"What about this one?" Usagi danced out the dressing room,
the long, pink skirt flaring up around her. The saleswoman
thought it looked fantastic, but Haruka made a face at the
grandmotherly neckline and the color.
"Too conservative, Koneko." She responded. "Try the blue one."
Usagi pouted, and stomped mockingly back into the stall.
Haruka leaned back int her chair, grinning.
"Your girlfriend is very pretty, sir. What's the occasion?"
The woman asked, observing the relaxed way Haruka sat, not
flinching at the extravagant princetags on the gowns.
Haruka did her best not to smirk. "She isn't my girlfriend,
but she's going to a formal benefit with her--" She looked
back at the stall. "Has he popped the question yet, Koneko-
chan?"
Usagi snorted. "Not yet. I think he will tomorrow night,
though. He promised me a surprise."
Haruka continued her reply. "-- her boyfriend. And she needs a dress."
"But we're just friends!" Usagi called back through the
door. "She's already got a girlfriend. A very elegant,
beautiful girlfriend that would kill me if I made a go for
her "hot, sweet, honey love". Ha ha."
"The same to you, little sexy vixen." Haruka retorted,
deadpan. The lady riased an eyebrow, but made no further
attempt to disect the reasoning because the door to the
dressed room swung open and Usagi sauntered out, grinning.
Haruka lost her composure for a moment. Somewhere in the
background, a shattering of glass and a couple of catcalls
were heard. And finally, the racer was able to choke out one
weak question. "What happened to the blue?"
The dress was red and slinky, with no back and straped about
half an inch thick. The neckline dropped dangerously low,
showing off more cleavage than Usagi wouldhave normally
dared to show. The hem of the dress slanted across her legs,
one end brushing the back of her shins while the other side
rode mid-thigh.
"Well?"
"This is old, but it was made for you." The woman breathed.
Usagi looked to Haruka, who was straightening her tie
meticulously. "Well?"
Haruka nodded. "We're getting it."
Usagi clapped her hands happily. "Goodie!" She dashed back
inside the stall and slammed the door.
The woman looked down at Haruka, who was busy muttering into her hands that Michiru was going to kill her, and couldn't
resist a smirk. "Not your girlfriend, eh?"
Haruka wasted no time paying for the purchase, and bags on
arm, they left the shop.
"Ooo!" Usagi spotted the familiar food court, and couldn't
help but squeal. She looked up at Haruka, pleadingly. "Can
we get something to eat? Pleeease?" She begged, pulling on
the taller woman's arm.
Haruka grinned. She was hungry anyway, and it would be a day
that never came when she could ever say no to that look,
whether it was on Usagi's face, or Michiru's, or Hotaru's.
God, she was such a softy.
She allowed herself to be uncerimoniously dragged into the
semi-cricle of resturants, happy because Usagi was back. It
was nice to see that some things never changed.
A few minutes later, they were sitting at a table, Haruka
eating noddles while Usagi sat with a huge pile of french
fries and hamburgers in front of her. At Haruka's strange
glance, she'd gotten defensive.
"You don't just spend six years on the north american
continent without liking fries, alright!" She proceded to
drown the diced potatos with soy sauce-- which earned her
many odd looks-- and devour the pile.
She was starting on her third hamburger when she suddenly
froze, the greasy sandwich half-way to her mouth. Her big,
blue eyes were wide with shock at the sight of something
behind Haruka.
Haruka twisted around to see, and her eyes narrowed.
Mamoru, accompanied by Keiko, Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami,
were walking towards the food court, laughing and talking
like they were very old friends.
"How dare they!" Usagi gasped. "Those... those..." She
proceded to curse in English, and Haruka was happy that at
least some of the people around them couldn't understand
what she was saying.
Ami, who was carrying several bags from a book store,
spotted Haruka. She tugged on Makoto's sleeve, pointing, and
Haruka turned around with a groan.
"Sorry, Koneko." She mumbled.
Usagi shrugged. "I'm your neice, Rebecca, from the states. I
don't understand much Japanese, and I'm only seventeen." She
took an angry bite from her hamburger, muttering something
most likely foul under her breath.
"But my only brother is twelve--" Haruka began to protest,
but cut herself off.
"Hey, Haruka-san!" Minako had raced ahead and reached them
first. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She whispered hurriedly, looking
over her shoulder. "They insisted on saying hi."
Usagi smiled at her old friend. "It's alright."
"Haruka-san, have you been hiding under a rock?" Makoto
teased, coming up behind Minako. "Ah, have you been cheating
on Michiru?"
Haruka smiled her usual self-assured smile. She had known
Usagi on sight-- and Minako should know well enough to play
along-- but still... "Mako-chan, I would like you to meet my
neice, from the USA, Rebecca." She switched to English.
"Rebecca, this is Makoto, and Minako. And Ami--" She
gestured to each. "--Rei, Mamoru, and Keiko."
Usagi gritted her teeth and looked up, straight into
Mamoru's eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Are you
friends of Ruka's?" Her Japanese was heavily accented and
she stumbled on a few words, for good measure. "I apologize,
if my Japanese isn't very good."
"It's alright." Mamoru encouraged smoothly in English. Usagi found
herself relaxing as she thought of Michael. She was actually
able to smile back. "Are you enjoying Japan?"
"Oh, yes!" Usagi exclaimed. "It's very beautiful here."
"You know," Rei spoke up. "You look so familar. I swear I've
seen you somewhere before."
"Yes, I was just thinking the same thing." Ami agreed.
Keiko seemed to be thinking too, and with a slight giggle,
she tugged at Mamoru's arm. "Hey, Mamo-chan, she looks like
that old friend of your's... I think her name was Usagi. In
the face, I mean. Usagi was blonde, wasn't she?"
Usagi cursed mentally.
Minako saved her. "Yeah, she kinda does, doesn't she? Maybe
if her hair was longer. But the eyes are wrong, and Usagi
was shorter."
Haruka thought she might die of laughter later, but nodded
seriously. "I hadn't noticed."
It seemed everything was safe, until a familar head of curly
blonde hair began running towards the small group. "Bunny!"
The tall man called.
Usagi almost fell out of her chair, but quickly covered.
Before Michael could yell her real name, she jumped to her
feet, startling Ami, who stood closest to her, and raced to
Michael who caught her up in his arms.
"How'd you know I was here?" She asked, smiling.
"Setsuna." He replied. "She said that you were here, so I
decided to surprise you." He looked over his lover's
shoulder at Haruka, who was staring at him like he'd grown
another head, and Minako, who was doing her best to
inconspiculously hide behind Makoto.
"Are they friends of your's?" He asked her quietly, feeling
how tense she was.
Usagi nodded, and leaned up to whisper furiously in his ear.
"Call me Becca around them, love. And you don't know Minako,
alright? I'll explain later." She raised an eyebrow. "Time
to prove you're the actor you claim to be, foxy."
He looked at her oddly, but shrugged. "If you say so,
Becca!" He said merrily, raising his voice purposely.
Minako fell over in relief, and Haruka looked longling at
her chilling noodles.
"Mikey," Usagi explained, in perfect English. "These are friends
of Haruka's." SHe led him over, and noted with satisfaction
that Michael was taller than all of them. "This is Minako,
and Mako... Makoto, and Rei, and Ami. And this is Mamoru and
uhm... Keiko." She giggled, seemingly pleased at getting
them all right.
"Minna, this is Michael Stanton. Rebecca's boyfriend. They're
staying with us until they find their own house."
Usagi rolled her eyes, knowing very well that her next house
would be a crystal palace.
"Michael Stanton!" Mamoru exclaimed. "I know you. You're the new boy at the Embassy! Chiba Mamoru."
"Chiba-san!" Michael laughed, and shook the other man's hand. "I thought you looked familiar. Yes, I remember. You're the head of the hospital." He looked around. "What an amazing coinsidence."
Usagi stared up at Michael. "You know him?" She asked, without thinking, in her native language.
Michael nodded. "Bunny, this is the man I was telling you about the other day. He's the one backing the new program that will help decide over the new mecdical policy."
Usagi stared blankly at her old fiancee, stunned. She remember Michael telling her all about it, but she'd never made the connection. "Oh." She whispered softly.
Keiko didn't like the bewildered way Haruka's neice was glaring at her boyfriend. "Mamo-chan, shouldn't we be going? I thought we had that meeting to go to." She mentioned it like there was a secret behind it.
Rei smacked her forehead. "Oh, yeah! Seiya and Yaten will start another fight if we're late. The temple barely made it out."
Ami smiled at Haruka. "The outers are free to come." She invited.
Usagi was outright gaping. They had told Keiko about the senshi! Yes, that was the only thing, the way she was so friendly with all of them and even Haruka seemed to know everything. It was then the necklace that hung around Keiko's neck caught her eye.
She made a choked kind of gasp. Her broach! Her transformation broach hung around Keiko's neck like some sort of perverted trophy. Usagi remembered throwing it at Mamoru, but she had never, *ever*, thought that they would replace her.
Haruka followed her gaze and closed her eyes, waiting for the explosion.
It never came.
Confused, she opened her eyes to see Usagi, glaring at Keiko like she was the daughter of Queen Beryl. In two short, measured steps, she crossed the distance between them and snatched the broach with a swipe of her hand almost too quick to see.
Keiko cried out as the fine, golden chain bit into the back of her neck before breaking.
"How dare you." She hissed, startling all except Minako and Haruka. "How daye you fucking wear this, you little bimbo."
"Hey!" Rei shouted, beating Mamoru to it. "Give that back! It isn't your's."
"Oh, shut up, Rei." Usagi snapped at her former best friend. "Go stare at your fire and stay out of this. It *is* mine." Her narrowed eyes caught Makoto quietly reaching into her pcoket for her henshin wand, and rolled her eyes. "Michael, let's go. We'll leave them to their business."
"Usa..." He began, but stopped at the furious tone she used. He'd never seen her like this. "Alright." She started to lead him away, but was stopped by Mamoru.
"I can't let you take that." He threatened darkly.
"You won't touch her." Haruka told him, cracking her knuckles. "We both know that broach as much belongs to Keiko as it does to you. She'll take it if she wants to."
Minako looked at the floor and said nothing.
"But..." Ami was speechless, but Makoto wasn't.
"You're full of shit, Haruka! She can't have Usagi's broach! I don't care if she's your neice, your sister, or your mother! I won't have it!"
Michael started, and turned at the violence in Makoto's voice.
Haruka smirked. "And Keiko shall have it?" She challenged.
Keiko scowled. "Just because you don't like me doesn't mean you can give away something as powerful as that, Ten'oh-san. I know how to use it. She doesn't."
Usagi pulled away from Michael, her blood boiling at temperatures pfreviously thought unobtainable by large stars. She turned on Keiko, blood rising to her face. She held the circular bauble up, and waved it tauntingly.
"Oh, you want the broach, do you?" She cooed, her voice too sweet and her eyes dripping venom. "You know how to *use* it? And I don't, do I?" Her face went bitter and her voice dripped toxin. "I known more about this broach than you can ever hope to even dream of. How did you trick it, Keiko? How did you make it think *you* were *Usagi*?"
"Bunny, what's going on?" Michael asked, as Ami, Rei, and Makoto stepped back, concealing one hands behind their backs. He was nervous at the way Mamoru was glaring at his lover furiously, and how Keiko resembled a spitting cat.
"I did not trick it!" Keiko shrieked. "Mamo-chan gave me that broach when the other Sailormoon ditched them! They needed someone to use it, to win their fights for them when she would not! Luna gave it to me!"
Usagi took a better look at the broach in her hand, and laughed. "Oh, my god. You only have the training broach. What am I so pissed about? Of course, you probably can jsut barely use that!" She nearly doubled over.
Aburptly, she stood straight, making them all jump.
"Don't do it." Haruka pleaded mentally. Minako just smiled. If only Luna and Artemis were here to see this.
"Do you want to see power, Keiko?" Usagi purred. "Do you want to feel true power?" She smiled darkly, and gripped the locket tight, making it glow softly as it changed into a more familuar heart shape with wings. "I will show you power. I will show you how to use the broach."
"Usa-chan," Michael stepped back, into Haruka.
"Just watch." Haruka directed. "This is what she's been hiding from you, Michael. Your girlfriend is a very wonderful person."
"Usa--" Ami was closest to Michael, and sudden realization crashed upon her. "Oh my god." Her henshin stick clattered to the floor, and her eyes threaned to roll back into her head as the blood drained from her face.
Makoto caught Ami as Usagi thrust the now heart-shaped broach into the air, and three bursts of light followed.
Her eyes were fixed on Keiko, and as the last light vanished, a streak of bluish silver lightning shot out from the broach and struck the redhead full in the chest, throwing her back into the wall, a good twenty feet away. Mamoru ran for his girlfriend while Rei's jaw fell.
"Let's go." Haruka ordered. "Now." Before Mamoru gets his bearings on straight, she added mentally. SHe had seen the earth prince when he was enraged and even though she knew that she could take him if she needed to, she doubted anyone else would appreciate a dead Mamoru very much.
Minako grabbed Michael by the arm and dragged him after Usagi and Haruka. Ami pushed away from Makoto and took a couple of desperate steps after them, but gave up to look at Mamoru, who was helping a shocked Keiko to her feet.
She hugged Makoto, unconcerned about the horde of curious onlookers gathering. "Did you see?" She shouted excitedly. "it was her! I don't believe it!" She hugged Rei, hugged Makoto again, and then dashed off in another direction, muttering something about Luna.
"What the fuck just happened?" Makoto was bewildered and angry. Mamoru helped Keiko back over to the much smaller group, glaring daggers as Keiko limped.
"Minako left with them?" His voice was eerily calm.
Rei nodded, still speechless.
"Ami ran off." Makoto supplied. "I think she lost it, finally."
Mamoru glared in the direction that the four had left in. "I think we need to hold a meeting. A mandatory meeting. I even want the starlights there."
Makoto nodded, reaching for her communicator as Mamoru led Keiko off.