The cat's interruption caught everyone's attention very quickly. The seriousness shocked them into silence. They slowly turned, cautious and aware of the guardian's disapproval. Mamoru was the only one unaffected by the sudden warning. He beamed brightly at Usagi and her new hair. Usagi looked worry but smiled quickly back. They walked over to a small sitting area. Makoto, Ami and Minako found a spot on a couch. Rei sat gracefully down on the floor and Mamoru and Usagi placed themselves on a love seat and Mamoru instantly started playing with her hair.
Luna glared at him and he dropped the hair and focused... well.. slightly more.
"As you all know quite well we have a new enemy to deal with" She said sternly glaring at Mamoru should he so much as look at the hair. "Artemis and I have been looking for any signs of their presence but there is none, seeing as they're able to hide their position this is a very bad sign."
"You mean you can't sense them at all?" Mamoru asked.
"No, not in the least. They are either operating from another solar system or dimension or they have found a way to hide the dark power well."
Ami pulled out her palm computer and started typing furiously. Everyone watched silently. Luna seemed a little ticked that they didn't believe her but she had known denial would be the first thing. Suddenly Ami stopped typing.
"She's right, there's not even a trace of dark energy." She sighed and everyone else looked around, crest-fallen.
"How are we supposed to defeat someone we know nothing about?" Makoto asked.
"That's the hard part, I really don't know" Luna answered.
Suddenly Artemis appeared, out of breath.
"I've just been over to see Setsuna and the others, they said they felt the presence the other night when the gate opened. They'll keep an eye out for the enemy."
"How's Hotaru doing?" Usagi asked testing out the atmosphere for a little relief.
Artemis brightened, "She's fine, she's grown to about the same age as before"
Usagi laughed remembering the baby Hotaru. "That's good."
A dreamy expression came over her face and they decided to adjourn the meeting until later that afternoon and they were told to protect Usagi. (Not without a long sigh from Usagi and she stated once again how responsible she was) 'We'll go out scouting until then' Luna said.
"I think we all need something to eat!" Usagi announced Darien again staring at her hair. She glanced over at him. "Cut it out!.. that's freaky!"
Everyone sweat bubbled and laughed.
"Okay! Food it is!" Everyone started to leave for the kitchen. Mamoru and Usagi stayed behind.
"You really like it?" Usagi asked.
"Of course Usako!" He smiled and embraced her. She reached her face up and connected with Mamoru. She smiled.
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Outside the moon silhouetted a figure in a tree. something that looked like a dart but burning with black flames came flying in through the window hitting Usagi. Kyuden laughed as his spark hit it's target.
"Defeat her and collect energy from this little group. They should be no trouble for you don't let them see a difference, but be aware I sense a lot of white energy.."
Kyuden's form disappeared in a flash but his laughter remained.
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Suddenly Usagi felt weird. The dizziness overtook her. She dropped to the floor holding her head perspiring. Her eyes were closed and her hair hung across her ears. She started breathing heavily.
"USAKO!" Mamoru yelled.
Mamoru dropped to his knees and put his hand on her back bending down to look in her face.
"I'm fin.." Usagi stopped and her body shook and her eyes closed again. Her hand moved down to her neck.
Usagi held her breath and then let it out softly. The silver crystal activated she felt dark power surge through it, there was a black flash and Usako grinned evilly.
"I'm fine... I just need food" She said calmly at the gawking Mamoru. She staggered up and then walked solitary into the dining room leaving a stunned Mamoru sitting on the ground.
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WRITE MORE HERE, A COUPLE DAYS MAYBE
Everyone was sitting around the low table with heaps of delicious japanese food made by Makoto. Everyone was gawking at Usagi who was slowly sipping at her miso soup.
"Pass the rice balls please," she said. She looked up and saw all the amazed faces, "What?"
Everyone eyed her suspiciously and Ami passed her the rice balls. Usagi looked at everyone.
"What?" she asked.
"Umm.. nothing..." Mamoru looked surprised, shocked by Usagi's new eating habits.
Rei's chin was hanging lower and lower by the moment. Her eyes looked like they would bulge out of their sockets.
"I.. I..." she stuttered, "I don't believe it.." she finished.
Usagi slowly ate her meal ignoring the questionable faces. She wiped her mouth and looked up, somehow everyone had managed to finish.
"I'll take the plates into the kitchen" she said with a grin.
Everyone watched, motionless as Usagi expertly weaved around and over the bodies of her friend's, the dishes piling higher in her hand. The pile didn't so much as wobble. Everyone expected to come out of a dream and hear the dishes crashing. They didn't.
Mamoru just stood drooling and going into chibi mode.
"Finally... now I know why I marry her!" Mamoru said.
Everyone sweat drops.
Rei suddenly clenches her fists, she scrunched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. Her body shook with effort to control herself.
Everyone turned to her except Usagi.
"I CAN'T TAKE THIS!" Rei yelled as Usagi walked nearer. Rei stuck out her foot to trip her. She watched Usagi walk nearer and held her foot just a little higher but not so much that Usagi could see it over the many dishes she carried. She watched the steps come closer and grimly imagined having to sweep up the broken dishes but discarded the idea, she had to do this, for Usagi. Usagi drew closer, she was one step away... then Usagi stepped expertly over and kept moving towards the kitchen.
"Watch it Rei, I might have hurt your foot" she said from behind the dishes.
She disappeared into the kitchen and everyone erupted.
"She didn't even look at my foot!" Rei said astounded. "What happened?"
Everyone looked grimly around, even Mamoru began to lose his obsession. Usagi walked back in.
"Makoto, that food was amazing!" Usagi said closing her eyes happily.
A fire flashes in Rei's eyes. She ground her fingernails into the palm of her hand, as if intending to draw blood. She bit her lip and tried to control her anger.
"THAT'S IT!" Rei stood up fuming, "What'd you do with Usagi-chan!" Rei broke down into tears. and ran over to Usagi and started clawing at her, soon her sobs weakened and she sunk to Usagi's knees and shook silently.
Everyone stared , Usagi's eyes flashed for a brief moment then they went solid.
"I don't know what you mean," Usagi said stepping around Rei, "I am Usagi, now if you'll excuse me, I'm tired and am going to retire early"
Usagi walked out of the room heading towards the room that Rei had given her to stay the night.
"...Rei" Ami gasped, astounded. She walked over to Rei and crouched down. She raised her hand to place on Rei's back "Rei-chan... I...I"
"GO AWAY!" Rei yelled. She broke out into sobs again, "Just... go, away... Please."
The senshi and Mamoru all moved silently out the door and closed it behind them. Rei sat on her knees, shoulders shaking. Wondering what had just happened. The sobs shook her whole body but escaped her only in soundless tears. The moonlight shone onto her through a nearby window, lighting up Rei's tear stained face. Her eyes closed and her mouth quivering.
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Outside Mamoru threw his fist angrily against the brick wall. He looked up at the crescent moon and saw a grinning Usagi in the moon's surface. Tear's appeared in his eyes and he looked towards Usagi's window. He saw Usagi's silhouette, lacking the long odango's so expertly perfected over the years. The silhouette slipped out of her clothes and changed into pyjamas. She stretched and blew out the light making the window go dark.
Mamoru recognised the pyjamas as the nightgown with the tiny pink bunnies sewn into it. 'What happened' he thought. He punched the wall hard with both hands alternating with each punch he drew closer to breaking the skin. His teeth clenched, breathing hard he took hit after hit. Soon he calmed down and threw one last hard punch. He slid down, his back against the wall. He put his hands over his face, The bloodied knuckles shone in the bright moonlight. He sat up looking at the sky. He watched the image of Usagi fade and he leant back and closed his eyes sighing.
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A dark cloud billowed out of the west and covered the bright crescent moon. In a nearby pool of water the reflection of the moon shone through a part in the cloud. An unrecognised figure appeared in front of the moon, a short, almost silent grunt escaped the owner's mouth. He jumped up in the air and his form faded in and out a couple times before disappearing.
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"Milady, I've found a huge source of negative energy" The figure said.
He stepped out of the shadows. Dark chestnut coloured hair was woven in a braid that went down to his middle. He wore no shirt and a piece of cloth was draped around his shoulders. His boots almost reached his knees and his orange pants flickered in the light thrown form the rings of energy circling the room. A bright symbol shone orange on his forehead, it looked like a circle with two diagonal, parallel lines running through the centre. The figure proved to be Kyuden.
"I went only to take the girl, she is struggling impressible but it's only a matter of time, It was a good choice because she has many strong friends and the dark energy they are emitting is being collected as we speak." He grinned proudly.
"Good Kyuden," An evil grin formed on the lower half of a woman's face, the other half shrouded in darkness. A hand came up from the chair of the throne and was held as if holding a fairly large cup. The hand slowly started to close in. A choking sound came from the farther sound of the room. Kyuden clutched his throat. He made gagging noises and his eyes began to roll back into his head. The hand flicked away into the air and disappeared back into the darkness.
"Just remember who does the thinking around here, I never ordered you to leave this place!" She laughed menacingly. "Now go, you are dismissed."
Kyuden, who had fallen to his knees, shoved the hair in his face away and gasped for breath. His body shook and he fell to the ground, one hand still clutching his throat one supporting himself on the shimmering floor made of pure dark energy. He sat up slowly on his haunches still gasping.
"I said, you are dismissed," The voice said it's volume rising.
The hand flicked out and Kyuden went flying out of the room and slammed against the wall outside. The great doors closed and Kyuden was left sprawled on the floor. He shakily stood up and took a minute to compose himself. He closed his eyes and his symbol flashed. His fists clenched and his figure shimmered out again.
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The next morning Usagi didn't wake and nobody dared disturb her. The scouts were sitting around the table eating breakfast. Everyone ate slowly, no one spoke. Mamoru sat nearby on a couch staring into space his chin resting on his hand. Fresh blood soaked through the bandages and he cursed. He stood up and stormed out of the room. Everyone watched him for a moment then went back to eating thoughtfully.
No one had seen Rei that morning either. She had been missing since they left her. Rei in fact was walking alone outside. The emotion showed in every body movement. She walked rigidly, not thinking. Just walking slowly around the property. Eventually she returned to normal and she climbed a tree and lay back in it closing her eyes. She had been walking all night thinking and still could not explain last night's happenings. It replayed over and over in her mind. 'How could she have walked right around me, so unfeeling'... she sighed. I should be protecting her, I shouldn't be here, and I have to protect her, no matter what.
Rei suddenly looked up, 'That's it! I do have to protect her! I have to protect Usagi, no Serenity, with all my life' She stood up and made her way back to the temple. The cherry blossoms swirled around in the restless atmosphere. She went straight inside and stopped only to glance at Mamoru who was sitting with his back to a wall, his knee up and his elbow leaning on it up in the balcony. He had his forehead on his fist, which seemed to be bandaged. She sighed. 'This isn't just hard on me, I have to be there, for everyone'