Mamoru felt his hand start to bleed again. He cursed aloud. He was in the kitchen on a couch. Everyone else was lost in thought at the table. He felt the fresh blood soak through his hastily set bandages. Mamoru hadn't wanted to bother Ami and have her bandage it up properly. He got up and left the room. Clutching his bleeding appendage. He walked out to the porch again watching the slow movements of the trees.
"Hello," a voice came from behind him.
Mamoru almost jumped, he hadn't heard anyone speak all morning. He didn't turn around. He figured it was Ami by the sound of her voice.
"I said hello, the least you could say is hello back,"
"Hi," Mamoru said in frustration, he turned around. behind him stood Usagi. Mamoru's face turned to that of shock.
"Usagi! I'm sorry I thought you were Ami coming to bug me about my bandages." He explained holding up his arm.
"I just wanted to see if Rei is feeling better, she was acting strange last night." Usagi said, not even glancing at Mamoru's bandaged arm.
"She was acting weird? Look at you!" As soon as he'd said it he regretted it. He knew Usagi, she'd start to bawl and it would take months to get back on good terms.
"I am not acting weird. You all are." Usagi turned around and left.
'What's wrong with her' Mamoru thought.
Usagi stopped as if to think and then turned around facing Mamoru.
"Oh, and Mamoru.. I don't think we should see each other anymore," She said turning around again after a few seconds and walking down the hall.
Mamoru stopped in his tracks. 'What'd she say!' He whirled around and watched Usagi walk away... 'But why?" He felt like he had been stabbed several times, right to the heart. His face fell. 'What have I done?' the world swirled around him. He fell back, grabbing on to the railing. he sat down, stunned. His mouth fell slightly ajar. 'She didn't just say that, she couldn't'. Then it sunk in... Usagi, had just broken up with HIM! and not even batted an eye. Mamoru fell completely silent. 'What happened to my Usako?' 'Where'd she go!' He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes again.
A shadow fell across Usagi's face and she grinned 'hehe, more negative energy' these people are so attached to each other this will be easy'
Mamoru still sat in shock. A few minutes later he sensed Rei come up, he could smell the woods on her and figured she had been out all night thinking. He didn't bother to greet her, he just sat there still dazed. He slunk into a lazy depression. Greeting Rei wasn't going to bring him out of it. A smell came wafting to his nose, vanilla and cherry, Usagi's scent.
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Rei watched Mamoru for a second before walking in. 'What happened to him?' She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she banged into Ami.
"Hi Ami, sorry,"
"It's okay Rei, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, I.. I... I just don't know what...."
"No one does,"
"Is she awake yet,"
"No,"
"Okay, what happened to Mamoru?"
*sigh* "He hurt his hand when he beat up a brick wall after Usagi, uh, acted weird."
*slight giggle* "hmmm.. We have to dress the wounds, they're bleeding freely,"
"Oh, that's why he left this morning. He's been avoiding me all day. Where is he?"
"Up on the balcony, I don't think he's in a great mood though."
"It doesn't matter, he'll be in an even worse mood if we don't fix his hands."
Ami and Rei walk upstairs to the balcony. When they open the door Mamoru looks up. He had tears welling and a blank expression in his eyes. The girls jump back, they were expecting him to be sad, but...
"What happened?" Ami said, regaining her voice first.
Mamoru just looked away again. Staring at the landscape.
"I broke up with him," a voice said from behind them.
Behind them stood Usagi. She was dressed in regular clothes and was holding a broom. There were no visible signs of sadness except her eyes. Her eyes were a blank blue, unstaring blue. There was nothing there, Usagi's expressive eyes were completely blank. She continued on her way sweeping and humming. Mamoru suddenly stood up and left. Ami chased after him because she still had to dress his wounds.
Rei looked after them and turned to Usagi. Usagi began to shake and she gave out a yell and fell down on the floor.
"REI-CHAN!" she yelled.
"Usagi?" Rei said. She approached her on the floor.
Usagi seemed to be struggling with something within her. Her body writhed and her eyes flickered. Suddenly her eyes shone through, expression shone, dancing with light again and she yelled.
"Rei-chan! Help me! Please, It's too strong"
Her eyes flickered back to no expression. Usagi stood up and brushed herself off. She picked up her broom and glared at Rei. Rei's mind raced. Two quarrelling minds in one body could destroy the body! She looked to Usagi.
"Your friend is very strong. I admire her." A strange voice hissed from within Usagi's body.
"You! Give Usagi back!" Rei yelled.
"I don't think so. We need her dark energy." The creature hissed.
Rei almost collapsed 'What should I do?'
"VENUS........ CRESCENT.... BEAM... SMASH!" Sailor Venus appeared. She shaped her hands like a gun and pointed it at Usagi. It tore out and spun in a spiral towards Usagi.
"No!" Rei yelled.
Rei jumped in the way of the beam blocking Usagi.
"You can't hurt her! She's still there! she talked to me!" She was now hunched over clutching one arm. She was bruised and scratched all over. Her breathing was heavy.
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"
"JUPITER, STAR... POWER!"
"MARS, STAR....... POWER!"
All of the scouts stood transformed before Usagi.
"Your time is up!"
"Your evil is out numbered!"
"Give us back Usagi!"
The creature laughed evilly. Dark power glowed around Usagi's body. The dark energy grew. The lights in the temple flickered and fizzled out as the blackness enveloped her. Unexpectantly the monster gave out a scream and fell to the floor. A bright pink light had appeared. Cherry blossoms swirled around. A figure appeared in the middle.
"MOON PRISM POWER!"
In front of them stood an older.... Chibi-Usa!
"Chibi-Usa!" Sailor Mars ran up to her.
Chibi-Usa held out her hand and stopped Rei. She floated down to the ground and stepped to the ground without opening her eyes.
"Usagi... Mom... please wake up" She said without moving her lips.
Chibi-Usa's body glimmered. Then out of the body came the ghost-like figure of a smaller Chibi-Usa.
"Mommy... please wake up" Chibi-Usa went over and touched Usagi.
"NO!!!" Usagi screamed, "You aren't going to defeat me!"
"Dark magic, I summon you to punish these brats."
"DARK STAR... TRANSFORM!"
Dark energy furled around Usagi, Her short hair was flowing up around her and she closed her eyes. They flashed open, the same, blank, vacant look as before. Suddenly a symbol identical to Kyuden's appeared on Usagi's forehead. The dark energy swirled around her until Usagi was enveloped in a pod of darkness. The pod burst open and Usagi stood dressed in a sailor fuku. The skirt was black with grey stars on it.
"I have no need for this useless, weak body anymore." she lifted her hand and flicked it to the right. Usagi's body was flung to the side and in its place stood a black haired girl dressed in the black sailor fuku. Sailor Mars leaped to the fallen Usagi's side.
"USAGI!" Mars yelled. She held her up in her arms.
"Nothing can help her now, I have her energy." The girl said
"My name is Kurai! I have been sent to collect energy and destroy meddlers like you!"
"DARK STAR WAND... SLASH!!"
The girl's transformation wand grew into a staff with a jewel on top. The staff glowed black and everything became dark. A green light grew in the centre of the jewel. The light grew and it surrounded everything, the only light in the dim hallway. She flung the light in the direction of the scouts. It ripped through the floorboards as the scouts jumped out of the way.
"DEEP... SUBMERGE!"
"WORLD...SHAKING!"
Two planet shaped attacks came out of the darkness and hit the dark blast, disintegrating it. Sailor Neptune and Uranus appeared after the darkness cleared.
"hmmm... looks like a party!" Kurai said. "Too bad, I'm just going to have to eliminate you all!"
"Pegasus, protector of dreams, please help us..... SILVER TWINKLE BELL!"
Pegasus appeared out of the sky and his horn shone. A pink Wand appeared in front of Chibi-Usa.
"Me?" she asked, surprised.
"Chibi-Usa, save your mother" Pegasus took off and flew into the sky.
Chibi-Usa looked unsure then her soft eyes fell upon Usagi, She nodded.
"mhmm....MOON..... CRISIS..... MAKEUP!"
Chibi-Usa transformed into Super Sailor Chibi Moon. She grabbed the pink wand in front of her.
"CHIBI MOON, GORGEOUS, MED..IT...TATION!"
A heart came out of the wand and crashed into Kurai. A lot of dust rose and covered the area. Chibi-Usa smiled and the girls all sighed. Then out of the dust appeared a blurry dark figure.
"Hehe, Nice try. Not good enough." As the dust cleared completely Kurai stood there, untouched.
"WHAT!" all the scouts said at once. Moon Gorgeous meditation was their strongest attack.. they were really in for it!
Then out of no where.
"STARLIGHT CHRYSTAL BEAM!"
A shimmery beam of stardust came up from behind the scouts hitting Kurai squarely. Kurai howled in pain.
"I am Sailor Stardust, a sailor scout. Using the sparkles of stardust I will make you pay for possessing an innocent girl. Quickly, sailor Chibi Moon!" A girl in a white fuku appeared. The girl placed her two fingers on the crescent moon incased on her forehead. She closed her eyes and concentrated.
A bright light surrounded Sailor Chibi Moon. Her sailor fuku was replaced by a knee length pleated white dress. It was trimmed my pink hearts and she wore fingerless black gloves. her boots were replaced with high heels and a glimmering sword-like staff stood before her. Neo-gen Chibi-moon, eyes still closed grasped the staff. When she touched it the crescent moon on her forehead blazed and her hair and dress whirled around her. She opened her eyes. She wielded her staff as a sword and yelled.
"NEO-GEN SAILOR SLICE" she raised the staff high in the air and smashed it down to the floor. A pink wave shot out of it heading towards Kurai. She screamed as she was turned into ash.
The ash disappeared in a flash of hearts and left behind was a star amulet.
Neo-gen Chibi-Moon fell to the ground. Chibi-chibi-usa left her mother's side to rejoin chibi-usa.
"Chibi Moon!" all the scouts gathered around her and Usagi.
Neo-gen Chibi moon sat up slowly. She crawled over to the star amulet and put it in Mar's hand.
"Use.. this..." as she said that she fainted a bright light appeared and she turned back into Chibi-Usa.
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"Chibi-Usa" Rei managed a whisper as they all detransformed.
Chibi-Usa's eyes opened meekly.
"Where..am...I?" She asked slowly
"Where do you think you are silly" Rei asked smiling brightly at the young child.
"Rei-chan..." Chibi-Usa murmured as she fell asleep in Rei's arms.
Rei looked down at her hand. What am I supposed to do with this. Then she remembered. She spun around.
"Sailor Stardust..." She frowned when she didn't see the girl anywhere. She glanced at the other girls and they answered by giving her blank stares. Then Rei heard a noise, she turned around and saw Minako holding Usagi's hand crying slightly.
"Usagi..." Minako began.
"USAKO!" A voice erupted from behind everyone, they turned. Tuxedo Mask stood behind them. He fell to his knees and detransformed.
"I was too late" Mamoru said. The tears flooded down his cheeks and Minako moved over letting him hold Usagi.
"Usagi..." He closed his eyes and buried his head in her hair. He could still smell a faint tinge of cherries and vanilla. The tears flooded down his face and into Usagi's hair. He grabbed her hand in his and kissed the top of her head. He closed his eyes his shoulders shaking.
The scouts all stared on at one of the rare displays of emotion Mamoru was showing they looked around sadly as they detransformed. Minako and Rei were shaking with tears and Makoto bit her lip and looked down. Haruka held a bent over Michiru who shook silently. Mamoru's tears swiftly fell down and touched Usagi's forehead. The crescent moon began to glow.
A light emitted from Rei's tightly clenched hand. She looked up, through her tears she saw Usagi's forehead was glowing. As the light died down the crescent moon appeared glittering in a stream of Mamoru's tears. Rei opened her hand and the star amulet, glowing yellow floated in the air. It slowly drifted in the air and hovered over Usagi. Mamoru looked up.
The star amulet turned into many sparkling pink lights. They split up and flowed into Usagi's crescent moon. Usagi's locket changed to one similar to Chibi-Usa's. It was a star with the silver crystal imbedded in the middle. Rainbow colours danced around the edges of the star. Usagi's crescent moon disappeared and she lay still.
Mamoru pulled her closer. Vanilla and Cherry Blossoms fell from the sky and Usagi's eyes flickered open. She looked up at Mamoru smiling. Her expression changed to that of worry and she reached up and brushed away Mamoru's tears.
"Why are you crying?" she asked.
Mamoru smiled down at her, "Because I'm so happy"
Usagi smiled brighter back, "You like my new haircut that much?"
Mamoru looked puzzled but Usagi smiled passively and snuggled into Mamoru's arms missing the strange look.
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"You mean you don't remember anything at all?" Ami asked, while bandaging up Mamoru's cuts.
"Remember what?" Usagi said, a well-known look of pure confusion on her face.
"You don't remember making Rei-chan cry or breaking up with Mamoru?" Haruka asked nonchalantly staring at her nails, sitting off some ways off on a couch.
Usagi's eyes darkened. A look of horror overcome her. She gasped and looked to Mamoru. Mamoru looked down pretending to be oblivious to Usagi's reaction. Usagi looked to Rei who looked her in the eyes for a moment and looked away. Sadness etched across her dark face.
"I...I..." She started. "...I'm sorry!" She stood up and ran out of the room.
Everyone's glare turned towards Haruka and she reddened.
"...oops" she tried. She grinned and stepped farther away from Mamoru who was starting to turn red. Mamoru's teeth and fists clenched, he turned towards Haruka. He seemed to growl and he started to raise a fist menacingly.
"Mamoru stop clenching your fists like that, they're going to bleed more" Ami complained.
Mamoru, still glaring at Haruka, waited patiently until Ami was done and then ran out to find Usagi. (He would have beat up Haruka but she had conveniently slipped out while he was occupied.)
_____________________________________________________________________
Usagi walked through the forest outside the temple in a daze. She recalled Mamoru's relaxed and happy face when she had come to. 'Come to?... that's right... what happened?' she thought. An image came to her. She was thrown to the ground and a strange girl stood in front of her. Chibi-Usa was there, and another... who was that... so familiar, she wore a strange dark fuku. She saw Minako and Rei yell her name as she fell and then she blacked out. 'But how?...' another picture flashed quickly and then blacked out. She was in the temple hallways on the ground. Darkness clogged her senses. 'REI-CHAN' her voice echoed through her thoughts. She fought to remember more but couldn't.
Suddenly her locket flew open. A sweet music filled the air. 'What's this music' her mind flashed to a girl with white hair, the girl was smiling passively. her mind went blank and the music went on.
"Usagi" a voice said in the clearing up ahead. Light floating hair swirled around a girl in the light.
Usagi closed the locket quickly in shock. The music stopped and the figure disappeared with the melody.
'Who was that?... it's so familiar...' Usagi shook her head and cleared the thoughts and turned around.
"Usako!" came an alarmed voice from in behind, it was Mamoru. He reached in front of her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Mamo-chan, I..." She lowered her head and ripped from his grasped turning violently.
She tried to run but he grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. She looked up into his smiling face and bright expression. The sadness lurked on the horizon but it was a happy sadness. Dancing in the vastness of his eyes. He drew her in taking a deep breath of her hair once again. He bent down and kissed her softly.
"Don't leave me again" he whispered.
Tears streamed down her face as he kissed her again and he held her closer.
"Never again, never again" She said, glad to be wrapped in his arms again.