Chapter 4
Usagi's phone beeped quietly. Sleepily she sat up, glancing at Mamoru. He slept on peacefully.
"Usagi here," she answered.
"How was your night?" Minako asked.
"Mamoru had another nightmare, but we both fell asleep later and had a quiet night. How 'bout you?"
"We're OK. Where should we meet you?"
"At the control center," Usagi said. "We'll be there in an hour."
"All right. Be careful, you two."
She slipped the phone back in her pocket.
"Come here," Mamoru growled.
"Oh, did I wake you?"
"Not for long!"
Usagi laughed. "Sleepy-head! We need to meet the others at control – Or you could sleep some more and meet up with us later?"
"No," he answered curtly. "You aren't allowed out of my sight." Getting up he stretched. "I'm getting too old for couch sleeping."
"Not too old," Usagi murmured admiringly, "too tall."
He caught her up in his arms, and kissed her long, hard, and thoroughly on the mouth. He groaned. "Shower, I must shower."
"Go, then, Tease, and I'll straighten this place up."
~~~
Mamoru and Usagi strolled into the office area of control a little over an hour later. They were met with impatient glances and understanding smiles.
"Here you are! We were getting ready to send out the troops!"
"Leave them alone, Rei," Minako said. "They need to be alone sometimes, you know."
Artemis hopped down from Minako's shoulder and touched noses with Luna. He looked up at Mamoru.
"Ami and I have found an interesting story from mythology – one which concerns Queen Mab and the moon."
"Really? Show me." Squeezing Usagi's hand reassuringly, Mamoru went with Artemis and Ami to the computer room.
"Mamoru looks tired," Monako said.
"He should. The dreams are bad, and I don't think he's been sleeping much."
In the next room, Artemis called up the file. Mamoru quickly started reading. After awhile he looked up, his eyes gleaming.
"I think this is it," he said.
~~~
They sat around the table, watching Artemis as he sat in the center and preened himself. Looking up he gave them a familiar cat-smile.
"Well," Artemis began, "we've done a lot of research, and we came up with this interesting story.
"It seems that long ago, Queen Mab, the Queen of Dreams, ruled the night above the moon. She visited all people, and gave them dreams, good and bad. She ruled this way for centuries.
"Then, suddenly, about a thousand years ago, the moon began to exert its influence over the world. The bright light of the moon lit the world at night, and the power of the Moon Queen, Selenity, grew monthly. As the moon became more dominant, lovers swore by her, children played in her light, and the people of earth began to believe in the power of the moon, and they forgot about Mab. The queen became more and more obscure and powerless, except during times of eclipse.."
Artemis paused.
"Go on, Artemis!" Luna's tail flicked in annoyance as she leapt to the table top. "Your audience is captured. Stop making a production of it!"
"All right, geez, Luna!" Artemis cleared his throat and resumed his story.
"In her anger and jealousy, Queen Mab became the mistress of nightmares. Finally, the Moon Queen and her daughter, the Moon Princess, sent her away in a powerful blast of white light. The Princess' consort, the Prince of the Earth, lent his power to protect his people from the mischief of Queen Mab.
"Now Queen Mab only lives on in a few fairy tales and stories, while the moon continues to play an important role in the everyday lives of the people of earth." Looking satisfied with himself, Artemis ended the story by jumping over Luna and on to the ground.
~~~
The girls looked at each other.
"Impressed?" Ami asked. "It took a lot of digging to find this. It's amazing how often the Moon Princess pops up in stories once you really start looking."
"Yeah, just ticking people off left and right!" remarked Rei.
"Sorry," Usagi muttered, blushing.
"So we know who and why," Mamoru looked thoughtful. "But what? What does she plan on doing, and how can we fight her?"
"Is there any way you can stop your dreams?" Luna asked.
Ami looked horrified. "People have to dream, Luna. They'll go insane without dreams."
Mamoru rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm going insane with these dreams, Ami."
"Oh, Mamo-chan!" Usagi hugged him. He closed his eyes and breathed her in. He could feel the tension smoothing away.
"Well, other suggestions?" Artemis asked.
"Yes, let's get lunch!"
~~~
Walking to the sandwich shop, the girls laughed and teased each other, while Mamoru walked behind them.
So tired, he thought. I'll sleep well tonight – and dream? He shuddered. How much longer could this go on? He noticed that the girls had moved quite a bit ahead of him. Looking down, Mamoru saw Artemis at his feet. He smiled.
"Watching out for me?" he asked.
"Yes. The women told me you were my job today." Artemis smiled back. "It ain't so bad, being a guy among so many ladies. They all look out for us, especially you!"
"Ha! It's nice when they're nice … but tread lightly and don't make 'em mad!" They shared a uniquely male moment of smug understanding.
Suddenly a loud disturbance reached their ears. The commotion was coming from around the corner, right where….
"The girls!"
~~~
Usagi and Rei had just finished a satisfying tongue fight when suddenly Rei looked around.
"Do you feel that?" she asked. Static electricity filled the air, and their hair floated eerily around their heads.
Suddenly the air thickened, and they all watched as Day Mare appeared.
"So we meet again! I see you brought the rest of your friends this time! Very nice!"
"What do you want with us?" Minako asked. "Why us? And what have you done to Makoto? Is she all right?"
"Oh, your friend will be fine. She just hurt herself a little entering the dream. She is nice and safe – in our dream world. Her body stays with you, where I am sure you are keeping it safe. Ha!
"As to your first question, Queen Mab thinks you're in the way … and she wants you out of it! Sweet Dreams! Attack!"
From the shifting air stepped a small sprite, dressed in pink and white and smelling of …
"Cookies?" Monako licked her lips.
"Ice cream?" Ami smiled.
"Muffins?" Rei drooled.
"What are you guys talking about?" Usagi asked.
"Do you smell chocolate?" Mamoru asked Artemis as they took in the scene. Artemis nipped his ankle, and he shook his head to clear it. "Don't, girls, it's a trick!"
But they had already taken the bait. Rei dreamily thought of happy mornings when her mother baked fresh muffins for breakfast. Her eyes grew unfocused and dreamy. She smiled and sat down. The other two joined her, equally caught up in their own dreams. The sprite crawled among them, touching them here and there to keep them dreaming.
"Mamoru?"
"Transform, Usagi!"
"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"
Amid a flurry of ribbons, Sailor Moon stood where Usagi had once been.
Mamoru turned, and in a flutter of red and black, he also transformed. With a flick of his wrist, Tuxedo Kamen threw the rose. It caught Sweet Dreams across its hand as it reached for the girls.
"A girl's memories of time spent with her mother are sacred. It is a trust that I cannot allow you to defile!" He used his cane to knock the sprite away.
"Ami? Minako? Rei?" He quickly knelt by them. "Are you all right?"
Slowly Ami's eyes came back into focus.
"Tuxedo Kamen? What happened?"
"No time! Transform!"
"But …"
"Later, Ami! Venus Planet Power!"
"Mars Planet Power!"
"Mercury Planet Power!"
"Make Up!"
"Sailor Moon, here they come …"
"Moon Tiara Magic!" The tiara caught Sweet Dreams, and it turned to dust.
Day Mare angrily snorted. "Hey! That was a good dream! And you ruined it. Always did exactly what I asked." She looked at the senshi arranged before her. "Fine, I get the hint, and I'll leave presently … But you need your parting gifts. Watch and fear, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen!"
She threw her arms out, and her gown billowed around her.
"Day Mare Captivation!"
They looked around. Waves of energy poured from her hands, yet Day Mare's attack seemed to do nothing. Suddenly Venus crouched, and from her throat came a strange, frightening cry.
"Sailor Moon! Tuxedo Kamen!" she screamed.
Turning they saw Sailor Venus, her eyes huge in her pale face.
"Venus?" Sailor Moon approached her.
Wild eyed, Venus spun around. "Get behind me, Sailor Moon! Where's Tuxedo Kamen?"
"Here, Venus," Tuxedo Kamen said soothingly. "What do you see?"
"Assassins. Can't you see them?"
Venus saw them ready to kill her Prince and Princess. They wove in and out, between the other senshi, the cars along the road, the trees. In her mind she knew they would kill Usagi and Mamoru if she didn't take a stand and kill the assassins first. She for one would not go out softly. She snarled and went into full attack.
"I call upon the power of Venus – Love Chain Encircle!"
Her attack flew, searching for assassins she could clearly see stalking her charges. It filled the air, then like Jupiter's attack the day before, it, too, seemed to coalesce, and it turned back on Venus.
"No!" Tuxedo Kamen tried to block it, but it passed right though him.
"Oh, Venus!" Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars ran forward.
Venus, ensnared in her own attack, screamed once and fell.
Day Mare laughed. "Oh, funny!" she giggled. "Those day mares are good ones – such powerful attacks." She stopped laughing as suddenly as she'd started. " You are ridiculous!"
"Stop it!" Sailor Moon yelled. "Why are you hurting our friends? Isn't it the two of us you want? Take us!"
"No, your friends must be neutralized, though you have been given warning; can you neutralize me? I must say goodbye. But one more thing before I go …"
With a cry she threw out her arms and waves of power pulsed from her fingertips.
"Oh, so weak …," Mercury checked her visor. "It's taking our energy …" She sighed, the air shimmered, her transformation reversed itself, and Ami fell to the ground.
"Tuxedo Kamen …" Sailor Moon murmured, and with a small rustling noise, Usagi collapsed.
"Must sleep …" Mars closed her eyes and amid a flurry of red and white, Rei slowly knelt on the ground and fell over.
"Artemis, Luna …" Tuxedo Kamen staggered, the flutter of his cape stopped, and Mamoru bent over Usagi. Kneeling beside her he took her hand. "Watch over us …" He slumped down beside her.
Day Mare laughed again, and left through the hole she had ripped in the sky. Watching her go, Artemis growled deep in his throat.