Chapter 9
Usagi had been watching helplessly, and her heart ached for Mamoru. She knew the pain he must be feeling. To hurt the one you love – faced with the same dilemma she had once used her tiara against him, and had even tried to kill both him and herself. She knew that as long as the fate of everyone hinged on his success, Mamoru would try less drastic measures.
In the meantime, his bloodied and battered face was testimony to the fact that Mab's Sailor Moon was intent on her own success.
"Mamo-chan," Usagi whispered hoarsely, "it's a dream, darling. Only a dream – kill it!"
"Such good advice. Will he heed it in time?" Mab laughed again and stood by the crystal. "This is so exciting. Are you enjoying this as much as I?"
"You're truly evil, Mab! If I get the chance…"
"What? You'll send me back? I know, dear, but where is your bite? You haven't even tried to attack. Somewhere inside you must like watching this. Do you think, perhaps, that Mamoru deserves some of his own medicine?"
Without warning the tiara sped towards Mab, an angry eyed Sailor Moon standing straight and tall, watching as it hit Mab in the midsection. She seemed to short out, and screaming, she faded away.
To reappear next to Sailor Moon.
"Nice try. But this is a dream world. I am not really here. Ha ha ha! However, you must pay for that, my dear."
Her hand shot out and energy poured from her fingertips. The electric pulses hit Sailor Moon, and she screamed in real agony. Tears of pain formed in her eyes, and she fell to her knees.
"Stop!" she cried. "Stop!"
~~~
Mamoru caught his breath, watching this Sailor Moon cautiously, and assessing the damages. He seemed to have some broken ribs, and maybe a broken wrist as well. Using his psychometry he healed his wounds. The tears on his cheeks would dry on their own.
"I'm running out of patience," Sailor Moon said. "I should kill you where you sit."
"But you can't," Mamoru said, "because real or dream, Sailor Moon has too much integrity to kill a foe when he's called for time."
He stood, shaking out his cape and removing his mask. He jumped down to stand in front of her.
"Now. Let's do it."
Again she attacked, striking at his face, but this time he casually side-stepped, quickly whipped his cape from his shoulders, and wrapped her up in it, holding the struggling package close.
"I have several advantages over you," he said, smiling. "I'm taller than you by a foot, and I out weigh you by … a lot. I'm also a lot stronger than you. I'll hold you until Mab shows her hand, or until I decide how best to end this."
He noticed, as he held her, that he felt nothing from this woman – no strength flowed into him, no warmth, no joy or love. She didn't smell like Usagi, and he remembered. Mab hadn't been able to touch Usagi. In all their encounters with Mab's minions, Usagi had been left unscathed. She is the Moon Princess, and she has power over Mab. She couldn't possess her!
"Damn it! This is a dream. You aren't my Usagi!"
As the words left his mouth, he was plunged into darkness.
~~~
"Yes, oh yes! Mamoru, I knew you would do it!"
"Stop your noise!" Mab screeched, sending another bolt of electric energy pulsing at Usagi. Screaming in pain, Usagi couldn't help but feel that somehow Mamoru had turned the table in their favor.
~~~
"They look so alone, Grandpa," Chad said as he covered Mamoru and Usagi.
Looking at the long row of young people, Grandpa shook his head. "Move them closer together, Chad. Maybe they can help each other if they're closer together."
Quietly the young man did as the old one asked. As he finished he closed the doors and left them to silence and twilight.
Outside the guardians and their burden reached the temple. "We have to hurry, Artemis. They need this!"
Carefully they entered, and quickly found Usagi and Mamoru. They placed the scepter between them. Luna grabbed Usagi's bracelet carefully in her teeth, and placed her hand on the scepter. Artemis gently lifted Mamoru's hand by the watchband and carefully placed it over Usagi's, making sure he, too, touched the scepter.
Suddenly the scepter began glowing, and Usagi's locket opened. The silver imperium crystal began to emit a pulsing beam. Usagi and Mamoru sighed, and their bodies arched before falling once again to the mat.
"Oh, Artemis! I think it's working!"
~~~
In the darkness Mamoru clutched the struggling bundle in his arms, but suddenly his cape was all he held. The figure of Mab's warrior had disappeared. Snarling, he flung the cape to the ground.
"Where are you, Mab?" he yelled. "I'm tired of playing with your phantoms. Where are you?" He shook his walking stick in frustration, then noticed a heat in his hand. Light beamed from between his clenched fingers. He held his fist up triumphantly.
"Usagi!"
~~~
Usagi's body throbbed and burned from Mab's tortuous onslaught. She leaned against the pillar encasing Mamoru, standing gingerly on wobbling knees.
Suddenly her hand became hot, and her fisted fingers glowed. The Moon Scepter appeared, filling her hand with its weighty authority. Another hand joined hers, and she looked up.
Hatless, mask-less and cape-less, battered and bruised, Mamoru peered back at her. The pillar behind them imploded.
"Mamoru?" she breathed.
"Usagi?" he whispered.
They hugged, still clutching the Moon Scepter between them. The warmth and strength of her flowed into him, and he drank of her perfume.
Usagi kissed his cheek. "Don't let go," she said, shaking the scepter. "I need your strength."
She turned them to the pillars, and walking among her still silent friends, she touched their stone cages with the scepter. These, too, imploded, and soon the two of them were surrounded.
"I knew you would come," Minako whispered.
"I counted on you," Rei told them.
"We're back!" Ami said.
"Let' get rid of this sleeze meister once and for all," Makoto said, pounding a fist into her palm.
"So, it's reunion time! Did you enjoy your time with Night Mare, girls, Tuxedo Kamen?" Laughing, Mab emerged from the shadows.
"Enough, Mab," Mamoru said. "We're done playing by your rules. Now, play by ours!" He turned to the girls. "All this has taken tremendous energy. She must be exhausted. Now, ladies!"
"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"
"Mercury Ice Blast!"
"Jupiter Thunder Crash!"
The attacks spun out, coalescing and forming one powerful surge, backed by Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon with the Moon Scepter.
Mab screamed, "No, this can't be happening, not again!" But with a terrible blast, all their combined power punched into Mab. She staggered and fell to her knees. Pointing at them she released her own surge of power at them. The senshi struggled against the pain. By this time, however, they were all battle worn and more tolerant of the attack. Ami's goggles switched on.
"Usagi! Her crystal – that's where her source of power is! That's the real Mab!"
"Right!" The Moon Scepter between them, she and Mamoru faced the crystal.
"Moon Healing Power!" Mab's crystal glowed and suddenly, in a shower of glass, it exploded. Mab screamed as her body turned to dust, and a stray breeze blew her away.
The girls jumped and high-fived each other, hugging and laughing. Even Mamoru wasn't immune from this celebration, giving and receiving his fair share of hugs and kisses.
~~~
The guardians watched closely. Their previously motionless charges were beginning to stir.
"I think they're coming out of it," Artemis said.
"Oh, thank goodness," Luna sighed. "They made it."
Makoto and Minako slowly opened their eyes. They looked cautiously around at their surroundings, and finally looked at each other.
"All right! We're back!" exclaimed Makoto.
"Yes, it's over," Minako quietly replied. "Look, here are the others."
"Should we wake them?"
"No," Minako said. "I think it's best to let them come back themselves."
Ami and Rei stretched and slowly sat up.
"Home. I'm home!" Rei smiled.
"Yippee!!"
The others looked at Ami in surprised delight, her uncharacteristic outburst making them smile.
Also smiling, but sheepishly, Ami said, "I'm just so happy to be done with that!"
They laughed and went to check on Mamoru and Usagi, only to find them awake and also smiling.
"Are we good or what?" Usagi asked.
They laughed and hugged, agreeing that indeed they were the best, and that these hugs were better by far than the dream hugs. This time Mamoru simply sat back and watched, until Usagi saw him, and it turned into a group hug, with Mamoru in the middle.
Laughing, he met Artemis' eye, and winked.