Sailor Venus touched the newspaper on her desk with light
fingertips, heart breaking harshly as she read the text on the front
page. Tears filled her cornflower eyes as they ran over the smiling
subject so dear, pictured in the center of the page, and she closed
them softly. Usagi was gone, in the words of their spokesperson,
". . .relocated to an undisclosed location for her safety." The
press was having a field day, speculating on her whereabouts,
wondering on the cause. The editorial pages of papers all over the
world were full of opinion and fact, hoping to hit a nerve in the
royal circle. But, none could come close to the truth of the matter;
only the Senshi and the royal couple knew the truth.
Giggles of joy filled her ears, and she opened her eyes, smiling at her son as he jumped around her office, chasing after an errant balloon. Her tears faded, but the sorrow in the lines of her face lingered, and she watched her only child with bittersweet pleasure. 'Masaki is the only light left in our lives. Will I be begrudged by Serenity for my child, since she lost her own?'
A sigh escaped her lips, and she leaned her chin on her hand, resting her elbow on the desk. 'What happened to you, Usagi? Why did you see the need to change? Did you drive your daughter away?'
Masaki clambered happily onto his mother's lap, and her arms went around his tiny form, holding him tightly to herself. As he poked his now-caught balloon, she stroked his dark hair. 'As much as I wish you hadn't left, Chibi-Usa,' she thought gently, 'Please be happy with your choice. All I want is your happiness.'
Serenity stood stoically at her bedroom window, looking out onto her quiet city. The sunset in front of her raged red and orange as it sank below the ocean's horizon, sending fiery tendrils of light across her pale face, and she closed her eyes, stuffing her tears below her throat, making them disappear. She could feel the weight of age sink on her shoulders as the sky darkened, and the night fell on the third day since Usagi ran away, the third day of held-back tears from her Senshi, pain-filled gazes from her husband, and her own silence. If she had been younger, she would've spent the time crying hysterically in her bed, seeking comfort from Endymion and her friends. But, she was past that now. She had been past that for many years.
'My strength is in my silence,' she thought coldly. 'I can't speak to anyone about Usagi. Emotions won't help me rule the world. Besides, where did my emotions ever get me? No. Silence is the only way I can save myself.'
*What have I become?*
Her eyes opened with a start at the cry inside her mind. 'What do you mean? This is what I wanted. I couldn't be the ruler I am today if I was still emotional, still open to people. I am strong, and I have to stay strong. Do you want me to revert back into flighty old Usagi, and have the world fall apart?'
*You're a robot! How could this happen to me? I had strength, I had love, I had feeling. Someday, you'll drive them all away with your 'strength' just like you did with Chibi-Usa! The Senshi, Mamoru--*
A small scream ripped from Serenity's throat, and she fell to her knees, silencing her inner self. 'It's Endymion now, not Mamoru! We've all changed, but he won't leave me! He understands why I'm like this, understands the need for it! We don't say those names anymore. It's Endymion. . . .' Suddenly, a crack appeared in the immovable face, and she buried her face in her slim hands as a single tear slipped down her porcelain cheek. 'No more Mamoru. . .It's Endymion,' she thought, a twinge of sorrow breaking into her heart.
Her inner voice leapt at it. *You miss it! Be yourself! Call to him--*
"I don't miss it." Her steely voice cut the silent room. "I am who I am. I must stay strong." She lifted her face from her hands, and stared with unseeing eyes into the twilight, muting her soul.
That's how Endymion found her as he walked into the bedroom with aching feet, and stopped at the door. His dark eyes locked onto her tiny form, saw the clenched fists holding onto fistfuls of her white gown, and his stomach lurched painfully. 'Why won't she speak to me? She's angry, full of pain--but she says nothing to me. When did speaking your mind become off-limits?' he thought bitterly, and moved towards her kneeling form.
She felt him enter through their taut link, but didn't move to him. Even with a silent step, she knew he was coming to her. She shuddered, suddenly not wanting his light touch. He wanted her to collapse in his arms with grief. Well, she didn't want to. There was no grief inside her anymore---only silence. Before he could touch her, she stood up, moving closer to the window.
He faltered behind her straight-backed form, but squared his shoulders, and stepped beside her, gazing at her smooth face. "Ren, are you all right," he asked softly, hoping she'll meet his eyes. "Do you want to talk to me?" 'Don't close me out,' he begged silently. 'Don't become something like what I was before I met you.'
She breathed silently, watching the lights in her city twinkle. 'Stay strong. Be strong.' "We don't have an heir, Endymion."
His eyes widened in shock, and he gaped at her, flabbergasted at her cool words. 'Oh gods,' he thought. 'It's already begun.' Anger built up in him like a tsunami, and he inhaled sharply, midnight irises darkening. "Is that all you care about?" he lashed out, searching for a reaction in her face. "Our only child has run away, cut herself off from us, and all you can think about is the goddamn succession?"
She turned away from him. "We don't have time to get emotional. We have a whole planet to think about."
"What the hell are you saying? We shouldn't worry about our daughter, the daughter who has disappeared without a trace, who doesn't want anything to do with us? What the hell has happened to you, Serenity?" The question that he was afraid to ask was out in the open, and he was glad. He didn't want this robot anymore. He wanted his damn wife back, the one who would giggle, cry, smile in truth, make suggestive comments to him during open court.
Silence met his plea. Almost glowing with frustration, he reached out, grabbed her shoulders, and spun her around, shaking her lightly. "Look at me, Usako," he pleaded angrily, using the name he hadn't said in many years in his desperation.
She looked up at him quickly, and he stopped, pain hitting his heart. Her eyes, those beautiful azure eyes he loved so much, the eyes that told him how much she loved him, were dead, blank. He felt a part of her died at that moment, and he should've died as well. His Usako was gone, and only a shell remained. His soul was killed at the realization, and he released her gently, taking a few steps away.
Serenity killed her secret self in silence, feeling nothing inside herself. Her eyes shut tightly against Endymion's pained gaze, and a shudder rippled through her as her fists clenched, and she was released from herself, leaving nothing but the mask she had perfected over the years. She watched her beloved step back, and there was a dull ache in her limbs. Her inner voice was right- she had driven him away. Her heart hardened, and she felt their link go limp with the loss of her soul.
There was silence in the room, a tense, torturous pause that ate away at the wilted link. Suddenly, Serenity cleared her throat, opened her blank eyes, and met her husband's gaze icily. "We have to think of something to do about the succession, Endymion," she commented tonelessly. "The world will only be satisfied for so long."
He nodded, and turned away, walking towards the door. As he turned the knob, he hesitated, hoping for one last word from her. She just looked at his still back, watching him go. He left the room. She didn't call him back.
The next morning, before most of the household was awake, the King's possessions were moved into a room down the hall from the sleeping Queen's bed. The Senshi felt a part of themselves drown. The royal couple took it in stride.
Two Years Later. . .
A light hum escaped Usagi's lips as she made her way around her tiny kitchen, stirring the steaming pots on the stove with a cheerful hand. The small window over the stove revealed a dying day, the deep purples of twilight enveloping Edinburgh's stone buildings and surrounding hills, and she could see the streetlights shine softly in the growing dusk. Her mouth curved into a smile, and she continued with her tune, awaiting her husband's return from class patiently.
It had been two years since she and Aki left Tokyo for good, and they had been the happiest two years of her life. With the money Aki had saved up in his private fund, and the little savings she had from her own allowance over the years, she and Aki were doing surprisingly well. The education she finished with Sailor Mercury amounted to a college degree, and she had found a job as a teacher in an elementary school in the center of Edinburgh. Aki was finishing his degree in education at the university, and was already finding job openings. They were married at City Hall a few weeks after their arrival and had bought a flat near the university which suited both of them perfectly. Of course, there were the little spats now and then, but that was to be expected. Her life was wonderful, and she didn't even dream of going back to Tokyo.
She brushed back a strand of dark hair, looking across the room at a copy of the newspaper she picked up earlier that day. A headline about tension in the royal circle screamed across the page, and she turned away, putting it from her mind. 'There's always been tension in the royal circle. Kami, it wouldn't surprise me if Mama and Papa had separate rooms by now. No one outside the palace would know, of course. I wonder how the Senshi feel now?' she thought coolly, placing a top on her boiling pot of rice, and walked out of the steaming kitchen.
She stood silently in front of the full-length mirror on the door of the closet in her bedroom, looking warily at her flat stomach. Her fingers lightly pushed up her sweater to the bottom of her breasts, and she ran her fingertips along her midriff, apprehension rising unwillingly in her mind. There was a baby in there; her gynecologist told her yesterday, and tomorrow was her first appointment with the obstetrician. Her heart leapt for joy at the news, and now she was worried. What if Aki didn't want a child yet? She didn't want to have to get rid of it, especially since she was almost two months along already. She thought he would be all right with a baby, but she couldn't be totally sure. The only thing to do was pray it would all work out.
A grin crossed her lips, and she rested her hands on her stomach, elation rising in her once more. 'A baby! I can barely believe it. I'm glad I watched Minako's pregnancy with Masaki so closely. . .I feel like I might be a little more prepared. But, I won't have a son. It will be a girl, like I was, and my mother, and her mother, and so on.' She giggled, and pulled her sweater back down, smoothing it gently. 'And, I don't have to name her Serenity! I don't think this could get any better!'
The front door opened, and she jumped slightly, her silence disrupted by the usual creaking. Smiling, she walked out of the bedroom towards the cozy living room, ready to greet her unsuspecting husband.
Aki sighed, shrugging off his wool coat, and pulled off his scarf when he entered the warm flat, hanging both on the coat rack on the wall next to him. His face was tired but happy as he walked into the living room, and it lit up like a match when he saw his wife enter from the door on the other side of the room. Every day he was amazed to see her to greet him, and he had been shocked to see her adapt to her role as wife so quickly when they first arrived. She always had a smile for him when he came home, but today, in her curved mouth, there was something deeper. He grinned at her, and met her halfway, right in front of the sofa. "Hi Usa," he greeted softly, leaning down to kiss her.
She met his lips gently, wrapping her arms around his neck in welcome. Her heart was pounding in apprehension, and she tightened her grip unconsciously. He broke off the kiss, wrapping an arm around her waist, and looked down at her questioningly. "Usagi, are you all right? You look pale," he said, a stab of concern hitting him as he helped her to sit on the sofa.
Usagi smiled, running a hand through his hair. "I'm fine, Aki. How was class?"
He shrugged. "Fine. My professor said my essay on parental involvement in school activities was well-written." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "How was your day?"
"Good. My students were well-behaved today, as usual." She paused. "Aki, I need to tell you something."
His brow furrowed, and he tightened his hold on her. "Well? What's up?"
She smiled hesitantly up at him. "I went to see my doctor yesterday, and she told me some interesting news. . ." She died off, unsure of how to continue. He squeezed her shoulder in support, and she took a deep breath. It's now or never. "I'm pregnant."
Aki's mouth went slack, and his jaw dropped in shock. She watched him worriedly, biting her bottom lip. His eyes traveled up and down her slim form, and suddenly a brilliant smile erupted on his face. 'A baby. . .We're having a baby!' He lifted Usagi clear off the couch into his arms, and cut off her yelp of surprise with a kiss.
After a moment, she released his lips, looking at him quizzically. "Aki. . ." Hope swelled in her heart at the euphoria on his face.
"We're having a baby! Can you believe it? How far along are you?" he asked quickly, holding her closer to his form.
She smiled in relief. "Almost two months, now. I think it's due in June sometime."
He grinned. "It'll be a girl. I know it. This means she needs a trust fund! And, a crib! And clothes, and I'll need a shotgun---"
She covered his babbling mouth with her hand, raising a dark eyebrow at him. "A shotgun? For what?"
"For shooting the boys who try to ask her out, of course. It's a father's prerogative." He smiled rakishly as she laughed, throwing her arms around his neck.
"You're a nut! A shotgun, for heaven's sake. But, the trust fund was a good idea," she added, giggling in-between words.
"We'll go to the bank tomorrow to set it up." He spun her around in his arms as he held her over-the-threshold style. "This is absolutely amazing, Usa!" He ran his gaze up and down her form, raising a blonde eyebrow. "Only two months along. . .?"
She smirked at his train of thought, and nodded. "Only two months along," she whispered, lifting her lips to his. He tightened his grip on her, and moved quickly to the bedroom, shutting the door. Her giggles turned into sighs momentarily, and the rice was left to its own devices.
A petite woman walked alone in Crystal Tokyo, headed home from her job. Darkness hit the shining city with a vengeance this night, and even the slim streetlamps couldn't help her fear of the dark. Her anxiousness was palpable as she hurried down the sparsely populated street, and cut into an alleyway towards the fire escape of her little flat, quickening her step as the lights from the street dimmed the farther she went down the alley. She felt an immediate relief as she spotted her window, feeling safe from the hated dark even as it invaded every corner of the dead-ended road.
Suddenly, a hand clasped her wrist, and before she could let out a scream, a tall man shoved her against a brick wall, and covered her mouth with his other hand. Dark purple eyes stared down at her, and she was hypnotized by the lust swimming inside them. They traveled down her slim form, and he pressed his body to hers, rendering her immobile and releasing her wrist. "You're a very pretty girl," he breathed into her ear. His voice was oddly smooth, and she felt his hand run through her long blonde hair. "You look very much like the woman I'm fated for."
She could see his skin in the dim light, and it was translucent, little blue veins running their course around his face. It was strangely alluring, and she wanted nothing more to touch it, trace the light lines with her fingers. He watched her silently for a moment, then lowered his lips to her mouth, and crushed her against the wall. Her mouth went slack, and abruptly she was disgusted by him, wanted to shove him away and scream. But, her energy was slowing leaving her, and she saw with a weakened gaze that he was beginning to glow. His purple eyes shone as she withered away under his mouth's assault, pleading to him with her wide eyes for mercy. Her heart slowed, she couldn't breathe with him kissing her, and suddenly her sight was gone. Her brain went black, and she went completely limp in his lean arms, death taking her lifeless soul to his house.
The man smirked, and pushed her frail form out of his arms, watching her crumple to the cold ground, pale with ruin. She was a toy, a look-a-like to the woman he really wanted, a woman not even born yet, but he knew she was conceived. He felt her, knew her, wanted her. She would hold amazing powers, and she would be gorgeous. She wouldn't be able to resist him. No one could.
Turning, he walked out of the alley, and joined the populace in the street, filled with the life of his young victim. His black hair glinted in the golden lights, and no one took note of the odd white streaks invading the dark of his hair; with all the crazy things young kids were doing those days, he looked tame. He knew it, and laughed silently at the irony. He could kill them all with a single wave of his hand, and his master could kill the world without a single thought. His time would come, and soon. All he needed was the woman, and the ultimate powers would be his.
The pleasure of their imagined deaths shivered through him, and he debated actually finishing the attack he started with the girl. But, he shrugged, and called one of his minions with a mental order. These pitiful people had no idea of the cloud looming over them, but after the death of his young victim, they will understand. Let the youma handle the general public; he would save himself for a real struggle.
Giggles of joy filled her ears, and she opened her eyes, smiling at her son as he jumped around her office, chasing after an errant balloon. Her tears faded, but the sorrow in the lines of her face lingered, and she watched her only child with bittersweet pleasure. 'Masaki is the only light left in our lives. Will I be begrudged by Serenity for my child, since she lost her own?'
A sigh escaped her lips, and she leaned her chin on her hand, resting her elbow on the desk. 'What happened to you, Usagi? Why did you see the need to change? Did you drive your daughter away?'
Masaki clambered happily onto his mother's lap, and her arms went around his tiny form, holding him tightly to herself. As he poked his now-caught balloon, she stroked his dark hair. 'As much as I wish you hadn't left, Chibi-Usa,' she thought gently, 'Please be happy with your choice. All I want is your happiness.'
Serenity stood stoically at her bedroom window, looking out onto her quiet city. The sunset in front of her raged red and orange as it sank below the ocean's horizon, sending fiery tendrils of light across her pale face, and she closed her eyes, stuffing her tears below her throat, making them disappear. She could feel the weight of age sink on her shoulders as the sky darkened, and the night fell on the third day since Usagi ran away, the third day of held-back tears from her Senshi, pain-filled gazes from her husband, and her own silence. If she had been younger, she would've spent the time crying hysterically in her bed, seeking comfort from Endymion and her friends. But, she was past that now. She had been past that for many years.
'My strength is in my silence,' she thought coldly. 'I can't speak to anyone about Usagi. Emotions won't help me rule the world. Besides, where did my emotions ever get me? No. Silence is the only way I can save myself.'
*What have I become?*
Her eyes opened with a start at the cry inside her mind. 'What do you mean? This is what I wanted. I couldn't be the ruler I am today if I was still emotional, still open to people. I am strong, and I have to stay strong. Do you want me to revert back into flighty old Usagi, and have the world fall apart?'
*You're a robot! How could this happen to me? I had strength, I had love, I had feeling. Someday, you'll drive them all away with your 'strength' just like you did with Chibi-Usa! The Senshi, Mamoru--*
A small scream ripped from Serenity's throat, and she fell to her knees, silencing her inner self. 'It's Endymion now, not Mamoru! We've all changed, but he won't leave me! He understands why I'm like this, understands the need for it! We don't say those names anymore. It's Endymion. . . .' Suddenly, a crack appeared in the immovable face, and she buried her face in her slim hands as a single tear slipped down her porcelain cheek. 'No more Mamoru. . .It's Endymion,' she thought, a twinge of sorrow breaking into her heart.
Her inner voice leapt at it. *You miss it! Be yourself! Call to him--*
"I don't miss it." Her steely voice cut the silent room. "I am who I am. I must stay strong." She lifted her face from her hands, and stared with unseeing eyes into the twilight, muting her soul.
That's how Endymion found her as he walked into the bedroom with aching feet, and stopped at the door. His dark eyes locked onto her tiny form, saw the clenched fists holding onto fistfuls of her white gown, and his stomach lurched painfully. 'Why won't she speak to me? She's angry, full of pain--but she says nothing to me. When did speaking your mind become off-limits?' he thought bitterly, and moved towards her kneeling form.
She felt him enter through their taut link, but didn't move to him. Even with a silent step, she knew he was coming to her. She shuddered, suddenly not wanting his light touch. He wanted her to collapse in his arms with grief. Well, she didn't want to. There was no grief inside her anymore---only silence. Before he could touch her, she stood up, moving closer to the window.
He faltered behind her straight-backed form, but squared his shoulders, and stepped beside her, gazing at her smooth face. "Ren, are you all right," he asked softly, hoping she'll meet his eyes. "Do you want to talk to me?" 'Don't close me out,' he begged silently. 'Don't become something like what I was before I met you.'
She breathed silently, watching the lights in her city twinkle. 'Stay strong. Be strong.' "We don't have an heir, Endymion."
His eyes widened in shock, and he gaped at her, flabbergasted at her cool words. 'Oh gods,' he thought. 'It's already begun.' Anger built up in him like a tsunami, and he inhaled sharply, midnight irises darkening. "Is that all you care about?" he lashed out, searching for a reaction in her face. "Our only child has run away, cut herself off from us, and all you can think about is the goddamn succession?"
She turned away from him. "We don't have time to get emotional. We have a whole planet to think about."
"What the hell are you saying? We shouldn't worry about our daughter, the daughter who has disappeared without a trace, who doesn't want anything to do with us? What the hell has happened to you, Serenity?" The question that he was afraid to ask was out in the open, and he was glad. He didn't want this robot anymore. He wanted his damn wife back, the one who would giggle, cry, smile in truth, make suggestive comments to him during open court.
Silence met his plea. Almost glowing with frustration, he reached out, grabbed her shoulders, and spun her around, shaking her lightly. "Look at me, Usako," he pleaded angrily, using the name he hadn't said in many years in his desperation.
She looked up at him quickly, and he stopped, pain hitting his heart. Her eyes, those beautiful azure eyes he loved so much, the eyes that told him how much she loved him, were dead, blank. He felt a part of her died at that moment, and he should've died as well. His Usako was gone, and only a shell remained. His soul was killed at the realization, and he released her gently, taking a few steps away.
Serenity killed her secret self in silence, feeling nothing inside herself. Her eyes shut tightly against Endymion's pained gaze, and a shudder rippled through her as her fists clenched, and she was released from herself, leaving nothing but the mask she had perfected over the years. She watched her beloved step back, and there was a dull ache in her limbs. Her inner voice was right- she had driven him away. Her heart hardened, and she felt their link go limp with the loss of her soul.
There was silence in the room, a tense, torturous pause that ate away at the wilted link. Suddenly, Serenity cleared her throat, opened her blank eyes, and met her husband's gaze icily. "We have to think of something to do about the succession, Endymion," she commented tonelessly. "The world will only be satisfied for so long."
He nodded, and turned away, walking towards the door. As he turned the knob, he hesitated, hoping for one last word from her. She just looked at his still back, watching him go. He left the room. She didn't call him back.
The next morning, before most of the household was awake, the King's possessions were moved into a room down the hall from the sleeping Queen's bed. The Senshi felt a part of themselves drown. The royal couple took it in stride.
Two Years Later. . .
A light hum escaped Usagi's lips as she made her way around her tiny kitchen, stirring the steaming pots on the stove with a cheerful hand. The small window over the stove revealed a dying day, the deep purples of twilight enveloping Edinburgh's stone buildings and surrounding hills, and she could see the streetlights shine softly in the growing dusk. Her mouth curved into a smile, and she continued with her tune, awaiting her husband's return from class patiently.
It had been two years since she and Aki left Tokyo for good, and they had been the happiest two years of her life. With the money Aki had saved up in his private fund, and the little savings she had from her own allowance over the years, she and Aki were doing surprisingly well. The education she finished with Sailor Mercury amounted to a college degree, and she had found a job as a teacher in an elementary school in the center of Edinburgh. Aki was finishing his degree in education at the university, and was already finding job openings. They were married at City Hall a few weeks after their arrival and had bought a flat near the university which suited both of them perfectly. Of course, there were the little spats now and then, but that was to be expected. Her life was wonderful, and she didn't even dream of going back to Tokyo.
She brushed back a strand of dark hair, looking across the room at a copy of the newspaper she picked up earlier that day. A headline about tension in the royal circle screamed across the page, and she turned away, putting it from her mind. 'There's always been tension in the royal circle. Kami, it wouldn't surprise me if Mama and Papa had separate rooms by now. No one outside the palace would know, of course. I wonder how the Senshi feel now?' she thought coolly, placing a top on her boiling pot of rice, and walked out of the steaming kitchen.
She stood silently in front of the full-length mirror on the door of the closet in her bedroom, looking warily at her flat stomach. Her fingers lightly pushed up her sweater to the bottom of her breasts, and she ran her fingertips along her midriff, apprehension rising unwillingly in her mind. There was a baby in there; her gynecologist told her yesterday, and tomorrow was her first appointment with the obstetrician. Her heart leapt for joy at the news, and now she was worried. What if Aki didn't want a child yet? She didn't want to have to get rid of it, especially since she was almost two months along already. She thought he would be all right with a baby, but she couldn't be totally sure. The only thing to do was pray it would all work out.
A grin crossed her lips, and she rested her hands on her stomach, elation rising in her once more. 'A baby! I can barely believe it. I'm glad I watched Minako's pregnancy with Masaki so closely. . .I feel like I might be a little more prepared. But, I won't have a son. It will be a girl, like I was, and my mother, and her mother, and so on.' She giggled, and pulled her sweater back down, smoothing it gently. 'And, I don't have to name her Serenity! I don't think this could get any better!'
The front door opened, and she jumped slightly, her silence disrupted by the usual creaking. Smiling, she walked out of the bedroom towards the cozy living room, ready to greet her unsuspecting husband.
Aki sighed, shrugging off his wool coat, and pulled off his scarf when he entered the warm flat, hanging both on the coat rack on the wall next to him. His face was tired but happy as he walked into the living room, and it lit up like a match when he saw his wife enter from the door on the other side of the room. Every day he was amazed to see her to greet him, and he had been shocked to see her adapt to her role as wife so quickly when they first arrived. She always had a smile for him when he came home, but today, in her curved mouth, there was something deeper. He grinned at her, and met her halfway, right in front of the sofa. "Hi Usa," he greeted softly, leaning down to kiss her.
She met his lips gently, wrapping her arms around his neck in welcome. Her heart was pounding in apprehension, and she tightened her grip unconsciously. He broke off the kiss, wrapping an arm around her waist, and looked down at her questioningly. "Usagi, are you all right? You look pale," he said, a stab of concern hitting him as he helped her to sit on the sofa.
Usagi smiled, running a hand through his hair. "I'm fine, Aki. How was class?"
He shrugged. "Fine. My professor said my essay on parental involvement in school activities was well-written." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "How was your day?"
"Good. My students were well-behaved today, as usual." She paused. "Aki, I need to tell you something."
His brow furrowed, and he tightened his hold on her. "Well? What's up?"
She smiled hesitantly up at him. "I went to see my doctor yesterday, and she told me some interesting news. . ." She died off, unsure of how to continue. He squeezed her shoulder in support, and she took a deep breath. It's now or never. "I'm pregnant."
Aki's mouth went slack, and his jaw dropped in shock. She watched him worriedly, biting her bottom lip. His eyes traveled up and down her slim form, and suddenly a brilliant smile erupted on his face. 'A baby. . .We're having a baby!' He lifted Usagi clear off the couch into his arms, and cut off her yelp of surprise with a kiss.
After a moment, she released his lips, looking at him quizzically. "Aki. . ." Hope swelled in her heart at the euphoria on his face.
"We're having a baby! Can you believe it? How far along are you?" he asked quickly, holding her closer to his form.
She smiled in relief. "Almost two months, now. I think it's due in June sometime."
He grinned. "It'll be a girl. I know it. This means she needs a trust fund! And, a crib! And clothes, and I'll need a shotgun---"
She covered his babbling mouth with her hand, raising a dark eyebrow at him. "A shotgun? For what?"
"For shooting the boys who try to ask her out, of course. It's a father's prerogative." He smiled rakishly as she laughed, throwing her arms around his neck.
"You're a nut! A shotgun, for heaven's sake. But, the trust fund was a good idea," she added, giggling in-between words.
"We'll go to the bank tomorrow to set it up." He spun her around in his arms as he held her over-the-threshold style. "This is absolutely amazing, Usa!" He ran his gaze up and down her form, raising a blonde eyebrow. "Only two months along. . .?"
She smirked at his train of thought, and nodded. "Only two months along," she whispered, lifting her lips to his. He tightened his grip on her, and moved quickly to the bedroom, shutting the door. Her giggles turned into sighs momentarily, and the rice was left to its own devices.
A petite woman walked alone in Crystal Tokyo, headed home from her job. Darkness hit the shining city with a vengeance this night, and even the slim streetlamps couldn't help her fear of the dark. Her anxiousness was palpable as she hurried down the sparsely populated street, and cut into an alleyway towards the fire escape of her little flat, quickening her step as the lights from the street dimmed the farther she went down the alley. She felt an immediate relief as she spotted her window, feeling safe from the hated dark even as it invaded every corner of the dead-ended road.
Suddenly, a hand clasped her wrist, and before she could let out a scream, a tall man shoved her against a brick wall, and covered her mouth with his other hand. Dark purple eyes stared down at her, and she was hypnotized by the lust swimming inside them. They traveled down her slim form, and he pressed his body to hers, rendering her immobile and releasing her wrist. "You're a very pretty girl," he breathed into her ear. His voice was oddly smooth, and she felt his hand run through her long blonde hair. "You look very much like the woman I'm fated for."
She could see his skin in the dim light, and it was translucent, little blue veins running their course around his face. It was strangely alluring, and she wanted nothing more to touch it, trace the light lines with her fingers. He watched her silently for a moment, then lowered his lips to her mouth, and crushed her against the wall. Her mouth went slack, and abruptly she was disgusted by him, wanted to shove him away and scream. But, her energy was slowing leaving her, and she saw with a weakened gaze that he was beginning to glow. His purple eyes shone as she withered away under his mouth's assault, pleading to him with her wide eyes for mercy. Her heart slowed, she couldn't breathe with him kissing her, and suddenly her sight was gone. Her brain went black, and she went completely limp in his lean arms, death taking her lifeless soul to his house.
The man smirked, and pushed her frail form out of his arms, watching her crumple to the cold ground, pale with ruin. She was a toy, a look-a-like to the woman he really wanted, a woman not even born yet, but he knew she was conceived. He felt her, knew her, wanted her. She would hold amazing powers, and she would be gorgeous. She wouldn't be able to resist him. No one could.
Turning, he walked out of the alley, and joined the populace in the street, filled with the life of his young victim. His black hair glinted in the golden lights, and no one took note of the odd white streaks invading the dark of his hair; with all the crazy things young kids were doing those days, he looked tame. He knew it, and laughed silently at the irony. He could kill them all with a single wave of his hand, and his master could kill the world without a single thought. His time would come, and soon. All he needed was the woman, and the ultimate powers would be his.
The pleasure of their imagined deaths shivered through him, and he debated actually finishing the attack he started with the girl. But, he shrugged, and called one of his minions with a mental order. These pitiful people had no idea of the cloud looming over them, but after the death of his young victim, they will understand. Let the youma handle the general public; he would save himself for a real struggle.