SMAG

Chapter 4 - The Problem With Beauty

April limped a bit. Her ankle wasn't that bad, she would be over it in a day or two. Megami and her were walking down the street. Megami was almost on cloud nine over the DJ Love/Nephrite thing. He had even told her his real name, though not the stuff April knew about him. April looked at her friend worriedly.

"I know I can't tell you not to see him, but at least promise me you'll be careful, please," April said.

"I understand and I will," Meg smiled.

April felt like shaking Meg but knew that it would do no good. She looked up and saw a poster advertising a beauty contest. The winner would get a small part on a new television show. That would take her mind off things for awhile. She took an entry form and turned to see if Meg wanted to enter, but saw her friend was gone. She shook her head and started for home.

She was reading the form as she walked. They wanted to know her weight? Yikes! She looked down at her stomach.... she should probably go on a diet. She looked up as she noticed Ryo coming her way. Her heart bounced around in her chest at the sight of him. Oh yes, she knew what Megami felt.... she was in love.

"Hey, sweetie," He stopped in front of her. His blonde hair was loose around his green clad shoulders today. He had his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. "What's that in your hand?"

"A entry form for that beauty contest," April said.

"Oh, don't enter that thing. It's just for anorexic girls with big teeth, you know, little petite things."

April cleared her throat and put her hands on her hips.

"Yes, but you're not anorexic with big teeth, and you don't need a beauty contest to tell you that you're pretty." Ryo pulled her into his arms, taking the entry form from her. He dropped it to the ground. "Don't enter."

"Okay," Her arms went around him and on one hand her fingers crossed as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Good, now I have a class to get to, I'll see you later."

After he's gone, April turned to bend over and grab the entry form. She straightened and turned to rush off. She almost bumped into another girl. They both kind of skidded to a stop and blinked at each other in surprise. The other girl was surprisingly an inch or two shorter than April. She had purple hair pulled back by a black headband and big blue eyes. She was a couple years younger than April.

"Excuse me, gomen nasai," April bowed slightly with embarrassment.

The other girl blushed. "I should have watched where I was going."

"Nonsense, I'm just a ditz." She giggled and so did the other girl. "My name's Tsukino April."

"I'm Tomoe Hotaru." She stuck out her hand with a smile. April shook it. "Are you really going to enter that beauty contest?"

"Yeah, the prize sounds really awesome...a part in a television show. I probably won't win, but it sounds like fun. I need to go on a diet first, tummy's getting round."

"Nonsense, you're beautiful."

April shook her head. "Thank you."

"Hey, I was on my way to get something to eat, want to come with me?"

"Nah, I'm not hungry." April took out a pen and scribbled her number on Hotaru's hand. "I don't know, but even though I just met you, I feel like you're a kindred spirit."

"Me, too."

~*~*~

That night April came downstairs with a gym bag. She headed for the door and was stopped by Mrs. Tsukino.

"Where are you going, April?" Her mother asked.

"To the gym to exercise some."

"What about dinner?"

"I'll get some on the way." April kissed her mother's cheek before running out the door.

She got to the gym and swam some laps in the pool to warm up before going to the exercise equipment. Hours later, she crept back into the house all tired out. She went up to her room and crashed on the bed. She drank the last of the water from her water bottle before curling up to go to sleep.

~*~*~

The next morning, April met up with Ryo as she was headed to school. He looked at her. He put out a hand to brush her hair back from her face. Then he kissed her forehead. He walked along beside her.

"You look tired, have trouble sleeping still?" Ryo looked at her with concern. If it was bothering her this much maybe he should just tell her so she could get a good night's rest.

"A little I guess, but I read somewhere that exercise makes you sleep better and gives you more energy. So I started working out at the gym." April smiled. "It's fun, and don't worry." Her voice got low in an imitation of him. "I drank plenty of water."

"Good," He pulled her close. Her buns were a little messy today. Hmmm, maybe there was a first for everything. Usually they were flawless with the years of practice.

April bit her lip, she had not told him that she had skipped supper and only had a slice of cantaloupe for breakfast. If she had told him that, she would have to explain the real reason she was exercising and why. She was going to enter that beauty contest after he told her not to. But, who was he to tell her not to anyways. He was just her boyfriend, she could dump him if he overstepped his boundaries. She glanced at him... oh, he would find ways to keep her from entering... and without making her mad enough to dump him... Damn him.

~*~*~

That night April made a sandwich before walking out of the house, telling her mom she would eat it on the way to the gym. She ate the tomato slice on the top, but dumped the rest in a dumpster on the way there. She returned home a couple hours later and crashed on her bed even though it was early. The next morning she walked with Ryo to school. Her uniform was messy and her hair was only in pigtails without the odangos.

~*~*~

By the next Friday, she was starting to look really sick. She went to school with her hair down and her bow a mess. Meg fixed it for her when she got to class. Meg also combed out her hair and at least pulled it up into a ponytail. (Note: Her hair if you haven't noticed isn't quite as long as Usako's is, it's about the length of Rei's or Minako's...and up in odangos or a ponytail is a bit longer than Mako's...) April slept through most of class, and it was her favorite, history.

During P.E., she passed out while they were playing basketball. Meg and another girl with short blonde hair and brown eyes helped April to the nurse's station. They figured she must have gotten heat stroke and released her from school early since it was almost time to go home anyways. Meg called Ryo to come.

Ryo came rushing into the nurse's station just before the bell rang for the end of the day and the week. He knelt in front of April.

"You okay, little one?" He asked. His green eyes were wide with concern and his hair was a mess. He ran a hand over her forehead. "A little fever... how do you feel? What happened?"

April nodded. "I'm okay, I just got tired."

Ryo picked her up and carried her out to his car. She felt a lot lighter, but he dismissed it as he set her in the passenger seat. He drove over to his apartment. He carried her inside and set her on the couch with some water. He called her parents to let them know where she was. Then he turned back to her.

He ran a hand through his hair, which looked like he had been doing a lot from the state of his hair. "Look, if you're still having problems sleeping, there's something I have to tell you."

She blinked up at him. Eh... there was something she had to tell him... but his might be good. She would wait and see before confessing.

"April... little one... there's something I have to tell you... you might get mad when I tell you this, but you have to understand that I had my reasons," Ryo started pacing. "But, I care for you so much that I guess I have to tell you before something seriously bad happens to you. When I got that call today it scared me... I can risk telling you the secret to keep you in good health." He stopped. "April, I know you're Sailor Moon... and I'm Gemini Knight."

He waited for the gasp... or scream... or whatever reaction she would have. But there was nothing. He turned to look at her. She was passed out on the couch. Her head lolling to one side with her mouth half open and jaw slack. She was slouched down a bit. He rushed over to her. "Oh, god... April?"

He couldn't get her to respond so he called an ambulance.

~*~*~

April blinked her eyes at the whiteness. When her vision came back into focus, she was in a hospital room. She looked to the side and saw Ryo's head near her leg. One hand gripped hers and the other lay across her stomach. She coughed around her dry throat and his head came up.

"April? How are you feeling, little one?" He asked as the hand on her stomach moved to the side of her face. "You gave me quite a scare, and your family, too, when I called them."

"What happened?" She tried to sit up some.

"You blacked out on my couch. I called the paramedics. You little fool, they found out you have not been eating. And, your mom says you go to the gym every night, too. What were you thinking? Let me guess, it's that stupid beauty contest I told you not to enter." He looked at her angrily. She paled and tried to shrink back into the bed. "You were going to enter behind my back, weren't you? Did you think I was too stupid to find out? What were you thinking?"

April's eyes watered. Sure, her parents had lectured her before, but it was different coming from the man you loved... especially when he looked fit to murder you. "I'm sorry." She choked out.

"I had to watch while they had to feed you through a little tube! Do you know what that's like??"

April bowed her head.

"I just don't know whether to kiss you or wring you little, anorexic neck. I told you...I told you that beauty contests were anorexic freak shows..." His hands curled in the sheets. "You know, it would serve you right if I dumped you right about now." His jaw clenched.

April started to cry fully then. "I know."

"But I'm not going to." Ryo sighed.

Her head came up and she looked at him with watery green eyes. "You're not?"

"No," He got up to sit on the edge of her hospital bed. "This is a time when you need me the most. And, no matter how much I want to throttle you... I do care for you." He leaned over and gave her a light kiss.

There was a knock at the door. A nurse leaned in and held out an envelope. "This came for Miss Tsukino."

Ryo went and got it. He looked at April and she nodded. He opened it and read it to her aloud. "Sailor Moon, I have taken Megami hostage. Come to Starlight Tower at midnight to retrieve her. Nephrite."

April sat bolt upright. She laughed nervously. "Why would someone send that to me? Heh... hehe..."

"How much did you hear before you blacked out?"

That threw her for a loop. She blinked. " 'There's something I have to tell you...' and then I started fading out...I'm sorry...But-"

He cut her off. "I'll finish for you quickly, cause its already 11:30. I know you're Sailor Moon."

Her jaw dropped. She reached out a hand. "H-h-how?"

"The day in the pharmacy when you dropped your broach. I had seen it before, up close enough to study it."

"When?"

"Well.... that would be the secret I had to tell you. I was going to tell you because I thought you were feeling sick because of lack of sleep, still. Which... because I can tell most of the time when you lie... must be the truth, even though it wasn't the cause of your sickness. You're having trouble sleeping for the same reason I was until I found out who you were... I was in love with you and Sailor Moon, and confused on how I could love two people. Do you see where I am going with this?"

April was staring at him as if seeing him for the first time. "You... you're... you're Gemini Knight?"

"Yes, little one."

"Oi vay..." She put her hands to her face and fell back into the bed.

"We have to hurry, April... Nephrite's waiting with Meg." He strode over and started unhooking her from the machines. He tossed her some clothes. "Get dressed and I'll tell them you're sleeping so no one comes in."

"But I can transform."

"You'd be naked when you powered down, little one. Not that I wouldn't mind... but just in case of emergencies..." He hurried out the door.

April pulled on the khaki skirt and white blouse. She was pulling on some keds when Ryo came back in. He smiled. "I can carry you most of the way there... you can't be totally better and we need you in good shape for fighting Nephrite and his monster of choice. Obviously he knows that you're sick, too."

April sighed. "If you must..."

"Is being carried by me so bad now that you know?" He teased.

"Ha ha..."

They both transformed and Gemini Knight picked Sailor Moon up. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop until they reached Starlight Tower. He ran in and took the elevator to the top. He climbed the stairs to the roof and walked out. He put Sailor Moon down.

She looked around. "Megami?"

"Over here," Nephrite called.

Sailor Moon and Gemini Knight spun around. Nephrite stood to the side with Megami. Sailor Moon started to run towards them, but Gemini Knight held her back.

"I thought you loved her! How could you do this?" Sailor Moon asked.

"I had no choice, Queen Beryl will kill me unless I do as she says," Nephrite looked down at Meg. "I don't want to hurt her, so just make it easy on yourself by giving in."

"Okay."

"No, little one...don't!" Gemini Knight gripped her arm.

"I can't risk Meg."

"Well I call his bluff, he won't hurt Megami."

Nephrite fell to his knees. "What am I to do..."

Sailor Moon thought. "I have an idea..."

She walked over and whispered in Nephrite's ear. He looked up at her and noddded. She glanced at Gemini Knight.

"Take Meg to the side and out of the way," Sailor Moon told him.

"Don't I get to hear the plan?" Gemini took a step forward.

"No, the less that you know the better, only me and him need to know. They could torture you and Meg to get details if you knew, we can't have that. So just stand back, plus... if she doesn't know, it'll be all the more real. Revive her after we start the battle."

Gemini Knight's jaw clenched and he looked like he was going to refuse for a moment. "Okay." He said gruffly as he scooped up Megami and took her to the side.

"Ready?" Sailor Moon looked at Nephrite.

He straightened and nodded. She took a few steps back. They engaged in battle, throwing kicks and punches at each other. He knocked her back and then threw balls of energy at her. She rolled out of the way. Gemini Knight revived Meg and held her back.

Sailor Moon took off her tiara and threw it at Nephrite. It cought him in the chest and he fell back. Meg screamed and Gemini Knight tightened his hold on her. Nephrite got to his feet shakily. Sailor Moon took out her moon wand and aimed it at him. She built up energy and let it out at him in a big blast. He exploded as it hit him. Smoke is everywhere and Megami was screaming.

When the smoke cleared, all there was left was a scorch mark on the ground. Gemini Knight finally released Meg and she ran forward. She knelt by the burned roof tile and cried. Sailor Moon looked at her as Gemini Knight joined her.

"I'm sorry," Sailor Moon said slowly.