by Jewel (Knowsall5@hotmail.com)
A Sailor Moon fanfiction.
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Standard disclaimer applies; Sailor Moon and its characters were created by Naoko Takeuchi.
See important Author's Notes at the bottom...
For more info, see part one.
:
Part Two (II)
As Usagi was almost home, she saw a Yoma attacking a house. She could hear a little child screaming for its mother and her heart gripped with fear. Glancing around to make sure no one saw her, Usagi rapidly transformed. "Moon Prism Power, make-up!"
Once transformed into Sailor Moon, she ran towards the house and quickly drew the Yoma's attention, and just as quickly regretted not alerting the other Senshi. . .
The Yoma let out a screech and held out its hand. A stickly substance in the shape of a web came at Sailor Moon from the Yoma's palm. Naturally, the web was faster than she was, so she hadn't even the time to run before it was almost on her.
Then her savior arrived: Tuxedo Kamen leaped in front of her and used his cape to protect them from the web. Tuxedo Kamen moved away and threw his customary rose at the Yoma as it'd been about to unleash another web.
"Where are the others?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, keeping his eyes on the Yoma.
"I don't know," she replied truthfully. "But if you can distract the big nasty for a minute or two, I'll contact them."
"Tell them to go to the park," he said gruffily, and before Sailor Moon could ask why, he'd thrown some more roses at the Yoma and ran away, the Yoma right behind him.
Muttering about stupid males, Sailor Moon took off after them, pulling out her communicator from seemingly thin air. She pressed the button that would allow her to talk to everyone, including Luna. "Get to the park, now," she commanded, not looking down at the communicator, but still chasing after the Yoma and Tuxedo Kamen. "We don't have a lot of time."
Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen had teamed up to attack the Yoma with a series of punches and kicks. Sailor Mercury had attacked with her bubbles, creating a thick fog that confused the Yoma. At the moment she furiously consulted her computer. And Sailor Mars lay in a crumbled heap in the grass, a web wrapped around her. Sailor Moon was at her side, trying frantically to get the web off of her.
"You stupid pests!" Ziosite yelled as he appeared. He held his hand out, palm facing Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Jupiter. A burst of dark energy sprang from his palm, and rammed into Tuxedo Kamen's chest.
Tuxedo Kamen fell backwards, knocking into Sailor Jupiter who fell as well. Turning to Sailor Moon, Zoisite threw the energy at her as well. The energy sent her tumbling away from Sailor Mars.
"Shabon Spray!" Zosite had overlooked Sailor Mercury, who focused her bubbles directly at him. The dense bubbles surrounded him, blocking his view of the Senshi below. "Shabon Spray!" Casting another attack, this time the mist curled itself around the Yoma.
Sailor Jupiter recovered before the others and agilely sprang to her feet. "Supreme Thunder!" Her attack met Zosite head on, throwing him into a tree. "You Dark Kingdom filth!" she yelled, "Go back to your dark corner of the universe!"
Groggily Sailor Moon sat up, and sank back into the grass when she was overcome with a wave of dizziness. Sailor Mercury had run over to Sailor Mars and was having better luck with removing the web. Zoicite had disappeared and Tuxedo Kamen laid unmoving on the ground, his hat askew. The Yoma and Sailor Jupiter were fighting hand-to-hand again.
Sailor Moon forced herself to get up and flinced at the effort it took not to fall back down and let herself vomit. Weakly she reached up for her tiara, "Moon Tiara Action!"
Sailor Jupiter barely had time to jump out of the way before the Tiara hit the Yoma, incinerating it.
The web around Sailor Mars disappeared, and she sat up with help from Sailor Mercury. Sailor Moon limped over to where Tuxedo Kamen was and knelt next to him. She slapped his gently, which proved to be unnecessary as he had regained consciousness.
For a scant second, as Tuxedo Kamen rolled on to his back and looked up, he thought he saw Usagi. But then his vision cleared and he realized he was staring up at Sailor Moon. "Are you okay?" she asked. Then she seemed to rethink her question, "Can you sit up without vomitting on me?"
"I think so." Tuxedo Kamen slowly sat up, shaking his head to clear it,and regretting it when his head spun.
"Alright then. I don't want you to think I don't care, cause I do, but I should go help Mars. Unless you need help getting home."
"No, go help the Senshi. I'll manage fine enough."
Giving him a skeptic look, Sailor Moon diverted her attention for a second to see Mars's arm was bleeding and Mercury was probing Jupiter's side as Jupiter laid in the grass. When Sailor Moon turned her head back to Tuxedo Kamen, he was gone. Suppressing a foul curse, she went over to Mars.
"Let me look at your arm." Sailor Moon said to Mars, who was anxiously looking over Mercury's shoulder to see Jupiter.
Mars gave her a look of disbelief. "My arm is okay. It's only a stratch." She turned her arm to show Moon that the blood had come from a thin, but long stratch. "You should be more worried about yourself. You have a horrible knot above your eyebrow."
Sailor Moon reached a hand up to feel for the bump, but stopped in mid-motion and turned quickly away from Mars. Mars heard the sounds of vomitting. "Come, I'll get you home." She turned to Mercury. "Can you take care of Jupiter? Get her to the hospital by herself?"
Mercury didn't look up. "Yea, I can manage. You just get Usagi home safely, Rei."
So Rei led Usagi home, stopping twice for Usagi to vomit some more behind a bush. When they reached Usagi's house Rei told Ikuko that Usagi had gotten sick. And to justify the bruises and the bump on Usagi's head, told her Usagi had tripped and fell on her face as she ran to the bathroom. If Usagi hadn't been busy vomitting some more, she might have been offended at her mother's ready acceptance of the situation.
The next day Usagi woke up to find the bright glare of the sun in her eyes. Quickly she pulled a pillow over her head to block out the light. She frowned as she realized it would have to be later in the day than morning for the sun to be in the position it was in. Rolling over to stare at her clock on her bedside table, Usagi saw that it was almost noon.
Luna and her family had allowed her to sleep late. . . and miss school, Usagi thought for one fleeting moment before realizing there was no school that day. Usagi was tempted to go back to sleep; however, her bedroom door creaked open as Luna walked in.
"You're awake," the cat said plainly. "There's a Senshi meeting this afternoon. Since you were sick last night I thought it best to let you sleep late."
"If I had known being rendered sick and vomitting by a monster would be a valid excuse-"
Usagi's response was interrupted by her bedroom door being thrown open. Shingo stood in the doorway, a scowl on his face. "You're right, mom," he called down the hall. "She is awake now."
"Go away, brat," Usagi snapped, throwing a pillow towards the door.
Shingo laughed and jumped backwards, allowing the pillow to fall in the hallway. Ikuko frowned as she picked up the pillow and walked into Usagi's room.
"Your aim could make a rat laugh," Shingo said, turning and entering his own room opposite Usagi's.
"Or a brat," Usagi muttered as she rolled out of bed.
"Your room-" Ikuko began.
"I know, I know. And I promise I will clean it as soon as I get back home." Usagi waltzed passed her mother and to the bathroom.
"That girl is cracked in the head," Shingo quipped from somewhere in his own room.
Ikuko sighed and looked at Luna. "Let's go get you some food."
"He can't be the enemy," Usagi said, not for the first time since the conversation had begun.
"But he's not exactly a friend, now is he?" Rei shot back, growing increasingly angry and tired with the discussion.
"As long as we're all working for a common goal, he's not the enemy," Mako said firmly.
"Who's to say when that will change?" Ami said, surprising Usagi.
Usagi had thought Ami would side with her in the matter. "Ami, you know that-"
"This is precisely my point!" Rei exclaimed, interrupting Usagi. "We don't know *anything* about him."
"We know he always saves me," Usagi argued.
"Because you can help him get the Ginzuishou."
"Rei. . . he's not the enemy. I just know it," Usagi said in a whisper.
Ami ran a hand through her hair. "He's an uneasy ally."
"Maybe we should ask him," Mako suggested.
The other Senshi looked at her, startlement evident in their expressions. "That might work," Ami conceded. "We can't be sure he'll be honest, but it's the best suggestion thus far."
Usagi sighed, and turned to Luna who lounged on Rei's bed. "What doyou think, Luna?"
"I agree with Rei. We don't know anything about Tuxedo Kamen--"
"Except that he's saved my life countless times!" Usagi exploded.
"As Ami said, he needs us," Luna said, continuing over Usagi's interruption. "And who's to say what will happen when we are no longer of any use?"
"I don't care what the rest of you think." Usagi announced, walking to the door of Rei's room that led outside. "Tuxedo Kamen has never hurt any of us. And he's never given me reason to doubt him. He's our ally."
"Usagi, please just listen," Ami pleaded.
"No, I won't."
"Be mature about it, Usagi," Rei snapped. "This isn't just about you and your feelings for him. This is about finding the Ginzuishou and our Princess. This is about keeping the world safe."
"I know all of this. And something in me just knows that he won't hurt us!"
"I don't think he'll hurt us either," Mako said, reasserting her aggreeance with Usagi. "But maybe we shouldn't trust with such blind-"
"Mako, not you too!"
"I didn't want to say this, Usagi, but what choice do I have? I don't mean to be cruel, but if I have to, for all of our sakes, that I will be."
"What are you babbling about, Rei?" Usagi asked, her patience at an end.
"Usagi," Luna interceded softly. "What happens when he finds the Princess?"
Usagi was speechless. She'd tried to not think about it. Tuxedo Mask had already said he needed the Princess to unlock the secrets of his past. . . and it was obvious to even Usagi that he had deep feelings for the unknown Princess. "I-I don't know, Luna. But this isn't about the Princess. This about an ally. Look, he got hurt last night -- saving us!"
"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Rei said with a tired sigh. "When we next see him, we'll confront him about it. But for now-"
"And when did you become Senshi leader?" Usagi demanded. "As I'm reminded daily by all of you, I'm the leader of the Senshi. Well if this is really true, then you'll listen to me: Tuxedo Kamen is our friend."
There was such a finality in her words that the other Senshi didn't want to protest Usagi's declaration. Luna, however, did not have the same problem. "You're not thinking clearly. With leadership comes responsibilty. And one of those responsibilities is to keep the other Senshi safe, and to make the correct decisions."
"Then give the leadership over to Rei. What do I care?" And with that Usagi stepped out of the door, not looking back.
The remaining Senshi and the guardian cat looked at each other. Mako was the first to speak, "I like how Usagi's been leading so far. I won't vote to replace her."
"Neither will I," Rei said coldly, looking at Mako.
"I can't even believe we're discussing this," Ami gathered up her bookbag. "I have Lessons this afternoon."
Silently, Luna walked out of the door behind Ami.
"Is it just me, or has Luna changed?" Mako asked.
"It's not you," Rei agreed.
"Well, this meeting went rather well."
Rei snorted. "As well as it ever could with Tuxedo Mask being the main topic."
Usagi sat on her bed, looking at the homework Ami had given her earlier that afternoon. One of the assignments was to read 15 pages of the latest piece of literature they were studying. Usagi was about half way through with the reading when Luna entered her bedroom.
"Where have you been?" Usagi asked absently, not really caring.
"I was consulting with Central Command."
Usagi looked up from her book, frowning. "What about?"
"Nothing in particular. Mostly how your training was coming along," Luna answered easily, but Usagi thought she detected a lie. However, she was content for now to let it slide.
"You do a good enough job training us. But if they wished to replace you, I'm sure none of us would really mind," Usagi teased, sensing her own lie in the jest. She was willling to concede that in the deepest, hidden part of her heart, there was an almost truth in her joke.
"Is that book good?" Luna asked evasively.
Usagi shrugged. "It's reasonably okay."
Any further conversation was ended by summons for Usagi to eat dinner.
Usagi was awoken from her dreaming by a loud beeping. Groaning, Usagi groped on her bedtable for her Senshi communicator.
Ami's voice came over it, "Explosions around the abandoned warehouse district. Mako saw it and thought it might be the Dark Kingdom. She was right. Rei and I are on our way there now."
"Then so am I," Usagi mumbled.
"Moon Prism Power, make-up!" Usagi yelled as she and Luna ran to the battle site. In a flash of light and ribbons her fuku appeared. Even running it took Sailor Moon and Luna a while to get to the warehouse. And when they did arrive, they found an extremely unnpleasant sight. . .
Sailor Mercury was slumped against a filthly wall, her eyes closed, blood dripping from her mouth and ears. There was a thin cut across her left cheek that also had blood flowing in a thin stream from it. But the worse of her injuries was on her hand. . . the skin from the back of her left hand had been scraped away, revealing paper white flesh and fire-engine red blood.
Fighting waves of nausea, Sailor Moon turned her eyes to the other crumpled Senshi, Sailor Jupiter. For the most part she didn't appear too hurt. She just laid on the floor, eyes closed and a few bruises on her.
Sailor Mars was the only one still standing, but even so she looked as though she could collapse at any second as well. Her hair was matted with blood, but since Mars didn't appear to be bleeding, Sailor Moon assumed it had come from the Yoma who was bleeding from a large cut on its arm.
The actual Yoma look like a giant lizard, right down to the scales and ugliness. Like all Yomas, this one as a 7ft.+, leathery green skin and offensive body odor. There were seven razor spikes on its head and three on each arm and leg. Lying near the Yoma was on spike that looked like it had belonged to the Yoma at one point. It was about a foot long and two inches in width, probably half and inch thick, Sailor Moon judged. In any case, it was covered in blood and looked as though it could've caused the Yoma's own injury. So Sailor Moon deduced it had thrown it at the other Senshi and Jupiter or Mars or even Mercury had managed to injure the Yoma with it.
Evidently Sailor Moon's guess was correct, even as she surveyed the spike the Yoma had thrown one at Mars. From fear, or strength or maybe plain panic, Sailor Moon somehow found the speed and quick reflex skills to intercept the spike. "Moon Tiara Stardust!" Sailor Moon's tiara flew with a speed it never had before and upon impact, incinerated the spike. It turned to ashes just an inch away from Mars' stomach.
Instead of dropping to the floor as it usually did, the Tiara flew back to Sailor Moon who caught it and rested it on her head once again. "How?" Mars asked, distracted from the Yoma.
"I don't know," Sailor Moon answered, awed herself.
But while they were distracted Tuxedo Kamen had arrived and threw a rose at the Yoma. However, this Yoma was different from all the others. While previous Yomas had tended to be slow and a more than a bit stupid, this one was just *different*. It moved as fast as Sailor Moon's Tiara had and easily dodged the rose.
In an instant the Yoma was in front of Tuxedo Kamen and gripping him by the throat. Spinning as incredibly fast as before, the Yoma threw Tuxedo Kamen against the wall. Tuxedo Kamen gasped in pain as he hit the wall with a resounding thud and fell.
Sailor Moon stood shocked. . . Tuxedo Kamen was hurt before he could even help! And if the Yoma could hurt him so easily. . . Blinded by panic, Sailor Moon threw her Tiara once more, "Moon Tiara Action!"
The Yoma moved easily enough and avoided the Tiara. Sailor Moon stumbled backwards, stunned. Luckily Mars wasn't. Gathering all of her strength, she shrieked, "FIRE SOUL!"
Just as the Tiara had missed, so did the fire attack. The Yoma, however, didn't count on Jupiter gaining consciousness. "Supreme THUNDER!!"
The attack stuck the Yoma from behind, temporarily paralyzing it. Sailor Moon began to throw her Tiara again, but Zoisite appeared. Hovering in the air, he sent a blast of black energy at Sailor Moon, knocking her off of her feet.
"Fire Soul!" shouted Mars, aiming at Zoisite. The attack hit him on his chest and barreled him backwards. Amazingly, Sailor Jupiter managed a flying kick. . . she just launched herself into the air and planted a kick squarely on his chest as he was unbalanced.
Screw the lackey, Sailor Moon thought dizzily, and go after the bigger bait. "Moon Tiara Action!"
Unfortunately, Zoisite recovered from the kick more swiftly and disappeared. The Tiara floated through empty air before returning to Sailor Moon. As the three Senshi looked for the Yoma, they were utterly surprised to find it had disappeared.
"Where did it go?" Sailor Moon asked in a low voice, trying to hide her fear.
"It left with Zoisite," answered a small voice from across the dingy warehouse. Whatever lights had been on before had gone out, so the room was very dark.
"Ami?"
"Yea. . ." Using the wall for help Sailor Mercury slowly rose, gasping for breath.
"Oh, Ami," Sailor Moon rushed to help her, ignoring her own terror and fears and really, really fast beating of her heart that warned her she might collapse. "How badly do you hurt?"
"Very." Mercury coughed, blood falling onto the floor.
"I have an idea, but I'm not sure it's going to work."
"What is it?" Mars asked, frowning.
"Can you all form a circle?"
With help from both Sailor Mars and Jupiter, Mercury managed to stand and they formed a little circle. "Here goes," Sailor Moon muttered. Closing her eyes and focusing all her energy to her friends, she pulled from the air beside her a pink wand with a golden crescent on top. Sounding far away, though she only had to be a few feet away, Luna gasped. But Sailor Moon wasn't paying any attention. "Moon Healing Escalation!"
Light glowed from the cresent end of the wand that pointed to the Senshi. It flowed from the wand to the Senshi. They all gasped as they felt a foreign power fill them. Almost instantly their wounds began to heal. . . Mercury's hand became whole again, and the blood on her face seemed to move in reverse as her cut closed. And Jupiter's eyes became more focused. Sailor Moon suspected it was a concussion leaving. Rei didn't have any outward wounds, but the weariness from the continuous fighting of the night seemed to disappear.
"Kami, Usagi!" the Senshi all gasped as the light receded.
But Sailor Moon herself hadn't healed, in fact she seemed worse than all of the combined before the healing. As she swayed, the wand fell from Usagi's hand (somehow she and the others had transformed back into their regular clothes) and disappeared.
As she was about to fall, someone moved out of the shadows and caught her. It was Tuxedo Kamen. The Senshi had all forgotten about him. . . but the sight before them was one you'd remember forever. . .
"My Gods," Rei whispered softly at the same time Ami gasped and Mako exclaimed, "Holy shit!"
Usagi's mind stuggled from the sleep that seemed to be forcing itself on her. Using all of her remaining strength Usagi forced her eyes open to see what had made her friends so startled. . . and found herself lost in the deepest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen. "Tuxedo Kamen?"
Moving her blurry gaze to his other features, Usagi found she had an uninterrupted view of Tuxedo Kamen's face. . . his mask had fallen off. . .
And as her vision cleared, Usagi realized she was staring up into the
impossibly handsome face of Chiba Mamoru . . .
*end of part 2*
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
- There was a lot of heavy stuff
going on in this part, but the next part is pretty laid back. No fighting. Or at
least no fights with yomas. The next part is very important because it
establishes the point of the fanfic. So stay tuned.
- I live on feedback, so
don't be shy, give a review. Or drop me a line at Knowsall5@hotmail.com
~Jewel~
Knowsall5@hotmail.com
[April 7th, 2004]
