Touching Eden
Chapter Three: Reoccuring Pages
Black Beyond
Minna, new email addy: madamehamlethotmail.com
I will continue to check my old email address, though, for a long time, probably.
Here's your third chapter. I am really sorry it took so long, but life sucks and I kept loosing bits of the story thanks to my school's computers. But I'm back on track and after loosing twenty pages of Haunting Mists (GO READ IT!!) I'm starting to get over it. :/ I am really pissed about loosing that, though...
Anyway! Here's your fic, love ya!
A very naked Princess Serenity hovered in midair, weeping, as her wings beat slowly to maintain her height. She had not yet made up with Rei, and now it was too late, for Rei was gone. All of the senshi were dead and gone, and she was left alone with the Starlights, who waited on the ground below, staring at the grieving princess.
"Usagi..." Fighter murmured. Healer did something very out of character and hugged her sister. It was then Fighter noticed that both of them were crying. A glance over at Maker let him know tears were running down her cheeks as well.
"Why are you crying, Odango Atama?"
The three Starlights jumped out of their skin as the taken star seeds appeared and circled around the princess, before dipping down to float just about the ground before the three standing warriors. They shimmered, and slowly, the form of each senshi appeared, whole and alive. Serenity stared, still crying, as joy slowly crept across her face. She was about to fly down and tackle Rei to apologize profusely, when another voice stopped her.
"Usako..."
Her eyes widened and her face went pale. Only one person had ever called her that. She wanted to slap herself. Of course, if the others came back he would as well!
He appeared in front of her, Chibi-Chibi perched on his arm. She stared at him as he opened his arms to her. Below, Fighter stiffened, her face becoming a mask.
The senshi were torn between watching their princess and watching the Starlight. Well, most of them were. Uranus kept her eyes appreciatively on her princess. Neptune was only torn between watching the unfolding drama or slapping Uranus upside the head.
After a few seconds of Serenity's hesitation, Endymion frowned. "Usako, what's wrong?"
Without response, Serenity promptly fainted. Fighter beat Uranus to the punch and caught the princess, holding her protectively.
"Get her out of here, Fighter." Mercury hissed, and Fighter bolted, grateful for the suggestion.
Endymion growled and started after her, but surprisingly, it was Mars who stopped him.
"Endymion-sama, we have a lot to talk about..." She watched the other Starlights follow their sister out of the corner of her eye with a sigh.
You owe me big, Usagi, she thought at the unconscious princess.
----
Fighter waited until she was several blocks away from the demolished stadium, until she was hidden safely in the trees of a park, one of a few in downtown Tokyo. She dehenshined and looked at the princess for a moment before shaking her softly.
"Usagi, Usa-chan, you have to wake up and power down. I need to take you to the hospital."
He continued to shake Usagi, ignoring as the blood from scrapes and shallow cuts on her body began to stain his clothing. Finally, Usagi moaned and with a flash of dazzling light, she was back in her school uniform. Seiya sighed with relief.
"Usagi, are you okay?" He started as she clung onto him, shaking with tearless sobs.
"No... I don't want him to be back." She whispered.
"Fighter!" Seiya looked up to see his sisters approaching cautiously. Sailor Venus and Sailor Saturn had followed them, and were looking very concerned.
Seeing Usagi was conscious, Venus laughed.
"What a way to get out of a confrontation, Usagi! I'll remember that one." She joked. Usagi giggled weakly.
"I need to get her to the hospital. She's got some cuts I want to be looked at," Seiya explained. Saturn smiled at him and stepped forward shyly.
"I can heal her, if you want." She said very quietly. Seiya's face brightened and moved slightly so Saturn could get to the crying girl, who ceased her sobs and looked at Saturn.
"Sorry to cry, Hotaru-chan." She sniffled. Saturn smiled and placed her hands over Usagi's stomach, and closed her eyes in concentration, not replying. A soft glow that grew covered Usagi as she clutched to Seiya, who felt a slight tickling sensation as Saturn healed his lover.
Saturn stumbled back and the glow vanished. Usagi sat up quickly and caught the senshi by the shoulders. Saturn opened her eyes.
"I'm okay." She nodded and stood up, and offered her gloved hand to Usagi, who took it and stood up. Seiya stood up beside her and the four transformed senshi powered down.
"Where's Mamoru?" Usagi asked Minako, who bit her lip.
"Mars is talking to him. From the expression on his face that I caught before we ran after you guys, I don't think he's taking the news well."
Usagi sighed. "I guess he'll be telling all of Tokyo what a slut I am, too." Over the past few months, Rei had cooled down considerably, but the two girls had not yet made up. They had seen each other only for senshi meetings and for battles, and the tension between them had been noticed by the tabloid reporters always lurking near.
The tabloids had been having a field day with Seiya Kou's new relationship, along with the sparks between Sailormoon and Sailor Star Fighter, as they gave up on concealing their relationship. Hardly a day went by when Usagi or Seiya's face, in one form or another, wasn't splashed up over two or three major tabloids, with rude speculations.
"He won't. I'll beat him up first." Seiya succeeded in making Usagi laugh.
"I don't know if you could." Usagi said thoughtfully, after she had stopped laughing. "It's not a fight I want to see happen, though. I'd rather there not be any more blood split over me."
In reality, she was referring to the several fights she had been baited into at school over her boyfriend. Many, many angered, disappointed teenage girls were only too happy to try to take their frustrations out on Usagi, who used the fights as another training exercise, even if she almost never won them.
Usagi signed again and hugged Seiya, hard, as though her sanity depended on it.
"Mamoru will be trying to catch up with you, Usagi." Hotaru said, after a few minutes. "If you don't want to see him yet, you'd better go with Seiya."
Usagi frowned. "I don't want to hide like I've done something wrong."
"Then we get to wait right here until he tracks you down." Taiki didn't sound happy at the prospect.
"At least the senshi are behind Usagi now." Yaten muttered. "If what's his face tries to kill Seiya, they might stop him." He looked doubtful, however.
Minako laughed nervously. "Usagi's pretty formidable on her own."
"Usagi's exhausted." Usagi retorted. "Usagi couldn't take on a chipmunk right now if she wanted to." For the first time, Minako noticed how heavily her friend was leaning on Seiya's arm and winced.
She looked over to Hotaru and was a little surprised to see the glaive in the young girl's hands. The other three also noticed it, but they didn't say anything.
Minako's communicator beeped. She quickly flipped it open and was greeted by a high-strung Sailor Jupiter.
"Minako, he just ran after you guys, the minute Mars mentioned Usagi was sleeping with someone. Apparently she never gave Mamoru the honor."
Seiya looked sharply at Usagi, who was finding the branches above them quite fascinating.
Minako blushed. "Too much information. How angry was he?"
"Stupid question. He's beyond pissed. Uranus and Neptune went after him, but if you guys don't want to be impaled by roses..."
"Usagi refuses to hide." Minako sighed.
"Damn skippy." Usagi murmured.
Jupiter snorted. "Then you guys had better be prepared for a really good fight."
"There won't be a fight." Usagi had opened her own communicator. "If I have to kill myself, there won't be a fight."
Jupiter looked at her questionably. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
"Well, you'd better decide really qui--"
Taiki spun around at the sound of breaking branches and crunching leaves.
"Shit." Yaten blinked. Hotaru marched forward, and just as Tuxedo Kamen burst through the foliage, he found himself nose to point with the sharp weapon.
He froze, and then scowled. "Move aside, Hotaru."
"I cannot do that, Tuxedo Kamen-sama." Hotaru's voice was the deadly calm voice the senshi had come to associate with danger. "I serve the princess."
His face flushed behind the mask. His eyes found Seiya and darkened.
"Get your hands off her." He barked.
"His hands aren't on me, mine are on him. So if you're going to be yelling, yell at me." Usagi sounded very, very tired, and looked very fragile.
Seiya met Tuxedo Kamen's gaze. "I'll fight for her."
His brothers looked startled. Seiya usually tried to avoid fights.
"There will be no fight." Usagi said softly, with all the vehemence she could muster.
"Stay out of this, Usako." Tuxedo Kamen was pissed.
Usagi growled. It was a sound that made Seiya start and look at her. He made sure she could stand on her own before stepping away, her aura flaring up. He could not see it, but he was close enough to feel it.
He was more than worried now. She was going to end up killing herself.
Looking at her senshi, he saw they knew it too. Minako had her henshin wand in hand, and Hotaru kept her glaive trained on the prince of Earth.
"Tuxedo Kamen, stop it!" Minako hissed. "She just used the ginzuishou, you KNOW she's exhausted beyond belief, and you're doing this to her out of jealousy!"
He stopped, and looked at Minako, a little ashamed, but still furious. "I won't just give up."
"You damn well better." Yaten was just as angry as the prince. "She's tired, she's miserable, and she doesn't need this bullshit. Especially not from you, the subject of half her nightmares! Leave her the hell alone!" He was working himself up into a regular fit. Tuxedo Kamen had turned to stare at Yaten in disbelief.
"This isn't any of your business."
Yaten's eyes widened at the insult. "Why, you son of a bitch--"
"Stop it!" Usagi yelled. "Just stop it. I can't do this right now." The air crackled around her.
"Usagi, calm down." Gathering the suicidal part of him, Seiya grabbed her quickly and held her close, ignoring the stinging feeling as the static electricity hit him.
Usagi sagged in his arms. Looking down, he saw she had passed out again.
He took his courage. "Taiki, I'm taking her home." She was so light, so very light. She hadn't been eating again, Seiya realized. If she weighed a hundred pounds he'd give up being a senshi. Skin and bones... she would never survive the aftermath of this won war if she didn't start taking care of herself.
"No, you're not taking her anywhere." Tuxedo Kamen would have charged the man, had the glaive not been glaring him in the face.
"She's half dead, Mamoru." Hotaru's voice was frigid. "Go on, Seiya-san."
Tuxedo Kamen made a noise of angry disgust, but the glaive was suddenly pressed against his neck. Seiya retreated once more with Usagi in his arms. His brothers followed, sending cautious looks at the enraged soldier as they left.
When they were gone, Tuxedo Kamen's transformation lapsed and he turned his face away from Hotaru, who let the glaive fall back to her side.
"I'm sorry, Mamoru. But my princess has made her decisions. If they are mistakes, they are hers to make."
"Hotaru, I love her..." Mamoru's voice was choked.
Minako hugged him, tentatively at first, but when she saw he wouldn't attack her, she hugged him harder. "I know, Mamoru."
---
Maybe not as long as usual, but I'm trying. Review! I love you!
Chapter Three: Reoccuring Pages
Black Beyond
Minna, new email addy: madamehamlethotmail.com
I will continue to check my old email address, though, for a long time, probably.
Here's your third chapter. I am really sorry it took so long, but life sucks and I kept loosing bits of the story thanks to my school's computers. But I'm back on track and after loosing twenty pages of Haunting Mists (GO READ IT!!) I'm starting to get over it. :/ I am really pissed about loosing that, though...
Anyway! Here's your fic, love ya!
A very naked Princess Serenity hovered in midair, weeping, as her wings beat slowly to maintain her height. She had not yet made up with Rei, and now it was too late, for Rei was gone. All of the senshi were dead and gone, and she was left alone with the Starlights, who waited on the ground below, staring at the grieving princess.
"Usagi..." Fighter murmured. Healer did something very out of character and hugged her sister. It was then Fighter noticed that both of them were crying. A glance over at Maker let him know tears were running down her cheeks as well.
"Why are you crying, Odango Atama?"
The three Starlights jumped out of their skin as the taken star seeds appeared and circled around the princess, before dipping down to float just about the ground before the three standing warriors. They shimmered, and slowly, the form of each senshi appeared, whole and alive. Serenity stared, still crying, as joy slowly crept across her face. She was about to fly down and tackle Rei to apologize profusely, when another voice stopped her.
"Usako..."
Her eyes widened and her face went pale. Only one person had ever called her that. She wanted to slap herself. Of course, if the others came back he would as well!
He appeared in front of her, Chibi-Chibi perched on his arm. She stared at him as he opened his arms to her. Below, Fighter stiffened, her face becoming a mask.
The senshi were torn between watching their princess and watching the Starlight. Well, most of them were. Uranus kept her eyes appreciatively on her princess. Neptune was only torn between watching the unfolding drama or slapping Uranus upside the head.
After a few seconds of Serenity's hesitation, Endymion frowned. "Usako, what's wrong?"
Without response, Serenity promptly fainted. Fighter beat Uranus to the punch and caught the princess, holding her protectively.
"Get her out of here, Fighter." Mercury hissed, and Fighter bolted, grateful for the suggestion.
Endymion growled and started after her, but surprisingly, it was Mars who stopped him.
"Endymion-sama, we have a lot to talk about..." She watched the other Starlights follow their sister out of the corner of her eye with a sigh.
You owe me big, Usagi, she thought at the unconscious princess.
----
Fighter waited until she was several blocks away from the demolished stadium, until she was hidden safely in the trees of a park, one of a few in downtown Tokyo. She dehenshined and looked at the princess for a moment before shaking her softly.
"Usagi, Usa-chan, you have to wake up and power down. I need to take you to the hospital."
He continued to shake Usagi, ignoring as the blood from scrapes and shallow cuts on her body began to stain his clothing. Finally, Usagi moaned and with a flash of dazzling light, she was back in her school uniform. Seiya sighed with relief.
"Usagi, are you okay?" He started as she clung onto him, shaking with tearless sobs.
"No... I don't want him to be back." She whispered.
"Fighter!" Seiya looked up to see his sisters approaching cautiously. Sailor Venus and Sailor Saturn had followed them, and were looking very concerned.
Seeing Usagi was conscious, Venus laughed.
"What a way to get out of a confrontation, Usagi! I'll remember that one." She joked. Usagi giggled weakly.
"I need to get her to the hospital. She's got some cuts I want to be looked at," Seiya explained. Saturn smiled at him and stepped forward shyly.
"I can heal her, if you want." She said very quietly. Seiya's face brightened and moved slightly so Saturn could get to the crying girl, who ceased her sobs and looked at Saturn.
"Sorry to cry, Hotaru-chan." She sniffled. Saturn smiled and placed her hands over Usagi's stomach, and closed her eyes in concentration, not replying. A soft glow that grew covered Usagi as she clutched to Seiya, who felt a slight tickling sensation as Saturn healed his lover.
Saturn stumbled back and the glow vanished. Usagi sat up quickly and caught the senshi by the shoulders. Saturn opened her eyes.
"I'm okay." She nodded and stood up, and offered her gloved hand to Usagi, who took it and stood up. Seiya stood up beside her and the four transformed senshi powered down.
"Where's Mamoru?" Usagi asked Minako, who bit her lip.
"Mars is talking to him. From the expression on his face that I caught before we ran after you guys, I don't think he's taking the news well."
Usagi sighed. "I guess he'll be telling all of Tokyo what a slut I am, too." Over the past few months, Rei had cooled down considerably, but the two girls had not yet made up. They had seen each other only for senshi meetings and for battles, and the tension between them had been noticed by the tabloid reporters always lurking near.
The tabloids had been having a field day with Seiya Kou's new relationship, along with the sparks between Sailormoon and Sailor Star Fighter, as they gave up on concealing their relationship. Hardly a day went by when Usagi or Seiya's face, in one form or another, wasn't splashed up over two or three major tabloids, with rude speculations.
"He won't. I'll beat him up first." Seiya succeeded in making Usagi laugh.
"I don't know if you could." Usagi said thoughtfully, after she had stopped laughing. "It's not a fight I want to see happen, though. I'd rather there not be any more blood split over me."
In reality, she was referring to the several fights she had been baited into at school over her boyfriend. Many, many angered, disappointed teenage girls were only too happy to try to take their frustrations out on Usagi, who used the fights as another training exercise, even if she almost never won them.
Usagi signed again and hugged Seiya, hard, as though her sanity depended on it.
"Mamoru will be trying to catch up with you, Usagi." Hotaru said, after a few minutes. "If you don't want to see him yet, you'd better go with Seiya."
Usagi frowned. "I don't want to hide like I've done something wrong."
"Then we get to wait right here until he tracks you down." Taiki didn't sound happy at the prospect.
"At least the senshi are behind Usagi now." Yaten muttered. "If what's his face tries to kill Seiya, they might stop him." He looked doubtful, however.
Minako laughed nervously. "Usagi's pretty formidable on her own."
"Usagi's exhausted." Usagi retorted. "Usagi couldn't take on a chipmunk right now if she wanted to." For the first time, Minako noticed how heavily her friend was leaning on Seiya's arm and winced.
She looked over to Hotaru and was a little surprised to see the glaive in the young girl's hands. The other three also noticed it, but they didn't say anything.
Minako's communicator beeped. She quickly flipped it open and was greeted by a high-strung Sailor Jupiter.
"Minako, he just ran after you guys, the minute Mars mentioned Usagi was sleeping with someone. Apparently she never gave Mamoru the honor."
Seiya looked sharply at Usagi, who was finding the branches above them quite fascinating.
Minako blushed. "Too much information. How angry was he?"
"Stupid question. He's beyond pissed. Uranus and Neptune went after him, but if you guys don't want to be impaled by roses..."
"Usagi refuses to hide." Minako sighed.
"Damn skippy." Usagi murmured.
Jupiter snorted. "Then you guys had better be prepared for a really good fight."
"There won't be a fight." Usagi had opened her own communicator. "If I have to kill myself, there won't be a fight."
Jupiter looked at her questionably. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
"Well, you'd better decide really qui--"
Taiki spun around at the sound of breaking branches and crunching leaves.
"Shit." Yaten blinked. Hotaru marched forward, and just as Tuxedo Kamen burst through the foliage, he found himself nose to point with the sharp weapon.
He froze, and then scowled. "Move aside, Hotaru."
"I cannot do that, Tuxedo Kamen-sama." Hotaru's voice was the deadly calm voice the senshi had come to associate with danger. "I serve the princess."
His face flushed behind the mask. His eyes found Seiya and darkened.
"Get your hands off her." He barked.
"His hands aren't on me, mine are on him. So if you're going to be yelling, yell at me." Usagi sounded very, very tired, and looked very fragile.
Seiya met Tuxedo Kamen's gaze. "I'll fight for her."
His brothers looked startled. Seiya usually tried to avoid fights.
"There will be no fight." Usagi said softly, with all the vehemence she could muster.
"Stay out of this, Usako." Tuxedo Kamen was pissed.
Usagi growled. It was a sound that made Seiya start and look at her. He made sure she could stand on her own before stepping away, her aura flaring up. He could not see it, but he was close enough to feel it.
He was more than worried now. She was going to end up killing herself.
Looking at her senshi, he saw they knew it too. Minako had her henshin wand in hand, and Hotaru kept her glaive trained on the prince of Earth.
"Tuxedo Kamen, stop it!" Minako hissed. "She just used the ginzuishou, you KNOW she's exhausted beyond belief, and you're doing this to her out of jealousy!"
He stopped, and looked at Minako, a little ashamed, but still furious. "I won't just give up."
"You damn well better." Yaten was just as angry as the prince. "She's tired, she's miserable, and she doesn't need this bullshit. Especially not from you, the subject of half her nightmares! Leave her the hell alone!" He was working himself up into a regular fit. Tuxedo Kamen had turned to stare at Yaten in disbelief.
"This isn't any of your business."
Yaten's eyes widened at the insult. "Why, you son of a bitch--"
"Stop it!" Usagi yelled. "Just stop it. I can't do this right now." The air crackled around her.
"Usagi, calm down." Gathering the suicidal part of him, Seiya grabbed her quickly and held her close, ignoring the stinging feeling as the static electricity hit him.
Usagi sagged in his arms. Looking down, he saw she had passed out again.
He took his courage. "Taiki, I'm taking her home." She was so light, so very light. She hadn't been eating again, Seiya realized. If she weighed a hundred pounds he'd give up being a senshi. Skin and bones... she would never survive the aftermath of this won war if she didn't start taking care of herself.
"No, you're not taking her anywhere." Tuxedo Kamen would have charged the man, had the glaive not been glaring him in the face.
"She's half dead, Mamoru." Hotaru's voice was frigid. "Go on, Seiya-san."
Tuxedo Kamen made a noise of angry disgust, but the glaive was suddenly pressed against his neck. Seiya retreated once more with Usagi in his arms. His brothers followed, sending cautious looks at the enraged soldier as they left.
When they were gone, Tuxedo Kamen's transformation lapsed and he turned his face away from Hotaru, who let the glaive fall back to her side.
"I'm sorry, Mamoru. But my princess has made her decisions. If they are mistakes, they are hers to make."
"Hotaru, I love her..." Mamoru's voice was choked.
Minako hugged him, tentatively at first, but when she saw he wouldn't attack her, she hugged him harder. "I know, Mamoru."
---
Maybe not as long as usual, but I'm trying. Review! I love you!