TRAPPED!
By: Krysia
Rated: PG-ish
Disclaimer: Not mine. Not even a little. pouts
Chapter 20Usagi woke up to see a pair of tawny eyes staring at her.
"Gah!" She jerked backwards instinctively, her heart hammering in her chest.
Luna swished her tail as she regarded her charge. "Sorry Usagi. I didn't mean to startle you." The cat sounded faintly apologetic. "I was just waiting for you to wake up."
Usagi propped herself on her elbows to stare back at the cat. "You could just scream in my ear or claw at the bedcovers like you usually do," she responded dryly.
"True," the cat nodded. "But your alarm hasn't gone off yet so I thought it would be rather pointless to try."
That statement caused Usagi to jerk upright and reach for her alarm clock. "Argh! What am I doing awake?" The blonde set the clock down and tried flopping back in her bed and burying herself under her covers.
"Usagi!"
The blonde groaned and rolled over to face her annoyed guardian. "Yes, Luna?" She sat up and stretched before sliding out of her bed and making her way to her closet.
Luna watched dumbfounded as her charge got up voluntarily out of her bed and began to make preparations for school. The cat fumbled around looking for the words that she was ready to voice moments ago. The words she was going to use to berate a lazy Usagi who was going to ignore them anyway. And there was something different about her too.
Usagi raised an eyebrow at the cat before leaving the room to begin her daily morning ritual of getting ready for school. She had shocked her guardian speechless. This was definitely something she would have to remember to use in the future.
The blonde teenager headed down the stairs at a sedate pace. She had completed her morning routine in record time, mostly to avoid giving Luna an opportunity for further interrogation. She met her mother, who had just stepped out of the kitchen, at the landing, most likely to head upstairs to rouse her daughter from bed.
Ikuko stopped in surprise and looked at her daughter. "My goodness Usagi, you're up early today. Are you feeling ok?" Motherly concern laced her voice as she scrutinized her daughter for anything out of the ordinary.
"No, okaa-san, I'm fine. The girls dared me that I couldn't get to school before them so I decided that I would prove them wrong. Besides, this may also give me the opportunity to talk to Haruna-sensei about my schoolwork. I haven't been doing very well and maybe she could help me get back on track."
Ikuko flung her arms around her daughter. "Oh, Usagi! I'm so proud of you. How about you have some breakfast before you go to school?"
Usagi continued on her course to the Halls of Torture (known by its more common name: School) at a more dignified pace than what she was used to in the a.m. hours. The sun was bright, the air was crisp and hopefully the day would be as glorious as the morning was promising it to be. Moving at such a leisurely pace allowed Usagi to turn her thoughts inward to her most recent ordeal and what she was going to do to rectify what had happened.
Her school bag swung lazily by her side as she walked. 'It was for your own good.' Minako's voice reverberated through her head, over and over again like a broken record. Why was it so important for Mamoru and she to resolve their differences and in such an extreme matter?
Was there a reason why they removed their clothes? Did Motoki see her naked? Did her friends see Mamoru naked? A bolt of anger flashed through the blonde girl at the thought of her friends seeing the jerk in his birthday suit.
Usagi stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Her face was flushed with anger and both of her hands were clenched tightly. With shock, she realized that she was more angry than embarrassed and it wasn't due to all the humiliation that she was put through either. 'They had better not have ogled my Mamo-chan!' At that thought, her eyes widened in shock. 'Ogled?! My Mamo-chan! Where did that come from?'
She glanced down at her watch. 'Aw man.' If she didn't hurry, she would run into him like she did most mornings. And with the newly discovered thoughts and feelings for him, she was not ready to face him. Not until she figured out where and when she started thinking along those lines about her arch nemesis.
Immediately she picked up her pace while still looking at her watch. Glancing up to see if the path before her was clear, she caught a quick glimpse of a dark shirt and a green tweed jacket before she smashed her face into it. The next thing she knew, she was wrapped up in a familiar embrace. She closed her eyes in humble acknowledgment to the greater forces at work. The very person she was hoping to avoid this morning was instead pressed against her intimately, green tweed brushing gently against her cheek.
"Good Morning, Odango."
Mamoru walked casually along the street. He was deliberately dawdling so that he could run into Usagi. 'Usako,' he thought to himself. He wasn't quite ready to call her that directly. Goodness knows how she would react. He knew she had a crush on his alter ego, but he wasn't sure exactly where he stood with her as Mamoru. Their relationship had definitely changed beyond the insult slinging, but to what? In either form, their relationship boundaries needed to be qualified.
He ran a hand though his dark hair as he continued his musings. 'What about Sailor Moon and the Princess?' Actually, Sailor Moon was not an issue, since she and the Odango were the same. The Princess was still a mystery to him and the sooner he talked to Usa, the better. It still disconcerted him that his dreams and thoughts of the Princess were relegated to non-existent during his forced exile with his beautiful sparring partner. There were a few times that Odango had triggered some sort of memory before it was whisked away to an inaccessible location in his subconscious. Besides, even though he had had his little heart to heart with Motoki last night, there was still a matter of revenge that they needed to exact upon their friends.
He turned the corner just in time to see the very blonde he was looking for staring at her wrist as she walked briskly. He barely had time to register that she was going to crash into him when she glanced up as they collided. His arms wrapped around her automatically, pulling her close to him. He stared down at the golden strands spilling over the two of them, her face obscured from his view. Then he opened mouth and inserted foot.
"Good morning, Odango!"
He felt the girl stiffen in his arms slightly before she pulled back to glare at him. Her eyes sparkled with blue fire and her face was flushed prettily.
"Morning, jerk," she muttered as she moved to pass him.
Mamoru kept a firm hold on the odangoed girl before him. A quick glance at his watch informed him that it wasn't his imagination but Usagi was early this morning. She tugged on her arm trying to free herself from his grasp.
"Where are you off to so early this morning?" He stared into her eyes, which she met determinedly for a few minutes before dropping them to stare at her shoes instead.
"To school, baka. It's where I go every weekday morning."
Mamoru reached with his free hand and tugged a pigtail slightly. "Not usually this early. I'm glad to see you have your odangoes back."
"Why? So you can make fun of my hair again?" she accused him.
Mamoru couldn't see Usagi's expression for her face was turned away from him. But he recognized the slight hurt and distrust in her voice. He shook his head slightly and pulled on her arm so that she would look at him.
"No. Because I missed your hair. It's beautiful and it suits you so well," he responded sincerely, his gaze never leaving her face.
Usagi tried tugging her arm free again. "Thank you for the compliment," her voice wary. "Let go Mamoru-kun. I really need to get to school. I'm trying not to be late."
Mamoru let go of her arm and fell into step with her. "How about I walk you to school and we can talk on the way?" Seeing a slight panicky expression, he quickly amended, "We still have the matter of planning revenge on Motoki and the girls."
Mamoru almost laughed out loud at the mischievous expression that appeared on Usagi's face. Right now they would focus on revenge. It's not like they could discuss senshi business in the middle of the sidewalk, nor was he ready to disclose the feelings he was beginning to feel for her. The few days sequestered in the apartment had laid the foundation of friendship and possibly something else. He needed to tread carefully to not undo the progress already made.
The couple stopped about a block from school. "I really need to go Mamoru-kun." Usagi fiddled with the handle of her school bag. Thank you so much for walking me to school. I think it would be better if we didn't let my friends see us together. They might think their plan worked and that we are a couple now."
"Usa...wait." Mamoru's breath caught when she looked up at him, her expression filled with a myriad of emotions. "We do eventually need to talk about what...happened."
Usagi shrugged. "Nothing happened." She began to back along the sidewalk towards her school. "I've got to go! Ja ne!" The blonde turned on her heel and ran to the safety of the brick building just ahead. She stopped and gave him one final glance before she entered her sanctuary.
Mamoru shook his head at the fleeing girl. 'Something did happen even if you deny it Usako.' Even though those expressions that passed across her face were fleeting, it confirmed that she was as confused about her feelings as he was. Maybe even more so. He had determined that he would act on those emotions and convince Usa that they should see if Motoki and the girls were right. That there was something going on between them. He had learned a lot about her during their forced confinement. He knew that she had a few shortcomings but they could be easily overlooked. His heart had jumped when she had turned to look at him again before entering school grounds. Her profile...it was very familiar.
A group of chattering schoolgirls entered the Crown arcade after school. Actually, it was four pleading girls and one blonde girl walking silently with her arms folded across her chest.
"Come on Usagi. Please forgive us. Please!" pleaded Makoto. "I'll bake you your favorite desserts for a week."
"I'll help you with your school work," offered Ami. The girls looked at Ami in astonishment.
Usagi wrinkled her nose. "That's supposed to make me feel better? You always want to study Ami-chan." She tossed the girl a sideways glance.
"Ok. I won't even mention studying for a whole week then," she offered instead.
"Really?" Usagi looked slyly at Rei and Minako. "What about you guys? Don't you think you owe me?"
As Rei began to splutter, Minako put her hand on the girl's arm to calm her down. "Owe you?" Minako grinned. "If anything, you owe us. After all, we arranged a rather nice interlude with a hunky guy for you. I don't think you really appreciate what we did."
"What?!" Usagi screeched. "I don't think so." She stomped away from her friends towards a booth in the back. She glanced at the counter to see if Mamoru was sitting there. He and Motoki were there staring at the commotion they made as they entered the arcade. Sliding into a seat, the rest of the girls piled in around her.
"Mamoru-kun is here, Usa. Sure you don't want to share what happened? We could invite him over here and ask him instead." Rei asked maliciously.
Usagi glared at the raven-haired girl sitting across from her before adopting a nonchalant attitude. "Go ahead. There is nothing to tell. Nothing happened."
The girls paused their interrogation of Usagi to give their order to the waitress that seemingly popped out of nowhere. Once everyone was settled and the girl left, Usagi found herself again the center of attention.
"Think she's bluffing?" Makoto asked in a stage whisper to the other girls.
"Let's just leave her alone. Didn't we do enough?" Ami asked. She looked earnestly at the girl to her left. "I'm really, really sorry Usagi-chan. They MADE me do it!"
Everyone's eyes widened at the girl genius. They had never heard Ami talk like that before. She actually whined. Usagi reached over and gave her a quick hug. "I forgive you Ami-chan. It's not like you to be part of something so devious." As their food was placed before them, Usagi continued, "I think it's time we talk about something else, otherwise I may consider having a heart to heart with Luna."
"She knows." Minako told her bluntly.
"Apparently not everything." Usagi shot back. "Otherwise she wouldn't keep trying to play twenty questions with me." Usagi stiffened slightly as she felt Mamoru's presence behind her. After this morning, she really didn't know what to expect from him. She felt her heart increase its pace as she waited for whatever bombshell he was going to drop. Goodness knows that he never willingly approached her before, unless it was to deliver some sort of insult.
"Hey Odango." He tugged on a pigtail as he did this morning. "Don't worry about your portion of the bill. Motoki's got it covered."
When she felt her hair being pulled, she turned and opened her mouth to blast him. She closed it wordlessly, almost at a loss. She glanced over to where Motoki was standing as he mindlessly wiped the counter he was standing behind. He met her glance apologetically before turning to serve a customer. She looked back at her enemy who was standing casually behind her.
Mamoru eyed the girls carefully. "Usagi, we need to talk about last night..." He noticed the girls eager and curious expressions. "...when Motoki stopped by." He smirked as the senshi deflated and looked down at the table.
Usagi looked at her friends. "Well, we could all meet..."
"I think just you and I need to talk," he stressed narrowing his eyes.
"Ok," she said meekly when the girls refused to look at her. She rose from her seat. "I'll talk to you guys later."
"Bye."
"Ok."
"See you later."
"Have fuuuuun." Minako winked as at her friend as she followed Mamoru.
They had barely exited the building when Mamoru immediately dragged his blonde nemesis into a nearby alley and transformed into Tuxedo Mask. He grabbed the girl and jumped up onto the roof and made his way quickly towards his apartment. Usagi fumed in his arms but wisely did not scream for fear of drawing attention to themselves. Shortly the caped hero landed on a balcony and allowed his precious bundle from his arms to stand on her own two feet. He quickly ushered her into his apartment before relinquishing his hero guise.
"Mamoru! You jerk! What if someone had seen us?" Her faced flushed; Usagi released full volume at her handsome kidnapper.
Mamoru rolled his eyes before pulling her gently over to the couch. Usagi flopped down with her arms folded across her chest. Disappearing quickly, her dark-haired host returned from what appeared to be the kitchen with some drinks and snacks. Placing the refreshments on the coffee table, he settled himself on the opposite end of the couch.
"Do the senshi know that I am Tuxedo Mask?" he asked bluntly.
Usagi nearly choked on her drink. "What?" Her brow creased in thought. "I don't think so. I didn't tell them. Why?"
Mamoru sat back in relief and allowed a smile to grace his features. "Great. We can use that to our advantage when we plot our revenge. Unfortunately, Motoki knows that you are Sailor Moon and the girls are senshi. But, I don't think he knows I'm Tuxedo Kamen. I didn't transform until I was in the hallway out of sight."
Usagi chewed slowing concentrating on the words Mamoru just spoke. "So...how do we accomplish this? There are five of them and only two of us?"
Mamoru slumped slightly. "I don't know. We are going to have to catch them off-guard. I guess we have to decide if we get revenge on them as a group or individually."
The two spent the next couple of hours plotting different scenarios in which they could 'punish' their friends. Regretfully Usagi stood up after glancing at a clock on the wall.
"I need to go, Mamoru-kun. I've got school work to finish, not to mention my family is going to be wondering where I am."
Mamoru rose and began to escort her to the door. "Usagi-chan, this evening was really...nice." He stumbled over his words slightly. "I'm glad we were able to have a conversation without arguing, even if it did involve discussing several different methods of torturing our friends."
Usagi giggled slightly and looked up at Mamoru. He was staring so intently at her. She felt herself beginning to blush. "Um..it was fun, Mamoru-kun. Thank you for the snacks." She tried edging to the door, but he was blocking her path.
He reached up and placed a hand on her shoulder and with the other hand, pushed some of her hair away from her face. "Usa," he whispered huskily and leaned forward, his face barely from hers.
Usagi licked her lips nervously. Mamoru looked as if he wanted to kiss her and she wasn't sure what to make of it. Just as Mamoru lowered his head and whispered her name, her communicator went off.
Usagi jumped back as if she had been scalded. She risked a glance at Mamoru who was looking furious. She made a waving motion and pulled out a pink calculator. She pressed the blinking light indicating that Venus was trying to contact her.
"Sailor Moon! We are on our way to the park. Mercury picked up some major nega-vibes. We need you on the triple."
"Got it!" She nodded at her communicator before signing off. She returned it to her sub-space pocket before pushing past Mamoru. "I've got to go!" She grabbed at the doorknob as Mamoru placed his hand against the doorframe.
"Transform now. We'll go out my balcony."
"We?" Usagi asked dumbfoundedly.
Mamoru rolled his eyes and rapped his fingers gently against her forehead. "Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen."
"Oh yea, right." Usagi flushed with embarrassment. She grabbed her broach. "Moon Prism Power!" Once her transformation was complete, she noted that Tuxedo Kamen was already walking over towards the balcony doors. She scrambled over to join him and the two make their way quickly to the park and the senshi battle arena.
Tuxedo Kamen took quickly to the trees as Sailor Moon entered the scene. The sky was lit up, reflecting the various attacks the senshi had been using. She was quick to see Mercury off to the side analyzing the battle, whereas Mars and Jupiter were battling with a hideously looking youma. Venus was squaring off with none other than Kunzite. The blonde heroine paused slightly unsure of whom to assist first.
Trembling slightly, she decided to go help Venus. Kunzite was the more dangerous of the two and maybe if they killed him that would release any control he had over the youma. With that decision made, she began running over towards Venus.
The white-haired general threw a blast at Venus, which she narrowly dodged. Unfortunately, some flying debris caught her in her mid-section, causing her to tumble to the ground. She quickly tucked herself into a roll and was back on her feet, only to see Sailor Moon running towards her.
"Sailor Moon, NO!" Venus called out with a panic-filled voice.
Kunzite took advantage of Sailor Moon's hesitation and launched his attack at her. "Here you go, Moon Brat! Queen Beryl sends her regards."
Sailor Moon was unable to react quick enough. She felt herself being forcefully shoved from behind. Picking herself painfully off the ground, she looked over her shoulder at her savior. Tuxedo Kamen was lying on the ground clutching his chest. Venus turned and launched an attack at the Dark Kingdom general who was smirking evilly.
"Tuxedo Kamen!" She crawled over to him. "No," she whispered. "NO! Not again! Endymion...don't leave me!" She hunched over his still figure, sobbing. Rainbow colors appeared mysteriously from various locations and combined to form a small, glowing crystal. Sailor Moon's eyes dilated at she reached automatically for this object as memories began to overwhelm her.
Her sailor fuku melted away into a flowing white princess gown. Her tiara disappeared and a crescent moon appeared in its place. She reached over and gently brushed Tuxedo Kamen's cheek before standing and facing the general.
"Tell Beryl that she can see you in Hell!" She raised the crystal and aimed it towards Kunzite.
The general's eyes widened and he immediately teleported to Queen Beryl's throne room to inform her of the latest developments. That the moon princess was Sailor Moon and the Ginzuishou was found and in her possession.
Even though the general barely escaped, the youma was not so fortunate. It found itself bathed in the glowing light of the crystal and was destroyed. The Princess stood basking in the power of the Ginzuishou before returning to her Sailor Moon guise and slumping to the ground in a faint.
The senshi rushed over to the fallen heroes. Mercury used her computer to check Sailor Moon. "She's just fainted, guys." Everyone sighed in relief. Mercury moved over to inspect Tuxedo Kamen. "He took quite a bit of damage in the shoulder and chest. His heart beat is a little erratic, but I think he will recover."
Just then, he groaned. Sailor Mars knelt down next to the tuxedo-clad man. "Tuxedo Kamen, can you hear me?"
"Sailor Moon? Is she ok?" he rasped. He struggled to sit up.
Mars placed a hand on his good shoulder to force him to be still. "She's ok, just tired from destroying the youma." Mars shot a warning glance at the rest of the senshi.
Venus knelt next to Sailor Moon, ignoring Mars. "She's tired from using the Ginzuishou." She met Tuxedo Kamen's gaze directly. "She used it to destroy the youma and tried it against Kunzite but he escaped."
"Venus!"
Sailor Jupiter looked down at her boots. "We didn't do a very good job protecting her and she's the..."
"Jupiter!" Mars objected again. "I'm sorry Tuxedo Kamen, but we don't know who you are. There are certain things you shouldn't know about us." She looked down at him with a mixture of anger, compassion and worry.
He nodded slightly, his eyes closing in pain. "I understand." He did understand. Venus had told him everything he needed to know. Sailor Moon was the Princess. She was the princess because she welded the Ginzuishou. And he loved the princess. The princess who was also Usagi.
He opened his eyes to see Jupiter bend down and lift Usagi into her arms.
"Where are you taking her?" he asked frantically.
Mercury stepped in. "We are taking her somewhere where she can rest and recover without drawing attention to herself. And we need to leave here before someone sees us. Will you be ok on your own?" she asked solicitously.
Tuxedo Kamen nodded dumbly. They were taking his princess away from him, now that he had found her. He winced as his shoulder began to throb. He needed to take care of this first before he went to visit Usagi. Preferably without any senshi present. He stood and nodded before dashing off into the trees and out of sight.
Venus watched his departure with troubled eyes.