Blood on the Moon

By Lydiby

Chapter III

As I stumbled upstairs back at Morningside Heights, I realized I forgotten the rose at Makoto's. I shrugged to myself, it was merely a flower, and it had only brought an aching remembrance of Tuxedo Kamen. Somehow though, I felt at loss. Often I wondered if he'd even survived the final battle. If perhaps he'd been vaporized by a blast, only leaving a shadow behind like in Hiroshima. Was no news good news? What could have been didn't even have the chance to be realized. He was gone.

"Serena!" Dena squawked in outraged worry.

"Dena please don't bother me," I moaned. I couldn't take a breath of wind at the moment. Dena, God bless her, saw this and dragged me into our dorm even though she'd obviously been leaving in a rush.

"Oh, Serena, what have you gotten yourself into?" she whispered, as she jammed me into bed, seeing the cast and bandages on my neck and from the Iv. She brewed some decaf herbal tea, told me to sleep and not move until she got home.

I was too tired to even think of protesting. Sleep had never sounded so good, even in geometry…

Shapes twisted from cheerful images into youma. I screamed, unable to do anything as they cut down my friends.

Jerking upright, I panted. Something tumbled down the coverlet; another white rose. 'White rose: purity of intent.'

My hand trembling I pressed it to my nose and inhaled the delicate scent of life. Trying to dispel the nightmare.

The problem was, my life had recently become a living nightmare.

The jacket was next to me on my pillow. On close inspection the black was truly inky blue. The smell of the ocean hung in the air, mingling with the rose scent. It made me want to walk on the beach and feel the sand between my toes, to laugh above the sound of surf and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.

Tucking the rose into the breast pocket, I swung out of bed. It was only eleven, Sunday morning; Dena wouldn't be back for hours. I could go out and be back before she even knew. Splashing my face with water before tying on a pair of cheap high top converse. I scrawled a note on the dry erase board incase Dena came to check on me at lunch.

Dena,

Gone to research at Low. May stop at studio. Will be back latest at six. Don't worry.

Love Sere

Jogging across campus, I felt a weight in my pocket that hadn't been there before. The knife had been mysteriously replaced, when it had been dropped two blocks away from Flame. Immediately, I pulled to a stop, but not fast enough to spare an innocent student bystander from becoming a victim of a —still lingering— klutz attack.

Three, two, one—wham!

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry!" I wailed, even as my own inertia sent me sprawling backwards.

"Just as soon as I think I'm growing out of being a human health hazard," I shook my head unable to go on as my throat coiled around suppressed tears. Scrambling on all fours to help gather scattered books, papers, pens, and disks, I shook the old habit off. Pulling it all together, I repentantly offered it, like a sacrifice, still on my knees. My first impression was the deep midnight blue suit, shot with silver pinstripes. A sudden wind gusted, thrashing my hair in my face, but not before I saw vibrant aqua eyes glimmer. The heavy books were lifted and the person spun on heel, quickly gliding away. Thrusting my hair back, I thought I saw a strand of blue hair that had sprung out from beneath the figure's navy beret.

'Ami!' my mind screamed.

Heedlessly, I turned and lunched myself back the way I'd came. Stumbling, I dragged myself back into Morningside Heights. In bed I pulled my knees up to my chest, beneath the luminous yellow sheets that smelt like sunshine. I sobbed until I slept.

When I woke a third white rose greeted me. Quietly, I considered the time in Japan. It was half past four here; it would be…about six am in Tokyo? At least she'd be home. The money for the call was nonexistent, but I picked up the receiver anyway.

"Mina-chan?" I questioned as the operator had indicated the connection was made.

"Usagi?" a dearly familiar voice returned.

"Kami, you have no idea how good it is to here that again," I breathed unreservedly. Serena was an America name Dena had given me and it stuck with all my other American friends. It was pleasant sounding, and I like well enough, but in truth preferred Usagi.

"What's wrong," Mina cut to the quick, hearing innuendos in my voice.

"Everything. Some kind of—of shuten-doji, has been stalking me."

"What? A vampire?" she gasped, sounding every inch the astonished New Yorka.

"Well, that would explain the two puncture marks on the side of my neck and the three pint blood transfusion," I wearily snapped.

"Usagi! Kami, are you alright?"

"He broke my wrist and beyond being incredible confused by what's going on…I thought I saw Ami today, Mina," my voice had dropped to a whisper as I remembered what I'd seen. Suddenly it had occurred to me that the suit had been princess cut, making the person wearing it definitely female.

"I don't think I'm alright Mina. I want to come home. I can't get a decent part in the winter performance with my wrist. I don't understand anything here. Nothing's an obvious youma here, I don't know what to do, Mina-chan. I don't have any money for this call either. I just needed to hear your voice."

"Don't worry about the money, Usa. I'll take the bill," she scolded, "You tell me everything, and I mean everything. Don't think you can hide anything from V babe, just because you haven't seen her in a few months. I know you better than you do, Usa."

Serenity washed through me at the familiarity of the scenario. The story wasn't the long-standing gossip like usual, but we hadn't talked in long enough that it didn't matter.

Mina kept drawing back to mysterious Mr. Darien Shields. Said he reminded her of Tuxedo Kamen in the early days, when we were really uncertain. But I had never been uncertain about my Tuxedo Kamen's loyalty like I was uncertain about Shields. This brought a brief but awkward silence. The memory of Tuxedo Kamen knotted in my throat. Luna and Artemis however opportunely arrived home from a night's scouting to break it. Luna told me to stay away from Devin and Darien. She'd get me a new morphing pen as soon as possible so I could protect myself. With sound advice from Luna, and Artemis and Mina's love, we hung up before the bill got any longer.

I erased the board and took a long, hot shower.

The next day Dena brought me Americanized Chinese food. While we chatted and ate, I glanced over my notes from class again.

"Sere, this came in the mail for you," Dena pulled her face out of her shrimp egg foo young to hand me an envelope. That made me remember again. How was I going to pay the hospital bill? The elation I'd felt from talking with Mina, Luna and Artemis deflated faster than a leaky tire.

Anxiously I tore the envelope open.

It was the hospital bill; I scanned down it, astonished at the early arrival. Surmounting that shock was the bill's final balance: 0.00.

Someone had paid for me. Thoughts tumbled through my mind in rapid succession. Standing my hand unconsciously landed on the jacket.

"Dena, I'm going to the hospital to see if I can figure this out," I murmured, swinging into the coat.

"You're leaving good food! Can't it wait?" she yelled in protest, as I ran down the hall.

"No really!" I shouted over my shoulder.

The night air had a bite in it. I recoiled from the irony in my own observation. Buttoning up the front, I turned for the nearest metro. Time was New York at night didn't even faze me, but now it took effort not the twitch at normal sounds. I strode down the block, trying not to let it show, even though I felt like shaking to pieces. I had to figure this out before I went mad. If I weren't mad already, which was not to be knocked out of the equation. I jammed my good hand into a pocket and dragged in a long slow breath to clear my head.

"Listen! I need a receipt for my health insurance company claim, I need the credit card number on it," I shouted at the secretary. She was a particularly prissy secretary who'd been trying her best to ignore me for the past thirty minutes via headset, computer and a steady stream of nurses and doctors. I waved the balance sheet between her and the monitor screen. Irked, she snatched it with her ugly turquoise manicured fingers and spun around in her chair. She typed wrathfully for a moment and then handed me a printout. Quickly scanning it, I found the numbers I wanted.

Stepping out onto the chaotic street, a gust hit me, swirling the coat and my hair behind me. Tipping my head back, I reveled in it for a moment. Then the icy ambiance hit my lungs and my clumsy fingers fumbled with the buttons. Only then I realized I didn't have fare for the ride home. I had run out the door without even my wallet. Down the street, I ducked into an Irish-fashioned pub. It was a long walk home. Cheerful chatter thawed my frosty ears.

I hesitated not wanting to be noticed since I couldn't purchase anything.

"Kan I help ye?"

Trying out my acting skills I reached into my pocket and made a face.

"I've left my wallet," I said grimacing. The weather-faced bartender looked at me hard for a minute and I prepared to duck outside again. Then he shook his head and beamed.

"Here ye are, lass, the bill's on the house," he said a moment later. His brogue was evident while the clink of the mug was lost beneath conversation. Surprised, I looked into his benign blue eyes and he poured my coffee.

"Thank you," I murmured. Quietly, I mused over the drink. Why on earth would my drink be free? No one could anticipate my coming here, so no real worry of the shuten-doji. I toyed with the idea of simply having becoming a magnet for bad luck. After what I'd been through already, I found I didn't really care. More importantly, how was I going get the account information of the credit card?

"I told you I'd give you some answers. You deserve to know what's going on, but only if you promise me you will stay out of this. I won't be responsible for you," a quiet voice flowed smoothly from beside me.

"Damn right and hell no," I stated simply and with an odd eloquence.

"Do you promise to stay out of this?" I studied the panther-like man whom I deeply suspected of being one Chiba Mamoru.

"I will endeavor," was the best I could offer. I was a sailor scout after all. Once the pen arrived I was expect to help who I could. If that happened to involve saving someone from a vampire, I wouldn't walk by.

A cool hand tipped my chin towards him. For a moment, the way he looked I thought he was going to kiss me, but that thought become evanescent as his indigo eyes engulfed me. For a moment, I simply was. It was sheer ecstasy. Then he broke the contact and my hellhounds nipped at my heels again.

"Very well," his voice held a glacial tenor that penetrated to the bone, "I was the Chiba Mamoru you once knew."

"Was?" I said faintly. Staring at him; how was he so different? He ignored my comment.

"I am now the vampire Darien Shields you do not know. Nor will you. As I've said before, I will not be responsible for you and association will only get you killed. Devin is an annoyance to Rei, so she was delighted at your temerity and decided to adopt you into as a 'fleur'. However…" he trailed off slightly, "complications arose. Devin, does not gracefully handle losing his prey, so he maladroitly and crudely seduced you."

Blinking, I knuckled my eyes fearful they would fall out. He expected me to believe that?

"So tell me again why you did all of that for me when you won't be held responsible?" I murmured, feeling an eyebrow arch.

Blazing, he turned to face me, and it was a struggle to keep the awe off my face. He was transcendent and stunningly elegant.

"You were confused by my former identity. It was not your fault, but from here on out it is. You've been given more of a chance than most humans. Stay out of this. Goodbye Usagi."

He flickered and was gone.

I slammed my fist on the counter top and slowly tipped over to rest my forehead on the bar. What had I done to deserve this? My arch nemesis was a vampire. A vampire, who out of some lingering sense of honor had saved my life, but brusquely downplayed it and left. What was my life turning into?

"Oh Ami-chan, Mina-chan, what am I going to do?" I whispered.

"Lass?" a bartender's brogue was soothing and hesitant, "ye alright?"

"No, not really," I replied. Dully lifting my head to look at him.

He sighed and studied me for a moment.

"Lass, he's only harsh because he's lost so much. It'ain't easy coming inta what he has. Just brush it t'off child and go back ta what yur life was. Take a cab and go home, sleep it t'off. T'is only a nightmare." He tucked a wad of cash in my hand and nudged me out the door. I took the advice without questioning whom and where it came from.