Sailormoon shielded her eyes with her hands, opening them just enough to see. She was careful not to look directly at the Widow and instead keep her in the corner of her peripheral vision. As she watched in this fashion, she saw the light spill outwards, unable to be contained upon the small shape of the Widow's lips. It travelled back down along her body, coating every inch of her skin a deep red, the colour of blood.
Down and further down until it reached her feet and then it began to spread outwards from her, a rapidly swelling puddle of crimson light that Sailormoon absently compared to the tea she had spilled on the carpet earlier that evening, before this nightmare had begun.
From the centre of the spreading light came a pained scream, a sharp cry of fright and confusion. Sailormoon could just barely make out the shape of the Widow's body, shaking and convulsing as if in the throes of a seizure.
"What have you done to me!" she screeched. She sank to her knees and then slumped forwards, managing to place her hands on the ground to stop her from landing on her face. The light was still spreading outwards, staining the grass and the stone wall and the very air itself.
It was only a few feet away from Sailormoon now, and she took a step backwards before it could touch her. As she did, the Widow let out another scream, rage and exertion now blended with the pain. With great difficulty she stood up, her legs shaking beneath her as if she were under a great pressure, as if a force of gravity were trying to flatten her against the ground.
She raised her head and threw her arms outwards, splaying her feet for stability, and the light quickly began to travel back the way it had come, the red puddle around her shrinking until it reached her body, and then travelling back up her legs and over her chest until it reached her lips. The light burned upon them like a comet's tail, seething and bulging as if desperate to escape its confines once more.
Sailormoon watched, unable to look away, as the Widow slowly raised a shaking hand to her lips. She pressed her fingers against her mouth and cried out in pain as the light bled onto them. She raised her hand above her head, the light upon it swelling and contracting, as if it were a living, breathing being.
"Sailor… moon…" she hissed through gasping breaths. "Kiss your life goodbye…"
She threw her arm forward and hurled the devastating kiss. Sailormoon began to back away, watching with mounting horror as it approached her, but her feet were as heavy as lead weights, unwilling and almost unable to move. The flaming lips grew larger, burning like an inferno, until it overcame her vision and the world was engulfed in a deep, angry red. She could feel the kiss that would end her life growing closer, chillingly cold despite its burning surface.
I'm sorry, Widow, thought Sailormoon sadly as she waited for the inevitable. I'm sorry I couldn't help you.
She let out a gasp as she felt something enfold her. Not the terrible oblivion of the Widow's kiss, but something else, something solid. Something warm. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, clearing away the bright red spots that danced before them.
"Sailormoon," said the face that came into focus before hers. "Are you okay?"
Sailormoon regarded the handsome face with a smile. His white mask could not conceal the concern in his sapphire-blue eyes. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama…" she whispered, relief washing over her, her voice a choked whimper. "Thank goodness…"
She turned her head to look for the Widow, and saw nothing but the night sky in every direction. She looked down, and saw the ground far below. In any other circumstance she would have cried out with surprise and fear, but wrapped in the arms of her husband she felt safe and secure, like nothing could hurt her. Like she was invincible.
She turned her head back towards him, and the shout of fearful surprise she thought she had avoided came tearing out of her. The red light, the Widow's kiss, was somehow behind them, cutting a swathe through the darkness towards them like a vengeful phoenix.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she wailed. "Behind you!"
He turned his head just in time to see the kiss, and quickly swung around in mid-air, throwing up his cape like a shield. Sailormoon squealed with fright as the thin material above her head began to sizzle and burn. Red light seeped through the holes that it created.
Then, to her relief, the light passed them by. It flew narrowly above them, knocking Tuxedo Kamen-sama's hat from his head and flinging it into the darkness. His cape was tattered but he was thankfully unharmed.
They began to fall, slowly at first and then increasingly faster. The night breeze lifted her flailing ponytails, suspending them in the air above her head. She looked down again, and the ground was rushing towards her as if she were looking at it through a zooming telescope. The sight took her breath away and she was overcome by a nauseous sensation of vertigo. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms more tightly around her husband's body.
"It's okay," he said, his voice only just audible over the roar of the wind around them. "I've got you."
A few seconds later, the rush of the breeze abruptly stopped. She opened her eyes to find herself on the ground, still held tightly in his arms. He had landed in a crouch. He stood and placed her gently on her feet. The ground felt reassuringly solid beneath them.
She looked around for the Red Widow, and saw her a short distance away. She was facing them but wasn't looking at them. Rather, she was looking up at the sky above their heads. Her shaking arms were outstretched and she was slowly drawing them backwards, as if beckoning something toward her.
Sailormoon's eyes widened and she flung herself at Tuxedo Kamen-sama, tackling him to the ground. Only a second later the red light of the Widow's kiss rocketed over their heads, before arcing back upwards and ascending once more.
She quickly stood, taking hold of Tuxedo Kamen-sama's hand and pulling the astonished man to his feet beside her. "It's the Widow!" she explained. "She's controlling the kiss, guiding it towards us!"
Sure enough, as they turned to look at the Widow, she had turned away from them and was slowly steering the kiss around in a semicircle, to bring it back the way it had come. "I don't think so!" said Tuxedo Kamen-sama, and before Sailormoon could stop him, he had taken off sprinting towards the girl.
As he approached, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a black, polished stick, like a cane. He held it out in front of him and pressed a button on the side with his thumb, and the stick immediately lengthened, telescoping out before him like a vaulting pole. The hard, rounded end slammed into the small of the Widow's naked back and she let out a gasping scream and collapsed to the ground. As quickly as it had extended, the stick retracted until it was small enough to fit back inside his tuxedo jacket.
Sailormoon watched as he put it away and approached the fallen body of the Widow. She lay face-down on the floor, her body jerking spasmodically. He turned back to look at her. She met his gaze and smiled, but her relief turned to horror once again as she realised the light was still descending upon him, racing towards his turned back.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she screamed, desperation etched into her voice. "It's still coming!"
She could see his eyes widen behind his mask and he threw himself down to the ground, just in time to avoid being hit by the light. It touched down barely a meter in front of his face and travelled along the ground for a few moments, leaving the grass charred and black in its wake, before slowly elevating once more.
It was gathering speed and increasing in size with every moment. It now resembled some kind of demonic lost soul, a mindless evil spirit that had been twisted into the ironic form of a pair of lips.
It was heading right towards her.
She turned and ran but it was too fast, and she could feel it inexorably growing nearer, the air all around her glowing red as it closed the distance between them. She swerved to the right, hoping to lose it, but it turned with her and continued its pursuit without losing an inch of ground. It was drawing closer still, and Sailormoon's legs were quickly beginning to tire.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she shouted fearfully, doubting he could even hear her but longing for his help regardless. She let out a yelp of pain as her ankle gave way beneath her. She tripped and sprawled forwards to the ground, scraping her bare knees against the cold grass. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, waiting for the light to reach her and for that awful coldness to swallow her whole, but it didn't. Nothing happened.
Slowly, she raised her head and looked over her shoulder. The kiss was hovering in the air only a few feet away, motionless. Why had it stopped? Confusion and relief fought for control of her emotions, with relief quickly emerging the victor. She stood and turned around, cupping her eyes to keep out the worst of the harsh red light.
The kiss floated in the air for a few moments more, and then it suddenly began to shrink. It's shape became vague, the edges hazy and undefined. In only a few seconds it had shrunk until it was only a single point of brilliant red light, and then that too faded away to nothingness. A rose fluttered to the ground in the space it had occupied, its petals blackened and dead. One of Tuxedo Kamen-sama's roses, Sailormoon knew.
She ran over to where he stood and hugged him tightly, pushing her head into his chest and inhaling all that she could of his masculine scent. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama…" she sighed, raising her head to look at him. "Thank-you for saving me again." He was smiling down at her, as relieved as she was. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips, quick and warm and sweet as sugar.
"You… bastards…" came a rasping voice from the ground, and they both turned to look down at the Red Widow. She was curled into an uncomfortable position on the grass, staring up at them with hatred in her eyes. Her entire body shook uncontrollably. Her eyes were glassy and dull.
She looked up at Sailormoon and tried to laugh, but in her weakened, distressed state it sounded more like a strangled, painful gurgle. "He'll… leave you…" she croaked. "No matter what you do… he'll leave… you…"
"No," replied Sailormoon firmly. "You're wrong."
"He will… leave you…" the Widow repeated. "I'll… spare you… the pain…"
Almost before she had finished speaking, the Widow twisted around, revealing the burning kiss on the fingers of her right hand. She hurled it, and Sailormoon watched, too surprised to move or even react, as the small pair of glowing lips shot towards her. Move! her mind commanded, but her body didn't listen. She just stood, defenceless and numb, as it crossed the short distance between the Widow's body and her own.
A low scream of pain echoed out into the night as the kiss slammed into a waiting chest and burned through the clothing that covered it. The soft flesh beneath sizzled as the cold heat tore into it, but it lasted only a moment before the light died out and the kiss evaporated into thin air.
Sailormoon watched, beginning to cry almost before her eyes had even registered the scene, as Tuxedo Kamen-sama slumped to the ground, clutching his wounded chest and groaning with agony.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she screamed, horrified, falling to her knees beside him and rolling him over onto his back. "Mamochan!" She anxiously examined his chest, where his shirt had been partially eaten away and a red, mouth-shaped wound was burned into the flesh, still smoking slightly.
She reached up to his face and gently removed his mask. Behind it, his eyes were closed. "M-Mamochan?" she asked in a small, timid voice. Time slowed to a crawl as she waited for him to respond, to say something, to move, to give her some sign that he wasn't…
"MAMOCHAN!" she screamed, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him roughly. She was vaguely aware of the Widow behind her, moving or talking or perhaps both, but she paid no attention. Tears streamed from her eyes, falling with heavy splashes onto his jacket.
"Usako…"
His eyes fluttered open and locked with hers, and Sailormoon burst into tears. "Mamochan…" she moaned. She wrapped both arms around him and held him against her chest protectively. "Mamochan, Mamochan, Mamochan…"
She continued to repeat his name, gradually getting quieter, her voice becoming softer, until she was merely whispering, and then she fell silent. He raised a hand and stroked the hair from her tear-stricken eyes, and smiled. Sailormoon managed to smile back weakly, her eyes swimming with tears. "I thought you… I thought…" she whimpered.
"Don't be silly," he said softly. "I'm not going anywhere."
"I don't understand," came a dull, quiet voice from behind them, and Sailormoon was quickly jolted back to reality. She span around, not releasing her grip on her husband, to look directly into the eyes of the Red Widow, who sat a few feet away.
"I don't understand," she said again, shaking her head slowly. "Why did he stand in the way of my kiss? How did he know it wouldn't be strong enough to kill him?"
"I didn't," replied Mamochan, his voice still tinged with pain. "I just had no other choice. If I hadn't stopped it, it would have hit Usako."
Sailormoon was hit by another wave of fierce, overpowering love and she held him even tighter, pushing his head into the soft swell of her breast.
"You would… give your life for her?" the Widow asked, her voice indicating that the concept was entirely alien to her. Mamochan nodded. "Yes, I would," he replied simply. "I made a vow to protect and care for her, no matter what happens, and I shall never break that vow."
The Widow looked from Sailormoon to Mamochan and back again, and for a moment, Sailormoon saw the cold, hard sheen in her eyes thaw, as it had done back in the cabin.
"Don't you see?" she asked gently. "There are people who would do anything for the one they love. People who would endure anything to ensure their safety. Not all men want to hurt us, to take advantage of us." She placed a hand on the back of Mamochan's head and stroked his dark hair softly. "Real love does exist," she said. "I know, because I've found it."
She looked back at the Widow, and again the ice in her gaze melted, this time for a little longer. "There must be a way," Sailormoon continued, "that we can help you."
"But why?" asked the Widow, mystified now, her eyes beginning to mist. "Why would you help me now, after everything I've done to you? Why don't you hate me?"
"I don't hate anyone," replied Sailormoon honestly. "I just want everyone to be happy. I don't like to see people in pain."
"I…" murmured the Widow, and the ice melted once again. She looked at Sailormoon, green eyes full of sorrow. "I want you to… to help me…" she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "But I… I can't stop… I don't…" She trailed off and began to sob miserably.
"Sailormoon," came a voice from Sailormoon's chest, and she looked down at Mamochan. "I have another rose for you." He reached into his jacket, and Sailormoon's eyes opened wide with wonder as he pulled out a glittering flower made of glass.
"The Crystal Moon Rose…" she breathed. "How… how did…"
He smiled and shook his head. "That doesn't matter," he said. He nodded over at the Red Widow, who had collapsed to her hands and knees and was weeping hoarsely. "What matters is that we help her."
Whether by coincidence, or whether it somehow knew, the moon chose that moment to break through the thick layer of cloud that had concealed it all evening. The clouds floated away, swirling and breaking apart like bubbles in a bathtub, and familiar, silver-white light flowed down to illuminate the figures on the grass below.
Bathed in its light, Sailormoon reached down and wrapped her hand around the stem of the Crystal Moon Rose, and as she did, a great light burst from it, silver-white like the moon above. She stared in amazement as the stem, with its delicately carved crescent-moons, began to lengthen. It extended impossibly until it was almost twice its original length. It was long enough now for the two of them to hold onto it.
Mamochan's hand joined hers on the stem, and as he touched it, the light that flowed from within the crystal flower doubled, a rich gold mingling with the silver. She watched with delight as the mouth-shaped wound on his chest healed immediately, fading away to nothingness and leaving his skin smooth and unbroken. The light flowed through her body too, and at that moment, Sailormoon felt closer to him than she had ever felt before.
Of course, she thought as the warm power caressed every part of her. I understand now.
She recalled the letter from Neo Queen Serenity, the one that had been sent with the Crystal Moon Rose when it had arrived earlier in the day. "Please treasure it as we have done," it had said, "and may it give you the strength to stand together no matter what may befall you."
That's why I couldn't defeat the Widow by myself, thought Sailormoon. This gift is for the two of us.
She stood, and Mamochan stood beside her, and they turned to face the blubbering wreck that was the Red Widow, crouched on the grass in front of them. "It'll be okay now," Sailormoon told her kindly. The Widow looked up at them, unable to speak, but the look in her eyes was unmistakable. More than the pain, more than the sorrow, what Sailormoon saw there was hope.
"We're going to help you," she said. "Both of us."
"Together," said Mamochan from beside her.
And together, they raised the Crystal Moon Rose and aimed its radiant head towards the Widow. New words came into Sailormoon's mind and she spoke them aloud at the same time as Mamochan, their two voices blending together into one solitary call of restoration.
"Rose… Moon… Plural… Efflorescence!" they chorused, and as they spoke, an incredible light flowed from the open head of the Crystal Moon Rose, brighter and more wonderful than any that Sailormoon had ever seen. Gold and silver, both and yet neither, spiralling outwards until it enveloped the Widow's body.
For a single moment, the icy hardness returned to the Widow's eyes, the hateful rage inside of the girls' body struggling to survive, before it melted away entirely. The light grew brighter still and her body was lost to it for a moment. A joyous cry came from within – "Divine!" – the Widow's voice almost breaking with ecstasy. And then, the light faded away, leaving nothing but an afterglow like the final, lingering moments of a sunset.
As it too dispersed, leaving only the moonlit, breezy air, the Crystal Moon Rose in their hands began to ripple and fade, quickly losing its solidity until it disappeared from sight altogether. Sailormoon uncurled her fist, which had gripped its stem, and looked up at the moon, a glowing beacon in the dark sky above. She smiled at it like she would an old friend, and silently sent her thanks. She looked back at Mamochan, who smiled warmly and slipped his hand into hers.
Hand-in-hand, they walked over to where the girl who was no longer the Red Widow lay. Sailormoon recalled her referring to the name "Mibo Akai", before she had revealed herself as the Red Widow.
"Akai-san?" she said gently, crouching down beside her. She lightly gripped the girls' shoulder and turned her over onto her back. She was unconscious, eyes closed, but a smile was on her face. A pink, rosy hue warmed her cheeks.
"Akai-san?" asked Sailormoon again.
The girl opened her eyes, and they were a beautiful and soulful green, their surfaces wet with tears. "What happened?" she asked groggily, regarding the faces of Sailormoon and Mamochan with confusion. Sailormoon took the girls hand and squeezed it softly.
"You just lost your way a little," she replied with a smile. "That's all."
With a deep, exhausted sigh, Usagi pulled herself up onto the bed and placed her head on the soft, thick pillow. She closed her eyes and let the comfort wash over her. It seemed like entire days had passed since she'd first lay on the bed's luxuriant surface, even though she knew it had only been a few hours. She smiled as she heard Mamochan in the bathroom next door, humming some tune to himself. He was just getting out of the bath.
She replayed the events of the evening over in her mind as she waited for him to join her. It hadn't been a fun experience, but it had been far removed from the worst battle she'd ever been through, and she was glad that everybody had survived unscathed, and in the case of the Widow – or rather, Mibo Akai-san – had been given new hope for the future and a chance to be happy.
She dearly hoped that Akai-san found her true love, whoever and wherever he was. After everything she'd been through, she deserved to be happy. It would take time for her to recover, to come to terms with the terrible things she had done, but Usagi would be there for her whenever she needed help, and she knew that all of her friends would gladly lend their support too.
She looked over at the Crystal Moon Rose. It sat on the bedside table, just as it had done before, returned to its original size and shape. It still glowed warmly. Not only had they saved Akai-san, but she had also felt her love for Mamochan reach a new level of intensity. She wondered if there would ever be a point where she would not be able to love him just that little bit more. The sound of his humming, pleasant and uplifting, grew closer to the door and she grinned to herself. I doubt it.
Her thoughts went to the Iwamoto couple. While Usagi had been battling the Red Widow, Tuxedo Kamen-sama had taken Kazuo-san back to his cabin. Tomoko-san had arrived not long afterwards, intensely relieved to find her husband safe and well. She had asked Tuxedo Kamen-sama what had happened, but before he could compose a suitable response, Kazuo-san had told her the truth.
He had told her that he had been tempted by another woman, and had even kissed her. He explained that he hadn't wanted to, and that he had fought against it with all of his strength, but her allure had been too strong. He told his stunned, hurt wife that he would pack his bags and leave that very moment if she never wanted to see him again, and that he would fully understand if that was what she wanted. However, he hoped she would find it in her big, loving heart to forgive him, and he would try his hardest, every day of his life, to somehow make it up to her.
With tears in her eyes, Tomoko-san had looked at Tuxedo Kamen-sama and managed to ask, in a tiny voice, "Is this true?" Tuxedo Kamen-sama had nodded, and explained that the woman had indeed seduced him against his will, using not just her physical charms, but an evil power too. Tomoko-san had shook her head, not sure what to believe or what to think, but before she could say anything, Tuxedo Kamen-sama had suddenly left, sensing that Usagi was in danger.
They had discovered later, as they had checked in on the Iwamoto couple following the climax of the battle, that they had watched the remainder of the fight from afar. The incredible display of magical energy displayed throughout had convinced Tomoko-san that her husband was telling the truth about his experience with the Widow, and that he had not willingly betrayed her.
She was still hurt, and it would be some time before she fully forgave him, but Usagi had been pleased to hear that they were going to stay together, or at least try their very hardest. Whether they would succeed or fail was anybody's guess, but Usagi had a feeling that they'd survive. She'd seen the same effortless, wordless bond between the two of them that she shared with Mamochan, and she knew first-hand that it wasn't an easy bond to break.
The door to the bathroom opened and Mamochan stepped in, wearing a dark blue bathrobe. He was drying his shiny wet hair with a towel. He smiled warmly at her and sat down on the right side – his side – of the bed.
"Nice bath?" asked Usagi. She got to her knees and wrapped her arms around his back, and rested her chin on his shoulder. He nodded, continuing to dry his hair. The towel tickled her ear and she let out a giggle, before snatching it away from him and tossing it across the room. It landed in a heap in the corner.
"I like your hair wet," she said, lifting her head and running her hands through its dark curls. She slowly advanced from massaging his scalp to cupping his face with her hands, her thumbs tracing slow circles about his cheeks. He leaned towards her and she met him halfway and they kissed, long and slow and deep. Usagi sank back down to the mattress and he came with her, ending up on top of her with his arms around her waist.
"Mamochan…" she mumbled breathily, in between kisses. "Usako…" came his whispered reply, hot breath tickling her tongue. She kissed him again, feeling passion beginning to overwhelm her. She was unable – and unwilling – to resist. She pulled open his robe and planted hot, sweet kisses on his chest, on the spot where the Widow's kiss had burned him during the battle. His hands found the ties on her own robe and swiftly undid them, and pulled the soft fabric apart.
Usagi smiled with satisfaction as she heard the breath catch slightly in his throat as he saw what she wore beneath. It was the little silk negligee that she had received as a wedding gift. Thank you so much, Minako-chan, she thought deliriously.
"I'll get the light," Mamochan whispered, and he unwillingly separated himself from her, quickly crossing to the door and flicking off the lightswitch.
He returned to the bed, and beneath the soft, red-and-gold glow of the Crystal Moon Rose, they made love.