Alicia Blade
Acknowledgments: A hundred thanks to Stormlight, the editor of the year! And a hundred more to everyone who has reviewed. .bows gratefully. Hope you continue to enjoy!
Correction: As a couple reviewers pointed out, Emily should have said "A little faith, Mon Ami," not "Mon Amie." The latter is the feminine version. I didn't mean to insult Motoki's masculinity or the French language, I'm just ignorant. ) Thanks for pointing that out!
Self promotion: My story More than Ice Cream has been nominated for an award for the 2005 romance genre at SMFanfiction dot net. Many thanks to whoever posted the nomination!
...
Urawa Ryo slung his heavy book bag over one shoulder as he walked down the steps of the computer lab. At the bottom, he stopped and looked either way with a frown creasing his forehead, before choosing his direction and turning right. He made his way quickly down the sidewalk, always with an air of suspicion around him.
He felt it. He'd seen it. He knew today was the day, and he was prepared. And yet, there was something different about the visions he'd been having lately. Something he couldn't quite figure out.
His questions were answered, though, when he rounded the corner toward the busy Juuban shopping district and saw a sage-green-haired woman leaning against the wall, staring at him. He froze and stared back a long time, before straightening his posture, trying to level their gazes though she was taller than him, especially with her high heels.
"So it's you," he said calmly.
The woman quirked an eyebrow. "Me?"
"Yes. I've had two opposing visions of this day. One was of a man with long blonde hair and a gray suit; the other was of you. I've never had a conflict of sight before, but now I know which vision was real."
Slowly, Sailorneptune smiled. "That's right," she purred. "You're the psychic one."
"It doesn't matter, though," Ryo continued as if he hadn't heard her. "You both wanted the same thing, and you're not going to get it!"
"You think so?"
"I won't let you turn me into a monster!" he screamed.
"I think your visions might be a little confused…" she began, but was silenced as a bag filled with textbooks came flying toward her face. She yelped and ducked. It slammed into the brick wall above her and by the time she'd regained her composure, Ryo was running in the other direction. She growled and took off after him.
...
Mamoru raised his eyes from his book as Emily slumped into the bench opposite him, her arms folded and her eyes leveled at him in an angry glare.
"Yes?"
"I called Usagi yesterday, not long after you both left the arcade. She sounded like she was crying."
He furrowed his brow, the remark proving rather unsettling, before his face lost the concerned expression and he raised an uncaring eyebrow instead. "And you're telling me this because…?"
"Because I think you made her cry, Mamoru. You were way too harsh."
"Yeah, right. Usagi's never cared about what I said before, why would she start now?"
"I've already told you I think she has a crush on you."
"And I've already told you that that is absolutely absurd."
"Well regardless, she's a young girl who is still trying to find her place in this world. She needs as much confidence as she can get and you're completely destroying any shreds of self-esteem she has. You went too far yesterday."
"Oh, give me a break. Usagi has more friends and loved ones than should be legal. The opinion of one college student that she doesn't even like is not going to permanently damage her psyche in any way."
"You'd be surprised. She's very sensitive, especially when it comes to the opinions of others. She wants everyone to like her—even you."
"You just met her a couple days ago. What makes you think you know anything about her?"
"Because I'm a girl and I know how girls think. Honestly, Mamoru, I think you should at least consider apologizing to her."
He shook his head and returned his gaze to the pages of his book, but Emily could have sworn she saw a crease on his brow and a worried shadow over his eyes that hadn't been there before.
The truth, which Mamoru would never know, was that Emily had not really called Usagi, but she had seen how upset she looked running from the arcade and easily suspected how hurt her feelings had been, no matter how hard she tried to cover it up with anger and agitation. And so she figured that if Mamoru's natural attraction wasn't enough to soften up his actions toward Usagi, then maybe appealing to his conscience would.
She had no idea how successful she was being.
Mamoru had also noticed the look of betrayal and disbelief on Usagi's face when he started insulting her on her lack of intelligence, and the look had been haunting him for nearly twenty-four hours. Though he had tried to write it off as too much caffeine, he had even lost sleep over it. He couldn't understand why. He didn't really know what had set him off yesterday, other than he had found himself liking her—liking sitting next to her, liking the smiles she was giving him—and the feelings had startled him, even frightened him. So his instincts kicked in and he reverted to the comfortable teasing games he was so accustomed to when faced with strange emotions due to a particular blonde girl.
But according to Emily, he had made her cry. The thought made him sick to his stomach.
Normally, he would have shrugged and said, "Big surprise. The girl cries at spilt milk." But he knew that this was not the normal immature wails. She had gone home, alone, and cried. Mamoru didn't realize it, but he'd been staring at his open book, his eyes motionless and his brow creased, for nearly five minutes. He didn't realize, but Emily did. She crossed her fingers and hoped it was a good sign.
The bells on the door jingled and Emily turned to see Usagi, Rei, and Ami walking in. They were carrying on a cheerful conversation, but when Usagi's eyes met Mamoru's, her smile dropped.
Attempting his cocky grin, Mamoru set his book down on the table. "Hello, Odango Atama."
Normally, Usagi would have been spitting back insults as fast as they come, but instead she let her icy gaze linger on him a moment longer, before harrumphing her shoulders and turning promptly away. She strutted toward the farthest booth, Rei and Ami on her heels, before sitting with her back toward Mamoru.
When Emily looked at the black-haired man, she could not mistake the expression of utter shock. He slowly stuttered, "She… she just ignored me."
"You really hurt her, Mamoru," she stated, trying to look upset.
He frowned, his blue eyes stormy with worry. Emily almost smiled, proud to know that she could read him like a book, at least when something was seriously bothering him.
"Would it really kill you to go apologize?"
The look that immediately flashed on his face was of pure, strong male pride: a look that clearly stated he was never wrong and was obligated to apologize to no one. For anything. Ever. But even as he opened his mouth to refute Emily's suggestion, the look faltered. He gulped, looking nervous, a little angry, and very undecided.
"Well go on," she urged, recognizing that the internal battle might call for some extra initiative to swing in her favor.
With a groan, Mamoru slowly lifted himself from the booth. Without looking at Emily, he inhaled a deep breath and made his way toward Usagi and her friends. When he approached their table, the chatter immediately died down.
"Oh, hello, Mamoru-san," Rei greeted. Her words were kind, but with a reserved coolness and he wondered if Usagi had told them anything. He cleared his throat.
"Hello." He looked at Usagi, but she was staring out the window, her chin held high as she pointedly ignored him. "May I have a word with you, Odango Atama?"
"No."
Rei and Ami exchanged glances, before Rei slowly scooted over toward the wall. "Would you care to join us?"
Mamoru didn't miss the mean glare Usagi shot at Rei, and politely declined the offer. "Thank you, but I just came to…. Usagi-chan…"
Her eyes widened at the usage of her given name, but she didn't turn to him. He saw the change in her reflection, though, and nervously clenched his fists. "Usagi-chan, I just wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday."
She turned to him now, her jaw open in surprise. The other two girls looked equally impressed.
"You… you what?"
His lips quirked, but his eyes were full of regret. "I went overboard. I didn't mean all those things that I said, and I hope you can forgive me. I also wish you the best of luck on your history test and if…" He cleared his throat and looked down at the table. The last words came out as mumbling. "If you ever need help studying again, I'd be glad to help out. Even if just to make up for how horribly I treated you yesterday."
Peeling her eyes off of the shy-looking man, Usagi looked at two of her best friends, analyzing their reactions to see if they knew what was going on. They both looked stunned, and Ami shrugged at her, but neither of them seemed suspicious. She turned back to Mamoru.
"Thank you, Mamoru-san," she whispered.
He looked up at her and their eyes met for the first time with a sense of underlying kinship. Usagi's heart stirred and she didn't fully comprehend the connection that was forged, but she smiled.
"I forgive you."
"Fabulous!" Emily said from beside Mamoru. He jumped a little, not having heard her come up behind him. "So since we're all getting along right now, why don't the five of us go over to that new dessert shop on the corner? I hear they make sundaes to rival Motoki-san's!"
"Can we make that six?" Motoki said, approaching them with his apron slung over one arm. "I'm taking an extra long lunch break today and if you're all heading over there, I thought perhaps I could scope out the competition."
"Of course! Come on, let's go!"
The general consensus seemed to approve the idea—or at least no one outright objected to it—so Mamoru retrieved his neglected book and they all headed out of the arcade. Emily was thrilled to see Usagi, perhaps subconsciously, begin walking beside Mamoru down the sidewalk. Motoki joined them and though she couldn't hear what they were saying, it was obvious that the conversation was on friendly terms.
Turning, she saw Rei and Ami beside her, chatting as well. Rei was saying how proud she was that Mamoru had taken the high road and Ami was agreeing that the occasion was momentous. They both hoped that this sudden burst of kindness between the two enemies would last.
A thought suddenly occurred to Emily while looking at Rei and her stomach lurched, wondering why she hadn't thought of it before. Emily thought back to her knowledge of the Sailormoon storyline and remembered how Rei had had a crush on Mamoru prior to the recovery of the princess. They'd gone on a couple semi-dates in the show, even. Emily found herself chewing on her nails, wondering if such had happened in this world as well, though she hadn't heard Rei mention anything that would allude to romantic feelings for Mamoru. That didn't mean that they weren't there, though, and she figured that she should be well aware of anything that may interfere with her matchmaking schemes. She would hate to be caught by surprise later in the game.
Taking a deep breath, she inched closer to Rei and effectively entered her and Ami's conversation.
"Rei-chan, may I ask you a question?"
Not the slightest bit put off by the interruption, Rei grinned at her. "Sure, Emily-chan. What's up?"
"What do you think of Mamoru-san?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he's a handsome guy, right?"
She laughed. "You'd have to be blind not to notice that."
"Yeah, I know. So… have you ever seen him as maybe-more-than-friend material?"
Rei and Ami were both watching her curiously, as if they hadn't heard her for a moment, before Ami turned her attention to the priestess with a pressing smile. "Well, Rei-chan?"
Rei giggled and blushed, staring down at the sidewalk. "Gee, Emily-chan, you sure can be perceptive."
Emily felt a boulder settle in her stomach. Rei liking Mamoru could put a huge kink in her plans.
"When I first met Mamoru I thought he was so dreamy," she continued in hushed tones, occasionally looking up to make sure neither he nor Usagi were listening. Deeming it safe, she went on, "And I made up all these bone-head ideas to try and get him to ask me on a date and when none of them worked, I asked him out instead. So, we went for milkshakes and went rowing on the lake. The one out in the park."
Emily nodded that she was familiar with it.
"And then, about a week later, we went to this doll show. And the entire time Mamoru was very kind and gentlemanly, which makes sense because that's just how he is, you know?" She fell silent.
After waiting an awkward moment for Rei to continue, Emily nudged her gently with an elbow. "So… do you… think anything serious will come of it?" She could feel her throat clogging.
But after a long, frightening silence, Rei giggled and shook her head, almost sadly. "I was just thinking about that and, no, I don't. I mean, I really like him and think he's a great guy and all but when it comes down to it, I know we weren't meant for each other. It's like whenever we're alone he keeps looking around for something, or someone, else. I don't think he realizes that he's doing it, but it feels that way. And I know that he needs someone… I'm not sure, but different than me, somehow. Someone who will make him laugh. He doesn't laugh often enough."
Just then, as if on cue, Mamoru and Motoki both burst into laughter. The girls looked ahead to see Usagi rambling on loudly about Umino's antics, her arms waving in mad gestures. Rei tilted her head to the side, her eyes glazed with recognition.
"Like that," she whispered.
Emily's smile couldn't have been wider. Everything was falling perfectly into place. "Well, don't worry, Rei-chan. I'm sure Mamoru-san will find someone wonderful. And I'm sure you will, too."
"Oh, I'm not worried at all! Mamoru's great and I know he'll find a great girl. And as for me, well, what guy in his right mind wouldn't want to date me?"
Emily laughed, because Rei's tone said that she was perfectly serious. "Ryo-kun!" Ami gasped beside them and they both turned to see her staring at some distant point down the sidewalk. Following her gaze, Rei and Emily saw a boy with short brown hair running toward them as fast as he could. When he saw Ami, his eyes widened and he came to an immediate halt, but his speed propelled him and he stumbled, barely managing to regain his balance without falling to the pavement. By this time, Usagi, Mamoru, and Motoki had noticed him as well and were staring at him in confusion as he gasped for breath, one hand grasping at the material above his chest.
"Mizuno-san," he managed breathlessly, looking over his shoulder, before returning his deep brown eyes to her. "You have to get out of here! You're in danger!"
"Ryo-kun? What's happened? Are you alright?" She took a hesitant step toward him, but he looked behind him again.
Emily followed his gaze, wondering if she had only imagined the flash of sea-green boots disappearing down an alleyway. She figured probably not, knowing that Ryo was a Rainbow Crystal carrier. His psychic powers must have predicted Michiru's plan, just as they had Zoicite's in the original flow of time.
"Get away from here, Mizuno-san. I couldn't stand to have anything happen to you!"
"Ryo-kun!" But he had already turned and sprinted down another street. The six friends stood staring at each other, before their eyes slowly leveled on a confused Ami. She was watching the spot Ryo had left, pursing her lips in a nervous mental debate, before she seemed to reach a resolution. Straightening her back, she took off running after him. The others were close behind her.
As they ran, Emily found Motoki and herself slipping behind the rest, not used to running toward battles as the scouts and Tuxedo Kamen were. But an anguished scream forced her to pick up the pace. She thought she heard Michiru yelling, "If you would hold still, I wouldn't have to do this!"
It was followed by a cry of pain from Ryo.
"Ryo-kun!" Ami yelled as she rounded a corner, then gasped and froze. Usagi, Rei, and Mamoru, directly behind her, simultaneously halted as well, Mamoru subconsciously reaching out an arm to keep Usagi from stumbling forward.
Emily skidded to a stop and turned to see Ryo lying in the middle of a near-empty parking lot, writhing in agony on the pavement. His fingers clawed at the concrete as his body slowly began to stretch, shake, and morph. His skin took on a heavy metallic sheen, his cheekbones twisted into a glaring iron helmet, and his arms expanded, rotated, and grew: one into a giant pair of scissors, the other into a shiny pointed writing compass. With a roar, the beast that was Ryo struggled to his feet and looked eagerly around the lot through gleaming red eyes.
None of the outer scouts were anywhere to be seen.
"That's not good," Usagi muttered, her eyes glued to the monster.
Clasping fearful hands over her mouth, Emily found herself backing up to a wall. Her eyes darted away from the monster to see Mamoru standing protectively between it and Usagi; Ami still stared in shock; and Motoki was also backing shakily away. Rei was gone.
The monster turned its attention to the group and released a low growl that rumbled the ground. Raising the compass-arm, the weapon began spinning at his wrist.
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
Just as the youma was about to release the projectile, a spiral of flame came shooting from a rooftop and collided with his chest. The monster yelled and turned toward the attacker, instead releasing his weapon at Sailormars, who dodged it and jumped down to the pavement below.
Instantly, another compass formed from the liquid metal at the end of the youma's arm. Its red eyes remained glued to the senshi as she tried to direct its attention away from her friends.
"Alright, you overgrown Robo-Dog!" she yelled as sparks began forming at her fingertips again. "Ryo was sweet and gentle and I will not allow you to desecrate his soul and body this way! Mars Fire Ignite!"
The monster's bulk made it impossible to dodge the incoming fire and he howled in pain as the attack collided. A second later, another voice was heard, chanting, "Mercury Bubbles Spray!"
Emily turned to see that Ami had found time to transform due to Mars's distraction and now stood in the midst of her own fog, her eyes blazing with worry and anger.
Usagi, however, stood looking desperately for a way to escape the attention of her friends, but found it impossible as Mamoru had her backed up to a brick wall, using his own body as a shield in front of her. His fists were clenched angrily and Emily could see him desperately searching for a place to keep Usagi safe, but could find none.
Nervously raising a hand to her lips, Emily found herself chewing on a knuckle, wishing there were something she could do help, and really, really wishing that one of the Outer Scouts would show up and protect her. A second later, Motoki moved in front of her and she sighed, figuring he was better than nothing, but knowing Motoki wouldn't really be able to keep her safe. She cursed beneath her breath. Where is Sailorneptune?
As if in answer to her thoughts, a white-gloved hand suddenly grasped her sleeve and she spun around to see Michiru holding a finger to her lips. Emily scanned the area, seeing that everyone was occupied watching the two scouts battle the monster, and slipped back into the alley that Sailorneptune was hiding in. Even Motoki missed her disappearance.
"What is going on?" she hissed and Neptune desperately tried to shush her with her hands.
"The boy is psychic! He knew I was coming, but he's confused. He thinks I'm out to turn him into a minion for the Negaverse, like Zoicite would have. He wouldn't willingly give up the crystal!"
"So how did THIS happen?"
Pulling on the ends of her hair, Michiru glanced over Emily's shoulder to watch as Mercury released a shard of ice toward the scissors-hand of the monster, who slashed out at her in retaliation, but missed.
"When I went to separate the crystal, and the monster, from Ryo, his will fought it so bad that I only released the monster. It's taken control of his body, and the crystal is still trapped inside."
"Great. So now what?"
"I'm working on that. As Sailormoon doesn't have her healing powers activated yet, I'll have to find a way to get the monster back into the crystal, and get it out of Ryo at the same time."
An anguished cry from Sailormars forced Emily to spin around to see the red scout crouched against a wall with a hand clasped over her upper arm, which was bleeding profusely. "Well I suggest you come up with something quick!" she spat, but when she turned to look at the senshi of the sea, the alley was empty. Grumbling with worry, she inched closer to the wall, desperately trying to stay out of the monster's line of sight.
As Sailormercury ran to help the fallen scout, the youma turned its attention back to the civilians. Without giving them time to think, he lunged his weapon toward them.
The blade hurtling toward him, Mamoru shoved Usagi to the side. She screamed and landed on her knees just as Mamoru cried out in pain. When she looked up, he was pinned to the wall, the compass jutting out from the brick. Sweat was beading on his forehead as he glowered up at the monster. Reaching up a hand, he yanked the weapon out and tossed it to the floor, slumping slightly before regaining his strength and forcing himself to full height. He peered at Usagi from the corner of his eye. She remained on the ground, gaping up at him in fright.
"Run!" he yelled. "Get out of here!"
"Mamoru-san," she whispered, her eyes wide and unblinking. With sudden conviction, she lurched to her feet and ran to him. "Don't die!" she cried hysterically upon seeing his jacket sleeve turning maroon with blood.
He shoved her away, sending her stumbling back a few feet, but she quickly regained her balance. "I'm not dying! Just get out of here! Hurry!"
A metallic clang announced that the monster had refueled his ammunition and was preparing to fire at them again, this time aiming distinctly for the blonde-haired girl.
Growling, Mamoru reached out his arm and yanked her behind him, bracing his body for impact. She screamed and desperately tried to pull him away, urging him to protect himself, but to no avail. Crying, Usagi covered her face with both hands as the youma released a series of daggers toward them.
"Jupiter Lightning Crash!"
A blaze of electricity streaked from the sky and collided with the weapons. Upon contact, they fell harmlessly to the pavement and vanished in puffs of green smoke. All eyes turned to the newcomer, a tall girl with long brown hair and a green sailor fuku. She stood atop a building, the air crackling around her, energized with static electricity as she glared at the youma.
"Hey, C3PO, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she yelled and jumped gracefully down to the parking lot.
Removing her hands from her face, Usagi watched the girl with a stunned expression. "She's not a Sailor Senshi," she mumbled.
"In the name of Jupiter, I will punish you!"
"Or maybe she is."
The monster growled and prepared another missile, but Sailorjupiter was already calling down her next attack. A second later, lightning lashed out from her tiara, stunning the monster, his metal armor conducting the electricity through every limb. It howled in pain and fell to one knee.
"Ryo-kun!" Sailormercury screamed, deserting Sailormars and running toward it. "Please, don't kill him! There's still good in him; I can feel it!" She had her computer visor out, having analyzed the youma's brain functions, but put it away when the monster's red eyes leveled with hers. Tears on her cheeks, Ami fell to her knees before him. "Ryo-kun, it's me! You know me. Please, fight this evil. Don't let it destroy you!" she pleaded.
The youma hissed furiously at first, but then fear clouded its eyes and it reached up its arms and clutched them over his head, bowing away from the girl and growling in anger and confusion.
"You're stronger than this, Ryo-kun. You can fight this. You don't have to be evil! You don't have to be a monster! Let me help you!"
It roared and fell backward, the surface of its skin rolling and lurching in metallic waves. "A…mi…!" it gurgled, its arms flinging madly about, the compass stabbing into its own flesh amid the turbulence. It screamed in pain and Ami gasped, reaching her hands toward him.
"Ryo-kun!"
A yellow, oily film began to seep out of the gash, oozing down over his plated limbs and dripping into a fluorescent puddle, and still the monster's skin trembled and morphed. Slowly, his body began to shrink as the puddle grew larger.
"Mi…zuno… san!" Ryo's voice could be heard gurgling up from deep inside the monster's throat. Slowly, the metal reverted to skin, the compass and scissors began to resemble hands and fingers, and the large red eyes dimmed to a deep brown. All the while, the wound continued to leak onto the pavement and soon the puddle started to solidify.
Glowing clouds of steam could be seen floating into the air above it, live energy combining into the puddle that now began to take on the form of a palm-sized stone.
As Ryo, once again small and human, collapsed limply to the floor, his leg still bleeding, the yellow stone clattered along the ground, as if containing a life all its own, before finally rolling to a shuddering stop.
The group watched in silence as Ryo lay panting on the ground. Sailormercury was the first to move. Screaming his name, she ran to him and fell to her knees at his side, supporting his head in her hands.
Hazy brown eyes rose up to hers and Ryo managed a small smile. "Thank you, Mizuno-san," he whispered, shakily grabbing onto her fingers, "for saving me."
Grinning, she nodded, before pulling him into a hug.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Sailormars pulled herself to her feet and looked over at Sailorjupiter, who was watching Ami and Ryo with a silly grin on her face.
"Now they are a cute couple," the new scout said whimsically.
Rei rolled her eyes and approached the new scout. "Not that I'm complaining, but who are you and where did you come from?"
Sailorjupiter shrugged nonchalantly. "Sailorjupiter, for now. And I was just walking home from the store when this creepy cat popped out of nowhere and started talking. At first I thought it was a dream, but then it gave me this pen, and… Well, heck, I guess I still kind of think it might be a dream." She laughed carelessly, but Mars grinned and held out her hand.
"Sometimes I wish it was. Sailormars. Welcome to the team."
Jupiter shook the offered hand vivaciously. "Thanks, girl! It's great to meet you! But where's Sailormoon? I can't believe she didn't show up!"
Mars coughed uncomfortably and raised an eyebrow in Usagi's direction. "She was… indisposed."
Seeing that the danger was over, Mamoru let out a low growl of pain and collapsed to his knees in front of Usagi, clutching a hand over his shoulder. "Mamoru, are you okay?" Usagi cried, scurrying next to him. She gingerly touched his shoulder, her eyes fierce with concern.
He smiled at her through his lashes, still breathing heavily. "Yes, Odango. I think I'm fine."
Returning the smile, her eyes quickly filling with tears, Usagi launched herself into his arms, wrapping slender arms around his neck.
He hissed, his body flinching away, even as his arms tried to catch and hold her. "Ow! Odango..."
She pulled immediately away, enough to see the pain etched on his face, and yelped. "Oh, you liar! You are hurt!"
"I'll survive. Just... please, don't do that again."
She sighed, sitting cross-legged in front of him. "Take off your shirt," she commanded gently, beginning to rip a shred of material from the hem of her blue school skirt.
Mamoru blanched. "Excuse me?"
"Take off your shirt."
"Usagi, I really don't..."
"Would you stop trying to be strong and good and just do it?"
At her exasperated look, Mamoru felt he had no choice but to silently comply. His brown polo was steadily lifted up, Usagi helping when the pain in his shoulder wouldn't allow him to pull it completely off. Then she gasped, her eyes falling on a deep gash below his right collarbone. He looked down on it, cringing, before smiling at the girl.
"It's not as bad as it looks?"
She rolled her eyes. "It impaled you, you baka," she scolded, though her face held none of the anger or hatred that usually accompanied the term. Instead, it almost sounded to Mamoru like a term of endearment. "I'll be right back," she said and stood.
"Wait! Where are you..." But she was already gone, picking her way through the rubble and aftermath of the battle. However, she returned within just a few moments, her hands filled with her skirt's scrap, rags, and a bowl of water.
"Where did you get all that?" he asked in surprise.
"There's a restaurant right around the corner. Now hold still," she said, dunking a rag into the water. "This will hurt." But as she began to clean the wound, her hands sure and steady and practiced, Mamoru didn't even flinch. She smiled shyly. "Or maybe not."
He grinned down at her, watching her slender fingers washing the blood from his chest, her pale hands wringing out the bloodied water. "I'm no stranger to scrapes and bruises," he said, his voice low and husky.
The tone made her blue eyes turn up and focus on his gaze, her fingers trembling for the first time as she saw his ebony bangs falling messily over his brow and his gently smiling lips lingering close: close enough that she could almost feel his breath, close enough that she could almost...
"Where did you learn to do this?" those lips asked suddenly, startling her from the forbidden fantasy.
She shook her head to rid herself of her previous thoughts, returning to her dainty task. "I'm no stranger to scrapes and bruises myself."
He grinned as she began to wrap her skirt linen around his shoulder, forming an effective makeshift bandage. "I'm sure. A klutz like you, I'm surprised I've never seen you in a cast before."
Her hands tensed. Glaring eyes met with his as she finished the wrap and he instantly felt himself falter.
"I'm sorry. I'm only teasing, Usagi-chan." She looked down, her face softening the slightest bit, and he unconsciously reached up and took her hands into his palms. "What I meant was... you're really good at this. You'll make a great mother someday."
Her eyes flew up to meet his, wide and surprised, her lips agape. "Th... Thank you," she whispered, a smile seeping through every inch of her face, of her body.
Mamoru's breath caught. He had seen this look on her dozens of times, but it had never been directed at him. The effect it had on his heart and his knees made him thankful that he wasn't standing.
Clearing his throat, he dropped her hands and looked away. "You're welcome. And... thank you."
"Mamoru-san, do you work out?" she asked innocently, and he turned to see her eyes shamelessly wandering over his chest and stomach. Immediately, a deep redness covered his face and he began to stutter his incoherent thoughts. Her abrupt giggling made him stop.
"Did I make the great Mamoru-baka blush?" she asked enthusiastically, her eyelashes fluttering teasingly before his face.
Though he so badly wanted to deny it, the heat in his face and stammering tongue made it impossible.
Her giggling calmed to a flirtatious smile as she grabbed his polo. "Here, I'll help you back into your shirt. But," her enticing eyes smiled at him, her lips puckering the slightest bit, "I'll miss the view."
Emily sighed dreamily, watching the scene from across the parking lot. The signs were so obvious. The emotions were so there. Her plan was so working. She grinned proudly.
Suddenly, a shimmering yellow stone caught her eye and she bent to pick a fascinatingly beautiful crystal up off the pavement.
"I'll be taking that," a voice whispered from behind her and she turned to see Sailorneptune hovering in the shadows of the same alleyway, her hand outstretched.
"All yours," Emily replied, dropping the crystal in her palm, before turning back to the mesmerizing couple. "Are you seeing this?"
"They're adorable, aren't they? I must say, you're pretty good at this."
"Yeah, well, I didn't plan this one. Maybe fate is on our side, after all. Say, don't you think you being here is a little risky? What if one of the Inners—or worse, Luna—sees you?"
"You worry about the lovebirds, and we'll worry about the scouts. And the crystals."
"Yes, Ma'am. But speaking of scouts, did you know that Jupiter was going to . . ." She turned around to be met with an empty alley. ". . . show up today?" Sighing, she turned and began picking her way across the devastation of the parking lot.
A friendly voice calling her name forced Emily to turn and see Motoki jogging toward her. She briefly wondered where he had disappeared to during the chaos.
"Emily! I've been looking for you! Are you alright?"
She grinned at the concern on his features. "I'm fine, just a little shaken. You?"
"Fine, fine. And, well... Mamoru and Usagi..." He gestured toward them and Emily saw Mamoru helping Usagi to her feet, both of them smiling shyly.
"Better than fine," she finished for him, her eyes twinkling.
"Yeah. Look, Emily, I have to admit, when you first told me about this harebrained matchmaking scheme, I thought you were crazy. But I'm beginning to think maybe you were on to something."
She smiled knowingly. "I'm telling you, the feelings are there. I just need to make them realize it. And admit to it."
"Well, if you still want my help," Motoki said, shrugging, "you've got it. And..." He inhaled a deep breath, his eyes looking fearfully at the sky. "Lightning will probably strike me down for saying this, but... I have an idea."