The Secret behind the Roses
Written by: Jill Annette

Part Three: Rose #8

Unlike the other times the senshi got injured, this wound took its time to heal. When Sailor Moon came to, all the soldiers were around her as well as Tuxedo Kamen. She glanced at Venus who showed no signs of being thrown fifteen feet in the air. Moon on the other hand, whenever she tried to move her whole body ached.

"Sit still!" Mercury demanded, pushing Moon back down on the ground.

Ripping the cloth of the bodysuit, knowing full well that the next time she transformed into Sailor Moon the fuku would be like new, Mercury revealed the ugly wound. Green puss was oozing out of the cut that gaped open at her side.

"Damn," Jupiter hissed.

Venus turned away from the scene and Mars brushed the injured blonde's hair back from her face.

"You have to get rid of that puss," Kamen ordered. "She'll never heal properly if you don't. This wound isn't going to heal over night – too much venom."

Sailor Mercury, being the self-proclaimed doctor of the group, set to work pressing at her friend's side. Sailor Moon bit back her pain, tears trailing the corner of her eyes. As Mercury moved up and down her side, releasing the poison from her fellow soldier's wounds, she continued to rip the cloth revealing more foaming puss filled openings.

"What the hell was that thing?" Venus asked, taking a brave glance to the senshi at work before looking away in disgust.

"She was a snake," Sailor Mars said.

"It makes sense," Jupiter agreed, holding onto Sailor Moon's hand trying to ease her pain. "Seeing that her attack was poisonous."

"Here," Tuxedo Mask said, kneeling down next to Ami, "You needed to rinse it out while you're releasing the poison. Otherwise it'll get in her blood stream."

He picked up the soldier and walked over to the fountain Sailor Venus was thrown into minutes before. The masked man laid Sailor Moon on the edge of the fountain and started to use the running water to rinse her side off. The girls stood off to the side as the stranger took the situation in his own hands.

"Why are you helping us?" Mercury asked.

"You're on the same side as I," he said simply, his eyes searching the wound of the fallen soldier in his hands. "Are you not?" He glanced up for a moment at the other senshi.

Mars took a step forward, "We're on our own side. We have no clue whose side you're on."

Tuxedo Kamen smirked. "And if I say I'm on your side, will that be enough?" he asked.

No one spoke to that. Ami looked down to the ground, Mars looked off in the distance; Venus kept her distance ever since they had moved to the fountain and had no clue as to what was said. Jupiter, on the other hand, stared Kamen squarely in the eyes and he stared back. Moon forgotten at the moment, wounds still under the running of the water.

Eventually, Jupiter nodded, "For now."

Mars and Mercury looked, open-mouthed at their most hardheaded soldier. If it was enough for her, then it was enough for them – like she said, for now.

Tuxedo Kamen looked back down at the wounded senshi. Her eyes were watching him as he took in her cuts and scrapes. His hands ran down her side right above her skin, the exposed flesh was almost completely covered with bleeding cuts. The side of her breast was slightly exposed where the tear in the fabric started under her arm and continued down to her hipbone.

"This cut isn't going to heal overnight," he stated once again, this time for Moon.

She was conscious now, the threat of the poison gone from her body. "Oh," she managed.

"At best, it will still be bruised tomorrow but the wounds should be closed."

Moon nodded, trying her best to stand as pain raked her body. Her uniform exposed way too much skin, a lot more than it did already, now that Mercury had torn it.

"It needs to be wrapped," Venus said coming back to the group.

Now that Moon was standing on her own, Venus figured that she'd be all right and without the foaming puss, she wasn't as wary of her friend. Out of seemingly nowhere, Mercury reaches into her subspace and comes out with a roll of gauze. The beauty of subspace was each soldier could reach in and get just about anything they needed.

Turning her back to Tuxedo Mask, Moon ripped the rest of her fuku around, allowing Mercury to wrap the bandages correctly. Once she was finished, Moon dropped the loose material back down so that it covered her well enough to face the male that refused to leave.

"I think we should call it a night don't you?" She spoke to everyone.

One by one the soldiers nodded in agreement. Tuxedo Kamen watched the leader of the senshi until her eyes met his.

"I thank you for your help." Moon stated. "I'll make sure you're considered an ally until proven otherwise."

He nodded. "Next time, be more careful."

"I will try my best."

With that said, Tuxedo Kamen presented her with a rose, shocking the senshi. "For you're troubles."

Sailor Moon accepted the rose from his gloved fingers and watched stunned as he took off running and then jumped onto the roof of the building in front of them and disappearing into the night. Looking down at the rose, Sailor Moon noticed something very peculiar about the rose.

Sure, Tuxedo Kamen was known for pulling roses out of thin air to surprise the enemies the soldiers fought to buy them time. His roses were steel tipped and full of thorns. This rose that Tuxedo Kamen had just handed her, was thorn-less and there was no steel encasing the tip. No, this rose was just like Mamoru's.