Chapter Eleven: Mamoru VS Akio
Mamoru sat down at the counter waiting for Motoki to finish with his ordering customer. He was mad, blood thirsty mad. The whole day he had pent up all his rage to let it go now, this very moment. He exhaled, trying to calm himself a bit, but it wasn't working.
"Yo Chiba, how's it – whoa. What's wrong?" Motoki's big smile turned suddenly into a puzzled expression when he saw the blood in Mamoru's eyes.
"You know that science project we have with the Juban Junior Highschool?" Mamoru said coldly looking up to Motoki grabbing a clean cup and pouring him some fresh coffee.
"Yeah, what about it? Oh, did you get Usagi-chan?" Motoki's eyes bulged waiting for the answer. Mamoru growled under his breath, shaking slightly. Motoki was growing more and more concerned. His friend's mental state was slowly slipping. He could tell he had not slept well for days.
"I kissed her again, last night, in her own room." Motoki almost dropped the coffee pot when he heard that. He was going to ask what and how, when Mamoru started to explain. He went into details about his emotions and exactly what happened in his dreams, ALL of his dreams. Motoki's mind was spiraling out of control hearing about what Mamoru was doing with Usagi in his dreams. Finally Mamoru finished his tale, with another twist.
"Akio is her partner." Motoki already had experienced four strokes and two heart attacks….and one bizarre bladder failure, but this news tore him apart.
"What? How can that be?" He leaned over trying to search Mamoru's eyes, hoping that he ended it by saying that he killed Akio and he would never hurt Usagi again. But his relief never came. Mamoru looked helplessly at his coffee.
"I can't believe this is happening to her. I mean Usagi-chan's such a good person…" Motoki sadly said. Mamoru looked depressed, like he had watched all his comrades die in some war. There was a silence between them, only the noise from the highschool crowd could be heard.
"You have to do something Chiba. What if Usagi-chan doesn't know she's partnered with him, she hasn't gone to school yet." Motoki reasoned. Mamoru realized that Usagi probably didn't know that Akio was her partner and when she did find out she would be devastated.
"And I was worried about getting her as my partner." Mamoru sighed. He had now wished that she was his partner. Motoki thought about it and something came to him.
"Chiba, something feels strange. Akio wasn't even in sciences until just two days ago, and they never included the juniors in the program until after he joined… I mean think about it, the dates; it matches." Motoki explained rubbing his chin. Mamoru saw it now, the coincidental pattern. Suddenly he felt his temper bursting through the roof. It was a set up, Akio pulled his rich strings and got his way to get to Usagi. His fists were shaking, his body was trembling from the inside thinking back to Akio rubbing his body on top of Usagi.
"No, he's not getting her." Mamoru growled. Motoki was getting nervous. The deep angry glint in Mamoru's eyes was alarming. His face looked cold and murderous.
"Now Chiba, I think you should go get some rest first. You don't want to do anything you'll regret." He suggested trying to calm him down. Mamoru sighed again, agreeing to take his friends suggestion. He drank his coffee wordlessly, thinking about how he can protect Usagi. He didn't even realize that he was pondering so much about her. When he finished, he was feeling better. Motoki said his goodbye's, begging him to just relax for tonight and they would think of something later tomorrow. Mamoru agreed. He already knew what he had to do, and that was talk to Usagi's parents. He pictured Mr.Tsukino locking her in a cage and putting that horrible 'do not feed the usagi' sign up. He giggled slightly. He really did enjoy their company, they felt like a family to him; Usagi felt like a family to him.
"With all the arguing we did, who knew that next to Motoki, she was the closest to me." He whispered pulling up to his apartment. When he got off the elevator he saw a small body sitting in front of his door with a sweater hood covering her face. He walked closer and gasped.
"Mamoru, don't get mad." Usagi pleaded standing up carefully. Mamoru walked to her, upset that she was sitting there by herself for god knows how long. He was slightly happy to see her though.
"Come on in." He said opening the door to his apartment. He turned on the lights and allowed Usagi in. He went straight to the kitchen and poured two glasses of orange juice and went back to the living room. Usagi was looking outside, admiring the lights and the clear night sky.
"Does your family know you're here?" Mamoru asked in a deep low voice.
"No, I sort of snuck out. If I told them that I was coming here …." She stopped thinking how dumb she must've sounded, and how desperate she must've looked. She looked back to the streets, glancing over to Akio's apartment. Mamoru sat down leaving her glass on the coffee table.
"Well what is it?" He coldly phrased. He didn't mean to sound so rude, but he couldn't control it. He was still so mad at his situation, and the fact that Usagi was paired up with the very guy who tried to harm her.
"Um…well. I came here to ask a favor." Usagi cupped her hands together tightly behind her looking to the ground. This was taking all her courage to do. Mamoru put the glass down on top of his knee. His expression was stern and unfriendly.
"See there is this program we have at school, and well I haven't been to school for the last couple of days and my friend Naru-chan called me and …" Usagi had rehearsed exactly what she was going to say all the way to his apartment, but somehow, she was doing a horrible job of remembering what she rehearsed. Mamoru tensed up.
"Akio is my partner." Usagi closed her eyes telling herself not to cry about this. Mamoru put his glass down to the table and walked over. He was getting agitated, so much that he honestly wanted to kill Akio.
"Please don't tell my parents." Usagi continued. Her words paralyzed him.
'Did she just say not to tell her parents.' He asked himself. All his anger, was now replaced with confusion and angst. Usagi looked up at him only a foot away with her light tearful blue eyes.
"You don't understand, if you tell them, they'll tell the school and than everyone will know that he tried to…." She felt embarrassed and looked sharply back to her feet. Mamoru's face softened. He felt bad for her. She was thinking about her family, and worrying about her reputation. He looked down to his feet with his eyes closed.
'What should I do?' He asked. He looked to Akio's apartment, his hate for him rising once more.
"What if he tries again? Have you thought about the situation you're putting yourself in?" Mamoru asked coldly staring at her. Usagi swallowed, she didn't like talking about this with him.
"As long as I'm not alone with him, I'll be fine…" She reasoned looking back up to him. He was looking softly at her. She was beautiful he thought. The bruises' seemed to be lightening and was constantly reminding him that he wanted Akio dead. Mamoru looked harshly outside to his apartment, remembering how he was so close to getting his way with Usagi.
"It's not safe." Mamoru stated. Usagi smiled slightly.
"I'll be safe, it's okay." She looked outside to the moon, wondering if she really would be safe. Mamoru looked back to her putting his hand in his pocket and leaning against the balcony door. He sighed angrily.
"I won't tell, but only on one condition." Mamoru said. Usagi seemed confused and wondered what the condition was.
"You have to act like my girlfriend." Mamoru felt like such a pervert. Was he really doing this for her safety or for himself. Usagi was taken back and she blushed softly.
"He won't try anything with you if he thinks you're with me." Mamoru went back to the table and grabbed Usagi's orange juice. She didn't know what to say, she was so shocked but happy.
"It's only pretend." He added watching her slowly walk to him. He didn't want her to get the wrong impression about their relationship, after all he wanted things to be normal between them; but that was going to be put on hold. He handed her the glass and she took it without a word. She was hurt that he just had to add 'pretend' in there, after the kisses he gave her. She sipped the juice wanting to just get out of Mamoru's sight, she felt disgusted that she had started to like him. He sat back down on the couch that he put Usagi on when she fainted, he felt her hurt; he could see it in her eyes. But this could be what made things normal between them again.
"I'll take you home after you finish." He added. Usagi finished her juice quickly when he said that.
"It's okay, I can walk home. I don't want to burden you anymore." She was furious and she started to walk to the door. Mamoru couldn't believe what he heard come out of her mouth.
"Are you stupid, it's late!" He shouted putting his hand on the door. He looked down to her expression, she was really mad.
"I walked here by myself and I was fine." She shouted back turning the door knob. Mamoru put his hand on hers squeezing until she let go from the pain. Her eyes showed a bit of fear but mostly just pure anger.
"You really are something you know that. You almost got yourself raped the first time because you didn't listen to me, and now you're trying again." He growled stepping menacingly closer to her. Usagi's heart was broken when he said that to her. She was really hurt now. A small tear rolled down her face as she stood there stunned. She had it with him. She faced the ground so that he couldn't see her cry.
"Just take me home…please." She whispered in soft sob. Mamoru felt like a jerk. He wanted to hug her, wanted to say sorry; but knew that what he did was for the best. He couldn't have Usagi with him, he couldn't take it with her in his dream; with her in his life. He pulled open the door and allowed her out. She silently wiped her tears, not breathing one word to him. When she sat in the car her communicator went off. It was Ami.
"Usagi-chan, where are you?" Ami-chan asked. Usagi panicked, Mamoru was making his way around the car.
"I'm okay. What's wrong?" She asked quietly turning towards the car door.
"We have a youma in the park." Ami-chan explained wanting to continue to say that she should sit this one out. But before she could Usagi announced she'd be there in a few minutes. She had to get out of there, she needed to help the senshi at the park; but Mamoru was going to question her if she asked to be dropped to the park. He sat in the car putting his seat belt on when he heard Usagi flee. He sharply gasped getting out shouting for her, she turned the corner and hide behind the building watching his car speed on to the road. She sighed. She shouted out her transformation spell and changed. She than dashed to the park. Though her bruises had been faded as Sailormoon, the one on her chin was still apparent.
Mamoru's chest starting to pound, the sensation he had for the past four days because of Usagi was stronger now, he was going to transform.
"Sailormoon must be in danger." He said slamming the break to a halt.
………………………………..
"Where were you! It's not safe for you to take off like that?" Rei asserted as the others were battling the ugliest youma they had ever seen.
"No time for that now. We have a problem. This youma is not like the others. It was never carrying a piece of the crystal." Ami detected much to everyone's surprise.
"It could be a trap." Artemis stated. Jupiter and Venus had subdued the youma but it was regaining it's strength fast. Suddenly the ground started to shake and they heard a familiar laughter.
"Say goodbye little senshi's. You're all dead." Zoisite appeared in the sky casually. The monster spun throwing off a serious of attacks that injured the senshi badly, bringing them to their knees.
"What is that thing?" Sailor Jupiter asked cringing at the pain in her legs. The monster didn't wait before he attacked again, this time everyone but Sailor moon was able to jump out of the way. Sailor moon screamed as the attack aimed closer to her, the other senshi's gasped as the fire consumed the area she was sitting in.
When she opened her eyes she was in Tuxedo Kamen's arm. She was so happy to see him. Suddenly nothing mattered anymore, she was back to being who she was, and doing what she always did. Seeing him, made everything normal again.
"Aim your tiara at the monster's belly." He stated letting her down gently to her feet. Sailor moon agreed and threw her tiara at the monster as he readied himself to attack again. But the tiara broke him into two and sent him to death. Zoisite growled angrily and vowed to return. Sailor moon sighed wiping away the sweat from her forehead. It was than Tuxedo Kamen noticed the bruise on her chin, it was the exact color and size as the bruise on Usagi's chin. His eyes became glassy at the realization that Usagi was Sailor moon. He was shocked when she looked at him with those same eyes. He saw it now, it was so obvious, why didn't he see it before.
"Thanks so much Tuxedo Kamen-sama. I would've been toast if you hadn't saved me." She smiled. After such a long time, things finally felt normal to her. Everything seemed alright. He took a step closer to her, as everyone took a step closer to Sailor moon. They knew he had 3 crystals in his possession, so they couldn't trust him.
"Sailor moon, you need to be more careful. It's not safe…" He said. He saw the confused expression on her face, his words had hit close to home. Before she could say something or anyone could question him, he dashed off. Sailor moon and the others were left standing wondering about him.
"Usagi-chan, where were you?" Luna demanded. Everyone became interested in what she had to say. Usagi blushed and became uncontrollably nervous.
"I didn't go far, I just went for a walk." She blurted.
"At 8'O clock at night?" Rei knew something was up, and knew that Usagi was keeping a secret. The girls started to ask her more questions.
"Listen, I'm tired you guys. I have school tomorrow, and I really want to sleep now." Usagi whined, hoping that would get everyone off her back.
"You're worried about school? Makoto asked, feeling Usagi's forehead. Usagi's eyes flooded down with a waterfall of tears as the girls relaxed knowing that the old Usagi was coming back to them.
Whatcha all think? On the next chapter: How does Usagi react to seeing Akio, and what will Mamoru think of Usagi now after finding out she's Sailor moon? Stay tuned! Oh by the way I didn't know I couldn't get anonymous reviews, but I figured out how to change that! Sorry! breaks out in hysterical laughter