Alone
Usagi frowned softly as she walked slowly in the pouring rain, wishing she had remembered to bring the purple umbrella on her way out the door. Shaking her head, she felt completely air headed at times like these. Why was she always doing such things?
"Oi Odango!" called a familiar voice, she turned an annoyed glance over and found her mysterious green eyed savior smirking back at her, his motor bike roaring with life beneath him and shimmering in the hard rain. Was he crazy? What was he doing riding in this weather? "You need a ride?"
Normally, she would decline offers by complete strangers, espiecially ones obviously lacking in common sense, to bring her home, especially ones from arrogant men. However, she didn't feel terribly normal today, and she was soaking wet...
She agreed quickly and moved to grab the offered helmet, feeling something in the bottom of her stomach churn. There was something she had forgotten, something important... Swinging her leg over the bike and holding tightly to his stomach, she figured it was probably nerves. She felt herself blush wildly while the young man adjusted her grip so that his strong muscular abdomen was easily felt through the thin cloth.
"Thank you," she whispered out, her eyes clenched shut against the angry wind and pounding rain. She felt the bike beneath her gun and she shrieked as it flew from beneath her, clutching all the more tight to the young man, feeling his arrogant smirk rather than seeing it.
They speed past traffic lights and intersections, the rain pounding harshly against her bare skin, and her teeth clenched at the cold.
She suddenly remembered why she hated these stupid bikes.
"So Odango, where do you live?" asked a muffled question, almost drowned out by the wind and engine.
She shouted harshly over the same forces to reply. Finding herself home in what felt like seconds, when she got off the bike she felt somehow saddened by that fact. Her handsome mystery watching her enter her house, and leaving after the soft clicking of her door, zipping off through the storm as quickly as he'd come.
He reminded her of the wind, always coming and going as he pleased, free from the bonds of humanity she was forced to bare, free of the heavy chains of duty.
The wind bowed to none, and it appeared the same for her mysterious savior. So it appeared...
Ikuko smiled slightly as she watched the young man, or so she assumed, drop her daughter off at the doorstep, waiting patiently until her baby was inside before speeding off. She almost wanted to cry with joy at the scene.
Her daughter's mysterious man had shown his face, and Ikuko had memorized every feature brilliantly. Now all she needed to do was figure out why it looked so familiar.
Shaking her head, she decided to greet her young, blue eyed girl, tsking at her soaked clothes and making her change immediately. Casting a disapproving glance at the loud sneezes following her wake.
A sick child was never much fun.
Turning back to the cooking food, Ikuko mentally checked off one small box in her imagined check list of things to do. Phase one was very much complete, now to pull off the second...
Luna watched silently as the ancient princess walked into the room, her skin red and hair soaked, she looked throughly disheveled and Luna could only sigh sadly. Watching the princess break apart was not something she was terribly fond of.
"Usagi? What happened?"
Blue eyes turned towards the feline guardian, pain and sorrow welded deep and tight within those sapphire orbs, Luna sighed and jumped into her princess's arms.
"O Luna, it's so hard sometimes. I wish I had someone to fight with me sometimes, someone to care whether I die or not..."
"But Usagi, many people care, your not so alone-"
"But I am!" cried out Usagi as she fell in a heap on the ground clutching her feline companion to her as though she were a life line. "No one understands me except you and Artemis, and even then, Artemis is always off guarding Minako and Makoto, while your always with Ami and Rei! I hardly see either of you anymore... I just wish I had friends once more."
"O Usagi, I'm sorry," whispered the cat as she rubbed her head against the angry red skin, "but you could always give them..."
"No," came the sharp reply as usual, hands clutching the midnight black fur as she did so. "No."
"Forgive me princess," whispered the cat, and they both sat together for the remainder of the storm, finding comfort in the other as the rain and thunder bellowed in rage.
Forgive me princess.
Michiru sipped her tea quietly as she listened to her friend talk about the little blond girl she had met. It was slightly funny how obsessive Haruka could be at times.
"And her skin was so soft, even with all those strange cuts, I wonder how she got them..."
Michiru looked up at her friend, her eyes wide at the statement. Strange cuts? That sounded like Usagi...
"What did you say her name was?" asked Michiru wide eyes. Could it be?
There was an awkward silence and Michiru sighed in annoyance, her eye twitching slightly.
"You don't know do you?"
"Er, well, we've only met like three times-"
"Three times!" The teal haired woman massaged her temples, "your obsessing over a girl you've met THREE times! Have you lost your mind Ruka?"
"I'm not obsessing!"
"So you know where the girl lives how?"
"I dropped her off there! Really Michi, do I look like a stalker?" Her question was met with silence.
"MICHI!!!"
Shaking her head, the teal haired woman sipped the tea once more, her thoughts circling the new information Haruka had given. How had things become so complicated? It used to be simple, back when she'd first realized her gift, back when Setsuna had found her, telling her she was needed again, that she had a mission to accomplish.
And she had taken her place as a soldier, fighting the monsters and defending the innocent, yet always searching, searching for talismans...
But then she found Haruka, the famous race car driver was also a Senshi. And Michiru had fallen in love with the woman before her. However, as time progressed, she found that love changing, becoming something else that was more deep and protective.
Haruka was her best friend, she'd die for her if it came to it, but she'd also give her up. Haruka was like the wind, not meant to be caged and looked at, like a treasured doll from childhood that had grown fragile in age. She needed to be free, and Michiru understood that well.
"Michi, you okay?"
Looking up into concerned green orbs, she smiled thoughtfully and nodded her ascent.
"Maybe you should rest, you look kind of pale..."
"I'm fine Ruka, I was just thinking..."
"About what?"
"Stuff," she smiled and turned to stare out the window. Something was about to happen, she could feel it in the air. The seas were churning with the approaching storm that grew closer each day. A storm she wasn't sure she'd live through.
"It grows closer," she sighed, her eyes closing while she breathed deeply in the smells of freshly baked goods and hot coffee. "So close..."
"Michi," her friend whispered, rough hands coming to hold her arm, "It'll be okay, we'll get through somehow. I just know it..."
Michiru smiled softly at her friend's comforting presence. She nodded slightly and stood slowly. They paid the bill and left, deciding to go shopping, Michiru always loved such trips.
Sailor Moon glared angrily at the red headed woman in the skimpy red dress. The woman was attacking a little boy, a child! She saw an image of Shingo dance over the boy and rage flowed through her. How dare they attack a child...
Without a word, without even a sound, her locket exploded with life, heeding her call for power and power jumped to her fingertips.
"Moon Crystal Power, make-up!"
A bright light exploded around her, magic swimming through her veins, she turned to the woman, fear swamping her face.
"How dare you," she whispered, cold fury lacing every word. "In the name of the moon, I shall punish you!"
Her moon scepter appeared in her hands before glowing with light, changing the scepter into a beautiful rod with a pink heart on the end.
She raised it high and swung it around her, fancy loops and twist powering it up, then when a surge of power she called forth her attack.
"Moon Princess Halination!"
A large cloud of dus tburst from her wand, flying towards the red head, however missing as she jumped out of the way mere seconds from the cloud.
"You brat!" she screeched, her eyes wide in anger, "Mime! Get out here now!"
A large smoke filled the room, obscuring Sailor Moon's vision and causing several coughing fits.
A silent creature stepped out of the smoke, black and white jester clothes covering it's strange body. The Senshi of the Moon prepared herself for an oncoming, however the creature just started to make strange movements, pretending to hold and invisible rope and lasso it around The moon princess.
The blond just stared.
Was it just her or were these monsters getting more ridiculous by the days? Last time she had fought a cat made of puzzle pieces, and now she was trying to hold off a crazed youma? Something was defiantly off.
The creature mimicked pulling the invisible rope, and Sailor Moon felt the air around her tighten. Her eyes widened marginally at the pressure. The rope wasn't pretend, it was real. And it had come from no where...
She screamed as she felt a blast of invisible magic collide into her. Throwing her back and breaking the bonds of the rope. The monster could make weapons out of no where. That was a big problem...
Struggling to her feet, Sailor Moon threw her tiara, watching silently as it bounced off a wall the mime was pressing his hands against. That was a very big problem.
"Damn, this isn't what we need," swore the woman, Sailor Moon turned her head to find the crystal in her hand. Sailor Moon's eyes widened more.
"What do you mean?" she asked, the fight forgotten as she stared at the woman. What were they looking for? What was it about those crystals that made the enemy want them so? What were the crystals anyway?
The red headed lady looked up from her spot to glare at the girl. Stupid nuisances, always getting in her way. Why not tell her? It wasn't like she was going to make it out alive.
"The heart crystals girl, it's not a talisman,"
"Talisman?" However her question was thrown by the creature's silent attack, sending Sailor Moon flying into a wall. Her scream echoing around the room.
"See you moon kid," said the woman as she turned to leave, the heart crystal thrown carelessly aside. Sailor Moon watched it fall to the floor, afraid it might brake on contact.
It never touched, for a teal haired Senshi grabbed it as it fell, returning it to its owner before turning to the youma.
Sailor Moon tried to lift herself as a giant green orb attacked the creature, then watching him mimic he movements, the ball blowing up halfway between them.
The senshi's wide eyes relaying her confusion.
"Tiara," she whispered pushing her will to it returning to her, it did so with the obedience of a puppy.
She glanced over at the black skirted Senshi, asking silently for her help, she nodded reluctantly turning to glare at the youma.
"Moon Tiara Action!" she screamed, catching the youma's attention as the other woman called out her attack, great waves of water spinning around her.
"Deep Submerge!"
The two attacks hit the creature accurately, dissolving it with little problem, leaving a small egg shaped shell on the ground.
Turning to the woman, Sailor Moon step towards her, intent on learning why she was searching for the 'heart crystals' the woman had talked of.
"Why are you searching for the talismans?" the Senshi of the moon asked, her eyes hard and questioning, wondering exactly who the woman before her was. She found herself meeting shocked teal eyes, glimmering with emotions under the stoic expression she wore all other times she saw her.
The woman was so sad, and in so much pain. Usagi felt her heart twist in pain, that was the way of the Senshi was it not? To forever face the evils of the world and taste the bitterness of being alone. She didn't want more to share such burdens, to share such sadness.
But the emotions were gone as quickly as they came, hollow seas narrowed in distrust at the person before her.
"It is our mission. To save the world we must find them."
Sailor Moon stared at her for a moment, before the words clicked. If they needed the talismans, which these crystals turned into, then the person would not survive... But why did they have to sacrifice other people? There had to be another way!
"But..." her words were cut off as the Senshi jumped up and disappeared into the night. Sailor Moon just sighed, she needed to tell Luna and Artemis of this new information. The world was in danger once more, and the lunar princess would need every ounce of power she had to defeat this evil.
Staring up after the retreating Senshi, Sailor Moon shook her head, there had to be another way. There just had to be...
