"True love begins, when you think more about the other person, then his or her reaction to you. When you dare to reveal yourself, and when you dare to be vulnerable."

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Title: The Story We Never Knew

Book 1: What They Didn't Tell Us

Chapter 2: Save Me, Love

Author: Sailor Song

Editor: Meesa

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Usagi awoke to find a large hand holding on to her own. For only a moment, she thought she had been rescued and looked hopefully towards its owner. To her dismay, instead of ocean blue eyes, she found a pair of violet ones staring right back at her. The sight of her kidnapper ignited renewed anger within her. She sat up, but before she could speak a word, her body lifted off the bed. She couldn't fight it; she could only look down to see that she was floating at least twenty feet in the air. In an instant, he was beside her. Too frightened and too weak to fight she froze, hoping he'd let her go, or at least set her back down to the ground.

Extending his hand, he ran his fingers through her golden hair. She didn't move. She was helpless much like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

Dimando noticed she wasn't struggling like she was before. Was she beginning to feel something for him, or was this simply the work of the Black Poison Crystal? Determined to have her, he moved his hands to her hips, and pulled her against his body as he had done before.

With this violation, Usagi used the last of her strength and smacked him hard across the face. She was pushed away from him, but still remained suspended in the air.

He raised his hand to strike her back, but stopped when he saw fear mixed with Neo-Queen Serenity's look of defiance in her eyes. He could never hurt this girl. She would someday become the goddess he fell in love with years before his banishment from Earth.

"Fine, Serenity," he spoke, staring into her frightened eyes. "You are so blinded in your love for him you cannot see that I have given up so much to be with you. Never has any prince graveled, pleaded, and begged to have the love of a woman the way I have for you. But no more. Now that I finally have you in my grasp I will not let you go."

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look not into his eyes, but at the black crescent moon on his forehead. Suddenly it changed into an eye.

Usagi could hear Dimando continue to speak, but couldn't discern his words. All she knew was she was moving closer and closer to a simple act that would betray her love; a kiss. She no longer had any control of her body and she knew he could take whatever he wanted from her.

However, she would never let him have her heart.

'Mamo-chan,' she cried inwardly as tears stained her cheeks. 'I'm sorry.'

Dimando moved closer and closer toward her red lips. 'This is finally going to happen,' he thought. He could feel her breath on his lips. He was so close now. Ready to complete the act, he paused when a wet teardrop fell onto his thumb. She was crying. Could he really take advantage of her in this weak state?

He never had a chance to decide. A red rose flew out of nowhere and embedded into his upper arm. Out of shock, not pain, he lost focus. Usagi was released from the trance and caused her to tumble to the bed. Pulling the rose out swiftly, Dimando looked around for the person who would dare such a treacherous act. He didn't have to look hard, for a voice boomed from an open window.

"A being that uses Dark Power to take what he wants...Tuxedo Kamen will not forgive you!" She could tell he was infuriated, but the sound of his voice caused Usagi's heart to leap.

'He came for me!' she thought elated. For only a moment, she wondered why she ever doubted that he would.

"Do not speak to me so arrogantly. Just who do you think you are you caped freak?" Dimando declared with rage after recovering from the initial shock of his wound. "How dare you attack me, in my own palace no less!"

Tuxedo Kamen retorted with utter distain toward the man, "And what of you! You attacked a peaceful city and kidnapped Sailor Moon."

Dimando began to laugh.

"What is so funny?" declared Tuxedo Kamen. He was livid, this man was absolutely mad.

"You are, Endymion. It seems a thousand years have not changed your feelings toward Serenity."

Tuxedo Kamen looked upon his love lying on the bed, than back at Dimando confused.

"What are you talking about?" This man was irritating him. "Of course I feel the same about her."

"Whatever you say. Time will tell I suppose. Then we'll see your true feelings."

Mamoru was becoming really annoyed by now. "I love Usako! I have since the moment I met her. Maybe I treated her poorly, and we've had our obstacles, but I love her with all of my heart."

Usagi by this point was far less confused. She could tell from Dimando's insinuations earlier that the future Serenity and Endymion had some problems. However, Mamoru's declaration of love reaffirmed what she knew of his feelings for her.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi cried. She grabbed her locket and fled from the bed to the window.

Dimando, though surprised at her sudden outburst, was gone in a flash. He reappeared before Usagi, in an attempt to block her only line of escape.

"Come with me, Serenity. I will take you to Nemesis where no one will be able to bother us." She tried to dodge him, but he was faster. He grabbed both of her arms and began to drag her from the room.

'I can't loose her again!' Mamoru's mind screamed as everything moved in slow motion. 'Someone help me!'

'The power is in you, Mamoru,' a familiar voice spoke in his head. 'Protect Serenity. She is our life!'

"MAMO-CHAN!" she cried out.

"USAKO!" he screamed as he watched her struggling to get out of Dimando's grasp. The energy flowed through his body and into his hands. He knew what to say. "Tuxedo the Smoking Bomber!"

A surge of power flew from him and across the room into Dimando. Before it could hit him, he pushed Usagi away and she watched as he few backwards across the room. Surprised by Tuxedo Kamen's newfound power, Usagi was worried that his attack might have killed Dimando.

Mamoru jumped down from the window and scooped her gently in his arms. She took one last glance at the unconscious prince before she stretched her arms around Tuxedo Kamen's neck and laid her head on his chest. He leaped back up to the open window and led her toward the glider.

Usagi felt warm and safe for the first time since Mamoru had broken up with her. She couldn't help but wonder if this feeling would last?

Mamoru didn't say anything to her. As they approached the glider, he realized that they weren't in the clear just yet. He could hear shouts coming from the room they had escaped from and he thought he saw Esmeraude out of the corner of his eye.

He set her down gently and told her how the glider would get them back to the others. She nodded to him and kicked off her heels. She was definitely ready to leave the dark tower.

As they flew over the city, the couple surveyed the damage that had been caused during the Nemesis attack of Crystal Tokyo. Truth was, neither of them knew exactly what to say. Usagi was scared he would be angry with her, or say she was weak for not escaping on her own. She knew her Mamo-chan could never be that cruel, but after all of these strange events, she had no clue what would possibly happen next.

Mamoru on the other hand, had no clue how he could reconcile when their future was literally in shambles. He also couldn't help but feel a sting of jealously every time he thought of how he found his girlfriend. Well, he hadn't fixed that just yet. But no man had the right to hold his beloved like that, let alone try to kiss her. He would have to think about his words carefully before he ended up saying something to hurt her.

As they neared the Crystal Palace, Mamoru wondered what would have happened if he hadn't arrived there when he did. 'I can't think about that now. What am I going to say to her?'

They both landed safely, with the glider falling a few feet from them. The couple turned to face each other. Not knowing what to say, Usagi looked down at her outfit, than back up to Mamoru with a small smile. His blank expression worried her. She couldn't see what he was thinking because his mask covered his eyes. Slowly she lifted her fingers to it. She paused, and then tenderly ran her hand along his face. He lifted his hand to hers and grasped hold of it. He didn't try and stop her, he was only holding onto her for support. She reached the mask and pulled it away gently to reveal Mamoru's bloodshot eyes. It fluttered to the ground forgotten as Usagi stared at him.

"Oh, Usako!" he exclaimed and threw his arms around her. He would never let her go, this way he would always be there so she couldn't get hurt again. His legs shook. Unable to keep his feet, he slid down her body and crumpled at her feet. "I'm so sorry."

Usagi, unable to keep the emotions at bay, fell to her knees and pulled him to her chest. The two lovers held onto each other like this for what seemed like hours, not having to say another word to reconcile their relationship.

Author's notes: Yay! I have an editor. Give a warm applause to Meesa. Clapping echoes. Sorry this took so long. It has been REALLY nice out where I live so my family has started a project to clean up the yards (the back and sides). Considering this hasn't been done in seven years since the house was built you can imagine the madness. Plus I am also in school which has a special madness all its own.

The next chapter is written (just not edited). It's called "Behind Crystal Doors" and it's actually going to break away from the anime/manga for a bit. Loads of angstiness is in store for you next time.

Random babble: Do you ever find it hard to edit something you have already written? I do. When I write papers or stories I have a hard time making myself go back over them and check for errors. I'm lucky with school papers though because it's all random BS that I can get away with for some reason.