Author's Note: So sorry this took me so long to update! Had a lot of things happening in my personal and professional life - including finishing an original manuscript! I can't wait to share with you guys once it is published :) Hopefully, I'll be back to my weekly posting from here on out 3
Tokyo, Modern Day
The arcade was already teeming with people. It was Saturday, after all, for some the only day of respite from their studies. Bells went off from several games and flashes of light filled the main room. Alongside the restaurant area stood Motoki, stationed behind the counter refilling a patron's cup of coffee.
Mamoru made sure he was extra on time today. Tardiness was something he personally hated, and when Nephrite chided him on it, it struck a nerve. But he didn't mean to be this early. It was only 11 a.m., a full hour before his general told him to meet. Anxiety got the best of Mamoru, and before he could help it, he was already on his way to the arcade with no intention of turning back.
"Waiting for someone?" Motoki teased as he walked up to Mamoru's table. "A date, perhaps?"
"A friend." Mamoru said. "A male friend."
Motoki nodded his head and smiled. "Gotcha. Well lucky for you there are plenty of beautiful girls here today to look at while you wait."
"Is it normally this busy so early?" Mamoru examined the throng of people coming in and out.
"It's the lunch rush." Motoki refreshed Mamoru's mug with piping hot coffee. The bell attached to the front door jangled and Motoki looked up. Smiling, he gave a polite wave. Mamoru turned around to see who it was and groaned when he saw Usagi walking in with her friend, a girl with long, raven black hair.
"Usagi! Rei!" Motoki cheerfully greeted them. "Happy Saturday!"
Both girls lit up at the sight of him, their eyes growling large and their cheeks turning pink. It annoyed Mamoru to no end. As soon as Usagi locked eyes with him, though, her joy deflated.
"Oh hi, Mamoru." She sneered. "Didn't know you would be here today."
"It is a business." Mamoru snipped back. "Patrons other than yourself are allowed."
"Why do you two always fight like this?" Motoki laughed. "Everytime you're together it's like cats and dogs."
"Maybe if your friend wasn't such a jerk there wouldn't be an issue." Usagi stuck her tongue out at Mamoru. It fueled his fire.
"Maybe if you weren't so immature, you would see it is you who is being rude." Mamoru shot daggers at her with his eyes.
"Alright you two, calm down," Motoki said, turning to Rei and Usagi. "If you guys are interested in eating, there aren't any tables left but something should open up soon."
Every single booth in the restaurant area was filled, people of all ages crowding together to share an ice cream or a sparkling tea. Mamoru hadn't paid them much mind. A devious look crossed Usagi's face and she scooted into the booth opposite of Mamoru.
"I didn't invite you to sit here," he said quickly.
"Since you're so polite," Usagi's tongue rolled off the word. "Or at least you say you are, I figured you wouldn't mind sharing with us for a few minutes."
Motoki shot a glance and Rei, who shot an equally concerned one back. The dark haired girl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes before letting out an annoyed sigh. There was absolutely no way she was going to sit in that booth with those two. Watching Usagi argue with Mamoru–who, while cute, was decidedly a killjoy–was not her idea of a good time.
"I'm going to go play a game," she said while turning on her heel. "Enjoy your lunch."
"Wait!" Usagi tried calling out to her.
"I have to go too," Motoki said as he slowly backed away from the table. "Work calls!"
Mamoru rubbed his temples. Just what he wanted, to be stuck with Usagi while he waited for Nephrite to come. Maybe showing up late wouldn't have been such a bad thing. But he needed to be on time because he needed to help Nephrite succeed. Whatever plan he was cooking up needed to be better than Jadeite's. He couldn't lose another friend.
Pain ebbed across his face and Usagi's expression changed from annoyed to concerned.
"Are you okay?" She asked gently, settling into her seat. "You don't look so good."
"I'm fine." He snapped. Usagi blinked.
"That's not what fine people say."
He slouched into his hand and stared at her. Her big, blue eyes were so sympathetic. Yes, she was annoying and meddlesome, and yes she irked Mamoru in every way possible. Something in the way her eyes glinted made Mamoru want to confide in her, to bear the secret of his double life and unburden himself from the crippling weight it was starting to have.
Deep in his heart, he knew he was Endymion through and through. His past was his destiny, one he had to restore to make the world a better place. He truly believed what he was doing was right. But the way it all wore on him was making things harder and harder to justify, and since Jadeite's death, he hadn't been the same.
For once, he would like to just be a normal teenager: To share an afternoon with his friends and not worry about these matters of life and death, of morality and of justice.
"A friend of mine recently passed away." The words spilled out of him before he had a chance to stop them. "And…I miss him a lot."
Usagi sat stunned. She always assumed Mamoru's prickly exterior was because of his arrogance, but really on the inside was a hurt soul. Perhaps that's why he had been so awful to her on the bus the night before, he was still reeling from the death of his friend. In hindsight, her problems did seem a bit trivial. Her expression shifted to pity and Mamoru couldn't bear it.
"Don't look at me like that," he shook his head. "I don't want you to feel sorry for me."
"That must've been really hard," Usagi said softly, reaching across the table to grab his hands. "I'm sorry that happened to you."
Mamoru dragged his gaze from the table to her and watched as her face filled with sadness. If she cried, it would gut him. Please, he thought. Please don't cry.
"Well, it's over now." He shrugged off her hands and straightened his back. "He's not coming back so no reason to dwell on it."
Usagi didn't know what to say. She had never lost a friend before. As Sailor Moon, she had destroyed many enemies, and something that did feel slightly like regret usually crept in when she transformed back to her regular self. Despite it, she never felt sorry for defending the plant from evildoers. When she bested a monster, did it feel pain? Or was it a magical creature conjured from nightmares, not living and breathing like a human being?
She reached over once more to grab his hand and this time he let her. As her smooth skin touched his knuckles and palm, Mamoru's vision went wide. Suddenly, an electric cord buzzed along his skin. His mouth went bone dry and Usagi shifted. All around her was this pink glow, this familiar cloud, like he had held her hands like this before. He wanted to lean in and kiss her, to tell her that he loved her, to let her know he would protect her until the end of time before she–
"Mamoru." Nephrite stood at the table looking cross. Mamoru dropped Usagi's hands and ground his teeth, still fighting off that desire to have her. Usagi nearly buried her beet red face in her hands before realizing exactly who was standing at the foot of the table. It was that older man she had seen Naru with.
"Masato, nice to see you." Mamoru said politely.
Usagi couldn't help herself. "How do you two…"
"Mamoru is helping me with a project at the high school." Nephrite smiled. "He's a real go-getter, our Mamoru."
She nodded her head. Part of her was still recovering from that searing touch. The other part wanted to rebuke the older man for hanging around teenage girls like Naru. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The two men watched her expectantly, as if they wanted her to leave them alone, and wordlessly she scooted out of the booth.
"I guess I'll see you around?" She said to Mamoru, tucking a piece of her bangs behind her ear.
"Sure."
She reluctantly left the table to join Rei, who was commanding a shooting game as Motoki looked on. When she was finally out of earshot, Nephrite sat down.
"Squeezing in a date before your mission?" A grin snaked across Nephrite's face. "What will Beryl say?"
"What about Beryl?" Mamoru said. In truth, he had forgotten about her. In that moment with Usagi, it was like the entire world peeled away.
"You and I both know that she wants more than just to see you ascend to the throne." Nephrite dragged a finger along the untouched glass of water, letting condensation coat his skin. "She wants to join you there: Seated next to you, ruling with you, in your bed–"
"Don't be crass." Mamoru interrupted. "She is my friend and nothing more."
"I'm not so sure she sees it that way."
Mamoru sighed. He wasn't interested in Beryl like that. For starters, she was inappropriately older than him. Maybe in Elysion that didn't matter, but here on Earth, it did. And secondly, her ambitiousness was not a trait he particularly revered. Generally, with girls, he liked ones who were self-motivated; Girls who got good grades and ones who were good and dutiful daughters. Actually, quite the opposite from Usagi, he thought to himself.
But Beryl? Ambition in her eyes was ruthless. Mamoru had half a mind to think maybe she was the reason behind Jadeitie's demise.
"Whatever way she sees it," Nephrite's voice brought him back to reality, "it doesn't matter, because unfortunately we are all under her watch right now, as she holds the magic to restore our kingdom, not us. Which is precisely why I've cooked up my latest scheme."
"Do tell." Mamoru raised an eyebrow.
"The talent show at the school tonight–the one searching for the 'next big star?'" Nephrite grinned. "Well, guess who one of the judges is?"
"I have a feeling I'm looking right at him."
"Indeed you are." Nephrite leaned back against the booth, satisfied with himself. "The amount of energy there is going to be incredible. All those young people vying for their chance with stardom, and yet they will be sucked dry of their energy, their sacrifice for restoring the Earth Kingdom to its former glory."
When he put it like that, it made Mamoru cringe.
"And where do I fit in with all of this?"
"Why, you're going to be a judge as well." Mamoru was the star student at his school. He was also athletic and handsome–among the student body, Mamoru was seen as quite the catch. Once the girls saw that he was a judge, they would undoubtedly throw themselves behind their performances and try their very best to snag the admiration of the school's most eligible bachelor.
"Great," Mamoru said sarcastically. Yes, the plan made sense but the last thing he wanted to do on a Saturday evening was go to some weird talent show.
"Let's make our way over there now, shall we?" Nephrite slid out the booth and stood just as Motoki was coming over with two glasses of water. "Wouldn't want to miss the set-up."
Mamoru followed suit and left some money on the table. Despite not ordering anything, he did take up valuable space and didn't want his friend to suffer. Motoki smiled and waved goodbye as the two headed for the door, only to run into Rei and Usagi as they also went to leave. Mamoru noticed the way Usagi cautiously eyed Nephrite as if she were thinking of ways to maim him.
"Bye, Mamoru!" Rei waved, her voice flirtatious and light.
"Are these your friends?" Nephrite stopped from walking out the door and turned to the two girls. Rei's eyes sparkled but Usagi frowned.
"Something like that," Mamoru said quickly.
"We're having a talent show tonight at the high school." Nephrite pulled a flier out of his pocket, unfolded it and handed it to Rei. "It's not too late to sign up."
Stars danced in Rei's eyes. "A talent show?"
"Why yes." Nephrite's devilish grin made her heart race. "A beautiful girl like yourself must have a litany of talents, I'm sure."
Rei squealed with delight, picturing herself on stage as the next superstar. "Usagi, we have to go."
Nephrite turned back to the door and beckoned Mamoru to follow. "Hope to see you girls there." He flashed one more smile before heading out onto the road. The moment he was out of sight, his face melted back into his pensive scowl.
The gymnasium was packed. Throngs of students from not only Mamoru's high school, but surrounding ones (and junior highs as well) showed up for the spectacle, some dressed in sequins, some in slinking spandex ready to perform tough gymnastics moves. Mamoru even saw a ventriloquist.
Humans were so impressed by these outward displays of talent. No one could be satiated by merely having a satisfying life–they wanted everyone to know they were special, worthy of the spotlight and fame, and everyone was delusional enough to think that they had what it took to rise from mediocrity to stardom. It annoyed Mamoru to no end.
At his spot at the judge's table, Mamoru twirled a pen in his hand. The energy being sucked out of this room was downright incredible. Each act that went on trudged off the stage, so depleted they nearly collapsed, and everyone just chalked it up to their nervous stage energy burning off. With 10 more acts to go, Mamoru was certain this would be their most successful mission yet.
While the next act got ready to perform–a girl a year younger than him dressed head to toe in cowboy gear as she gripped an acoustic guitar–he scanned the audience. And what popped out at him the moment he looked? Two blonde buns atop a head of unruly bangs. Usagi.
"This is going even better than I imagined," Nephrite leaned over to Mamoru. "And no sign of Sailor Moon."
Mamoru clicked the top of his pen. Yet, he thought. No sign of Sailor Moon yet.
After an ear shattering rendition of Dolly Parton's Jolene, a familiar redhead took the stage. Nephrite shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It was Naru, Usagi's friend, the one she had confided in him that she was interested in an older man. Mamoru felt sorry for the girl, all things considered.
Wearing a pale blue dress, she nervously gripped the microphone. Her hair was tied back in a matching blue ribbon, and in the light eyes sparkled like diamonds. Off stage, her track started. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and began to sing.
It was a ballad, soft and slow, an older yet timeless song that was mournful and beautiful at the same time. Naru wasn't what Mamoru would call a great singer, but the passion behind her song was so, so strong. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she looked directly at Nephrite as she sang about love and about desire. Nephrite carefully avoided eye contact. It was cruel what he was doing, Mamoru thought, toying with a young girl's heart because he knew she was an asset in his quest for energy. Naru desired love, and not just any kind of love, she wanted the adult kind, the love that is strong and deep and passionate–not a school crush that is fleeting and meant to end.
Mamoru wanted that kind of love, too. After his parents died, he had been alone. The revived Moon Kingdom had become stand-ins for the family he never had. Maybe that's why he was so loyal to Beryl despite his misgivings about her plan. She invited him in, made him feel seen, gave him a purpose and people to depend on. He liked that.
When Naru was finished, she released the microphone, took two steps back before her wobbling knees gave in. Energy was pouring off her but that was imperceptible to the human eye. But if Sailor Moon happened to be here, then she could probably see…
Nephrite had anticipated this and had a youma waiting in the wings, disguised as a stagehand. As people flooded the stage in concern, the youma took charge, popping out and revealing its true, monstrous form. She was half purple, half gold, her body covered in a diamond pattern that went from the soles of her shoes to her face. She had two spinning masks, one crying and the other one smiling, and her claw-like hands reached out to suck energy from those crowding on stage.
Panic ensued and everyone went running. But not Mamoru of Nephrite. They slinked off to the side and transformed into their battle-ready outfits.
"Was the youma supposed to come out like that?" Mamoru–now dressed as Endymion–said. Nephrite shook his head.
"She was supposed to wait for the signal."
An evil cackle echoed through the auditorium as footsteps shuffled around, throngs of people trying to press their way to the exit. The youma managed to snatch someone by the waist, and as her nails dug into their side, ribbons of energy ebbed off them. Naru remained unconscious on the floor. Endymion scanned the crowd looking for Usagi–did she get out okay?-but was unable to make out the shape of her unique hair. She must've been able to find a way out, he hoped.
"Not so fast, youma!"
On stage appeared Sailor Moon, flanked by Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury.
Endymion frowned. Of course these menaces had found their way here so quickly. Didn't they always show up in a matter of seconds the moment the Earth Kingdom's plan started going south? Grinding his teeth, Endymion shook his head. If they wanted a fight, a fight was precisely what they were going to get.