Chapter 9

Usagi's POV

I finally managed to grasp the top of the building and push myself onto the flat concrete surface. Barely able to breathe, I just laid there on my back, arms spread eagle. My chest went up and down, and I could hear myself panting. I seemed to have damaged more than my face and leg. How I ever got up here, I would never know. Darkness started ebbing from the corners of my eyes. I knew I was about to pass out.

I couldn't though. Not with so many questions that would go unanswered if I passed out here. Someone could come across my body and assume I was dead. Or worse yet, whatever those creatures were could find me here.

How long I stayed laying here, I had no idea.

Something cold and wet hit my face, jolting me back into reality. The burning desire to get up resulted in me turning around onto my face where I pressed with my hands on the concrete to lift myself up. I was on my knees by the time it dawned on me that it was raining.

"Damn it." I said, grasping my side. "I need to find Ami and Rei and tell them that we have a new enemy." I didn't know where to turn to though. I was lost. The rain became a sheets of icy cold wet and all I could do was tremble.

Rei's POV

"I can't believe this. We're here, in a cell, just like every time. I tell you, we're poor Sailor Senshi who are sworn to protect the future queen of our Crystal Tokyo." I said, a rush of emotion blinding my logical thinking. Usually I was the calm one, but right now, right here whenever all of the senshi were under one roof where the leader and the one who needed to be protected was out there all alone and vulnerable, it was hard to digest such an emotion and become logical.

"Don't you think you're being a bit too hard on Usagi?" Minako said from the other cell. "She has proven herself repeatedly that she's not incapable of backing down from a fight when it involves people she loves, even people she's not associated with or even is nice to her, she finds herself defending."

I hated to admit it right now but Minako was right. I was being far too ugly toward our leader and future queen. It was because I was extremely worried about her. Things could happen at the drop of a hat and I always worried she was never prepared for what was to come and what she had to face. I guess I still saw her as this young, inexperienced girl who cried like a baby.

I looked at Ami and she looked as if she was thinking. I wished she wouldn't have decided not to bring her computer with her, and she probably could have found a way out of here by now.

I then heard someone groan and then a shift of a body. The clanging of the irons signaled that Mako was awake.

"Man, what the heck happened? Where are we?" Mako said in a hoarse voice. "Why am I tied up like this?"

"We're still trying to figure that one out." Minako answered with a sigh. "Even Ami and Rei are here."

"Seriously? And Usagi?" There was a moment of silence before Mako swore, loudly. "You've got to be kidding me! We're stuck here while Usagi is out there alone, defenseless?!"

"I wouldn't bet her being defenseless." Ami said, "She may seem like she's weak, but she's not exactly the weak type."

"I know that." Mako said tersely. "I wasn't suggesting she's weak!" A grumble and then the irons moved, "I'm merely pissed because we're here, again. Why is it that we always get captured? Aren't we the ones who are supposed to protect and grow stronger?"

Despite our predicament, I couldn't help but bite my tongue in amusement at Mako's rants. She was right though. We were supposed to be the Guardians, strong and capable of protecting the savior of the world. How shameful that we were now stuck, once again in the same predicament we always seem to put ourselves in. Granted, this was the first time we were ambushed without having any inkling of who our enemy was. Usually we knew who the enemy was through so many battles with monsters, but this type of enemy was very stealthy.

The door to the prison opened and another person walked in other than the one we encountered hours ago. He was hump-backed with hooded eyes, jutted out jaw. His hair was a straw like color and stringy. He held four bowls of contents that smelt horrible.

He grunted as he shoved the two bowls for Ami and I through the cat door. He did the same for Minako and Mako. The contents sloshed over, a green mush coating the already dirty stone floor.

"Eat up, lovelies, because you'll need it. Because that'll be your final meal." He laughed before he walked out.

"We've GOT to get out of here." Ami said picking up the spoon in disgust.

Usagi's POV

"Come on, Usagi, get up." I tried to encourage myself to keep moving. My body screamed in protest, but with my mind clearing, I could finally make it move instead of limply lay there. "You've got to get up." I managed to get to the ledge of the building and look over. It was hard to clearly see down below with the sheets of rain still falling. Faintly, I saw the glowing of several police cars and ambulances.

It must have been bad for them to call the ambulance.

I hoped no one got hurt. My heart clenched and I felt tears form behind my eyes, but I fought to compulsion to cry. There would be no time to get emotional about something I couldn't help.

Seething through my teeth, I gave one more cursory glance below and forced myself up on my knees. Grunting, I bit my lip. My side felt like it was about to rip open from that one move. I continued though, rising to my feet unsteadily. Finally, I was up, but barely able to keep balance. I had to get to my apartment, I had to get to my friends, and I had to warn them.

I saw a door to my right. One step at a time, slowly and surely, I got to the doorknob and went to open it when there was a loud crash, the door hitting me in the face. I landed on my back again. What little strength I had in my body left within that moment. I groaned, and then let out a involuntary cry. Who knew who joined me up here? I didn't want to bring attention to myself, but I was terribly injured. I heard shuffling of feet and a gasp.

"Oh no…oh no. Sailor Moon!" The familiar voice said near my ear. "Oh no…crap! Michiru! I found her!"

"Oh thank Kami!"

"Michiru?" I said softly. My eyes blurred, I could feel the onset of unconsciousness once again seeping through. "How—how did you find me?"

"That's not important right now." Michiru said with a gentle sigh. "We need to get you back and safely. Hotaru, go get Haruka, she's downstairs."

"Okay." Hotaru said and I heard her footsteps disappear.

The rain stopped immediately as Michiru knelt beside me. I saw her teal hair fall out of her ponytail.

"What are doing here?" I managed to ask.

"Here to protect you," Michiru said, "That's our jobs, right?"

"Do you know that we have a new enemy? Were you in the crossfires?" I asked immediately, trying to get up.

Michiru firmly pushed me down, "Stop trying to get up." Her face scrunched up and then shook her head, "No. We weren't in the crossfires. Leave it to you, the one who is terribly injured to worry about others."

"I can't help it."

"I know." Michiru said with a gentle smile. She pushed back some hair from my eyes and said, "You did a good job, Usagi."

"Barely survived. Don't know what caused the explosion though. Are there any casualties?" I asked as another wave of panic burst through.

"Not many, but there are several who are injured. I'm not even sure what caused the explosion. News outlets are baffled as there are no gas-lines for them to say exploded. But we're not going to talk about that right now, Haruka should be here to help carry you." Michiru said, helping me sit up.

"I think I can manage on my own." I said, but I knew it was a lie. I could barely sit up without the help of Michiru.

"Don't be silly." Michiru said with a shake of her head. "Haruka will help you."

"Well, well, well, Princess." Haruka said as she came from the doorway, Hotaru toeing behind her. "What a way for us to meet up again."

"Save your snarky attitude for another day." Hotaru fretted, rubbing her hands together nervously. "She looks really bad off."

"I'll survive." I said with a half-hearted grin. "I've been through worse."

"I doubt it. You're about to pass out any given moment." Haruka said with a snort. "C'mon, Sunshine, let's get you out of this rain before you catch your death."

"Ha, ha." I said, feeling the rest of my energy slowing seeping away.

"Rest, Usagi, I'll get you to safety." Haruka promised with a soft smile. I must have smiled back, I don't know, because after that, I remembered going under and blissful darkness met me like an old friend.

Author's note:

Here you all are! Another chapter as promised on my Christmas Break! I am so happy how this is turning out and I feel so encouraged to keep writing toward the end. I don't see the ending too soon, because this will be-er quite a lengthy chapter fic. I don't mind though, I really am enjoying it. And if I have readers who enjoy it, the better!

The next chapter will HOPEFULLY be before the new year, but I won't promise anything! I have a bad habit of promising one thing and doing a completely different thing. So I'll hope I can get another chapter out soon.

Again:

Thank you all who have reviewed, favored, and followed this fic! I'm really happy people are tuning in! Reviews are great, but if people favor it, that's even better!

I hope you all have a wonderful, Merry Christmas and a HAPPY New Year! May your new year you enter be very blessed and fulfilling!

Sifirela