sabina21: in this case Usagi does recognize that she's one in the same but in this life, she is predominantly a student in school and that the whole princess thing is secondary to what they need to focus on. Yes they are all princesses but right now, between school, fighting evil near daily and Usagi wanting to save Mamoru their plants are already pretty full.
Princesakarlita411: you'll see soon enough.
smoon4409: glad you are all enjoying this. I know I've been enjoying writing it.
3 reviews, nice, glad you guys are enjoying this, and thanks once more to beta 'masterray5' who's been a huge help these last few weeks. Thank you again! Please let me know what you all think, read and review!
The devil within ch.4
Usagi POV
The week of school has gone by just fine. So now another day has passed where there's still no word from the dark kingdom. No youma has been sent out to collect energy which people are finding it relieving and it is. It really is, it's given us all a needed break to relish as we use it to train and be better at our powers ESPECIALLY as I train with my crystal. I can feel its power flow through me, but I work to make sure it doesn't get out of control.
I'm still a tad afraid of how powerful this stone, this crystal is. From what I can remember it was used to take down our enemies in the past but that was also by my past mother who was obviously much more powerful than myself. I was still training in the past to be able to use it, she was at full power. I'm not. It's a dawning responsibility to take on and more so since I'm the only one left of my bloodline to be able to use it.
Luna gently harped and reminded me of this when she could. When I got done with martial arts practice with Makoto I went home and grabbed a protein drink so I could get my muscles a bit more built up, at least so I could keep them. They were toned for now, but I wasn't near her level of brute strength. I wanted to be at a well-trained, able to do what was needed level that I was comfortable with.
Makoto managed to have these muscles on her that made her look Amazonian in size yet still feminine in nature and beautiful, all the while able to handle a guy twice her size or multiple aggressors. I admired her for that. Plus, it was one of the few things besides schoolwork that was a helpful distraction from the thoughts of Mamoru. The fact he was still gone. I knew even Motoki was having a hard time without his friend around.
I talked with Ami as we came up with a solution for Mamoru's disappearance. Obviously, his school, or rather the university he was beginning to attend, had started to notice his lack of attendance and no homework or whatever he did coming in. Ami and I devised a plan to help him out till I could save him. We ended up going to see a counselor of his at the school and politely explained the situation.
The made-up one was Mamoru had been in an accident which wasn't too far from the truth. He had been injured last we saw, and was currently unable to attend his classes or do the homework as he was laid up in a coma-like state. With Ami's medical jargon that I only half understood, the administrator accepted this with a doctor's note from Ami's mother Ami had procured.
Ami felt bad for doing so and even worse for us both using the Luna Pen for disguises as medical practitioners BUT we didn't have much of a choice. I think it was the ONLY reason why she agreed to help me. Mamoru was in trouble, and he needed our help. Motoki was missing his friend especially when rumors circulated in the school about his accident. Luckily it stopped people from trying to look for him.
We had heard some of the students were beginning to set up a search party for him but with what we put out there it got called off. Now people were trying to find out which hospital he was at to send flowers. Luckily whenever someone said they'd find out they'd forget soon afterward. We had to keep what happened to him on the lay low so things wouldn't blow out of proportion. We all knew this was temporary…or at least hoped so.
Still, I missed him and wanted to see him and talk to him again so badly. To hold him and kiss him…it's why I was currently sitting at home mulling over how our plan was executed and wondering how long it would last when a knock came at the door. I looked over as I gave a brief, "Come in." there in front of me was Minako. I smiled even though I wasn't really feeling it.
"I'm sensing you're still not as okay as you could be." Her words are very true.
"I'm not…I can only think about how much I miss him. My family thinks I'm getting weirder about an issue they are clueless about. Our other friends wonder why I miss Mamoru when we bicker a bit. I'm sure even the students at school wonder why I've been acting differently." It was true, I had been off in my own personal character since that evening, and it had only grown worse.
Umino and Naru were beginning to suspect something was up, in fact, I'm beginning to think that they might even wonder if I'm on drugs or something with how things have been changing.
I sense Minako moving towards me, "Well I've got a surprise for you." She pulls me towards her, "A treat for you really." She pulls me from my room and makes me glad I was at least wearing a faded blue dress as she drags me from the house.
I grab my shoes as she links her arm with mine till we reach the bus depot and head on off to an area of Jubaan that we normally don't visit and sitting in a shop that's been vacant for months is a new shop for haircuts. "I know everyone is different, but I saw this shop yesterday and thought maybe a new free haircut might make you feel a bit better. Or at least be something to distract you."
I nod seeing the big sign that says 'free haircuts'.
It's already a bit odd since that old saying 'nothing in life is for free' mantra is in my head, but I digress as I walk into the salon with her. The lady helps us both into chairs. I ask her, "So you guys are fairly new, I've never heard of a free haircut before."
She smiles and replies, "Gotta get the customers in to see how good we are so they return for more haircuts and know its quality service for the prices we charge."
It's not a bad business tactic but it's NOT widely used considering they're technically working for free and anyone working in the customer service industry. According to both Motoki and his little sister, will tell you, working for free doesn't pay the bills. It's the use of talent, skills, energy, and manual labor that go into work. So doing so for free unless it's an ACTUAL volunteer service doesn't typically happen.
Still, though I wasn't going to complain about getting a free haircut. So, I let my eyes close as I let her wash my hair. When I realized I hadn't even told her what type of style I wanted it occurred to me that I didn't really have a style in mind. Minako had made some suggestions, but they weren't really me. Right, when I was going to tell the stylist or hair cutter, whatever their professional name was to just get the spilt ends I feel her scrubbing my scalp pretty roughly, and it's beginning to hurt.
Even my younger brother Shingo and I have a 'no pulling hair rule' that we established from a young age in place. Mostly cause we both crossed a line on each other as kids and we both got hugely grounded for it in response. We never crossed the line again. So feeling someone pull on my hair aggressively so didn't feel good. "Sorry, but can you ease up?" I ask her as I go to try to pull back at the hair she has wrapped around her hands.
It's a natural reaction of course. I open my eyes as there's thankfully no water too close to them to get in them when I see the evil smirk she has on her face that I know all too well. The negaverse is here. She looks over to Minako who's got her hair wrapped up in a towel and enjoying a heating cyclone plastic thing over on her head as she reads a magazine. I see the other attendant in there going over to her.
Before I can speak the lady or youma in disguise, rinses my hair off as the other attendant puts Minako to sleep. She grabs her hair again only to give a small shriek, "It's not hers."
Confused now I wonder what she means when I see that she's holding up what must be a tiny shred of hair, as I can't see it THAT damn well, from Minako's form.
"We need to find Sailor Moon." The other attendant muttered.
That much I could hear but I'm better I wasn't meant to. That's when I look around and wonder if this place wasn't just meant as an energy ground, that was obvious now, but as a way to lure ME out. That's when it hits me when Minako had her arm around me on the bus as she was just being her good-natured self some of my hairs must have gotten on her and they thought she was me. Were they looking for me?
Why would they try to find me using my hair? Questions I didn't have answers to flew through my mind but I wasn't in a position to ask them as the other lady looked back at me as it dawned on her just WHO I was. The evil smirk now looked at me. I was in a vulnerable position yes, and had I not been to Makoto's training classes I'd be a bit more afraid, but I HAD been, and I felt a little bit better about what to do now.
"Yeah…not happening." Before she could react to my words or anything really I head-butted her enough to make her go back a couple of feet before I kicked her away and scrabbled out of the bent back chair and grabbed my locket to transform just as she shifted into a youma. I gave my little speech as I went to use my moon rod only to see the youma get disintegrated before my eyes as we both were in shock by what happened.
The other youma, now shifted to, next to an unconscious Minako. She looked between her partner and me as I said, "As much as I'd like to take credit for that I can't."
Now she was perplexed till a beam of darkness hit her and she turned to dust too. I was on guard now,. "Whoever you are, come out now. if you pose NO threat, I won't hurt you," I warned as I don't hear anything for a moment.
I walk forward and see behind the counter at least six women. My ire immediately goes up as I wonder how long this has been going on for, "No worries they'll be fine."
That voice…my heart rate speeds up in both happiness and wariness. I turn my head and see Mamoru, no Tuxedo Mask sitting in one of the salon chairs. Casually to as if he was waiting. I don't want to think it was for me but recalling the youma's talking I think he was.
"It occurred to me that I never got to tell you how stunning you look when you transform." A small blush hits my cheeks. Mamoru rarely even complimented me so this was a new side of him to see and I was unsure of how to proceed forward, "There's a certain beauty and elegance to it."
I'm confused at first as he doesn't sound like the Mamoru that I know and he's not actively doing anything evil.
He's not attacking me or summoning more youma to help him which is what the generals typically did. It puts my guard further up just as much as knowing it's him makes me want to put them down. It's conflicting especially when there are victims in here that he's assuring me they're fine. I can even sense the regret in his tone since I can't see his face, only his eyes. He smiles and I can't help but melt a bit.
"I'm glad you're here though…sorry about the mess back there though." He apologizes as I look over and see the rising chests of the women unconscious. There are alive so that's good but what's this all about besides energy?
"I'm assuming that the dusting of the youma was you're doing?" I ask still wary.
He nods, "Two of Beryl's personal choices to come out here, ones that I do believe I managed to successfully make look like you did it."
I'm confused still. "Why does that sound more like 'I'm making you the patsy for a kill I made' versus 'hey I helped you out'?" I ask him.
He smiles, "Sorry I just figured since it is just the two of us and there are no other senshi here that in these tight quarters it'll make things faster especially since I have a limited amount of time to talk with you."
Now he has my attention, "Talk with me?" Why I was acting like a parrot was a mystery right now I guess this whole thing had me a bit thrown.
He smiles, "Yeah I had to see you." One of the women stirs but doesn't get up. I almost go to her but I'm debating on it. My instincts are torn between checking on the unconscious women and facing off against Tuxedo Mask whose actions are confusing me as to the role he plays in this if he's really the enemy as Rei would undoubtedly say he is now, or not and is still on our side in this war.
THIS with the energy stealing IS something the enemy would do but his stance, his carefree nature and the fact that he hasn't once tried to attack me and wants to talk to me without anyone knowing is also proof that things are not as they seem as we've not ever had a youma or a general talk with us like this before. I keep my distance from him despite my wanting to run to his open arms.
"Again, sorry about that but I still have to have something to take back to Beryl to showcase I'm making effort here."
My confusion only adds to my anger at his responses and their lack of explanations so I demand as best as I can while still maintaining a level of authority, "What do you mean?"
He walks forward towards me and waves his hands in the air as I see a dark aura coming from his fingertips as the darkness gently swirls around and covers us before disappearing into the air.
I tense up wondering what he's done and wondering if I'm in a bigger jam than what I'm hoping I'm not in. I refuse to believe Rei's right in this and decide to follow my gut and my gut tells me to go forward but proceed with caution. I take a breath and tell myself this is my chance to reach him, if he is working for Beryl then I need to utilize this time to my advantage and save him with the crystal since I've been working with it.
"There is more freedom to talk and a guarantee they can't hear us."
That's when I realize that the darkness was the power he now possessed. Those were nega-energy powers. I've seen the generals use them before. My gut drops just a tad bit. Was Rei right this whole time? Was I too naive in my thinking? No, I know in my heart and in my gut that things are different. This isn't pure the Negaverse here right now.
Yet he did say he had to return to Beryl with 'something' for his efforts. Is he working for Beryl or not? My hopes are rising up, but there's so much confusion mounted around it thanks to the passed-out women on the floor. "What I mean is I didn't want to use any people like the other generals have done in the past, those were purely youma that are now dead."
I look to him as I lessen my stance. They did dust like youma but still what is going on? "Mamoru?" I ask him as he shakes his head, and I nearly tense up again.
"Not quite, I am Prince Endymion of the Negaverse, BUT..." I can't help but become stunned. Prince of the Negaverse? Beryl gave him his old title in the Negaverse, this is new information. One of the options we came up with in theory but didn't know just yet so this was needed to know.
"I'm still fully aware of who I am...all of who I am." I lessen my stance even more as I see it in his face and his own body language that he is still my Mamoru…my prince. He walks closer and there's no instinctive reaction in me to push him away or to defend myself. My gut is trusting him so I push my own training aside temporarily to let him in closer. He reaches out and caresses my cheek.
His hands aren't cold from being fully entrapped by them as evil. They still hold his warmth, his strong gentleness. "I even know who you are and not the ridiculous version of you that Beryl gave me."
I can't help but laugh at this just a bit and melt a little. I can see it in his eyes that he's telling me the truth. He knows all of it, our past, our present…he knows the truth which also confirms that he's definitely not under Beryl's control.
He would have come after us or at least SHE would have come after us in our sleep. There's no way with that information Beryl would have let ANY of us live the moment she found out. As much as I hate to think about it, she would have sent more than just youma's, she would have sent her best out, possibly herself included to kill us and even possibly our families in our sleep to make her goals of world domination come true.
So I know for a true blue fact that there is no long game to play for them. Not if he truly gave them the information. However, several very important questions still remain in play here. "I don't understand though. Why are you there still? How are you doing this?"
The questions come out in a rush as he drops his hand. I feel the loss of his warmth, but I need to know the truth of things before I can let more of my guard down.
As it is, both Luna and Rei would have a field day that it was dropped down even this far. "And how do I know this is really you?"
The question hurts to even ask. Like I'm doubting him, but I know I need to ask it. After all Rei's voice is in the back of my head telling me it's still a trick and I need to fight him even though I don't want to…yet it doesn't mean I won't if that's the only option I have.
"You want proof…? When we first met you threw your test balled up behind you and it hit my head, by accident of course."
My mouth drops open in slight shock as the memory hits me.
"I couldn't figure out why my heart fluttered at interacting with you. Why I felt the urge to see you." I realized he was confessing things that Mamoru had wanted to tell me but probably, like me, didn't have the guts to even acknowledge at the time.
"I began to see your friend Rei just so I could be closer to you, not the best of my moves but I didn't know how to handle being around you without acting like a total ass for a bit. Then as we got closer, I just wanted to be with you and found ways to be around you that didn't need to involve Rei." I now know how truthful he's being. The mention of our first ever interaction together coupled with Rei's name and his admittance.
As if that weren't enough he adds on, "Besides I think we both know that if I were truly on the evil side then that means that I didn't need to do this, I could have gone to your parent's place and have taken what I needed the moment I was turned."
He's absolutely right and things are lining up just a bit more now. That's when I see a shift in him. Like he's almost looking up as if he's sensing something.
"I think Beryl's radar is trying to locate me." His voice is annoyed but sounding urged. It occurs to me that the generals would sometimes have that look on their faces so that must have been what it was. Beryl has a way of magically demanding their attention back in the negaverse and they have a limited time in which to obey it seems. "Let's just say I've become your ticket to the inside. I can be your man on the other side who can warn you, help you take her down."
I can't help but feel a new hope rise within me. Yet there's a knowing sensation in my gut about what this also means. He's somehow become a double agent working with us still but giving Beryl the impression he works for her too. While this is better than what we could have hoped for there's a very real fear present here as well. Well two fears really, if Beryl were to find out about his deception towards her, whatever he did to maintain not being completely brainwashed might be completely flooded down the drain and would make healing him that much harder.
The other fear I have is the girl's reactions when they find out. I know I couldn't keep it from them forever but something in my gut tells me to keep it from them for a little while at least until I know more or have at least cultivated more of a relationship with him. This Prince of the Negaverse. Rei and Luna would be on instant guard while Makoto and Ami would be in the middle to want to know more about the how's of it.
I mean I want to tell the girls right away but the factor remains that both Luna and Rei would both take issue with it and say something regarding my nativity and…or my personal character in this matter. I survey my surroundings and go to the unconscious women yet again that Rei would be hammering into me that 'that something that the NEGAVERSE does!'
"What about them though?" I ask pointing to them.
He shrugs. "They'll be fine, groggy and a bit drained but fine. Nothing a good nap and meal won't fix."
While I'm glad that they will be fine I'm still on the fence with these actions as he did steal energy for Beryl. Even if it is a means to keep in her good graces to make her think he's working for her while really working for us. I wonder if that's how government spies feel when they do something shady?
I decided to try my chances and push forward. "Let me heal you then." I know what his aim is but why not have the same goals and be healed?
"Wish I could but Beryl needs to feel the nega energy within me, or else I'll get put back in the chamber that tortured me as it filled me with negaenergy."
My jaw drops a little in stunned silence at this news. He has to remain as he is for this double agent stuff to work.
Yet as much as I want to protest or fight it, it does make sense. After all, why wouldn't the Queen of the negaverse be able to tell which of her subjects is filled with nega-energy or not…the defeated tone in my head tells me how accurate that would be. He then takes my hand, making me want him to hold me. This is the most contact I've had since he was gone and I just want him back so much…not to the point of sacrificing a life but you know.
"Listen I want to tell you more but I'm running out of time, Beryl's not known for her patience, please know and believe that I'm on your side, all of your senshi's sides." I nod knowing he has to leave and hoping that I'm not being foolish to place my trust and belief in him. "I just have to play this as a long game till Beryl is gone. She's our toughest foe yet. I just need to know one thing about the crystal."
I look to him curiously on that. Rei's annoyance peaks in my head again along with Luna. He must sense my hesitance to say anything as he adds on, "If I give her a piece of information, even if utterly false, it'll buy me time on keeping you safe."
Now I get it. Now as I have Ami as inspiration here I am able to formulate a plan of my own in this. If I give him something on the crystal that could be true or not it not only helps him but could also help us as well.
Beryl will be under a false assumption and because she believes in him she'll believe what he's giving her. This could really work out to our advantage and tip the scales of this war in our favor. I suddenly feel like this could really be the ticket to a possible win…if we play the cards right.
"I would have to be dead for evil to use the crystal, otherwise as long as I live the connection can't be severed." I try.
He mulls it over for a moment before saying, "Good gambit, though it will make them more likely to want to kill you and I don't want that."
I can't help the smile at the words. "I know but what else can we say?" I ask him as I try to think now of something else as my previous answer was faulted pretty easily by him and rightfully so. Beryl and the rest want me dead so they would have NO issues with killing me.
"What about only someone of your bloodline can activate its powers to the fullest and evil couldn't do it cause it's not blood-related."
I nod as I see how it can aid in protecting all those involved. "It should work on stalling them," I agree with his excuse. Not that it's not a reason either, we're not a hundred percent in the know of what the crystal can do yet so it's still a hit or miss on being the truth or not.
He smiles and pulls me into his arms. I feel that comfort that I always got whenever I was in his arms. I can tell that it hasn't changed. Not even his being filled with nega-energy makes me feel like I should be running for the hills or fighting him. It's not just my heart that tells me to trust him, my gut says it too. I instinctively know he's not going to hurt me and that alone tells me to believe in him.
I feel like I'm home again in his arms…that's what that sensation is that I couldn't describe before whenever he saved me. Being in his arms felt like coming home.
"I've missed you so much." He tells me as I feel a warmth spreading through me. His hand goes to my chin as he pulls my face up towards his for a kiss. Nothing too serious but enough to give me hope with the storm of crap that's undoubtedly going to be coming our way.
I don't want to let him go and I can tell he feels the same way. I gaze into his eyes and though they are darker than they used to be, they still hold a glint of the blue that has always been there. I'm grateful that only I will ever be able to see it. If Beryl were to ever get close enough it might cast suspicion onto him. He gives me one more feather-light kiss before urging me, "I want to stay longer, but if I do it'll make the others curious."
He steps back as if to regain himself as I do the same.
"Hit me." His blunt words confuse me.
"Sorry?" I ask as I frown at him, "And not just with your hands hit me with your wand too. Make it look good as to why I'm going back empty-handed...so to speak." As if realization hits me I know what I have to do now. I hate they I'll have to but do as I need to so that he can go back and show proof that he fought me.
I form the moon wand into my palm and can't help it as I cringe from the impact of hitting him with brute force with it. There's a telltale bruise forming where I hit him. I resist the urge to cradle his face with my gloved palm.
He winces but shakes it off, "Harder. It needs to look genuine."
I hate that we have to do this. That this is the situation we're in, but we are, so I use my frustration to power through.
I whack him even harder with it. Slamming the want so hard into him as an uppercut he flips over and hits the chair he was previously sitting on as it breaks beneath the force of the hit. He gets back up a small smile on his face before he says, "Good…now blast me."
I can't help the near horrified expression cross my face. He grins, "Make it look good."
I conjure the powers within me and shout out the words. For a few seconds, I'm tempted to heal him. To get it over with as he's oh so willing to be hit by the want, but if Beryl is trying to call him right now and she's within 'sniffing range' of him, then it might be for nothing anyway. I can tell he senses my hesitation and gives me a look of 'please trust me'. Deciding to trust my heart and gut I go to the words that are reserved for dusting youma.
No healing words as I would have wanted to as he pretends to block if only for the initial blast before he lets it through to hit himself as he gives him into the energy. Granted I didn't try too hard at it, but it was a power blast nonetheless. Therefor show. For a moment I regret NOT healing him as he's down on the ground. I could have gone to him, ushered him out, and taken him to where he'd be safe.
Did I make a mistake by not trusting Rei's words? By trusting in my heart did I make an error in judgment? Spurned by seeing him in pain I go towards him only for him to push me back so that I'm out of his range, "Don't they need to see this."
I'm nearly hurt by this till I see a nearly black swirl of wind come in as Malachite arrives. The picture that Endymion has painted is giving Malachite the impression he wanted it to.
I get hit with a small wave of relief, one that I keep hidden from Malachite as I put on my angry game face. That's when my earlier doubts are put into focus as wrong. Had I healed him Malachite would have been within range to take him from me…again. It would have been a lost cause and I might NOT have gotten so lucky the following time to have him as a double agent on our side…Endymion was right.
That's when I see Endymion falter down towards his knees. Out of instinct once more I nearly go to him, but Malachite gets between us. I put up my wand as a way of defending myself if need be till Endymion groans a bit. He does look to be smoking up a bit from the attack I placed on him. He then sees the now visible welt from my wand on his face from when I whacked him with it earlier.
"Looks like you should have used more youma." Malachite smirks, clearly enjoying Endymion being in pain.
Endymion being the smart ass he is tells him, "And let them have all the fun." I see Malachite look around and see the other two youma dust piles around. He then looks at me as I give him a 'keep it up and you'll get the same fate'. I can't help myself though as I look to this nega-filled Endymion.
"Don't try to get your lackey to do the dirty work for you since I beat your ass! Although if you do I'll just beat on his ass too." I prepare to take him on if needed. The expression on Malachite's face as I refer to him as Endymion's lackey is near hysterical as he is obviously silently fuming about it.
"Oh I wouldn't, I prefer to get hands-on." Endymion makes it look like he's going to attack only to get stopped by Malachite.
"Not that I wouldn't enjoy seeing you get your ass handed to you, again apparently, but Beryl wants to see you." Malachite's words have him slightly stopping as Endymion gives him the show of debating before acting reluctantly to agreeing to leave. With me now in the know it's so obvious now that he's acting or maybe it's just because I know him so well that I can see through it where others can't.
"Till next time," Endymion tells me. His words sound stoic and near scathing in practiced toxicity his eyes, as Malachite is glaring at me, tell me 'good job, till next time', as the two vanish off. A swirl of dark wind makes them disappear and I debate on how to move with this new information going forward. It's a lot to take in and it makes me wonder what I need to do.
When I turn to the side, I see that Minako is fully awake, and judging by the expression marring her face she heard and saw all of it. She stands up, not in her fuku but still in her sundress that she was already in which tells me that she knew there was no need for her to transform. Had things gone differently between Endymion and myself she undoubtedly would have transformed and had fought him as I would have had to.
I can thankfully only imagine how that would have gone. So this gives me a bit of relief that perhaps she sees and understands why I'm going to ask her next what I'm asking her next, "We can't tell the girls."
Okay, maybe not ask, maybe a plea instead. I can tell she's weighing the options here and what's best for everyone right now. She seems to relent if only to tell me, "Let's discuss this at my place."
We only stay long enough to alert the authorities to what's happened and check on the women there to make sure things are really okay before heading off to her place. She's resounding the entire way back to her place as I de-transform and hope for the best in this. We bypass her parents who are on their way out for some party that Minako waves off at before we get to her room, "Will they be back this evening?" I ask her.
She watches them leave out the window, "They won't leave the party till they've gained the attention they're aiming for. Then and only then will they leave. High on their own fumes." I nod as she looks at me knowingly. "Price to pay for being the marketing for Sailor V. My parents get ultimate bragging rights and trips all over. They never gave up our place in England so despite my moving here they still go there for 'stressful times'."
I can't help but ask, "How stressed out can they be?"
For a moment I wonder if I've overstepped a boundary when she says, "They're not. Thankfully my agent, knowing how some minors can be treated, especially by their parents in the industry, set up a separate account for funds for me to earn off of from the royalties. My parents have no access to them and have no IDEA they even exist."
I nod as I admit that's smart.
"I'm going to use those funds to move out when I can and go to university here in Japan for fashion. It's my dream."
I smile in admiration of that, "I think you'd be great in it. You've got an eye for it."
She smiles, "Thank you."
I smile in response as I do hope that whatever rough patches are between her parents and her don't go south. Despite how they are now with their parenting style I hope that things can change for the better.
Then something occurs to me, "So wait, do you essentially live here alone?"
A rueful smile hits her face, "Half the time yes. This is why Artemis and I are able to get away with conversing as we do so much."
I nod as we get to business. "You need to know why the girls cannot know, not yet," I begin as she sits on her bed and gestures for me to take a seat. I go to talk when Minako puts up her hand to stop me.
"I know why. Luna and Rei have made their stance regarding him quite clear."
It quiets me down as I wonder where she's going with this and hoping that it's still in everyone's best interest. "I believe that he's himself otherwise what just happened back there wouldn't have happened at all," I tell her.
She responds with, "I believe it too, I saw how he looked at you…" Minako looks at me with a smile. One that makes me smile a tinge.
"Mamoru is still in there and is fighting the 'brain washing'." I'm convinced of it now.
"The part that was subjected to him. He's retained a part of him inside that is allowing him to fight on our behalf." Her words put further proof in the fact that I'm not the only one who saw it. I'm not deluding myself in this, it's actually happening and somehow having Minako on my side helps me to validate this more.
Not merely because I'm telling her this but because she's seen it for herself and believes it to be true as well. There's a sinking wave of relief that slips in as I feel a small weight off of my shoulders I hadn't realized was there before. It helps to have my theories confirmed and not just by me but by someone else that I consider a friend.
"But we do need to tell the girls...eventually." My stance on the bed shifts as I want to refute it but I know it's going to happen eventually.
"When we've been able to get further along this process. It will hurt them Usagi. They might even see it as a betrayal," Minako warns me as I nod in understanding.
I hope I can express it properly when the time comes. "So we'll present it as a 'what if' option and see how they react to it and judge on what to do going forward," I present the idea to her and see her facial reactions. "If they react favorably, we'll tell them, if not we'll keep it close to the vest till it's time."
She nods in agreement saying, "We do need to tell one other person though." I wonder who it is till she says, "Artemis. I can't not tell him, and we can be assured he won't tell Luna. He kept the fact that he was central control from her for a while till he got accidentally revealed."
I smile at the memory of that. "True, then I guess we can tell him. Honestly, I'm glad we can as I'd love to have the opinion of at least one of our guardian cats in on this. I have a feeling he'll be a little more detached from this than Luna will. Somehow I get the feeling that she's not going to react favorably till she herself has seen proof of things and I don't know when or how that will be just yet." I confide as Minako agrees.
"Right, I agree. Not that Luna is in the wrong cause I do understand where she's coming from but not everything is in black and white, and right now Mamoru or Endymion is in a very grey area of where stances are. He's pretending to help them and actually giving them something so that he can appear to be on their side but is also on our side as well by not only not killing you or making a move for the crystal but even you showed him that you trust him." Her words have me a little stunned.
"Sorry?" I ask as she smiles, "I saw that you had a chance to heal him when you made the power blast hit him. There was a small hesitation in you before you blasted him."
I sigh, "I almost did, but I weighed the options and I'm glad I didn't. with as quickly as Malachite showing up as that was I never would have had a chance to get Mamoru or Endymion out of there in time."
She places a comforting hand on my leg. "You did the right thing. I know it may not seem like it now, but you did. Even if I had scrambled up and transformed there was no time for both of us to get him out while simultaneously having each other's backs against Malachite who's last we checked, Beryl's most powerful general, and that's AFTER you drained your powers to heal him, to begin with." Her words put that theory and concept into reality.
"We might have made it out, but Mamoru would have been back there and getting re-brainwashed…again and this time would only tell if he was able to come back to me as he did this time or if it would have been worse."
It sucks to think about it but at least now I know that my actions this evening were validated. Even Minako agreed and knew that the odds weren't in our favor to not only heal Mamoru and get him to safety with the threat of Malachite there but recoup, recover, fight and retreat.
Maybe with ALL of the girls there but there was no time and last time it was all of us there and not only did Malachite get Mamoru while he was in my arms, but he got away too. Either way, there's wasn't a scenario that came to mind where we both beat back Malachite AND saved Mamoru while not getting our asses fried. I just hoped that when the time came the rest of the girls would understand too.