Sailor Moon X by Starling Sinclair

Chapter 13: Jupiter Strikes

June 18, 2019

The cabin was silent. Mamoru shouldn't have minded. He'd been thinking of the peace and quiet ever since unpacked his book earlier that day. There was plenty to read, and if he desired, a TV to watch. The gentle sway of the boat, almost imperceptible, was comforting. It was the perfect recipe for relaxation, yet the words about crystals continued to blur. He missed Usagi.

Crystals, magic, dreams, Senshi- all the things that he should be thinking of while his girlfriend enjoyed her night out. He sighed and tried to focus again. She needed time with her friends. They were opposites in many ways; she thrived with others when he needed solitude. Six years wasn't going to change that. Back to the book.

Since the appearance of Sailor Moon, Mamoru, as Tuxedo Kamen, had been inexplicably drawn to her. They shared some psychic connection, and he knew in his bones, he was to protect her. It was not a connection he shared with Venus or Mars. His interaction with them seemed to be more based on coincidence than the pull he felt with Moon. He hoped to pry Moon away from Venus at some point to ask about the Princess. The complicated history between Venus and himself was nothing but trouble. Still, he believed his connection to Sailor Moon had to be related to his dream princess. What other explanation was there?

So when Sailor Moon's terror crashed into him, and he doubled over, it wasn't the newest Senshi he thought of but Usagi.

There was a youma on this boat, which meant Usagi was in danger. Throwing his book and forgetting his room key, he transformed before exiting the room, rushing towards the pull in his chest.

Please be okay, Usako.

XXX

The flurry of light, magic, and music ended with Sailor Moon striking a pose.

"I am the beautiful Senshi, Sailor Moon, and on behalf of all party goers everywhere, I will punish you!"

"A Senshi? Well, Senshi, I am Thetis. You should know my name, the name of the servant who kills you," Thetis said. Water appeared in her hand. It started as an orb, then stretched into something weapon-like.

"Usagi! You're a Senshi! That's so badass," Makoto said after getting a good kick in on the youma charging her.

Suddenly, Thetis's water ball shot out towards Usagi like a spear. "You shall rue the day you challenged me!"

"Usagi!" Minako cried. "Look out!"

Sailor Moon, who was attempting to fist pump at Makoto's compliment, tripped, and the water spear missed her entirely, crashing into the bar behind her. Bottles shatter, and the pungent odor of liquor filled the air.

"Oh, no! The booze!"

"Of course, my new friend had to be the incompetent Senshi," Makoto grumbled under her breath. The distraction gave the youma an opportunity to backhand her, and she fell to her knees.

Makoto growled. She wasn't going to be defeated; she was going to help her new friends. No matter what. Her body felt energized, and she didn't notice the burning on her forehead as the green symbol of Jupiter appeared.

But Minako did.

Minako and Rei, even as civilians, were proving a match for the youma. The monster would go for one, and the other would attack. However, they weren't going to defeat it without their powers. Minako's brain raced with ways to disguise her transformation until she saw the symbol of Makoto's forehead. She smiled. Good job, Usagi.

"Rei," Minako said. "Handle this for just a moment. I'm gonna get some backup."

Minako twirled from the melee as if it were a dance and dashed towards Makoto. Seeing an opportunity, she aimed for the other monster's legs, sliding into the youma like a baseball player and knocking it off its feet.

"Makoto!" Minako cried, producing Jupiter's transformation pen. "Take this and call Jupiter Power Make Up!" She tossed Makoto the item, who caught it with ease.

Makoto blinked at the object. "What the hell am I gonna do with a tube of lipstick?"

"Jupiter Power Make Up!" Minako instructed again. She rolled her eyes; it didn't seem like Makoto was gonna get it. So she pulled out her own stick.

"Venus Power Make Up!"

Golden light encircled Minako as the magic manifested as stars, glitter, and ribbons, transforming her from Minako Aino to Sailor Venus. She finished by striking a pose.

"Oh," Makoto said.

Rei upon hearing the henshin, stuck an ofuda scroll on her youma and responded with, "Mars Power Make-Up!"

Makoto shook her head with concession. "What the hell, Jupiter Power Make Up!"

The transformation was electric. The world slowed around her as power enveloped her, magical armor covering her chest, arms, and legs. Lightning thrummed around her, and she buzzed with a sense of belonging. A piece of her soul found - something she often looked for in lovers, yet turned out it had just been this. Her true calling as a Senshi, and her name, Sailor Jupiter.

Smiling from the power coursing through her, she looked at the youma Venus had knocked over. A little antenna popped from her tiara, focusing the energy channeling through her.

"Time to go to hell," she said. "Supreme Thunder!"

The blast flew from her hand and into the youma, turning it to dust.

XXX

The hallway was mostly empty. He only startled a few hallway stragglers as he barrelled through, letting his connection to Sailor Moon guide him. In only a few minutes, he found himself outside of the dance club, and his heart sank.

Music pulsated behind the club doors, but everything seemed too placid. People should be coming and going or lounging in the small seating area outside. He reached for the door only to find it locked. He pressed his ear to the door, but he couldn't hear anything. Deciding another tactic was needed, he slammed his shoulder into the door.

He had the dignity not to scream in pain. After a second, he refocused and tried again. Then kicked at the door. He even tried to pick the lock with a rose. Nothing was making that door budge.

He didn't need whatever connection he had to the Senshi to know that this was trouble. Usagi was in there. He had to do something. The day she'd been attacked at the arcade haunted him, and he'd never forgiven himself for it.

Panic bubbled just below the surface, but he kept his restraint. There had to be another way. His eyes scanned his surroundings, finally resting on a window that faced the deck. The deck. There was undoubtedly an alternate entrance there! Finally, he saw a window. Using his superhuman abilities successfully, he jumped to the window.

Balancing precariously on the lip of the window, Tuxedo Kamen peered in. His heart dropped when he saw the nightclub. Bodies littered the floor. His eyes searched for his girlfriend's tell-tale blonde hair but found nothing. Instead, he noticed Mars and Venus tag-teaming one youma while another green Senshi battled a second monster. The green one zapped the creature, turning it to ash. Tuxedo Kamen raised his eyebrows. Lightning was new; he'd need to be careful.

Sailor Moon was struggling against the more powerful youma in the middle of the room. She darted and tripped her way through defensive combat. He started to shake his head at her lack of tactics when he realized what she was doing - drawing the youma away from the people on the floor.

He wanted to search more for Usagi, to check among the people on the ground and make sure she was okay, but he knew he didn't have time. There was a girl in trouble right in front of him, and she was trying to keep his girlfriend safe, even if she didn't know it. He pressed against the glass. Now, if only he could get in.

XXX

In the back of her mind, Sailor Moon knew that Rei, Minako, and Makoto were fighting too, but seriously, where were they? She was the least suited for fighting this blue, mouthless baddie. At least, she made a half decent distraction. (It was the only successful tactic in her arsenal at the moment.)

She focused on her adversary, which caused her to tumble over a speaker. To be fair, she knew the speaker was nearby, but dodging her surroundings and attacks while drawing the monster away from civilians at the same time was really hard. So, she focused on the most intimidating prospect, Thetis. (Sailor Moon would have to puzzle why youma really enjoyed introducing themselves to her, and why their names were terrible, later.) This creature wasn't like the monster in the arcade or the one in the fortune shop. Rather, Thetis was more like the men she met at the night club. Moon was head to head against something much more powerful: a level boss.

It was a terrible position for an inept Senshi like herself to be in.

At least she'd moved onto the stage. However, it did not appear that the wall of window before her had an emergency exit. Just a cinematic view of the ocean and a dead end. Well, shit. She turned to face her doom.

"Gotcha you little serpent!" Thetis called as she tackled Moon by the shoulders. The force pushed the two through the glass and out onto the deck of the ship. A couple, who hadn't been at the club but enjoying a quiet, romantic walk, screamed before heading below deck.

Thetis pinned Moon to the ground, straddling the Senshi with one hand around her neck. Thetis raised her other hand, palm out to the ocean. A tendril of water rose from beside the ship, like a charmed snake, then speared towards Moon.

Thetis was knocked from atop Moon. The force pulled Moon away from the water spear, which pierced the deck where her head had been. A hand on her wrist pulled her to her feet, and she finally saw her savior- Tuxedo Kamen.

"Thank you," she said. He nodded and stood beside her as they faced Thetis.

"Let's finish this," he said, drawing his cane sword like a knight. She nodded to him, and something settled between them. With Kamen by her side, everything felt, right, as if a missing cog in the gears of her battling system had been found.

He lunged at Thetis. The youma dodged, and, seeing an opportunity, Moon kicked the monster in its blind spot. (Rei and Minako would be so proud! She was using her training!) Tuxedo Kamen followed with a slice of his cane.

In passing, Moon observed that she and he made a better team than she and the Senshi, but she didn't have time to dwell on that. While Tuxedo Kamen grappled with the monster, Sailor Moon had time to attack with something more powerful.

"Moon Tiara Action!" she called, hurling her tiara at the creature. It hit its target. Previous youma had crumbled beneath the tiara's power; Thetis only groaned and clutched her serrated side. The attack was damaging, but it wasn't strong enough on its own.

"Fuck," Moon muttered.

Tuxedo Kamen regrouped with her, looking at her for leadership. She shrugged to him and said, "That was literally everything I can do."

Thetis took the moment to draw another tendril of water.

Kamen seemed grimmer. The two streams of water weaved between themselves in a lavish display of power. Finally, he said, "All right then. Together?"

Nodding, she readied her tiara again. She may only have been a one trick pony, but damn it, she would do that trick over and over again. Lives were counting on her.

"You think you two can stop me? One of Queen Beryl's most loyal servants?" Thetis laughed. Her arms outstretched, and the twin pillars of water came crashing towards them. Moon and Kamen dodged in different directions. Once safe, she looked at Kamen on the opposite side of the deck. They would never be able to win if they couldn't work together.

Something substantial landed beside Sailor Moon, and she jumped. An Amazonian Senshi in green and crackling with power winked at her.

"Looks like you need a hand. I'm Sailor Jupiter by the way," she said.

Moon, who'd been too distracted to notice Makoto's transformation, stared blankly. "I'm Sailor Moon? Nice to meet you?"

Jupiter shook her head with mild exacerbation. "I'll explain later. I have an idea."

"Oh good," Moon said. "Because I am all out of those."

"You throw that glowing frisbee of yours. Leave the rest to me," Jupiter instructed, her hands sparkling with electricity.

Sailor Moon nodded. "Moon Tiara Action!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

Thetis focused on Tuxedo Kamen, who had been the bigger threat, didn't see it coming. As Sailor Moon's tiara went flying, Jupiter's lightning fused with it, energizing the attack. This time, when it hit Thetis, it encased her in electricity. The monster fell to her knees, paralyzed, and Tuxedo Kamen took his opportunity. He sliced the creature's head off.

The head hit the ground and turned to water, as did the youma's body.

"Holy shit!" Moon exclaimed. "That was amazing!"

"Teamwork!" Jupiter said as she and Moon high-fived.

Sailor Moon shot Tuxedo Kamen a thumbs up, and he smiled back. His face darkened as he noticed something behind her. Then he tipped his hat and fled. Sailor Moon turned to see what caused his hasty retreat, and she saw Venus and Mars - glaring.

"So, who's the hunk, and has anyone called dibs on him?" Jupiter asked.

"Someone dangerous," Venus said. "And off limits."

"Hmm, I like a bad boy," Jupiter interjected.

"The victims are still unconscious," Mars said. "That's our priority right now."

Moon was the first to jump back through the broken window. Sure enough, all the victims were still unconscious on the floor.

"There must be something holding all the energy," Mars reasoned.

"Like the flower?" Moon asked.

Mars nodded.

"The disco ball," Venus said. "The disco ball looked like it was leaking spider webs."

Jupiter clapped her hands together. "All right. Then let's blow it up! Supreme…"

"Wait!" Mars exclaimed. Jupiter crackled with power, but she held it. "Moon should do it. She's the only one we know successfully returns energy."

Jupiter turned towards the stage and let her power go. It blew up the DJ's table.

Moon nodded then sent her tiara into the ball. It exploded into a million little sparkles, like glitter, glowing and falling onto the sleeping victims. It absorbed into their skin, confirming at least that it was being reabsorbed. The sleepers started to stir.

"We should detransform before everyone wakes up," Venus said, letting her transformation fall. The others followed suit. Usagi squealed when she saw Jupiter's identity.

Makoto, was just as excited, clasping Usagi's shoulder and saying, "Girl, I thought you were awesome before I found out you were a superhero."

"And looks like we'll be doing this together," Usagi said, her enthusiasm hard to contain. Finally, she felt a connection to a fellow Senshi. Maybe it was just that of being a newbie. Or perhaps it was that Makoto also thought Tuxedo Kamen was hot. Either way, she was happy to finally have someone to share everything with.

Usagi was about to tell Makoto this when someone burst through the door. Mamoru practically flew towards Usagi, leaving several crewmen and medics in his wake. He swept her off her feet when he reached her.

"Oh thank god," he said, his face buried in the crook of her neck, kissing any piece of exposed skin he could. "You're all right."

"I'm fine," she said. "I was in the bathroom. Missed all the action."

"When I saw the people in the club, I..." he said. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

Usagi's heart melted. If Mamoru had been on that floor too, she would be equally panicked. But, something tickled her Senshi Spidey Sense about his comment.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you," he whispered back. For a moment, Usagi was struck. She pulled away, looking into his eyes. The words resounded in her ears. Could it be true?

She'd felt the urge to say the words to him before but always refrained. They were, after all, still early in their relationship. Yet, she'd never been so sure of her feelings before. She was sure that it was oozing out of their pores.

Without a doubt, something she felt in her bones, she answered, "I love you too."

She felt him inhale and realized he'd been holding his breath. His embrace tightened in relief. He didn't move to kiss her, but that didn't undercut the sweetness of the confession. In fact, it made it more real.

Perhaps, being a Senshi made her feel like these moments mattered more, and it was not better to leave things unsaid. Or perhaps it had just taken a decade for the confession. Either way, her heart sang.

XXX

AN: I can't believe we're already at the end of the boat arc! Eeek! I did not get a chance to run this by my beta, because life has been hectic, so I'm sorry for any errors. I no longer have a posting buffer. HOWEVER, I've gone 6 months of posting regularly, and I'm not going to give up! I still have tons of material drafted, so the story should keep coming (for a little while longer anyway).

I want to do a super special thanks to all my readers, but especially Ghost Man for your running commentary review of every chapter. It really made my week.

em-iloveyou-d, Celestial Cat, AliceNotInWL, nelsonallie93, and moonwrite Thank you thank you thank you for leaving reviews! I really, truly appreciate them.

And as always, a super special thanks to my hubby, for being my first reader and supporting me through this crazy process.