AN: Whoops. This is late. December hit me hard. (My boss quit at work, leaving me in charge of everything, but only after approving half the staff off for the holidays.) But! Here's the next chapter.

A special thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. It always makes me day when I see an alert for a new review, kudos, follow, etc. Thank you Xo, moonwrite, Roxypockets1, merendinoemiliano, Cutesy Nay, ameiar, Ghost Man, Sailor Sayian 007, Celestial Cat, and 1 for reading!

XXX

Sailor Moon X by Starling Sinclair

Chapter 20: Dense as a Rock

12/5/2019

At 11 pm, Mamoru felt Sailor Moon transform. At midnight, he felt her fear as she met with Jedite. Eleven minutes later, he knew she was in the heat of battle. The urge to go to her was like a migraine for his soul, the only cure to flee the hospital to be by her side. At points, he was almost blinded by the need. Thankfully, he had his office, and the night was so slow no one could witness him doubling over with a supernatural need. At 12:27 am, the pressure receded. She was still out there, as Sailor Moon, but, the danger has passed.

What would have happened if he'd been in surgery? Thankfully, such late-night emergency surgeries were rare, but... What if this had happened during the day? What would happen if he couldn't see because her need for aide was so great? It wasn't something he could dwell on.

Sailor Moon was changing everything. Besides the near incapacitating battle calls (which were certainly a new twist for Mamoru), she was going to give Venus a run for her money. If her plan worked out, they would have a considerable advantage against the Dark Kingdom, and the possibility of an alliance between him and the Senshi again. Venus was going to be so bitter. He couldn't say he wasn't a little pleased with this idea.

The evening went on torturously slow. He felt her in the back of his mind, like a constant nagging. Melancholy set in during his 2 am rounds. He listened absently as nurses filled him in on rounds, and one recommended a nap.

By 3 am, he felt assured that the battle must have gone smoothly (or at least without casualties) since no injured persons had been admitted. His phone had not pinged with any news updates either. Still, the sadness pressing into the back of his psyche gave him doubt.

By 4 am he wished he understood their link better. His desire to cheer her up was overwhelming. What did one bring a sullen superhero at 6 am? Pizza? Flowers? Usagi would have an answer, but, she, of course, was asleep. Waking his girlfriend for advice on what to bring another woman seemed like a bad idea.

At some point, after 5 am, he wandered back to his office to sit at his desk, stare into space, and tap his pen. He could feel still feel her in the back of his mind. She was out there, and he was… here. Glancing at the clock, he wished 6 am would come faster.

Just before the shift change, Ami walked in, smiling absently and holding her phone to her chest. Her lovesick gaze wasn't something he wasn't used to seeing; he quirked an eyebrow at her.

They'd become real friends since the night out with Usagi. He knew that she and Usagi texted regularly, and she met them at the izuyaka near the hospital after many late nights. It was nice to have another friend. An idea sparked in his head. Maybe a friend could help him figure out how to cheer up a depressed superhero…

Ami's phone pinged, and she looked at the text while sitting down. Before he could ask her opinion, she blurted out, "Are you and Usagi free Sunday night?"

He was momentarily taken off guard. Blinking through his own exhaustion, and the fact his mind had been elsewhere.

"Probably," he answered. "I don't know her new work schedule exactly, but I'm sure I could convince her boss to make it work."

Ami's face lit up like a sparkler. "Great! Ryo is coming into town, and I'd love if you two would meet him," she said excitedly. "We could go to that Yumemi Yumemo exhibit and get dinner. Or something else, whatever works for you."

Mamoru stared a little blankly at her, which Ami must have just taken for exhaustion as opposed to having no clue who Ryo or Yumemi Yumemo was. "Yeah, that sounds great."

Ami smiled enthusiastically, "It's a double date then!"

Ah, that's what he was missing. Ryo was a romantic interest. He smiled softly. Ami deserved some passion in her life. He was honored she'd thought to invite him, though, he wondered if that was really more of Usagi's doing. Thinking of Usagi and what she was doing...

"Hey Ami," he asked. "Can I ask you a question?"

Still wearing a pleasant lovestruck look, she answered, "Sure, Mamoru, how can I help you?"

"I have a friend, female, who's had a really rough night. I want to do something to cheer her up, but I don't know what," he explained. "Do you have any suggestions."

Ami was pensive for a moment. She opened her mouth to asked for something, then closed it, clearly having thought better. She rested her hands on her chin, and her fingers absently touched her lips.

"Chocolate," she answered, "For the serotonin and because you can't really go wrong with it."

He smirked at her. "You're a genius."

"I know." She smirked back.

He clocked out at 6 am sharp, leaving Ami the burden of catching the oncoming staff up to speed. (Not that Ami had minded.) He swung into the nearby Family Mart, grabbing the best selection of chocolate they had. Then he was down an alley, and on the roofs, hoping that the drunkard resting in nearby stoop had paid him and his transformation no mind.

She was on Crown's rooftop again, watching the sun come up, one knee under her chin while the other dangled over the edge. Her hair blew softly in the small breeze. She turned her head ever so slightly when he landed on the rooftop as if she could sense him too. Maybe the connection went both ways. Maybe he was reading too much into it.

He didn't say anything, but he did sit beside her. The morning light turned the sky cotton candy colors, but the sun herself hadn't crested the horizon. Silently, he handed her the Family Mart bag. Her brows furrowed as she took it, weary of the contents. As she pulled out the Meiji bar, a small smile crept across her lips.

She rested her cheek on her knee, looking at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she smiled sincerely.

"How did you know?" she asked, waving the candy bar.

He shrugged. "Well, technically, I that was my coworker's idea."

She shook her head. "Don't ruin the dashing moment." She opened the packaging and took out a piece, then offered it to him. He was never one to turn down chocolate.

They sat in silence, watching the sunrise. When the day was becoming too pressing, and the people below starting to really move, she finally said, "I lost the crystal."

He shrugged. "There's five more. I'll get it back."

He knew. Somehow. He'd known before he'd found her on the rooftops. He wasn't sure how he knew, but that was a question for another time. He'd been more worried that there was something else wrong. While they'd been his mission, his life was changing, and he was rapidly realizing that the crystals weren't the most important thing anymore.

"I'm still sorry," she said.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded.

"Are the others…?"

"We won," she answered. "We defeated Jedite."

He nodded. Winning wouldn't have been enough for Venus. If only he'd been there, maybe she would have had a different outcome.

She finally stood up. "I should be going," she said. "I have work in like, four hours."

He stood with her. He was off for the rest of the weekend, a benefit of the late-night shift, though her comment lead him to wonder just what she did for a living. Who was the girl on the other side of this superhero?

"I'll get you your crystal back," she said. "I promise."

Then she vanished over the edge. He didn't watch her go, but sat back down on the ledge and let his own magic fade away. Then, he wondered if Unzaki would let him have a free breakfast at the Fruit Parlor before visiting Usagi at the start of her shift.

XXX

Mamoru surprised her at work, meeting her there instead of going home to rest. She did her best to not look as sleep-deprived as she felt. (Balancing out this whole moonlight Senshi business was going to be a challenge.) Her spirits were lifted when he informed her of a double date.

"With Ami?" Usagi said. "Really? Is it that boy from overseas?"

Mamoru blinked at her, probably both surprised and unsurprised by his girlfriend's knowledge on his friend and coworker.

"Maybe? Either way, I thought it would be nice."

Usagi agreed. A double date sounded like something completely normal people do. She could use a dose of that. So, the next day she packed a bag with a casual dress and boots to change into after her shift ended. It was because she was coming straight from work that she found Mamoru in such a precarious position in front of the gallery.

Mamoru, ever the gentleman, was waiting outside for her and was being accosted by a mousy woman with braided brown hair. The poor man was adorably flustered as he tried to politely pry himself from the grip of a mousy woman with large circular glasses. He stared at the woman, doe-eyed, and caught between proprietary and the desire to just get the hell away, while the woman held his hand in an imploring and intimate way. Usagi smiled like a fox, unable to resist.

Slowly slinking up, she waited until she was in a perfect position before crying, "Ooo, busted!"

Both Mamoru and the woman jumped, however, the lady did not loosen her grip. The dark-haired man looked even more flustered (a feat Usagi didn't know was even possible) as became less polite about his hand.

"Usako! It's not what it seems."

In mock shock, Usagi put her hands on her hips. "Are you trying to tell me that I didn't catch you holding hands with another woman!" she teased.

The mousy woman grabbed Usagi's wrist too. "Oh! You! You too! Will you please model for my painting?"

Usagi blinked in surprise. "Model? Me?"

"See, not what you think," he interjected with extra side-eye.

"Yes! I've been suffering terrible artist block because I haven't been able to find the right models. And you two…" The woman begged, "Please, I can pay."

Mamoru finally wrestled his arm free. "We're very flattered but…"

"We'd love too!" Usagi finished, wrapping herself around Mamoru's arm. Mamoru gaped in protest as she continued, "Don't you think it would be fun, Mamo-chan?"

He scowled as the woman wrote her contact information down on the back of a business card. "Oh, thank you so much. You don't know what this means to me! When would work for you? I'd like to get started as soon as possible!"

"Saturday?" Usagi suggested. "I should be off since I worked this weekend."

The woman grasped Usagi's hand and looked between the couple. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I should get home and prep! Yes."

"See you on Saturday!" Usagi called, waving as the woman walked off.

"I don't know why you agreed to that," Mamoru grumbled.

"Didn't you model in high school or something like that?" Usagi teased. "Now someone needs me for my fabulous looks!"

Mamoru rolled his eyes.

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud. I want you in a good mood for our double date," she said, taking his hand and swinging it as they walked into the gallery. "I want to impress Ami's boyfriend."

"Ryo is only in town for a couple of days, and I don't actually know what their relationship status is."

"That's because you're Mamo-chan, and you can be a dense as a rock."

XXX

Once inside, Usagi quickly became entranced by the art. The building was long and narrow with nooks for the different pieces. Most of the paintings were large canvases, easily two meters or larger. (She certainly wasn't going to look at any of the price tags on those. They were probably more than several months' salary.) Though, some alcoves contained various series of smaller, more reasonably priced paintings.

Yumeno's style whimsical and colorful; her subject matters were quite romantic. The paintings often depicted some faraway kingdom and what Usagi could only assume were star-crossed lovers. (What other lovers lived in kingdoms, anyway?)

Usagi was enamored, oo-ing and ah-ing over each new piece. Mamoru smiled politely, though she suspected fantastical romances weren't his favorite subject matter for art. At least, until they came to the third alcove. This painting entranced him for some reason. The focal point of the painting was a couple, looking longingly into each other's eyes. The backdrop was a castle under an Earth-like moon. The woman pressed something star-shaped into the man's hand. Something that seemed so familiar…

"Mamoru! Usagi!" Ami called, breaking their trance. They turned around and saw the doctor beside a short, very Japanese man, dressed in a shark suit. He was cute enough, in Usagi's opinion, and he glanced up at them through some very long bangs. However, he also looked like he'd seen a ghost.

To break the tension, Usagi held out her hand. "You must be Ryo."

"Yes," he said very shyly. "Usagi, right? Ami talks very fondly of you."

"Is everything okay?" she asked, emphasizing with a gentle squeeze before releasing his hand.

"Oh, yes," Ryo added quickly. "Um, just jetlagged, and I'm probably hungry."

"Oh! Of course!" Ami exclaimed, turning her focus on her date. "I didn't even think of that. We can go and see if the restaurant can seat us early?"

Usagi gave Mamoru a dubious look. "Reservations? We're going to a place that has reservations?" They didn't have the best track record for fancy restaurants.

He squeezed her hand. "I promise you, you'll like this one. It doesn't sell Suppon soup."

Usagi smiled and brought their clasped hands up to her lips to kiss his knuckles. "Good. But, you should have consulted with me. You can't be trusted to pick places to eat."

"Actually," Ryo said. "I picked the place. It's one of my favorites in Tokyo."

Usagi smiled brightly at Ryo. "Well, if that's the case, I'm sure it'll be wonderful," she said in earnest.

XXX

The restaurant was a high-end Italian place. It had a rustic charm with open ceilings showcasing wooden support beams. Naked light bulbs dangled like fireflies above the tables and patrons chattered like crickets. A zen garden could be seen through a glass patio door at the back of the seating area. The open kitchen and wood-burning oven greeted guests at the entrance with the smells of baking pizza dough that made Usagi's stomach growl.

They were sat without much fuss, and a bottle of wine was ordered for the table. Usagi thumbed through the menu, her eyes widening at the prices on the menu. Fifty thousand yen for a course meal? And that didn't even include drinks!

"Thank god I'm dating a doctor," Usagi mumbled under her breath.

"I feel the same way," Ryo whispered back to her. She smiled. This was going to be the start of a beautiful new friendship.

The dinner went smoothly, the conversations joyful. There was a cured meat course (Usagi stole all of Mamoru's fancy bacon), a seasonal veggies course (Usagi dumped all of hers onto Mamoru's plate), a fish plate, a soup, then the pizzas, which she foolishly let Ami and Mamoru pick. They may have had the money and looks, but they were no pizza gourmets. At least, it was the dessert course when both Mamoru and Ami's phones went off.

They exchanged a panicked look that only meant one thing - they were needed at the hospital. Mamoru slipped Usagi his credit card when he kissed her cheek and mumbled hasty apologies. (At least he wasn't stiffing her with the bill.) Once they were gone, Usagi and Ryo decided to have another round of drinks on Mamoru's dime.

"How long have you and Ami been together?" Usagi asked, sipping on her banana lambic. It was sweet and oddly not very beer-ish. A dangerous combination.

"Oh, we've not formally together," Ryo said. "I don't spend enough time in Japan to really get serious with her."

"Why not?"

Ryo stared at his beer, running his finger along the lip of the bottle. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Because I've been avoiding my destiny, but, I don't think I can do that much longer."

Usagi crinkled her brow. She'd been drinking, but she wasn't drunk. Yet, this sounded like drunk speak. At least she knew a thing or two about destiny.

"Destiny?" she inquired, hoping to provide some cryptic insight.

He sighed. "You'll find out soon enough. I know you'll be there when they come for the crystal inside of me."

Usagi spat out all the beer in her mouth out. Heads turned, and she had the decency to smile and blush. Greg bit his knuckle to keep from laughing while she mopped up the mess with whatever napkins she could grab. When the room's attention finally drifted back to other tables, she leaned in.

"Excuse me? Did you just mention that monsters were coming for a crystal inside of you?"

"I didn't say anything about monsters," he said with a smirk and a sip of his beverage. "I've had premonitions since I was in middle school. Sometimes, I can shape the outcome of what I see. Sometimes, I can't."

Usagi just blinked at him. She opened and closed her mouth as she struggled to find something to say without incriminating herself.

"No matter what I do, they're going to come from the crystal, and I'm going to succumb." He paused to finish his beer. "I don't know what happens after that. I don't know if I die, or if you save me. But, I know it's going to change Ami's life."

Ryo looked forlorn. He closed his eyes before finishing, "And so, I've done my best to stay away from Japan."

Usagi's jaw hung open. She opened and closed it, shook her pointer finger, then settled on taking another sip. "I don't know what to say," she finally said.

He shrugged. "Time is too short to not be honest."

Usagi pressed the bottle her lips, mulling over everything. If she was interpreting this right, Ryo was a crystal carrier, and the Dark Kingdom was coming for him. This was an opportunity like she hadn't experienced before. The Senshi would have the upper hand; they could formulate a battle plan. (She hadn't proven particularly good at that with her last crystal failure, but, Minako would probably know what to do.) Usagi could protect Ryo, somehow, and they could finally land a Rainbow Crystal.

"Do you know when this is going to happen?" she asked. Yes, details would be key.

"In the next few days, some time," he said. "I don't know exactly. My premonitions don't come with calendars."

Usagi nodded. Right, that would have been too convenient. "I think that means we need to charge Mamoru's card with some whiskey rounds before leaving."

Ryo laughed, full-bodied and relieved. "I'm glad we met this way, Usagi," he said. "Tonight was a good night, maybe my last."

Usagi did her best to keep his hopes up while gathering as much information as he could provide. They finished the night together with drinks and an exchange of phone numbers. Ryo promised to call when he was in trouble, and Usagi promised that she would save him.