AN: I want to thank everyone for reading, commenting, and for your well wishes. The greatest of thank you's to emkyrialynch for beat-reading this chapter, especially on short notice.
I have a more detailed Author's Notes at the end of this chapter for anyone interested, but, tldr: I have the next few chapters drafted, but due to life and other projects, updates will be sparse.
So, without further ado,
Sailor Moon X by Starling Sinclair
Chapter 26: Naru's Dating a Monster… Maybe
May 5, 2020
XXX
The week following the Clock Shop was among the worst of Usagi's life. Motoki was pissed at her, Makoto thought she was overreacting, and even Ami seemed to believe she'd made a bad choice. The only person who seemed to be on her side was Minako. At least she'd finally done something Minako approved of.
She needed something to take her mind off her depression. So, she did what any reasonable woman would do she spent the morning indulging in retail therapy. Several thousand yen poorer, she headed towards the Shibuya train station to meet Naru for lunch. Well, she still hoped they were still meeting for lunch. Usagi hadn't met up with her friends for the last month or so. Between the odd hours at Crown, Mamoru, and Senshi business, she didn't exactly have time for social activities.
Usagi, Naru, and Umino had been meeting at the same train station sushi place since high school graduation. Granted, it was a fifteen-minute or more train ride away for any of them, but no one really complained about going to Shibuya. Plus, it was cheap. (And Usagi and Naru often went shopping at the 107 afterward.)
To her surprise, Usagi was right on time. She entered the little storefront, scanning the bustling lunch crowds for her friends. Umino sat alone with a looming pile of sushi plates grim look on his face. Lugging her bags over, she sat across the table from him, shuffling her bags under her feet.
"Hey, Umino! Long-time, no see," she greeted.
He returned her greeting with a scowl. "Oh, look who decided to show up this time. You look like hell."
She didn't deign him with a response to that. Instead, she opened her menu and followed up with, "Where' Naru?"
Umino's glare deepened, a feat she'd thought impossible. Usagi did her best to quirk a skeptical eyebrow. She hadn't seen her friend this disgruntled in years, or at least, the lack of bottle-glass glasses wasn't there to hide his annoyance.
"Probably out with her new boyfriend," he grumbled. "I mean, everyone seems to be hooking up and not even bothering to tell me."
Usagi blanched. Naru had a boyfriend? And didn't tell her? To cover her own annoyance, she fiddled with the order screen, selecting various goodies off the menu (and secretly hoping Umino wouldn't notice she was ordering on his dime.)
"New boyfriend?" she asked, casually. "She didn't mention anything about it to me."
Umino chugged his beer while she watched wide-eyed. It was very unlike the nerd to day drink. That was usually her and Naru's Schick.
"Yeah. Some guy she met at that club in January," he continued. "I don't know what the big deal is. Other than he has great hair."
While Umino ranted, she texted Naru under the counter: You have a new squeeze and didn't tell me?!
"And you," Umino said, turning on her, "Mamoru? Really?"
Usagi looked away. "Not anymore."
"What? That's a shame. I assumed you two were soulmates or something. He was the whole reason I stopped crushing on you in middle school."
Usagi blinked. "How much beer have you had?"
"Not enough."
"Okay, but let's backtrack a moment, Mamoru was the reason you stopped crushing on me?" Usagi pried as the server set some plates on the table. She tried to subtly pull them towards her, though Umino started to help himself.
"You two were something," he said. "Like, sparks and all that. Two comets headed towards a collision."
Usagi smirked, thinking about her youth and her legendary battles at Crown. Thinking about how her skin tingled whenever he touched her. Or when their lips collided underneath the fireworks.
"Besides, we weren't ever going to work," Umino added, gesturing between the two of them. "So will Crown reopen?"
"How have you always been the most up to date on things?" She stuffed another piece of sushi in her mouth.
"Well, I actually check my Instagram," Umino said.
"But you never post!"
"Secret to my success." Sighing, he pulled out his phone (with its fancy camera that secretly made Usagi jealous because that would make her Instagram so much better). Unlocking it, he showed Usagi Naru's feed.
The photo was subtle as if Naru was trying to keep her subject from knowing he was being photographed. The red head's face was mostly cut off, though the sparkle in her eyes certainly betrayed her excitement. However, Usagi's stomach dropped as she recognized the man her best friend was with. Long auburn hair, sharp cheekbones, and an olive completion. Naru's new boyfriend was Nephrite. Fuck.
"So, what do you think, Usa?" Umino said, a sadness in his voice. "Trouble or true love."
Chewing her lip, she finally answered, "Trouble."
Umino smirked at this. "You think so? Then, we should certainly do something about it."
Usagi ordered herself a beer and she and Umino began their plot: Operation Naru Deserves Better.
XXX
The plan was to lure Naru and her new beau to a hip little karaoke parlor. They would drink, be merry, and convince Naru she could do better. At least, superficially. What she was going to do about Nephrite, she was just going to wing it and hope the opportunity to purify him happened. This meant she needed backup.
She lay on her bed looking waiting for her teammates to text her back.
"I don't see why you don't just contact Minako," Luna commented.
"Because this is a delicate situation," Usagi tried to explain. "And Minako's solution would be to barge into the Karaoke bar in full Senshi hensin and start attacking."
"It is a rare opportunity to know exactly where an enemy may be. One that is likely to be off his guard," Luna counted.
"Yes, but, it would also destroy Naru. She'd be heartbroken, and frankly, if I were her, I wouldn't trust the Senshi after that. Plus, she just thinks Nephrite is a normal guy, not a monster," Usagi continued.
The cat scowled and she lay on her paws beside the woman. "I see your point."
The phone chimed, and Usagi groaned.
"Who is it?"
"Ami. And she says, 'I believe you are making a mistake. Talk to Mamoru and leave your friend's love life alone.'"
"Well, she does have a point," Luna said. "Perhaps honesty is the best path forward here."
"You think I should tell Mamoru I'm Sailor Moon?" Usagi asked, surprised.
"No. I think perhaps you should tell Naru that her boyfriend is an agent of the Dark Kingdom," Luna chided.
Her phone chimed again, and she groaned once more.
"Mako has a catering gig," Usagi grumbled into her pillow.
Luna tilted her head.
"Unlike Minako, I understand that the rest of us need income to survive."
Her phone pinged again with a message from Rei: What if he recognizes us? From the club two months ago?
Well, shit. That was a good point, and it reminded her of her last run-in with Nephrite at Fitness Darque. Quickly, she typed back, He might already have recognized me.
Three dots indicating typing. Usagi held her breath.
And you didn't think this was pertinent information?!
"What's wrong?" Luna asked.
"Rei is afraid Nephrite will recognize her," Usagi grumbled.
"Your glamour should protect you."
She chewed her lip. "He might have already recognized me."
"Usagi!"
"He doesn't know my name!"
"And you think you'll be able to keep that from him in this situation?" the cat scolded. "No, it's best if Rei hangs back. Perhaps you should plead with Ami or Makoto.."
"Yeah, he might recognize them too. Since we did that gym sting."
Luna rolled her eyes. "Well, you can't go alone. You need someone as a back-up. Maybe you should bite the bullet and call Minako…"
Usagi looked at her recent messages, thumb hovering over who she could possibly message for back-up. Then, one contact caught her eye. "Wait, I've got someone else in mind…"
XXX
They walked along the sidewalk. Jadeite moved quickly, shoulders hunched forward and eyes looking at the ground as if this were single-handedly the worst decision he ever made.
"This is a terrible idea," he grumbled.
"No, a terrible idea would be going in alone," Usagi said as she walked beside him. "This just is a last resort idea."
With the utmost grace, he turned around mid-step as if to run away from the whole thing. She managed to loop her arm through his and keep him from fleeing.
Jadeite sighed. "He's going to know I've been tipping you off. They're going to come after me, and try to bring me back or… kill me. That's a real possibility."
"I won't let them. I'll protect you."
"That's funny because here I was thinking you were bringing me along to protect you," he grumbled.
"We're protecting each other. Besides, maybe Nephrite will surrender and I can heal him and he can go be with Naru or whatever."
Jadeite sighed, again.
"I think you're a witch," he suddenly said. "You are insanely good at talking people into your bad ideas."
"I have never talked you into anything before!"
"Not in this lifetime."
Usagi opened her mouth to press more on that issue when she noticed they had been arguing in front of the little cafe she and Mamoru had finished their first real date at. The window had been repaired, and it looked as though the place had used the disaster to remodel the entire interior. Gone were the little bistro tables, replaced by something chicer. She stared longingly into the window thinking about just what this hellish life was costing her.
She noticed Jadeite's reflection beside her. He was desperately trying to figure out what he was missing.
"This is where Mamo-chan and I had our first date," Usagi supplied.
"Okay…"
"I dumped him after I stopped that clock store youma," Usagi continued. "I couldn't keep the secrets anymore."
Jadeite nodded with understanding. "If it helps, I think there's someone perfect out there for you."
"Yeah," she continued with a bitter smile. "Hopefully he doesn't mind waiting just a little bit."
She got the impression that he wanted to say more, or maybe pry more. Yet he kept his mouth shut. Something brushed against her leg and she looked down to see a very fat cat.
"I know you," she whispered as she knelt down to scratch behind the cat's ears. "You should probably get home before your girl starts to wonder about you."
The fat cat looked at her as if she clearly didn't understand the way cats worked before sauntering off down an alleyway.
Deciding they had dawdled too much, Usagi threaded her arm through his and they walked a few storefronts down to the karaoke bar. As they opened the stairwell door, she paused to ask, "You don't think this is some trap do you?"
Jadeite gave her a look to say "really?"
"You came up with an evil clock store. I mean, I wouldn't put energy-draining karaoke club past your mastermind level schemes."
"Touche," he said as he began his descent down the stairs to the first level basement. Jadeite opened the door while she double-checked her text messages to find out which room Naru was in. The reception clerked looked up with a smile as Usagi told them the room number, and they walked down the hall of muffled, unassuming rooms until they found the number that matched the text. The two blondes looked at each other, nodded, and entered.
The room could fit maybe ten adults. The melody of a pop song from Usagi's childhood played on slightly too loudly, the words scrolling on a screen just left of the door. The red upholstered booth formed a semicircle with a black table in the center. Two empty beers and three half-full ones sat on a table beside two unused microphones. Umino sat across from the new couple like an interrogator. Nephrite had positioned himself casually in a bend, clearly intent on trapping himself inside and keep from signing.
"Usagi!" Naru greeted, energetically. "You here!" There was a silent thank god in the girl's eyes.
Slowly Usagi entered the room, her eyes flickering between Umino (who was stewing in jealousy), Naru (who seemed intensely uncomfortable), and Nephrite, whose head was just slightly cocked as he appraised Usagi.
"This is my boyfriend, Masato. Masato, this is my best friend, Usagi."
Nephrite held out his hand, and Usagi reluctantly took it. He gripped it tightly, and her stomach sunk. Staring her straight in the eyes, Nephrite said, "Usagi. It's nice to finally be introduced."
Ah. Shit.
"Do you two know each other?" Umino asked curiously.
"I remember her from my club before it was shut down. She and her friends had come by for a drink rather early one evening."
Usagi tried not to visibly grimace. Jadeite cleared his throat, and even Nephrite couldn't keep his poker face.
"Oh, I bought my new friend," Usagi said, pulling her hand out of Nephrite's and gesturing towards Jadeite.
"J," Jadeite introduced, studdering as if realizing he'd never picked a modern name. "Dite."
"Like the DJ?" Umino questioned.
"Um, yeah."
"Whatever happened to that show?" Naru followed. "I really liked it."
Jadite blinked, clearly struggling to find an excuse. "The radio station went in a different direction."
"Well that sucks. I thought you had a good program," Naru said.
"So, anyway, how about we order some drinks?" Usagi said. They were going to need them.
XXX
Well, this couldn't be any more awkward. Usagi caterwauled another song into the microphone with Naru hoping that as long as the music kept going, she buy her time to figure out a plan. So far, Nephrite was being a perfect gentleman, even if he was occasionally giving her the evil eye. She needed to get him alone, rattle him up.
An opportunity finally presented itself when Umino stepped up for a duet with Naru. As he took the microphone from the blonde, Naru turned to her boyfriend. "Oh, do you think you could step out and check on our food? I'm getting really hungry."
Nephrite nodded with a grunt.
"Oh! I'll go with you!" Usagi intruded. This was not suspicious only because she was Usagi and therefore, always needed to know about the food. Nephrite narrowed his eyes at her and she gave Jadeite a look as she passed that she hoped he interpreted as if I'm not back in five minutes send for help.
She shut the door behind her, her hand lingered on the doorknob as she steeled herself. With the music muffled, the awkwardness intensified. She breathed deeply to turn towards Nephrite, however, he was halfway down the hall. Damn, that man had some long legs.
"Wait!"
He stopped and took a deep breath before turning around. He glared at Usagi. "Yes?"
"So," she floundered for words. Now what? She had him alone; did she interrogate him? "Is this some energy-draining scheme? What are the microphones designed to suck your lifeforce."
The difference between his resting face and his scowl was minimal. "No."
"Then what are you doing here? What do you want with Naru?"
He turned and faced the wall, staring at the generic painting of a lighthouse as if it would provide the answer. "Is it so hard for you to believe that I have no ulterior motive here? Can you say the same? That you're only here because Naru really wanted us to get along?"
She opened her mouth to retort, but, what was she doing here? She had planned to convince her friend she was dating a monster but was that true? Jadeite wasn't a monster when it didn't involve the Dark Kingdom, maybe Nephrite deserved the benefit of the doubt too.
"If you're just going to stand there gaping like an idiot, I'm going to check on the order."
She watched him continue down the hallway and thought, maybe Ami was right. She should stay out of her friend's love life. Perhaps she was just jealous of Naru, bitter her own love life had been tested and failed.
In the distance, he talked with the host, who became quite embarrassed. Nephrite did nothing nefarious, nothing to intimate the poor man or even suggest that he was using his power. Why did he have to be a semi-decent boyfriend? That made all of this that much harder.
After the host was gone, she moved down the hallway. She needed to talk to him without prying ears.
"I propose a truce."
He startled a little at her voice, a small jump of his shoulders. When he turned to face her, he was only slightly less stoic.
She held out her hand. "I propose neither of us uses Naru against each other. I won't tell her about your day job and you won't tell her about my moonlighting gig."
He quirked his head with a bit of a really? expression at her pun.
"Whatever happens between us, we leave Naru out of it. This also means no using her to find out info on me, and I will do the same," she finished.
Nephrite chewed his lip, mulling over her proposition. If he said no, then she'd know he was a monster once and for all. If he agreed to her proposal…
"Agreed."
"And no going after Jadeite either," she added. "He came here as a favor to me. I don't want that to be what kills him."
"I wish no ill-will on that fool. Some of my cohorts will not be so magnanimous."
She nodded. Before she could say anything else, the host came out, teetering with two trays of food. Nephrite carefully took a tray from the man, and they returned to their room.
XXX
The remaining time at the karaoke parlor passed with surprising ease. Jadeite was hiding a surprising set of pipes under that unassuming exterior, and Nephrite even awkwardly joined Naru for a duet. Usagi ate her feelings in snacks. She was having entirely too good of a time.
When they exited, the group was tipsy, smiling, and discussing dinner plans, until a scream ripped through the air. Usagi sobered immediately.
It was the little girl and her cat - a cat she'd saved before. This time, Zoisite flanked the youma beside him, cornering the girl against the cafe wall. Usagi clenched her fist, eyes darting around to her allies, trying to maneuver a plan in her head.
She barely had time to think before Jadeite stepped up, positioning himself between the group and the danger. "Get out of here, now!"
Nephrite coordinated with Jadeite in a way that only comes from years of teamwork. He took Naru's arm with a nod, yielding the battling to the blondes their battle. The screaming continued as the cat was engulfed by dark energy.
"It was the cat!?" Usagi exclaimed.
The creature jumped from the little girl's arms as it shifted and grew into a werewolf cat of horror movies. The child fell to the ground, screaming. The Great Youman growled deep, something like a bastardized purr.
The violet crystal floated between Zoisite and the newly formed monster. Shit! They were going to get yet another crystal, and there was nothing Usagi could do about it. Though, what would Minako say about the scenario? Reveal her identity or lose a crystal?
A rose struck Zoisite's hand, and the gem scattered to the ground as the general found himself grappling with Tuxedo Kamen. It rolled across the pavement, hitting the sobbing little girl's side. Zoisite's youma lackey turned its attention to the new barrier between it and its master's prize.
In the most surprising event, Umino raced forward, past Jadeite, scooping the little girl into his arms as they dodged scooping claws. Their maneuver knocked the crystal even farther away.
"Umino!" Naru screamed.
"Shit," Jadeite muttered, hesitating just a moment before rushing into the fray.
The cat monster looked at Umino and the girl, head cocked, as Jadeite joined their side.
"Kill them! Get the crystal!" the lackey commanded. Instead, Great Youma turned and struck the monster. Well, that was unexpected and very cat-like. Still, there was too much at risk to just sit on the sidelines.
She looked over her shoulder at her hysterical friend. Naru didn't know the nuances at play; all she knew was her friend had rushed into danger and that she was afraid.
"Get her to safety," Usagi commanded.
"I would never let anything befall her," he replied. Without hesitating, he swooped Naru off her feet to carry her away. She was angry, beating her fists against Nephrite's shoulder.
"We can't leave them! We have to do something!"
Usagi didn't hear his answer as she messaged Rei before stepping off to the side and summoning her transformation. Armored and as ready as she'd ever been, she headed into battle.
Sailor Moon analyzed the scene before her. Jadeite was living up to his reform, doing his best to distract the giant cat monster from Umino as he picked up the child. Tuxedo Kamen and Zoisite were engaged in some battle of flowers - razor roses and cherry blossoms swirled in floral warfare. The lesser youma was still on the ground, wounded but being as it wasn't dust, not dead. The violet crystal glistened, calling to her. The Great Youma seemed unsure of which prey it really wanted. She knew what she needed to do.
"Hey, pussy!" Sailor Moon called, trying to catch the monster's attention. She hoped her gut was right. "They're trying to help the girl. If you need someone to pick on, pick on me."
That seemed to capture the cat's attention, and it turned its focus to Moon. She smirked.
As Jadeite tried to help Umino escape, the wounded lackey turned its attention towards him, blocking their path. "Just where do you think you're going, traitor?"
The former general tried to side-step the monster while providing cover for Umino and the girl, but the monster parried step for step. There was no way he was getting past.
"Get her to safety!" Jadeite instructed. Umino paused only long enough to process the situation, before nodding to the other man and carrying the crying child away. Alone now, he looked around, searching for some kind of weapon no doubt. Moon had to trust that he could hold his own; he had been a formidable enemy before. Right now, she had her own monster to battle.
The giant cat monster stood upright on two strange hind legs, looming over Sailor Moon. It tilted its head at her, analyzing. She circled, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. Why wasn't it attacking? Why was it so calm? So cat-like? Looking into its eyes, it was almost as if the creature recognized her. Did it remember her saving it weeks ago? It was possible; it had defended its owner. Ryo had resisted attacking Ami. It wasn't unprecedented.
Carefully, she held her hand out, as if she were going to stroke the massive cat. "It's okay, Rhett. You remember me? I'm not going to hurt you."
Its ear twitched, but it didn't move. That counted as a good sign from a cat, right? As she reached out, she froze. The air around her was heating up. She knew that feeling - back-up had arrived. Oh no.
Mars's fire pelted into the youma, and it screamed. Moon's face fell. No. She had been so close.
Moon heard the heels clicked on the pavement beside her before she registered her fellow Senshi out of the corner of her eye. "What were you waiting for?" Mars asked.
"It wasn't going to attack me!"
The monster looked up at the two girls, fury in its eyes. Whatever kindness it had considered had evaporated. With an angry growl, the creature slammed its massive paws into the ground between Moon and Mars. The girls dodged.
"Mars," Moon commanded. "Go help Jadeite. I'm going to try to calm this beast again."
"Why should I help that former Dark Kingdom scum?"
She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Because he's not a monster! And I've got this!"
Emotions wrestled over Mars's face as she listened to Moon's direction. Usagi didn't waste anymore time on her ally, instead she pushed past. Reluctantly, Mars moved to help Jadeite.
Hands out, and using her calmest voice, Moon cried, "Rhett! Calm down, she didn't know!"
The giant monster before her responded to its old name. It blinked at her, as if trying to wake through the fog. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."
It was working; the cat youma stepped towards her.
"That's right. Who's a good kitty?"
Then, it stepped on something. Both Moon and the monster looked down at the violet crystal that blended into the pavement. Usagi's brain worked overtime and she tried to suss out just how she could save the monster and get the crystal.
"Bakene!" Zoisite cried as Tuxedo Kamen pinned him against a wall. "Get me that crystal!"
In a moment of true cat-like nature, Bakene looked at the crystal then to Zoisite before batting the crystal away with one of its long claws.
"No!" Zoisite screamed. Seeing his chance, Tuxedo Kamen let the general go before rushing towards the crystal.
Zoisite started to follow, when a flying bicycle hit him in the side. Jadeite and Mars stood side by side, a smoldering pile of ashes near Mars's feet. Moon almost expected the pair to high-five.
Tuxedo Kamen dove for the crystal, snatching it up before dashing away. Moon bit the inside of her lip in resolve. She needed to let the mask man get away. It was better in his hands than the Dark Kingdom. As she turned to challenge the general, Bakane growled at her. Shit.
Kamen turned his head, slowing his run. He was weighing his escape verus her protection
"No!" Jadeite cried. "Run! I'll protect her!"
Kamen seemed surprised by this, but as Jadeite moved to her side, the masked hero took off again. Mars moved to intercept Zoisite, flames glowing in her hands.
"You little bitch, you better let me pass," Zoisite growled.
"Yeah, I don't think so," she answered, throwing a fireball towards him.
A trash can slammed into the Great Youma, sending plastic drink bottles and bags scattering. Ears flattening, the cat turned towards Jadeite. Still, it was enough to distract the monster, and that was all Moon needed.
"Moon Healing Escalation!"
As her magic washed over Bakane, it looked up to the sky before calming reverting back to a very fat cat. As if nothing happened, the cat flopped down and began licking its butt.
Moon barely had time to feel pleased with herself when she noticed Jadeite rushing across the battlefield. Mars was covered in small, little cuts, drops of blood glistening like rubies on her skin.
"Shit," Moon cursed under her breath. Without hesitation, she pulled her tiara from her head and sent it flying.
Jadeite, however, sent an entire ice cream vending machine flying into Zoisite. While the General dodged the Senshi attack, did did not dodge the machine.
Jadeite moved beside Mars, awkwardly trying to figure out how he could help.
Prying himself through the machine like he was a human-shaped can opener, Zoisite emerged with a grunt. "You traitorous dick!" he cried as he wiped the blood from his mouth.
"I'm not the traitor Zoi," Jadeite said in that cryptic way he was so fond of.
Moon readied her wand, yet, before she could summon her magic, a portal opened and a new general stepped through. This man cut an imposing image: tall with long white hair. Carefully, he lifted Zoisite up into his arms, princess style.
Mars summoned more fire, but Jadeite placed his hand on her shoulder shaking his head. "Not the time."
"Kill them Kunz," Zoisite whined. "Kill them all."
"I see that Jadeite lives," the white haired man said, his voice deep and laced with menace. "And that he has chosen a different side."
"I'm not on the wrong side, Kunzite."
Moon walked slowly towards the others, making sure that she was between the bad guys and the cat, and to stand by allies.
"Do they have the crystal?"
"No, that Masked asshole ran off with it," Zoisite grumbled.
"Then we have no business here."
"What? Kunz, no! We make them…" Zoisite's tirade was cut off as the two generals disappeared into the black portal.
Jadeite breathed a sigh of relief. Sailor Moon bend down and picked up Rhett Butler, which reminded her just how heavy the damn cat was.
"Well, that was unexpected," she commented.
"So, where the hell is Nephrite?" Mars asked, turning to Moon.
Moon snuggled the cat, who started purring. "I don't think he's really going to be a problem."
"Don't underestimate him," Jadeite added. "He may not risk your identity right now, but if Naru were out of the picture, there would be nothing holding him back."
"He knows your identity?!"
Moon turned to start walking the cat back to its owner. "I guess that just means I need to heal him," she called back in a sing-song voice.
XXX
AN (Longer Version):So, I'm very sorry for the late update. Late on my birthday, my husband received a phone call that his grandmother was in the ICU with Covid19. She passed away two days later. He attended her socially distance service and isolated away from me for two weeks. Which meant I had to take care of my toddler, work full time, and help out with my dad on my own. I didn't get much time for writing, and this chapter has been a thorn in my side since CHRISTMAS. This wasn't in my original draft, but I knew I needed something between chapter 25 and the next chapter, plus, Rhett Butler had been floating around in my outline forever trying to find his place. Thus, this chapter was born.
As for me, my string of bad luck continues. My Dad died on May 1st. It wasn't from Covid; he had a myriad of other health problems, and he went peacefully in the early hours of the morning at home, pretty much how he would have wanted it. I'm pretty wrecked, and so much of my life has revolved around him for the last year and a half that I'm not sure what I'm going to do anymore. But, I will continue.
I still plan on writing, though updates are going to be sparse. I committed myself to several projects this year and losing a month of writing has put me behind my goals. So I can't guarantee a new chapter in two weeks. Maybe in a month. (The next chapter is drafted and it's called "The Seventh Crystal" and it has one of my favorite twists.)
So I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you next time!
