Happy Birthday, Usagi! Hopefully, I can get this in before midnight. This is a long-awaited chapter, for me anyway. A plot point I'd had planned for 90 plus thousand words now. And I totally cried while writing this. I hope it gets you in the feels too.
Anyway, I'm still plugging away. After finishing this revision, I kinda had an epiphany about how I should handle the next much-awaited plot point that is completely different from my original draft. So, the next chapter is getting a total overhaul. I think for the better.
In other news, I enrolled in grad school today, so um, I've reached that stage of the pandemic. Another way of putting things was "You know it's 2020 when a good day involves a root canal…" That was my day yesterday. So, I guess my dumpster fire is just smoldering for the time being.
I had hoped to thank everyone who commented individually in this AN, but, it's 11:30pm, and I want to get this in while it's still the 30th, so just know I read everyone's review and y'all make my heart soar. Thank you so much for all your love and comments. You are the best readers an author could ask for.
XXX
Sailor Moon X by Starling Sinclair
Chapter 28: The 7th Crystal
June 30, 2020
On Thursday, Usagi met Motoki at the park for their daily meeting. She brought bentos from Mako; he brought coffee from Starbucks. He waited for her on a yellow blanket, notebooks and planners scattered about. Today they were finalizing replacement machines and discussing the repairs to the Sailor V game.
She flopped down beside him, picking up her drink. Her frosty delight was sweating in the late spring heat, condensation dripping over her fingers as she stared at the clouds, trying to imagine they were something more than cumulonimbus rolling in to ruin the perfect spring day. At least the air didn't feel like rain yet. Somewhere in there was a metaphor for her emotional state - blues skies and perfect weather just a moment away from sobbing, heartbroken storms.
"Usa, are you even listening to me?"
She blinked. Had Motoki been talking? Oops.
"The contractor says we should be good to reopen on time," he continued. "So we can send out those promotional materials. Think you can get those printed this afternoon?"
"Sure! I'll bring them to our neighbors and put some of the flyers in the mail for our regulars."
Motoki tried to smile, but it never reached his eyes. Instead, he looked at the ground. "It's going to be hard getting back into it though."
"I know what you mean. I'm going to miss getting paid for picnics in the park," she teased.
"Two attacks in three months," the commented. "Has anyone else been so unlucky?"
"That cafe on Block 8? By the Karaoke place?"
"Didn't it change its name?"
She frowned. What was that cafe's name anyway? It was probably a bad sign she didn't know. He was right though; youma attacks in the same spot were rare. It would be bad for business if it didn't put them out of business altogether. There was only one solution - she had to keep Crown safe.
She struck a poise, crossing her arms with a finger gun and a wink. With renewed confidence, she said. "We'll make it work!"
He gave her an odd look. She sighed, dropping her pose and taking a sip of her drink. Someone's watch was beeping. Usagi scrunched her nose wondering who the rude person was.
"Usa," Motoki started, "Is a smoke alarm going off in your bag?"
She looked at her tote, brow furrowed. The beeping was her. The only thing in her bag was the bento boxes and the Moon Stick...
Reaching into the satchel, she pulled out the weapon. The beeping increased as she pointed it at Motoki; his strange curiosity intensified. Oh no. Behind him, a portal opened. Zoisite stepped though, holding his own blinking crystal and looking like the cat who caught the canary.
"Motoki," she said, calmly. "We have to run. Now."
With surprising agility, she pulled them up and took off. Their picnic site exploded. Zoisite started laughing, and only then did Motoki look over his shoulder.
"Holy shit, it's that guy."
"Zoisite," Usagi answered, desperately searching for anywhere to take cover. She needed to protect her friend and send out a call for reinforcements. Motoki, however, had his phone out and was already typing something into it.
"The police aren't going to help," she explained.
"I figured as much. They aren't really useful against the Dark Kingdom. But, um, why is that thing glowing and what are you doing with it?"
She chewed her lip as they moved through the park, stumbling into an empty playground. Well, apparently parents thought the chance of rain was enough to not bring the kids out. Thank goodness.
"Usagi, what's going on?"
She turned to look into Motoki's hazel eyes. There was suspicion there, his mind whirling and putting pieces together. In this situation, did she have a choice? She wasn't sure, but she didn't have the energy to figure it out. Plus, she wasn't a liar by nature.
"You're a rainbow crystal carrier," she confessed.
Motoki blinked. "I'm a crystal carrier?"
That should have tipped her off, but she was too jumbled to put the pieces together. It didn't matter anyway, she'd made her choice.
"Motoki, you can keep a secret right?"
"Of course."
"Good. Moon Prism Power Make-Up!"
Furhuka Motoki became the first person whom she chose to reveal her identity.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" he cried. "You're Sailor Moon."
She shrugged. "Hence, youma magnet. We can talk about this later…" she tried to trail off, but he grabbed her wrist.
"I know that this can turn bad, very quickly," he told her seriously. "So promise me two things. If we get out of this, I want Mako's number, and two, you have to tell Mamoru."
His request surprised her. "Tell Mamoru what?"
He gestured at her. "This. Trust me. Tell him. Especially if I don't get out of this. I can't leave him alone."
"I can't…"
"You can. You have to. I won't go anywhere until you promise me Usagi."
Sailor Moon swallowed. "I promise," she whispered. "But I won't let anything happen, so we don't have to worry about it."
"Damn straight you won't."
Thunder rumbled as the storm clouds she'd seen earlier moved in. The air thickened with ozone, and pink cherry petals fluttered around them. Moon prepared herself.
Zoisite strolled into the playground, smiling, his magic swirling around them like the glitter in a terrible snowglobe. Damnit, she hadn't messaged for reinforcements yet. She held her wand before her like a dagger.
"The last crystal carrier. Do you really think that you can protect him alone, Sailor Moon?"
"Don't know, but I'm damn well going to try," she answered.
"Good. It'll be a pleasure taking you down." The grin that spread over Zoisite's face chilled her to the bone. It was sinister, unearthly even. His black crystal elongated, becoming a harpoon, and he hurled it straight at the superhero.
She braced for the attack, but it never came. The crystal shattered long before it reached her. A black and red cape shielded her and Motoki from the piercing shards.
"Tuxedo Kamen!" She was so relieved he was there.
Kamen looked between her and Motoki. "What's going on?"
"I'm a crystal carrier!" Motoki answered a little too casually.
Moon swore she saw Kamen roll his eyes under the mask. "Get him somewhere safe, Sailor Moon. Work your magic. I'll take care of things here."
She nodded, determined, before grabbing Motoki's hand. They started to run, but a wave of razor petals cut them off.
"Just where do you think you're taking my crystal?" Zoisite sneered.
"I'll cover you, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mercury called from atop a slide. "Shabon Spray!"
A thick mist settled over the playground, and Moon didn't hesitate. She knew this park well, and with her boss in tow, she ran as fast as she could away from the danger. She hoped that Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen could hold Zoisite off.
XXX
Tuxedo Kamen didn't see Mercury until she was beside him. Of course she could see through her own magic; the blue visor covering her eyes fee her all the information she could need for battle.
"Are the others on their way?" he asked.
She nodded. "They should be here soon. In the meantime, I can assist. Moon can retrieve the crystal from Motoki."
He nodded. "Then let's buy her time."
Quietly, Mercury pointed her finger, showing him his target.
He charged Zoisite, knocking the slender man off his feet. Suspended petals dropped from the air like pebbles. Green eyes burned into Kamen with fury and hatred, and it sicked the masked hero. How could someone be so consumed by evil?
"You're not getting that crystal, Zoisite," he threatened.
"We'll see about that."
"Tuxedo Kamen! Behind you! Left!" Mercury called out. He didn't look behind him; he followed the Senshi's command with hesitation and dodged. Another black crystal crashed into the pavement where he'd stood.
"Ugh, this is growing tedious," Zoisite commented. "I suspected you might try to stop me again."
"What does that mean?"
"Did you think I came alone?"
Terror shot through Tuxedo Kamen. Sailor Moon was capable, but this was Motoki. This was his only family. He had to do something.
"Hyperspacial Sphere Generate!" Mercury called from behind him.
An ice barrier formed around Zoisite. Kamen honestly wasn't sure who was more surprised, him or the General. Zoisite beat against the walls of his prison.
"I can keep him contained for a bit," Mercury said, running up beside him. "You go help Moon and Motoki until the others get here."
He smiled at his friend. Was this what it was like to have a partner? Was this was the Senshi felt all the time? It must be so nice. "Thank you."
So he left Mercury, armed with her best weapons - her brain and her computer - and followed the pull towards Sailor Moon.
XXX
Sailor Moon texted while running with coordination that surprised Motoki. This girl tripped over her own feet trying to get a drink from a vending machine. Yet, somehow, it wasn't hard to believe she was leading a double life as a superhero. This girl would face down any evil to protect a stranger on the street.
What was more unbelievable was that somehow he was smack in the middle of this. The two people he'd grown close to were both leading secret lives as vigilantes. It was getting really repulsive how perfect they were for each other.
She yanked him into a service alley, scanning up and down the narrow street for trouble. He took the moment to rest, his hands on his knees, and catch his breath. Running from bad guys was a workout. Why hadn't Mamoru warned him?
Moon turned to face him; she held her wand in front of her. It pulsed quickly, in time with Motoki's heartbeat. It wasn't exactly calming.
"This won't hurt," she said. He stood up straighter and took a deep breath. Trust in her. This was Usagi after all.
The process was oddly hypnotizing. He could feel the crystal responding; some part of him was awakening. He felt something pass through him, a life he hadn't lived, from some long distant kingdom. He'd been skilled negotiator, offered great power, then a corrupting evil filled him. A chill raced through his spine as he couldn't comprehend being evil in any lifetime.
Then the crystal was gone, and he finally felt whole. The orange gemstone glittered in front of him. Sailor Moon smiled as her hand wrapped around the jewel, and the light vanished. He smiled back at her. That had been painless.
The rain started to fall, just a few droplets on his skin, reminding him that the world was still moving. The grey-blue of a stormy afternoon settled around him.
Something in Usagi's eyes flickered, and her smile fell. That was the last thing Motoki saw as the blade plunged through his heart.
XXX
Pain ripped through Tuxedo Kamen, and he nearly stumbled. The invisible bond shared between him and Sailor Moon throbbed. Something was horribly wrong. He heard her scream. He had to move faster.
Letting instinct drive him, he turned a corner and his heart stopped. Sailor Moon caught Motoki as he slipped off the white-haired general's glowing blade. The world stopped. Motoki. His best friend. His family.
"NO!" he screamed, guttural, heartbroken. With a rage he'd never felt before, he charged the General with everything in him.
XXX
She saw Tuxedo Kamen crash into the man who'd stabbed Motoki in a flurry of golden power. She had to trust him; trust that he would protect them and let her focus on helping Motoki. Slowly, she moved to lay her friend on the ground. She placed his head in her lap, then put her hands over the gash in his chest. Blood oozed in bursts with each beat of his heart, rain mixing with every drop.
"Motoki," she whispered, as the rain intensified. "Don't you dare let go."
He sputtered, blood flecking from his lips. In his eyes, she could hear his words. Keep your promise, Usa. Thank you - for being my friend - for everything.
"No, no, no, don't you dare fucking go, Motoki-onii-chan."
His light was fading, and she didn't realize how literal that could be. He couldn't… She couldn't even bring herself to think the word: die. No, she was Sailor Moon. There had to be something she could do.
Stop the blood. She had to stop the bleeding. Oh god, there was so much blood. It mixed with the rain, pooling all around her. Trapping her in a horrific lake. Her gloves had turned burgundy, and it was only then that she realized what she still gripped in her hand - a crystal.
This was a shard of the Silver Crystal. The most powerful object in the universe. If she could just figure out how to use it.
Her Moon Stick was on the ground where she'd dropped it. Holding one hand out, she summoned it to her. It flew into her hand, and she could feel the energy flowing between the crystal in her fist, pressed against Motoki's chest, and the wand. Resolved steeled her. He couldn't die. She wasn't going to let him.
The power burned, but she didn't care.
"I'm not letting it end this way. Please, Silver Crystal, hear my prayer."
The power engulfed her like white fire, and it felt oddly familiar. A voice, one she'd heard in dreams, whispered in her ear. "Pray harder."
She did.
XXX
Tuxedo Kamen had never known fury like this. His cane shifted into broadsword, and he just let instinct guide him on how to use it. The white-haired general narrowed his eyes as he parried, sword against sword, and Kamen pushed them away from Motoki.
"Did you know the poor fool?" the General mocked.
Kamen swung his sword wide, desperate to do any damage.
"Rage like this is personal." The monster smiled. "Good. It makes you easier to defeat."
Swords clashed. Sparks of gold and darkness crackled off the flurry of blows, splitting raindrops that were now in full force. Kamen was no match for this General. He had to be careful. He couldn't…
Slip.
The rain. He lost his footing. The General didn't hesitate.
He plunged his blade through Kamen's shoulder.
The blow knocked his top hat off, and his mask fell into a puddle. Slowly, the blade slid from Mamoru's shoulder. The next blow would be a killing strike. He looked into his opponent's eyes fearlessly.
Then, light filled the alley. Both men turned, entranced by the orange glow - no power - emanating from Sailor Moon. Her hair floated around her by the sheer force of the magic she was radiating. The drops of rain suspended in the air. She tilted her face towards the sky.
The light blinded the General, but Kamen, he could see her clearly. A ghost with silver hair and fairy-like wings kneeled beside Sailor Moon. A crescent moon glowed on her forehead. He knew her somehow. She was so similar to the Princess in his dreams… Whatever was happening was on the tip of his tongue, but the meaning wouldn't manifest.
A burst pushed the General back, and Kamen shielded his face.
Motoki jolted upright with a gasp. He was alive.
Moon collapsed.
The world unfroze, the rain slapping Mamoru in the face like it was dumped from a bucket, yet, he still felt frozen.
Thankfully, Mercury stumbled into the alley. Her eyes quickly assessed the situation.
"Hyperspacial Sphere Generate!"
A wall went up around him, and he heard a blade bounce off of it. He really owed Ami when this was all through. Rolling away, he grabbed his mask, and lifted his sword, ready to face off again. Pain shot through his shoulder, but damn it if he was going to let this asshole hurt anyone else.
The General broke through her barrier, snarling. Kamen braced himself.
"Crescent Beam!"
"Fire Soul!"
The white-haired man acted quickly, parrying the beam, but letting the flames hit. He fell to his knees with a growl.
"It seems you have won this round. But I will have the crystal in the end." With a shimmer, he transported above them before stepping through a dark portal.
Kamen turned to face the aftermath. Mercury was tending to Motoki; Mars held Moon. The Lunar Senshi sobbed into her friend's arms. Venus watched warily, still on guard. He took a step towards them.
"We need to get him to a hospital," Mercury stated.
"Is he going to be okay?" Sailor Moon begged, frantically. "Please tell me he's going to be okay."
Mercury pursed her lips. "I don't know," she said, always too honest. "But he's alive and that's something."
Sailor Moon let out a cry of relief.
"The crystal," Venus interrupted. "Where is it?"
Tuxedo Kamen felt sick to his stomach. Was this really the time? The other girls looked equally unsettled by the comment, but Sailor Moon handed her the stone.
"I'll take him, Mercury," Kamen offered. "I'll be faster than any ambulance."
She nodded. "I'll go with you."
"With him?" The venom dripping from Venus's voice was clear.
"What does it matter?" Moon cried, her voice frail. "We're talking about someone's life. Can't we put aside this pettiness for just a moment?"
Venus looked away ashamed. He moved towards the girls. Mars rocked Moon, whispering comforts into her hair. Slowly, he knelt down and lifted his friend into his arms. It hurt like hell, and he knew Mercury noticed his grimace.
She placed a comforting hand on his forearm. "Do you have this?"
He nodded, leaping to the rooftops, leaving behind the Senshi, the crystals, whatever he'd once considered his mission. He ran with all his might towards Saiseikai Central Hospital.
