A/N
Warning: Gruesomeness below. Possible triggers?
Okay I told you, you have been warned, so off we go!
Disclaimer: Yikes…
Mamoru P.O.V.
The Sailor Scouts had become a problem since their first appearance in Tokyo.
They saved lives where they could, and killed whatever youma they came across, so the Scouts were good for the city itself.
They just weren't good for me.
It felt that, with every passing day another competitor appeared, also searching for the Silver Crystal. The Sailor Scouts' numbers just kept increasing, and though they were the newest ones to the game, they outnumbered the rest of us four to one. Well, that wasn't quite true; they only seemed to outnumber me, in reality, because I was the only one searching for the Silver Crystal on my own. Already I'd met two different competitors from this Dark Kingdom, and while neither seemed willing to work with the other, their refusal to form an alliance did not serve to hinder either of them.
Simply because those of the Dark Kingdom had youma to work under them.
Perhaps this made my odds of finding the Silver Crystal before anyone else rather bleak, since I did not have any allies in this endeavor. More importantly, it should have made my chances slim, outnumbered on all sides with half the resources of my opponents, but it didn't. I did not have the manpower at my disposal, that was true, but the thing about fighting is that you don't have to be the stronger opponent, you only had to be smarter than everyone else. When you were at a constant disadvantage, it wasn't very difficult to learn how to outsmart the competition.
After careful observation, it had been clear to see that the Dark Kingdom, with all their resources, had the best chance at finding the Silver Crystal first.
The Sailor Scouts, while not to be underestimated, did not seem to have the same drive as the rest of us, at least, not anymore. They're biggest focus was usually on keeping the civilians safe, something they did by killing youma and halting the Dark Kingdom's never ending desire for human energy. This was where things got interesting, because the Dark Kingdom seemed to have a split interest between harvesting energy and seeking out the Silver Crystal; they tried to do too much at once and that was their fatal flaw.
All I had to do was read the signs and wait.
At some point, the Sailor Scouts would pop up wherever the Dark Kingdom was doing their dirty work, they'd swoop in to save the day, and while everyone else wasted their energy fighting I'd be watching in the shadows, waiting for my chance. Fighting the Dark Kingdom for the Silver Crystal had been a pain before the Sailor Scouts arrived, because it meant that if I didn't at least try to save their victims then no one would. Now, they did the work for me, so unless the situation started to look dire I didn't intervene.
This time though, my hand had been forced.
I'd caught wind of youma activity in a park on the far side of town, and so at sunset I had entered, hid myself among the trees, and waited. The park itself was desolate, but that was how Tokyo usually was these days; when someone was attacked, people stopped visiting the place of the crime because it just wasn't worth the risk. I expected to sit in that tree for hours, until the sky had turned to night and some unfortunate fool decided to cut through the park. It was only half an hour, mere moments after the sun had disappeared from the sky, that two people showed themselves. The second they stepped into view, a very familiar sensation came over me, a sort of pull.
My interest turned to horror as I looked at the couple and recognized one of them.
Usagi.
With dread pooling in my stomach, I watched the two of them move through the park and make for one of the paths. They didn't talk, though both looked content in the silence; I noted that the boy appeared to be carrying Usagi's bag, and that she seemed a little paler than I remembered. Her nose was slightly pink, almost as though she'd been crying, and had I not already been gripping the tree in worry, I'd of taken the time to think further on it.
Just leave. I thought desperately. Walk out of this park unscathed, and don't come back.
But then Usagi seemed to slow, pausing in her movement.
Her companion stopped as well, but he didn't get the chance to speak before she gestured for him to be quiet and tilted her head. I could see it, the moment she knew they were in danger; the way her eyes widened in realization, and her spine stiffened a miniscule amount. Then Usagi grabbed the boy's hand and said "We need to leave. Now."
They moved quickly, going down the path and I found I couldn't even be relieved for it, because if Usagi had sensed something was off, enough to cause her unrest, then something was definitely wrong and I had missed it. I scanned the surroundings, trying to spot whatever it was that had kicked her into gear when a loud crack rang out. I turned my head as a second joined it, and saw that they'd made it only about ten feet in.
And that a tree was falling on them.
It was like a slow motion scene from a movie, the way Usagi's hand reached out for her companion, who was already turning back her way. I rushed in their direction, but I was too far and so I could do nothing but watch as the boy recklessly threw himself into her, knocking both of them down and just out of the falling tree's path. Immediately another tree fell onto the last, and then the park was filled with a cacophony of cracks. Usagi and her companion scrambled to their feet and flat out sprinted, dodging branches and tree trunks with every step.
They were being herded back into the park.
It only took a second for the branches and leaves to separate the two. It was then that Usagi did the worst action possible; knowing that they were not fast enough, she looked up at the next tree about to fall into her way, and she faltered. I could see it as her big blue eyes, filled with fear, went from the tree to where the boy was obscured by the branches and leaves. She knew that they weren't going to make it, and it was that look that did something to me.
It was hard to rationalize how I did what I did next.
My speed increased, and I all but flew to her side, took her by the waist, and pushed off the ground. We took on air before hitting the ground and rolling to a stop a good twelve feet from the path and the last tree. In the span of a second three things stood out to me as we halted; firstly, the Sailor Scouts had arrived, secondly, the youma had shown itself, and finally, Usagi was far too still. I made eye contact with Sailor Venus for the briefest of seconds before turning my gaze downward to the girl in my arms.
I pushed up with my elbows off the ground, hovering over her and it took a moment for Usagi's eyes to focus on my face. Then, ever so slowly her gaze traveled down, and I cupped her cheek, scrutinizing her for injuries; the daze could easily be from nearly dying or hitting her head. When she finally met my gaze, I asked her if she was hurt and she shook her head no. My shoulders relaxed, and though I knew this wasn't a safe place to be loitering in, I couldn't bring myself to let go.
In fact, I shouldn't let go.
I needed to get her away from here, the Sailor Scouts could deal with the youma just fine, and if this was a harvesting attack and not another attempt at finding the Silver Crystal, then I wasn't missing anything anyway. I had just decided to take Usagi and run off into the night when she made a choking noise; I focused back on her, but she wasn't looking my way. Her gaze was on the fallen trees, and… the blood spilling out underneath them.
I'd forgotten the boy.
Usagi moved out of my arms and stood, walking over to the boy silently and with a singlemindedness; the guilt weighed in as she fell to her knees at his side. There hadn't been time to save both of them though… and when it had come down to it the choice hadn't even been a conscious one, my feet had moved of their own accord.
Usagi's hands went out a though to touch him, shaking uncontrollably.
She let out a bloodcurdling shriek.
The tree had pinned him at the spine.
Blood seeped out from under him, staining the ground and my knees.
"Oh god, Matsuo, god, no no no." I sprang to my feet, faint and sick, all but throwing myself at the tree. I wrapped my arms around the trunk, shoes digging into the ground as I lifted, but it wouldn't move, wouldn't even budge. Tears obscured my vision, trailing down my face but I didn't wipe them, couldn't make myself let go of the trunk to do so. I kept lifting, shoulders shaking with sobs, because there was nothing else I could do, Matsuo was trapped, he was hurt and I needed to help him.
A bone chilling laugh pierced through the air, and I froze.
I didn't want to look, but like the prey I was, instinct would not allow me to keep my back exposed to the predator. Slowly, unwillingly, my trembling body turned and as I faced the creature, the atmosphere thickened. I choked upon meeting the glowing red gaze, air leaving my lungs entirely, and yet I couldn't stop looking. Elongated limbs, sallow skin, too wide smile presenting sharp teeth; it was so distinctly unhuman, so unlike the things that stalked my dreams and somehow, it was so much worse. I watched as its hungry eyes trailed down from me to Matsuo.
With a high, screechy voice, the monster said, "Oh, the poor thing was too slow. Humans really are so breakable, it's a shame. If only that one had been a little bit faster… but well, mistakes do happen. Queen Beryl will understand, so long as I make up for this blunder."
I could not stand to keep looking, and so as my mind blocked out its words, my gaze drifted sideways, landing on the Sailor Scouts. I blinked, having not expected to see them and there was a brief moment where I wondered if they were really there at all. Venus looked horrified to see me here, gaze darting between myself, Mamoru, and the monster and the other girls appeared equally shocked but it was Jupiter that caught my eye. Her eyes were wide and almost unseeing, gaze trained behind me; she didn't move though, none of them did.
Moving carelessly under the eye of a predator would get you killed, and make no mistake, this monster was a predator. Outnumbered on all sides and it had laughed.
I turned back to the tree, back to Matsuo's crumbled form beneath it. I had to get him out, we needed to go before this thing killed us. I took in a shaky breath as the sound of fighting broke out behind me, the ground rumbling with attacks, and I tried to focus on only what was in front of me as the air seeped with this intent, suffocating with the heat of battle. A hand touched my shoulder and I jumped, spotting Jupiter at my side. She looked pale, jaw clenched and eyes wide as she stared at the two of us.
"Usagi-chan." Jupiter addressed me, voice uneven. "I, I'm going to lift this tree, okay? And when I do, I need you to pull Matsuo-kun out from underneath it. Can you do that?"
She was going to help me.
I nodded, unable to form words.
"Get ready then." She said, and I scrambled out of her way, getting on my knees and hooking my arms under Matsuo's armpits. Just as I took ahold of him, a beam of golden light hit the tree on the other side of Jupiter, cutting it right in half, and then Jupiter was lifting with everything she had. She let out a frustrated roar, and the tree moved; no more than a few inches but it was enough. There wasn't time to think about whether moving him would cause more damage, the thought was only a distant whisper in my mind and drowned out by the desperation to free him.
I pushed back on the ground with my feet, using strength I didn't know I had to pull Matsuo clear from the tree, leaving a trail of blood in our wake and then we were safe and the trunk was falling heavily into the now empty space, no more than a few feet from us.
I hardly noticed Jupiter as she knelt at our side, or the cats that joined her, or the slick, warm blood that started covering my lower half. In that moment the only thing that mattered was Matsuo, eyes closed and cradled face down in my lap. My fingertips went to his neck, pressing to feel for a pulse because he had to be breathing, he just had to be. After a dreadful amount of time, I found it; faint, oh so faint, but it was there. A sound escaped me, half laugh half cry, and I ran a hand through his hair. Then my gaze traveled further down, to his back, and my breath caught.
I clasped a hand to my mouth and tore my gaze away, gagging.
His spine…
I turned to Jupiter but she was gone, and only the cats remained, watching me sorrowfully.
"We need to call him an ambulance." I choked out. "He- He needs to go to the hospital, he needs a doctor, please." But neither moved, they just continued to stare as I babbled on. "It'll be okay, we just need to get him to a doctor, he'll be fine. Please, please go find help."
Luna stepped closer and sat, tail curling around her form. "I'm so sorry, Tsukino-san."
I shook my head, slowly and then more violently. "Don't just sit there!"
She's wrong, she's wrong, he'll be fine, it'll be okay if-
A screech that sounded like laughter filled the air as the ground shook and I flinched. Artemis was tense, now watching the battle and Luna split her attention between it and me; I couldn't look though, the very thought made my stomach turn. The fighting, the laughter, it was all jarring, settling me back into a reality I did not want and suddenly everything felt so real. The rumbling ground, the tension in the air, Matsuo's fading pulse, all at once they hit me and it was like seeing clearly for the first time, forcing me to look at both him and the facts.
Matsuo's spine was sitting at an odd angle; there was bone peeking out from the skin, and his legs, his knees… the bones had to be shattered. I had gotten Matsuo out from under that tree, but he couldn't run like this, he couldn't get away from the battle. My body shook with tremors, I was terrified out of my mind and I wanted nothing more than to run for my life; Matsuo couldn't move though, and I could not abandon him, leave him here to die at the hands of that thing. Even if, by some miracle I managed to get him to a hospital in time, Matsuo was never going to walk again.
There was no running from this nightmare, not for us.
If we survived this, he was never going to practice aikido again, or wait tables at the Fabler; Matsuo was never going to surprise me at school, or walk the whole neighborhood while I vented about one thing or another, and I was never going to get to chase him down a street when he dodged one of my punches. From the sounds of the battle and the cats' reactions, it probably didn't matter anyway; it seemed that, despite their numbers the fight was not going well for the Sailor Scouts. I felt corners of my lips curling up at this, because for some reason that was hilarious.
Sailor Moon would have been able to kill it.
Serenity… what were any of them without her? None of this would have ever happened if she had been the one to win our battle. Not even six months into this body and I had thrown Tokyo into chaos; putting Naru and her mother into a coma, bringing in the Sailor Scouts to fight the war before they were even ready, sending the city into a panic for my own selfish purposes. And now, to top it all off, I was about to get my best friend killed because god knows he never would have entered this park on this day had the Moon Princess been the victor.
This world was not meant to succeed without Serenity.
There was another scream, this time human and it was painful enough to tear my gaze from Matsuo. Mars and Mercury were on their knees, the former bleeding heavily from a wound to the shoulder. Mercury stared at her in alarm, hand out and hovering but not quite touching the girl and though Mars had tears in her eyes, she looked fierce all the same. A little ways off Jupiter was upright only by the support of Mamoru, and Venus stood at the head of their group, seemingly the only one standing by the grace of her own two feet.
They were all panting, bloody and dirty but Venus wasn't close to being defeated; she wiped at her face, baring her teeth at the enemy and it was then that I noticed the monster was no longer alone. With it stood a man, watching on smugly and wearing an outfit that could only be some kind of military uniform. Looking at him, it dawned on me then, the reason the monster had acted with such ease despite its unfavorable odds; it had never been alone in the first place, we'd only thought it was.
The man stood tall, not even winded in the slightest.
I studied him, trying to come up with his name but it was lost on me, and with the outcome of this battle becoming more evident by the second, I came to the conclusion that it didn't matter and looked away once more. Face with the reality of my situation, the fear coursing through me had begun to fade and in its place I found a haunting emptiness. The Sailor Scouts, Mamoru, if they fled now then they had a decent chance of survival; not everyone was guaranteed to make it, but their odds were good and had I been in their shoes it's what I would do.
My hand drifted back to Matsuo's hair, fingers running through it idly.
The rest of them were so stupid, fighting when they could live to see another day. I would have abandoned this fight and them long before now; after all, what was one loss if it meant you could go on to wage another win? These people just didn't know how to pick their battles, and if I had been capable of feeling anything in this moment, it probably would have been disgust. They were wasting an opportunity that Matsuo and I did not have the luxury of receiving. This wasn't even our fight, it had nothing to do with us and everything to do with Serenity. Now, because I had chosen to live, we were being punished and Matsuo was paying the price.
I would give anything to take it all back.
I would do anything to go back to that day, to that battle with Serenity for the rights to this body and let her win. Anything to give Matsuo a second chance, to save him from this nightmare, this suffering. Even if I had lost and he'd still found his way to this park on this day, it would be okay because Serenity would know what to do. She would show up with a flashy catch phrase, give a big speech and defeat the enemy because for serenity, love truly does conquer all; she only needed to have faith, and the universe would give her everything she needed to come out victorious.
Serenity was supposed to be Sailor Moon, and she would have been great at it, she had comrades to rely on and someone to catch her when she fell. Serenity wasn't here to save the day though, and that's when it really began to sink in for me. No one was coming to save us, and it was a slap to the face.
I'd always known, from the very beginning that I was on my own here.
There would be no prince in shining armor to swoop in to the rescue, and no one was going to save me should worst come to worst. I had always known that but this was different, it was Matsuo; sweet, kind Matsuo and if anyone on this god forsaken planet deserved to be saved, it was him so it had never occurred to me that this might not be the case. Part of me had always thought that if he ever did find this sort of trouble that surely, surely someone would save him.
Only, no one was coming.
Matsuo is going to die here, I thought with gut wrenching realization.
My tears dried up then, and I found my gaze wandering to Luna.
Serenity could fix this mess right up, and it would be a piece of cake with the universe always on her side. Serenity was gone though; the Moon Kingdom, Tokyo, they didn't have a Moon Princess or a warrior with a heart of gold to save them from this darkness. Serenity could fix everything, but she didn't exist and in her absence there was only one other person that stood a chance against the mess I had created. Sailor Moon could do more than kill a monster or two, she could heal the Sailor Scouts, and, more importantly, she could heal Matsuo.
She could save him.
"Luna." I murmured, getting not only her attention, but Artemis' as well as the two turned from the fight to face me with similar expressions of surprise. That was right, they'd never introduced themselves; it was a slip on my part, but one that ultimately did not matter.
This wasn't my battle.
"How do you know my name?" She asked suspiciously.
I wasn't a warrior of love and justice.
"Because," I laid my friend on the ground and stood, smile bleak. "I'm a descendant of the Moon Kingdom. I'm the Guardian of the Moon."
But I would do anything to save Matsuo.
Luna stilled, eyes roaming over my figure and it was like she was just now seeing me. Her eyes lit up and she spoke the next words breathlessly, in awe and near disbelief. "Sailor Moon… You're…"
If I had to throw my life away, then so be it.
"Luna, give it to me." And she obeyed, summoning a golden brooch that I caught in my open hand. I walked backward a few steps to give myself some room and held the brooch up to the full moon.
Even if it meant walking straight into hell, I was going to save him.
Under the night sky, surrounded by my enemies, I said the words that haunted my dreams and would now seal my fate.
"Moon Prism Power, Make up."
It was down to just her against Jadeite and his youma.
The other Sailor Scouts were worn out, Mars had taken a bad hit to the shoulder, Mercury was low on strength, and had Tuxedo Mask not shielded Jupiter, they would have been permanently down one Scout. Venus was the only one left that could still properly fight, so she would just have to finish this on her own. If only they'd been able to flee and fight another day; if only Usagi-san hadn't gotten caught up in this. Venus couldn't spare a glance at the girl, but she knew what she'd find without having to look, and the guilt pressed down on her.
Venus hadn't been all that fond of her, at first.
Usagi-san had kept getting in the way of her duties, something Venus did not take lightly, but it had been understandable; she cared for her friend, and that was definitely something Venus could respect. Usagi-san could be blunt and distant, but the Moon Princess cared for her dearly, and… while it was buried deep down and almost impossible to notice, Venus could see that Usagi-san was kind. She had a way of soothing things over when one of the Scouts went too far in their duties and ended up earning the princess's ire.
So Usagi-san, while prickly, wasn't all that bad.
She didn't deserve to be on the ground, covered in her dead friend's blood with his body still and growing cold in her lap. Venus was the leader of the Sailor Scouts, she was supposed to be able to prevent these types of things from happening. She should have been here earlier, and this was partially her fault because had she not been so caught up in the princess, Venus would have paid more attention to her other duties. She would've seen the signs and stopped this tragedy before Usagi-san ended up the victim.
It was too late for that now though.
Venus knew the girl wasn't going to leave her friend to find safety, so the Sailor Scouts had no choice but to fight; they could not leave an innocent person behind trying to save themselves. Venus couldn't help Usagi-san's friend or ease her suffering, but… she could save her life. The odds were against them, and it was looking grim for the Sailor Scouts, but she wasn't about to let it end like this. She would fight until her dying breath to give not just Usagi-san, but the rest of the Scouts whatever time she could buy them.
Even as a treacherous voice in her head whispered that it wouldn't be enough; that if the Sailor Scouts died here for one girl, there would be no one left to protect the princess. Venus reasoned with the voice, that she could run and continue her duties, but that if she had to abandon someone in order to do so, then she wasn't fit to serve. It was what separated the Sailor Scouts from the enemy, their morals, and above all else Venus could not go against hers.
It was scary, but… Someone had to stand tall against the Dark Kingdom.
Someone needed to be the pillar this world could rely on.
Venus didn't want to die here, didn't want to be the brave one, but for the Scouts, for the princess, she would do what had to be done. If she could not win this war with her morals intact, then what kind of victory was it really, and why would they deserve it?
Jadeite started to enact his next attack when a bright, white light appeared out of nowhere. Venus looked to her left, at the source of the light and saw a figure transforming. The light itself was breathtaking, almost as though the full moon shined solely on the person themselves. It was then that she realized Usagi-san was missing, and as the transformation ended Venus had a sudden inkling of what she would see; yet as her eyes confirmed what she suspected Venus somehow found herself stunned all the same.
Usagi-san had transformed.
She was the illusive Sailor Moon they had all but given up on finding. As Venus watched, something strange seemed to happen to the girl's uniform only moments after her transformation, the colors faded and changed; gold turned to dark steel reminiscent of charcoal, bright red deepened, darkening to a blood or wine-like shade. Blue darkened to midnight, nearly black, and witnessing it was a surreal experience, haunting and awe inspiring all the same.
Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes as Venus took in Sailor Moon.
It was going to be okay.
They were saved.
It was like breathing for the first time.
A rush of adrenaline coursing through my arms and legs, spreading to my brain and making me almost dizzy with delirium. I only needed a heartbeat to come to my senses, though it was difficult to not bask in the sensation; it was like stretching all the right muscles, running just long enough to feel on top of the world. The emptiness was gone, and though the fear remained, as I looked at the man from the darkness and the monster responsible for nearly killing my best friend, that fear became overpowered by another animalistic emotion.
I was enraged.
Before anyone could say a single word, before they had time to breath or even blink, I pounced on the creature. Countless hours and days and weeks spent planning, circumventing, constantly looking over my shoulder; all that effort had been for nothing. Months of fear, paranoia, resentment, and anger finally spilled over, and I was no longer the prey here; now I was the predator, and I was out for blood. It was satisfying, the sound of bones snapping as I twisted the monster's wrists and ripped the joints in its shoulders.
It screamed, musical and sweet to my ears but I wasn't nearly finished.
I threw the monster over my shoulder, and when it was on its back, arms hanging uselessly at its sides and no longer much of a threat, I did not stop, didn't even pause or give an ounce of room. The thing didn't even have time to react, no one did, as I brought the sturdy heel of my boot down on its face with a crunch, again and again and again until my boot was slick with brain matter and the thing beneath it no longer resembled a head at all.
It was just a messy clump, body twitching a few times before going still; after a moment, what was left dissolved into nothing, leaving naught but a stain on the ground as proof of its existence. That heavy feeling in the air, that tension, had died and I had never felt more alive. All was silent and still as I glanced up at the man and met his horrified gaze; it widened in realization as I set my sights on him, and his fingers twitched but he simply wasn't fast enough to escape my wrath. I was at his side with my fingers weaved through his golden locks in the span of a second and as he moved to retaliate, I slammed his skull against the trunk of a tree.
When he slumped to the dirt unconscious, I didn't advance in my attack.
I would not leave this battle without a prize.
He shouldn't have forced my hand like this.
I wanted to slam my fists into him, make him beg for mercy and see what a grave mistake it had been to target someone I loved, to come after me. I inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly, setting aside my desperate need for a release, for vengeance against not only this man, but the people he worked for. I would not allow this catastrophic night to end in my complete and utter loss, or my work to have been in vain. This man was going to make up for the trauma he had caused me, no matter what. My work was not yet done here though, and I could not indulge in anything until Matsuo was okay again.
I grabbed the man by his jacket and dragged him with me over to Matsuo.
Luna's eyes were wide as we approached, and save for the sound of my own two feet the park was dead silent. I dropped the man a few feet from Matsuo and turned to Luna. "The moon stick."
It was not a question, and under my heavy gaze Luna complied.
I caught the moon stick, but as it made contact with my hand something odd happened.
The colors on it changed.
The handle went from light pink to a dark, wine red, along with the ruby that adorned it. The crescent moon and other gold details shimmered and darkened, losing their color; the end result was a smoky, steel like gray, dark and metallic. It was faintly alarming, but the crescent moon glowed with what looked like actual moonlight, and I didn't have time to think further on it. I moved to Matsuo, raising the moon stick, and it was as though the words had always been there, just now floating to the surface.
"Moon Healing Escalation." My body moved of its own accord, arm going out and around in a large circle. What looked like star dust seemed to shimmer off the moon stick and onto Matsuo, and he began to glow. I watched with bated breath as his body began to heal like magic, and when its work was done I could see the faintest color returning to his cheeks. My shoulders relaxed, and though it pained me, I force myself to turn away from him and to Mamoru and the Scouts.
Raising the Moon Stick once more, ignoring the way they all flinched, I said the magic words, and the star dust healed their wounds. They were still my enemies, but they had actually helped and I still needed them. Everyone stared at me, and the silence weighed down on us all. Finally, Luna came to the conclusion that someone should probably say something. "Sailor Moon, we-"
"Need to speak." I interrupted her. "I know."
No one said anything, so I took that as my cue and began throwing out orders. "This man needs to be secured, and a park probably isn't the best place to have this conversation. We need to move quickly, while we have the advantage. Sailor Mars," She jumped as I addressed her. "Can I entrust this man to you?"
Mars exchanged glances with Venus, and nodded.
Apparently no one felt like opposing me at the moment, which was probably smart on their part; I was in no mood to bicker. "Restrain him, take him back to your temple and place wards to keep anything… otherworldly, out if you're capable of it."
"I can do that." She said.
Venus stepped forward. "Why the temple?"
"Where else do we have to go?" The temple wasn't that far from here, and it was probably large enough that we wouldn't be interrupted. Also it was on Sailor Scout territory, so technically they had the advantage there. I turned to Jupiter. "I can't carry Matsuo by myself; will you help me?"
Wordlessly, she moved to his side and began to lift him; I scrambled over and mirrored her movement, putting his arm over my shoulders and supporting his weight to the best of my ability. It was awkward since they were both far taller than me, but I didn't let go for fear that Jupiter might drop him on her own. Glancing up, I took in the Scouts; Venus, Mercury and Mars wore odd expressions as they watched the two of us. Artemis had a more wary look about him and Luna… she couldn't seem to tear her eyes off me, she just kept staring and it was starting to make me uncomfortable.
Mamoru, no longer supporting Jupiter, had a half turned stance, as though he hadn't quite decided whether to leave or not. I should have let him go, as punishment for saving me and not Matsuo, but I didn't feel angry at him for it. Upset, yes, but not angry; it wasn't his fault we were attacked, so I couldn't really take it out on him. I also couldn't let him leave either, because there was no telling where this conversation was going to go and I needed the extra variable just in case.
"If you leave," I told him, "you'll never get to hear what I have to say. I won't give you another chance to ask me the questions bouncing around in your mind."
His lips pressed together, but Mamoru didn't leave.
Instead, he fully faced me and stared, and it took me a moment to realize he was waiting for my direction. "Help Mars with the prisoner. If he stirs even the slightest bit, knock him out; we can worry about concussions later."
Mamoru did as I requested, and that left me with Venus and Mercury. I was getting tired of being the only one speaking, but I made one more effort, addressing Venus. "Does that sound okay with you?"
She blinked. "I- yes. We'll reconvene at the temple. Here, get out of the way." Venus had a good four inches on me at least, and she shooed me out of the way, taking my place and supporting Matsuo's dead weight. "It'll be more efficient this way."
The group started to lumber away, and I lingered behind them, somehow at a loss. It was like the magic was lost, so to speak, as I watched the aftermath of the battle. The monster's body had vanished, and the park was a mess of fallen trees, blood, and cracked bits of earth. The Sailor Scouts had been healed, but we were all dirty, tired from the battle and there was nothing glorious or fantastical about it at all. Sore and shocked, we exited the too-quiet park and limped to our next destination.
I hardly noticed the way Mercury stuck next to me, watching like a hawk.
We had all gained a victory, and yet somehow it also felt like a loss.
We made it to the temple unnoticed.
In any other situation, I'd have been astounded by such luck.
Mars led us to a section of her home towards the back, probably as far from her grandfather as possible, and we settled into a room. Jupiter and Venus laid Matsuo out on a futon, and though he was no longer bleeding his clothes were filthy and they stained everything they touched. I found myself knelt by his head, unable to leave his side. Mars offered me a change of clothes, but I declined; I was still Sailor Moon, and… I couldn't seem to change back. I knew how to, but I just couldn't seem to let go, not yet, and that left a chill down my spine.
No one else changed back into their civilian forms, and I suspected it was because I hadn't either.
Matsuo was in the middle of the room, with me on one side and the Scouts on the other; Jupiter hovered much closer than the rest, only a few feet from us, and her gaze seemed to flicker between Matsuo and me, as though she wasn't quite sure which was more important at the moment. Mamoru leaned against the wall, warily watching everyone; our prisoner was tied up at his side and sporting multiple seal tags. I was wondering how well they worked when Venus finally broke the silence.
"How long have you known?"
Her voice was quiet, ringing out clearly in the room and I studied her; stiff posture, lips pressed together, gaze like steel. I settled for a half truth. "For a long time."
"Since we arrived?" She asked, and I nodded. Venus inhaled, closed her eyes, and murmured, "You sent me the letter, didn't you?"
There was a pause in the air. "Yes."
Mercury's brow furrowed as she eyed me. "I don't understand." With the room's confused attention on her, Mercury gave the scouts a frustrated look and elaborated. "She's been with the princess the whole time, so why send that message? Why pretend the princess was in danger if she was around? What's more, if she knew who we were, if she knew how to find you Venus, then why on earth send such a cryptic message?"
Ah, so that was it then.
They thought Naru was the Moon Princess.
How they came to that conclusion I didn't understand; maybe part of me had always suspected it though, the reason they insisted on sticking so close. I looked at Mamoru, and he was already watching me with something that felt suspiciously like sadness. "You knew I was Tuxedo Mask the day we met, huh?"
"I…" Why was it so hard to say? After nearly choking on the words, I managed to spit them out. "Yes."
"You two know each other?" Artemis questioned. His tone was unhappy, and it was then that I notice the way he and everyone else seemed to look at Mamoru; distrustful, wary, like they wished he wasn't there. Mamoru stared back in challenge, seemingly unaffected by the unfriendly attention and I took that brief moment of distraction to go over my options.
My identity as Sailor Moon had been sealed.
That didn't mean I was going to start fighting crime and teaming up with anyone though. This war was something I had no interest in involving myself in, and I still stood by that sentiment. If the Sailor Scouts thought we were about to be buddy buddy then they had another thing coming. I might have exposed myself, but that didn't mean the plan was beyond saving; I still intended to flee the city, and take Matsuo with me because it was a viable option. The only problem was that now, it was clear to me that the Sailor Scouts weren't going to be able to with this war on their own.
They needed allies, and as I considered our prisoner, I had an idea of just how to get them some.
"You're all being too hasty." I told them. I turned and addressed Luna and Artemis. "Tell me, what do you two remember about the past? When you think back, it's foggy, yes?"
"How do you know that?" Luna questioned. "How did you learn everything before the rest of us? That… shouldn't be possible. Artemis and I were sent to reawaken the Sailor Scouts memories, I was sent to find you and yet all this time, I wasn't even needed. You already knew."
She tone wasn't as even as she probably wanted, and in it I could hear some of her pain. I couldn't imagine how that would feel; to realize your sworn duty had been rendered pointless.
"I can't tell you how I came to acquire my knowledge." I shifted and stood, all eyes on me. "It doesn't particularly matter, in the long run. What matters is that I know more then all of you combined, and now that we're here, it's important that you understand something."
They all watched me, gazes intent.
I made sure to meet each gaze as I spoke, clear and firm. "You are going to lose this war if you keep on as you are now."
Mars sputtered. "What do you mean, we're going to lose? Did you conveniently black out and miss the part where you took down Jadeite and his Youma? With you on our side the Dark Kingdom doesn't stand a chance."
"That's the thing." My smile was not kind. "I'm not on your side."
The room stilled, dead silence descending upon us all. Then, through her teeth, Mars hissed. "What."
I held my head high.
"We aren't comrades. This isn't some fairy tale moment where I join up with you and we take on the world together as a team." My voice was hard, blunt, but it needed to be said, they needed to understand that I couldn't be relied on. "This war, it isn't my battle. I didn't choose this life, I got stuck with it and I'll be damned if I spend it playing hero. If you lot want to run around saving the city, protecting your precious princess, then by all means do so. But don't immediately group me in, because I have no intentions of going along with this; that's why I sent that letter, to lure you in."
I was a coward.
This time, I had defeated the monster easily, but it had been with rage and adrenaline pumping through my veins. Next time, I might freeze like I had with that tree and make a fatal mistake. Now that the battle was over, my fear had returned and it had doubled in size. I had just gone through the most traumatic experience of my life, and these people expected me to make it a regular thing; I couldn't do that again, wouldn't go through it again if I had any say in the matter. That thing had been terrifying and the thought of facing another like it had my knees trembling and my stomach twisting.
There was a reason people didn't face their fears on a daily basis.
I honestly thought I might rather die than have to breathe that thick, demonic air again, hear that shrill laugh; nausea welled in me and I forced a quiet, deep breath.
Mars had a thunderous expression. She was practically shaking with rage, fists clenched as she fumed, "You have a duty; to protect the Moon Princess and the world from the Dark Kingdom. Sailor Moon was supposed to be this-this savior, the last piece to the puzzle, we looked everywhere for you and this whole time… How dare you."
My gaze was apathetic, and that only served to anger her more but I wasn't going to hide how I felt. "I never asked to be put on a pedestal. Do you want to know why I went out of my way to lure you all here? Why I didn't take up the mantle of Sailor Moon and fight from the very beginning? It's because I'm not like you. If that had been me back there as the scout and you all as the civilians, I would have left you to die if it mean saving myself. I'm not selfless, or brave, and most of all, I am not willing to sacrifice myself for the greater good. Fuck the greater good, fuck the war, and fuck the princess."
Someone gasped, the atmosphere filled with shock, and Mars looked betrayed but I continued. "Now all of you, sit down, shut up, and let me tell you how to do your job better. Do you see this man?" I gestured to Mamoru, who looked vaguely startled. "He's literally your best chance at success, so I'd stop throwing his those looks if I were you."
"Are you joking?" Mamoru interjected, tone that of disbelief. He stepped closer to us, arms crossed and shaking his head. "I hate to disappoint you, Usagi, but the Sailor Scouts and I could never work together."
"Even though they're a part of your lost memories?" I snapped, and that seemed to shut him up. With a wave in his direction, I addressed the room at large, trying to keep the resentment out of my voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Prince Endymion of the Earth Kingdom, the Moon Princess's lover and everyone's last hope to defeating the Dark Whatever."
The Sailor Scouts looked from me to him.
Mamoru's gaze flashed over to me, his expression twisted, morphing into something that made my throat tight. He stared at me, and then quietly, heartbreakingly, said, "…You knew… you had what I've been searching for this whole time, and you kept it from me?"
It knocked the air out of my lungs, the pain in his voice. He didn't even know the half of it; I had known, and I had the Silver Crystal, and I had kept it all from him because I hadn't wanted to risk his memories returning. A knot formed in my chest, and I looked down to Matsuo, face going blank. "You are Prince Endymion, and the Sailor Scouts are your allies, not your enemy. That's not all though; there's someone else that used to work in your service, a few of them actually."
My gaze shifted to the man they had called Jadeite.
It was a longshot, but I remembered the story, or at least I thought I did. Four servants to the Earth Kingdom, brainwashed, or possessed, or corrupted by Queen Beryl. If that was the truth… if I was right, then it was entirely possible they could be brought back to the light side. Sailor Mars might be able to exorcise that evil; I might be able to fix them using the moon stick or the Silver Crystal, but those options had a fifty fifty chance of backfiring on me.
The moon stick could just end up healing his physical injuries and not touch the corruption, and the Silver Crystal would undoubtedly give him back his memories. Right now, that would not be ideal; so far, no one was getting any flashbacks and I had a huge advantage as long as it stayed that way. Sailor Moon was one thing, but being mistaken for Serenity would truly be the nail in the coffin. I would never be free if that happened, and I couldn't help but think it was only a matter of time before memories began flying back so my plan to flee needed to be enacted before that happened.
The Sailor Scouts couldn't win this war alone, but with Mamoru and his generals?
The world stood a solid chance.
"No…" Mercury spoke, and I glanced up to see her gaze had followed mine to Jadeite. "You can't mean…Surely, you don't mean him."
She seemed to be the only one thinking rationally, so I tried to appeal to her nature. "He's under a spell, but think about it Mercury. Think about how strong he is, how much trouble he's given you all, and then picture having someone like him on your side. Jadeite would be valuable wouldn't he? And it isn't just him either; there are three more equally as strong, under the same spell and with inside knowledge as to how the enemy works, their weaknesses, their base of opperations."
If I was wrong, and they were genuinely evil, or the spell couldn't be broken, then they would have to go; but we didn't know yet, and I wouldn't be the one to say I wasn't certain. Mercury met my gaze, hers slightly pained but determined, and nodded.
She understood the severity of the situation.
I looked around the room, acknowledging the dark and disappointed looks.
"No one has to like it." I began, "but this is the truth before us; Tokyo is slowly falling, the enemy numbers too many to fight on your own, and that man is one of four keys to securing your victory. You don't have to work together, it's your choice, but if you choose to turn your backs on each other, the world will suffer for it. I did my part, and I will not be roped into this; whether the world rises or falls is up to you."
No one said anything, everyone lost in their own thoughts.
Mamoru was still around, so that had to count for something; he wouldn't look at me, and as I gazed at him a weight settled in my heart. There was nothing I could say though, nothing to be done about it; I had made a decision, and now that the consequences had shown themselves I didn't get to regret it or mourn. All I could do was accept it, I had hurt him and given the chance, I'd probably made the same choice again.
That was who I had become.
Maybe it was who I'd always been.
"Alright." Venus was calm, voice steady and gaze unwavering. Whether she had accepted that I wouldn't join them I couldn't say, all I knew was that in this moment, she had made a decision of her own. "Where do we begin?"
I glanced over to Mamoru; after all, we couldn't do this without him.
He seemed to sense my gaze, and with a clenched jaw, he met it and nodded.
We were all in agreement then.
This wasn't going to be easy; I could feel that none of them were done with me yet, and that they wouldn't be taking their eyes off me for a while. The questions had yet to come, and I was sure that when they did, it would not be pretty. For now, I had given them enough to occupy their minds, but it would only be a matter of time before they made their attack. I was distinctly reminded that these people were still my enemies, just the lesser evil at this moment in time; my problems were not over, not by a longshot and with the events of today, I would be doing some major damage control for the foreseeable future.
I was not looking forward to it.
A/N
I wasn't absolutely thrilled with this chapter, but after agonizing over it for the past week and missing that deadline I promised, I had to just deal with it. Definitely not my best chapter by far, but it did do its job so I guess that's sort of a win?
How did we feel about brutal Sailor Moon? I did try to keep it to a minimum despite warning you guys; for example, my earlier draft of this chapter went into far more detail about Matsuo's injury and Usagi's revenge. I thought it might be too much for you guys though, so I edited that out and toned her down a bit. Still, that's who she is so I'm hoping to slowly adjust us all to her.
Like I said before, Rabbit of the Moon is going to be a hellish combination of the manga, anime, and crystal. There's too many variations, so I'm going with a bit of everything to find some sort of realistic middle ground. Did I meet your expectations? Has this chapter horribly disappointed you all with its late post and failure to kill Matsuo? Well too bad, because I made this OC and I will tell you right now I did not put so much effort into him to just kill him off. Matsuo has a very big part to come in this story, and it would be a waste to throw him away.
Yeah, sure, his death would be a motivator, but like, have you guys even seen him with Usagi? He does so much more for her alive than dead, he's capable of bringing more depth to her moral compass. Without him, it would still exist, but he makes it more prevalent.
Still, it's always hard to know with you guys. On the bright side, we are at least seventy percent done with the dark kingdom arc, and also, surprise! Rabbit of the Moon isn't going to stop at one arc! Mind you, others will be shorter or longer, depending on their usefulness to the telling of this story; hell, some arcs aren't even going to make an appearance. Sue me.
Also, I don't know when this running gag of Usagi never saying the Dark Kingdom properly started, but I can't seem to stop it now…
Thoughts? Questions?
Please Review!
