Author's Note (5/5/19): This is an entirely new chapter, just for you! I really wanted everyone to see what happened to people, and show what the prison was like. It's taken me a few days to get this just how I want it, to show everything that needs to be shown, and to help people understand the world that has been created. Also, it was part of the request that was missing.
The Prison
Chapter Five
Fourth Day and Night
Light
Usagi heard frightening laughter first. Instantly alert, she opened her eyes, staring into Mamoru's. The sound was coming from further down the hall and she could hear someone else crying from the same direction. Something bad was happening, but trapped as they were in the cell, they could do nothing about it. Not without giving away who and what they were.
She moaned as she tried to sit up. She ached badly. Between her training with the others, the burials they'd had to perform, and what she'd done with the Crystals the night before, she was so sore that even breathing seemed painful. She attempted again to sit up and still struggled.
Mamoru appeared at her side, helping her to raise herself from the thin mattress. He looked as worried as she felt, and moved quietly, urging her to walk hidden by his own body until she was safely in the shower, the curtain closed. Within a minute the other four girls had joined her.
"I'm thinking we may have a fight for dominance when we return to the day cell this morning," Minako whispered. "Do you remember your self defense training from our last life?"
Usagi nodded. "Yes, and I remember what you all have been teaching me in this one," she added. "We need to keep our eyes and ears open today. We might be able to discover some of what HER plan is. I don't like that something big is coming."
"Me either," Rei whispered. "I feel a heaviness to the air this morning, like everyone is just waiting."
In the outer room they heard a clang as the cell door opened. "To the day cells," a guard ordered. It wasn't the red-haired guard thankfully. Usagi shivered just at the thought of him.
The men surrounded the women as they made their way to the hallway toward the day cells. Usagi couldn't help wondering if they would get breakfast that morning. Her stomach growled at the thought.
A nasty laugh sounded behind them and Usagi dug her face into Mamoru's back. "Did you think you could really hide the girl from me forever?" a voice asked.
Shivers ran down Usagi's spine. She knew that voice. The red-haired guard was standing just outside their cell. Usagi didn't look. She kept her face hidden. The others clustered tightly around her, but she knew there wasn't much they could do without giving themselves away. As soon as he said something Usagi grew uncomfortably aware that due to her transformation her normal hair style had returned.
"Oh give it a rest Ichiro," the other guard said. "We don't have time for this. Unless you want to be thrown into a cell yourself," he added. "We must appear before the Queen."
Usagi clung to the desperate hope that she could escape from Ichiro. She was thankful to have a name for him. He was like a nightmare that she couldn't wake from. The memory of his hands on her skin caused a shudder to run through her body and she felt the other girls pressing even closer as they attempted to keep the reaction hidden.
"True enough," Ichiro murmured. "I'll have time enough soon," he said, and Usagi could imagine he was trying to see her through the others. She shrank further, making herself as small as possible.
"Hurry into the day cell, all of you," the other guard said, waving them down the hall toward where another guard waited. They moved as a single unit, their steps in sync as they hurried away. A moment later the next guard unlocked the day cell and let them in.
Usagi didn't move an inch away from Mamoru, though she peeked around his shoulder, and gasped in shock.
The group in the day cell was vastly different when Mamoru and the others stepped inside. He searched the room and found no prisoners wearing black jumpsuits. His eyes scanned the room several times, but none of them were there. There were new faces, and many of the old ones were gone. They wouldn't need to fight for dominance with the bunch there now. Most wore yellow or red... or white.
"What's happened to them?" he asked rhetorically. "Has there been another Taking?" The lack of black jumpsuits disturbed him. While they were rather evil, they often kept the guards at bay. Despite the fight for dominance he had been thankful they were a distraction.
Kunzite grunted behind him, which was all the answer he was going to get about the changes.
There were nearly twenty prisoners he had never seen before, and the room still seemed half empty. He knew seventeen had been taken from the group in the day cell, but he had seen none of the black jumpsuits in the people who had been buried, and most of those in blue were gone too. It made no sense as their own group hadn't been stopped.
Now there were also several in white jumpsuits, which made no sense to him. He had never seen any of them before, and hadn't been aware another color group existed. What did their suits signify? Why were they here now? What was happening inside the prison?
The ones in the white jumpsuits shrunk away from everyone else, hiding in corners, or staying on the fringes of the groups, clustered in pairs.
"What the hell is going on?" he heard Jadeite ask. He wanted to know the answer himself. Nothing was familiar, and in a place like prison even hated familiar things were a comfort. It was as though the rules had suddenly been changed and there was no telling what would happen next.
"Stick together," he ordered. "No one goes off alone. If you leave the group, stay in pairs."
There were murmurs of agreement all around him. He pulled Usagi to his side then, wrapping an arm around her waist. That's when he noticed a red-haired girl in a white jumpsuit sitting in their spot. The territorial gang leader in him brindled at the thought of anyone encroaching on his space. But as he tensed to attack, he heard Usagi's plea.
Usagi caught sight of someone sitting in their 'U' of seats and saw that Mamoru had tensed. But when she looked again at the girl, she gasped. "Don't chase her away," she begged. "Not her."
"Why?" his voice was calm, but he didn't appear to be. He looked furious, and ready to attack.
"That's my best friend, Naru!" Usagi said excitedly. "I don't know how long she's been here but she went missing before you did. Why is she wearing a white jumpsuit?"
"I don't know. Nothing makes sense this morning," he added, a touch of worry in his tone.
:: We have to figure out what is going on. She's our best hope for answers. Let me approach her first. :: she said to him in her mind.
Mamoru stiffened. :: No. We go together. ::
"Break into pairs," he ordered the others. "Very slowly and carefully approach groups of white and yellow only and get as much information as you can. Do not leave your Soul-Bonded. If a guard comes into the day cell, get back to us immediately, understood?"
The others whispered their agreement and hurried into the room, moving cautiously toward the other inmates. Usagi and Mamoru moved together, approaching their territory slowly. Naru looked up and peered at Usagi closely. Then she let out a small cry and raced toward her.
Mamoru tried to block her, but Usagi patted his arm and then opened hers wide to accept the hug from her childhood friend.
"Usagi!" Naru whisper yelled. "Why are you here? What's going on?"
"Naru! We were told you moved. That you sold the store. How long have you been here?"
"Since the day after we disappeared. Mother caught someone trying to curse the jewelry," Naru hissed. "She tried to throw them out, and then we were being forced into a truck and the next day we ended up here."
Mamoru herded them to the benches and ordered them to sit, then he stood guard, hovering protectively over both of them. She glanced at him and he nodded, but kept a wary eye on everyone else in the room. Usagi followed his lead, glancing from her friend, to all the other prisoners, and back every few seconds. She was learning how to maintain her survival. This was part of it.
"If you've been here the whole time, why didn't the other prisoners know about the white jumpsuits?" Usagi asked, curious.
"I don't know. Everyone in our building wore white. We didn't even know there were other colors. We've all been here since the beginning, I think. No more have been added for over six months. There were several thousand of us at first," she added. Her head tilted to the side, then she waved one hand slightly. "The people in white in this room are all that's left. They separated the children from us a long time ago. They took everyone. My mother and Umino's father. Then they came back again and again. "
"Umino is here too?" Usagi asked, her head swinging back and forth to search.
Naru lifted a hand and pointed. Umino was on the outer edges of a group wearing red and blue jumpsuits, not speaking to any of them, simply listening. "He's right there," she said softly. "You didn't know he was missing?"
"My father stopped letting us go to school months ago," Usagi said, her voice hitching. "Most parents did."
"Oh." Naru bit her lip. "Where are they? Your parents."
Usagi refused to cry. She glanced at Mamoru and took comfort from his presence. "My father was murdered a while ago. He was running an underground newspaper and got caught in a 'riot,' made up of HER supporters."
"You mean Ber-" Naru was cut off when Usagi threw a hand over her mouth.
"Are you crazy?" she asked. "Don't call attention to yourself!" she hissed. "Anyone in this room could report you, and the guards are just as dangerous as the black jumpsuits."
"Black jumpsuits?" Naru asked.
Usagi took several minutes to explain the colors as well as why she was there. Naru seemed confused as to the color of her jumpsuit so she told her about Ichiro, the red-haired guard, and his attempts to get to her. "Mamoru and the others have been helping me. I've only been here a few days, but they've already saved me once." She told Naru about the attack on her when she'd been thrown into the cell.
"That's terrifying," Naru said when she had finished. "Nothing like that happened in our other building. We were all terrified though."
"Look who I found," Ami said as she approached. She had her hand on Umino's shoulder. "He almost just got murdered," she added in an aside to Mamoru. "This is not a place where you hang on the fringes of groups more dangerous than you trying to listen in. And in here, everyone is more dangerous than you."
"What do you mean?" Umino asked. Before she could answer he'd recognized Usagi. "Usagi!" he almost shouted.
Naru grabbed his hand and pulled him down onto the bench beside her. "Shut up!" she whisper-yelled at him. The boy blushed, but Usagi was still worried. She watched the other prisoners carefully, but none of them seemed to notice her. They weren't really paying attention to anything. It was clear they were all just as confused about the changes as her own group was.
She stood and moved to Mamoru's side, leaving Naru to explain things to Umino. She stood tall, making her stance as aggressive as she could to mimic his. She didn't speak aloud. It was too dangerous. :: I think the white jumpsuits are political prisoners or something. They've never committed crimes. They were all taken before the regime really began.::
:: I have a feeling you're right. They must have been gathered when people took their places. I always wondered how the witch got so many people on her side so quickly. I'll have them gathered together so we can keep them safe, but I don't know how well we can do that. ::
He turned and spoke to Zoicite and Ami, who were still standing close, and they hurried out to talk to the others. Mamoru and Usagi stood at the mouth of the 'U' of benches, watching carefully as their friends herded anyone in white toward them. By the time they had finished, eleven more were with them, sitting on the benches. The rest of their group surrounded their territory, making sure the innocents inside were completely protected.
"What else are we in the dark about?" Rei hissed. "This is a shock, and not a good one. Something major is going to happen."
"We have to get them out today," Makoto said. "I think they are in danger, and they'll bring that danger to anyone they connect with."
"What do you mean?" Usagi asked, though she had a feeling she already knew.
"They're going to be Taken. It's obvious. I wonder why it wasn't done already." Rei frowned as she spoke, shifting restlessly. Little sparks appeared in her clenched fists and Usagi rested a hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm the fiery former Miko.
"How the hell do we get them out?" Kunzite growled. "We can't take them to our cell to teleport out of here. I don't know what else we can do." He paced back and forth like a prowling lion, looking angrier than Usagi had ever seen him. "The others are all worried about letting them close. They won't help."
Near the door, guards had gathered and were peering in at them. It seemed significant to Usagi, who peered at them cautiously, trying not to be obvious. Something big was going down and she wanted to know what it was.
The window at the side of the room opened and the smell of miso soup and dumplings rolled through the room like a wave. "For now," Mamoru said, authority clear in his voice, "lets help them get some breakfast. We have the rest of the day to figure it out. The guards wont take them with so many of us loose. There are still enough in blue and red to cause problems."
Usagi hurried to Naru and Umino and the others. They both stood as she approached. "Alright, line up everyone. Two rows. We're going to take you to the window to eat breakfast. Don't leave the group for anything. Understood?"
Most of the white jumpsuited prisoners obeyed instantly, but two frowned and stayed in their seats. Usagi made her way to them and, still keeping watch of the room, asked what was wrong.
"Who put you in charge," one asked. He was a young man, perhaps Mamoru's age, and it was clear to Usagi that he was used to leading the group of remaining white jumpsuits.
Usagi laughed. "Here's the deal. Stick with us, you will survive until nightfall. Don't stick with us, you take your chances with them." She pointed to the pushing and shoving inmates near the window. Most of them wore blue or red. "The black jumpsuits might be gone," she added, "but the others are just as dangerous."
The man didn't need another explanation and hurriedly stood, making his way to the back of the line.
The other one was younger, a boy perhaps her own age, and he bit his lip nervously, looking around himself almost as much as she was. Usagi felt bad for him, but couldn't show weakness in front of the other prisoners. That lesson she had learned by watching Mamoru. She wanted to bend down, pat him on the shoulder, but she couldn't. It made her feel guilty, but she had to survive if she was to protect him or the others, and if the rest of the inmates sensed weakness they could very well pounce.
"What's the matter?" she asked in a hushed, and much kinder, voice.
"What if they poison us?" he asked. "Or what if someone jumps us?"
Usagi frowned. She hadn't thought about poison, but it wasn't a great concern. They couldn't drain the energy of the dead. "They won't poison us," she assured him. "As for being jumped, there is safety in numbers and my group will protect you, okay?"
He finally nodded and slowly stood, shuffling towards the others. Usagi took her place next to Mamoru at the front of the group. The others patrolled the sides and the back of the lines, making sure no one else drew near. They made their way to the window, arriving just as the scuffle for position ended, and were in line before most with yellow jumpsuits dared to approach. She gathered the bowls for herself and Mamoru, and noted the other women doing the same for their Soul-Bonded. The men needed their hands free to protect the rest of them. She led the way back to the benches and they all took their seats.
Silence descended on the day cell as everyone ate their soup and dumplings. Whispers occasionally rose and fell, but there was a calm hush over the inmates. The guards had disappeared from the doorway. Usagi wracked her brain, trying to think of a way to make sure everyone escaped. She wasn't sure how to pull it off, but there had to be a way.
There were thirteen total in white jumpsuits. Nine of those were males. It was possible to separate them into two groups and see if they could be assigned in an open cell in their block. Then, that night, they could sneak them out while the rest slept. It was the only plan she could think of.
When they had finished eating, Mamoru and Usagi joined the others from their own sleep cell and she told them her thoughts. Two cells in their block had been emptied, which would make it possible for them to be close by. And they knew the area, and the guard's schedules. It was the only hope they had of rescuing them all before another Taking.
"Does anyone have another idea?" Usagi asked, worried that it would put everyone in danger if the two cells of people suddenly went missing.
"No. It's the only one that makes sense," Rei said. "No one keeps any records. They might have to search for them, and it's likely they would just give up rather than telling anyone they lost a bunch of prisoners."
"We could change the colors of their jumpsuits like we did for Usagi," Ami suggested.
"That wont work. The red-haired guard, Ichiro, saw through the ruse already. He would have told the others and they'll be on the lookout for it. No. We have to be seen in our cells when the others disappear," Mamoru said. "We've always kept you women hidden when the guards come by. They won't expect to see you. While we keep them distracted, a few of you should sneak into the bathroom, teleport, and collect them."
Usagi could tell what it cost Mamoru to let them go on their own. In his mind they were precious and needed to be protected. He wouldn't want to be separated from her, and by the shifting stances of the others, they felt the same. But it was the only chance they had.
"When?" Kunzite asked. "I don't want to wait too long," he added, looking out at the only guard who remained. The man stood just outside the cell, talking into a phone. "If we wait until morning we're taking a chance they get Taken before then."
"Sounds like we should do it just after lights out," Mamoru said. "I wish there was a way to disguise the girls more though."
"Don't worry," said a voice, and Usagi was startled to realize Luna had appeared at their feet. "There's a glamour when you transform. No one will recognize you."
Usagi didn't bend down to pick up the cat. Even that could be a sign of weakness. She frowned as she glared out at the rest of the cell. "So we put them all together and rescue them tonight. We have to get a message to the rest of the group though. I think they're expecting us to meet with them."
"Leave that to me," Luna said and a moment later she was running back the way she came, pretending to pounce once or twice as though she was an ordinary mouser.
To Mamoru the day seemed to drag on forever. Once they had decided what to do, there was nothing left but to wait and play guard on a bunch of people who didn't even realize how much danger they were in. Several tried to leave the group, only to have Usagi explain the reality of their situation in very blunt terms. She talked about the dangers of being raped, or shanked by another inmate, or of being beaten for getting too close to an established group. Eventually they all realized what the established gang was doing by protecting them and stayed still and quiet.
A few yellows approached them late in the day and Usagi looked very excited to see them. "Yuna, Miyu," she said, and had to hide a couple tears from the rest of the inmates in their section.
"What are you doing little one?" A woman with wavy black hair asked.
"Tying to keep the white jumpsuits safe," Usagi said honestly. "They're in more danger than the rest of us." Both women seemed to understand her meaning. They'd been there for at least one Taking, obviously, and Mamoru had a feeling they must have been booked at the same time as Usagi.
"Who are your friends?" one of the women asked.
"Miyu, this is Mamoru. He's mine. Then there are Ami and Zo, Mina and Kun, Jed and Rei, and Mako and Neph," she continued, shortening the names, probably for safety.
"Yours huh?" the other woman asked. "That was quick."
"He claimed me about five minutes after I stepped foot in the cell. If he hadn't I might not be alive to talk to you. I was attacked in the first few minutes," Usagi whispered. "Who is your friend?" she added.
"This is Aoto. He was sent in the day after us because he 'inspired us to bad behavior,' or at least that was the excuse," Miyu snorted. "They really will use any excuse. And after those people went missing," she shivered. "I don't think I'll ever get over it. It has to be because of who we are. They wouldn't have gone after him otherwise."
"Who you are?" Rei asked, overhearing the conversation.
Yuna looked around carefully. "We run, well ran, a talk show. Aoto was planning on telling the world why we were put in prison. No sooner had he made the decision then he was arrested."
"My dad ran an underground newspaper," Usagi told them. "That's why he was murdered."
Mamoru realized how much she had in common with many of the prisoners. She was good and pure, innocent in many ways like those in white jumpsuits. She willingly put herself at risk however, and would fight to protect the ones she loved, just like he and the other blue jumpsuits. She was an inspiration to him.
"After the Taking thing, someone from our old cell said they wouldn't come back, that we would never see them again. And now we're here and everything is changing."
"They won't come back," Mamoru confirmed, speaking for the first time. "Old cell?" he asked.
"We all got shuffled around this morning," the other woman said. "I'm Yuna, by the way." She gave a soft sigh. "They took everyone wearing blue from our hallway." Her eyes shifted to meet his for a moment and he heard the warning. "Then they brought us to the end with all of you. I think there are some major changes happening right now, but no one seems to know why."
For one moment Mamoru wished Motoki was still in the prison. He would have brought them answers. Instead, he focused on the three yellows in front of him and saw something special in them. "All of you should join the whites," he said.
"But..." Aoto trailed off after meeting his gaze. Light seemed to flare in his eyes for just a moment as though he understood their predicament. "Good idea," he said, and pulled the women with him to the bench that was open to the rest of the room.
:: We're getting them out too, :: he told Usagi.
:: Thank you. :: She showed nothing of her gratitude to anyone else in the room, but he could feel her emotions through the Bond. :: Those women are the ones that saved me from Ichiro, :: she corrected.
:: Then I'm even more glad we're getting them out :: he told her.
He turned then and addressed the group. "I'm going to speak to the guard about assigning you to two cells," he said, "in the same hallway as ours. It isn't much, but for the moment it's all we can do. Form two groups and stay together." He said no more, only watched as the whites and the three yellows formed two groups. Naru and Umino gathered the yellows to themselves, somehow sensing that Usagi cared for them, he was sure.
He nodded to them, grabbed Usagi's arm, and bent to whisper in her ear. "Stay with the girls and don't let anyone get close," he ordered. Then he and the other men walked swiftly toward the door, explaining the need to the guard on duty. The man smiled, and Mamoru knew they'd been right about the whites being part of the next Taking. It was imperitive to get them out. The ease with which his request was granted was a massive red flag.
Only minutes later they were sent back to the sleep cells in small groups, and the two newest groups were added to their hallway. Mamoru worried something would happen sooner than they planned, but didn't speak. Usagi already looked nervous and he didn't want to worry her further.
Usagi and the other girls went into the shower with Kunzite, who transformed into North Knight. He teleported them to the island so they could henshin without giving themselves away. It would be up to them to get the others out as quickly and quietly as possible. She worried about being caught, but was more concerned about what would happen to her friends and the others if they didn't move quickly.
It was already later than they'd planned. The moon was high in the sky, but there had been some commotion near the cells the others were held in and it would have spelled disaster if they were seen by the guards. She was sure they would have rounded up everyone and Taken them all at once if they saw five heroes among the prisoners, helping them escape. Even with ten of them there was no guarantee they could save everyone if they were rounded up all at once.
"Good luck," North Knight whispered, and disappeared in a blink after giving Minako a quick kiss.
"Henshin yo," Usagi whispered. The others quickly let their transformations take them and bright lights covered the hillside as the five young women changed into powerful warriors.
"Do we clear both cells at the same time?" Sailor Jupiter asked a moment later.
"Yes. Each cell has eight prisoners. We get in, grab them, and get out as quickly as possible, without being seen."
"I've been in one of the cells," Jupiter informed her. "Ami has been in the other. We should be separated so we can both go where we know."
Sailor Moon nodded. "Alright. Lets do it." She joined Jupiter and Venus, teleporting seconds later. Pressure and darkness lasted only a heartbeat. Then she found herself in a shower nearly identical to the one she shared with her own sleep cell.
Venus moved quickly out from behind the curtain and hissed around the corner. Naru and Umino hurried over. "Who are you?" Umino asked, a little too loudly. Venus shushed him and pushed him toward Sailor Moon before she waved for another group.
Knowing it was imperative to move as fast as possible, Sailor Moon grabbed the hands of her friends and teleported back to the hilltop. The moment they arrived Umino shouted and fell onto his bottom.
"Who are you? Where are we? What just happened?" he asked in a rush.
"Guiro hush!" Naru ordered. "Can't you see who it is?" She turned to Sailor Moon and rolled her eyes. "Sorry Usagi."
Shocked, she stared at her friend. "How did you know? Luna said we were glamoured."
Naru shrugged. "You feel the same to me," she answered hesitantly, as though she wasn't sure how to explain. "I know you."
Mercury arrived with a group of four then, and right after Jupiter appeared with Yuna, Miyu, and Aoto.
"Clear off the hilltop!" Sailor Moon ordered. "Move back just a little."
Venus appeared seconds later with three more, and then Mars with the last of their rescues.
"Alright," Venus said. "No one saw me, how about you two?" she turned to Mercury and Mars.
"We're clear," Mars answered. "Not a guard in sight. I could hear them laughing at the end of the hallway."
"Okay, then these guys are safe. What now?"
Sailor Moon frowned. She wasn't sure where they could take the people they'd rescued. Luna had said she would take care of that, but she wasn't sure how. Then a bright light appeared on the hilltop and her cousin and brother stepped towards them. She was enveloped in a massive hug by the red-haired Sun Knight, and laughed at his easy ways.
"Luna called us," he said. "Something about a rescue mission. We're taking them to Kofu for now. That okay with you?"
Sailor Moon nodded. She wished she could go with them and see her mother, but she knew they had to get back to the prison quickly. She hugged her brother, waved to her friends, and stepped back to join hands with the other girls. A moment later pressure and darkness flowed over them and they were in the bathroom in their own cell again.
They instantly released their transformation and Minako peeked around the bathroom door. She squeaked and pulled her head back in. Usagi heard the now familiar laugh of Ichiro and shivered. He was talking to Mamoru and Kunzite. She could hear their voices from her place in the corner, where she was being pressed into the wall by Makoto and Rei.
:: Stay out of sight, :: Mamoru ordered her mentally. :: He 'knows' you girls have been in there the whole time, but right now he's alone so there's nothing he can do. ::
:: Okay. :: Usagi responded. She wondered if that had been their only chance for escape.
Shuddering at another laugh, she let the girls press her deeper into the shower walls. Ichiro seemed to be in his element, telling Mamoru and the other men that soon he would take Usagi, and then each of the other women from them. Shivers ran up and down her spine, the hair on the back of her neck raised, and a single tear fell before she pulled herself back under control.
:: Remember who you are, :: Mamoru told her. :: You can transform and kick him all the way to China. ::
Usagi smothered a laugh as her confidence returned. :: You're right, :: she said. :: I'm stronger than he knows. ::
Another guard called to Ichiro and he left. Finally the girls walked out of the bathroom, and Usagi threw herself into Mamoru's arms. "We keep watch all night," he declared, holding her so tight it was difficult to breathe. "Take shifts in pairs. Get some rest though. Usagi and I will take the first watch."