Author's notes: Well, I went to Tokyo for a week, and I wrote a whole lot while my jet lag kept my up the whole night in my hotel room. It's nice actually, now I don't have to worry about finishing my next chapter for you guys in a rush. I'm quite happy about it.
Anyway, these chapters must be my favorites so far, because they're leading up to something big (I won't tell you what it is though), and I'm having fun just piecing together the story that I can put that 'something big' into it eventually.
To my reviewers of chapter eight:
Shortygirl333 – Thanks for the reviews! For the TxT thing…I never really wanted to say it straight out, but for now, it is TxT. Tomoyo's love life is fun to write, actually.
Chibi Ame – Oh, the Hisano twins are definitely hiding something big, it's not just you ;). Anyway, thanks for the review!
michelle – Thanks! It's nice to know that my writing style appears to be getting better.
KawaiiQuerida-chan – Thank you! Yup, Syaoran will get a bigger part in this, it just won't happen for a while.
Randomness – Heh, I knew that Tsukishiro Yukito meant that… And I always thought that Sakura called Touya 'Onii-san' because he was older than her…oh well, but I didn't know that he called her just 'Sakura' without an honorific. Thanks for that info and thanks for reviewing!
Mewy - Thanks!
Chapter 9
She was standing alone in the blackness, holding her staff close to her as if to ward off evil demons. Around her, several lifeless figures stood ready to fight, but those figures weren't the evil that she was afraid of. The evil was invisible, and only she knew it was there.
Ahead of her, a marble throne could be seen. On it there sat a shadow with piercing blue eyes. Unlike her, who stood out in the dark, this body could not be made out clearly, it melted into the blackness and hid there with a wicked smile.
Everything vanished and she relaxed slightly. The next the she saw was a beautiful, angelic woman, falling head first but with a determined expression, like she had an important mission. Holding out her hand, the woman reached out for something. She saw a bright light, and everything had vanished again.
She saw her mother, a stunning woman with long hair flowing out from behind her. She tried to reach out to her mother, but just as quickly as she came, her mother was gone, and she awoke with a sob.
/MoOn/
/AnD/
/StArS/
"I had a dream last night," Sakura said as she and Tomoyo walked to the Daidouji mansion.
"Oh? About what?" Tomoyo asked.
"I don't remember," Sakura said, shrugging. "I just know I had one."
"Did you tell Kero-chan?"
"Not yet," Sakura said, "I think it would bug him that I don't know what it's about."
"And it wouldn't bug me?" Tomoyo said with a smirk. "Sakura-chan's prophetic dreams must be so interesting! Oh how I wish I could see them for myself!"
Sakura laughed nervously as the trademark stars came into Tomoyo's eyes. "They're dreams, Tomoyo-chan., it's not like you can tape them."
"When there's a will, there's a way!" Tomoyo said excitedly.
Sakura giggled. She didn't get to see her friend like this very often. They had matured quite a bit over the four years since the Void had been stopped, and Tomoyo had never found something more exciting that watching and recording Sakura in her Card Captor days.
"Sakura-chan, I have a question," Tomoyo said after she had calmed down considerably, while they were walking through the door.
"Yes?" Sakura asked.
"Well, I was wondering…would you be willing to wear one of my costumes the next time you go to fight?"
"Uh…" Sakura paused on their way up the stairs. "I guess it depends."
"Because, you know, he did come back. And he said that he would be back again," Tomoyo reasoned.
"When did he say that?" Sakura asked, blushing slightly.
Tomoyo opened the door to her room. "You don't remember?" She asked as she picked up the remote control to her TV. She hit a couple buttons and the TV came on, with a scene of Sakura and Syaoran just starting. Sakura's eyes widened as Syaoran told herself that he'd be back and then kissed her on the cheek. By the moment he was walking away, she had gone beet red.
"To-Tomoyo-chan…" She stuttered.
"Yes?"
"H-how many p-people have s-seen th-this?" She got out.
"The maids. That's all I think. Oh, no, my mother's seen it too. I have it on constant loop." Tomoyo's smile grew steadily wider.
Sakura screamed, locked herself in the bathroom, and – much to Tomoyo's dismay – wouldn't try on the costume that had been made earlier.
"Well," Tomoyo huffed, "it's not like I showed it to your brother or anything," she said, "but I always could just call him up and ask him over for dinner…I'm sure he'd be very interested to see this…"
Sakura only screamed more as Tomoyo giggled.
"My Sakura-chan is so kawaii when she blushes!" She said as she played the tape over and over again.
"Tomoyo-chan! Turn that off!" Sakura yelled.
Tomoyo only smiled as she hit the play button again.
/MoOn/
/AnD/
/StArS/
"Are you crazy?" Ami asked incredulously, following Usagi into the temple. "Usagi-chan, this won't work! We've made a decision, you can't just change it now! Especially with Haruka-san's opinion on this…"
The girl trailed off when Usagi turned to her with a set expression, telling her that the princess wasn't about to change her mind. It was the first time anyone had seen her take a serious stand since Mamoru had been taken away, and it shocked Ami a little. To the Senshi of Mercury, it was a mark of true leadership, a reminder that Usagi was truly independent.
Marching into the temple, Usagi's expression didn't change, even upon seeing the angry faces of some Senshi who didn't want to be there. All of them had been invited, all of the ones who had been there when the decision was made, the decision that was about to be changed, even if they didn't know it yet.
"Now tell me, why are we here?" Haruka asked, she and Michiru awkward in the room that was usually only occupied by the Inner Senshi.
"You're here because I'm letting you know that I trust Kinomoto-san and her friends. Her help is valuable and we should accept help that we're given."
Haruka took a step forward. "Are you joking me! We've already made a decision and that wasn't up for discussion!" She yelled.
"And who are you to say whether it was up for discussion or not?" Usagi replied, her volume matching that of Haruka's. The older woman was taken aback. "You never even had a proper conversation with Kinomoto-san! While we tried to trust her, you watched as if you expected her to be the enemy!" Tears filled Usagi's eyes as she continued. "I had always hoped that when the need arises, we would be able to come together and agree on something, despite our different personalities. But it seems that even though we've been through so much together, even though we've given our own lives to save each other, we can't settle a matter that should be so easy to settle!"
The Senshi were all staring at her, a bewildered expression on each girl's face.
Michiru was the first to break out of her surprise. "Well," she said with a sigh, "that makes it final. Usagi-chan, if this is your decision, I honor it."
"I do as well," Haruka said. Everyone, including Michiru, was surprised by her soft tone. "I trust you as our leader and our princess. Whatever choice you have made, it's the right one."
This was enough for the other Senshi, even though the look on Usagi's face as she had come in the door had already given them a new hope. This new attitude that Usagi had taken on made them all feel invincible.
It was good to have the old Sailor Moon back.
/MoOn/
/AnD/
/StArS/
Every Wednesday, Yanagisawa Naoko was always at the bus stop at five o'clock after a piano lesson. And every Wednesday she brought her latest horror novel with her to fill up time as she waited. This Wednesday was no different; she immediately sat down and buried herself into The Shining by Stephen King. Ten minutes after she started reading; a talkative couple sat down next to her at the stop. She hardly noticed them, until the girl spoke up.
"So, you like scary stories, do you?" She asked, smiling at Naoko.
Naoko looked up and nodded. "Yeah," she said, a little uncertainty in her voice.
"I heard that there's a haunted mansion just south of the city. We were gonna go and see it but he got too scared," she said, nodding to her boyfriend in a mock-exasperated tone. He smiled and gave her a playful shove as she giggled.
"Oh really?" Naoko asked, perking up a little. "Where is it exactly?"
"You just go along the highway a bit and it's in a little village. The house is really obvious and the village is completely deserted."
Naoko nodded. "It sounds interesting."
The girl was about to go on when her boyfriend tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to a sign. "We're at the wrong stop," he said.
She sighed. "More walking," she complained. "Well, it was nice talking to you!"
The couple got up and started walking down the street, leaving Naoko to ponder over this new information.
As they walked together, the girl sighed and looked up at her boyfriend. "I just hope it works."
He murmured an agreement. "Me too. Before it's too late."
/MoOn/
/AnD/
/StArS/
"Where's Mina-chan?" Usagi asked as she sat down with Makoto at lunch.
"She's over there." Makoto gestured to their right without looking up.
"Over where?" Usagi said, squinting at the large group of people.
"Over there with Yasuto-kun," Makoto said.
"Are they…holding hands?"
"Yup."
"So they're…"
"Yup."
"Oh," Usagi said. She looked back at the two, laughing and blushing and just having a great time in general. "It's a little quick, don't you think?"
"It's Mina-chan," Makoto answered, "it's like her to rush into things like this. Don't worry about her Usagi-chan, she can protect herself."
"Can she protect herself from Ami-chan?" Usagi asked.
"Ami-chan…" Makoto said thoughtfully, "I forgot about that"
"I actually think I agree with Ami-chan. We need to focus right now."
"I don't think that's really how Ami-chan feels," Makoto said absent-mindedly.
"What does that mean?" Usagi asked. When Makoto only smiled at her, she became curious. "Mako-chan! Tell me!"
Makoto giggled. "Never mind Usagi-chan."
Usagi crossed her arms and gave out a 'hmph'. "Fine then, don't tell me!"
"Oh hello Ami-chan."
Usagi looked up and smiled at their friend. "Hello Ami-chan!" She said happily.
"Where's Mina-chan?" Ami asked.
Both Makoto and Usagi shrugged.
"Isn't that her over there?" Ami said, pointing to Minako.
"Over where?" Makoto asked.
"Over there with…" Ami's expression suddenly turned into an angry one. "I told her not to," she said before getting up and walking away.
Makoto and Usagi sighed simultaneously.
/MoOn/
/AnD/
/StArS/
Ami marched down the hall angrily. She supposed she would go to the library to calm her nerves. As she turned the corner, she bumped into someone and almost fell, but strong hands held her upright.
"Ah, Mizuno-san."
She almost winced at the voice, but she had actually become so accustomed to it that she no longer twitched.
"Imagine bumping into you on a day like this," Yojiro said, smiling.
"It happens every day Hisano-san, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again tomorrow, or the next day for that matter," Ami said, biting back the annoyance in her tone.
He smirked. "You would be surprised to know how much I wish you would not look at me with such disgust every time we meet."
Ami stared at him, dumbfounded for a moment. "Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" she asked.
Yojiro let out a laugh. "I'm sure you know what it means, Mizuno-san."
Ami shook her head in disbelief and began walking down the hall again.
"Ami-san?" he called.
She only sped up.
/MoOn/
/AnD/
/StArS/
"Look, you've got to do something. If she's treating you like this than you should tell her that she can't anymore," Mamoru said, his eyes almost pleading. Yang sat at the end of his bed, fiddling with the sheets. Yin was sitting in the chair in the corner, tapping his knees at an incredibly fast rate.
Suddenly, the door opened, and the girl stood there, an irritated look on her face. "Chiba-san, if you will."
Mamoru got up and glanced at Yin and Yang before walking out the door and down the hall.
"Will this be my last trip?" He asked, knowing that the crystal was almost full of energy.
"Most definitely," she said. Mamoru didn't like her tone.
It was as normal as ever, except this time he didn't fall asleep. He saw a maniacal grin on her face as it reached the top and he shivered. He had no idea what she was going to do, but he knew that it would be horrible.
The crystal floated away, into a room that Mamoru had never taken notice of before. The girl left for a moment and then came back with a much smaller crystal and placed it in the machine.
"What are you doing?" He called through the glass, almost nervously. She ignored him and turned the machine on – full power. Mamoru screamed and writhed in the compartment, having the feeling that his very soul was getting sucked out of his body. In a few moments he was gone, vanished from the glass cage.
Yang stood at the door, her eyes wide and her hand over her mouth. She looked at the glowing crystal and realized what her mistress had done. That was the last straw.
She walked up to where her mistress was standing and glared.
"Aiko-sama, you can't do this. You must let him-."
She hadn't seen the backhand coming. It was so quick, but the fire in the girl's eyes was so intense that it was to be expected.
"I told you to never call me by my name," she hissed. She glared down at Yang furiously and Yang suddenly felt a horrible, wrenching pain in her stomach. Moaning, she curled up in a ball and began trembling.
"Do you agree to obey my orders without hesitation from now on?" the girl asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Y-yes Mistress," Yang said, tears running freely down her cheeks. She was let go of her pain as the girl snatched the glowing crystal and left the room. As soon as her footsteps had vanished, Yin's arms were clasped tightly around Yang as he helped her up and led her out of the room.
/MoOn/
/AnD/
/StArS/
And the plot thickens…
Ha, that's funny, I'm gonna write that at the end of every chapter.
This chapter was… Well, I liked it. The end of it may have been a bit confusing as to what exactly happened to Mamoru…well maybe not, I don't know. I don't have the ability to know what goes through all of your minds when you read this. Hey! There's an idea! Review and let me know! Hehe…
Ah, Yin and Yang have to be my favourite characters (that aren't canon) in this story. I don't know why, but I just love them so much. I haven't made up any other characters actually…just Yasuto, Yojiro and Aiko. Oh yeah! That's her name, by the way, which you (should have) discovered while reading this. I guess Aiko's name is kinda important to her (just to let you know it means "beloved one, little love"...or something along those lines). Well, not important, but the fact that that is her name is sort of a big deal. Ah well…keep reading and you'll get it.
Word Count: 2,252