Okay. As usual this is another attempt at this story. I am not exactly pleased with the way this chapter came out and I might eventually replace it with another. I leave that decision up to all that read this. Without much further preamble, on with the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own them. Now leave me to my mental poverty in peace.
" regular speech" >thought speech> 'breaks of cosmos reminiscing'
De Ja Vu?
Chapter 9:
'It had started a night like any other. The girls and I would be spending the night at Rei's temple. We used to claim that it was to study, but most of the time it was to relax after a rough week of battle. The negaverse seemed to have an endless supply of fighters, while we, on the other hand, were much more limited. On this night in particular, I had recieved a strong blow to my head before anyone could come to my aid. Most of this night is what I dreamt happened while in a sort of coma. The reality of the situation was much different, however.'
"Fighting evil by moonlight is a highly over-rated experience," Makoto muttered as she released her transformation.
We all nodded our understanding and slowly began the trek back to Rei's temple. The walk there alone was painful enough, but the thought of climbing all those stairs made me want to cry. I'm not lazy, despite what Rei and sometimes Makoto claim, but after using most of my energy to fling a discus/tiara at youma, I'm far from willing to do much else. Especially after a full day of school and a half-hearted attempt at homework. On the bright side, Tuxedo Kamen had been there just in time to save my life, as usual, so my mood was only slightly better than it could have been. I still couldn't resist complaining though.
"Why can't you invest in an elevator?" I mutter more to myself as we finally reach the top of the stairs nearly an hour after defeating the youma.
"Because technology is not the basis of the temple, Odango-Attama,"Rei practically growled in my direction as she pulled open the doors of the temple room we would be spending the night in.
The sun had barely set for an hour before the youma had attacked in the park. Youma's were always attacking in the park. It's like they are drawn there by the scenery or something. For months we had been fighting the negaverse to no avail. They still had more crystals than us and Tuxedo Kamen was still suspected of being the enemy no matter how many times he rescued me.
>Maybe he just wanted to-->
My thoughts were interrupted by the Rei's sharp intake of air. I looked up to see Mamoru standing in the middle of the room. His easy demeanor made him seem like a king among commoners. Rei ran to give him a hug that he seem less inclined to return.
"Mamoru! I can't believe you surprised me like that! What's the occasion?"Rei nearly screamed into poor Mamoru's ears while she hugged all the air out of him.
Makoto, Ami, and I stood off to the side to give the couple more privacy. It seemed that this was pointless because no matter how hard we tried not to easedrop on the conversation, we only heard more.
"Rei, I only stopped by to see if you were..."Mamoru trailed off as his eyes glanced in my direction,"...free this evening. I guess you had other plans though?" he finished his sentence with a slight shake of his head.
His voice at the beginning of that sentence had been slightly worried, but near its end it sounded sad and almost disappointed. I look at the back of his head as he attempted cheering Rei up with a promise of another time. Then he kissed her quickly on the cheek, nodded in the other girls and my direction, and left just as abruptly as he had arrived.
"He is so thoughtful isn't he?" Rei said more to herself than to the group.
"Personally, I think he's a conceited baka that's into younger women,"I say with a yawn.
Rei huffed at my outburst and said,"Well you're just mad because you don't have a boyfriend."
I would have retorted with another smart remark, but Makoto made one of her famous statements about an old boyfriend of her's and Ami began trying to convince us to finish our homework since it was, afterall, the excuse for the slumber party tonight.
I sighed and moved towards my sleeping bag. I didn't really feel up to doing much of anything at the moment. The youma had gone straight for me, as they always seem to, and I had bruises in place I didn't want to even think about because of it. Luna once mentioned something about faster healing than normal, but I don't think that will help me much now. I look down to my side and see a red smear rapidly appearing on my shirt.
"Ami?" I managed before I fainted, more from shock than the actual wound.
'I remember feeling hands holding me upright, as I stirred from the dream I was having. Unlike my dream would have one to believe, we had not won the battle this night. The negaverse had proven more cunning than usual and had used me as bait for Tuxedo Kamen. He cared for me so much then, despite his anger at the situation I had gotten myself into. It still moves me deeply to know that he valued my safety above all else.'
"Sailor Moon!" three feminine voices shouted as I regained consciousness,"Sailor Moon?"
I groggily opened my eyes to see that I was being dangled over the edge of a very tall building. It didn't quick connect in my mind that I had been dreaming until I felt the drop of blood trickle down the side of my face. That drop of blood snapped me back into reality faster than a dousing of water could anger a cat.
"Ah so little moon brat's woken up I see? Even better, now you can witness Tuxedo Kamen's choice," a bulky youma spat in my direction as he shook me with his outstreched arm.
I could make out Tuxedo Kamen's tall figure talking to one of the generals of the negaverse. Their voices were distorted by the distance and my slight concussion, but I could tell by Tuxedo Kamen's body stance that he was not pleased. He handed something to the general, and the general vanished only to appear at the side of the youma holding me.
"Well, well, well. Looks like we have the crystals and the girl? Or rather...just the crystals."
I felt myself fall from the youma's hold as he vanished along with the general that had been controlling him. I heard a scream. I barely registered it was me until I felt strong arms gripping me close to a braod chest.
"Tuxedo Kamen?" I whispered fearfully,"Tux--"
"Quiet Sailor Moon. Your injury will prevent me from just dropping you where we land, but it will not make my anger at you lessen. How could you be so stupid to get captured?"
'His voice was controlled and filled with desparation. Like I had injuried far more than his pride with my clumsiness. There seemed to be no way to mend the unknown trust that had been between us for so long. How do you beg forgiveness for a moment that you can't remember happening? How do you plead to a man whose face is cold and his eyes gleam heartlessly? I know now that Tuxedo Kamen was more worried about my injuries than about whether or not he would ever see his crystals again. He was determined, if not fearless when it came to getting what he wanted.'
He set me down gently, despite his threat of possibly dropping me. I wanted to cry from the pain I was in and the anger I knew was being directed towards me, not only by the girls, but also from Tuxedo Kamen. I looked at his face expecting anger and I was taken aback when all I saw there was relief and disappointment. He turned and jumped off into the distance.
A small metal object fell from his pocket as he departed. I knelt down to pick it up. It was a gold locket of some kind. It had roses engraved on its edges and a rose shaped clasp. In the middle of the front were the initials SE and a crescent moon surrounded the letters.
I looked in the direction Tuxedo Kamen had jumped to make sure he wasn't returning before I let my transformation slip away. My head still hurt, but the blood from the cut had disappeared. My left side also stung a little, but I assumed it was from a bruise that hadn't healed yet.
I turned to see the other girls letting their transformations go. Jupiter let her's go last. She turned to me with a small smile on her face to let me know she was glad I was okay. Rei merely looked over Ami's shoulder as she scanned my head to see if the wound had entirely healed.
"Fighting evil by moonlight is a highly over-rated experience,"Makoto said in a weak attempt at humor.
I looked down at the locket as we began our trek to Rei's temple. My tear filled eyes chose this moment to overflow. I started crying softly to myself. The locket felt warm as I closed my hands around it and held it near my heart. Ami and Makoto looked at me worrily, but Rei walked up to me and gave me a hug. She kept her arm around me the entire way home, not saying a word until I complained about the stair climb.
"Why can't the temple invest in an elevator,"I said half-heartedly.
"Because technology is not what the temple is about, Odango Attama," Rei replied without missing a beat.
Rei opened the doors to the room of the temple we were using to slumber in. To Ami, Makoto, and her surprise, Mamoru was standing in the middle of the room with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Mamoru?" Rei shouted as she ran towards him.
I smiled to myself as I looked up at Mamoru. My face was covered in stains where my tears had fallen and my hair probably had a tangle or two in it, but Mamoru returned my smile. I had the weirdest sense of de ja vu and was about to ask everyone present about it when Rei broke the spell we were all under.
" I can't believe you surprised me like that! What's the occasion?" Rei exclaimed as she knocked all the wind out of Mamoru in a hug.
Mamoru blinked a few times before he regained his composure and returned her hug.
"Rei, I only stopped by to see if you were..."Mamoru trailed off as his eyes glanced in my direction,"...free this evening. I guess you had other plans though?" he finished his sentence with a slight shake of his head.
I frowned at this, but followed Ami and Makoto towards the back of the room. The three of us went through the movements of getting ready for a study/slumber party by getting our things out despite the obvious fact we were all listening in on the conversation between Rei and Mamoru.
"Perhaps another time,"Mamoru said unconvincingly to a disappointed Rei as he kissed her briefly on the cheek.
He walked towards the door and turned around for a small moment to nod at the three of us in the back of the room.
"Good evening ladies," he whispered, more out of moral tradition than the actual belief that our evening would be improved because he had said three small words.
We all nodded and whispered awkward good evenings in return except for Rei who grinned from ear to ear and reminded Mamoru that tomorrow she would be free for a date. With that Mamoru left as quickly as he had appeared.
"He's so thoughtful isn't he?" Rei said more to herself than to the group.
Before Rei could mention more about Mamoru, I spoiled her mood by yawning and saying,"Personally, I think he's a conceited baka that's into younger women."
Rei's face turned red in indignation before she growled in my direction,"Well you're just mad because you don't have a boyfriend."
I stood up, fully prepared to make another smart remark, but Makoto made one of her famous statements about an old boyfriend of her's and Ami began trying to convince us to finish our homework since it was, afterall, the excuse for the slumber party tonight. I sighed deeply as the three of them talked animatedly while moving towards my sleeping bag.
I sat down, pretending to look at a math book, but really looking at the locket Tuxedo Kamen had dropped. I felt a sharp pain in my side as I reached for one of the snacks that Makoto had prepared for tonight. Upon looking down I notice a dark, red smear rapidly appearing on my shirt.
>O great, I think to myself, de ja vu just had to include the painful reminders of the battle.>
I sighed deeply, already feeling the signs of fatigue catching up with me. Depsite this, I managed to get out a quiet Ami before fainting from exhaustion more than the pain from the wound.
Okay, that is my latest attempt at this fic. Since I'm in school, chapters will come out whenever I can manage finding time. Reviews and critique are cherished.