Chapter Twelve

The Return of Sailor Mercury

She looked out the window as the countryside zoomed by. She stared off into the horizon towards the great mountains that ran through the interior of Japan. Whenever she traveled, she loved to look out the window and watch the scenery go by like blur. She turned away from the window and looked at him. He sat quietly with his hands folded, and his eyes closed. Feeling as if he was being watched, he opened one eye. He faintly smiled, and she reciprocated then turned back to the window. Propping her head up with her fist and pressing her nose against the glass, she sighed deeply while glazing over the mountains.

She remembered traveling a few months earlier to Yokohama for a mathematics competition with Shoji. Whenever there were on trains, he'd always take the window seat, but Kaiba seemed perfectly content with the aisle seat except for when the drink cart hit his elbows. She tried to trade with him after he was hit three times, but he knew without her even saying anything that she wanted to sit and look out the window.

It was ironic. She was on a train ride with a Negaverse General traveling from the interior of Japan to Tokyo. She couldn't have imagined the circumstances, but she smiled at her situation. Her whole life was predictable and dull she thought, but being somewhere different with someone unusual was refreshing—almost liberating.

The faint traces of his reflection shined in the window. She tilted her head back a little to see the reflection better. His wild locks of dark blue hair draped over his face into his eyes. He was calm and peaceful like a baby as he rested in the chair. He hardly seemed like the Ice General that had attacked the Sailor Scouts merely weeks ago. He seemed so vulnerable, lost, and perhaps somewhat normal now. His presence was also awkward to her. Sure she had spent countless hours alone with Shoji studying, but being alone with Kaiba was different. He was a grown man. She blushed, seeing the red of her cheeks in the reflection of the glass.

Her thoughts turned to her father. Sure, they loved each other—in their own disconnected way. Yes, they were father and daughter, but it was a shallow love, with no roots or depth. She barely saw her father, and because of it, she reasoned, she also felt uncomfortable in the presence of men. She glanced over, but not wanting to turn her head, she caught sight of Kaiba's hand on his knee. Kaiba was probably the first grown man she had spent any quality time with.

Deciding to do something productive, she dug into a small bag that Kaiba had given to her. She dug out her Sailor pen that Kaiba managed to steal from Queen Beryl's throne room, and the blue crystal they had found earlier this morning. Taking advantage of the Negaverse teleportation system, Kaiba and her first traveled to the Shinano prefecture to find her Planet Crystal. Once it was found, they charged train tickets to Ami's mother's account and headed for Tokyo. She held the deep blue stone in her hand. She didn't feel any power from it, but this was the item that Tuxedo Samurai told them to get. It was actually the aid of Kaiba's abilities that helped her find the stone. She glanced over at him again.

"What did I do to change him?" Ami thought to herself. "I'm nothing special." She looked away. "I'm glad he's come to his senses, but I don't understand how I could have done such a thing." She dismissed her thoughts and grabbed a magazine from the pouch in the seat in front of her. After a while, Kaiba had opened his eyes and started to stare at the pages of the magazine. He squinted his eyes and cocked his head. Ami looked over at him. "What?"

"Nothing." He turned his head to the aisle sharply.

Ami thought deeply. She remembered that look—it was the same look he made when looking at her class' history book, but strangely, she was becoming acute to his expressions and feelings just as he was to hers. "You don't know how to read, do you?"

He looked down to his lap, blushing furiously. "What are you talking about?"

Ami lifted up the magazine and pointed to a sentence of kanji. "What does this say?"

"Why would I care, Mizuno-san?" He looked away.

Without realizing, she reached forward and placed her hand over his. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. You weren't taught how to read, were you?"

He glanced over, still red. "It was a mistake to come here."

"Why?"

He shook his head. "I don't belong here. You have your own lives and way of doing things. Look at me! I'm a Negaverse flunkie!" He shook his head again. "I can't live here."

"You're not apart of the Negaverse anymore."

"It's all I know. Killing is all I know. I don't know how to be anything else. I don't know how to fit into this world."

"Then you'll learn."

He pulled back his trench coat to reveal his Excalibur to her. "This blade has been the death of countless innocent. The sword is all I know how to live by."

Ami looked him in the eye. "You are what you choose to be. You can choose to be good and learn to be something better or you can choose to be evil and be what everyone has always told you." She paused for a moment. "What are you going to choose, Kaiba?"

He sat silently for a few moments then drifted his eyes to the magazine page. "So those little pictures actually mean something?"

Ami sat up in her seat and held the magazine over to Kaiba. "Yes, and those pictures are actually called Kanji. Now, not all of them are Kanji. Some of them are Katakana and some are Hiragana. Those are the three character styles of the Japanese language."

"Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana." Kaiba repeated.

Ami nodded. "Yes. Kanji is based off…" She continued to teach Kaiba the basic elements of Japanese writing while the train sped toward Tokyo.

She wondered how someone like her could have the worst luck in the world. Bad things always seemed to happen to her. She sighed and picked up her chopsticks while reading over her textbook. She had spent the last few nights at school working on a project for her literature class. Unfortunately, her betrothed was in the same class as her and working on the same project. The class was reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and was supposed to perform an adaptation for the class.

In the booth across from Raye, Kyoji sat reading his copy of the script. Since they wouldn't finish until late at night, Raye and Kyoji ended up walking home together most nights. They usually walked in silence until one of them suggested where they ate, and then they would eat in silence. This time, they ended up at a small noodle shop tucked away in a back alley—Raye would always choose the most discreet locations.

Raye looked around the dimly lit restaurant. There was hardly anyone there—only an old man at the counter and a waitress wiping down the tables after a long night. She turned her head back when Kyoji cleared his throat. "What part are you going to try out for?"

"Why do you care?"

He shrugged. "I was just wondering."

Raye glanced away. "I don't think I'm trying out for one."

"Why not?" He looked up from his script.

His voice, which was usually not forceful, surprised her for a moment. "I just don't think I'd be any good at it."

"But you love literature and theater. Why aren't you going to try out for a part?"

She sat stunned for a moment. She never told him that. "What makes you think that?"

He thought for a moment. "You look genuinely happy when we work on it in class."

She looked to the table. It was true—it did make her happy, but she shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter. I'm sure everyone will be fighting over the parts tomorrow anyway."

Kyoji looked back to his rice. "I still think you should try."

Raye crossed her arms. "Well, what about you, Mister Advice columnist?" She asked, not liking the fact he so forward with her.

"I'm not much of an actor."

"Well, maybe you should follow your own advice?"

He looked up. "I can't."

"And why not?"

He looked towards the inner wall of the booth. A wood-block print of a Japanese bridge in the rain hung on the wall while the light from the paper lantern above their heads danced across the wall. "I'm too shy," He said quietly, hints of fear and nervousness mixed in his voice.

Raye huffed. "That's a lame excuse." She felt somewhat sorry for saying after he glanced over at her with his sad blue eyes. She looked away from them for a moment then glanced back over after his eyes had wandered away. His eyes were the deepest and purest blue she had ever seen. His eyes looked extremely familiar, yet so unique and different she couldn't believe she would have forgotten if she had ever seen eyes like that before. But, his eyes always reflected sadness and pain, as if something was constantly on his mind and eating away at his soul. She leaned back in the booth and studied him for a few moments. Was he really sad or did he just look sad? She looked away towards the windows. The first snowflakes of winter started to gently float down from the heavens. After a few moments, Kyoji turned towards the window then glanced at his watch. It was almost 10PM.

"I suppose we should get back home."

Raye turned toward him sharply. "It's not your home."

He said nothing and got up out of the booth. He walked over to the counter and paid for the meal. Raye got up from the booth and grabbed her purse. She pulled out a few yen and held it out for Kyoji to take as he passed by. He glanced at her hand, but walked past to the door. "Forget it," He said, dryly. Somewhat contrite for her remark earlier, she followed gingerly behind him out of the restaurant while stuffing the yen back into her purse.

It had grown colder as time passed on that night. She bundled up her coat and held her arms over her chest. Her warm breath quickly fluttered away from the cold zephyr. The streets were dark, only to be lit up by an occasional neon sign, or a lamppost as they walked through the commercial areas into the residential areas. He charged back to the Temple in a pace that was faster than he usually went. She had trouble keeping up with him, but she eventually caught up to him as they waited at a stoplight of a major road.

She shivered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms to keep warm. Her teeth even started chattering. He glanced over, seeing how miserable she looked, then started to remove his coat. She looked at him surprised when he offered his coat, and she gingerly took it with a faint smile. After a few more minutes of waiting, they finally were able to cross the busy street. The rest of the walk was in silence even after they reached the Temple. They parted—him to the right and her to the left. She slowly stepped onto the deck, walked to her door, and quietly entered into her bedroom. As she stood in her room alone in the dark, she wrapped her arms around her body and held herself tightly, nesting her face into the coat. She breathed in and took in his scent. Not only did it make her feel warm, but for some reason, in that moment, it made her feel safe and even loved.

She mentally scolded herself and quickly stripped the coat off. She tossed it haphazardly into the corner and started to get ready for bed—still scolding herself.

They had arrived in Tokyo and stepped off the train. They carried what little luggage they had through the train station. Wearily Kaiba walked through the station behind Ami while looking up and everything. He still wasn't used to mingling with the crowds of people like a normal human being. Ami turned around once she noticed that Kaiba wasn't behind her.

"Everything okay?"

He looked away from the high ceilings. "I'm fine, Mizuno-san." He kept looking around as the crowds passed around him. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"We should go to my house first."

He nodded.

They exited the train station and headed towards Ami's house by taxi. They eventually reached the house and walked up to the front door. Ami paused for a moment as she grabbed a hold of the door handle. "It feels like ages since I've been here."

"How much time has passed in this world?"

"I don't know." Ami turned the handle and opened the door. She stepped into her house. It was still and quiet. "Mom? Are you here? Mom?" She walked into the living room and looked around. "I guess she's not here." She looked back toward Kaiba standing in the doorway. "You can come in."

Kaiba stepped into the house and looked around. Ami went into the kitchen and looked around. After looking at the clock that provided the time and the date, she walked over to the refrigerator. "It's been two weeks." She looked at Kaiba after looking in the fridge. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"Yes."

"Sit down." Ami dug into the fridge. Kaiba sat down on the couch and glanced the around the living room. It was the first mortal house he had ever been in. After a few minutes, Ami came into the living room with a glass of lemonade and sandwich on a plate. She handed them to Kaiba. He took a bite of the sandwich then a drink of the lemonade.

"How is it?"

He faintly smiled. "It's good."

Ami smiled back. "Good." She walked away. "Well, I'm going to get in the shower and change my clothes. I'll try to find something suitable for you to wear, but I don't know if we have anything."

Kaiba nodded. "Alright."

He waited for what seemed like forever. He finished his sandwich quickly and wished he had another, but he sat quietly as he waited. She had already gone up stairs and got in the shower. She scrubbed the dirt and oil off her skin and washed her matted hair wit shampoo and conditioner. It felt like pure bliss—as if she was peeling out of layers. She finished quickly, hoping her mother wouldn't run into Kaiba alone down stairs. She dried herself off and headed into her bedroom. There was one of her school uniforms that she laid out before she was kidnapped. She tossed away the Negaverse clothing in the garbage, and she grabbed her uniform. She put it on and headed out of her room. She remembered that for some reason, her mother kept a box of her father's old clothes. Perhaps something in there would fit Kaiba. She opened her mother's bedroom door and stepped in. "Mom?" Ami walked over to the bed.

Her mother rested peaceful in the bed with a strange glowing light around her. Ami touched her mother's forehead. "Serina must have put a sleep spell on her when I was kidnapped." Ami pulled her hand away. "It's probably for the better." She walked over to the closet and started digging around. Sure enough, the old trunk with her father's clothes was still there. Ami had never had a good look inside before, but she wasn't much surprised. Jeans with rips in the knees, shirts with paint on them, and old leather flip-flops filled the trunk. It seemed like the strangest thing in the world—practical and calculated Ami Mizuno's father was like a hippie. She grabbed a navy blue button down shirt that actually happened to have no paint on it and a pair of ripped up jeans. She headed out of the bedroom and down the stairs toward Kaiba. "Here, I found some clothes for you."

He stood up from the couch and took the clothes. "Thank you, Mizuno-san"

"You can shower upstairs. It's the first door on the right." Ami pointed toward the stairs. "I'll make something else for you to eat while you're up there."

"Good." He almost exclaimed, stomach screaming from hunger. "I felt like I was going to faint." He walked past her and went up the stairs. Ami headed into the kitchen and started digging around the fridge. She dug out chicken, vegetables, teriyaki sauce, and rice. She took a skillet out of the cupboard and heated up the stove. Next, she put the raw chicken in the pan then dug around for the other materials she would need. Usually, when she wanted something to eat, she would just make a quick sandwich, but for some reason, she found herself cooking a full meal. After about twenty minutes, she was standing in front of the stove cooking the chicken and mixing in the teriyaki sauce.

"Hmmm…that smells really good? What are you making?"

Ami looked up from the stove. She gawked at the sight in front of her. Kaiba stood clean and refreshed from the shower. The ripped jeans fit him a little loose, but they looked wonderful in combination with the navy blue button down shirt Ami thought. The scent of the cleaned up man was almost intoxicating to her senses. "I…uh…" Ami stuttered. He stepped behind her and looked over her shoulder at the stove. "What is that?"

"Uh, chicken teriyaki."

He leaned in closer to look, while pressing his chest into Ami's back. She gasped heavily.

"Are you alright," He asked.

"Fine," She gasped again.

He smirked as he backed away. "Okay, let me know if you need any help."

The evil Queen was enraged. Kaiba was gone, Sailor Mercury's pen was missing along with Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars was not dead, and Tuxedo Samurai kept interfering with her plans. "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself," She muttered to herself. She walked over to the pool in the middle of her courtroom and stared deeply into it. She had to find the answers. "Show me the Moon Prince." Pictures started to form in the murky water.

It was their usual corner of the palace. The palace was huge and exquisite in even the deepest hallways and corners. He stood leaning against the window staring off into the dark night. He rested his arm against the hilt of his sword. He had returned from a successful emissary mission from the outer planets, and there was a great celebration of his return to the Moon Kingdom. There were grand parties almost every night, but this night was even more special because of his return.

He looked over at the sound of footsteps. He stepped away from the window. They looked at each other for a few moments then rushed into each other's arms.

"Oh, I've missed you." She breathed.

"It's only been a month." He said, stepping back but still holding onto his princess.

"A month too long," She said. "And you're scheduled to leave in a few days for deliberations on Earth?"

He sighed. "Yes, I know. But that's the life of a Prince. I'm sure you've had to do the same thing on Mars."

She pulled the Prince in closer and rested her head against his chest. "Yes, but…" She sighed looking at the plain silver band on her finger. They both wore a plain and simple wedding band to mark their vows to each other, but the rings were simple enough not to arouse suspicion. "…I wasn't married then."

He rested his head on hers and breathed in her scent. "I know it's difficult, but after this problem with Earth is solved, I promise you, I'm going to tell Queen Serenity about us."

Princess Raye stepped back. "Are you sure you're Aunt will accept us?"

The Prince sighed. "It doesn't matter if they accept us. The fact is that we're married now."

She nodded and stood in silence for a few moments. She bit her lip and started to blush a little. He noticed her reaction and stared at her. "What is it?"

She glanced up with playful eyes. "Since you've been gone so long, and you're leaving soon, can we…" She stopped her words when she saw him smirk.

"You're terrible." He smirked even wider.

"What?" She almost giggled. "Is there something wrong with the fact that I miss my husband?"

"No, but…" He quickly lifted her up into his arms. "…your husband has missed you quite plenty in the last month."

She giggled as she kissed him on the cheek. "Your room or mine?"

He shook his head. "It'd be too risky with all the people here tonight. We should probably go to the spare room."

She nodded wrapping her arms around his neck. He started walking down the hallway deeper into the palace. Eventually they wound up in a dark part of the palace that was so rarely used, that the electric circuit wasn't ever turned on. Only the moonlight pouring through the windows lit their way. Coming to one of the doors, he grasped the handle and opened it while still carrying his Princess. He carried her into the room and locked the door. This room was their secret hideout when it was too dangerous to see each other in their rooms.

He laid her down on the old bed, gently resting her head on the pillow, and sat down next to her. She reached up, brushed the blonde locks out of his eyes then rested her hand on his cheek. "I love you."

He reached up and grabbed her hand in his. "I love you too."

The Old Queen stared hard into the water as the scene unfolded in the water. She had watched the two lovers interact through her window of the past, and after many hours of study, she felt a twinge in her heart. The more and more she watched them, the more and more she hated Sailor Mars, but found herself infatuated with the Moon Prince. Hatred and fury swirled inside her as she watched the Prince of the Moon with Sailor Mars. She pondered deeply as she watched them. Then an idea struck. An evil grin crept upon her face. "If I find the reborn Moon Prince, I can marry him and conceive an heir that will be eligible to rule Crystal Tokyo."

Ami stood next to her mother's bed and used her Sailor pen to awaken her mother. Soon, her mother, Umiko, fluttered her eyes open and looked at her daughter. "Ami?"

"Are you feeling okay, Mom?"

Umiko sat up and rubbed her forehead. "What time is it?" She looked at her clock. It was 4:00pm. "I feel terrible."

"Yes, mom, you've been very sick."

Umiko crawled out of bed, and rubbed her face.

"Well, Mom, you should probably take a shower and go back to bed. I have a friend downstairs…"

"You have a friend over?" Umiko asked. "It isn't Serena, is it? I'm afraid I don't have enough groceries for her to come over. I better get down there and make sure she doesn't eat everything…"

"No, Mom, I'll take care of it!" She blocked the doorway. "It isn't Serena, I promise. Don't worry about it. Just go back to bed."

Umiko stared at her daughter, curious about her suspicious behavior. "Who is it?" She crossed her arms. "Is it a boy?"

Ami glanced away. "Yes, he happens to be a male."

Umiko grinned. "Is it that boy you like? Shoji?"

Ami rolled her eyes. "No, Mom, it isn't Shoji."

"Then who is it?" Umiko looked confused.

Umiko sat with her eyes crossed while slipping on a cup of tea. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife just as Umiko's eyes pierced into Kaiba.

"So Kaiba, what do you do for a living or are you in school?"

"For a living?" He asked.

"Oh, you know, a job?" Umiko tapped her foot.

He bit his lip. "Well, I…uh…"

"Kaiba does martial arts, Mom." She stirred her tea nervously. "He's actually very talented."

"And does a martial artist make a paycheck or does he beg in the park for tips?"

"Kaiba has survived perfectly well with what he does."

"Yes, but I can't understand what it is he exactly does." Umiko's eyes narrowed even more.

"Mom, can I talk to you in the other room?"

The two women got up and walked out of the living room and into the study. "Well, just be a moment, Kaiba," Umiko said while closing the door behind them.

"What is your problem, Mom? Why are you acting like this?"

"Who in the world is he?" Umiko asked, trying to keep her voice at a whisper. "Where did you meet him?"

Ami glanced away. "I met him at school."

"Does he even go to school? He looks too old for high school. Is he in college?"

"No, he's not in college. He was at my high school for…uh…a teaching job…"

"Ami!" Umiko exclaimed. "He's a teacher! There's laws against things like that! Are you sleeping with him? Are you doing this for a grade?"

"MOM! No!" Ami exclaimed. "I'm not sleeping with him." He pondered for a moment. "He came in to teach martial arts for a day, and we became friends," She lied.

Umiko crossed her arms. "He looks too old for you. Why, he's a grown man, Ami, and you're just a girl."

"I'm eighteen, Mom." Ami rolled her eyes. "Look, we're going over to Raye's house tonight, okay."

"Fine, do whatever. It's not like you care about what I think." She sighed and looked away. "And besides, he dresses exactly like your father. I don't trust him."

Ami nervously glanced away from the clothing remark. "Clothes don't make a man, Mom."

"You're not just trying to make Shoji jealous by using this guy are you?"

"Mom, it's not like that." Ami opened the door and stepped back into the living room. "Sorry, Kaiba. Why don't we head over to Raye's house now?"

Kaiba's head was hung low, but he looked up at Ami. He nodded and stood up from the couch. He grabbed his sword and trench coat. Umiko came out of the study with her arms still crossed.

"So Kaiba, how old are you?"

He was silent for a moment. He was really over a thousand years old, but he was only physically in his twenties. "Twenty-four, Mizuno-san."

"Twenty-four, huh?" Her lips curled into a frown. "Can't find company your own age?"

"Mom!" Ami hissed. "Come on, Kaiba. Let's go." She opened the door and Kaiba left behind her.

"Goodbye, Mizuno-san." Kaiba bowed to Umiko.

"Goodbye," Umiko uttered, sarcastically.

Kaiba shut the door behind them, and they walked down the sidewalk towards the street.

"How much of that did you hear?" Ami asked.

Kaiba sighed a little. "All of her."

"Don't listen to her." Ami shook her head. "She doesn't understand yet."

Kaiba nodded solemnly.

Ami looked over. "Come on, let's go to Raye's house. We'll worry about my mother later."