Standard disclaimers apply. Most of these characters were created by Naoko Takeuchi, and rightfully belong to her. I'm only borrowing them for a while. New characters, and this story, belong to me. Ask before you use them. :)
AN: Firstly, thanks to those who've reviewed so far. I'm glad people are enjoying this. I'm planning on updating the story about once a week from here on, as I still have to balance my time between this and school. For a little while longer, anyway. I do have a question, which I hope someone could help me with. Is there anywhere where I can find more detailed guidelines for story ratings? The next chapter coming up has some 'heavier' subjects in it. I'm personally not bothered by a lot of things, so I can't really tell how to rate them properly. If anyone could help, I'd really appreciate it.
And now, on to the story...
Hearts of Darkness
Part 2: Shadows Emerging
by JG Chan
It was late on a Saturday afternoon, the sun nearing the western horizon and casting long shadows across the grounds of the Hikawa Shrine. A pair of ravens were perched on the edge of the sloping roof, cawing intermittently in conversation. Yuuichirou was humming to himself while in the kitchen, it being his turn to cook for the shrine's residents.
The group that was gathered in Rei's room was rather more subdued, however. Luna, whom Usagi had fetched before coming to the shrine, looked around from one face to another. "What's the matter, girls? Why are all of you so gloomy?"
Silence was the immediate response. In truth, Luna was fairly sure what the problem was, but she wanted them to talk about it anyway.
"I think..." Rei began wistfully after a moment. "It's just that we all wanted to live the rest of our lives in peace, that's all."
"Yeah," Makoto agreed. "I mean, we know why we need to fight, but I really wouldn't have minded just being a normal person."
"And we did meet up again, even without our memories," Minako added. "It would have been nice to become friends again without having to deal with monsters and stuff..."
Luna sighed. "I understand how you feel. I was hoping for the same thing myself." Her voice hardened. "But what's done is done, and we have to make the best of our situation. There's no telling what the Dark Kingdom is up to this time. We have to be ready when they strike again."
"Speaking of which, today's attack didn't make sense at all." They all turned to stare at Ami, who flushed a bit at the attention. "What I mean is, that...what did you call it, Artemis?"
"Chimera."
"That chimera wasn't stealing energy, or hunting down anyone specific. As fast as it was, it could have done a lot of damage long before we transformed. Something feels wrong..."
"Do you think it was sent to lure us into a fight?" Rei asked.
"That's possible," Luna answered, "but it's a strange coincidence that all of you happened to be there at the same time. What do you think, Usagi-chan? Usagi-chan? USAGI!"
"Huh, what?" the blonde in question asked, snapping out of her daydream.
Luna let out an exasperated sigh. "Never mind, Usagi-chan. Why don't we all just go home? We don't know who the enemy is yet, so there's not much we can do for now, anyway."
"Umm, Luna? Can you get home by yourself?" Usagi asked once everyone started to leave. Her feline guardian looked at her inquiringly.
"Yes, but..."
"Alright see ya at home!" Luna stared after Usagi as she dashed outside and back towards the mall. "What's gotten into her?"
Minako walked home in silence, mulling over the events of the afternoon. In her case, she guessed that her recollection went further than the other girls, since her memories as Sailor V had been sealed by the Silver Crystal as well. Somewhat uncharacteristically, she tried to imagine how she had been only half a day ago, and found that she couldn't, not really. Her memories were part of her again, and nothing really felt the same.
Riding in her bag with his head poking out, Artemis was in a similar state of thoughtfulness. More specifically, he was trying to recall his knowledge of the Dark Kingdom. If they could figure out what exactly they were after or who's in charge, it'd give them several more options to work with. As it was, they could do little but react, and Artemis didn't like that one bit.
Taking a break from her own thoughts, Minako noted her friend's look of concentration and grinned. Time for some fun...
"Oh Artemis..."
"Hmm? What is it, Minako-chan?"
"I was just wondering about something..." she said innocently. "It's been about a month and a half since we fought Beryl, right?"
The white cat nodded, listening attentively.
"And during that time, it was pretty peaceful, right? I mean, there weren't any youmas to fight, and we didn't need training or anything..."
"Yes..." Artemis confirmed, though he was beginning to frown. Just what was she getting at?
"...so how far have you and Luna gotten?"
With what sounded like a cross between 'What!?' and a cat's yowl, Artemis fell out of Minako's bag and landed face first on the sidewalk, his instincts having deserted him at the moment. His charge, meanwhile, was laughing hysterically, clutching at her sides.
Getting back on his feet, Artemis looked around furtively to make sure they were alone, then glared at Minako. "Where the HECK did that come from!?" he hissed.
"Oh come on, Artemis!" she protested playfully. "What did you expect me to ask? You and Luna obviously belong together, and I'm sure a studly fellow like you would make good use of your time. Well?"
The cat blushed slightly at the sort of compliment, but quickly shook it off. "It isn't any of your business, Minako-chan," he said testily. "Besides, aren't you a bit young to be thinking of this kind of thing?"
"You sound like a parent already." Minako giggled. "Besides, love has nothing to do with age! You have to reach out and seize your heart's desire, no matter what! Or else you only have yourself to blame when you miss out."
Artemis gazed irritably at the victoriously posing Minako, then sighed. "Whatever..." Turning, he continued on their way home.
"Hey Artemis, wait up!"
The white cat ignored her, however. Blinking, Minako's smile disappeared when she noted her friend's still angry movements. She quickly ran up behind him and gathered him up in her arms, drawing a startled yelp from him.
"Minako-chan?" he asked, craning his neck around.
"I'm sorry, Artemis," she said softly, smiling apologetically down at him. "I guess I went a bit too far, huh?"
He nodded wordlessly.
"I'm serious about the other stuff, though," she continued. "You and Luna belong together, I can feel it. But if you don't do anything about it, then it might become too late, before you even realize it..."
Artemis glanced worriedly at Minako's face, noting the slightly fearful look in her eyes. With a jolt, he realized she was remembering the deaths of the Senshi in the final battle, and how each of them had yet to kiss a boy they loved. He gulped, his anger completely forgotten. "Minako-chan..."
The blonde shook her head. "It's alright. Anyway, I'm sorry for what I said, but if you decide to go for it, I'm with you all the way!" She grinned, flashing him a victory sign.
The cat smiled back at her, as she began walking and kept on speaking.
"And when we get home, I'll cook supper for you to make up for it."
'Oh Gods no...'
As they had turned past a corner, a small green eye floated out from among the bushes, stared after its quarry, then disappeared.
'Where is he?' Usagi wondered as she looked around the mall. The fight had done some damage, but the police had given up long ago on finding anything conclusive from these battles. It was getting late, though, and the number of shoppers were dwindling. There was no sign of the one she was looking for.
'Maybe he went home,' she guessed, and took off in the direction of his apartment building. Midway there, she recognized a tall figure walking ahead of her.
"Mamo-chan!"
Mamoru turned around just in time to receive Usagi's flying tackle. He stepped back, startled, with the blonde clinging to him like glue.
"Oh, Mamo-chan, I'm so glad to see you again! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you at the mall...wait, are you okay? Did the monster hurt you?"
"H-hold on a second!" Mamoru took hold of Usagi's shoulders and pushed her back a bit. "You're that girl with the odangos... But how do you know my name?"
Usagi was stunned. "What do you mean, 'how do I know your name?' It's me, Mamo-chan, Usagi! We were..."
"Look," Mamoru interrupted, holding up his hand. "I'm sorry if I was rude to you earlier, but I don't know you, alright? Today's the first time we've met. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going home."
Usagi stood there, dumbfounded, as he turned and walked away. Moments later, as the door to his building closed, she collapsed to her knees, tears in her eyes.
"He...he doesn't remember," she whispered shakily. "He doesn't remember me...us." Her tears were rolling down her cheeks now. 'How could this happen? After all we've been through, all the pain and fear and loneliness...it's like the brainwashing all over again...no...'
With that last thought tearing at her heart and soul, she broke down sobbing.
Rei fell back on the floor, lost in thought. After seeing her friends off, her mind had immediately turned to the dreams that had been bothering her all of last week. Now, at least, she had some inkling as to what they meant. That scene must have occurred in Queen Serenity's palace on the Moon, during some ball or other such event. But who had she been mourning? And who was the man who had tried to comfort her? Whenever she had had the dream, his face had been blurred.
She made a small noise of discontent, her violet eyes focusing once more. It somehow felt important that she solve this puzzle, yet her memories of her past life were too incomplete to be useful. Perhaps she could try the fire again, now that her memories have returned...
A knock on her door shook her out of her reverie. Pushing herself off the floor, she opened it to see Yuuichirou standing there.
"Supper's ready, Rei-san," he announced.
"Right, thanks." Rei walked out past him, sliding the door closed and heading for the family room. Yuuichirou followed, clearing his throat to speak.
"Umm, Rei-san? Have you been feeling well lately?
Rei glanced at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"
"Ah, well..." he hesitated. "It's just that you've been acting a bit...differently...is all."
"You mean I'm not yelling at you enough?" she joked, grinning.
"Huh? No! I mean...umm..."
"It's okay, Yuuichirou. I just have a lot on my mind lately."
"Well," he started brightly, "I could sing you a..."
"No, Yuuichirou," she cut him off firmly, stepping into the family room. The shaggy-haired man looked crestfallen for a bit, then shrugged and joined her. Maybe he could try again later.
Outside, another gem-like eye flew away from the shrine, out of view of the nearby birds.
Luna raised her head from her paws when she heard the front door open.
"Usagi-chan, where have you been?" Ikuko asked, concerned. "You're late for supper!"
"Sorry, Okaa-san, I got caught up talking to my friends." Usagi's voice was listless. "I'm not hungry, I think I'll just go to bed..."
"Are you sure, dear? Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine, Okaa-san, really. Night."
Luna listened to Usagi's footsteps as she dragged herself upstairs, shuffled down the hallway, and came into her room. The black cat quickly jumped off the bed and padded over to her. Barely acknowledging her presence, the blonde girl closed the door and started rummaging around the mess on the floor for her pajamas. Luna jumped back onto the bed and looked directly at Usagi's face.
"What's wrong, Usagi-chan? Having to fight again can't be depressing enough to make you lose your appetite."
"It's not that, Luna." Usagi said tiredly as she sat down beside her friend. "It's about...him."
It didn't take too long for Luna to figure things out. "You mean Mamoru-san?"
Usagi nodded. "I went looking for him after the meeting. He...he doesn't remember anything, Luna! Nothing!"
She was close to the point of tears again. Luna climbed on her shoulder and gently licked her face. "Don't worry yourself so much, Usagi-chan. I'm sure he'll remember in time."
She shook her head. "You're just saying that. I wouldn't even have remembered if it weren't for that chimera and Artemis..." She stopped, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Luna, can you do the same thing to him as Artemis did to us?"
Luna looked away. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan, but he's not one of the Sailor Senshi. The mind meld won't work on him."
Usagi's shoulders started to slump in defeat. "Oh Luna..." The two sat in uncomfortable silence for a while. Suddenly, Usagi shook her head fiercely and sat up straight, determination shining in her expressive blue eyes. "Well, if nobody can help me, I'll just have to make him remember myself!" she declared. "Yep, I'll go find him first thing in the morning. Now, food..."
Luna watched as Usagi went back downstairs, seemingly back to her normal, perky, gluttonous self. Alone in the room once more, she let out a sigh of relief. "Usagi-chan...I really hope this works out for you."
Turning around, the cat looked out the window at the clear night sky and sent out a prayer. 'Please watch over your daughter, Serenity. Please let her find happiness again.'
Jadeite delved deeper within himself, searching for the reserves of strength that remained to him. A brief rush of wind seemed to surge through his spirit self as he found one pool and dipped into it, feeling its power. A tracery of vein-like channels glowed briefly, invisible in the physical plane, showing him his own energy flow pattern. With a slow exhalation, he retreated from the pool and calmed himself.
He was weaker than he remembered. Not only had he been seriously injured when Beryl imprisoned him, but he also had not improved on his original abilities during his time in the Dark Kingdom. His spirit self bit off a frustrated growl, though his physical body remained unmoving. It would take him time to recover his strength, and he could only push himself so far while in his current state.
"It could be worse."
'You're back,' Jadeite thought, glancing around out of habit even though he knew nothing was there. 'And yes, I'm well aware of how much worse off I could be. Still, we don't have much time, do we?'
"No, we do not. Have you been able to explore yet?"
'Not quite, but it shouldn't take long now.' The former Shitennou frowned. 'Why can't you just tell me what I need to know? In fact, who are you really? There can't be that many people who could reach me here, and know as much as you do...'
"You'll find out soon enough. Keep working on your powers. I'll be back when something comes up."
'Right...' Jadeite agreed. No point in pushing the issue before he was ready. Stilling his mind once more, he took a slow, deep breath and returned to his meditations.
Elsewhere, someone else entered a similar state of tranquility. Rei knelt before the great fire, eyes closed, mind empty of all thoughts save those directed at the blaze before her. She'd originally decided to do this early the next day, but the sense of urgency that kept nagging at her refused to wait.
Taking a few deep breaths, she plunged her consciousness into the sacred flame. Like in all her previous sessions, she gradually lost all physical sensations as her spirit immersed itself in the soothing heat. She heard, saw, and felt the fire directly in her soul. A great peace descended upon her as her mind opened to the spirit world around her, ready to receive its visions.
"Come on, Rei, they'll be here any minute now."
Rei opened her eyes. She was in a small sitting room that, judging from the rich tapestries and expensive furniture, must have belonged in a palace. Ami, Makoto, and Minako were standing by the doorway, wearing simple but elegant gowns. Usagi...no, Princess Serenity was in front of her, her innocent face smiling gently and in concern in her eyes.
"And you tease me about daydreaming..." Serenity giggled as Rei got up. The priestess was wearing a red and black dress somewhat similar to those of the girls. She followed her friends as they made their way towards the west wing of what she now recognized as the Moon Palace. Eventually, they arrived before a pair of large guarded doors, painted silver with gold engravings. Two white-garbed soldiers, recognizing them, opened the doors and bowed respectfully.
Queen Serenity was already inside, along with representatives from the royal families of all the inner planets. As the five princesses entered the room, the sigils on the walls and the circle in the middle of the marble floor started to glow. A pillar of light surged upwards from the circle, indicating the completion of the transportation spell.
Prince Endymion was the first to appear from the column of light, clad in his formal armour and sword. He went directly to Rei and bowed deeply, then put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm very sorry, Rei. I know how much he meant to you. We'll all miss him very much."
Rei listened perplexedly to his words, then noticed that part of her, the part that existed within this vision, was weeping. She could feel the grief and regret radiating from her other self, and for a moment, she was afraid to see more.
As he finished speaking, Endymion squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, then moved to bow to Queen Serenity and stand beside his Princess.
Next to emerge from the light were four men bearing an open casket. At first, Rei was shocked to see who they were. The Shitennou were very different back then, before their corruption by Queen Beryl. Their eyes reflected sadness and respect, not the cruel arrogance she had come to expect. They wore the green and blue dress uniforms of the Earth military, as well as the pendants indicating that they were the Prince's personal guardians. Apart from Kunzite, they still bore the epaulettes of colonels.
A small jolt shook Rei from her musings. She was suddenly sure that it had been one of the Shitennou who had come to her in the garden in her dreams. But which one?
Then, her attention turned to the casket as it was lowered onto a dais at the back of the room. It bore the crest of one of the noble families of the planet Mars, one that was very close to the royal family. Knowledge from the past came unbidden to her mind, and she realized that this was a Hero's Parting, a rite held by Queen Serenity reserved exclusively for those who have proven their courage and valour. 'Who is that?' she wondered.
As the guardians stepped away from the casket, Rei caught a glimpse of brown hair. Then, everything faded into darkness, as her spirit returned to her body.
She slowly opened her eyes. "Well, that was useful," she said sarcastically. "Every answer brings up more questions. I'm nowhere close to solving this mystery yet." She stretched and rubbed her neck. "Oh well, it's getting late anyway. Maybe tonight I can get a good night's sleep."
SUNDAY
Luna grumbled sourly as she picked her way out of the sheets. She hated it when Usagi tumbled her around like that when she got up. The still sleepy cat was sprawled in the middle of the now empty bed. The rays of the sun filtered in through the blinds, letting her know that it was morning already. From downstairs came the sounds of Ikuko moving around in the kitchen. 'Funny,' Luna thought muzzily, 'I'm usually awake before Usagi-chan...'
"Everyone, breakfast is ready!" Ikuko called out a bit later.
"Oh, good..." Luna mumbled. Then, it hit her. Breakfast!? Usagi was up for breakfast on a SUNDAY!? Now fully awake, Luna whirled and stared in near shock at her blonde charge, who was just finishing pulling on her light blue summer dress and seemed totally alert. "What's going on here?"
"Good morning, Luna," Usagi chirped.
"Good morning? Normally the first thing you say on a Sunday is good afternoon!"
Usagi sweatdropped. "I'm not that bad."
"Oh really?" Luna stretched. "So, why are you up this early?"
"Well, I came up with this idea to get Mamo-chan to remember me, and I need time to prepare." She proceeded to explain her plan to Luna.
"Do you think it'll work?" Luna asked uncertainly.
"Oh, sure it'll work! I mean, it's not like he's under a spell or anything like that, right? He just forgot, that's all..." '...at least, I hope, that's all,' she continued privately, moving away. 'I don't know if I can stand being apart from him again for much longer. Gods, isn't ten thousand years long enough?'
Luna watched Usagi leave the room, and dimly registered her family's cries of surprise. She had seen the flicker of doubt flash across the girl's eyes, and wanted desperately to reassure her, to do something for her. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could think of that would work.
"You're the only one who can do this Usagi-chan. The bond between the two of you, everything you've shared..." The feline guardian shook her head, and followed Usagi downstairs.
"Are they ready?" Adamantite asked without pre-amble.
"Yes, my Lord," Selenite reported from his position to the left of the throne. "The receptors have been scattered throughout our target area, and are ready to be activated."
"Good." The dark lord swept his gaze across the troops arrayed before him. With Peridot were ten chimeras that seemed to come straight out of a mad scientist's lab. All of them were created through the fusion of various animals. Adamantite was pleased. While they seemed like a ragtag bunch, their sheer power and ferocity were considerable. The Sailor Senshi were sure to have their hands full.
"Go now, Peridot," he ordered. "And make sure you fulfill your own part of the plan as well."
"Yes, my Lord," the general replied. A black portal formed in front of him, and he and his troops stepped in. The portal closed, leaving only Selenite and the dark lord in the throne hall.
"Perhaps I should have gone with him," Selenite remarked, impassive as usual. "Finding a proper target would require careful examination, and human emotional states are not within Peridot's area of expertise."
"And you think they are within yours?" Adamantite snorted, eyeing the cold man beside him. "In any case, you are being over-cautious," he continued reprovingly. "Recklessness is to be avoided, but so is the inability to move and take risks. Humans are weak creatures, after all; they all have something we can use, and delay holds no benefit."
"I suppose not..."
"Mamo-chan!"
Mamoru turned around. 'Oh, it's her again,' he thought, and sighed inwardly. Sure enough, he soon received the high speed tackle which he had expected and braced himself for. Though how he knew that, he had no idea.
"Hello, Usagi-san," he said absently.
"You...you remember me! Then, does that mean you remember us, too?"
Mamoru backed away a bit from her star-filled gaze. "Whoa, calm down there, Odango-atama. You told me your name yesterday, didn't you?"
Usagi seemed crestfallen. "Oh. Oh yeah..."
For a minute, there was only nervous silence. Usagi was mentally scolding herself for jumping to conclusions, while Mamoru was still wondering why her actions seemed so familiar to him.
"So, why are you here this morning?" he asked, more to break the tension than anything else. He was surprised at how quickly she brightened up.
Usagi took off her backpack and dug around it for a bit, emerging with several pieces of paper. She presented them to him one by one, narrating all the while.
"Twelve thousand years ago, there was a Princess Serenity from the Moon and a Prince Endymion from Earth. They were really, really in love with each other, and engaged to marry. Then the evil Queen Beryl attacked the Moon and killed everyone, but Queen Serenity used the Illusion Silver Crystal and had all of them reincarnate..."
"Hey, Usagi-chan!"
Said blonde turned around, slightly irritated, as Naru ran up to her.
"Usagi-chan, why are you talking to him? I thought you said he was a creep."
"He is NOT a creep! I never said that!"
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't!"
Naru sighed. She wasn't going to get into one of these arguments again. "Anyway, wanna come and study with me? We have that test on Tuesday..."
"But Naru-chan!" Usagi whined. "Tuesday is two days away. Can't we study tomorrow?"
"I don't mind, but you're the one who needs to study." The redhead smirked and poked Usagi. "Or else you'll get another 30."
"Don't remind me..." Usagi turned around again. "Mamo-chan? Where are you? MAMO-CHAN!"
Fully one city block away, Mamoru winced slightly. 'Gods, she has a loud voice,' he thought. He had slipped away while Usagi had been talking to her friend, his mind confused. As incredible as her story had sounded, he couldn't bring himself to dismiss it as a fairy tale. There was something about it that struck a chord deep within his own memories. He shook his head, and quickened his pace. That girl was starting to give him a headache, as well as a strange feeling that he was on the brink of some startling discovery. He sighed. Perhaps later, when he had a chance to relax, he could sort all of this out.
Ami had decided to cut through the park on her way to the train station. It was Sunday, after all, and she had worked hard all week, so she could take a break. It was such a great day for it, too; bright sunshine cooled by a moderate breeze, no clouds at all. There were a lot of families at the park today, but the sounds they made were soothing rather and annoying.
Passing by the lake, she saw several children running in the water and splashing about, and considered joining them. She giggled to herself. Most people, even her dearest friends, tended to forget the fourteen-year-old girl beneath the studious and serious persona. She didn't really mind, though. And besides, she secretly enjoyed the looks on her friends' faces whenever she did anything outrageous.
'And of course, today might just get better...' she added to herself, thinking of her current destination. She was about to turn to the park's exit then, but suddenly she spotted the two girls standing under a tree with predatory looks on their faces. Curious, she walked over towards them.
"Minako-chan, Mako-chan, what are you doing here?" she asked as she got closer.
"Hey, Ami-chan!" Makoto waved at her. "Just doing a little boy-watching before going to the mall. There's so many people here today, I don't think there's anyone left indoors."
"Wanna join us?" Minako teased, smiling as Ami switched from sweatdropping to blushing. "Come on, I'm sure you'll find something you'll like. Besides," she winked, "as a future doctor, you need to thoroughly study the male body."
"Minako-chan, that's..." Ami shook her head. "In any case, I can't. Ryo-kun is arriving today, and I was on my way to the station to meet him."
"Ooooh, so you already caught your own, eh?" Makoto smacked a fist in her palm. "Well, looks like we'll have to work harder, Minako-chan, or we'll be the only single ones left."
The blonde giggled half-heartedly, as Ami vehemently protested that there wasn't anything like that between her and Ryo. She knew that wasn't true, after all, and she couldn't help but feel a small pang at Makoto's words.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"
The three girls jerked their heads towards the center of the park. People were screaming and running from ten chimeras that had just appeared out of nowhere. A little boy stumbled and fell, and one of the monsters, a goat-headed humanoid panther, approached its hapless victim.
"Go transform and call the others," Minako hissed urgently. "I'll keep it busy." She ran off before anyone could stop her, the only person to be running towards the creatures.
"Minako-chan, wait!" Ami yelled, even as Makoto pulled her behind a clump of trees, already speaking into her communicator. "You can't fight them alone!"
Meanwhile, the boy sat frozen in terror as the chimera stalked towards him, its bestial face split in a wide grin. It failed to notice the lithe blonde form sprinting down the path, and grunted in surprise as a leg sweep sent him tumbling to the ground. The other chimeras turned around, surprised at the girl's foolishness, as Minako quickly grabbed the boy and ran. It took only a few seconds for the monsters to decide on their next prey, and they all rushed after her.
"SHABON SPRAY!"
The chimeras skidded to a stop as mist rose up all around them. They looked around, confused.
"SUPREME THUNDER!"
The blast of lightning struck one creature dead on, knocking it down. Two of its comrades retaliated with their own ranged attacks, but Sailor Jupiter had already moved away. That didn't seem to faze them, though. In fact, several of them started to grin. Now this was going to be a good fight.
Midway across a street, Mamoru froze. Something was very wrong. He could feel a growing sense of danger in the back of his head. The same thing had happened at the mall that day the monster attacked, but at the time he thought it was just a natural reaction. The sound of a horn made him jump, and he quickly got off the street.
The feeling was familiar somehow, and he struggled to remember what it meant. 'It's coming from the park,' he realized. Turning abruptly, he followed this sixth sense to see what was happening.
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars both landed on the wall at the same time. Down in the park, they could see the battle still raging. Three of the chimeras had been destroyed, but the advantage was still theirs. Sailor Jupiter had a hand pressed against her side, and the others were panting heavily.
Leaping onto a bench, Sailor Moon struck her pose. "Hold it right there, you animals! You think that just because you outnumber us, you can win? Well think again! For love and justice, I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"
"Stop yapping and start fighting!" Mars yelled as she ran past. Sailor Moon stuck her tongue out, then quickly jumped away as one of the creatures smashed into the bench. She landed behind another chimera and spun around as her hand went to her forehead.
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
At such close range, the monster had no time to dodge and dissolved in a cloud of dust. Mars tackled a half-lizard, half-bird thing that was grappling with Mercury. The monstrosity prepared to retaliate, but was fried by Jupiter's attack. The two sides were now evenly matched.
A humanoid tiger with bull horns and a reptilian tail jumped over Mercury and landed right on Sailor Moon, pinning her down. His cohorts quickly attacked the other Senshi, preventing them from helping their princess. Fear gripped Sailor Moon's heart as she stared at the slavering maw inches in front of her. 'I'm done for,' she thought. As the chimera prepared to bite down, her last thought was not of herself, nor of her friends or family. It was of Mamoru. 'I'll find you again in our next life, my love,' she promised silently, bracing herself for the pain.
It never came. Sailor Moon opened her eyes to see the creature stagger backwards, a rose buried in its face.
"You will NEVER hurt Sailor Moon as long as I'm alive!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted as he landed beside Sailor Moon, forgoing his usual speech. Behind them, another chimera fell in a smoking heap.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama! You're here!"
"I will never abandon you, Sailor Moon. Now, it's time to finish this."
"Right."
With the odds now in the humans' favour, the battle did not last long. Sailor Moon finished off the wounded tiger, Mars and Venus blasted another one, and Mercury and Jupiter destroyed another. The last standing creature found itself facing three Sailor Senshi.
"FIRE SOUL"
"CRESCENT BEAM"
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
The fight was over, and Sailor Moon plopped down on the ground, trembling slightly. 'That was so close,' she thought. 'If Tuxedo Kamen hadn't come...' She turned around to find that her hero had disappeared, unsurprisingly. 'Did he finally remember?' she wondered.
"Usagi-chan, are you alright?" Ami asked.
Sailor Moon nodded and joined the others, all of them de-transforming. Except for Makoto, the girls were more winded than anything else. The brunette had a bruised rib from one of the chimeras' fist, though she lightly dismissed it.
"I'll be fine, I'll just go home and lie down for a while."
"No, Mako-chan," Ami objected. "You could permanently injure yourself if you don't tend to it properly. We'll take you to the hospital and have it taken care of."
"Umm...could you guys go without me?" Usagi asked a bit guiltily. "I really need to find Mamo-chan."
Rei was about to object, but Minako interrupted her and told Usagi to go ahead. Meanwhile, Makoto turned to Ami. "Why don't you go too, Ami-chan? I'll be okay with Rei-chan and Minako-chan."
The blue-haired girl hesitated. "Are you sure?"
Makoto winked at her. "Of course, I've been in worse scrapes before. Now go on, you don't want to miss Ryo-kun's train."
Ami remained undecided for a few moments longer, then nodded slightly and headed off, cautioning Makoto to take it easy. As she left, Minako's eyes clouded over again. She immediately shook her head to get rid of the feeling, and silently scolded herself. 'Now is not the time for this.'
Noticing the blonde's expression, Rei gave her a speculative glance as she moved to Makoto's side. With Minako on the other side, they slowly headed for the park exit, unaware of the small green eye detaching itself from a tree behind them. It floated there for a moment, unblinking, before flying off to find its master.
"Well?" Adamantite asked shortly.
"It worked," Selenite answered. "The fear generated by such a large group of chimeras was strong enough to provide a plentiful energy source, and our receptors had no trouble absorbing it. Coupled with the trace amounts taken from all over Tokyo, we have gathered more energy in one strike than any of Beryl's minions."
"Perfect." The supreme ruler of the Dark Kingdom stood and took a crystal orb from somewhere in his armour. Raising it, he spoke a few inaudible words and watched as the orb filled with power. His eyes burned brighter in satisfaction.
The doors to the throne room opened, and Peridot entered. He knelt before his master, awaiting acknowledgement. The dark lord studied his orb for a moment longer before stowing it away and looking down at his general.
"Congratulations, General Peridot," he said neutrally. "The attack has succeeded in its intended goal. Dare I hope that you have as well?"
"Yes, my Lord," the bald man replied. "I have found the most likely target for our plan. We may proceed to the next phase at your convenience."
Adamantite smiled coldly. "Proceed, then, and be discreet."
"As you say, my Lord."
Selenite watched dispassionately as Peridot disappeared into a portal. He then bowed wordlessly to Adamantite and left the throne room via the shadows in the back.
Sailor Moon landed silently on the balcony of Mamoru's apartment. Sure enough, her beloved was inside, sitting on the couch and staring fixedly at his hands. Hearing the glass door slide open, he looked up, and she couldn't help but gasp at the pained expression on his face.
"Mamo-chan, are you alright?"
He turned his stare upon her, his eyes lost. As she took a step forward, however, he seemed to snap out of his daze, and his expression became desperate.
"Leave me alone!" he snapped, turning away. Sailor Moon froze, uncertain as to how to react. Why would he be so mean to her?
"Mamo-chan..."
"I said LEAVE ME ALONE! Get away from here, Usagi!" She averted her eyes from his glare, missing the sudden expression of shame that overtook him. Sobbing, she leapt from the balcony and disappeared. Mamoru stared after her, his thoughts roiling madly.
'I'm such an idiot,' he thought bitterly. 'It wasn't her fault. I shouldn't have taken it out on her.'
He sighed, the tremulous breath loud in the silence of his apartment. When he had arrived at the park and seen the Sailor Senshi in battle, the rest of his memories had clicked in place. He hadn't thought about them then, only reacted and joined the fight. Afterwards, however, the full realization of one particular memory struck him and left his mind a mess of agony and despair. He had wanted so desperately to forget again, right about the time Sailor Moon had come in, and had taken his frustration out on her.
He buried his face in his hands. What was he going to do now? Could he continue to help the Senshi as Tuxedo Kamen? Could he even allow himself to be near Usagi after what he'd done? He feared what her reaction would be if he told her the truth, but he feared losing her just as much.
"What do I do now?" he asked no one in particular, despairing of ever finding the answer himself. "WHAT DO I DO!?"
To be continued...