Chapter 2
"Tuxedo Kamen?" Sailor Moon whispered, staring at Mamoru as if she had never seen him before.
Mamoru, still pinned to the ground, gave her a lopsided smile.
"Well," Zoicite began as he stood up, dusting off his uniform, "no worries. Now we can get rid of Sailor Moon and capture Tuxedo Kamen at the same time."
Without hesitation, Zoicite threw a blast of energy in Sailor Moon's direction. Her reflexes on point, Sailor Moon leapt out of the way just before the blast hit her.
"Sailor Moon!" Mamoru yelled to her, still struggling to free himself from Kunzite's grip.
Sailor Moon quickly removed her tiara and whipped it through the air. The disc circled around slicing Kunzite in the arm and nearly taking off Zoicite's head.
"You bitch!" Zoicite growled.
Kunzite grabbed his injured arm, giving Mamoru an opportunity to throw the general off of him and break away. Mamoru immediately threw a rose at the general's other arm, causing him to scream out in pain, then he promptly transformed.
Tuxedo Kamen leapt into the air and landed gracefully next to Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon," he said, nodding to the girl.
"Tuxedo Kamen," she replied, a small smirk forming on her lips.
"What?" he asked of her curious expression.
She rolled her eyes. "Nothing," she laughed. "It just figures it'd be you."
Tuxedo Kamen tried to fight the smile forming on his own lips. "Ditto," he replied.
"You two don't know who you're messing with!" Kunzite snarled as he got to his feet. Zoicite was quickly by his side, and the two generals geared up for a fight.
Tuxedo Kamen took his place next to Sailor Moon, shoulder to shoulder. The pair quickly realized a major battle was about to take place.
Zoicite threw the first blow and Tuxedo and Moon quickly jumped out of its path. Kunzite quickly followed with another, and so on and so forth. Sailor Moon threw her tiara when she got a chance, as did Tuxedo Kamen with his roses, but the two rapidly realized their weapons were no match for the generals'. After dodging several attacks, Sailor Moon began to panic. How could they defeat Zoicite and Kunzite? Sailor Moon had her crescent wand, but it was for healing, not for attacking.
"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up!" Sailor Moon called to Tuxedo Kamen, out of breath.
"I was just thinking the same thing," he panted back.
Just then, Sailor Moon tripped and fell to the pavement. "Shit!" she cursed, scrambling to get up before one of the generals sent an attack her way. Unfortunately she was not fast enough, and Zoicite threw a powerful ball of energy at the struggling girl.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as Sailor Moon looked up to see the blast hurtling toward her. In her peripheral vision, she saw Tuxedo Kamen lunging toward her, and she began to scream in protest. Ignoring her cries, Tuxedo Kamen threw himself in front Sailor Moon, taking the brunt of Zoicite's attack.
As the blast connected with Tuxedo Kamen's body, Sailor Moon let out a blood-curdling scream. Every emotion built up inside her, pushing and pulling until they were released in a powerful flash of white energy. The energy exploded in every direction, hitting Zoicite and Kunzite and throwing them back several meters.
The light faded, revealing Sailor Moon sitting on the ground clutching Tuxedo Kamen's wounded body. Zoicite groggily pushed himself up and stared at the two, stunned by the amount of power that came out of this young girl. His gaze moved above the pair, where he spotted a small ball of glowing light.
Kunzite sat up, also gazing at the light. He squinted his eyes, studying the light. "What the..?" he questioned before his eyes grew wide with realization. It was not a ball of light at all, but a small glowing crystal.
"Could it be?" Zoicite gasped.
A soft light pulsated from the crystal, enveloping Sailor Moon where she sat. Sailor Moon felt its warmth overtake her, and she was flooded with a sensation that was foreign yet familiar at the same time. She felt her body begin to change and within moments, she was no longer in her sailor fuku. Rather she was wearing a flowing, white gown.
"Princess?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, voice pained and raspy.
She looked down at him and gently removed his mask. They both knew now, she was the Moon Princess. With the flowing light of the Silver Crystal came a flood of memories from another life and another time. "Mamoru…" she whispered, touching his cheek. "Endymion…"
"Serenity," he whispered back. Warmth filled him as he realized she was his princess, and he was her prince.
Zoicite stood, snarling, his eyes fixed upon the Silver Crystal. "That crystal is ours!" he shouted as he dashed toward the couple.
Princess Serenity secured her eyes on Zoicite's running form and, without even moving, discharged a flash of white power. It hit Zoicite directly, and he hit the ground with a hard thud.
"Zoicite!" Kunzite yelled as he ran to his partner's side. He reached the fallen general only to watch the life drain from his body. "Zoicite?" he murmured.
Rage filled Kunzite, and he was fully prepared to take out his wrath on the newly revealed princess. However, he received a silent command from his queen to retrieve the prince and immediately return to the Negaverse. Hesitating not a moment, Kunzite opened a portal to the Negaverse, and threw a ball of dark energy at the princess. As she fell backward from the blast, Kunzite promptly pulled Mamoru's injured body into the open portal.
Kunzite had acted so quickly that Serenity could not stop him. "Endymion!" she cried as she watched him disappear into the black hole. "Mamoru," she whimpered, a tear running down her cheek.
The Silver Crystal dropped into Serenity's palm. A strong wind blew, and at once she transformed back into Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon remained seated on the ground, her breath shallow as she stared at the spot where Mamoru had just laid. There was a small pool of the blood on the pavement where his body had been, and Sailor Moon prayed he would be alright.
"What will the Negaverse do to him?" she questioned aloud, voice cracking. She was scared…
Sailor moon took a deep breath and took out her communicator. "Calling all Senshi. This is Sailor Moon. We need to meet at the temple. Immediately," she ordered before signing off.
After de-transforming, Usagi began the long walk to Rei's temple. She practically staggered as she did so, exhausted from the energy she had expelled. Her head was spinning. She was the Moon Princess. The thought would've seemed absurd to her only an hour ago, but now she remembered everything…
Her name was Serentity, Princess of the Moon. She had lived on the Moon happily with her court, the Senshi, and she had even fallen in love. She was set to marry Prince Endymion from Earth. Usagi smiled slightly, remembering the happy time.
Her mother, Queen Serenity, had once ruled the universe, promoting justice and peace. However, rebellious outsiders invaded and attacked their kingdom, killing many and destroying several of the planets' kingdoms—including the Moon's. Usagi's eyes widened. Rebellious outsiders attacked—led by Queen Beryl of the Negaverse. Her mother was killed, as were she and Endymion. It is only due to the power of the Silver Crystal that they have been reincarnated to this time and place to live again—to create peace again.
Usagi became nauseous thinking of her Endymion's death. His lifeless body sprawled on the ground…She was killed only moments later…
"Mamoru," Usagi whispered, her throat becoming dry.
Would she ever see him again? Not only was he Tuxedo Kamen, her trusted ally and biggest crush, but he was also Endymion, her long-lost prince. 'He is also Mamoru,' Usagi thought to herself, tears stinging her eyes. As much as they bickered, she cared for him deeply. She knew there was no real venom in their arguing, and she had come to suspect he had cared for her as well. On the few days they would not run into one another, she felt empty…Now, he was in the hands of the Negaverse.
Usagi looked up to realize she had reached the stairs of the temple. She let out a huff of exhausted breath, and began to make her way up the steps. Usagi paused as she reached the doors to the temple—everything was about to change. Pushing the doors open slowly, she slipped inside.
Usagi was immediately met with six pairs of concerned eyes. The four Senshi sat in quiet anticipation, as did Luna and Artemis.
"Usagi," Rei breathed, getting to her feet. "What is this all about?"
Usagi looked at Luna, and the feline immediately jumped to all fours, entranced by the girl's presence. She knew.
Usagi looked at her guardian with a furrowed brow. "Luna," she whimpered, tears filling her eyes.
Luna leapt into the girl's arms, crying silent tears of her own.
"What is it?" Ami questioned, becoming even more concerned.
Luna jumped onto the table in the center of the room, and looked seriously at the four Senshi. "It is the Moon Princess," she stated.
"The Moon Princess?" Minako asked, confused. "What about her?"
Luna looked back at Usagi. "She is the Moon Princess."
"What?" the four girls exclaimed.
"I don't know why I didn't see it before...why I didn't remember," Luna softly said, shaking her feline head.
"Usagi-chan, is this true?" Makoto asked, stupefied.
"Yes," she nodded slowly in response.
"I just can't wrap my head around this," Rei sputtered, shaking her head. "How long have you known?"
"Not even an hour," Usagi sighed.
"Wow, Usagi-chan," Ami breathed. "What does this mean? What about the search for the Silver Crystal?"
"Yeah," Minako agreed. "It's more important now than ever that we find it!"
Usagi put her hand up to silence her friends. Once they were quiet, Usagi slowly opened the palm of her other hand, revealing a small round crystal. Everyone in the room gasped.
"Usagi," Luna spoke as she padded up to her charge. "How?"
Usagi began to cry, and Makoto was quickly by her side. "Usagi-chan," she began, draping an arm around her shoulders, "what is it?"
Usagi sniffled before speaking, "Yes, I am the Princess. And this is the Silver Crystal…but that's not all."
Rei's features became transformed with worry. "Usagi," she said, almost in a whisper, "what happened?"
Usagi sat down in an abrupt, clumsy motion before forcefully wiping the tears from her eyes. "An ambush," she said bitterly.
"Ambush?" Ami questioned, eyes wide.
Usagi sighed before continuing. "After I left the arcade, and I was with Mamoru-"
"Per usual," Minako piped in.
Usagi nodded and continued, "And we got into an argument—"
"Per usual," Makoto added, a smirk on her lips.
Usagi rolled her eyes. "Yes!" she huffed, then continued. "Well, before I knew it, Zoicite and Kunzite were upon us. They seemed to come out of nowhere, and they drug Mamoru and I to an abandoned parking lot."
Minako gasped, "Had they been following you?"
"No," Usagi shook her head slowly. "They weren't after me. They were after Mamoru."
"What?" Rei exclaimed in surprise. "But why?"
Usagi felt the sting of tears once again. "Mamoru is Tuxedo Kamen," she revealed, her voice shuddering a bit. The Senshi were silent, but she could feel their surprised stares. "The generals began to attack and we had not choice but to transform…"
"Usagi!" Luna gasped. "Does this mean that Kunzite and Zoicite know your true identity!"
"…"
Usagi's silence was all the answer Luna needed.
"So what happened?" Minako asked, placing her hand on Usagi's.
"We fought the best that we could, but we were no match for them. I-" Usagi paused, her throat feeling tight, "I tripped up. Tuxedo Kamen saved me…by taking a direct hit from Zoicite."
Rei brought her hand to her mouth. "Is he..?"
Usagi ignored her pained question and continued. "When I saw him get hit, something happened inside of me…I don't quite know what, but I became filled with energy—with power," she said, a far off look in her eyes. "And then, poof, the Silver Crystal appeared, and I remembered everything."
"Oh, Usagi-chan, why didn't you call us for help?" Ami asked.
Usagi shook her head. "There was no time. It all happened so fast…"
"And Tuxedo Kamen?" Rei asked, fear in her voice.
"Kunzite captured him and took him back to the Negaverse. I don't know if he…" Usagi trailed off.
"Zoicite and Kunzite saw you transform, Usagi! What if they come after you next?" Ami asked with worry.
"Zoicite won't be a problem—he's dead," Usagi informed her matter-of-factly. "As for Kunzite…the Negaverse took Mamoru for a reason. I think they are working on some sort of plan. That's my main concern right now—we have to get Mamoru back."
Despite the overwhelming sense of unease in the room, the girls nodded. Usagi spent the next few hours surrounded by her friends, answering questions about the battle, Mamoru, and the Moon Kingdom. After her voice was hoarse from speaking, Usagi excused herself and headed home.
She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. When she reached her home, she went straight to her bedroom and the warmth of her bed. Usagi stripped off her clothing and crawled beneath the covers, ready to collapse into unconsciousness. Usagi closed her eyes, enjoying the blackness. She exhaled slowly, wanting to relax, but she could not. Instead images of Mamoru flashed through her mind—his cocky smile, his eyes glimmering with mischief. The way he would nonchalantly run a hand through his hair as he spoke. The way he would look at her, his gaze filled with annoyance and desire at the same time…
She saw him being hit by Zoicite, his body spasming in pain, over and over again. Usagi squeezed her eyes tightly shut, warm tears escaping from their corners. Her stomach twisted picturing how he limply laid on the ground, pool of red blood forming beneath him…
Usagi let out an abrupt sob as her eyes shot open. She stared blankly at the ceiling as slow tears ran down her cheeks, accumulating on her pillow, making it damp with salty liquid. An empty, gnawing feeling churned within her, and Usagi realized she might never see him again…Tuxedo Kamen…Mamoru.
Usagi laid there, in her bed, staring at the ceiling until the sun came up several hours later. She rolled over, numb, and stared out her window at the brightening skyline.
"Endymion…" she whispered.
Queen Beryl stared at the unconscious prince, an obsessive, lustful look in her eyes. Black energy swirled around him, working its magic. The queen felt triumphant. Although she did not have the Silver Crystal, she had captured something else dear to that insipid princess. A cold sneer formed on her red lips.
Beryl looked the man over. She had forgotten how handsome he was—his jet black hair and muscular physique. Her chest puffed with pride as she realized he was now hers. He would be her greatest weapon.
"How are things going, my queen?" Kunzite asked softly from the doorway.
Without turning around, Queen Beryl raised an eyebrow and answered, "As good as can be expected. Endymion should be fully under my power within the next few hours."
Kunzite straightened, unsure of how he felt about the queen's new plan. "Glad to hear it, my queen."
"Kunzite," she called, turning toward the general slowly.
"Yes, your majesty?"
"You question me?" she asked, her eyes becoming hard.
"Of course not, Queen Beryl!" he assured her. "I am just upset over the loss of Zoicite."
Beryl's features softened only slightly. "Yes, his services will be missed."
Kunzite nodded, his stomach twisting in anger. "Yes, my queen. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Kunzite," she replied as she turned around to stare at her prince once again.
Usagi went through the first few days following Mamoru's capture like a robot. She felt like a shell of a person. She still could not come to terms with the fact that she was the Moon Princess. Although she remembered everything about her past life, it still seemed so impossible—so surreal. She also could not accept that Mamoru was really gone. Each day, each hour that passed without his returned burned a little bit more than the last.
"Odango?"
Usagi's head whipped in the direction of the voice. She was disappointed when her eyes met those of Naru, who was seated in the desk next to her.
"Usagi-chan, would you like an odango?" she asked again, holding out a dumpling.
Usagi's face blanched as she stared at the food. She shook her head slowly, "No thanks, Naru-chan. I'm not hungry."
Naru studied her friend's face for a moment. It was highly unusual for Usagi to turn down food, but something else was off. The normal spark in Usagi's eye, the normal gusto in her demeanor, was gone. Naru sadly stared at her for a few more moments and then, deciding not to prod, turned back to her lunch.
Usagi left school at the end of the day, the wheels in her brain turning vigorously. She needed to devise a plan to get Mamoru back, but where did she begin? She had no idea where the Negaverse was, let alone how to get to it. As she continued to rack her brain, her communicator suddenly went off.
"Usagi here," she said after turning the device on.
"Usagi, there's a youma at the beauty shop on Fifth Street," Sailor Venus panted, out of breath. "Get here as fast as you can!"
"Be right there," Usagi nodded and signed off.
Usagi ducked into an alley and quickly transformed. Once she was powered up as Sailor Moon, she leapt from rooftop to rooftop toward Fifth Street. She was secretly grateful for the youma attack. Not only could she blow off some steam and take out her frustration on a snarling youma, but there was also a good chance that Kunzite would make an appearance. She might be able to get some answers concerning Mamoru's whereabouts.
When Sailor Moon arrived at the beauty shop, she was greeted by the rumbling of thunder and the flashing of lights. The four Senshi were already engaged in a battled with a tall, lanky youma inside the shop. Sailor Moon blew through the front door and took a place next to Sailor Mars.
"Hey," Sailor Moon breathed, tired from her run, "what's this monster's deal?"
"Well it throws razor blades and is equipped with giant scissors," Mars grumbled. "I'd watch myself if I were you—I've already been cut a few times!"
"Sailor Mercury," Moon called to her blue-haired friend, "any leads on a weakness?"
"I'm working on it!" Mercury called back, frantically typing on her computer.
The youma then threw a handful of razor blades in Sailor Moon's direction. "Gahhhhhh!" she wailed as she clumsily jumped out of the way.
The monster threw another slew of blades, and Sailor Moon received a nasty slice on her arm. Moon stared at the blood dripping down her arm, and rage began to fill her.
"I'm sick of being pushed around by you Negaverse scum!" she yelled, seething.
Sailor Jupiter looked at her friend and raised an eyebrow—Sailor Moon looked thoroughly pissed. This was her chance to blow off some steam, and she was not about to waste it!
"The youma seems to have a weakness in her shoulder!" Mercury yelled. "If you hit it there, she may be disabled long enough to heal with the Moon wand!"
"I'm on it!" Moon called, and whipped her tiara at the monster. The disc hit the youma directly in the shoulder, and it fell back, wailing in pain.
"Nice shot, Sailor Moon!" Venus cheered proudly.
Sailor Moon smirked before pulling out her crescent wand and showering the beast in healing energy. When the glow of her wand dissipated, an unconscious shop girl fell to the floor.
"Not bad, Sailor Moon," Mars smiled, patting her friend on the back.
The Senshi celebration halted, though, when it was interrupted by a slow, mocking clap. Sailor Moon tensed, and turned around, prepared to face Kunzite. Her face dropped, however, when she was met with another familiar face. Could it be? She studied him, assessing his every detail: the tailored black pants and jacket, the bow tie, the long black cape, the top hat, the mask…
"Tux-tuxedo Kamen?" she stuttered, eyes tearing. "Is it really you?"
Wearing a cocky smile, he tipped his hat. "Sailor Moon, I presume?" he smoothly spoke.
"Huh?" she asked with a furrowed brow. "What do you—"
"Yes," he cut her off, "I am the infamous Tuxedo Kamen, also known as Prince Endymion, and I have come for the Silver Crystal. Now hand it over, and nobody gets hurt."
Sailor Moon took a step back in surprise. "I don't understand. I am your ally," she whispered, shaking her head.
Tuxedo Kamen laughed and rolled his eyes beneath his mask. "Oh please. I am no more your ally than Queen Beryl herself. I have come here to retrieve the crystal for my queen, and I will not leave without it!"
Sailor Moon felt her world tilt off its axis. What was happening? Had she heard him right? He had called Queen Beryl his queen. Her stomach began to twist, a sick feeling taking her over. She felt a gentle hand on her arm and she looked beside her to find Sailor Venus.
"Sailor Moon," she began softly, "he is no longer our friend. He is working for the Negaverse now."
Sailor Moon shook her head in disgust. "But that can't be…" she whispered.
"You've got it right, Sailor…" he trailed off.
"Venus," she filled in for him, some confusion in her voice.
"Venus," he repeated, nodding in her direction. "I serve only the Negaverse and Queen Beryl."
"I don't think he remembers any of us," Mars said quietly from behind Moon. "I think he may have been brainwashed!"
"Now," Tuxedo Kamen began, straightening his stance, "give me the Silver Crystal!"
Jupiter and Mars placed themselves in front of Sailor Moon. "Hell no!" Jupiter spat. "We're not giving you anything!"
"Very well," he replied before throwing two roses in their direction.
Sailor Jupiter jumped out of the way, as did Sailor Mars, taking Sailor Moon with her. Moon and Mars hit the ground with a thump. Mars turned to Sailor Moon to find her frozen on the floor, eyes wide.
"Sailor Moon," she said urgently, "you have to fight back! He is under Queen Beryl's control. Who knows if we can undo what she's done to him…"
Sailor Moon's face lit up. "I can undo it!" she declared, jumping to her feet.
She whipped out her crescent wand, now equipped with the Silver Crystal. She fixed her eyes on Tuxedo Kamen, determination in her stare. "Moon Healing Escalation!" she yelled and sent a flood of healing energy in his direction. Tuxedo Kamen froze as the energy washed over him, and Sailor Moon smiled, confident the wand's power was taking effect.
However, seconds later, Tuxedo Kamen jumped into the air and sailed toward Sailor Moon. As he came down upon her, he pulled out his cane and swung it in her direction. The cane connected with Sailor Moon's abdomen, sending her flying across the room and through a plate glass window. Glass shattered all around her, and she groaned as she pushed herself up from the debris. She slowly looked toward Tuxedo Kamen, surprise and anger in her eyes.
The Senshi gasped, shocked and fearful at Tuxedo Kamen's actions. Sailor Mars stared at Sailor Moon, prepared to see utter devastation on the girl's face.
"What the fuck!" Sailor Moon growled, and Sailor Mars raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Tuxedo Kamen strode toward Sailor Moon, and an arrogant smile crossed his lips as he reached her. "It's not my fault you underestimated my power."
"Power?" she yelled, voice shrill. "That was not power! That was a cheap shot!"
He laughed and raised an eyebrow. "You're only saying that because I got the better of you." He dusted off the sleeves of his jacket casually, and Sailor Moon stomped her foot in frustrated response.
The Senshi watched as the electricity built up between the quarrelling pair. "It's just like a typical Usagi-Mamoru fight…" Mercury muttered.
"You got the better of me?" Moon replied, blood boiling. "Nothing about you is better than me, you jerk!
Tuxedo only chuckled in response, making the fuming heroine even madder. Sailor Moon then felt a slight breeze on her skin, and her eyes shot down to inspect her fuku. She gasped when saw a huge tear across the midsection of her body suit. She realized it must have torn when she went through the window. Renewed rage began to fill her.
"Just look what you did!" she pouted at Tuxedo Kamen. "My fuku! You've ruined it!" she sniffled as she gestured to her exposed stomach.
Tuxedo Kamen's gaze darkened as it fixed itself on her bare skin. "So I have," he replied smoothly as he ran a gloved finger across her stomach. Sailor Moon felt the muscles in her stomach clench and her blue eyes shot up to meet his, a powerful current flowing between them. The two stared at one another, palpable heat building between them. Sailor Moon stared as his pink lips, and found herself wanting to taste them with her own. They looked so soft… Her eyes traveled back to Tuxedo Kamen's and she found he was staring at her with the same lust-filled gaze.
Oblivious to the mounting sexual tension between Moon and Kamen, the four Senshi decided to intervene. "Face it buddy," Sailor Jupiter yelled, "it's five to one, and your chances of getting out of here without a major injury are slim to none!"
Tuxedo Kamen turned to the girls, eyebrows raised. "You've got a point," he smirked. "Until next time!" he called before leaping away and disappearing into the darkness.
Sailor Moon stood motionless, and Sailor Venus came beside her and put an arm on her shoulder. "Oh, Sailor Moon, I'm sorry," she said sadly. "We'll figure out a way to get him back," she assured her.
Sailor Moon had barely heard her friend as she continued to stare in the direction of Tuxedo Kamen's exit. A slow smile crossed her lips, and her eyes lit with mischief. 'Yes,' she thought to herself, 'I will get him back.' She had a plan that was so simple, yet so brilliant: She was going to seduce Tuxedo Kamen.