Poisoned From Within
By Bashfulglowfly
Chapter Seven
"Wadayoshi-san!" Mamoru was surprised to see his old caseworker. "What are you doing here?"
The woman looked up at him. It was clear that she didn't expect to see him. She gave a small bow that Mamoru returned. She looked down at a file that was in her hand. "It is good to see you again, Chiba-san. I trust you are well."
"Quite well, Wadayoshi-san."
"I did not expect to see you here. I was looking for a Tsukino Usagi and her brother Shingo."
Mamoru stepped back from the door and gestured for the older woman to come inside. "Please, come in. Usagi and Shingo are here."
The caseworker stopped in the entry. "I know that this is their new address, Usagi-san called and let us know that she and Shingo-kun moved. Why are you here?" The dark brown eyes gazed at him.
"Usagi and I have been dating for a while now and I convinced her to live with me. Of course, she wouldn't go anywhere without Shingo so he is with us as well."
Shingo saw the caseworker. "Wadayoshi-san, it's good to see you again."
Wadayoshi nodded back. "It's good to see you as well, Shingo-kun."
"Mamoru, I'm almost finished. Just a few more box…Wadayoshi-san! This is a surprise." Usagi tried to hide her dismay. Mamoru walked over to her and hugged her hard, trying to let her know that she was not alone. Usagi wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.
"I know that you did not expect a visit so quickly but I was in the area for another client so I thought that I would stop by. I did not expect to see Chiba-san." Said Wadayoshi.
Mamoru smiled at Usagi's startled look. "Wadayoshi-san was my caseworker when my parents were killed." He turned back to the caseworker. "Please, sit down. May I offer you some tea?"
"Tea would be excellent, thank you."
Shingo had taken the hint and was in the kitchen preparing the tea.
"How are things going for you, Usagi-san?" asked Wadayoshi.
Usagi, sitting next to Mamoru, tried not to wring her hands. "Everything is going well, Wadayoshi-san. In fact, because of this move, I was able to quit one of my jobs."
"So you will be working only two jobs?" Wadayoshi started taking notes.
"Yes, I'll still be working at the café and for the cleaning company."
"I see. Good." Wadayoshi looked at Mamoru. "And what are you doing Chiba-san?"
Shingo brought out the tea and quietly handed cups around as Mamoru answered. "I'm going to medical school. I'm in my second year."
Wadayoshi took a sip of her tea and set down the cup. "I'm proud of you. You said that you were going to become a doctor. I'm glad that you are accomplishing that goal." She looked at Shingo. "And how are you, Shingo-kun? Are you still having problems at school?"
"I'm well, Wadayoshi-san. School's going great. I've started my second year as well. I haven't had any problems."
"No problems with other students?"
Shingo shook his head. "No ma'am. Those problems went away last year."
"Excellent." Wadayoshi took another sip of her tea. "This is a very nice apartment."
Mamoru spoke before Usagi could. "Thank you. Would you like to see the budget that we've worked out?"
Wadayoshi smiled. "No. I don't need to do that. But I would like to see the rest of the apartment."
"Of course. Shingo, will you show her around?"
"Sure." Shingo showed Wadayoshi around the apartment.
Wadayoshi took notes then closed the file folder. She smiled at the three. "This is a nice apartment. I don't think that there are any problems here. Usagi-san, contact me if there is anything you need. Shingo-kun, you call me as well." Usagi and Shingo nodded. "I will see you in a few months. Be well."
Mamoru escorted Wadayoshi out of the apartment while Usagi and Shingo breathed sighs of relief.
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After Wadayoshi left, they joined the four next-door and devoured pizza. After they came back to their apartment, Usagi went back to unpacking in the bedroom. Shingo helped Mamoru unpack things in the study. "Door. Wall. Explain." Shingo kept his voice low so that Usagi would not hear.
"You can see the door?" Mamoru's voice was also low.
"I can see the door just like I can see the spirits from Usagi's necklace."
Mamoru dropped a textbook on his foot as he stared at Shingo. "Spirits? How long have you been seeing them?"
Shingo ran a hand through his hair. "Since…since the earthquake. Most aren't too bad. Some can be pretty crazy or confused. But the ones from Usagi's necklace are different. They talk to me."
"They talk to you? Do they have names?" Mamoru found himself holding his breath.
"Yeah. They call themselves Pluto, Neptune, Uranus and Saturn." He glanced slyly at Mamoru. "Pluto, Neptune and Uranus aren't exactly happy with you."
"Why is that?"
"They think that Saturn's learning a bit too much about sex."
"Ahh…" Mamoru wasn't quite sure what to say in regards to that.
Shingo grinned. "They said that they thank you for forgiving them. But they will not be free until the princess forgives them. Who's the princess?"
Mamoru began to explain.
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Shingo could only stare. "Let me get this straight. You are an ancient prince of Earth. The guys are the ancient prince's ancient guardians. And my sister is an ancient princess of the fricking MOON! And the Senshi and the spirits in her necklace are HER ancient guardians that are under a curse. And the curse can't be broken until the Senshi are forgiven by both of you?"
"That's pretty much it." Confirmed Mamoru.
"So are you going to forgive the other four Senshi…the ones that are under the control of the witch and demon?"
Mamoru hesitated. "I don't know. I just don't know."
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Shingo's question ran through Mamoru's mind for the next several days.
He sat on a bench overlooking a small pond in the park near his apartment. Usagi was going to meet him there after she got off her shift at Café Crown. Waiting for her gave him the opportunity to think.
For the last year, he had been thankful that the Senshi's attacks had actually been rather convenient for him. That they hadn't interrupted his schooling or his dates with Usagi. And, those times that had been inconvenient, the Shitennou had been able to handle them without his help.
Usagi had told him the story of how the Senshi had been poisoned and bewitched into killing Serenity. And that it had to be forgiveness from both of them to free the Senshi from the witch and demon. But after telling the Shitennou about what had really happened, he never gave it much thought…he just continued fighting them.
He hadn't tried to see if he could connect with the inner Senshi or the outers. He figured that the outers were pretty damn tired of being trapped in stone. He certainly would be. He couldn't even begin to figure out what was going on in the minds of the inners. If they were even sane at this point.
"I am going to free everyone from the curse."
"I doubt you'll live that long."
Before Mamoru heard the last word, he was off the bench and transforming.
Jupiter smashed the bench a second after he left it.
Endymion dodged the fireball thrown by Mars.
He choked as Venus' chain wrapped around his throat. He fought to get a hand beneath the links as he struggled to breathe.
"NO! You leave him alone!"
Endymion looked towards the voice and to his horror it was Usagi.