So a long time had passed, we can thank my busted ass computer for the lack of compassion it has shown me lately. Luckily, however, I have friends who love me and loan me entire computers and so here after a grievously long time is another chapter. Thanks for waiting!
I woke to the smell of roses. When I opened my eyes I was shocked to see vases overflowing on every surface in my room. I watched as another was set on my bedside table, the young delivery boy spilling some of its water onto my comforter.
"Yuck!" I exclaimed shaking the droplets off before they could soak in. On the other side of the room I heard a male voice speak up "Be more careful, please."
The tall man who had saved me the day before was standing on the other side of my bed and he was still wearing his Tuxedo Mask costume. "It's you." I said sitting up. I looked down to find I was still in my own Sailor Moon costume. "What's going on?"
The delivery boy made his way toward my door and as he went the man handed him a few folded bills. Then the man moved toward me and kneeled beside my bed taking one of my gloved hands in his own. "Do remember what happened yesterday?"
"Sure, I went with my friends to the park, there was, well, I thought it was a guy in a costume. We were 'playing' Sailor Moon as you can see." I motioned to my costume. "I played along, almost got clobbered and you showed up. Last thing I remember is being in a tree and you covered me with your cape. And here I am."
He nodded and relaxed a bit. "So you know who I am?" He asked.
"Well, Tuxedo Mask I'd imagine. You look just like the character on TV." I said blushing and pointing to the poster on my wall. He smiled at me then and seemed relieved somehow.
"Are you well enough to get up?" He asked. I nodded and he helped me from the bed. "Any dizziness or anything?" He asked keeping a steady hand on the small of my back. I was still blushing from the close contact he was keeping with me, but I didn't think that was something I should mention.
"I feel fine." I said. My stomach rumbled loudly and he looked down at me for a moment. I blushed deeper, if possible. "I am a little hungry."
He laughed then, it was a gentle happy laugh and I smiled at the sound of it. For some reason I was thrilled that I had been able to make him chuckle.
"How about I take us out for breakfast." He said leading me out into the living room. Amy and Lita, also still dressed as Mercury and Jupiter, which I was beginning to think was odd, were sitting on the couch. "I'm taking Sailor Moon out for breakfast." He told the girls in the living room. I hesitated a moment at the use of that name. I had to admit being addressed as her was thrilling, but he must know who I really am, he knows where I live, and if he's part of this whole lets 'play' Sailor Moon thing the girls must know who he is. Why aren't we all in normal clothes and calling each other by name? They didn't have to keep this up any longer.
I was about to voice this when Tuxedo Mask headed me in the direction of the hall. "Let's go." He said rushing me to the door. I barely had time to slip on my sandals before he guided me out and down the stairs. Sitting in front of the building was a sleek BMW. He opened the door to the passenger side and motioned me into it. I sat marveling at the leather interior and full cd-stereo system while he ran around to the other side and jumped in. "I know just the place." He said with a wink. He belted himself in, started the engine, and with a roar we took off down the street.
As soon as the front door shut behind them, Mars and Venus emerged from Lita's room. "So what happened?" asked Mina flopping down on the couch.
"She didn't ask any questions, although I think that if we had given her a second longer she may have." Said Lita turning off the TV.
"So part one went off successfully, I just hope part two does the job." Said Rei picking at invisible lint on her mini skirt.
"Knowing Serena, it just may," Said Amy "Meanwhile we have to get ready for when they return." The girl's nodded in agreement and all headed in different directions to prepare the apartment.
To ensure their privacy Tuxedo Mask took Serena to the Crown Arcade Cafe, making sure Andrew knew they would be showing up and providing a back way in away from the prying eyes of the public. Andrew had long ago been let in on the secret of his most popular customers, especially after he stumbled across the hidden base one night. Darien figured it was also a good place for Serena. In familiar surroundings she was more likely to be at ease.
At breakfast, Tuxedo Mask successfully steered clear of any questions that Serena asked about him outside his Tuxedo Mask persona. Before long she was directing questions about his life as Tuxedo Mask, how long had he been a superhero and why he had started. Without hesitation he told her the story. She sat enthralled with the tale of a lost kingdom and their tragic royalty.
"Its seems so unbelievable." Said Serena sipping her soda. "If there was a kingdom on the Moon though, why haven't they found any remains there? Shouldn't we have seen something?"
"According to the records, it's being hidden by the white light of the Silver Crystal." Said Tuxedo Mask, stirring his black coffee.
"There are records?" Serena asked excitedly.
He nodded his head as he took a sip. "I can show them to you, if you like." He said.
Serena was shocked for a moment. "Can you do that? You won't get in trouble showing a regular person all of these secrets?" She asked.
Tuxedo Mask leaned forward and gazed directly into Serena's shocked eyes. "You're more than just a regular person." He said seriously. Serena raised an eyebrow at the statement. "You're a friend of mine." He replied. He finished his coffee and set his mug back on the table. "Come on." He said standing and holding out a gloved hand to her.
Serena stood excitedly and took his hand. He walked with her into the arcade area and before anyone could notice, they disappeared into a door that Serena had always thought was a broom closet. As he closed them in she became acutely aware of the darkness and the small proximity of the closet. She could feel the press of his body behind her, and had the closet been any smaller, would have had to plaster herself against him. "Uh, any reason you just locked us into a closet?" she joked trying to make light of the situation.
"Just a second." He said, his voice right behind her ear. She shivered in spite of the close confines as his breath tickled the delicate hairs on her neck. It occurred to her suddenly that she was in a broom closet, a dark broom closet, with a man who closely resembled the man on TV that she secretly had a crush on. She was about to pinch herself to make sure she was indeed awake when she heard a soft clicking sound. "There it is." He said against her neck. She let out a heavy breath as his words again moved the hairs on her neck, but all thoughts of being alone in the closet were swept away as the shelf in front of her moved and swung outward.
Ahead, in a passage through the shelf and what should have been the wall, a staircase descended into a far off light. Serena stood staring down into the opening wondering if going was such a good idea after all.
Tuxedo Mask put his hand on the small of her back and guided her forward toward the stairs. Without realizing she had done it, Serena reached for his free hand for support. The shock at the small gesture filled a well he hadn't noticed was empty inside him. Whenever Serena was unsure about something she unconsciously reached for him in this way. Hope bloomed in his heart as he gently but firmly held her small hand in his own. She may not remember it consciously, but she's still in there somewhere, he thought to himself.
They made their way down slowly, Serena picking her steps with care, knowing that with her grace she could at any moment take the two of them on a header for the bottom. The room into which they descended opened wide before them.
It was neat and orderly, a tidiness that the Senshi of Mercury was acutely aware and proud of. A few machines hummed along the back wall, a large table commanded the middle of the room, and bookshelves hugged the rest of the available space. Off to the right was a large storage area where devices were arranged with care. Several looked familiar, wristwatches and peculiar looking pens, and others were wicked looking gadgets that Serena didn't want to contemplate as to their design.
Tuxedo Mask steered her toward the table and pulled out a plush chair for her to sit in. As she sat, he wandered over to a nearby shelf and selected one of the volumes of ancient looking books. The spine of the book had several characters in a language she didn't recognize and the words "The History, Volume V" in English. He placed the book on the table before Serena and stepped back. The large text had only a small crescent moon on the front cover and she traced it with her finger slowly.
The faded leather binding creaked as she opened it to the first page. It began right away, no cover page or contents, and was marked only with the Roman numeral five. For several hours Serena poured over the pages of the thick book. The history was a narrative done by someone on the court. Though the mystery person never identified himself or herself, it seemed they had seen everything that had occurred.
It began as the castle was bombarded by outside forces, covered secret meetings between the Queen and her counselors and generals, where the adoring people had hidden while the war raged, and how the princess' court had defended her until, one by one, they had fallen under the blows of the attacking alien Queen herself in her rage to get to the Prince and Princess.
Most importantly, it held the memories of secret trysts of the future monarchs of the earth and moon, their public revelation of their love, and hopes of the future two kingdoms becoming one.
Serena was awed as she read the accounts of valor and bravery among these people and finally of the Moon Queen herself using the last of her energy to send her daughter, the Earth Prince, the court, and the people of the moon forward into the future to give them new lives.
Serena sat staring at the final page for a few minutes, tears spilling down her cheeks. Tuxedo Mask, who had been working at the computers on the far wall as she read, heard her quiet sniffle, as she had been doing off and on, and turned to see how far she had come. To his surprise he saw her closing the book and trying to staunch the flow of her tears.
He crossed the room quickly and knelt by her chair. As she sniffed again she raised her swimming eyes to his. The anguish there was overwhelming and he leaned forward and tenderly gathered her in a hug. With his arms around her she felt the dam of grief she had been trying to hold back flow free and she sobbed into his shoulder. For several minutes she remained safe in the crook of his arm. Finally, her tears subsided and she took a deep breath to calm herself.
She never in her life would have believed the story could have been true. Although she believed in everything remained a grain of truth, certainly a children's TV show was pure imaginary fluff. The names and places pulled from history as a way to make it more believable, but certainly not real.
"I'm sure you've guessed that the scouts you've seen on the news are these reincarnated people." He said quietly. "What the girls have been trying to tell you for the past few weeks is that they are these people. Amy and Lita are Mercury and Jupiter. The blonde girl who lives across the hall, her name is Mina, and she is Sailor Venus. The young lady who attacked you at the Hikawa Shrine is Rei, one of your very best friends, and she is Mars."
Thanks to her tears, Serena was calm while listening to this. She had certainly been wondering what was going on the past few weeks. Though they had tried to maintain an act of normalcy Serena hadn't been completely fooled. She never mentioned being frightened one night at hearing noises in the apartment and after a quiet investigation found both Amy and Lita sneaking back in from somewhere. She'd put it aside to ask later, but she had caught them several more times after. Always late at night, and they never used the front door. The next morning were always reports of attacks in the park and the Sailor Senshi showing up to rescue people. Serena was never slow to put two and two together, despite what the others thought.
"I suppose, that means you're really Tuxedo Mask." She said into his shoulder. "But why are you telling me all this, and who are you?"
He hesitated a moment before leaning back, her head slipped from his shoulder and she looked at him questioningly as he searched her eyes. He started to move one of his hands towards his face but Serena stopped him before he could reach it. Then, very tentatively, she moved forward and withdrew his white mask.
I do have another one and a half chapters going, so I will hopefully get another up soon if anyone in internet land is reading these. Thanks to all who are. Stay tuned! Shannon