Hello again! It's almost Saturday, but not quite, so here's Friday's installment for the daily episode/reaction.
Ep. 91
Recap: Usagi's bummed about being unable to transform, so Mamoru shows her some stray cats to cheer her up (quick thinking, Mamo-chan…?). The girl taking care of said cats is targeted by a Daimohn. The two mysterious fuku-wearing warriors return the heart but refuse to help destroy the enemy, so Tuxedo Mask jumps in but gets hurt. Usagi gets all emotional about being unable to protect her friends and miraculously the LEGENDARY SPIRAL HEART MOON ROD is born (legendary? I never heard of the thing before). So she whoops up on the weird puzzle-cat Daimohn and everything is peachy.
"I CAN FIGHT!" Usagi hollered, skipping down the path. Her arms flailed like windmills by her sides. "I CAN FIGHT, I CAN FIGHT!"
"You're really subtle about it, too," said Mamoru from behind her, rolling his eyes.
She wheeled around and practically jumped into his face; he flinched and retreated. "I DON'T CARE, I CAN FIGHT, I CAN FIGHT!" And she ran off ahead of him, singing and whooping.
"She sure was singing a different tune three days ago," Mamoru muttered to Luna, who was perched on his shoulder. She could change her mind so easily about things, it was almost dizzying to behold.
She nodded sagely. "Usagi-chan is too whimsical for her own good."
"Do you think so?" Mamoru tilted his head, watching her dance around in the sunset. "I dunno. She falls hard, but when she shines, it's blinding."
Primly, Luna licked one of her paws in response. "Tell Usagi-chan I went to visit Artemis," she said, before leaping off his shoulder and scampering away.
Usagi came bounding back, radiating light and energy and ecstasy. She hovered uncertainly before Mamoru, a wide grin flitting around her cheeks; the rich purples and pinks of the sunset blazed deep within her sky-colored eyes.
"You're beautiful," said Mamoru softly.
She blushed, as she always did, and darted forward to hug him. "Thank you, Mamo-chan. For allowing me to fight again."
"It was just as much you as me."
"But I couldn't have done it without you," she insisted. "That's the whole point. It's our power, combined. Our…" She glanced at the ground, embarrassed. "I love you," she whispered.
He lifted her chin with two fingers and kissed her gently. "Usako," he said thoughtfully, "why is everything that encases the silver crystal always pink and flowery?"
She stiffened. "What's wrong with pink and flowery?"
"Well, it doesn't seem exactly like a youma-destroying weapon. I always thought of my powers as dark and sinister, and then I look and realize I'm holding this pink thing. It doesn't scream 'Watch out,' anyway, if you get my drift."
"I like pink and flowery," she huffed. "But speaking of that, why do you think we – I mean, it was like that for you too, wasn't it? – when the rod was recreated, everything went back to the Moon Kingdom for a moment… You were Endymion again."
"Talk about a head trip," Mamoru said, rubbing his temples. "Or an acid trip, either one."
She frowned and slugged him on the arm. "I thought it was beautiful."
"Maybe you're more used to being transported through time and having your clothes shift around a lot."
"Maybe I am," she said loftily, her hands absently running over his chest. "You're sure you're not hurt anymore?"
"For the thousandth time, Usako, I heal fast. I'm fine. Your oh-so-intimidating pink flowery spiral moon death rod ripped that Daimohn to shreds before it could do any real damage." He smirked.
"I don't see why you have to mock pink things," she grumbled. "I did kill the youma, after all."
"You did indeed. And I suppose I have no choice but to be eternally grateful, yet again." He bent down, seized her around the knees, and slung her over his shoulder with one quick heave; Usagi screeched and battered him with fists and feet alike.
"Mamo-chan, I'm wearing a skirt!"
"No one's around," he assured her, setting off once more towards her house. The park was almost too serene; the twilight roared silently with the flaring of fire, and the trees faded into black outlined shadows along the horizon. It was a warm night, dry and heavy with a faint sensation of pollen, and the vaguely sloping hills beyond the pathway were void of occupants, save for the thousands of buzzing insects and the fleets of fireflies blinking their yellow lights.
"But what are you doing?" She wriggled, worm-like.
"Being grateful," he said, as if this were thoroughly obvious, even to the untrained eye. He honestly had no idea why he had picked her up like that; he blamed his hormones, or that weird teleportation trick when he and Usagi had become Endymion and Serenity for a moment; he wasn't sure he could stomach that again. It wasn't that it was painful, or physically afflicting in any way; it was just... unnatural. What it came down to - though he didn't like to admit it - was that there were simply too many versions of himself throughout time, and it was extremely disconcerting. Being Chiba Mamoru and Tuxedo Kamen were enough for him, but all of this Prince from the past and King in the future business was too much.
"You don't make sense!" she complained, but the amusement in her voice was ill masked.
He laughed. "Everything's nonsensical today, isn't it?"
"You saved me first from the youma, though, so we're even." He supposed that was a clue for him to let go of her.
"Ah, but Usako," he sighed, "that's logical. It doesn't fit into the category of nonsense." But he put her down anyway, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, while hers slid easily across his back, and they continued on together.
"Who do you think they are?" Usagi asked quietly.
"Hm?"
"The soldiers who wouldn't destroy the Daimohn," she explained. "They can't be our enemies, because they're fighting our enemy. But they made it clear they're not our friends, either."
A blurry flash of premonition swept over him, as it sometimes did, more as a surge of emotion than anything else. "There may well be a day when we can call them allies," he mused aloud, "but for now, as their aim is so deviated from ours, it would be best not to trust them. It happened that way before, with Tuxedo Kamen and the Senshi. History enjoys throwing elements of deja-vu at us."
Her steps matching his, Usagi leaned her head against his shoulder. "I love the way you talk," she murmured. "It's like poetry."
Mamoru smiled lightly. "Nonsensical poetry, certainly."
"Which fits you," she giggled. "Thanks for showing me the kittens, too, Mamo-chan."
"You're full of thank yous today," he observed.
"I'm happy." She grinned up at him. "And you deserve it. I needed a distraction. I think things generally sort themselves out better when I don't try to meddle with them. So I didn't think about the crystal, and then it was fixed in the end. It all worked out."
"Maybe love and justice do prevail," said Mamoru sardonically.
She elbowed him for his sarcasm. "Maybe they do," she sneered. "No, we know they do. We know our end."
"Even though we spent many an hour bemoaning the knowledge of the future."
Her eyes narrowed. "So maybe I was a little slow adjusting. But we know that everything's going to work out, so why get all upset over it?"
Mamoru snorted. "Lovely theory, but I think we know it's hard to keep that cool a head in battle. Besides, we don't know how we die. We might both be brutally murdered in two thousand years and the world could dissolve into chaos. You never know."
"That's terrible!" she gasped, cringing into his side. "Don't say things like that!"
Chuckling, he said, "I was kidding."
"I know that, but I don't want to even – I mean, like you said, history repeats itself…"
"Metaria is gone," he interrupted her firmly. "Our kingdom won't go the same way as your mother's. I promise."
Her silence was tight for a moment, but then she said, "Anyway, it would make too much sense for the same thing to happen twice."
He sighed heavily. "I don't think nonsense-working-out applies there, Usako."
Dolefully, she hunched her shoulders. "I tried."
So that was a smidge incomprehensible, I know, but I'm kind of delirious. It was a long week. Still, if there are parts that make no sense please let me know and I'll edit them!