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An: Ok, so I just finished reading the first two books of Twilight series, and the first few chapters of the fifth, unreleased book, I felt safe doing that as it was the first book, just in Edward's view... no secrets revealed that are in the 3rd and 4th. I had to write something here though, as I was reading it, I couldn't help be reminded of a few characteristics people have come up for, for some very familiar character that people like to write in this fandom world, the only difference is, that these are the real characters, not a person's version of them. It makes it absolutely delicious. Both Edward (cough- Endymion) and Bella (cough- Serenity) are so similar except for in looks. I love the whole "I fear that I won't be able to stop."
Chapter Five
{Part 1}
After their movie, they enjoyed a walk around the park with ice cream cones even if the days were getting shorter and the nights colder. "I have to ask you, what you're true feelings are towards Rei. I get the feeling that there's something there between the two of you."
Jade grinned. "Ah, back to that, hm?" He asked, and pulled her to a stop near the fence, her back against it. "I must admit there is an attraction there, but I also like you a lot. At this moment, I can see me going either way." He brushed a blond strand out of her face and tilted her head up. "I really do like you, Usagi-san, you warm my heart with your smile and laughter, and I enjoy hanging out with you." He was closing the gap between them and Usagi wasn't sure if she wanted that or not, but she let him, it wasn't like he would be her first kiss, nor was he the first guy she dated.
She did like Jade, a lot, Jade was the type of guy that Usagi usually went for and crushed on, tall, smart, funny, kind, blond. And a great kisser, Usagi moaned into the kiss as his lips pressed against hers, his tongue licking her lips and pulled her closer. Their kiss was a bit sticky from the ice cream and both their cones dropped the ground as they forgot about them and practically made out against the fence.
When he pulled away, he was grinning from ear to ear. "So, how about another non-date, next week?"
Usagi blushed. "I'd say ok, but I'm telling you, you can't pick me up, my father will shoot any male that comes within a hundred yards of our house, looking for me or my mom."
"Deal, you'll just have to meet me a hundred yards away from your house." Jade walked her back and a hundred yards away or so, he stopped and bid her farewell with a kiss. He watched her walk to her house, but she disappeared around a corner and then he walked back to the apartment his brothers and him shared.
The next day, Luna, Ami and Usagi had one of their official senshi meetings. They met at Ami's house so they wouldn't be over heard as her mom was at work all day. They sat in dark blue couches with a traditional wooden coffee table in the center from the western world. Usagi had questioned Ami and Ami responded that her mother liked everything from the West, even her divorced husband. "So we've had two crystals taken already and both of them we don't know where they've gone?"
"Zoi has one." Ami quietly corrected as she poured English Tea into each of their tea cups. Luna lapped at hers while Usagi tried to fit her fingers through the small handle, she was used to cups without any and she wanted to get it right, so as not to offend Ami's Western side. She tried to parrot Ami's looping around the handle and Usagi realized that this way, she wouldn't burn herself with the hot liquid quite as much, at least not her hand. She soon realized when she burnt her mouth because she hadn't let it cool down properly.
Usagi let it sit on the table as Luna turned to the blue haired girl. "Ah yes, Rhett's yellow one, why did you let him take off with it?" Luna demanded.
"It's not like I, Ami, could have stolen it from him, he would have known and tried to take it back. The better question is why Moon didn't go for it?"
Usagi rolled her eyes. "Moon would have, if she'd known that was the cause of it all."
"Either way, we now have two less crystals to find. That leaves us five more. Either we must find them first or take them from our enemies."
"I don't think Ite-san is our enemy." Ami muttered and she saw Usagi's eyes swing to her in amazement. "What?"
"Is that Zoi's last name?" Usagi asked instantly.
"Yes, why?"
"That's Jade's last name too."
"They must be brothers." Ami surmised. "Zoi did tell me he and his brothers just moved here."
"Yeah, I heard a similar story from Jade."
"How is that going, by the way?" Ami teased.
"You know what, I kind of feel bad. I think Rei really likes him, but he picked me first." Usagi defended herself. "And I can't help but like him."
"It has nothing to do with the fact that I've seen Rei and Mamoru out and about together?"
"No, she told me they've known each other for a while. Besides, what Mamoru decides to do with his life, I don't care." Usagi responded.
"He does kind of remind me of Motoki, from what I've seen."
"I'll admit they're similar, but they're very different as well." Usagi explained. "I liked Motoki a lot when I was younger, but now he's like an older brother to me, and Jade, well, there's this weird attraction between the two of us. It's nothing I've ever felt before, but it's not quite the same as when Tuxedo Kamen holds me either."
"Maybe they're one in the same?" Ami teased.
"Maybe." But Usagi had an easier time believing Mamoru would be or even Umino for that matter. Both of which were prosperousness but Mamoru when he had held her the day she fell down the stairs, and Tuxedo Kamen's arms, both gave her a sparkling chill down her back that she couldn't explain, that attraction to Kamen overruled Jade's, yet she was trying to figure out why she was drawn to that man as well.
"Anyways." Luna kept the conversation on tract. "We were talking about the crystals. How do you figure we should go about looking for them?"
"Why should we when someone else is doing a much better job?" Usagi asked and two blank pair of eyes turn to her. "Hear me out, if we let them do it, then we can grab the crystals from them, and turn the youma back to human before it can cause any damage, we don't know what would happen if we tried to take the crystals ourselves. Perhaps we couldn't fix it then."
Ami and Luna had to give the girl props as they hadn't thought about that themselves.
"And where is Koan? I haven't seen her for ages, and she swore the next time she'd get me instead."
"Maybe she won't be coming or maybe the two sets of attacks have nothing to do with one another."
"Meaning if they got together, they could easily try to wear us out by sending two types of youma at once?"
"Maybe they can anyways." Ami mumbled. "They just haven't."
"Hoping just one would have enough energy to defeat us." Luna agreed. "We haven't proven ourself to be enough of a threat to them yet, meaning that they are getting exactly what they want despite our efforts."
"Maybe not exactly." Usagi mused silently. "Close, but yet they still haven't got everything they come for, otherwise Koan wouldn't be so mad."
They heard a jingle at the front door, and Luna went out onto the balcony as Ami had warned her, her mother didn't like cats. Luna slipped silently away. Mrs. Mizouno let herself in and spied the two girls. "Ah good, I see Ami's making friends at her cram school."
"Actually, Usagi-san is from the high school."
Mizouno-san's face dropped slightly, but she quickly covered it up. "Welcome dear, I hope you and Ami have lots to talk about."
"Oh we do." Usagi agreed.
"What are you doing home so early from work mother?" Ami asked as she helped unload the groceries her mother picked up.
"I finished my last surgery earlier than expected so I came home." She put a hand on Ami's jaw and tilted her head up. "Have you been a good girl?" Ami nodded and her mother smiled. "Then I got a surprise for you." She pulled out a packet of new pens. "They'll be easier to write with. They don't smudge yet they flow better than what you've been using."
"Thank you mother." Ami took the pens and looked at them closely. "I'm sure they'll be a vast improvement."
"You're welcome. Are you staying for dinner, was it Usagi-san?" Mrs. Mizouno asked her daughter's friend.
"No, actually, I better be getting home myself. I'll see you tomorrow Ami-chan." As Usagi let herself out, she could hear Ami's mother berating her.
"I didn't allow you to go to such a shoddy Jr. High so you could hang out with the rubbish, I did it so you would have more time to focus on cram school and the connections you could make through there."
"But mother, Usagi-chan's not rubbish. She's a great person, one that you would only be proud of to have as your daughter's friend."
"Nonsense, if she attends that school, she can't be any good."
"That school has produced some great thinkers."
"That was then, this is now, and the cram school you go to now, is the new leader in education." Mrs. Mizouno's voice echoed in Usagi's head as she silently closed the front door, she wished Ami all the luck in trying to convince her mother otherwise, but Usagi knew from her own dealings with her mother, they could be stubborn and see only what they wanted to see.
Usagi had lied, she was not intending to go home quite yet, first she needed to stop off at the arcade and see Motoki as she had been derelict in her visits recently, being too busy to stop by. She missed her make-believe big brother, but she vowed she would not eat any ice cream today. She had too much else to do to spend that much time with him.
Once she arrived however, she was surprised to see Rei and Mamoru sitting in a booth together as Rei was talking and Mamoru rolled his eyes every once in awhile as he read one of his text books.
She wondered again at their relationship but ignored it as she spotted the blond waiter/son of the owner. She slipped under the bar's flap, allowing the attendees access to both the floor and the kitchen. She snuck up behind her onii-chan and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. He spun and she almost slipped on the floor.
"Usagi-chan!" He greeted and lifted her up slightly to give her a bear hug. "I've missed you, where have you been hiding?"
"I'm sorry Toki-chan, I've been a little bit too busy and I hadn't meant to shirk my duties in seeing you." She smiled up at him with all the innocence of the world and he only laughed and hugged her again.
"Next time don't stay away so long? I thought something dreadful might have happened to you, and if I didn't see you soon, I would call your mum and demand to know why she was keeping my otu-san away from me."
"Didn't Mamoru-baka tell you that I've run into him almost every day and my butt is now probably broken because of the amount of times it's met the concrete?"
"No, but he did know I was worried, the devil, keeping that to himself." At Motoki's glare towards the dark haired man, he had to excuse himself from Rei's company so he could catch up and defend himself. He slid onto one of the blue stools and gave Motoki his most curious glance. "How could you keep the fact that you knew Usagi was alive and well from me?"
"God Odango, how many men do you need in your life?" Rei hissed and all three turned to her in surprise. "How many more men do you need to steal from deserving females to fulfill yourself? What's worse, is that they all know each other!"
Usagi frowned, but it was Motoki who saved her from answering. "Now look, I don't know who you are, but I do know that you're a friend of Mamoru's and that you obviously know Usagi so I'll be kinder. But you don't have any right speaking to her that way. Usagi isn't a man stealer, she's just a good friend to have around and anyone worth their salt would recognize that. So apologize or leave until you do."
"Well that gives me an easy solution." Rei turned on her heel, gathered up her books and looked to Mamoru. "Are you coming?"
"No." Mamoru responded simply.
"No?" Rei demanded. "Because you want to spend more time with her?"
"No, because Motoki has his reasons for kicking you out, and while I might not agree with him, this is the place where I like to study. So I am staying. That was the reason for us being here, was so that you could study with me, instead you've been chatting constantly."
Rei growled and left the arcade with one last glare at the blond girl still in the blond man's arms. Usagi didn't see Rei again for a long time, but the next time she saw Jade she broke it off for many reasons, she just couldn't do that to one of her senshi, whether or not she knew she was one, was beyond the point. It was the principal of the matter and Usagi had to admit, that as she got to know Jade better, the more she saw him as friend material and not boyfriend. So she split ties with him and he agreed, saying he was starting to feel the same way and his attraction for the angry black haired beauty kept growing stronger.
"Does Rei know how far we took our Rendezvous?" She asked when they hung out one last time, strictly as friends.
"No, she knows we hang out sometimes, but she doesn't know we made out. She would probably have killed you if she did." Jade acknowledged. "And I've come to appreciate your being alive too much to ever tell her."
Usagi smiled at that compliment but they both agreed for him to work things out with Rei, he needed to stop spending time with her supposed nemesis.
"I think the two of you would really like each other if she could just let down some of her boundaries."
"I actually think so too, she has a lot of good strong qualities in her that one would appreciate having around."
It was too bad though, it was such a shame, that at the next youma attack, he was seen pocketing a rainbow crystal in his pocket at the shrine and then looking worried and trying to help Rei out as her grandfather turned into a beast.
Rei pounded against his chest demanding he let her save the old man, but Sailor Moon showed up and with Mercury the two managed to put down the attack and return the old man to creepy normal as he made a lewd comment about their skirts. Moon waited until Rei was dealing with the old man before marching up to Jade. "Give it to me, I know you took it from him."
"Took what?" He asked confused.
"I'm surprised your brother didn't tell you about me, I was there when he took the crystal from the cat, he saw what happened, he most likely told you. Why'd you do it?"
"Look, Moony-brain." He teased the long black-haired senshi. "I knew you'd show up, no harm done, but you can't have the crystal. My prince needs it."
"Your prince?" Moon asked disbelieving, Mercury was standing just out of earshot, watching to make sure nothing would happen to her leader, but not close enough to be conspicuous.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but we've been having dreams, and in each of them, all of ours, by the way, a man is at this white place, looking up at this goddess of a princess, whose demanding he finds the crystal and brings it to her, saves her from her prison. He turns to us and tells us to search for it, to aid him in his quest. We don't know who he is, but we're sure its true. It has to be, you're living proof there's something out there greater than mere humans."
Moon shook her head. "He's looking for a princess? Do you know which one?"
Jade shook his head. "Sorry." He looked closely at her with a frown. "Do I know you?"
"No." Moon bumped into him, her fingers working deftly as she walked away to steal the crystal from his pocket. This would be the only time that they could directly confront these men and get away with bumping into them, so she used it to the best of her ability. She felt bad for stealing from the man, but he was partly the cause of Rei's grandfather turning into a monster. The girl was surrounded by strange occurrences.
When the two girls disappeared from the temple grounds, they missed Rei turning burning eyes on the blond man. "How dare you take that stone? Give it to me now!"
"I don't have it anymore. You just missed the Moon senshi taking it from me." Jade help up his hands in defense.
"Get off my property!" Rei was furious and Jade slowly backed away, it had never been his intention to infuriate the dark haired girl. He had felt like he was getting closer to her over the last few weeks. But he would do as she ordered, hopefully one day she would calm down enough to allow him to talk to her again.
Jade walked down the street slowly, wondering where he could work now that he was officially kicked out of the temple grounds. Yet still be close to Rei, he had been developing feelings for her, that much was true, and he was relieved when Usagi called off their relationship. Both vowed never to tell Rei unless absolutely necessary. That would have just complicated matters for the both of them and yet he couldn't understand the blond girl. She proceeded to tell him how much Rei irritated her, how much that girl was rude and just plain mean to her and yet she had still tried to befriend Rei, still tried to keep her feelings at the forefront as if she mattered in some cosmic way.
Jade really didn't understand it, but would accept it. That was when he happened upon the crown arcade, he remembered mentioning it to Usagi and she had told him blankly that they would never go there together, too many people could get the word out to Rei from that place.
Yet he saw the blond girl now playing a video game through the window. Albeit he couldn't be absolutely certain from the outside looking in, with large words plastered on said window, yet he had a feeling it was her. He was just about to enter when a redheaded woman came out with an interesting style to her mature look. It seemed almost like a rebellion look to the norms. As she passed him with an apology, Jade watched her walk away with a question in his eyes, could she be? For as she passed him, a weird feeling coursed through his body. He had felt it before with Rei's grandfather.
Jade walked in, and walked up to the blond man at the counter. "Hi, I saw your ad." Jade gestured towards the paper saying: Now Hiring, in bold letters.
"Ok, well then, I'm Furuhata Motoki, I'm the owner's son. Let's head into the back to discuss your qualifications and experience."
Jade could feel familiar eyes staring at his back and when he turned his head, he saw Usagi looking at him with a very obvious question in those beautiful blue orbs. He winked back at her and she did the unexpected, her eyes narrowed in anger. He had thought they broke apart on an amicable basis, but then again, he hadn't seen her for a few days and girls suffered from severe mood swings when it came to relationships and ending one.
He heard a beeping noise as he went into the back, expecting it from a game, but he didn't have time to question Usagi later, as when he returned to the parlor, both she and the dark haired man she was often verbally fighting were gone. He put it down to them both having an argument and splitting in different directions, neither wanting to remain.
Motoki frowned as both his best customers were gone, he sighed, removing the coffee from the table and gathering up what Usagi had left behind. He really wished the two would stop this childish attraction and just give into it already. However it disturbed him as he dumped out the remaining half of the coffee, that the cup was still warm.
He couldn't see it, Mamoru barely left anything lagging behind, unlike his blond counterpart. Something must have happened to spark both of them off. "I will see you in a few days once I have checked your references."
Jade bowed and left the arcade.
Chapter Five
{Part 2}
"We need the third senshi!" Mercury yelled at her leader and Moon shook her head negatively.
"No, we'll defeat this one on our own just fine." Though Moon's eyes were darting around quicker than normal to see if Koan would follow through with her promise, so far though, there was no sign of the enemy. Thankfully though, she had stopped demanding the rabbit the second Mercury showed up. Moon knew that if she had, Mercury would have put it together where Luna failed and then she would have no say on whether or not a new senshi was added to their team.
Both Mercury and Moon had remained relatively unscathed through these attacks with only a faint scratch from where they skidded on the ground to avoid a blast. Moon had more scratches than she'd ever had in her life in one battle, but she didn't complain too much. Only a slight whine when one would open up and start bleeding.
This youma was stronger than the last few they had to face, both minions of Koan and the crystal carriers. Surprisingly the crystal carriers were strong, but not as strong as some of the youma Koan sent at them. This one took the cake so far. Moon had used her tiara, and the youma had avoided the attack in both directions. Obviously learning from it's master.
It was an odd youma again. This one slid on the ground to avoid attacks and then would bounce up into the air and leap at the two senshi when it attacked. It was green and black.
"Wait, Mercury!" Moon jogged over to her fellow senshi and whispered in her ear. "Do you know of any other attacks you have?"
Mercury waited a heart's beat as she realized that she wasn't the water senshi, no far from it, she was the ice senshi. Mercury nodded and turned to the youma. "Attack to it's left."
Moon nodded and threw her tiara to the youma's left as Mercury conjured up her own and sent it at the ground to the youma's right. The youma did as it was predicted to do, and it went sliding along the ice that formed thanks to Mercury's attack. It didn't have control over itself and as Moon returned the tiara, it sliced the youma, cutting it in half, before it too, became. "Moon dust!" Mercury blew at her fingers that were in the shape of a gun with a pleased look on her face.
Moon laughed and she turned to make sure Koan wasn't trying to grab her from behind. Mercury turned her head to look to, before her eyes scanned the front. Neither could spot the purpled cat-woman and both took off at a run, ready to disappear into the afternoon's fading sun.
They split up soon and then they dropped down to their respective alleys to detransform. Usagi walked out of one and called her friend Naru, who was no doubt with her boyfriend Umino if they wanted to do something. Naru agreed and they met up for some coffee not too far from Usagi was actually.
"Hey Usagi-chan!" Naru greeted, running up to Usagi to give her a hug. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever!"
Usagi returned the hug. "I know, it's been quite a long time." Usagi winked. "Even though I saw you in class yesterday."
"How are you and that boy doing?"
"I broke it off, he wasn't who I thought he was." Usagi admitted.
"Oh." Naru sighed. "I was hoping for a double date. Maybe you can get that hunk to go instead?" Naru batted her eyelashes. "You know, that dark haired one that you says always teases you."
Usagi pushed her to the side playfully. "Oh quit Naru, he's a nuisance and you know it."
"I only know that he's drop dead gorgeous and seems to have only enough attention to last on one girl, and it happens to be you."
"Yeah, so he can insult me."
"You know what they say about kids and sandboxes." This time it was Naru who winked and Umino groaned.
"Do the two of you really have to talk about him so much? I'm standing right here!"
The girls laughed and both took one of his arms. "Someone needs a treat." Usagi whispered over the shorter boy's head. Naru's red head bobbed in agreement.
Umino crooned with victory at the score he managed to make, two girls, two treats! Naru rolled her eyes at his antics.
Usagi during their talk sat and talked as well, but mainly she stared outside at the changing colors of the fall. Soon it would be over and it would be winter. She never truly liked the winter, it only brought bad things, no matter how hard you tried to wrap it into a pretty picture. Too many deaths and violence had occurred then.
Then again, Usagi cheered herself up, without winter, people wouldn't have to snuggly together and lead to other things. In fact, without winter, she would not have been around as she was, a summer baby.
She rejoined her friends' conversation and when Ami arrived not long later, the other two welcomed her with joy. The conversation just grew more lively as they stayed and drank their respective drinks. Usagi's was a blended coffee drink, though she probably didn't need it. While Ami was drinking tea. She wanted to question Ami on her relationship with Zoi, but couldn't bring herself to put a downer on her reclusive friend. Even though, no doubt, Ami spied Jade taking the crystal, and knowing that Zoi had taken one earlier, would have known that the brothers were into the same thing.
Usagi wasn't so sure if she believed Jade's story however about a finding the crystals to find the prince who was to find said crystals to find the princess. Said princess was the same princess as the one they were searching for and if they found her, then they'd find the prince? On the other hand, what if the prince and Ite brothers were looking for her to kill her?
The situation did not bode well for Usagi and she wondered if it was possible to find the third senshi on her own. To reach her before anyone else did to change the path of their history.
Usagi's gaze returned to the window, she enjoyed people watching and there was a girl who was particularly interesting, she was tall, her eyes one could see from down the street over everyone else's heads. The intensity of the color almost threw Usagi for a loop, for never had she seen eyes so purely green. Sure Naru had green eyes, but they had grey in them making them almost a grey-blue green. This girl's eyes one could see from even a distance that there was no possibility of color dilution. Usagi didn't even know it was possible to exist. Her chestnut brown hair swayed from the ponytail gathered high on her head as she took each bouncing step. Her eyes were flashing the 'come and mess with me if you dare' but at the same time she seemed to be enjoying the simplicity of her walk.
It was a conundrum to Usagi and it had sparked her interest, she wanted to know more about this strange girl. Usagi was jolted out of her thoughts by Ami putting a soft hand over her's. "Are you all right, Usagi-chan? We were just wondering about an encore. A movie sound good to you?"
"Yeah." Usagi snapped out of it, and agreed to it. They were going to go see one of the latest in production, they picked a different sleeper hit than she had already seen.
EAN: I know, part two really short, I just wanted to end that chapter though as part one was ridiculously long...