Title: A Kiss In The Dark
Author: Princess Destiny
Email: In Profile
URL: destinysgateway DOT com
Couple: Usagi And Mamoru
Rating: M 15+
Summary: 'One Hour Challenge' #657: Response Fanfic. Eleven years ago, Mamoru's father married Usagi's mother. It's now almost Usagi's sixteenth birthday and she has to juggle her secret life as Sailor Moon, on top of school and a job at Motoki's shop. Her life is turned even more upside down when she begins to suspect the masked hero she is falling in love with is actually her awful step-brother!
Couple: Usagi And Mamoru
Chapters: 8/?
Status: Unfinished
Year Completed: N/A

Comments: Hi everyone! Sorry that this one took a long break, but I found myself unable to write a thing over the last few weeks. It happens occassionally. :) But you'll be happy to know that the next Chapter is already written! Please bear with this Chapter if it sounds a little awkward, I'm still getting it edited, but I wanted to get it out to you fast. I'll be putting up a revised version in a day or so.

Reviewer Response: For those of you who have requested 'more fluffy' scenes. Well, please remember that they are step-siblings, so any romance they have will be slow-building. This will be a large Fanfic with many Chapters. It doesn't make sense to suddenly see your brother or sister as a romantic interest-does it? But not to worry, they will end up together in the end. There are many twists and turns they need to go through first.

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Hugs,
Princess Destiny

A KISS IN THE DARK

By Princess Destiny

Chapter Eight

The Senshi of Mars and her companion arrived at the Cherry Hill Temple about fifteen minutes later. Thanks to their Senshi forms, they were able to run quite fast across the roof-tops right from the battle. Apart from Grandpa praying under the night sky, the area was nice and quiet. Which suited their purposes perfectly.

They had something serious and private to discuss and having someone overhearing them would be very bad.

The first thing they did was find a quiet spot away to de-transform. Not that they expected visitors at night-time, but as Senshi, they could not discount it. Once done, they both headed indoors to Rei's room. It was very clean compared to Usagi's, Makoto noted with a grin.

"I'm just going to get some tea, please make yourself comfortable," The priestess-in-training gestured towards a low table surrounded with cushions that she and her friends used for their meetings.

Makoto settled on a cushion and stared out of the window for a long while, mind trying to stay away from the topic of their upcoming conversation. She watched out the window as the night breeze blew gently through the tree's, scattering the area with cherry blossoms. It looked very haunting and somewhat calming.

"Damn..." She muttered, Usagi sneaking into her thoughts. Something was very, terribly wrong here.

"Here we go," Rei's voice broke into the brunette's thoughts. As her friend turned towards her, the priestess gave a slightly smile. She knew that distracted look. She placed the tea tray carefully on the table and knelt on a cushion herself. "Let's wait till Ami gets here to have that conversation." She suggested.

Makoto's fingers drummed on the table-top. "I wonder if her wound is alright?"

"Ami will make sure Usagi wasn't hiding anything when they get there." Her friend said soothingly, pouring green tea into three cups. She slid one along the table to Makoto.

"I'm here!" An out of breath voice exclaimed from the doorway. Ami moved inside and sat down on a cushion with her usual grace. "Usagi was okay." She elaborated as soon as she had had a few calming sips of the tea and slowed her pulse rate. Rushing the Leader of the Senshi home, then getting to the Temple fast had exhausted her!

"Right-" Rei said, closing her eyes briefly to calm herself. She then gazed at her two companions seriously. "Usagi's powers are clearly out of control and she appears to be changing in personality."

"Well, that was pointed enough." Makoto murmured wryly. She turned towards Ami, eyebrows lifted inquiringly. "Do we know what's going on? Anything the Mercury Computer has picked up?"

"There is strange activity at night." The Senshi of Mercury reported. She made a gesture, and her small laptop fell into her palm from her sub-space pocket. She opened it and then turned the screen towards them.

What was happening on that screen looked like a jumble of readings. Numbers and charts and something like a heart monitor.

Rei and Makoto looked towards their resident genius, their expressions lost.

The blue-haired girl pointed at a line that was constantly moving up and down, another red line behind it seemed to map a more serene chart. "This white one is the activity happening in Usagi's head right now," Ami said, pointing at the first line. "The red one is her usual brain pattern." Her voice was more hushed this time. The three girls looked at both lines and their drastic differences.

"Is she dreaming? Having a nightmare or something?" The raven-haired priestess asked helplessly, trying to make sense of it.

Ami shrugged slightly, looking bewildered. "I'm not sure. I've done my best to understand this computer, but I'm just not an expert. I've only skimmed the surface of it's capabilities." She stared at the screen hard. "But you could be right about the dreaming. It only happens at night, and around the times that we would expect Usagi to be asleep."

"Does this happen during the day?" Rei asked slowly, an idea forming. "Or even in battle?"

"I'm glad you brought that one up, Rei," The Senshi of Mercury said calmly, leaning over the table to tap something into the Computer. A third line superimposed over the other two. It was very similar to the red one, but had a massive spike in it near the end. "This was today's battle." The three girls zeroed in on that spike. "And this was when that strange power exploded from the Moon Wand."

"Is it the same?" Makoto whispered, feeling a little sick. Was her best friend being possessed by something? "That's not her usual brain-wave right...so is someone else in there with her?"

"Is someone controlling Usagi?" Ami slammed the lid of the laptop shut, startling the other two girls. "I'm strongly suspecting this might be the case."

"The Dark Kingdom?" Rei murmured, eyes thoughtful and angry. "Nephlyte was skilled at altering realities and Zoisite took his Crystal."

The blue-haired girl slowly shook her head, and then picked up her tea. "I'm not completely discounting that, but Nephlyte's Crystal found Rainbow Crystals."

There was a long silence, with each Senshi lost in their own thoughts.

"Can we trust Usagi's judgment?" Rei finally said, purple eyes very sad. She loved her friend, she really did. And to have this happen to her was terrible. But if the Dark Kingdom was controlling their Leader, they had to keep her out of the loop.

Ami hesitated, knowing it was her call. With her words, Usagi's Leadership would be in the balance and they might lose a dear friend. "For now, I think we should just keep an eye on her. But if anything like today happens again, it would be best if Rei took over Leadership of the Senshi."

"And Luna?" Makoto murmured, staring seriously at the other two.

"Luna is a wonderful person and a good Guardian for Usagi...however..." Ami sighed deeply and covered her eyes with one hand. This was all so horrible. She didn't quite know what to do, and that was not a good thing for the brains of the Senshi.

Rei nodded, a smile curving her lips. "She does tend to jump to conclusions. And she doesn't think the best of her ward either."

The three Senshi gave a collective deep sigh and spoke at the same time. "We wait."

Mamoru had returned with the medical kit and silently began to treat his step-sister's wound. "It's going to scar, I'm afraid," He said quietly. "You really have to be more careful, Usagi."

The blonde smiled faintly at his scolding tone. Despite it, she could see the concern in his deep blue eyes. "I'm not worried," She said sleepily, trying to blink the tiredness from her eyes. She sighed and her lashes fell to hide her expression. "I always heal well."

Her dark-haired step-brother fell still, wariness in his gaze. "You've been this badly hurt before?" He demanded almost roughly. His fingers tightened about her arm and he had to make a conscious effort to relax the grip.

"Sure, a few times now," Usagi whispered, unable to fight the exhaustion filling her body. She was barely able to concentrate on the conversation they were having. She knew that it was an important one, but could not seem to focus. It must be the blood loss. Oh well, this wasn't the first time...

"Where?" Mamoru said curtly, eyes raking over her form. He couldn't see any visible scars on her long slender legs, or anywhere on her arms or face. Was she telling the truth, or just trying to reassure him?

"You're such a worry-wort," Lashes raised slightly, and eyes glittered at him. She had lost a lot of blood, and was now fighting her body's urges to rest.

Mamoru bit his lip, a habit he had picked up from Usagi. How annoying! "I'm this close to taking you to the hospital." He responded angrily, holding up his thumb and finger to indicate about a centimetre.

"Mamoru, you idiot, this is nothing," She was abruptly wide awake at the thought of having to go to the hospital. She hated them and...well, who knew what her blood looked like under a microscope? Were she and her Senshi still human? Usagi's eyes slid over the muscled form of her step-brother surreptitiously, wondering if Tuxedo Kamen's blood was normal too. "I can't stand hospitals." She muttered sourly.

"Neither can I," He muttered back, gently putting two butterfly clips on her wound and hoping they would be enough. "You're so careless, Odango. Even just getting to school is a trial."

"Oh please," Usagi scorned, leaning against the headboard and watching him wrap a bandage about her arm. She didn't think she needed it, but Mamoru seemed determined to give her the maximum amount of care. He would make a good doctor one day-but he was really over-protective of his family. Jeez, what would happen if he discovered she was Sailor Moon? His overbearing nature as her protector would extend into their personal life! "You race to school as fast as I do."

She was glaring at him! Mamoru's eyes narrowed on her face. "That's not the point."

"Then what is...jerk..."

Usagi's eyes closed and she slumped down onto her side. For one panicked moment, Mamoru thought she had stopped breathing. "Usagi!" He shouted, leaping to his feet and reaching for her. He pulled her back up into a sitting position and leant her against his chest. "Odango..." He whispered, feeling for her pulse. When he felt it beating strongly under his fingers, he breathed a sigh of relief. She had only passed out from the loss of blood.

Luna looked worriedly from her charge, to her brother, wishing she could say something. Being a cat was very frustrating sometimes!

Mamoru's fingers trailed across her cheek and brushed some stray hairs from her face absently. She was really a very pretty girl.

And he was going to have to beat the boys off with a stick when she became aware of them as kissable!

"Well, thank god she doesn't see them that way yet," The handsome man picked her up and then lay her down slowly on the bed. He straightened his step-sister's limbs and pulled the covers up to her neck. "Usagi, you're a real pain in the butt." He advised her, grinning as her mouth drooped and she began to snore.

It was a very peaceful scene. And for a full five minutes he just stared at her, thinking.

But then he realised that he was letting a very good opportunity pass him by and his grin turned evil. He leant down until his lips touched her ear. "Sorry sis, but there's still time to win this one. I can't possibly resist." Mamoru drawled into her ear.

The black cat on the end of the bed gave a silent groan and lay down, covering her eyes with her paws. So much for the mature man! This one had as much growing up to do as his sister.

Mamoru kissed her forehead, then turned and began to search the room. He knew just the thing to use to get her back for dying his hair.

They were in her bedside draw. "Oh, how sweet," He taunted, picking up the card and turning towards the blonde. A few minutes later, his masterpiece was complete. Mamoru admired his handiwork, studying it intently. Oh yes, she was going to kill him for this one. "All is fair in love and war." He told her sleeping form.

The dark-haired man cleared up the mess of cloth and blood, closed the medical kit and got to his feet. Mamoru took the kit back to the kitchen, then he trooped back up to his bedroom. He had only enough energy to yank off his shirt, turn the light off and collapse face-first onto his soft covers.

Moments later, he was in a deep sleep.

The two figures met on the balcony, coming together under the vision of the earth hanging high in the sky. A long, passionate kiss was shared, arms wrapped tightly about each other.

"Endymion," She whispered against his lips, her hands grasping desperately at his cloak. "We are causing a great deal of trouble for these two. Is this the right thing to do?"

"Serenity," He whispered back, arms tightening about her slender form. "Is it right to keep us apart?" Endymion put his chin on top of her head. "We have been wandering souls for a thousand years now and finally we were reunited again."

"But I was wrong!" The princess said in remorse. "This child is too young to handle the powers of the Moon Princess. She will not be ready for that sort of power for many years, even if the Silver Crystal is recovered."

"Serenity..." Endymion's voice trailed off into silence as he sought a way to reassure his love. She was a little naive, his princess, but she did mean well. "If Mercury is as intelligent as she was a thousand years ago, then she has already detected our presence in Usagi's mind."

"But not Mamoru's," The golden-haired girl pointed out gently. Her prince was potentially doing as much damage to this man's mind, as she was to the girl's.

Nothing could be done, however. It was not a matter of the body, but of the soul.

"Keep asking him to find the Silver Crystal and all will be well," Endymion advised her in a strong tone. He had to be the will-power for them both, or else Serenity would falter in her resolve.

To Be Continued...

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Hugs,
Princess Destiny