Thorny Roses
Chapter 8
Usagi waited by the low kotatsu table, drumming her fingers on the hard surface.
Chibiusa had stayed again last night and now they were preparing to go the festival at Mamoru's university. Usagi had tried to talk to the pink-haired girl about her motives for being here but Chibiusa had only winced, keeping her mouth closed…
"Chibiusa, you need to tell me in order for me to help you," Usagi comforted her.
"I-I can't. I don't want you to think that I'm a bad girl! I don't want everyone to say that I'm bad and that Mommy hates me!" Chibiusa cried, clutching the hem of her skirt.
"Chibiusa, we need to know why the Black Moon Clan is after you."
"No! They can't get me! I have to find it first! Or Mommy and Daddy will hate me!"
"Find what first?" Usagi questioned.
Chibiusa's eyes widened at the words that slipped out. "No! No, no, no, no!" Chibiusa cried, burying her face in Usagi's shirt and clinging to the cloth.
Usagi had been unable to get anything out of the little girl after that. She comforted Chibiusa until she had stopped crying and ushered her into the bathroom to wash her face.
Chibiusa stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a pink yukata kimono patterned with cute bunny heads. On closer inspection, Usagi could see that the bunny heads were that of the Hello Kitty character, My Melody. Usagi stood up, dressed in an uchikake kimono that her mother had given her. She wore a silvery white kimono with golden roses embroidered at the bottom of the kimono and on the bottoms of the sleeves. On top of the kimono, she wore a black obi tied with a gold obijime. On top of the kimono, the uchikake overcoat was covered in red, blue, orange, and green flower pattern. Her top portion of her hair rolled into a small bun while the rest of her thick, wavy hair hung out. She stuck a clip into her hair with three strings of crystals attached to it, the light catching in the small crystals.
"Ready, Chibiusa?" Usagi smiled, holding out her hand.
Chibiusa nodded excitedly, grasping the older girl's hand.
…
"Usagi! Chibiusa-chan!" The two girls turned around to face Makoto and Rei standing at the front of the University gates. Usagi and Chibiusa hurried towards them.
"Wow, Rei nee-san and Makoto nee-san look so pretty!" Chibiusa stared in awe. Usagi nodded, examining her two friends' kimonos.
Makoto was dressed in a plain, dark green iromuji kimono with a lighter green obi. She wore a pink obijime on top of the obi and her normal pink rose earrings. She did have a few pink flowers in her high ponytail.
Rei was dressed in a furisode kimono. It was a soft red color at the top of the kimono, but turned a darker shade towards the end of the kimono and the ends of the large, swinging sleeves. Her dark hair was tied up in a bun, her bangs hanging out. She had pinned a garland of purple flowers to her hair, the color bringing out her eyes.
Chibiusa ran towards them, smiling brightly.
"Chibiusa-chan, you look very pretty!" Rei smiled, kneeling to the young girl's height.
"Thank you, Rei nee-san," Chibiusa bowed her head. Rei and Makoto squealed.
"Aww! So cute!" Makoto's eyes gleamed at Chibiusa.
"You don't look too bad either, Usagi," Rei grinned at the blonde woman.
"Thanks, Rei," Usagi smiled. "You both look wonderful." Usagi looked around at the people entering the University. "Where's Minako and Ami-chan?"
"Oh, they'll be coming a little later. Don't worry about them! Let's go have some fun!" Makoto smiled, grabbing Usagi's hand. Chibiusa held onto Usagi's hand and Rei's hand after Rei warned her not to get lost.
Usagi stared around in awe, though she did not show this emotion on her face. It became a habit to hide her emotions.
Little, circular lanterns hung from the various stalls that had been set up on the campus grounds. Everything from takoyaki (fried octopus balls) to taiyaki to anpan (buns with a sweet bean filling) was available. Many game stalls had been set up, as well. Usagi spied a fish catching game as well as a dart game to win stuffed animals. There was also a lottery to win a trip to the beach. Usagi giggled when she saw Rei eyeing it dangerously.
"Rei, do you wanna go try the lottery?" Usagi asked.
Rei sheepishly smiled, nodding. Usagi, Makoto, Chibiusa, and Rei walked towards the lottery booth. A young man, probably in his second year of university, was wearing a simple blue t-shirt and brown pants rolled up at the ankles. He wore a bandana around his forehead, shouting to people to take their chances at the lottery.
When Rei walked up to the booth, the young man blushed, eyeing her. He grinned at her slyly. "How can I help you?" he smirked flirtatiously.
"I'm here for the lottery," Rei scoffed. "What else would I be here for?" She scowled at him.
The man stood up straight, shocked by her attitude. "W-well, a-a-alright t-then," he stuttered. Rei put a hand on the handle of the ball full of colored marbles. If Rei could spin the ball and three red marbles popped out, she would win the trip. Rei closed her eyes, concentrating. She was slightly murmuring, possibly a prayer. In a flash, her eyes opened. She spun the handle so quickly that three red marbles popped out simultaneously.
Makoto, Chibiusa, and Usagi cheered, as well as the surrounding crowd. The man behind the lottery booth stood amazed. "Wow! That was amazing!"
Rei smirked. "I know. So, what did I win?" Usagi and Makoto rolled their eyes—they both knew that Rei knew what the prize was.
"Well, you get to rent out a beach house near Yokohama for three nights. There will be two bedrooms and two bathrooms, so you can bring as many people as you want," the boy explained.
"Well, I guess it's my lucky day," Rei smiled, grabbing the key to the beach house.
The girls walked away, grinning and laughing.
"Rei, that was awesome!" Usagi smiled.
Rei blushed. "It was nothing. Besides, we can all go on a well deserved trip now."
"You mean…you would take us?" Makoto questioned.
"Of course! Who else would I ever take?" Rei smiled.
"Maybe us?"
The girls turned around, surprised at who had spoken. Usagi could see the hope Makoto and Rei's eyes that it was at least Nephrite or Jadeite, but she watched as their faces fell when four random strangers had spoken instead.
"Buzz off, you creeps," Makoto sneered at them. The girls turned on their heels to leave but Usagi felt someone grab her wrist.
"Hey there, beautiful," one of them smirked. "Why don't you hang with us?" The others laughed.
Usagi glared at them. "Let me go. Now."
They only laughed harder. "Wow, someone's got a temper. I wonder if you're this feisty in—" Usagi cut him off with a punch, followed by a knee to the stomach. The guy fell to the ground, his friends shocked at what she had done.
"Next time, you should know better than to bother a girl who is clearly not interested in scum like you," Usagi smirked. She grabbed Chibiusa's hand and Makoto and Rei followed behind her as they walked away.
"Now, that was awesome!" Makoto high-fived Usagi.
"He was asking for it," Usagi growled. "I hate creeps like him."
"Creeps like who?"
This time, each of the girls' faces lit up when they saw who had spoken this time. Nephrite had spoken, standing beside the generals and Mamoru.
"We really have to stop meeting like this," Rei rolled her eyes. "You guys are always butting into our conversations."
"Aww, come on, Rei. You know you love running into me," Jadeite sidled up to her. "I'm sure these random meetings are a source of thrill and excitement for you."
"Pffft," Rei scoffed. "As though fighting evil Yuma as Sailor Mars isn't exciting enough."
"So, where's Minako?" Kunzite asked, cutting of the two fire soldiers.
"And Ami?" Zoicite interjected.
"They'll be here soon. They had to run a few errands," Makoto answered. "Come on," she grabbed Nephrite's hand. "There's a strength test somewhere over there and I'm sure that I can beat it!"
Nephrite laughed, allowing himself to be dragged off into the crowd.
"Well, then we're going to go look for Ami and Minako," Zoicite said. Kunzite and Zoicite waved before walking away.
"And that's our cue to leave the lovebirds alone," Jadeite smirked. He wrapped an arm around Rei's waist while Rei held on to Chibiusa's hand.
"Rei…" Usagi began.
"Don't worry! I won't let Chibiusa-chan out of my sight! I promise!" She yelled over her shoulder. Chibiusa waved good-bye to Mamoru and Usagi, holding on tightly to Rei's hand.
"You look beautiful," Mamoru smiled at her.
Usagi blushed ever so slightly. Jeez, Usagi, get a hold of yourself!
"You look nice, too," Usagi replied, examining his outfit.
Mamoru was dressed smartly in a navy blue, v-neck sweater with a lighter blue shirt underneath, the collars sticking out. He also wore a pair of black jeans and white sneakers. His hair had been combed into a side part, revealing his shockingly blue eyes.
"Thanks," he smiled. He offered his arm to her. "Ready?"
"Sure. Do you want to go somewhere specific?" She asked.
He chuckled. "I'll go anywhere as long as I'm with you." She smiled sweetly at him, squeezing his hand.
"Then let's go get some food!" She exploded, dragging him with her. Mamoru, at first shocked, then amused and overjoyed that a small bit of the previous Usagi had remained.
…
Meanwhile, Jadeite and Rei were standing in front of a crane machine, watching Chibiusa try to catch a Sailor Moon doll. However, she missed, winning a crochet octopus plush instead. She sighed in frustration, tossing the doll to a pile of other prizes she had won: a few Sailor Senshi dolls and a Tuxedo Mask doll, a pair of Mokona and Modoki plushies, and a few Pokémon toys, as well. She held her hand open to Luna P (who always seems to disappear and reappear at strange intervals), who dropped another coin into her palm.
"Chibiusa, why don't I give it a try?" Jadeite gently said.
Chibiusa huffed. "Fine, but you're going to have to compensate for the money you wasted if you lose."
Jadeite gulped while Rei laughed. "Right!" He exclaimed, determined to win. He turned to Rei, grinning at her. "I'll show you how cool I am." Rei blushed under the intensity of his stare.
He turned around, leaning towards the joystick of the crane machine. Rei scrutinized him while he was turned away. He looked tall and broad in the red polo t-shirt and cargo shorts, a pair of aviator sunglasses hanging out of his pocket. Rei inspected him down to his red boat shoes, somewhat satisfied with what she was seeing.
His back—symbolizing his vulnerability—was turned to her, showing her how much he trusted her. His arms were thick and his chest was broad—capable of protecting his loved ones. His hands were large and his fingers long…Rei blushed after that observation. She knew where her thoughts had taken her and she quickly shook the thoughts out of her head.
Rei sighed, considering again how much he trusted her. She was also very aware of his obvious affections. But something was stopping her from trusting him in return. Rei had remembered her past life on the moon a long time ago, coming to terms with all that had happened. She still vividly remembered the way Jadeite had betrayed her. It boiled down to the fact that Rei was afraid of being hurt again, even though she knew Jadeite was a changed man.
"Rei nee-san! Look!" Chibiusa squealed excitedly. Luna P was bouncing around her, as well.
Rei looked up in surprise. Jadeite had managed to get two dolls at once: one was the Sailor Moon doll that Chibiusa had wanted and the other was a cute, crochet raven the size of her palm. He handed Chibiusa the Sailor Moon doll and then turned to Rei, a smirk on his handsome face.
"Hmm…what should I do with this?" Jadeite mused aloud, staring at Rei pointedly. She huffed, turning away from him in hopes that he wouldn't see how much she wanted the raven toy.
Rei felt arms wrap around her from behind. "Here you go, Rei-chan," he whispered in her ear. "I want you to have this."
He opened her hand, gently placing the toy in her hand as he watched her from over her shoulder. He closed her fingers around the toy, noticing her small smile. She pulled away from him, albeit gently.
Rei took Chibiusa's hand, looking away from him with a dark blush on her cheeks. "Thanks," she muttered. They began to walk away, Chibiusa gushing over the multitude of toys she had won. Jadeite put his hands in his pocket before smiling and following after them.
…
On the other side of the festival, Zoicite had met up with Ami. He had been aimlessly wandering, hoping to run into the Water senshi. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Ami was walking through the crowd, smiling excitedly at the stalls around her. She looked radiant in a light blue irotomesode kimono with The Great Wave off Kanagawa printed onto the bottom. She had also pinned a few shell clips into her short blue hair. She looked incredibly adorable and Zoicite had trouble keeping his mouth closed or his face clear of a blush.
Ami spotted him, sending him a friendly wave before heading towards him.
Ami examined what Zoicite was wearing, also feeling a blush creep up her neck.
He was dressed in a white sweater vest with a white shirt with blue stripes underneath, the collar of the shirt folded neatly on top of the sweater vest. He paired the outfit with a pair of khaki pants and black loafers. Ami nearly laughed when she saw that he had worn hipster glasses with the lenses popped out, giving him a scholarly yet cool look.
"Hello," she giggled.
Zoicite blushed, still dumbfounded by her apparent cuteness.
"H-hey," he stammered. "Where have you been?"
"Oh, Minako and I were getting Usagi our welcome home gift. It's a week late but it took us a while to get it."
"What is it?" Zoicite smiled, curious.
Ami winked, placing a finger on her lips. "You'll have to wait and see."
…
Makoto and Nephrite were near the small rides and games that had been set up on the campus grounds. Makoto stood beside Nephrite, who was trying to pitch a baseball at a target. If the target was knocked over, then they would win a prize.
"Um, Nephrite, do you want me to give it a try?" Makoto asked, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
He pouted, frustrated that he couldn't hit the target hard enough.
"I got this," he muttered. I couldn't let Makoto do it for me! I'd seem like a total wimp…
He pitched again, once again not hitting hard enough. When he reached towards the next baseball, Makoto grabbed it instead.
"Let me try," Makoto pleaded, batting her eyelashes.
Nephrite blushed. "Alright," he conceded.
Makoto turned a determined glare onto the target. Then, quicker than lightning, she pitched the ball, knocking over the target with a resounding bang. The man behind the counter passed her a giant monkey stuffed animal. Makoto eagerly grabbed the toy, turning towards Nephrite. Suddenly, she was worried. When most guys understood how strong she was, they lost interest in her. She cautiously looked up at Nephrite's face, trying to read his mind.
His mouth was hung open before it stretched into a grin. "That…was…awesome!" He put an arm around her waist, kissing her cheek. "You have to teach me to throw like that! Then, I can win you a gift," he winked.
Makoto blushed before smiling and ecstatically nodding.
…
Kunzite walked around calmly, his hands in his pockets. He ignored the flirtatious stares from surrounding girls while he looked for Minako.
Said girls were entranced by this tan, handsome stranger with silvery-gray eyes. He looked like a model with his silver hair tucked into a gray beanie hat with a few bangs hanging out. Kunzite knew that before he cut it, he would never be able to do this. However, to seem more modern, Kunzite had cut his hair to shoulder-length. He looked very nice but casual in a orange v-neck cardigan with a white t-shirt underneath, paired with gray jeans and orange and white high top sneakers.
Kunzite was forced to stop walking as a group of girls had approached him.
"Hi! What's your name?" One girl asked.
Kunzite sighed. "Please move aside."
"Ooh, his voice is so deep!" The girls squealed.
"Listen, I'm trying to find a friend of mine and you're—"
"Aww, is it a girl? Is it your girlfriend?" Another girl asked.
Kunzite stopped at that. That's right…what is Minako to him?
"Well, by the end of the night, I'll let you know," he smiled to himself.
However, this smile only made the girls squeal more. It was this scene that Minako, herself, walked onto.
Her eyes were wide open as she stared at the cluster of girls surrounding Kunzite. She wasn't hurt, but she was surprised. Besides, if Kunzite thought he could play with her and other girls, then she could certainly play with him and other boys. She sighed: she had thought he was better than that.
Kunzite looked up, coming to eye contact with Minako. His eyes lit up but quickly dimmed when he realized she wasn't as happy to see him as he was to see her. He quickly put two and two together, realizing that she was misunderstanding the situation.
"Minako—" he called out.
She turned to walk away before one of the girls called her.
"Uh, Minako? Minako-chan! Don't go!"
Minako turned around out of the politeness her mother had taught her.
"Yes?" She coldly answered. The politeness didn't last very long—courtesy of her father.
"You must be the girl that Kunzite-san keeps talking about. I think he really likes you," the girl whispered the last bit.
Minako didn't say anything. "He's been looking all over for you and we happened to notice him. Please don't misunderstand," the girl said. She bowed her head, as did the other girls. They were awed by the goddess before them. She indeed looked heavenly in the creamy orange susohiki kimono with cherry blossoms embroidered in gold thread. She had done up her hair the same way a geisha would, with a string of blue pearls hanging from her hair. Her navy blue obi with intricate, light blue designs had been tied in the back, forming an elaborate bow. She also carried a blue parasol in her hands, completing her geisha image.
All in all, Kunzite and the girls were stunned.
Kunzite stepped towards her, offering Minako a shy smile.
Minako tilted her head, smiling back in exasperation. "Were you really looking all over for me?"
Kunzite, lacking the embarrassment to blush, nodding. "Of course. Who else would I be looking for?"
"Well, you found me. Or, rather, I found you. Sailor V, mission complete!" She winked, holding up her Sailor V symbol.
Kunzite chuckled, offering her his arm. "Shall we?"
"Most definitely, good sir," Minako giggled.
Ahh, this took a while. Don't worry, there will be A LOT more UsagixMamoru coming up in the next chapter, Festival of Danger Part 2. Please look forward to it and excuse my tardiness for getting this chapter up. I promise I will be updating a lot more now that school is over.
Wish me luck,
Pegasus'Horn