Hi everyone! Thank you once again for your reviews! I'm glad you guys are enjoying my take on things. It's really fun to put this out into the world. This chapter took me a little longer to complete, but I think you'll like it. Please let me know what you think. Thank you!
Tuxedo Kamen pulled Sailor Moon into an empty office and shut the door as quietly as he could.
"Usagi," he began.
"No! No," Sailor Moon harshly whispered. "I don't want to hear it, Mamoru." She glared at him. "I don't want to hear about how you lied to me. How you didn't trust me with the truth!"
"Usa," Tuxedo Kamen took her hands in his. "I didn't tell you because -"
"No!" She tore her hands away and turned her back on him. "I don't want to hear it." Her vision blurred as she changed tracks. "You left me. You said you probably weren't coming back!"
Tuxedo Kamen removed his mask and stared helplessly. "Zoisite found me. He threatened you."
Sailor Moon slowly turned around as she heard his voice break.
"I had to protect you. After... after last night. The look in your eyes." He moved in front of her and cradled her face between his hands. "I almost lost you." His tortured eyes were only inches from her face. She could see moisture forming there.
"You should have come to me. You're hurt. I won't let you do this alone." She reached up and took his wrists. "How could you think that I would be ok without you? Why didn't I deserve the truth?"
"I didn't tell you that I was Tuxedo Kamen. I… I was afraid to. I didn't want you to see me differently," he forced out.
Sailor Moon blinked up at him. "What?"
"I wanted you to fall for plain old Mamoru, not a masked superhero." Her heart pounded almost painfully in her chest. "Tuxedo Kamen chooses Usagi over Sailor Moon. And I wanted to make sure that Sailor Moon would choose Mamoru before I told you." His thumb moved back and forth across her cheek. Her eyes widened and her heart felt like it was about to burst.
"Because, I love you, Usako." His lips crashed down upon hers and she knew a moment of perfect bliss that was over too soon as he roughly pulled away.
"I plan on spending the rest of my life making it up to you, but we have to go, right now. They're tracking me."
"Tracking you? How?" she asked seriously.
"My wound. It's giving off an energy signature."
"How do we stop it?"
"I don't know. We have to split up."
"Absolutely not," she said furiously. "No," she continued as he opened his mouth to argue. "We stay together, or I go fight them alone. Choose."
Tuxedo Kamen lifted his mask to cover his eyes once more and reached for Sailor Moon's hand. "Together."
"Together," she repeated as their gloved hands met.
"She's there," Sailor Mercury closed her mini-computer and pointed up toward the top of the building towering above them.
Sailor Mars sprinted ahead with Venus hot on her heels.
"What's the plan?" Sailor Jupiter called out.
"Protect Sailor Moon," commanded Sailor Venus. "Protect her with everything we have."
Kunzite stalked the dark hallways slamming open every door he passed. "Where are you? Let's finish this. Stop hiding from me." He burst through the double doors at the end of the hall and entered another large, bright room at the time that Zoisite did. "Anything?"
"No," Zoisite said. "The energy signal is still in the building. They haven't…"
"Expecting us to run away?" Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen stood silhouetted in front a large window, the sun beginning to set in Tokyo behind them. "We'll be finishing this now, Zoisite," Tuxedo Kamen said as he and Sailor Moon took a step forward as of one mind.
Zoisite smiled and shot an attack of sharp flower petals at the couple. Tuxedo Kamen threw up his cape to cover himself and Sailor Moon.
"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon's tiara darted out from behind the cape headed straight for Kunzite, who held up a barrier to block its magic and laughed. "We've been here before, Sailor Moon. You aren't strong enough to defeat me!" Kunzite's barrier expanded, starting to surround Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon.
"Fire Soul!"
"Crescent Beam!"
Kunzite was forced to drop his barrier to defend himself and Zoisite.
"Kunzite," Sailor Venus shouted. "Enough of this." The dark general met her bright eyes and felt transfixed by something he saw there.
"There is no hope for you, Sailor Guardians!" Zoisite's voice broke through the spell Kunzite was under.
"No hope," Kunzite agreed as he raised his hands.
The scouts threw everything they had against the barrier, while Zoisite bore down upon Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen.
"Last chance to hand over the rainbow crystals," Zoisite said holding out his hand. "You remember our deal, I trust?" Tuxedo Kamen stepped in front of Sailor Moon, raising his cane. Zoisite's sword appeared in his hand. "Very well then." The two men flew at each other with a fury of blows and parries. Sailor Moon looked from Tuxedo Kamen to the Sailor Scouts. She felt a moment of helplessness before she leapt into action. She flung her tiara at Kunzite once more. This time, he was too slow to block and was knocked off balance giving the scouts the relief they needed to break through the barrier.
Tuxedo Kamen's only goal was to keep Usagi safe. He felt a surge of adrenaline as he knocked Zoisite's sword from his hand. The general fell to the floor as Tuxedo Kamen loomed above him. "It's over, Zoisite," he said, pressing his cane to Zoisite's chest.
"Yes," he reached his arm out past Tuxedo Kamen, "it is." Tuxedo Kamen looked back over his shoulder sharply.
They were winning. Sailor Moon was just beginning to smile when she heard him scream, "Usako!" She turned and barley saw the sharp projectile before she heard the wet sound it made as it went through him. His back slammed into her and it seemed to take a lifetime for them to hit the floor.
"Marmoru! MAMORU!" she screamed. Her hands shook as she lightly touched his chest near the wound. "Mamo…chan…" her voice shook as well as she felt him weakly take her hand.
"Usa..ko…I'm sorry, I couldn't…." he took several short breaths, "I had to…protect you."
"Shh, please, don't talk. We're going to get you help. Mars!" She reached toward Sailor Mars, tears streaming down her face. "Do something, please! Please! Get help."
Sailor Mars was frozen in place as she looked at her best friend's sobbing form. She felt Sailor Venus step up beside her. "It's happening again. Is there no way to escape this fate?"
Tuxedo Mask reached up to touch Sailor Moon's face. As her watery eyes met his, he was struck by the strongest memory. "Serenity?" he whispered. Sailor Moon gasped at the name. The next tear that fell from her cheek stopped midair and began to pulse brightly. Suddenly all seven rainbow crystals appeared around the glowing tear. The light grew too bright to look upon as the crystals and Sailor Moon's tear converged.
The air was still. It was always still here. There was no breeze on the Moon. Not like on Earth. There was so much more to feel on Earth. The wind, the rain, his touch. She smiled, her fingertips resting on the balcony rail. Far away in the distance the Earth was rising. Too far away. But she'd be there again soon. They had plans and nothing would keep her from him. No matter where he went, she'd follow.
It was another evening, there was dancing. Everything was beautiful. The hall was filled with grand music and the swish of elegant gowns. She was tired from dancing with men who weren't him. She knew her mother would be looking for her, but she couldn't resist stepping out into the hall. When she felt his hand grasp her wrist, her whole world lit up. She turned with a huge smile as he brought her hand to his lips.
"You're late," she said, looking into his deep, penetrating eyes.
"My apologies, princess," his rich voice washed over her.
"I could forgive you for a price."
"I'll pay any price."
"A kiss."
"Just one?" he asked as he enveloped her in his strong arms. Her world shifted into perfect alignment as their lips met. There could be no better feeling than this.
The world was burning. She didn't know where to go. Where were her guardians? Were they still alive? The image shifted. The look in his eyes terrified her. He had blood on him. His hands, his armor, his face. Was it his blood? She saw his lips move, but she couldn't hear him. She felt it then. A burning pain in her chest. It was unbearable. Burning like fire, pulsing like lightning, suffocating like water and piercing like…like….
The light was painfully bright. Zoisite and Kunzite were at the very edge of the room behind a weakening shield. The scouts were shielding their eyes, as Sailor Venus tried to get closer to where Sailor Moon was. The radiant light dissipated to reveal a gently glowing crystal pulsing slightly before Sailor Moon. She paid it no mind as she lifted Tuxedo Kamen's mask from his eyes. As she looked into his intense blue eyes, she tried to make sense of what she had just seen. It felt like a memory. A man, he looked exactly like Mamoru, but he wore gilt armor. She saw him in the distance, in a garden, on a balcony, across a hall, cradling her hand against his chest, leaning in to claim her lips. "Endymion," she said. Another flash of bright light blinded everyone in the hall. When she could see once more, Sailor Venus sank down to her knees, "Princess."
Sailor Moon now wore a beautiful long white gown and her hair was shining silver. Her long fingers reached out to grasp the pulsing crystal and hold it to her chest. She looked down at the man laying before her to the crystal impaling him. "Endymion." She held the ginzuishou between her hands and closed her eyes. Mamoru took in a sharp breath as a small piece of the ginzuishou sunk into his chest. The crystal that had been impaled there faded away and the wound, as well as the one in his shouldered, healed completely. He closed his eyes as he felt a gentle power within him. As he opened them, he saw an exquisite vision. She was radiating a soft light. She was stunning, with her striking eyes, delicate nose and luscious lips. Her silver hair. Silver? No, it was blonde, like spun gold. Usako. This wasn't Usako. No, this was someone he knew long ago.
Sailor Mars stared in shock at Sailor Moon. She'd never seen her look so beautiful, or sad. What was happening? She looked to Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter, their faces reflecting her own. They all heard what Sailor Venus had said and seeing Sailor Moon now, it caused something to prickle in the back of her mind. A name. "Serenity?"
Zoisite looked from the newly healed Tuxedo Kamen to Kunzite's face. He felt a stab of fear for the first time he could remember. Kunzite had gone pale and was staring wide-eyed at Sailor Moon. Zoisite grabbed the taller man's shoulder roughly and gave it a shake. "Kunzite, what do we do? That's the ginzuishou!" Kunzite snapped out of his daze.
"We take the next best thing."
He felt her hand on his chest and he took it with his own. "Usagi?" he asked. Her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Endymion," she sighed. Endymion? Why did that name feel so familiar? As if he'd been called that before. "Are you well, my love?"
"Who are you?" he asked causing her eyes to fill with tears once more. She looked once more to the crystal in her hand as it disappeared.
"I'm not ready just yet." She closed her eyes as a light breeze lifted her hair changing it back to its usual blonde and transforming her back into Sailor Moon. She blinked her eyes open and immediately sought out Mamoru's face. She sighed in relief as he sat up and cupped her cheek. "Mamoru."
"Usako."
"You're ok."
"Yes, thanks to you."
"Princess, look out!" Venus screamed! "Crescent beam!" A laser like blast diffused Zoisite's petal attack just in time. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen helped each other to their feet. Sailor Moon opened her hand and her moon wand appeared. Attached inside the crescent moon was the ginzuishou. Sailor Moon gripped the wand tightly and looked to Kunzite and Zoisite.
"Moon Healing Escalation," she said evenly. A tremendous blast came from her moon wand, knocking Kunzite and Zoisite back. The both collapsed on the floor under her powerful attack. She had never felt so strong before, but it was quickly fading as the ginzuishou drained her energy. Her attack flickered out and she would have fallen to the floor had Tuxedo Mask not caught her. Kunzite struggled to stand across the hall. "Not quite ready to use that crystal are you, little girl?" he taunted. And then he disappeared. Zoisite stood and smiled at them.
The scouts moved in closer to surround Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.
"You made a mistake today, Tuxedo Kamen. But you'll soon learn," Zoisite said as he took an offensive stance. Sailor Moon felt more tired than she ever had in her life, but she pushed off of Tuxedo Kamen to stand on her own, gripping her wand. It happened so fast. By the time she turned around she briefly saw Kunzite press a black crystal to Tuxedo Kamen's head. She saw his look of surprise as his eyes rolled back. As he started to fall, Kunzite grabbed onto him and they both disappeared. Sailor Moon's heart stopped. Across the hall, Zoisite laughed and disappeared after them. Sailor Moon saw nothing but black.