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Every Cloud
By kazeko
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 1: Yuujou no tame ni
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
‘We can’t be together anymore.’
‘I don’t love you.’
‘Leave me alone!’
Usagi slumped against the wall as Mamoru’s words to her over the past weeks rang through her mind. She wondered what had brought on this newest wave of self-loathing and remembrance, and she groaned lightly. Makoto had seen a new boy. And, as usual, he looked just like her old senpai. Usagi let the conversation rise and fall around her, riding the wave of camaraderie and friendship, pretending to listen. No one would question her if she didn’t; airhead Usagi never listened at meetings.
Ami watched her leader, knowing there was something wrong with the blonde. She was always a little out there, but the look of pain that crossed her delicate features every now and then showed that something more was going on. Surreptitiously, Ami pulled out her Mercury computer and scanned Usagi, watching the readouts dance across the screen. There was nothing physically wrong with her, except a high level of stress hormone. There was no reason for her to be stressed, no new youma or attacks from Emerald, so why was the leader of the Senshi so upset?
Rei, too, was watching, though she could never tell Usagi how much she cared. The young blonde was in pain, and Rei knew that Mamoru was at the heart of it. These days, he always was. Even though he still fought by their side as Tuxedo Kamen, Mamoru never spoke to Usagi, avoided her whenever possible, pushed her away whenever they did run into each other. Usagi still fought for him, begged him to take her back, but she was giving up. Rei knew that soon Usagi would start meeting Mamoru with anger, then they would never speak again. She didn’t want her best friend to suffer the pain of a broken heart, but the Senshi of Fire had no idea what to do.
Minako could feel Usagi’s pain and loneliness beating at her like waves against the shore, and she felt tears fill her eyes. Mamoru had no right to do that to the young princess, tell her that he didn’t love her, when Minako knew very well that he did. She was trying her best, but the Senshi of Love couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Usagi hadn’t done anything, but days after Chibiusa arrived, Mamoru pushed Usagi away and hadn’t told anyone why yet.
Makoto paused her excited ramble, sensing that the other Senshi had their attention trained on someone else. She glanced to the side, and Usagi jumped slightly, sensing all of her Senshi looking at her. “What?”
“Nothing,” Rei smiled, her kindness a first. “Hey, we should do something tomorrow. Do you want to go to the mall, Usagi?”
Ami smiled. “You should take a break from all of this Senshi business,” the genius added. “It would do you good, Usagi-chan.”
Usagi started to smile and Minako nodded. “Yeah! I hear there’s a new Sailor V game out, and maybe there are some new manga you can buy.”
“And then we can have a picnic in the park.”
Usagi’s face lit up at Makoto’s suggestion. “You’ll cook, Mako-chan?”
“Of course! What do you say?”
“It sounds like a really good idea,” Usagi smiles. “Min’na, thank you. It’ll be nice to forget the Dark Moon Family for a while.”
Luna, curled up in her corner of Rei’s room in the shrine beside Artemis, looked up at the preparations. Since the shrine was empty while Yuuichirou and Grandpa were in the city, the two cats could speak freely. “It’ll be nice to see her smile again, Artemis. She’s been sad for so long.”
“She’ll be fine.”
Silence fell in the room as Mercury’s computer beeped a warning. She picked it up. “The park,” she whispered, knowing that no one wanted to hear about a youma just then.
Usagi, however, assumed her leader mantle in an instant. “Luna, Artemis; you two go find Chibiusa and make sure she’s okay. I’ll call you when the battle’s over. Min’na, henshin yo!”
“Mercury Star Power, Make Up!”
“Mars Star power, Make Up!”
“Venus Star Power, Make Up!”
“Jupiter Star Power, Make Up!”
“Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mamoru gripped the edge of his table, sweat on his brow, desperately trying to control his transformation. He would not become Tuxedo Kamen, no matter how much energy he wasted denying the change. Finally, as Usagi settled into her Sailor Moon persona, the urge to change, to go help her as he always had, faded, and he fell onto his couch. Every time he saved Sailor Moon, she looked up at him with those pleading blue eyes, and he knew that he would not be able to deny her much longer. So he had decided after the last battle to let Sailor Moon and her Senshi fight on their own. The only thing her ever did was snatch Sailor Moon out of harm’s way, and he knew that he wasn’t even needed for that half the time. She could jump away fast when she needed to, and she was the fastest runner he had ever met. She’d be fine.
Then why was he feeling so guilty?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The battle wasn’t going so well. This youma was smart, covered in long spines and willing to throw dangerous bladed objects. It was also almost impossible to hit.
“Burning Mandala!”
The youma easily dodged the fire attacking, growling when “Venus Love Me Chain!” wrapped around its middle. While Venus held it still for a moment, Jupiter filled her hands with lightning and sent it hurtling toward the youma.
“Sparkling Wide Pressure!”
“Burning Mandala!” Mars was determined to hit the thing with her attack, and she grinned darkly as it screamed from the burn. The youma broke free of Venus’s chain, and the orange-suited senshi pulled it back, waiting for the next opportunity. The youma let out a scream as it released dozens of projectiles, most bladed but some weren’t. Sailor Moon managed to jump out of the way, though she was the only one of her senshi so lucky. Venus just barely escaped a sharp knife, glancing at the tiny red line it left on her arm above her glove. Jupiter cursed as one of the blunt rocks nailed her leg, but she was able to land safely, her leg bruised but not broken. Mercury gasped as her arm collided with the rough edge of another rock, but the scrape was not serious. Mars, however, was thrown into a tree as a huge rock slammed into her stomach, and the sound of her ribs cracking filled the park.
“Mars!” Sailor Moon landed by her senshi’s side, pulling the rock away, flinching from the tiny needle-like points covering the round surface. Moon touched Mars’s belly, pulling her hand away dark with blood. “Mars?”
“I’m okay,” she gasped. “The blood comes from dozens of tiny pinpricks. It’s not that bad.”
“Your ribs?”
“They’ll heal.” Mars reached for the tree, trying to stand up, and Sailor Moon caught her hand, pulling the red senshi to her feet. “You should go back to the battle, Sailor Moon.”
The leader nodded, turning back to the youma, truly angry. “How dare you attack one of my friends?” Her voice was so dark and powerful that her senshi flinched. “Ai to seigi no, Seeraa fuku Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon! Tsukini kawatte, oshiokiyo!” An instant after her speech, Sailor Moon grabbed her tiara and pointed it at the youma. “Moon Tiara Action!”
The youma growled as the tiara barely missed slicing it in half. It pulled a dozen of the thick, deadly spines off her back and through them at Sailor Moon. The leader of the senshi could have escaped—she knew that without a thought. During the split second she had to make her decision, Sailor Moon looked over her shoulder at Mars, Rei, her best friend in the whole world, her soul’s sister, and she knew that Mars would never be able to escape. Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter were too far away, and they could only watch in helpless horror as Sailor Moon stood straighter and opened her arms.
She was smiling as the spines imbedded themselves in her body, finally understanding the satisfaction Tuxedo Kamen felt when he saved her. Mars was safe. That was the last thought that passed through her mind as she hit the ground.
“NOOOO!” Mars found strength in her fury as she stood up and readied her hands. “How dare you?! Burning Mandala!!”
“Shine Aqua Illusion!!”
“Crescent Beam!!”
“Supreme Thunder!!”
The youma screamed as it finally died.
Mars fell by Sailor Moon’s side, pulling her friend into her lap. “Sailor Moon? Are you okay? Wake up!”
Mercury pulled out her computer as her visor covered her eyes. She touched the seven spines imbedded in Sailor Moon’s body, fear crossing her face. “They’re poison,” she whispered. “Jupiter, get the rest of them for analysis.”
The brunette nodded, tears in her eyes as she pulled the other five spines out of the tree and the ground. Sailor Moon moaned as she struggled to open her eyes. Mars gasped at the swollen blood vessels in her leader’s eyes. “Rei? Daijoubu ka?”
“Hai, Usagi,” Mars whispered. “Daijoubu.” Sailor Moon smiled before her eyes closed again, and pink ribbons swirled around her thin form as her transformation faded. “No,” the flame senshi whispered. “Usagi, wake up!”
Mercury touched Mars’s arms. “We have to pull the spines out before we move her. I’m afraid the poison has already invaded her system.”
“I’ll do it.” Jupiter handed the extra spines to Mercury as she grabbed the first spine and gently pulled it out. Usagi moaned slightly, but the senshi sighed when they realized that the porcupine-like quills were not barbed. Jupiter removed the other six spines, flinching every time the princess moaned. Mercury wrapped the spines up for analysis as she laid her hands on Usagi’s wounds, using her water power to wash the blood and as much of the poison as she could before slumping, sweat on her brow.
“We have to take her to the hospital. Pick her up, Jupiter; my mother knows our secret, so we can tell her the truth about what happened.”
Jupiter carefully took the limp princess from Mars’s arms, watching the miko’s tears as all four senshi stood and jumped away, heading for the hospital.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 2: Kurushimi
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Doctor Mizuno Kae was not expecting anything strange to happen that day. She hummed softly to herself as she filed paperwork, wondering what her daughter was up to on a Friday afternoon. In the past, she could always be found studying, but now that she had friends, real friends, she could be found with them more often than not. Sometimes they would all study together, but sometimes they just talked. Or fought.
Kae paused in her work and leaned back as she thought about her daughter. Sailor Mercury. It wasn’t safe, but her daughter was one of the five protectors of
There was a sudden commotion in the lobby, and Kae dashed out to see what was going on. She stopped still, eyes wide, at the sight of four senshi, all moving as if injured, Mars bleeding, Jupiter carrying a limp burden. Kae gasped when she realized that the blonde in Jupiter’s arms was Usagi, Ami’s friend, Sailor Moon. She dashed forward, easily taking control of the situation, catching her daughter’s eye. “What happened?”
“We were fighting a youma in the park,” Mercury answered, knowing that her friends were too upset to speak. “This girl was injured. We took out the spines and cleaned her wounds as well as possible, but I think the spines were poisoned.”
Kae snapped orders at three of the nurses hovering in the lobby, and the rest of the people scattered. Kae led the senshi to the closest operating room, calling for fluid as she glanced at Usagi. “She’s pale. How much blood did she lose?”
“A lot,” Mercury whispered. “Two of the seven spines went all the way through. I think one of them punctured her right lung.”
Kae and the senshi were alone for a moment in the operating room, and Kae moved closer to her daughter as Jupiter carefully placed the injured girl on the operating table. Her blood stained the white cloth. “What’s her blood type, Ami?”
“She’s O. Same as Makoto.”
“We’ll need blood during the operation, and senshi blood is better than normal. Besides, we’re running low on blood now and I’m afraid that . . . if there was a lot of poison . . .”
Mercury whispered something to Jupiter, and the senshi left, Mars and Venus at her heels. Minutes later, Makoto, Rei, and Minako returned. No one had seen them and no one could see through their glamours. Makoto sat on the empty bed beside Usagi as nurses entered and began prepping the unconscious girl for surgery. Kae glanced at Rei and told one of the nurses that the miko had also been injured in the battle and needed to have her wounds bandaged. Rei wouldn’t leave until she was sure Usagi would live, so Kae made sure that she would be the next one looked after.
“Mizuno-san! The senshi left!” One of the other doctors entered, glancing at Mercury. “Well, except her.”
“They returned to their senshi duties,” Mercury answered, pulling out five poisoned spines and showing them to her mother. “These two were in the girl, and these two missed.”
Kae passed the spines onto one of her colleagues as she readied for surgery. “Makoto-san is going to be giving blood. They’re the same type.” Mercury pulled out her little computer and began scanning Usagi, showing the results to her mother. The second doctor glanced at the girl lying on the white blankets, wincing as he examined the wounds. “Both lungs are hurt, though two of the spines hit her ribs.”
Kae nodded as she joined the doctor beside Usagi, glancing at her daughter’s computer. She waited until a nurse had prepared Makoto before she turned to her patient. “Let’s fix those holes, shall we?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Ikuko-mama, where’s Usagi?”
“I don’t know, Chibiusa. She said she’d be home for supper.” Ikuko finished setting the table as her husband entered the dining room and looked around. “Kenji, have you seen Usagi?”
“No. How long is she going to stay out with her friends, anyway? She’d better not be with that
A knock on the door interrupted the conversations, and Ikuko walked over to let the guest in. When she saw Usagi’s best friend Hino Rei standing there, tears in her eyes, Ikuko trembled. Usagi’s blonde friend Minako rested a hand on Rei’s shoulder, sympathy in her blue eyes. “Tsukino-san,” Rei began, her voice trembling, “we have to tell you something.”
“Come in.”
Rei and Minako entered the Tsukino house, taking a seat on the couch in the living room across from Ikuko and Kenji. When Chibiusa spotted the two senshi, she knew that something horrible had happened to Usagi, and she began to cry. Rei scooped the pink-haired girl into her arms and held her close. “Tsukino-san, Usagi is Sailor Moon.” After discussing the best way to break the news for the past hour, Rei and Minako had decided that the blunt approach was the easiest.
Ikuko nodded. “I suspected as much. After all, Luna is identical to the little black kitty that follows Sailor Moon around, and my daughter had that hair style since she was just a little girl.” Kenji was too shocked to say anything, and Rei took the opportunity to continue before she lost her nerve.
“I’m Sailor Mars, Ami-chan is Sailor Mercury, Mako-chan is Sailor Jupiter, and Minako-chan is Sailor Venus. We were having our meeting this afternoon when Ami-chan sensed a youma in the park.”
“What happened to Usagi?” Luna, her secret out, leapt down the stairs, her white partner just behind her. She looked at Chibiusa crying, and tears filled her eyes. “What?”
“It was really strong,” Rei whispered. She lifted her shirt a little so the Tsukinos could see the bandages crossing her belly. Minako turned her arm so the two could see the healing cut on the side of her arm. “I was hit the worst in the first attack, though Usagi actually managed to escape that time. It cracked two of my ribs, and I was bleeding, though the pinpricks were shallow. I had trouble standing, and Usagi got really mad at it. She’s a really good leader, and she’s very powerful when one of her senshi is hurt. She hurt it with her tiara, and it attacked back. It threw twelve of its poisoned spines right at her. She could have gotten away, but she . . . she protected me.”
“Oh no . . .”
“She’s in the hospital,” Minako whispered. “Ami-chan’s mother had her in surgery for an hour, and Mako-chan’s still there. She gave a lot of blood for Usagi.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Ikuko’s eyes were filled with tears, but she knew that her daughter was alive.
“A normal person would be dead,” Rei whispered. “But she’s a senshi and Mako-chan’s blood helped. Ami-chan says that the only danger now is the poison. We came to take you to the hospital. You should be there if . . . if she wakes up.”
Luna jumped into Rei’s lap with Chibiusa while Artemis took his mistress’s lap. “Rei-chan, it’s not your fault,” Luna whispered. “You couldn’t have saved her.”
“Tuxedo Kamen could have,” Rei whispered, her voice dark with hatred. “How dare he not be there? His cape has stopped worse than a dozen spines. She’s hurt because he never showed up. If I ever get my hands on him . . .”
“You won’t have to,” Luna whispered ominously, “not if I get there first.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mamoru gasped as a pair of glowing eyes entered his living room from the balcony, fury in that gaze. Two red eyes sparked as Luna attacked him, claws leaving lines of fire down his chest. He rolled away, wondering what he had done, as he stared at the cat in his room. “Luna!”
“How dare you?! I don’t care if you don’t want to be with her, but you have a duty as Tuxedo Kamen to protect Sailor Moon! How dare you NOT SHOW UP?!!!!” Luna leapt again, sinking her teeth into Mamoru’s arm, kicking with her back legs as she scratched with her front. Mamoru managed to shake her off and dash into his bedroom, slamming the door and leaving the cat outside.
“I didn’t do anything! She can fight perfectly well on her own!”
“Fight, yes,” the cat hissed from the other side of the door, scratching at the wooden paneling. “But she has too soft a heart and when one of her senshi is in danger she’ll sacrifice herself to save them. That’s why you always have to save her because she worries too much about her friends. If left to her own devices, she’ll die saving those girls. She doesn’t understand that she has to live and that they are here to protect her. You are there to protect her from herself, but today you were not there.”
Mamoru stiffened, and pain shot through him. He gasped, doubled over, as his shields cracked, just enough, and Usagi’s feelings leaked through. He had blocked off their link for weeks, but now . . . her pain was like a fire in every vein in his body, and he fell to the floor, his head cracking against the door. “Fire,” he whispered. “I feel like I’m on fire. What happened, Luna?”
“Why do you care?! You didn’t care enough to be at the battle. You were always there, even after you stopped dating her, why did you choose TODAY of all days to give up your duty to your princess?”
“Please, Luna. What happened?”
“You will have to go see for yourself, though Rei-chan tells me that she isn’t awake. The doctors fear that she won’t ever wake up again.”
“No,” Mamoru whispered, trying to block off the link again as he sat up. He was only partly successful.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Usagi’s breathing was shallow, and her skin incredibly pale. Her parents sat beside her, not saying a thing, and Chibiusa held Usagi’s limp hand, lending her all the strength she had. In her mind she could see her own mother lying just like that, and she felt tears fill her eyes as she realized that Usagi was her mother, just much younger. “Please wake up, mommy,” Chibiusa whispered. “You have to wake up.”
Luna, who had returned from her mission with blood on her claws and murder in her eyes, sat on the bed with her mistress. No one asked her what she had done; nobody cared. Rei slipped into the room, sitting beside Usagi and touching her forehead. “Usagi, thank you. You saved my life. If Tuxedo Kamen was there, he could have saved you. I’ll never forgive him for this.”
Usagi moaned and rolled toward Rei’s voice, but she was hopelessly lost in her dreams. Chibiusa began to cry again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Makoto heard the commotion in the hall, and she slipped out of Usagi’s room to see what the problem was. She automatically moved into a fighting stance when she recognized the visitor as Mamoru, and the orderly who had been questioning the black-haired man quickly moved away from the two. “What are you doing here?”
Mamoru’s eyes widened at the hostility Makoto was displaying. “I came to see her.”
“You can’t go in there. You’re the reason she was hurt in the first place.”
“I don’t even know what happened!”
“What do you care? Go away,
“I won’t leave until I see her.”
“You’ll leave now,” Ami whispered, coming up from behind him, one arm bandaged but perfectly fit. Rei was behind her, purple eyes glowing like two coals. Minako crossed her arms over her chest as she stepped up beside Makoto, one cat on either shoulder. “Get away from Usagi and out of this hospital.”
Having never seen Ami angry, Mamoru decided to leave and try again later. “I will see her.”
“If you come back here, you’ll have need of a doctor,” Rei whispered, her voice full of dark power and fury. As Mamoru vanished, she ushered the senshi back into Usagi’s room as Doctor Mizuno entered the room with the test results from the poison.
Ami took the sheets and pulled out her computer as Makoto closed the door. “I see. My computer is having about the same luck. This poison is sophisticated and very dangerous. She’s running a temperature . . . I don’t think any of us can do anything. The ginzuishou might be able to help, but she’s the only one who can wield it. I would suggest more senshi blood, but Mako-chan’s the only one with O-type blood, and she can’t give any more.”
“We can try normal blood transfusions for a while. We’re trying to flush the poison out of her system, but we don’t know how successful we’ll be.”
Ami smiled. “Thank-you, Mother, for everything. We can only hope.”
“And we can help her by keeping that baka
Minako glanced at the window, taking charge as leader of the senshi in Usagi’s absence. “Since tomorrow is Saturday, we can each take a shift tonight to guard her from outside. The hospital will be closed to visitors, so he won’t get in that way. Tomorrow we or her family will be here all day, and her father’s homicidal attitude toward any man who would dare date his girl will help. Her mother knows what happened between Usagi and
“She can stay with me tonight,” Rei whispered. “It’s my fault her protector was hurt, so I have to make it better.” The other senshi glanced at her, but they knew that no one could cheer the miko up except her princess.
“Okay. Then you won’t have a shift until tomorrow morning when you can bring her with you. Mako-chan, you take her tomorrow night and walk her to school in the morning. I have already talked to the Tsukinos, and they agree that Chibiusa has to be protected. And that means from Mamoru-san, too. He’s not allowed to see either of them, and if he tries to talk to one of you, ignore him.”
“What about in a battle?”
Minako turned to Ami and thought for a moment. “If Tuxedo Kamen wants to fight, let him. But we aren’t responsible for his safety and we won’t depend on him for ours or Chibiusa’s. Everyone understand?”
“Hai!”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 3: Chikayoranai
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Rei-chan, can I talk to you?”
“Sure, Chibiusa-chan.”
The little pink-haired girl bit her lip, staring at her Luna ball, thinking. “Rei-chan, I think Usagi is my mother.”
Rei raised an eyebrow, finding no energy for her usual violent outburst. “What? But she’s only fourteen and you’re nine. That’s physically impossible.”
“She’s not my mother yet. Rei-chan, I came here from the future and there my mother is the Queen of Crystal Tokyo and the Moon.”
“Queen of the Moon,” Rei whispered, eyes wide. “But Usagi’s the Princess of the Moon. She’ll become queen in the future . . .”
“My past is your future. And if Usagi dies . . .”
“You and that future will cease to exist.” Rei closed her eyes, fighting back tears for the sake of the girl sitting on her bed. “Chibiusa, are you sure?”
The child nodded, wiping tears off her face. “Rei-chan, I don’t want Usagi to die.”
“She won’t,” Rei promised, pulling her best friend’s daughter into her arms. “We’ll save her, like we’ve always done.”
The words sounded hollow, even to her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jupiter tossed lightning back and forth between her hands, practicing her control and making sure she was regaining her strength. Giving blood took a lot out of her. Above her tree, lightning danced from one dark cloud to the other, responding to its mistress, begging to be allowed to touch the earth. Jupiter pointed her finger, and eager lightning arced to the ground, booming thundering through the city. She raised her hand again and sent another bolt into the ground, smiling when she sensed her partner from Mercury release the rain. They had been practicing weather control to hone their skills, and the dark, brooding sky responded well to their mood. Jupiter turned away from the sheets of water pelting the unsuspecting city and looked inside the hospital window. Usagi was terrified of thunder, and a storm would usually have her cowering in the corner of her room. But she was quiet, her stillness deceptively peaceful. Doctor Mizuno had turned the monitors to the window for the sake of the vigilant senshi, and they only revealed bad news. Usagi’s heartbeat was irregular, her breathing shallow, and her temperature far too high. The poison had made her sick, and there was very little chance that she would open her eyes any time soon. The doctors feared that she would go into a coma, and her chances for survival then were almost non-existent. They had tried every anti-venom known to man on the poison, but it wasn’t natural. There were ten people in the lab at any one time, desperately searching for an antidote, but they were no closer than they had been four days earlier when they brought Usagi in.
Jupiter looked down into the city, toward Minako’s house, and she knew that Artemis and Luna were on the computer non-stop, breaking the poison down and trying to give the mini computer Mercury used something to work with. It was looking more and more impossible each day.
Jupiter jumped when her communicator beeped, and she opened it, frowning when she recognized Rei. “What is it?”
“I sense an evil presence in the park. It feels like Emerald and one of her blasted youma. Can you come?”
“Do you think Usagi will be okay if I do?”
“With the storm you and Ami-chan cooked up, only a fool would be out. Besides, he showed up at the last three youma attacks. I think he has one of our communicators. He’ll be there.”
Jupiter nodded and leapt away, falling seven stories to the ground and continuing toward the park. She whispered and instruction to the oak she had perched in, and it promised to deny access to anyone but herself.
When she reached the park, three Senshi were already there, the area covered in a fog from the torrential downpour. “Emerald’s getting stupider by the day,” Venus growled, trying desperately to shield her eyes from the rain. “Couldn’t she have waited until it was sunny?”
“Mercury?”
“Working on it.” Mercury raised her arms, visor covering her eyes, and the rain around them lessened to a mere drizzle. “Better, Mars?”
“Much. I hate rain. Well, we better get this over with.”
Venus stepped forward, spotting the mushroom-like youma meters away, its huge hat allowing it to see. “Okay. Ai to seigi no, Seeraa fuku Bishoujo Senshi, Sailor Venus! Kinsei ni kawatte . . .”
“Suisei ni kawatte . . .”
“Mokusei ni kawatte . . .”
“Kasei ni kawatte, oshiokiyo! Burning Mandala!”
“Spore cloud,” the youma wheezed, shooting a mist of pale brown powder at the senshi. They quickly jumped away, Mercury increasing the rainfall to take care of the problem.
“Shine Aqua Illusion!”
The youma absorbed the water attack, swelling to twice its normal size, and Mars glared. She nodded at Venus and Jupiter as she held her hands in front of her body. She began to chant, her voice barely a whisper, as the two senshi flanking her released their attacks.
“Venus Love-Me Chain!”
Venus’s chain held the youma as Jupiter sent a weakened form of her “Sparkling Wide Pressure!” to zap it. She glanced at Mars.
“Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen,” the Senshi of Flame chanted while her partners kept the youma occupied. Opening her eyes, she held up a strip of paper and threw it at the mushroom. “Akuryou Taisan!”
Her ward stuck on its head, freezing it. Jupiter grinned and held a hand up to the clouds overhead. “Supreme Thunder!!” Lightning arced down from the clouds and hit the youma, followed instantly by a barrage of bolts from Jupiter’s tiara. The mushroom youma screamed as the electricity met, and he exploded, falling to the earth as harmless grey dust. The senshi cheered at the success of their plan, Mercury catching Jupiter as the taller girl swayed. “Wow, that took a lot of power. How does Usagi-chan do that every day?”
“She’s powerful,” Rei whispered. “We can’t keep going like this. We’re getting weaker and one day we’re going to make a mistake and end up in the bed beside Usagi.”
Jupiter’s eyes widened as she looked around. “Speaking of Usagi, where’s Tuxedo Kamen? He didn’t come this time.”
An instant later, the park was empty, four senshi running back to the hospital as fast as they could.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tuxedo Kamen perched precariously on the ledge outside the window of Usagi’s room, squinting to see through the rain. He could see the monitors, hear the tired beeping, and he felt tears join the rain on his cheeks. He rested one white-gloved hand on the window, wishing he could touch the fragile blonde. “Usako,” he whispered. “What have I done? Kami-sama, I should have been there. This is the future I saw, and if I had been there it never would have happened. I’d give anything to hear your voice again.”
In the white bed, Usagi twitched and turned toward the window, hand held out, and Mamoru leaned forward, nose touching the glass, reaching for the blonde with his mind and his powers. “Usako.” The motion ceased, and Tuxedo Kamen turned to leave before the senshi realized that he had not been at the battle.
“Attack!”
At the call, the tall oak behind Mamoru twitched, swinging one huge branch at his head, its anger pulsing at the edge of his senses. Mamoru cursed as he fell to the ground, facing four very angry senshi. Jupiter held her hands in front of her, fingers inches apart as thin blue lightning leapt from one palm to the other. Mars clenched her fists, fire flaring up, the flames unfazed by the pouring rain. Mercury stepped to one side, ready to change to amount of water falling if needed, and Venus pulled out her heart-link chain. “We told you to leave her alone,” Mars hissed.
“Please, let me explain . . .” Jupiter pulled her hands apart, the electricity arcing from one to the other as she prepared to zap her opponent. “Listen to me! I had to see her.”
“Not if you value your life,” Venus growled. “We said we would let you fight with us, but we will not have you upsetting Usagi when she can’t defend herself.”
“I would never hurt her!”
“You already have!” Mars pointed one finger at Usagi’s window, invisible in the downpour, tears in her eyes. “She’s dying thanks to you! You broke her heart and now you’ve broken her body! Nothing you can say will change our mind. GO AWAY!!”
Tuxedo Kamen, realizing that the Senshi were too angry to listen to him anymore, turned to leave. “I love her,” he whispered. “And I will find a way to save her.” He was gone.
Jupiter released her power into the clouds overhead, watching the electricity light up the sky. “Do you think he does?”
“He told Usagi that he doesn’t love her anymore,” Venus whispered, her chain fading. “I believe her faster than I believe him. Jupiter, you can go home; it’s my turn now.”
“Give me a sec.” Jupiter walked up to the huge oak and touched it gently. “Calm down,” she whispered. “Let Venus sit up there, okay? And if that man comes back, smack him away. He’ll only hurt our princess.” The tree shook its branches in response, and Jupiter turned to her partners. “Okay.”
“How do you do that? I knew you had a connection with roses . . .”
“I don’t know. It’s a nice tree and very old. I’m going home now.” Jupiter leapt away, Mars and Mercury instants behind her. Venus took her spot in the oak’s strongest branch beside Usagi’s window, smiling at the readings on the monitors.
“She seems a little better today. Sweet dreams, Usagi-chan.”
From the roof of the next building, Mamoru watched as the rain lessened somewhat. He reached out to Usagi with his mind, but all he could feel was fire, the same fire that had broken through his shields in his apartment. “Oh, Usako. I’m so sorry.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 4: Ketsuekigata
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Ami, I don’t know what to do. I’ve been a doctor for years and I have never seen anything like this. It’s like she’s burning alive.”
Ami rested a hand on Usagi’s forehead as she watched the readouts on her screen. “How have the blood transfusions worked?”
“Not very well. Makoto-san’s initial donation helped, but normal blood just won’t work. Can she give again so soon?”
“I’ll scan her, but I think she’ll be okay. If she was suffering any ill effects from the first donation, it would have shown up in our battles. I’ll speak to her at our meeting in an hour. She’s taking Chibiusa to the park right now. The poor girl is so worried about Usagi.”
“Just bring Makoto-san here within three hours and we can do another transfusion. I hope it helps.”
Ami closed her computer, watching it vanish, as she brushed a stray tendril of hair away from Usagi’s face. “What are her chances?”
“Not good, Ami,” Kae admitted. Her daughter was strong and would broker no lies. She knew that for a fact. “As long as her condition doesn’t change, she might one day wake up. But she’s very close to a coma. Right now she’s just in a very deep sleep, but if she falls into a coma, there’s little chance she’ll ever wake up. If that happens, she’s as good as dead.”
Ami nodded. “Thank you, Mother.”
“Ami, what about her senshi powers? Shouldn’t they be helping her?”
“I think they’re the only reason she’s still alive. They’re the only reason she made it through the operation in the first place. But if she doesn’t find something to fight for, she won’t ever wake up.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tuxedo Kamen watched through the window as Makoto rubbed her arm, stretchy blue tape covering the spot where she had given more of her blood to her best friend. She had given more than she was allowed, but Mizuno Kae let her give until she felt weak and tired. Ami had informed her mother that a senshi could recover much faster from a blood donation than a normal person. She pulled Makoto to her feet, scanning her with the mini computer before helping her walk out the door. Kae touched Usagi’s forehead and sighed before leaving.
“Usako, why won’t you wake up? We’re worried about you, and we all love you. I wish you would come back.”
Usagi moaned in her sleep and turned toward the window again, one hand reaching out, and Mamoru felt the lightest of brushes across the edge of his mind. He tried to grab it, but Usagi pulled away, frightened, and the fire returned. “Come back! Please, come back! Usako!”
But she wasn’t listening anymore. Tuxedo Kamen sensed one of the senshi coming, and he jumped away from the window, their last encounter flashing through his mind. He landed on a nearby roof and watched as Rei and Minako approached the hospital, Chibiusa walking between them, head hung. She looked up suddenly, eyes fastening on Tuxedo Kamen, and Mamoru cringed from the pain in those red eyes.
He walked away from the hospital side of the roof, staring out across
“You give up too easily.”
He spun at the voice, finding himself face-to-face with a tall, green-haired Senshi in a black and crimson fuku, a tall key-like staff in her hand. “Who are you?”
The senshi laughed, her red eyes calm. “I forgot. You don’t know me yet. I’m Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time. And you give up too easily, Endymion.”
“You know who I really am?”
“Of course. I also know that you blame yourself for Serenity’s illness.”
“It is my fault. If I had been there, she would never have been poisoned. The senshi blame me, too, and they won’t even let me look at her. Not that I deserve to.”
Pluto rolled her eyes and walked closer to the slumping man. “You aren’t much fun when you sulk. You stopped protecting Usagi-san because of your nightmares, right? You dreamed that if you married our princess, she would suffer.”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever think that you should ask Usagi-san what she thought rather than pushing her away and pretending like you don’t love her?”
“I was trying to protect her. That’s my job.”
“Hmm. I see.” Pluto walked across the roof until she could see the hospital, and she looked at Usagi’s window. “Yeah, you protected her, alright. She’s in a hospital where nothing could possibly hurt her. If she dies, at least she’ll be safe from all the youma the Dark Moon Family keeps throwing at her.”
“No! I won’t let her die!”
“Then stop acting like a child whose favorite toy was just stole and start acting like a prince whose princess is in mortal danger.” Pluto leveled her staff at Tuxedo Kamen, and the caped hero backed up a step. “Try harder. If you give up, she will die, and all of the people she loves, all the people who love her, will suffer. This world will die and then you will be responsible. Think about that.” The senshi vanished, leaving the path from Mamoru to the hospital clear, and he looked at Usagi’s window again. A new sense of determination filled his soul, and he reached along the mind link once more.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Usagi stood up, the dark cave and maddening screams fading to reveal a huge plain filled with roses. Roses? Whenever she dreamed of roses, Tuxedo Kamen was there. She looked around, feeling oddly warm, and found herself facing the masked hero that starred in her best dreams. “Tuxedo Kamen? Why are you here?”
“Usako?” He seemed just as surprised as she was, and she glanced down. She was in her white princess dress, and she frowned. She only wore this dress when the people she loved were in danger.
“What’s wrong, Mamo-chan? Where are we? I don’t remember this place.”
“You’re dreaming, Usako. How do you feel?”
He never asked that one. “Warm. Almost like I’m on fire. It’s nicer here than in the caves, though. It was scary there.” She watched in fascination as her princess dress changed to a shirt and skirt, the one she was wearing at her last meeting at Hikawa Shrine. “Hey, why am I here? The last thing I remember was a meeting at Rei’s.”
Tuxedo Kamen changed into Mamoru, and Usagi backed up, blue eyes sparking. “Oh, I remember. I don’t want to see you anymore, Mamoru-san. Go away.”
“Usako, do you remember the youma? It’s important.”
“A youma? Where?” She racked her brains, frowning as the roses around her wilted. On the other side of Mamoru, a youma appeared, porcupine-like spines covering its body. It glared at Mamoru, but it did not attack. “I remember that one. It threw things; sharp things and heavy things. Like that.” She pointed at a round stone on the ground, tiny spines covering its surface. She reached down and touched it, her white glove pierced by the sharp points. When had she transformed into Sailor Moon? She glanced at her fuku, blood covering her belly. No, not hers—Rei’s. Sailor Mars appeared beside her, eyes glazed, covered in blood, slumped against a tree. Sailor Moon ran to her friend’s side, pulling away a hand covered in blood.
She turned to the youma, blue eyes blazing, truly and powerfully angry. “How dare you attack one of my friends?” Her voice was so dark and powerful that Mamoru flinched. He had never heard Usagi sound like that before. “Ai to seigi no, Seeraa fuku Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon! Tsukini kawatte, oshiokiyo!” An instant after her speech, Sailor Moon grabbed her tiara and pointed it at the youma. “Moon Tiara Action!”
The youma reeled from the attack, pulling off a dozen spines and throwing them at Sailor Moon. The leader of the senshi took a split second to consider her options before she opened her arms and welcomed the attack, smiling. She could protect Rei, she would protect Rei. “NOO!” Mamoru leapt, instinct taking over as he instantly transformed into Tuxedo Kamen, but a force pushed him back. He could only watch helplessly as seven of the deadly poison spines embedded themselves in his beloved’s body. She fell, and all of the roses vanished, everything fading to darkness as Mamoru caught Usagi, falling to the ground with her.
“So that’s what happened,” Usagi whispered. “I remember now.”
“I could have saved you. I should have been there, Usako.”
“Why? I have senshi to protect me. I don’t need my masked hero anymore.” Usagi waved her arms, and Mamoru was pushed out of her mind, fire blocking their link once more. He looked at the hospital, jumping down and daring to leap up to the window. The readings were a little better. He smiled and decided that he wouldn’t give up until he could prove to Usagi how much he loved her. He would save her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 5: Yume no Sekai
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Usagi twirled a rose between her fingers and sighed as a familiar visitor appeared by her side. “What do you want, Mamoru-san?”
“You can’t keep me out anymore. You’re too weak. I brought you a present.”
Against her will, Usagi turned to the prince by her side, taking the box her offered. She opened it, and lights filled the air, changing colors as they coalesced into a rabbit, leaping over Usagi’s head and landing as a cat. The blonde laughed. “She’s so cute! How did you do that?”
Mamoru placed his palms together and opened them to reveal a bouquet of crimson roses, each one a sparkling crystal figure. He handed the tinkling roses to the blonde. “For you, my princess.”
Usagi squealed as she took them, waving her hand to create a colorful vase to hold them. “Thank you, Mamoru-san. They’re pretty.” She suddenly remembered that she wasn’t supposed to like the man, and she frowned. “Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? For the past few weeks all you’ve done is push me away and tell me how much you hate me. But now . . .”
“I’m sorry, Usako. I was trying to protect you.”
“Protect me? From what? What could possibly so terrible that you would break my heart and call that protecting me?” Usagi was close to tears, but she held them back. She was determined to be strong for once.
Mamoru took Usagi’s hands in his own. “Watch.”
Her mind was filled with the dream that had plagued the Earth Prince for weeks, starting with the two of them walking down the aisle. She sighed happily as she watched her fondest dream at last come true. The dream-lovers turned for a kiss, and Usagi’s eyes widened as her dream-self fell away, dead, and the dream-prince cried out. She listened to the warning, tears filling her eyes, and Mamoru waved his hand, ending the dream. Usagi collapsed in his arms, crying, and he just held her. “Mamo-chan! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“At first I didn’t believe the dreams. But they came every night and I couldn’t help . . . I was afraid, Usako, so I pushed you away. But now I see what a fool I was.”
Usagi looked up into the dark blue eyes she loved so much, and she saw there a glimmer of the love she remembered so well. “Mamo-chan?”
He suddenly stiffened, wincing in pain. “Shimatta! Those blasted senshi of yours have found me again!”
“Are they okay?”
“Oh, yes. You saved them, Usako. But they need you more than they could ever say. I have to go now.” He vanished, leaving Usagi alone in her prison once more.
“Mamo-chan,” she whispered. “Come back. It’s lonely in here.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Do you never give up? I wasn’t even at the window!”
Mars readied another attack, the four senshi facing Tuxedo Kamen across an empty roof. “I don’t care. Your very presence might agitate her, and I want you far, far away.”
Tuxedo Kamen raised his arms. “Okay! I’ll go. But I won’t stay away. See you at the next battle.”
“What makes you think we even want you there?”
“She wants me there,” Mamoru whispered. “That’s enough.” He jumped away, heading home, and the senshi exchanged startled glances. What did he mean?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Hey, Mamoru-kun, where have you been? It’s been quiet without you and Usagi-chan.” Motoki’s face fell, and he paused in his cleaning. “I wonder how she is.”
“Better,” Mamoru answered. “She’s doing better. She’s not in a coma yet, which is the best news the doctors have.”
“How do you know? I thought you hated her.”
Mamoru shook his head, glancing around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him. “Motoki-kun, it’s my fault she was hurt. If Tuxedo Kamen had been at that battle, Sailor Moon would still be out there, fighting evil. As it is, her senshi are drained and might soon lose. They can’t go on much longer without her.”
“It can’t possibly be your fault. Don’t blame yourself, Mamoru-kun.” Motoki glanced up, smiling slightly. “Here come those senshi.”
Rei, Makoto, and Ami entered the Crown Arcade and took their customary seat. When they spotted Mamoru, Ami whispered something into her communicator, and Minako arrived minutes later, presumably having been told that it was safe to abandon her post at the hospital. She joined her friends, and they glared at Mamoru, daring him to try something. Deciding that he was tired of the hostility when the five used to be friends, Motoki grabbed his copy of the newspaper in one hand and Mamoru’s arm in the other, dragging his friend over to the senshi’s booth and shoving him into a seat. The two cats who had accompanied the senshi hissed at the man, retreating to the other side of the table and growling low in their throat.
Motoki slapped the paper on the table, glaring at each of the five before sitting down beside Mamoru. “Look at the headline today.” He picked it up after each had glanced at the bold kanji and turned away. “They read ‘Senshi fight Tuxedo Kamen’, ‘
“He won’t leave her alone,” Rei hissed. “He wasn’t there and she got hurt. I don’t want him to get near her ever again.”
“There’s no way anything that he did hurt Usagi-chan. She jumped in front of you because she loves you, Rei-chan, and she couldn’t bear to see you in pain. That’s the same reason Tuxedo Kamen saves Sailor Moon over and over again, battle after battle, often at the risk of his own life. Because he loves her.”
Mamoru nodded at the stares he received from the senshi. “I do love her.”
“Then why did you abandon her? Why did you push her away, break her heart, if you love her?”
“Minako-san, I was trying to protect her.” Mamoru raised a hand as Makoto opened her mouth to refute his words. “Let me finish. Ever since Chibiusa appeared, I have been having the same dream, night after night, where I married Usako and she died. And a voice warned me that if I stayed close to Serenity, she would suffer. And now it has happened, but not because I was close to her. She got hurt because I’m a coward and I ran away from her. It’s all my fault.”
Mamoru hung his head, and a long moment of silence filled the booth. He felt a hand on his arm, and he looked up into purple eyes filled with sympathy. “It’s not your fault,” Rei whispered, wondering where she got the strength to forgive him. She realized, deep in her heart, that the power to forgive was something she learned from Usagi. “She protected me, and if anyone should feel guilty, it’s me. I guess the only thing you did was protect her, like we do. I forgive you, Mamoru-san, and I know she will, too.”
“She already did,” Mamoru whispered, knowing that the smiles from the other three senshi meant that they, too, forgave him.
“What?”
“I can . . . I can reach her, through the same mind link that tells me that she’s in danger. At first she didn’t remember what happened.” He winced from the memory, tear-filled eyes locking on Rei. “She was very brave. I’m so very proud of her.”
“So are we,” Makoto whispered. “She showed us why she’s the princess. You reached her mind? What happened?”
“After she remembered, I started going to her every day, winning her trust again, trying to show her how much I care. Two days ago, when you caught me on the roof, I finally told her about the dream. I was . . . I was so close to telling her that I love her, but you guys brought me back to reality.”
“I’m sorry,” Rei whispered, never noticing Motoki slip away. His job was done. “Do you . . . would you like to come with us this afternoon? She’s doing a little better.”
“Thank you. I’d like to come.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 6: Mirai no Enjo
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Mizuno-san! Hayaku!”
“What is it?”
“The Tsukino girl! There’s something wrong!”
Kae rushed into Usagi’s room, placing a hand on the girl’s forehead as the readings changed from calm to erratic. An instant later, before the doctor could even react, the readings calmed again, but they were very different. “Oh no,” the doctor whispered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Ami-chan? You’re mother’s on the phone.”
Ami slipped out of the booth and walked behind the counter, taking the phone from Motoki. “Moshi moshi?” She listened for a moment, Mamoru and three teenage girls watching intently as her expression changed from confused to worried. “We’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone and returned to the table. There were tears in her sapphire eyes when she spoke, and even her professional voice was no longer calm. “That was my mother,” she began. “Something’s happened.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“There was no reason and no warning. Just like that, the readings changed. She’s in a coma, and there’s very little hope that she’ll ever wake up.”
Mamoru clenched his fists, holding back his tears, unable to hear his beloved anymore, and Rei caught a sob. Minako pulled her friend into her arms, both crying silently, and Makoto leaned against the wall, barely able to hold back her tears. Ami took control of her emotions as she glanced at her friend, lying unmoving on the bed. “Mother, is there anything we can do?”
“The only thing that’s ever helped . . . is blood transfusions. Special blood.” They had decided to use a code word for ‘senshi’ in case anyone was listening. “The only time her readings improve is after a donation flushes some of that poison from her system. Has Makoto-san recovered enough to try again?”
“Mother, Mako-chan’s donated blood three times in three weeks. I can’t guarantee that she’ll survive another transfusion.”
“Then I’ll die for my princess and you can take all that much more blood.”
“Mako-chan!”
“Ami-chan, it’s the only way! We can’t let her die!”
“If she dies,” Rei whispered, “so will her daughter.”
“What?!”
“Chibiusa is Usagi’s daughter from the future,” Rei whispered. “If Usagi dies, Chibiusa will cease to exist.”
“Rei-san . . .”
She turned to Mamoru, smiling weakly. “She’s the daughter of the Queen of the Moon and the King of Earth.”
Before Mamoru could recover from his shock, Makoto stepped forward. “I have to do this. You can’t stop me from helping my princess.”
“Wait until morning,” Ami’s mother whispered. “Get a good night’s sleep, eat, don’t fight, and maybe you’ll be okay.” She was glad Makoto couldn’t hear when she lied.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Doctor Mizuno sat beside Usagi’s bed, sighing softly. There were no more senshi sitting outside the window, no more guards. She felt like she was losing a daughter, and she knew, deep in her stomach, that Usagi would never wake from her coma. The blood transfusion was her last hope, if she survived to see the morning. What she hadn’t been able to tell the senshi was that Usagi was almost sure to die before sunrise. She had taken a second to consider her options before telling Makoto to wait until morning. As much as it broke her heart to lose a patient, Usagi’s chances of survival were so slim that all the blood in the world wouldn’t help. Given the choice between letting Usagi die or losing Makoto in a blood transfusion with little hope of bringing the blonde back, Kae had chosen to save Makoto. She knew that she had signed Usagi’s death sentence, but she’d rather lose one patient than two. She was ashamed to realize that she hoped Usagi died before morning so Makoto would live. Kae knew the senshi wouldn’t ever see it her way, even her daughter.
Kae dropped her head into her hands and sighed, glancing up when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Three women appeared in the room, dressed in Sailor fuku, but they weren’t senshi she knew. Even the fuku were strange, with double skirts, tall boots, long white gloves, long ribbons hanging from the bow in the back, and a star in the center of the front bow. One had long green hair and red eyes, her black and dull red fuku a perfect match for her coloring. She held a tall staff in her hand, a round garnet orb on top. By her side stood a senshi with powerful emerald eyes and short blonde hair, arms crossed in perpetual defiance, her fuku gold and navy. Though she wore a skirt, there was a definite masculine air about her. By her side, an extension of her soul, stood a woman with sapphire eyes and aqua hair, her turquoise and light blue fuku indicating a water nature. They were very powerful, comfortable in their Sailor fuku, and Kae knew they were much older, hed been senshi much longer, than Ami and her partners. The three smiled at Kae, glancing at their princess in the bed.
“She really is bad off, isn’t she? Poor Usagi-chan. I barely remember her being this young and this blonde. Pluto, can we really help?”
“That’s the idea, Uranus. You’re Mizuno Kae?” The doctor nodded. “I’m Sailor Pluto, and this is Uranus and Neptune. We came from the future to help our princess.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“
“Yes, I suppose.”
“Good.
“If it will save poor Usagi, I can.” Uranus sat on the arm of the chair beside
Pluto smiled. “More than you can know.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tuxedo Kamen slipped into the quiet building, a small pink-haired girl in his arms. He entered Usagi’s room, closing and locking the door behind him. He placed Chibiusa on the bed beside Usagi, changing back into Mamoru. For some reason, the link was easier to reach that way. “Okay, do you know what to do?”
Chibiusa nodded as she pulled out Usagi’s locket. Rei had retrieved it the day after the attack, and the future Moon Princess had been able to take it easily. Chibiusa held the locket in her hands, closing her eyes, and the crescent moon that always appeared on her forehead when she was in trouble glowed gold as the crystal released itself from the golden locket. The ginzuishou glowed in room, responding to the young princess, and a second glow seemed to join the first, radiating from the girl. She bit her lip, suppressing a cry as the light from the ginzuishou reached for the Moon Princess. Chibiusa clenched her fists, commanding the crystal to obey her, and the moon on her forehead glowed more fiercely. Then Usagi jerked, light enveloping her, and Mamoru slipped into her mind.
“Usako?!”
“Mamo-chan?” The little blonde ran into his arms, crying, and Mamoru held her, barely able to stand as earthquakes rocked Usagi’s dream world. “It got so dark so fast. What happened?”
“You slipped into a coma, Usako. I came to take you back.”
“What’s this light?”
“Chibiusa is using the ginzuishou.”
“What?! How?”
“She’s from the future, Usako. She’s our daughter.” Usagi looked up, tears glinting in her eyes, and Mamoru suddenly knew exactly how to save her. “Aishiteru, Usako.”
“Aishiteru, Mamo-chan.” He leaned down, letting their lips touch, and the world exploded around them.
The light faded and a steady “beep . . . beep . . . beep” filled the air. Mamoru opened his eyes, and tears ran down his cheeks as Usagi opened her eyes and smiled back up at him. “Good morning, Usako,” Mamoru whispered.
“Usagi!! I did it! I used the ginzuishou!”
“Yes you did, Chibiusa,” Usagi smiled, her voice rough from disuse. She took her crystal and locket back, returning the ginzuishou to her broach before placing it on the table. “I’m so proud of you. You saved me, Chibiusa.”
“I did? You’re proud of me? You’re not angry at me for stealing the broach?”
“How could I be angry at my daughter?” Usagi pulled Chibiusa into a tight embrace, and Mamoru pulled both of them into his arms. His family. He reached up to wipe his tears away, but Usagi stopped him. “Don’t be ashamed, Mamo-chan. Aishiteru.”
“Aishiteru.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Minako rolled out of bed groggily, grabbing her communicator. “What?”
“Youma in the park! Stupid thing . . . whoever heard of a dawn attack?”
“I’ll be there, Rei-chan. Have you called Mako-chan and Ami-chan?”
“They’re coming. Tuxedo Kamen will probably be here, too.”
Another fight. Minako prayed that this would not be the day that the strength of the senshi failed. Luna—who had been living with her since Usagi got sick—and Artemis rolled off the bed, stretched, and slipped out the window with the Senshi of Love. They took position on her shoulder as soon as she transformed, blinking in the semi-darkness of false dawn. “Luna, how are Usagi’s parents?”
The black cat sighed as Venus jumped to the roofs and headed for the park. “They’re going to be there today for the transfusion. I hope Mako-chan has something left to give.” She didn’t have to say that she hoped the brunette would survive.
“Why does Usagi have to be O-type? If she was AB like Rei-chan, all of us could donate blood. If she was A, Ami-chan could help Mako-chan out a bit. I think Mamoru-san could, too. If she was B, I could help. Why couldn’t there be another senshi with O-type blood?”
“I don’t know, Minako-chan. I really don’t.”
Venus arrived at the park in time to see Mars and Jupiter thrown back by the youma’s huge wings, scratches on their arms from its claws. Mercury had moved to one side to analyze the creature, smiling in relief when her computer informed her that nothing about the new youma was poisonous. Venus saw the youma turn toward the still target, and she attacked. “Venus Love-Me Chain!’
The youma easily broke away, but the distraction was enough to let Mercury retreat. The four senshi gathered beside Jupiter, already drained, having little energy left after three weeks of constant attacks and no Sailor Moon to help them. Venus held up her hands, summoning power to her fingertips. She had to give her senshi time to regain their strength. “Crescent Beam!”
“Fire Soul!”
“Supreme Thunder!”
“Shine Aqua Illusion!”
Useless. Their attacks were too slow, too weak, too tired. The senshi slumped against each other, no longer able to even stand with any certainty, and they watched, helpless, as the youma raised its wings and prepared to end the senshi threat once and for all.
“Machinasai!”
The senshi looked up to the slight hill that overlooked the battlefield, convinced that they were dreaming. She stood there, long hair waving in the breeze, blue eyes sparkling in the light, arms crossed defiantly over her chest. “Ai to seigi no, Seeraa fuku Bishoujo Senshi, Sailor Moon! Tomodachi no tame ni, musume no tame ni, taisetsu na hito no tame ni, tsukini kawatte, oshiokiyo!”
“Sailor Moon,” Mars breathed, pulling herself to her feet. “Masaka . . .”
Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter managed to stand, their leader’s appearance giving them back strength they thought long gone. Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen just behind her, smiled at her senshi. “I’ll handle this one,” she smiled. Turning to the stunned youma—who had been informed by Emerald that Sailor Moon was out of the picture for good—she raised her Cutie Moon Rod and pointed it at the winged menace. “Moon Princess Halation!!”
It screamed as it vanished, leaving behind a pile of dust and a tiny crystal inscribed with the inverted black moon sported by Rubius and Emerald. Utter silence filled the clearing, four stunned senshi staring at their leader, and Sailor Moon walked down the hill, smiling gently. “Konnichiwa, min’na.”
“Sailor Moon!” Mars jumped into Usagi’s arms, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury crowding around, reaching out to make sure she was real and not another dream. Luna and Artemis rubbed against the princess’s booted feet. “Usagi, you’re awake.”
Sailor Moon nodded, glancing at Tuxedo Kamen behind her, little Chibiusa safe in his arms. “They saved me. I’m sorry I was gone so long.”
“No! Don’t be. I’m just glad that you’re back.”
The senshi looked up as the familiar crowd of reporters crested the hill, eyes widening at the scene. “Sailor Moon’s back,” one of them whispered to her photographer, then lights flashed and the crowd descended.
Sailor Moon smiled at her senshi. “That’s our cue to leave. We can finish this reunion at the hospital.” Mars pulled away and turned to Tuxedo Kamen.
“Give us a second. Tuxedo Kamen, we, the Senshi, apologize.”
He raised his hand. “No, I apologize.” The five bowed, smiling, and Sailor Moon jumped into Tuxedo Kamen’s arms, kissing him deeply as she pulled Chibiusa into her loving embrace. Her boyfriend swept her into his arms, jumping away as the reporters cheered. Her senshi followed a minute later.
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“But there was no transfusion! Mako-chan?”
“I didn’t come, honestly. Ami-chan, what could have happened?”
“Her aura includes a faint energy reading I’ve never seen before. It’s not electricity-based like Mako-chan’s; it seems . . . water-based. But I’m the only water senshi. Mother?”
Usagi raised her hand, keeping Kae from having to lie. “Don’t worry. It doesn’t matter. Maybe it was a senshi from the future.” She looked at the little pink-haired girl nestled securely in her arms, and she smiled. “What we really need to worry about is Chibiusa. We need to go to the future and save her mother—um, me, I guess. That’s going to be weird, seeing myself.” She glanced at Mamoru, smiling. “And King Endymion.”
“Usagi!”
The blonde smiled as her family entered the full room, reaching up to hug each of them in turn, even her brother. Kenji glared at Mamoru sitting on Usagi’s bed, and the younger man tried to move away. “You know Mamo-chan, don’t you? My boyfriend?” Her parents smiled, accepting Mamoru once more, and Usagi sighed. “He and Chibiusa saved me.”
“Next time you fight youma, I want you to be more careful. I want you to make sure that you come home next time.”
Usagi’s eyes widened at her mother’s words, and Rei blushed. “We had to tell them, Usagi. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, because it makes this easier. Mom, Dad, I have to go to the future and fight the Dark Moon Family there.”
“How do you know the future’s in danger?”
Usagi glanced at the sleeping child in her arms. “Chibiusa’s my daughter from the future, and she came back to find her parents. Her mother’s in danger, and only the ginzuishou can save her.”
“Are you sure?”
“That she’s my daughter? Yes. Even without the way I feel about her, only a descendant of the Moon Royal Line can use the ginzuishou. She used it to save me. That’s proof.”
Ikuko nodded. “Just be careful, okay?”
Usagi looked at Mamoru sitting beside her and took his hand, smiling at each of her senshi in turn. “Don’t worry; I’m not alone. We will be fine.”
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Owari! This fic is continued in Crystal Shards
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