(It is evening. Story begins at the restaurant with
Chibiusa, Setsuna, Michiru and Haruka all leaving for the airport.
Hotaru and Usagi are coming around the corner just as Haruka's sportscar
pulls off. Outside the four guardians stand.)
"Good luck, guys!!" the four girls, Rei, Ami, Mako,
and Mina said, waving to Haruka Tenou's sportscar. With a screech,
the car took off down the street. They stood staring down the street
until they were nothing but a dot in the sunset.
"MINNA!!!" Usagi shouted at her friends, running to
them, nearly knocking them over in the process.
"USAGI-CHAN!!" they shouted in response.
"You're OK!! What are you doing out here?" asked Rei.
Usagi waited for Hotaru to meet her side. "Haruka-san
told us to meet you all here," Usagi said softly. She was smiling
at her friends broadly, grabbing lightly to Minako-chan's arm. "Where'd
the other's go?"
Tension ran through the group. No one could tell her
that the Outers went to check on Mamoru. For sure, there'd be hell
to pay, once she found out the truth.
"Umm. .they said that they had to. .umm .." Mako began,
hoping someone would take the slack.
". . they had to take care of some business. .right,
Rei?" Mina continued for Mako. Usagi's head turned in Mina's direction.
Hotaru looked at Mina and knew she was blatantly lying.
How Usagi didn't see through it, she had not a clue. She merely sat
back and watched the façade. Rei nodded, unable to lie directly to
Usagi, and poor Ami, couldn't even look her friend in the eye.
"OK, what are they REALLY doing?" Usagi asked, putting
her hands on her hips.
"Well, it has to do with Mamoru-san. . " Ami ventured.
The others stared at Ami's confession. How could she
reveal such a thing to Usagi? Has she any idea where Usagi's mind
could take that notion?
Usagi's eyes lit up with fear. "What's wrong with Mamo-chan?
Did he come back from Akita already?"
"NANI?!?!? You knew where he was??" they shouted, towering
over Usagi's head. Their faces were drawn into lines of shock.
"Of course I did! Did you REALLY think Mamo-chan could
slip away and I wouldn't know where he was?" Usagi laughed out loud,
her mouth the size of a football. She came close and whispered, "I
was spying on Chibiusa when I heard that he was leaving to train in
Akita." She giggled at the thought. "Where is she anyway?"
"Chibiusa went with the others," Mako told Usagi. "I
don't know if we should tell. ."
"We don't exactly have a choice now, Mako , " Ami said.
She told Usagi and Hotaru about the Shadow Warrior's plot to get the
blood stones.
Usagi's eyes began to water. No one deserves this much
torture, she thought. She remembered all the other times Mamoru had
been taken by evil, and knew that she could not forgive this.
"We must go to him. He may need us," she rationalized.
"But Michiru said for us to stay here until they find
out what's going on," Mina reminded them.
Hotaru finally spoke. "Usagi-chan's right. We must
go to Mamoru-san." Everything was silent for a moment, then they nodded
in agreement. They waited until it was totally dark and walked to
the park. There, they transformed, then joined hands and shouted,
"SAILOR TELEPORT!!" Concentrating their powers, they began to glow
and suddenly, without a trace, they disappeared.
"Are you sure they will come, Setsuna?"
"Of course, Michiru. Don't they always?" she gave a
sly smile. "Besides, Usagi already knows where Mamoru is. It's only
a matter of time. Actually, I wouldn't' be surprised if they were
already there."
Michiru laid her head on the sleeping Haruka. Such
a long day, she thought. They arrived at the small airport not long
after they left the restaurant, and were quickly on the private airplane
to Akita. It was a short trip anyhow, and the nap would do Haruka
wonders. She looked at Chibiusa, who was sleeping on Setsuna's lap.
So kawaii, Michiru thought, smiling. Her hand reached for Haruka's,
and she was greeted with a gentle squeeze.
Ahh, she sighed. Mamoru had to have the stone. The
time was coming near for the ultimate battle. She could feel it. .
The Inner Senshi and Super Sailor Saturn arrived in
Akita within moments of leaving. They landed near a stream, and began
to walk in a northerly direction. Although Akita was not a big place,
there were quite a few houses throughout the city. Where could they
begin?
"How are we going to find Mamoru?" Eternal Sailor Moon
asked.
Mercury pulled out her computer. "I can hone in on
Mamoru's scent and approximate his distance from our current position.
It should be no problem."
"You never cease to amaze me, Mercury ," said Mars,
shaking her head. Soon, she had a solid reading.
"He's in that direction, " she said, pointing toward
the stream they just left.
Venus began to think. "Wait a minute, guys. Do you
really think that his sensei is going to let us in at this time of
night? Maybe we should stay somewhere till the morning."
They all agreed that this was a good idea. They could
save their strength for tomorrow's impending battle. But where were
they going to stay?
"I have a friend the lives not too far from here. She'll
put us up for the night," Venus said, smiling.
Wow, Usagi thought. Everything's falling into place.
They de-transformed, and began walking a short distance to the next
house. Minako knocked on the door, and a young woman came to the door,
wearing a jade kimono.
"Konbanwa, Miyaki-sama."
"Minako-chan? Is that really you? Come in, come in!!
And these are your friends. ." the sweet young woman Miyaki stepped
aside and let the crew in.
Everyone came inside and took off their shoes. Minako
introduced everyone to her friend Miyaki.
"I met her when I was Sailor V. I was careless one day,
and she accidentally saw my real identity. But we've been friends
ever since," Mina explained her relationship with Miyaki.
She took everyone to a large room with mats on the
floors. "I'm sorry about the accommodations, but we're renovating
the place. This is our training hall. Please make yourselves at home."
"Arigato. ." everyone said softly, bowing graciously.
It was already midnight and sleep slowly claimed each
of the girls. An hour later, Usagi was disturbed by a dream of Mamoru,
and she decided to get up for a breath of fresh air. She looked out
the window, deciding that it wasn't too cool for her to walk out barefoot.
Rei, who was sleeping next to her, sensed the loss of body heat next
to hers, and realized that Usagi was awake. She feigned sleep and
watched Usagi look out the window. She really did miss Mamoru. .
Usagi pulled open the sliding door and began her trek.
Rei decided to follow her at a distance but, never allowed her to
disappear out of her sight. A sudden feeling overcame Usagi, and she
was overwhelmed with the urge to return to the stream they arrived
at earlier. As she headed in the direction of the stream, she saw
a strange red light glowing from afar. Curious, she walked closer
to the light.
"Mamo-chan. ."
The tall male figure turned around to face Usagi. Mamoru-san,
Rei thought. His body was possessed with an evil force, and it was
emanating a red light from his surface. Couldn't Usagi see it? Didn't
she know he was dangerous??
"Mamo-chan. .are you OK? The others told me that you
were in danger. Has anything strange happened?" Usagi asked, grabbing
Mamoru's hand and rubbing it against her soft skin.
"I'm fine, Usako. There's nothing wrong. Things couldn't
be better, now that you're here," he smiled.
Mamoru pulled Usagi close to his body. She could feel
his irregular heartbeat, and knew that he missed her. She placed her
hands on his shoulders, bracing herself for the oncoming kiss. His
head bent ever so slowly toward her pink lips.
Rei couldn't stand by and watch this any longer. She
couldn't see that he was possessed, she decided. Just as Mamoru's
lips touched Usagi's, Rei shouted, "Usagi, NO!!!! That's not Mamoru!!"
Usagi's head turned in Rei's direction. "Nani?" she
said softly. Mamoru raised his eyes to face Rei, and she saw his eyes
flicker red. She sucked in her breath. Usagi's in danger, she thought.
Mamoru ran his glowing hand over Usagi's eyes. Her pupils dilated
and she was in a trance immediately. Mamoru continued to lean in and
kiss her.
A serious voice rung out through the dense air.
"Hold it right there. . ."
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