.
Usagi idly toyed with the device that had been provided by the mysterious "Koenma." Each of the Senshi had their own, and those hot guys they'd be working with. She stifled a giggle with her hand, eyes darting around the park reflexively. Then she relaxed, openly laughing at herself. All that time in the classroom was making her as uptight as those stuffy teachers!
She stretched out her legs with a smile, leaning back against the park bench. There was hardly anyone in sight. It was almost perfect. The sky was a bright blue, with no clouds, and a nice refreshing breeze. It would have been perfect, if only Tuxedo Kamen were here. Or Urameshi Yusuke, or Kurama. The thought of the beautiful redhead boy was enough to make her shiver. She was still embarrassed about having mistaken him for a girl; once you took a good look at him, it was obvious he was a guy.
She began studying the device, which was for communicating with all the others. Luna had given very specific instructions, accompanied by a long, boring lecture about not using it to socialize.
She frowned slightly. "As if," she muttered.
"As if what, Tsukino-san?"
She leapt to her feet, startled enough to squeal. "Don't you dare get any closer, you creep! I'll-" Then she noticed her "assailant." "Oh! Kurama!" Her face heated. "G-gomen! I didn't realize it was you."
"Its all right, Tsukino-san," he said with a gorgeous smile.
He was so polite! If only more guys were as good-looking and nice as Kurama! "Oh, please, don't be so formal," she scolded gently. "Just call me Usagi."
"Hai," He mock-saluted her. She laughed and teasingly swatted at him.
"So, what are you doing here?" she asked him, sitting back down on the park bench.
"Actually, I'm here to talk business."
Her smile faded. "I thought Luna already told you everything."
"I thought I'd talk to the people who've actually fought him." His tone was apologetic. "I'd like to know what you think of them... fighting styles, what you think their strengths and weaknesses in battle might be."
So she told him everything she could think of, with him coaxing her every once in a while with specific questions. 'I don't know' wasn't good enough for him. Whenever she tried to answer that way, he redirected her with other questions until she realized she'd somehow managed to answer the original question. When he was finally done, she felt as exhausted as if she'd run a mile, and told him so.
"Gomen, but I really needed to know this stuff." He said. As if in apology, he offered her his hand. "How about I take you out to lunch?"
"Lunch?" She perked up at the word. "Oh, I'd love it!" Ignoring his hand, she leapt to her feet. "I want pizza- extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage, anchovies- and ice cream- triple chocolate- with..."
.
Kurama hardly raised an eyebrow, though in truth he wanted to gag at Usagi's awful taste in... well, everything. Instead, he sat politely across from her, trying not to stare or avert his eyes. It simply wouldn't do to seem rude.
"Wow, this is really great," the blond muttered around a mouthful of food. "Thanks, Kurama. It was nice of you to treat me to lunch."
Lunch? The child was consuming enough for several lunches, and dinner and snacks besides!
"It was the least I could do," he said demurely, inclining his head. But he couldn't keep his attention on the present; it kept drifting to thoughts of Zoisite and Jadeite. So he'd seen Zoisite, knew he was alive, if not necessarily well, but of Jadeite he knew not one thing. Apparently, Usagi didn't know much, either. "Jadeite was around for a while at the beginning," she'd said, "but he disappeared just before Nephrite came. We don't know what happened to him."
He nibbled on his lower lip unconsciously as he thought. Usagi, completely oblivious to his preoccupation, continued chatting nonstop while managing to eat at the same time. Amazingly enough, she'd choked not once.
He thought back to the days he'd spent with them. The fact that he had completely forgotten until seeing his old friend jolted his memory bothered him a great deal. As was the case with most immortal and near-immortal races, kitsune could never forget anything. He could recall the first moments of his life as vividly as he could recall what happened seconds ago. Both his lives. He shivered slightly at the thought of the time before his human body had been born... those months spent in the womb. What an awful experience that had been.
The only conclusion he could come to was that some very powerful being had tampered with his mind. Who, though? Beryl? According to Luna and the Senshi, she was powerful, but not omnipotent. How would she have known he was their friend? Unless she'd been watching them for a time before reclaiming them, but that didn't make any sense. Surely, even watching them wouldn't have revealed that they were no less loyal- as far as he was aware, they'd done nothing that might reveal that they were more than they had seemed. Also, watching didn't seem to fit her character: according to Artemis, she was often unsubtle to the point of idiocy, relying on brute force to win. Not one to suspect her people of treachery, either. She killed on whim, but because her followers were incompetent, not because they were traitors. Both cats had made references to spies during the Silver Millennium, who'd had no problem infiltrating her ranks as long as they performed moderately well. So why would she have taken time to watch them, if she didn't suspect dissension
For the life of him, he couldn't figure it out. But if there was one thing a kitsune loved more than rice and sex, it was a puzzle. Leaning forward on his elbows, he licked his lips, eyes sparkling in anticipation of a challenge.
"Usagi! Kurama!" He straightened instantly, eyes darting down to Luna.
"Is something wrong?" he queried.
"Whaz up?" Usagi swallowed her last mouthful hastily.
"You'll never guess who I saw lurking around!" she hissed.
"Tuxedo Kamen?"
"Baka! Start using your brain, Usagi!"
"Who?" Kurama demanded.
Luna rolled her eyes in his direction. "Kunzite and Zoisite!"
His eyes widened. "Zoisite? Where?!" He jumped to his feet. "Where is he?"
Luna frowned at him, suspicion narrowing her eyes. Usagi slumped in her seat, resembling her namesake. "Both of them?" she squeaked. "Kurama, you don't really plan on going after them with just the two of us, do you?"
He blinked at her. "Well..." Go after Zoisite? But that other guy, Kunzite, would be there. Why must things always be so complicated? "It probably wouldn't be a good idea, but... I really should take this opportunity to check out their fighting style." Nice excuse, he thought dryly. But I really need to see Zoisite again. "You don't have to come if you don't want to," he told Usagi, noting her worried expression.
"Well, that's fine with me..."
"Usagi!" Luna glowered at the girl. "You're not really going to let him face them alone!" It wasn't a question.
"Shall we go, then?" He could barely contain his impatience, tossing money on the table and walking out of the place, not sure if Usagi was following and not really caring.
"Hey! Wait up!" Usagi launched herself after him. "Why are you in such a rush all of a sudden?"
"Gomen," he muttered, but hurried along, eyes sharp. "Luna, where did you see them?"
"Not far from here," she replied, darting ahead of them. "Follow me."
They jogged along behind her, Kurama gracefully dodging the people in their way, Usagi not so gracefully dodging, but at least she didn't fall. "Shouldn't we call the others?" she asked breathlessly, face already red even though they kept a pace Kurama wouldn't consider a warm-up, much less strenuous.
"I don't think so," he told her, never taking his eyes off Luna. "We'll call them later, if need be."
She nodded ascent, and they both concentrated on the catlike being ahead of them. Finally she veered off down a smallish, semi-deserted street. Kurama started around the corner, but Usagi grabbed his arm, dragging him to a halt.
"I can't face them like this," she whispered.
"Then hurry up, Usagi," Luna said, trotting over to stand beside her. "If you want to catch them, we'll have to hurry."
"Hai!"
Kurama quickly turned away and jogged down the alley, turning his mind away from such nonsense. If you face an enemy, then by the gods, face him as yourself!
About halfway down the alley he slowed to a walk, peering to and fro intently. The alley itself was long and narrow, though well lit, with plenty of hiding places from which to ambush an unsuspecting foe. Not a place he'd want to face an enemy, unless he'd gotten there first.
"Hmmm, well, aren't you a pretty boy." The tone held a small amount of admiration, and a great deal of contempt.
He whirled to face the speaker, a tall man with long, silverish hair and an air of arrogance. But his eyes were drawn to the smaller figure next to him, whose green eyes were wide with shock. "Zoisite?" Too late he realized it was a bad idea to speak his name.
The other man blinked as Zoisite took a step back, looking uneasy. "You know him?" The man's voice was accusatory.
Zoisite bit his lower lip. "We met, Kunzite... while I was with Nephrite." His lips curled suddenly in a cocky smile, eyes gleaming. "Minamino, wasn't it?" He turned his face toward Kunzite. "I doubt he has anything to do with the Senshi, Kunzite-sama."
Kurama regarded them coolly. "Actually, I do have something to do with the Senshi, as a matter of fact." His own lips curled into a smirk. "Among humans I'm known as Minamino... but you can call me Kurama."
The carefully chosen words seemed to hit Zoisite like a punch to the groin. His eyes widened as far as they'd go, and his expression was reminiscent to that of someone in a great deal of pain. He fought to keep concern off his face for the small man- surely memories of him couldn't be that painful.
Kunzite's eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you were foolish enough to admit it." His icy eyes were chilling as he smiled. "It's the last mistake you'll ever make."
Kurama laughed at him, tossing his hair and favoring Kunzite with a cold smile of his own. "Insolence isn't becoming in children, Kunzite," he told the pale man haughtily. Surely, even this fellow couldn't beat his thousand-some-odd years. Those years weighed on him like a cloak, giving him an air of arrogance and worldly sophistication that was surely earned.
Kunzite literally hissed, his indignation echoed in his very posture. "You'll pay for that!" An energy ball formed in his hand, and he flung it at the redhead, fury in his eyes.
"Kunzite, no!" Zoisite flung himself at the King, and Kurama dodged the energy ball and flung himself at both of them. "Zoisite!"
The coppery-haired man grabbed Kunzite's arm, tugging him astray. "No, Kunzite,"
Green eyes narrowing, Kurama summoned his favorite weapon. "ROSE WHIP!"
Zoisite's eyes widened in shock as the whip narrowly missed him, and would have taken Kunzite's head off completely had the tall King not leapt quickly to the side. As it was, the thorns sliced his cheek, drawing frightening amounts of blood, from Zoisite's point of view, at least. "Kunzite-sama....?"
Kunzite, for all his obviously painful wound, smirked disdainfully at the redhead, who poised on the balls of his feet, whip ready. "Hardly more than a scratch," he sneered. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me!"
"He's not going to have to do anything more than that!" All eyes were drawn to the mouth of the alley, where Sailor Moon stood proudly, Luna by her side. "I am Sailor Moon, and I'll- waaaaah!"
The blonde barely managed to leap aside as Kunzite flung an energy bolt her way. "Ha! Fools! There's no way you can stop us!"
.
Zoisite was shocked by the turn of events. Minamino... Kurama? It hurt to think about that for some reason. Kunzite... freaking out.. there was no other term for it. And Minamino.... Kurama... helping the Senshi. It still hurt.
"Zoisite!" He whirled to face the redhead. "Mina- Kurama?"
The slender man looked him in the eye. "Look, Zoisite, I know this might sound odd, but... we have met before." Kurama pressed something into his hand, and then seemed to disappear. Not that Zoisite took much notice, as mention of knowing him before had sent lances of blinding agony through his head. He was barely aware of crying out, barely aware of Kunzite's worried "Zoisite!", and lost consciousness before he even hit the ground.
.
Kurama took advantage of Kunzite's distraction (caused by Zoisite's fall, which worried Kurama, though he didn't pause to help), Kurama grabbed Usagi- Sailor Moon- by the arm and hauled her quickly away. "I've seen enough," he told her as the alley disappeared from sight.
Usagi jerked out of his grasp. "Okay! No need to drag me all the way across town!" She rubbed her arm where he had been holding it. "I certainly hope you got all the answers you needed?"
He nodded absently. "If you did," Luna said, "then I have a question I'd like to ask you."
"Yes?"
Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know Zoisite?"
.
Zoisite groaned as his eyes fluttered open. "Huh?" Kunzite's concerned face filled came into view. "Kunzite?"
His lover scowled viciously. "What did that bastard do to you, Zoisite?"
"I can't remember." But then he could: the thing Kurama had given him, the pain at thinking over his words. Even now, remembrance of his words caused pain, but not as much as before.
Kunzite helped him to his feet, all the while frowning in the direction they had fled. Zoisite clutched the thing in his hand tightly, keeping it tucked behind his back.
"Don't worry, Zoisite," he muttered, his back to the smaller man. "We'll get him."
Zoisite quickly turned around and brought the thing, a picture, to his face. Pain- "Smile, kids. I want to take a picture."- a great deal of pain-He didn't normally bother with such nonsense, but Kurama and Jadeite were both smiling, so he played along-almost enough to make him collapse again. A flash, and Shiori-san lowered the camera, smiling. "You guys are so cute!" she said delightedly.
Zoisite swayed, blood draining from his face, at not just because of the pain. 'Oh gods... Jadeite... Kurama... what's going on?!'
