No One's Fault Chapter 3
Author: Patch
E-mail: patchkhan1@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13

Later, in the small hospital of the palace, Usagi lay patiently on the hospital bed as Ami went through the routine of a check up. Mamoru stood beside her, occasionally stroking her hair.
"Well the baby seems to be in a good position and I don't think we'll have to do an ultrasound unless you would like me to do one."
"Iie, I trust you and besides, I'm feeling so tired, I'll probably fall asleep before I can even see her. I'm going to have an early dinner and then go right to bed after this."
Mamoru chuckled and helped his wife sit up. "Chibi-Usa will be missing her daily reading then."
"Nani? What do you mean by that?" Ami asked, confused.
"Usako reads to Chibi-Usa every night and sometimes if the moon is out, she'll even howl-"
"It is not howling, it's called singing!" Usagi replied hotly.
"That's not what my ears tell me,"
he replied, laughing and moving away before she could hit him.
Ami laughed along as Usagi shot her a glare. "I think that's very cute, Usagi-chan, it's just the picture of you reading to your tummy..."
"It's the motherly thing to do!" Usagi cried defensively. "You'll see, Chibi-Usa will be born intelligent if I continue reading to her."
"She'll be naturally intelligent, love," Mamoru replied, steering her out of the room. "Make sure to keep me updated on that energy Ami."
"Sou."

Much later, as most of the palace slept, Usagi still lay awake with Mamoru as he held her in his arms.
"Mamo-chan... I'm worried."
"Hmm... about what?"
"Well, I remember vaguely of the times when Chibi-Usa would come to us from the future but I remember clearly once how she said that even in the future I burnt cookies (AN: SuperS movie). If I can't even make cookies properly, how will I be a good mother?"
"Usako," Mamoru replied sleepily, "no mother is perfect but you'll do just fine as you are. Don't forget, Chibi-Usa loved her mother very much, she spoke about her almost constantly, so I'd say you'll be doing a pretty good job of raising our daughter."
"We'll both do a good job..."
"Hai, that we will..." he drifted off to sleep, one of his hands moving down to her stomach. Usagi clutched it with one of hers and stayed awake a little longer.
She loved this unborn child of hers so much already. In these past five months she had become quite attached to the life growing inside of her, and she prayed that she'd become a good mother. She felt a slight fluttering and it was as though her daughter were comforting her, reassuring her that everything would turn out alright. Usagi finally drifted off with the kind of glowing smile that can only be found on expectant woman, on her face.
Not even an hour later, someone banged on their door.
"Your Majesties, we have an emergency!"
Mamoru immediately woke up as did Usagi and quickly pulled on a shirt, striding to the door. "What is it?" he asked.
"We have an invasion, he... he demands your attention."
"Who?"
"He has not given his name, Your Highness, but he is in the throne room, demanding your attention."
"We'll be right there," Mamoru replied. He turned away from the door to see Usagi standing there, already dressed.
"Usako, you don't have to go. I'll take care of whoever it was. I'm sure it's nothing big."
"Iie, I'm going with you. I want to give this person a piece of my mind for disturbing us at such a time."
Mamoru smiled at her words but he felt uneasy about her going down also.
"Usa-"
"Mamo-chan, you're making our 'guest' wait. Hurry up!"
He sighed heavily and quickly changed. They met up with the guard as they walked to the throne room.
"How did this man get in?" Usagi asked.
"We don't know."
"Nani?" Usagi almost stopped walking but caught herself. "How do you *not* know how he came in?"
"He triggered one of the sensors in the throne room and when the guards came, he ordered us to make his presence known to the King and Queen."
"Usako, maybe you should stay back, we don't know how dangerous he might be."
"Mamo-chan, it'll be alright."
"If it helps, Your Highnesses, all the Senshi are already there," the guard said eagerly.
Mamoru shot him a glare while Usagi gave him a grateful smile. By this time they had reached the room and entered it, noticing the eight Senshi standing off to one side.
A man stood near the steps that led to the thrones, his back to them. A cape was draped over his shoulders and hearing their footsteps, he turned slowly to face them.
He was a handsome man, wearing a gray suit shot with silver thread and his hair fell loosely around his shoulders. He gave off an air of power and confidence.
"Please state your name and purpose," Usagi said authoritatively. The Inner Senshi walked to the royal couple and flanked them on either side, while the Outers continued to stand in the same place watching the man warily.
"Ah, Neo-Queen Serenity, I presume? A pleasure to meet you Your Highness. I have heard much about you and have waited long to acquire your presence."
"You have not answered the Queen's question," Mamoru said, pushing aside the man's flattery.
"Such impatience King Endymion. My name will be disclosed to you at a later time, but right now, there are other matters more important to me that I must discuss.
Then state your purpose sir," Usagi said.
"My purpose? I come in peace, my mission is peace therefore my purpose is peace," he replied smiling slightly. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"You are playing with us sir!" Usagi said, frustrated. The man was beating around the bush and it was annoying her. She felt Mamoru's arm come around her waist comfortingly.
"What do you want?" Mamoru asked bluntly.
"I want many things, Endymion. Which would you like to hear about first?"
Usage had had it. "Guards!" she cried out. "My patience is at its end sir. If you cannot give us a straight answer, then you will be escorted to a cell on the violation of breaking and entering the throne room."
"That will not be necessary Serenity. I will tell you my purpose. You see I am from the planet Negasus and I want your planet!" He threw a ball of energy towards the group so suddenly that no one had time to react.
The ball hit them and exploded with smoke and charged electricity. Guards came rushing in and for a moment, everyone feared the worst until the smoke cleared and there stood the Inner Senshi and the royal couple, protected by a shield powered by the Queen.
The shield slowly faded and Mamoru caught Usagi as she fell forward.
"It's a surprise attack!" Mamoru yelled. "Sailor Senshi, cover us and get him! I have to get Serenity out of here!"
"I don't think so Endymion," the man's voice boomed out. "You see, I have taken in interest to your headstrong Queen and-"
"You will not have me!" Usagi yelled as she held onto Mamoru for support.
"What I want, I get! Youmas attack!" the man shouted.
Usagi watched in horror as the room's windows began to shatter and youmas of all sorts came flying in. Guards and Senshi fought as the throne room was transformed into a battlefield.
Mamoru kept Usagi close to him, guarding her as they tried to make their way to the doors.
All of a sudden the doors exploded as a blast from one of the youmas hit the wood and the two were thrown back, skidding against the floor.
"Endymion!" Usagi screamed as a pain shot up through her body. She saw the Senshi run to her and her last thought before she blacked out was of the baby.

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered to the sound of voices. Usagi realized she was in her own bed and desperately tried to hear the conversation going on at the side of the bed.
"Will she be alright?"
"I believe so. That blast did hurt her but not severely, she should come to in a little while."
"And the baby?"
"I've done a scan and..."
The voices moved further away and Usagi was seized by a sense of panic. She had to know was going on and she forced her eyes open despite the fact that it hurt so much to do so.
"Ami," she gasped, "the baby. Tell me about Chibi-Usa."
"Usagi-chan, it's alright." Ami's face came into view as the Senshi pressed her back down gently. "The baby seems to be okay and I don't see any complications."
"Oh thank God," Usagi whispered, swallowing and closing her eyes. In the next instant she had opened them again. "Mamo-chan?" she called out.
"I'm right here, Usako," she saw him lean over her to place a soft kiss on her forehead. "Everything will be alright."
"Our baby will be okay, won't she?"
"Hai, she will."
"How are the Senshi?" she asked.
"They're fine. They were able to control all the youmas, 'dust them' as we used to say and Tiros was caught and is now under close watch."
"Is that his name? I want to speak to that man, he won't know pain until he meets with me."
Mamoru chuckled and kissed her once more. "You can do that later. Right now, just rest." He held her hand and watched as she quickly fell asleep and then pulled his hand from her grasp and motioned for Ami to follow him out the door.
"Tell me the truth," he began bluntly. "What are the chances?"
"I'm not sure Mamoru-san," Ami replied, shifting her gaze away from him. "It all depends on how well Usagi-chan's body can handle all of what happened tonight. It's basically a wait-and-see kind of period right now."
"I will kill that man if anything happens to Usako, I swear it."
"Just pray for the best, Mamoru-san and keep Usagi-chan comfortable. She doesn't need to worry about anything, she doesn't need the added stress."
"Hai, I know. Thank you for all of your help."
"No problem, just call me if anything happens," Ami replied as she walked away.
Mamoru watched her go and then sighed, resting his head against the door. He moved away from it and went inside, stopping a moment by the bed, to watch his wife sleep. She looked so peaceful and she lay on her back so that he could see the slight rise of her stomach.
When he had climbed in next to her, he brought her close to him, stroking her side. "Everything will be alright," he whispered, "everything will be alright."

Usagi awoke very late into the morning the next day. She sat up slowly, feeling odd and disoriented. She realized she was alone in the big room and shivered, feeling cold suddenly. Everything was so quiet and she couldn't hear any voices or anything of the sort. A tingling of dread began to crawl up her spine.
Her mouth felt parched and she slowly swung her legs around to get up. She walked a few steps away from the bed feeling herself shuffle like an old woman. Slowly she straightened and in an instant knew it was the wrong thing to do.
A keening wail broke from her mouth as a sudden cramp struck her, feeling as though it was twisting her gut. It was followed by another sharp and painful cramp and her legs gave way as she crumbled to the floor. This time a scream tore from her throat and she clutched her stomach and doubled over from the pain that centered around her pelvic area.
The door to the bedroom burst open and she felt herself being lifted to a standing position.
"Usako!"
It was Mamoru and she opened her eyes, grabbing onto his forearms, terrified eyes looking into his own. She opened her mouth to say his name instead, a cry came forth as another cramp struck her. And then she felt it... time seemed to halt as she opened her eyes again and felt something wet trickle down her legs. In that moment she knew...
Time speeded up and Usagi screamed again as the pain ripped at her in huge waves. Mamoru lifted her up and rushed her to the bed, his heart beating painfully. She heard other people rush in and saw Ami and Rei standing above her and she saw the tears already falling from Rei's eyes. It was enough and her tears began to fall too. She knew what was going on.
"Mamo-chan please! Stop it, make it stop!" she screamed, clutching the bed sheets, twisting and bunching them. "Onegai, I don't, I can't lose her! Please!" she sobbed. She saw him cry too; he didn't make a sound but his cheeks were wet and he too knew what was going on. Everyone would know soon.
"Please, stop it! Please!" Usagi continued to scream, her voice slowly becoming hoarse. "Mamo-chan, help me!" The tears fell rapidly and as she turned her head from side to side, she could feel their wetness on her pillow.
The blood continued to course down her legs and she knew the white sheets she had slept on the night before would be stained red. And then in one last vicious cramp that caused her body to arch upwards, she felt something... leave her.
A hollowness filled her entire being, from her physical body to her mental soul and she continued to scream even though the pain was slowly receding. She screamed not for the pain, but for the loss and the agony of knowing what she had lost. She would have never thought it possible, never in all her life. To lose... She had lost something precious, something that had been a part of her... a miracle no more...
Everyone would know... the Queen had suffered a miscarriage.

"Is there nothing we can do to help them?" asked the voice.
"Child, you have much to learn," said the second.
"We must not interfere, we do not exist in their world... we cannot exist," added the third voice.
"I do not like causing pain to those who do not deserve it," the first voice said.
"You do not cause it..."
"It is already foreseen..."

End.