I'll Cover You cpt 5

I grabbed my camera and rushed out the door, following those pigtails.

And I started sneezing again. I looked around, trying to find what it was that's doing this to me.

I looked up in time to see Usagi's cat. Yeah, the talking cat. It doesn't seem like it likes me, either. I could see something shiny hanging from its mouth. I also saw a crescent moon on its forehead right before it dropped the heavy pot on my face.

"Help me..."

I open my eyes. A flash of gold. Silver. Blue.

"Endymion, help me..."

"How am I supposed to help you? Where are you?"

And what the hell am I doing in armour?

I spin around to see her silhouette. Her hair and dress are blowing in the wind. What's on her head? Mickey Mouse ears?

"Endymion, you're so close! Please free me! Find the crystal!"

Behind her, I see red. Beady eyes. A sword.

"Serenity, look out!"

The red figure holds the sword to Serenity's neck and slits her throat. She didn't have time to scream, she just fell to the ground in a heap of gold and silver.

"Serenity!"

My princess (my princess?!) lifts up her head. "Darien..."

She has Usagi's face.

Then I woke up.

I feel like shit. Why can't I open my eyes?

"Darien?"

"Serenity?"

An "I told you!" is whispered.

"No, it's just me, Usagi. And Ami-chan and Mako-chan."

"Hi everybody!" I say like that doctor on the Simpsons. They don't get it. Oh well. "So, uh, do you know what's wrong with me?"

"We found you in front of my house with a camera and a pot."

There's a phrase I never thought I'd hear.

"Uh...how did I get in front of your house with a camera and a pot?"

Ami speaks. "What's the last thing you remember?"

It hurts to think. "I was in Usagi's house, and I was on a lot of drugs for my allergy...and Sailor Moon was there, and a talking cat. Oh, man. I'm hallucinating."

They giggle. "Yup. Like talking cats and Sailor Moon are real, Darien.," Makoto laughs.

"Why can't I open my eyes?"

A hand touches my face. I take it in mine. It's warm and makes me feel better about my mysterious hospital visit. "Usagi?"

"Yes, Darien. The doctors said that whoever had the pot hit you in the head, right between the eyes. Your sight will come back in a few weeks."

"A few weeks?!" I sit straight up. "No! I'm a photographer! I can't be blind for a few weeks, or I'll lose my job! Get someone to fix this! Now, why can't I open my eyes?"

"Your eyes are open, Darien."

I collapse back onto the bed. "No...this can't be happening..."

"Don't worry, Darien, I'll take care of you."

"This isn't your responsibility, Usagi."

"Yes it is. You got hurt in front of my house. Now don't be stubborn."

"Yes, ma'am..."

"That's better. Now, they'll let you go tomorrow morning, so you get some rest, and then we'll take you to my house, okay?"

"Okay," I yawn. I hear footsteps, and the door closes. I drift off, feeling like there's something important I have to remember, when a voice stirs me wide awake.

"Darien?"

"Who are you?" A sneeze.

"Don't worry about that. Who is Serenity?"

"Whad? Atchoo!"

"Darien, this is important! Who is Serenity?"

"She's some girl in my dreams, I don't know. Probably some recurring character I made up. Those dreams are over anyway, she just got killed in the last one."

"By a woman with red hair?"

I would stay silent with shock if I weren't having an allergy attack. "Yes. How did you--"

"What does Serenity look like? Did you see her?"

"Listen. I'm not talking to you anymore until you tell me who you are."

"I am Luna."

"Could you get more specific, Luna?"

"My name is all you need to know. What did Serenity look like in your dreams?"

"A silhouette in Mickey Mouse ears. Gold, silver, and blue. And after she died, she looked like Usagi."

I hear an audible gasp, then the pitter-patter of feet. My nose unclogs. The talking cat? Yeah, right. This must be one of those dreams where you dream you're asleep, then wake up.

Mmm...sleep.

A restless night ensued after the talking cat dream.

Dream #1: I was Endymion (armour and all), strolling through gardens, and I saw Serenity spying on me. I thought about drawing my sword, but decided against it. Her smile was too sweet. I approached her, and saw gold and silver before waking up.

Dream #2: Endymion was outside a castle, and knotted sheets dropped to me. I scaled the castle walls. My stop was an open window, leading to a room containing candles, a large bed, and Serenity in a silky slip. Unfortunately, I woke up before anything interesting happened.

Dream #3: Raye and Usagi were in a wrestling ring, arguing over me. Just plain bizarre.

Dream #4: The woman with red hair killed Serenity again. But before I could reach the princess to see her face, I get killed, too. Or at least woken up.

Dream #5: I was at a soccer game, and I realised that a much younger me was running out on the field. Andrew, the goalie, had caught the ball with his stomach. He hit the ground, gasping for air. The coach tried to shoo people away, but I crawled right next to him and put my hand on his stomach. He coughed, then was fine. No one noticed my feat.

Dream #6: Another to go into the recurring dream hall of fame - my parents' death. We were out for a Sunday drive, and they accidentally veered off a bridge to avoid a maniac driver. I sat in the car, under the water, drowning with my parents, and then I saw Endymion. He whispered, "No, we didn't come back for this," then carried me out of the car. That's never happened before in that dream.

Dream #7: Usagi held my left arm, Serenity held my right, and Raye held my feet. They all started pulling in different directions, yelling, "He's mine!" And then, Serenity and Usagi pulled in the same direction, and Raye smiled and let go of me.

What the hell did they give me at this hospital?

"Darien?"

"Who's there?"

"I didn't think you'd forget me so quickly..."

Oh my God. "Raye? Raye, is it you?"

"Yes. I heard you were here."

"How...why...you're in Japan?!"

"I just thought I'd come see you. You okay?"

"Oh, God, Raye, please stay with me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."

"Stop, Darien. It's been too long by this point."

"No! No, it hasn't Raye!" I reach out for her. "Please, Raye. Stay and talk to me. Hear me out."

"I've been hearing you. You were saying her name in your sleep."

"Whose name?"

"Serenity."

"Raye, please, just forget that. It's just a dream. I--"

"No! It's more than a dream, Darien! I know that now!" I can tell by her voice that she's crying. "I...I have to go now."

"Raye, wait. I love you."

Silence. I didn't hear the door, so I know she's still here.

"I...I don't love you, Darien." She's choking back sobs. "You...look for Serenity. Seek her out in your dreams. She's the one who loves you."

Her heels click across the floor as she runs from the room. Why would she lie like that? Why is Serenity so important to her? I hate being stuck here. I want to get up and follow her. I want to hold her and tell her I love her and give her the engagement ring. Yeah, I still have it with me. Why can't my eyes just work?

"Darien?"

"Hi, Usagi."

"Why are you sad?"

"Did you see that girl that just left my room?"

"No. Who was she? What did she do?"

"It was my ex-girlfriend. The one that's supposed to be in America. I don't know why she's here, or how she knows I'm in the hospital, but she left after saying we were completely over."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Usagi pauses. "Strange, but somehow I feel it is." Another pause. "Oh well, ready to go to my house?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nope! You're coming with me! Now, get in this wheelchair!"

"Usagi, I'm blind, not crippled. Unless, of course, this means we get better parking."

"Baka! Get in!"

Usagi drives me to her home in a wild ride, and helps me find my way around her house. My room is next to hers, "in case I need anything."

"What about all my things at my apartment?"

"Hmm...I hadn't thought about that."

"And, as much as I thank you for your hospitality, Usagi, I feel odd leaving my place all alone."

Usagi sighs. "I guess I shouldn't have invited you here, then, should I?"

"No, but thank you."

"Okay, let me pack a suitcase, and we'll drive to your place!"

"Sure, I'll wait right here and-- what?! A suitcase? What do you need a suitcase for, Usagi?"

"Well, you can't stay here, and I'm not leaving you home alone. I'm going to live at your place until you're better!" I can almost hear her grin.

"No, Usagi. It's not a big enough place! There's only one bedroom and a couch..."

"I'll sleep on the couch!"

"Usagi..."

"Nope! You're my responsibility, and I don't want to hear another peep out of you!"

"Peep."

I'm in bed, trying to get some more sleep, and I hear a frantic beeping from the living room (which Usagi has claimed as her own). Some Japanese was exchanged, and then I heard my front door close. Odd that Usagi would leave without telling me.

I try to get to sleep, but this voice keeps nagging at me. She needs your help. Go to her.

"Who needs my help?" I open my eyes to see Endymion in front of me. "Holy shit!" I jump across the room, half shocked that I can see, and then to see a ghostly figure of myself in front of me. "Who are you, what are you doing here, how did you get in, and who needs my help?"

Always with the questions, Darien. No wonder we're such a good journalist.

"What do you mean, 'we'? You're you, and I'm me, and what the hell am I doing in a tuxedo?"

Sailor Moon needs your help.

"What help am I? Does she want publicity shots?"

Just go, smart-ass. This is why we came back.

"But I don't know where she is!" A picture floats by in my head. A mall. It's a block away. They're losing. "Am I supposed to go there?"

Yes. Quickly, before it's too late.

"Hey, buddy, I'm moving as fast as I can in a tuxedo." I run to the door.

No, use the balcony.

"Yeah, right. I'm on the fourth floor."

Trust me.

I shrug my shoulders, and jump off the balcony. I realise I have a cape. Oh terrific. I'm sure the loony bin will stop by to pick me up soon.

The mall is empty, except for an ugly, lion-like monster, and four blurry figures. The fifth...the fifth is Usagi.

"I can see her! She's Sailor Moon!"

Great, you can see her. Now go help.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting there."

Red, blue, green, and yellow blurs dance around the monster, trying to avoid its attacks, and throwing their own at it. I realise I don't have any superpowers.

The lion-thing swats a paw at the figures, and they're thrown back into the wall. It turns to attack Sailor Moon, slumped in a corner from a previous hit.

"What am I supposed to do? Crap crap crap crap..." I reach inside my jacket for something, anything. I pull out a rose. Oh good. Maybe I'll soliloquise on the beauty of flowers. The lion is too close. He's going to kill her if he hits her now. I shrug and just throw it at the thing. Maybe it'll get a thorn in its paw.

I hit it directly and it roars out. Me one, lion-thing zero.

Of course, now it starts heading for me. But Sailor Moon is okay now, so she stands up and points some sort of stick at it. It has a crescent moon at the top. She chants a few words and draws a circle, and the lion stops in its tracks. Even odder than the thing that blew up with jewellery, this turns into a human, and a little crystal falls to their side.

My dream comes back. Serenity told me to find the crystal. Is this it? Raye told me to find Serenity however I could, so I grab the crystal and get back to my apartment before Usagi does, and figures out I'm gone.

The blurs yell out something in Japanese, but I hurry back anyway. In my apartment, Endymion's sitting on my couch, watching TV.

"I hope you're having fun."

Quite. Did you save her?

"Yes. Of course, I'm sure I'd do better if I had a real weapon."

That will come in time. Did you get the crystal?

I pull out a red crystal from my tuxedo. "Yes, but what's so special about it?"

You'll see. There will be others like it. Keep that in a safe place. Don't let Usagi find it, or she'll know. He gets up and pulls a rose out of my jacket. Now, I hate to have to do this, but this is how it's supposed to work out. Just trust me.

He pulls a petal from the rose, and everything goes black. I feel around me. I'm not wearing a tuxedo anymore; I'm back in pyjamas.

I'm blind again. I could see everything when I was...I don't even know what I was.

Usagi walks in with some friends. "Darien! What are you doing out of bed?"

"Nothing. I'm going to go to sleep now." I'm dazed, and I stumble back to the bedroom before collapsing onto the bed. What the hell just happened? My dreams are talking to me, I throw roses at lion-humans with little gems, and the girl living with me has a talking cat and dresses up in a sailor suit to fight.

That's what happened at Usagi's that night. I found out who she was. That's why I can see Sailor Moon now. And her cat tried to stop me from following out and exposing them.

And, of course, now I'm blind.

The crystal is still in my hand, and I reach around for my nightstand. I'll just toss it into a drawer.

But something tells me to wait a moment, first. I think it's the fact that my eyes can follow a glint of red when I move it around.

This can help me see. Now I'm definitely keeping it to myself. And if there are more like it, I'm getting them as quickly as possible, too.

My reward for saving Sailor Moon is a restful, dreamless night.