Earth's Eclipse cpt 4

"Guys, we have to find Usagi soon," Makato said from her seat in small room they held their meeting in. "We can't keep up the fight without her."

"Not to mention Mamoru-san..." Minako interjected. She looked sorrowful, as did everyone else. It was after Usagi had left 3 months ago that Minako had confronted him in a rage. She knew she was usually passive, but something in her had snapped. She had threatened to kill him, and had demanded to know he could have been so detached from human emotions to break Usagi's heart like he did. It was then Mamoru had confessed the dreams. She had felt an incredible guilt since then.

Raye sighed. "He's doing everything he can to find her, we all are," She had become the leader when Usagi left. She never realized the strain they had expected their friend to carry until it had been thrust upon her own shoulders. Ever since she had become a Senshi she had felt older, but after a while she realized the part of her that had stayed young had been that way because of her leader. Now, with the present enemies pressing down upon them, she only felt tired and old. Too old to deal with it all, and too tired of being part of the violence and death. As a part of mourning, Raye had cut her hair to shoulder length. It not only conveyed sorrow in her frame, but maturity as well. Raye had become the leader everyone knew she was, but at what cost to her soul? "Ami, can you give us any news?" She asked her.

"I have moved on to search Australia with my computer for her energy signature. The last time I talked to Mamoru-san he was in London, trying to feel her there. I still think if we are going to find her, he is our best chance. He has a connection no one else does-" Ami was cut off as a phone rang.

Makato ran and picked up the phone. "Moshi-moshi? Hai," A pause. "Mamoru-san! Where are you?" The girls looked at the hopeful expression on her face, only to witness it crumple. Makato had so much faith they would find her, but each time they didn't, it only destroyed her all over again. "Hai, I understand. I will tell the others. Gambette ne, Mamoru-san. We will find her," She hung up the phone and stood there for a moment silent. "Mamoru couldn't find anything in London. He said he was going to catch a flight to New York."

They had been trying the places they thought Usagi would go to first. Of course, they had first searched the surrounding area. Nothing turned up. They started continent hopping, finding no clue of her anywhere. The only place to really look was the United States. No one really thought she would go there. Her English was terrible and she had always whined she was never going to the US so why bother with it. The girls all hoped she was there. If they didn't find her energy signature soon, the only answer Ami could come up with was that she could be...

No. No one was willing to accept that. She was not. She was safe. She was alive. She would return. If not, the world could possibly be lost to the Negamoon.

After a long flight, Mamoru's plane finally touched down in New York. He had rested on the plane, but he was exhausted. Exhausted from worrying about her, about their future, their friends. After Usagi left, Chibi-Usa took ill mysteriously and had yet to recover. She spent her time frail, in a bed at the hospital Ami's mother worked at. They group kept constant watch over her, as if afraid to lose her too. He personally held himself responsible for all the pain he had caused the girls. Minako had every right to confront him when she did.

"Usako," He whispered to himself. He did it often these days. It was like a prayer, a mantra. He hoped everyday that he could hold her in his arms again, and whisper that name to her. He realized what a fool he had been every night. He drove away the pure part of his soul. He drove away the innocence and love that was in his life. He had to find her in order to feel complete. And even if she wouldn't take him back after all that had happened, he at least needed to tell her he loved her and she had been right. She had been his destiny. But he had been too blinded by his dreams to see it. He deserved to not get her back. He deserved to have her never want him in her life again. He only prayed when he found her she would not feel the same.

He gathered his carry-on from the storage compartment above his seat and exited the plane. Mamoru had started to bring along only one bag, it made the plane tickets cheaper that way. As he walked off the boarding ramp into the reception area he looked around as he saw children reunited with their parents, wives with their husbands, and friends with old comrades. His heart sank as usual when he saw this scene. Would Usako's parents ever hug her again? Would he ever have her wrap her arms around him and bury her face into his shirt again? He missed the smell of her perfume. The cute odangos she wore her hair in. He missed the child-like joy she approached the world with. Most of all, he missed her love. Sighing, he sat his bag down in an empty waiting chair. Closing his eyes, he pushed away his melancholy thoughts and focused on his task. He had to find her, had to fix the pain he had caused.

He stretched his senses out. It was true, he knew how little power he had. But one advantage he had over the Senshi was his bond to her. He could feel her in his blood. Could feel her energy signature travel through him. When she was close enough, he could even tell what general mood she was in. Mamoru had known the whole time she was alive. That much he could tell. He wasn't sure if the Senshi believed them. He had almost lost all of their faith when Usako had disappeared. He swore he would find her for them. Bring her back to where she belonged.

He let his mind slip out of focus, tried to stop thinking about the others, to concentrate on her. The energy that was like a ray of light in his soul. The energy his heart was wilting without. He expected not to find anything and was getting ready to give up when suddenly...

There. It was weak. As if it was hidden. A tiny ray of sunshine peaking out from a gigantic rain cloud. It was only a mere tendril, but he knew without a doubt that it was her. It had to be her. His pulse raced and his blood pounded in his ears. He ran to a pay phone and dialed a number.

Almost twenty-four hours since they had last talked to him, the phone rang at Hino Raye's house. She scrambled desperately for it, due to the fact that it was actually past the time he had called last night. "Moshi-moshi, Hai," She mumbled to the operator in a sleepy tone. "Mamoru-san, do you have any idea that it is 2:30 in the morning here?" She asked as soon as the operator had connected him.

"Gomen nasi, Raye-san," Mamoru apologized from his end. "I had to check in."

She settled into the cushions of a chair that was seated near the phone and tucked her legs underneath her, anticipating to be let down once again. "Well, what's up?" She asked.

"I sensed her," He let out in an excited breath.

The air stopped moving in her lungs and for a moment Raye thought she was going to die of asphyxiation brought on by shock. "You what?" She croaked after her surprise wore off.

"She's in the States. I don't know where yet. It's like her energy is asleep. She's disguised or there is other energy cloaking her, but I felt it Raye. I felt it."

She ran a hair nervously through her short hair, trying rapidly to think. "Should we come to New York?" She asked him.

"Iya," He replied quickly. "Let me try to find her on my own first."

"Dumo, what if you need us?"

"Then I will call for you. I must try on my own first," He pleaded.

Raye sighed in defeat. "Fine, but call if you need us."

"Hai."

"And Mamoru-san?"

"Hai?"

"Arigato for all you have done," She said softly.

"Un. No problem Raye-san. Saraba da," With that the line went dead.

Raye hung up the phone and picked it back up after a moment, calling the others to let them know the news.

Bunny sat in class, trying her hardest to listen. She could understand everything the teacher was saying, she even had an idea how to do the math he was demonstrating on the board. Her problem was her trouble sleeping. Ever since the night she went out to the party with Essence and Marcus, dreams had been occurring almost every night. They weren't always the same, but they always contained the silver-haired prince with the stormy ocean eyes.

She glanced over at Marcus to see him looking as tired as she felt. She gave a small giggle, thinking how cute he looked when he was about to fall asleep on his desk.

"Miss Essence," Mr. Matthews, the math teacher from the front of the class called out.

Bunny looked over her shoulder to the back of the classroom where Essence sat. The older girl was a grade ahead of them, but since she was terrible in math she was still at sophomore level. Essence laid on her desk, out like a light. She snored lightly, unaware of her name being called. The teacher, quite irritated, walked over to her desk. Bunny prayed she heard him coming and woke up, but her friends slept on, unaware.

A ruler slammed down onto Essence's desk, sounding like a gunshot. Marcus' head whipped around at the sound of Essence shrieking in panic.

"Huh? What? I didn't do it!" Essence yelled, disoriented, as she sat bolt upright in her chair. She looked up to see Mr. Matthews glaring at her and she calmed down a little, straightening her hair and glasses.

"This is the fifth time today, Miss Essence," Mr. Matthews said in an annoyed tone.

"'Sorry," Essence said with a yawn.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it this time. Just because your father owns one of the biggest resorts in California does not mean you get to be treated special."

Essence snapped awake with his words. "Have I ever asked to be treated special?" She practically growled in anger.

"No. But you walk in here with your hair colored obscenely, you wear your uniform with disrespect, and you never pay attention to the teachers."

"Well, first off, not all of my hair is colored. Only one tiny braid which I keep hidden under my other hair most of the time. Second off, it is way too hot for the blazers or sweaters you make us wear," She indicated the heavy wool blazer lying on the ground next to her chair that bore the school's emblem. "And I'll roll up my sleeves on my blouse if I want, because my dear rich daddy won't by me a short-sleeve shirt or even a short-sleeve sweater like the other girls get. And the safety pins in my skirt are not causing such an uproar the last time I checked."

Mr. Matthews scowled at the jagged chain of safety pins that ran along the hem of her pleated skirt, standing out against the blue-green plaid print. "So you don't deny never paying attention to the teachers?" He asked.

"Well, I don't pay attention to you," She countered. "I don't seem to have problems with the other teachers."

Tenseness filled the room as everyone saw Mr. Matthews grow angry with her. "Get out of my class Miss Essence. You will receive an absence in my class for the day and you have detention this afternoon."

She smirked at him. "Thanks for the extended lunch," She said as she gathered up her things and left.

Bunny caught Marcus looking at her, his expression worried, as Mr. Matthews made his way to the front of the class.

A figure stood watch in front of the elite high school. Even though it was a public school it was well maintained by upper class parents and the children wore uniforms like private school students did. It was quiet due to the students were still in class. Garnet had spent the last few weeks trying to pinpoint where the most energy she had sensed at the party had been coming from. There had been a few people that had been strong, but not like she had felt. She had drained them anyway, but she was still on her quest for the rich energy she had felt. That was what had brought her here.

Now that she stood in front of the school, she could feel the power radiating from it. Some people, or maybe even someone, contained enough energy to make her sensitive senses tingle at merely standing in front of the school. She wondered who the people were, and why ones so young have so much power.

Bunny and Marcus waited for Essence after school to get out of detention due to she was their ride home. "Why did she do that in class today?" She asked Marcus as they leaned against Essence's car.

Marcus sighed. "Essence isn't very close to her father. She's always been different than what he wanted her to be. He wanted a little living trophy he could show off to his business associates and she wanted none of it. She started to really rebel after her mother died when she was six. They've been at odds since, and they haven't been close in years. She basically just takes the allowance he gives her every month and lives the way she wants. She keeps getting the money so long as she doesn't interfere with his life. Anything besides the bare basics he refuses to provide."

"That's so sad," Bunny said, looking down at the ground. "She always seemed so detached when we would hang out and have dinner with you and your dad."

"My dad tries to make her feel welcome, but its not really the same," He said sadly.

Not sure what to say to him, she slid her hand over and grabbed a hold of one of his hands. He looked up at her baffled and she timidly smiled at him. He smiled back at her and squeezed her hand gently. "Arigato," He said softly.

"No problem," She replied in English.

"Hey guys!" A voice called out.

They released each other's hands as Essence trotted up to them. "I'm sorry about the detention thing," She said as she threw her backpack and blazer into the trunk. "You haven't been too bored out here, have you?"

"Naw, we were okay," Marcus assured her as he climbed into the back seat of the car.

"Is your dad going to be upset?" Bunny asked before she realized she said it.

Essence tensed for a moment. "My father doesn't care," She replied in a dark tone.

They got in the car and sat there for a few moments in silence, Bunny feeling like she was had stuck her foot in her mouth so far she could taste her shoe at the back of her throat The somber mood was interrupted as Essence started to talk. "Hey guys, have you heard about what has been happening?"

"No," Bunny replied, completely confused.

"Well, they had a t.v. on in detention that was on the news. Turns out there is something running around town that is attacking people. Draining them until they are knocked unconscious or are dead. The ones that survive are like zombies. Like they have had their life energy sapped out of them."

"Creepy," Marcus interjected.

"Yeah," Bunny replied simply.

"The only clue they have is some of the surviving victims keep muttering 'Garnet' over and over," She said as she started up the car and backed out of the parking lot.

Bunny was silent on the way home. The news Essence had told them had cut close to the bone. Could the forces she had fought against in the life she left behind be showing up in her new home? She prayed not. She had no way to defend her friends if it was here. She gave up her lineage when she left Tokyo. Sighing softly, she got out of the car as Essence pulled up in the driveway. She wondered if she would ever be able to escape her 'destiny'.

Garnet watched as the kids cleared out of the school, narrowing her eyes. Soon, she would have the energy she need for Prince Diamond. Soon. But first, she had to be strong enough to take on the people with such amazing energy. She teleported back to her lair, preparing for her hunt for her that night. In a few more days, she would be strong enough to strike.