Chapter Ten
Ikuko looked fondly at Mamoru and the girls. "Yes, well, I think I'll get that coffee now," she announced, turning and walking behind her seat and then around the Generals' couch and out of the room. Marie blinked, coming out of her thoughts and hurried after Ikuko, snagging a gaping Shingo on the way.
"Hey! I wanna hear this!" Shingo yelped, trying to struggle free, but Marie's grip was firm and he went limp and allowed himself to be dragged from the room. "Is this really necessary?" he whined, feet disappearing around the corner.
"I think we'll help also," Grandpa announced, turning a pointed look on a petulant Yuuchiro. The young man had practically green with jealousy ever since the General's had arrived and everyone found out that Rei and Jadeite were engaged...sort of.
"Umm, Grandpa, I think I'll stay h-" Yuuchiro began, glaring at Jadeite.
"No, no-the ladies need help with the coffee, young man," Grandpa said firmly, pointing out the door that Marie, Shingo and Ikuko had disappeared through. "Now! Or you'll get triple the chores when we get back to the Temple!"
"TRIPLE? Aw, Grandpa! That's no fair!" Yuuchiro whined, sounding like Shingo. He got up from the floor and followed Grandpa from the room, head bowed like a whipped-puppy.
The girls giggled as he cast a desperate look back at Rei before being yanked forward and out of sight.
"Poor, Yuuchiro!" Rei said, eyes glinting with amusement. "Triple chores was just evil of Grandpa to suggest."
"It will keep him out of mischief," Kenji said significantly, glaring daggers at Mamoru. Future son-in-law he might be AND Prince of the Earth, but having hentai thoughts about HIS little girl was just no on! His eyebrows lowered ominously. "Mind telling me just WHAT it was you were thinking about that was so hentai, young man!?" he bellowed at Mamoru, having stirred himself into a fine fury.
Mamoru looked startled, then crossed his long legs and raised his eyebrows. "You're going to go off at me too, Mr. Tsukino?" he inquired with a long-suffering look in his deep blue eyes. ["Why does he ALWAYS assume it's hentai thoughts I'm having about Usagi?"] Mamoru slapped a hand to his forehead and groaned.
["Because it's USUALLY about Usagi, you dolt!"] Rei teased him, reaching up to her shoulder to pull a long lock of her red hair around. She stared at it wonderingly again, still bemused by it's color. If the Senshi were ever to go back to School or even PUBLIC, they'd have to maybe dye it. ["Hmm"] Serenity's hair would look very strange again, though silver hair at a young age wasn't entirely unheard of-but for those who were used to seeing her as a blonde...
["We'll take care of it as the need arises"] Ami told her, grinning. ["We can just say we're trying out a new dye...or going to a Halloween party"] her grin turned lopsided. ["Hard to believe all of THIS sprung from a party we crashed!"]
["And what does that tell you girls?"] Mamoru said superiorly, casting a knowing look over them all with his deep blue eyes. ["ASK before you go to a party in future"]
["Yes Dad!"] the three girls chorused, looking suitably chastened. But then they all flashed him wicked grins and he groaned again.
"What this 'Mr. Tsukino' business, Mamoru. You may as well call me Kenji, since you're going to be bonded in wedded bliss to my daughter sometime within the next millennia" Kenji said rather drolly, eyes twinkling as he momentarily forgot his anger at the younger man. "-Not to mention being prince of this entire bloody planet-" he began, getting riled up again. He raised a shaking finger and pointed it at Mamoru. "However, before you ever marry her-YOU'LL TELL ME RIGHT NOW WHAT HENTAI THOUGHTS YOU HAD ABOUT MY DAUGHTER!" he finished in a roar, face red and veins popping out on his forehead.
The Generals all leapt to their feet, faces grim and reaching for their swords.
"How DARE you speak to the Prince of Earth in that manner!" Malachite said furiously, his sword coming out with a silent hiss. He pointed it smoothly at a suddenly pale Kenji.
Mamoru suddenly realized what an error it had been not to ask his Guardians to remove their swords before entering the room. Ikuko had asked them not to use their POWERS-but had not said anything about deadly weapons. He wondered just how far the General's would go to protect him. Of course, skewering his soon-to-be father in law and leave him in a bloody heap on the floor would be a BAD idea!
["Of COURSE it's a bad idea!"] Usagi shrieked at him, grabbing his arm and shaking him like a sack of potato's. ["They're going to kill my Dad! DO something!!"] she finished in a bellow, almost wrenching his arm from the socket.
"Malachite, I don't think-" Mamoru began seriously, but his Generals were too focused on the man who had insulted him to hear their prince's quiet words.
"Erk-" Kenji took one look at the sword-wielding maniacs glaring blood murder at him and squeaked. Kenji managed, sinking desperately into his chair as if he'd somehow merge with it and become invisible. "Umm-really...er..." he stuttered, mouth gaping out like a fish. The General's seemed to loom over him ominously and he realized he's made a BIG mistake yelling at their prince.
"Don't speak to my Dad like that!" Usagi shouted, leaping to her feet when it became obvious that Mamoru had NO idea how to order these four warriors off her Dad. She understood though-three days ago, Mamoru had just been a normal college student-albeit with a dashing hero's job on the sideline. She hastily planted herself in front of the sword-wielding maniac, who was a Guardian of her prince and a fiancé to one of her Senshi. ["Mamoru call your Generals OFF my Dad! Get some gumption man!"] she yelled mentally, silver eyes glaring into Malachite’s eyes. A silver glow began to surround her as she prepared to face the Generals down.
Rei and Ami leapt to their feet moments later, when they saw the sword pointed directly at their princess' heart, centimeters away and Makoto and Minako joined them. They pushed Usagi backwards and placed themselves between her and the Generals, who looked surprised that not only the Senshi, but their princess-who was glowing ominously and was looking VERY pissed off-had tried to defend the man who had insulted their prince.
The Generals stared from a glowing Usagi, to her Senshi, to a befuddled-looking Mamoru and then to their unwilling victim, who was cowering in the chair behind everyone.
"Ah-Princess? Girls? There's no need for this," Zoisite said, nonplussed. His hand fell from the scabbard at his side. Clearly, as cowardly as this man was, who was SOMEHOW the Princess of the Moon's father, was important enough for everyone to protect.
"Are you going to run me through?" Minako asked Malachite, eyes locking on his.
Malachite frowned at her, then re-sheathed his sword in a smooth movement. "Don't be an idiot, Venus. I'd as soon hurt myself," he told her curtly, clearly not amused.
"Mmm," Jadeite murmured, looking into Rei's eyes. "I'd sooner throw myself off a cliff than fight you," he told her silkily.
"Stop that!" Rei said hastily, flushing. ["Smooth-talking bastard!"] she said silently, half afraid of his attentions because she'd only known his evil counterpart, and half excited because she was starting to feel some almost-forgotten feelings for him that she'd had 1,000 years ago.
"Please don't kill my soon-to-be Father in law," Mamoru said wearily to his Generals, speaking finally. He looked pointedly at all their swords, then his eyes narrowed. Why had he just frozen like that? He'd used a commanding presence before! In the last three days when he'd found out he was a prince, he'd used that tone with the Senshi, his love, her Dad...So why had he not known what to do when it was his own Generals? Self-loathing filled him and his eyes darkened. It had taken USAGI to stand up to the Generals before he'd done anything. ["I just-froze. I had no idea what to say to these men who are my Guardians. And what do I know about being a prince?"]
["Don't be so hard on yourself, Endymion"] Usagi's warm voice caressed his mentally. She turned and took his arm as he moved closer to her, looking down into her eyes as if she was the only stable thing in the world. She reached up then and brushed a lock of his dark hair from his eyes, trying to ignore the tingling that invaded her body and made her want to throw herself into his arms and kiss him senseless. ["I am finding it just as hard to be a princess. All I know is falling flat on my face and failing in class"]
["She's right"] Rei said just as softly, eyes flickering sideways to catch his. ["We girls have fiancés all of sudden that we only know as enemies in this time. We're ALL lost in this and just as confused as you"] she smiled at Usagi teasingly. ["You forgot stuffing your face, Odango"]
["REEEEEEI!"] Usagi shouted in outrage, the silver glow fading from her body as she glared in disbelief at her closest friend. What a time to bring up her faults! ["We're trying to do a touching moment here, thank you and you tell me I'm a PIG?"]
Ami slapped a hand to her forehead. ["Girls, girls! Now is not the time to be arguing"] she gazed at Mamoru sardonically. ["Just ignore the second part of their conversation and go with the first. We're all confused about where we stand-end of story"]
["Thank you girls"] Mamoru murmured, feeling better. He sighed and rolled his eyes skyward as Rei and Usagi continued to yell at each other mentally, then stuck their tongues out at each other. "Nephlyte?" he said coolly, noting that the brown-haired General was just standing there, hand still on sword-hilt.
"Hmm?" Nephlyte said distractedly, caught staring at Makoto. "Right" he said, catching Mamoru's words. He sank back onto the couch, eyes going back to Makoto almost unconsciously.
"Are you going to let him talk to you like that, Endymion?" Malachite finally asked with curiosity as he and Jadeite and Zoisite sank back onto their couch.
"Part and parcel of marrying his daughter," Mamoru muttered to them, casting a long-suffering look at Kenji. "I start getting accepted by the man and then he goes and turns all psycho on me again."
"Well-you shouldn't have hentai thoughts about MY daughter!" Kenji shot back, casting a nervous look at the Generals as if they'd leapt up and skewer him with their swords.
"I don't really understand this at all, but if you say he can yell at you without incurring our wrath, Endymion-" Malachite gestured grandly at Kenji, who was still plastered to his seat. "Insult away."
"Too kind," Kenji said weakly, relaxing.
The Senshi also relaxed their stances and Makoto happened to catch Nephrite’s green eyes staring at her intently again. She flushed slowly and looked away, crossing her arms. Then she reached up and flicked her long loose green hair over one shoulder, unused to having it down from a ponytail for so long.
"Okay, now that we've settled who has rights to yell at the Royal Prince of Earth-" Jadeite said ironically. "Mind telling me why our fiancée’s threw themselves into Endymion's arms like love-sick COW-"
"Finish that and I'll have to KILL you!" Rei told him ominously, making a fist and shaking it at him. ["I'd like to kill him ANYWAY!"] Rei seethed, wanting to smack that smug handsome face silly. He'd seen her UNDERWEAR for Gods-sake! And if that wasn't bad enough, he'd COMMENTED aloud on it!
"-Women. Like love-sick women," Jadeite quickly exchanged the word for the one he'd started to use when he saw Mars' murderous expression.
["Just one excuse! Just one and 'POW!' Right in the kisser!"] Rei muttered mentally, bouncing up and down on her feet.
["Gee, Rei-you really have it in for him"] Usagi blurted in surprise. Okay, so they'd fought the EVIL Jadeite and they all had cause to feel anger and dislike for these man, who looked so like their enemies-but Rei wanted to land the handsome blonde General a facer because he'd see her undies?! ["Big DEAL! Mamo-Chan's had an EYEFULL of MY undies! Eeeep!"] Usagi blushed bright red, silver eyes peeking upwards to see Mamoru's lascivious expression.
["Care to give me a repeat performance, love?"] he purred at her, lifting a hand to stroke along her jaw caressingly.
Ami reached out and slapped Mamoru's hand away from Usagi playfully. ["None of that buster! Any hentai thoughts and you'll be eating floor again"]
"Mercury ALSO gets to beat on Endymion," Zoisite muttered under his breath, making a mental list of who could and who couldn't insult and beat up the most Royal Prince of the Golden Kingdom. He had a feeling that the list was going to be extensive. He rolled his eyes.
["Thanks a lot, Ami. I REALLY enjoyed being thrown over a table and then have three girls belly-flop onto me like a mutant version of the hypo and the crocodile from 'Fantasia'!"] he told her drolly.
Ami, Usagi and Rei wisely didn't comment, but their eyes promised him retribution sometime in the near future.
["Mental note: Don't compare one's love and her powerful warrior Guardians to hypo's"] Mamoru said to himself, tempted to slap his forehead again for his stupidity.
"It's the bond," Seline explained to Jadeite, silver eyes twinkling with amusement. "It is just new to the Senshi and Endymion and my daughter, so they cannot be more than a few feet from each other or it is absolute agony. Hence having three girls diving onto him ungracefully."
"What?" Jadeite exclaimed in surprise. "This is not the way the bond worked before!"
"It WAS originally on the Moon" Setsuna told him calmly. "But the girls all grew up together and they knew of the bond since birth."
"We almost had to tie them together when they were small, until they realized the cause of the pain was them trying to separate from each other," Seline went on, smile fading into a serious expression. "Later on, as the bond grew stronger, the girls were able to separate more and more until they were able to go to their respective planets and merely had a mental bond."
"Why would you make such a bond!" Malachite demanded angrily, looking at Minako with a concerned and furious expression. "You could KILL them!"
"Exactly." Seline said seriously. "Which is why the girls threw themselves at Endymion."
Zoisite punched the arm of the couch viciously. "You'd willingly put our fiancés in that danger, Queen Serenity!"
"Don't be angry with her," Usagi said furiously, silver eyes glinting warningly at him. "The bond came from the Silver Crystal, NOT my Mother."
"Then UNDO it," Nephlyte demanded, fist clenching.
"Can't do it," Ami told him rather calmly. ["They're taking this BADLY"]
["They don't have to take it at ALL"] Rei sniped angrily, refusing to look at the Generals. ["They think we're still their fiancés!"]
["To them, you ARE and always will be"] Usagi broke in gently. ["You are still the ones that they fell in love with 1,000 years ago"]
["But we don't REMEBER!"] Rei said in frustration, running a hand through her red locks. ["And they don’t seem to GET that!"]
"Why the hell NOT!" Zoisite retorted to Ami, obviously struggling not to break something.
["They must really love us"] Rei said wonderingly as she saw how furious the Generals were to learn of the dangerous bond.
["They do-very much"] Mamoru said just as wonderingly, able to see the agony in his Guardian's eyes. He knew how helpless they felt.
Rei remembered something then and her eyes kindled into flames again. She pointed a finger at Jadeite and glared. "And ANYHOW! We've told you we're NOT your fiancés! We're new-age girls and-and...YOU'RE A JERK!" she finished, yelling loudly.
Jadeite leapt to his feet and stood a foot from a very startled Rei. "Yes you ARE our fiancés! I don't know what this 'new-age' thing is, but I'm NOT giving you up just because you don't remember how much in love we are!"
"Awwww," Minako and Makoto cooed, starry-eyed over his words.
Rei blinked at Jadeite, taken-aback, but then her fury rose again and she thrust her face close to his, till she could see the deeper blue flecks in his eyes around the iris. "EXCUSE me? I don't see your name tattooed on my bu-"
"Woah! Woah! Time-out!" Makoto said hastily, waving her hands around.
"Okay, that's it. You stop yelling at me right NOW like a fish-wife or I'll-" Jadeite warned in a quiet voice.
"Or WHAT? You'll spank me like Mamoru threatened?" she glared at him, tone cutting and derisive.
A wicked smile spread over Jadeite’s face and Rei swallowed nervously as her stomach took a dive. "Tempting thought, Darling, but I'll have to say I'd much prefer to KISS you senseless," he purred silkily.
Rei gaped at him, then flushed bright red. She took a step backwards out of nervousness, red eyes deepening with emotion. "You-you ARROGANT JERK! I wouldn't let you kiss me if you were the last man on E-!" she shrieked at him in fury. ["How DARE he! I'm gonna-"]
"Okay, I warned you. Don't say I didn't warn you," Jadeite said calmly. Before Rei could even finish her sentence, a pair of arms reached and grabbed her hips on either side and she found herself yanked firmly onto Jadeite’s chest. She gasped in shock, but then her lips were being crushed under a pair of extremely skillful ones and she was being kissed ruthlessly. ["Arrggggh-Let me...gonna kill that son of a....oooh, this is....mmmm...nice..."] she thought, going from outrage and anger to excitement and desire in mere seconds.
Mamoru, Usagi and Ami stared at Rei as these thoughts filtered into their minds through the link and their eyebrows rose incredulously.
"I'd KILL to know what Rei is thinking right now!" Makoto announced, eyes fixed on the couple locked in a passionate embrace. Rei's arms rose and clung to Jadeite’s shoulders and the kiss went on and on. She cast a speculative look at Mamoru, Usagi and Ami, who were clearly getting every thought from Rei. "Guys?"
Usagi smirked. "Sorry guys. Rei would KILL us if we told you"
"You'd never find the bodies," Mamoru added, eyebrows looking as if they'd be permanently raised as he got a barrage of flustered emotions from the red-haired Senshi he was bonded to.
"She'll never live THIS down," Ami chortled, blue eyes mischievous.
"You're no fun! I'd kill to know too!" Minako said gleefully. "She's been kissed by her worst enemy of the present and her fiancé of 1,000 in the past! Okay, I'm confused now," the blonde trailed off absently and stared about her. "Anyone got a watch?"
"I don't have one," Makoto replied, looking as disappointed as Minako, then she happened to catch Nephrite’s gave and her green eyes widened. "Ohhhh noooo," she said, backing off as the General made a purposeful step in her direction. "We've been through this before!" she held out her hands to ward him off. "Stop right there buster!" she ordered.
Nephlyte gave her a highly amused look, but stopped where he was. "Do you really think you could stop me?" he asked her seductively, voice sending shivers up her spine.
"I can stop you," she said, hands falling to her sides and clenching into fists. "Just you try-"
"Makoto! Stop egging the man on!" Minako hissed, golden eyes on her own suitor-of-a-thousand-years-ago. Malachite didn't LOOK as if he wanted to sweep her into his arms and she sighed with relief-but then he allowed an evil glint to enter his eyes. "NO! Absolutely NOT!" she yelped at him, dashing behind Usagi.
Makoto bolted behind Usagi and Mamoru a moment later, unable to trust herself OR Nephlyte.
Ami stood there coolly eyeing Zoisite and silently daring him to make a move. In return, he gave her a shrug and his eyes promised they'd have their moment later. ["Oh dear-I don't like the sound of that"] she groaned silently. ["Or DO I?"] she pondered, casting her eyes Zoisite's way thoughtfully. Okay, so he was a SHE in this time...but this General was clearly a MAN. AND a good kisser too, she remembered, eyes glazing over.
["Rei? Are you going to come up for air sometime?"] Mamoru asked mentally, grinning at the sight of Rei and Jadeite still kissing like there was no tomorrow a mere two feet away from where he and Usagi stood.
["Huh?"] came Rei's bewildered thought. Then panic exploded in her mind and she wrenched herself away from Jadeite, falling onto her butt. She stared up at him with mingled horror and disbelief. "My God!"
"Just Jadeite will do," the General replied in amusement, expression wicked. "I DID warn you, Mars," he told her calmly, as if she were in the wrong.
"ARRGGGGGGGH!" she shrieked at him in fury, red eyes like flames. "How DARE you doing that to me!" she leapt smoothly to her feet, hair flying about her form and her hand swung up to smack his smirking face.
Jadeite sighed and rolled his eyes skyward, then caught her swinging hand and jerked her into his arms again. He kissed her soundly, then let her go, admiring her flushed face and boggling eyes with satisfaction. "If you keep shouting at me, I'm going to just keep kissing you to shut you up," he told her.
Makoto, Usagi, Mamoru and Minako winced at his words.
["Oh no, now he's done it!"] Ami said, waiting for the explosion that was sure to come.
"RIGHT! That's IT!" Rei screamed in absolute fury. She aimed punch after punch at Jadeite, who kept dodging from side to side.
"Is this-"
*Dodge*
"-Really absolutely-"
*Dodge*
"-Necessary, Mars-love?"
*Dodge*
Jadeite caught the next punch aimed for his face. "Are you taking this a little too serious?" he inquired, eyebrows raised.
"Grrr," Rei growled, wrenching her fist from his. She glared at him once more, then turned and walked behind Minako. ["If I stay out of that ANNOYING JERK'S range-he can't kiss me anymore"] she muttered, thinking horrible deaths for the blonde General.
"Oooh, what she wants to do to you," Mamoru grinned at Jadeite.
"I warned her," Jadeite said. He crossed his arms and looked around. "Witness' please?"
Everyone but Rei raised their hands.
"Traitors," Rei muttered, glaring balefully at Minako's back.
Ikuko walked in with a tray of coffee cups, Marie and the others right behind her carrying other trays as well, and paused when she sensed the tense atmosphere. "Did I miss something?"
"Only the match of the century!" Minako said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Blonde," Rei hissed in her ear.
"Jadeite and Rei were running for 'longest-kiss-in-the-world' against Usagi and Mamoru," Makoto relied with aplomb.
"What?" Marie asked, still confused.
"Jadeite was kissing Rei senseless every time she yelled at him," Ami said eagerly, rubbing her hands together like some mad professor hatching a world-takeover plot.
"Not more kissing!" Shingo said, groaning with disgust. He rolled his eyes and flopped down on the floor in front of the coffee table.
"It was funny-" Minako began, turning to throw Rei and evil look.
Rei quickly slapped an hand over Minako's mouth and muffled the blonde before she could say anything more. "It was NOT funny and he's a big jerk!" she told Marie, aiming a dead-stare at Jadeite. He grinned quickly at her, making her stomach do flip-flops as she remembered his kiss. it had been wonderful. She snapped out of her daze to see Usagi, Mamoru and Ami grinning at her evilly. "Not a WORD! I can still kill you all and hide your bodies!" she threatened, then she pouted cutely. "Isn't anyone on my side?" she complained.
"Why?" Makoto said with interest. "Are you going for a rematch? Can we place bets this time?"
"MAKOTO!" Rei howled in outrage.
"Sorry, sorry," Makoto muttered. "Umm-coffee anyone?"
"Jeez, this is like a soap opera!" Shingo said, staring up at Makoto, Minako Rei and then Jadeite. "Why don't you two just get married and get it over with?"
"SHINGO!" Rei yelped at him.
"She's only 14!" Kenji reminded his son.
"Oh I don't know. 14 year olds getting married isn't that unheard of in the Silver Millennium," Jadeite said idly. He stared mocking at Rei, who looked flabbergasted. "What do you say, Mars? Should we get married?"
"Are you INSANE?" she screamed at him. "I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth!"
"That's what you said about kissing me," Jadeite purred at her. "Want to skip to the end of the ceremony where they say 'you can now kiss the bride'?"
"Only if you never want to have children," she answered sweetly.
All the men winced at the threat.
"Yay girl-power," Minako grinned.
Chapter Eleven
"I feel like a bath, how about you girls?" Ami said suddenly, wrinkling her nose as if she'd smelt something bad.
"Oh, yes!" Usagi and Rei chorused.
"We haven't HAD one for a few days, have we?" Makoto said with some surprise.
"Well, things have been rather hectic girls," Ikuko murmured.
Mamoru stared at Usagi, then Rei, then Makoto. "And just how are you going to manage that when I have to be within a few feet of you?" he drawled.
The girls stared back at him, gaping.
["I didn't think of that"] Ami said, rather embarrassed, face turning pink.
["Oh darn it. I REALLY need a shower!"] Usagi groaned, covering her face with her hands.
["I forgot too! How on earth are we going to do this?"] Rei glared at Mamoru as if it was all his fault. "I refuse to go around stinking like some Youma!" she announced, crossing her arms.
"You are NOT, I repeat NOT going into a bathroom with my little girl!" Kenji growled at Mamoru, eyes flashing with wrath.
"Didn't we go through this before?" Mamoru said aloud, glaring at Kenji.
"Except the bathroom's are much bigger here, dear. You couldn't possibly stand outside the door" Ikuko informed Mamoru regretfully.
"BEFORE?" Makoto, Rei, Minako and Ami chorused, staring from Mamoru to Usagi.
"You had a shower with Mamoru before?" Rei growled, sounding suspiciously like Kenji. Her red eyes flashed like fire and she glared at Mamoru balefully. ["When did this HAPPEN exactly?"]
"And why weren't we informed?" Makoto added mischievously.
"You showered with the Princess?!" Jadeite exclaimed with incredulity. "And Queen Serenity allowed this?"
"Endymion, you cad!" Nephlyte said, grinning. He quickly lost it when Seline glared at him warningly.
"I wasn't...around then," Seline gritted through her teeth, turning back to stare at her daughter with a death-glare. "Serenity! How could a daughter of mine be so...so..." words failed her and she settled for a disappointed and furious look.
"Loose?" Zoisite supplied helpfully.
"I can't even say it," Seline declined.
"Mother!" Usagi gasped in embarrassment and horror. ["Oh God! My Mother thinks that I shared a shower with you Mamoru! She's ashamed of me!"] she wailed in shock and mortification.
"It wasn't like that at ALL!" Mamoru yelled, startling them all. "I stayed OUTSIDE the LOCKED bathroom the whole time she showered!"
"That's right. We saw him outside the door when we went to bed." Ikuko confirmed.
"You're telling fibs, Mamoru" Luna said dryly from below.
Usagi blushed furiously and Mamoru glared.
"What happened?" Everyone demanded.
Kenji gaped at his daughter, then the man who had corrupted her. "Usagi! Tell me you didn't let this...this arrggggh, PRINCE into the bathroom with you!" Kenji almost wailed, wringing his hands for his daughter's lost virtue. He shot a venomous look at Mamoru. "If you TOUCHED her, I'll go and buy a gun! Future, son-in-law or not."
"He was BLIND-FOLDED!" Usagi blurted out, betraying the fact that, yes, a man had been present when she was in a naked state.
"USAGI!" the Senshi, Usagi's parents and brother yelled in shock.
"SERENITY!" Seline yelped.
"I'm assuming you more than peeked then, Endymion?" Malachite said solemnly.
Mamoru shot him a death-glare. "NOT HELPING, Malachite!" he gritted through his teeth, keeping a wary eye on Kenji...when he REALLY ought to have been looking at Seline.
Seline began to glow an ominous golden color, which enveloped her form and glowed brightest from her crescent moon. She leapt to her feet and stalked gracefully over to a pole-axed Mamoru, who could only gape at her as she wrapped her slender hand about his neck and LIFTED him over her head! She glared up at him, eyes filled with golden fire and wrath. "I warned you a thousand years ago not to consummate the bond until you were married, Endymion!" she told him furiously.
"Mother!" Usagi called out urgently, leaping to her feet also. She latched onto her Mother's free arm. "Please! Luna was with us the whole time! He touched NOTHING!" she said desperately, not able to raise a hand to hurt her Mother, even if she was going to kill Mamoru. ["PLEASE!"] she repeated mentally, when Seline didn't move.
"Queen Serenity, it's quite true. I was there the entire time!" Luna urged, leaping up onto Usagi’s shoulder and looking at her Queen with wide red eyes.
Everyone else watched in shocked silence, as the seemingly young slender girl held a full-grown powerful man over her head as if he were not heavier than a pillow.
Seline stared up into Mamoru's clear blue eyes as he stared back, letting her see the truth in his eyes. He too could not lay a hand on the one who was the mother of his love. Finally, Seline sighed and lowered Mamoru gently to the ground, the glow fading from her. "Very well," she said, looking very old suddenly. "Forgive me Endymion. Serenity," she murmured, passing a hand over her eyes. She stroked Usagi's hand and then removed it from her arm. "It is very important that you do not consummate before you are married. A child would be disastrous at this point in time-"
"Serenity. Don't say any more or you endanger the Timeline," Setsuna said quietly, walking over to her Queen. She took her arm gently and led her from the room.
"Mother?" Usagi said, looking lost and very young despite the fact that she now looked to be 19 years old.
"Let her have some time to herself, dear. Something upset her terribly," Ikuko told her daughter gently.
["But..."] Usagi began silently, feeling anguished and bewildered.
["Setsuna will talk with her"] Mamoru murmured, feeling along his throat tentatively. Seline's grip had been unbelievably strong and he was sure he would have bruises.
"Oh, Mamoru" Usagi groaned, going to him and throwing her arms about his shoulders. She buried her head into his chest and breathed deeply.
"Sorry about that, Mamoru," Kenji said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I jumped to conclusions."
"Yes, you did," Mamoru said rather coldly, then he smiled forgivingly at his future father-in-law. "It's alright."
Usagi's face lifted from Mamoru's chest and she raised herself up on her tippy-toes to kiss his wounded neck lightly. As her lips touched his skin, the broach at her chest began to glow brightly silver, flowing up her body and into Mamoru's.
Mamoru was startled when the pain left his neck, then he was crushing his Usako into his arms, a tender look in his eyes. ["Usako"]
["My Mamo-Chan"] she replied, pulling back and lowering back onto her feet. She smiled loving at him, looking deeply into his blue eyes. Their faces grew closer-and then Rei coughed lightly.
"Awwww!" the Senshi chorused, grins on their face.
"That's just so sweet," Minako cooed.
"I'm jealous. I really am," Ami said wistfully, eyes flittering sideways to look at Zoisite. She was startled to see him already looking back at her with an equally wistful expression in his eyes.
Mamoru and Usagi pulled back from each other, looking sheepish.
["Lucky they made a noise, or they would have gotten an eyeful"] Mamoru said teasingly, brushing a strand of Usagi's long silver hair behind one of her small ears.
["Mamoru!"] she gasped at him, blushing brightly.
"Ah-about that shower?" Makoto said tentatively. "I still want one, guys."
"Me too," Rei breathed, still watching Mamoru and Usagi interact so tenderly. She looked involuntarily at Jadeite, who quirked an eyebrow at her invitingly, clearly willing to kiss her senseless at her signal. She gave him a 'yeah right, buddy!' look. ["Casanova!"] she thought angrily, blushing as she remembered the thorough kissing she'd been given.
["You two are as bad as Usagi and Mamoru!"] Ami said gloatingly, more of her past personality peeking out. As they turned to stare at her in astonishment, she gave them a wide grin.
"A shower, Usagi?" Minako prompted, bouncing up and down on her feet expectantly. "I bet the bathroom is HUGE in a house like this!"
"I'll wash your back," Malachite offered, blue eyes settling on her with a look of hunger and longing.
Minako flushed and stepped back from him slightly, putting her hands behind her as if they would betray her. "Uh...no thank you," she stammered, looking adorably confused.
"Not with US there, buddy," Makoto snickered at him.
Usagi shook off her embarrassment and sadness over her Mother and smiled brightly. A shower would be JUST the thing to relax her! "We'll just do what I did before. Blind-fold Mamoru," she mused.
"You mentioned blind-folds before. So, he was actually in the room with you?" Ami asked curiously.
"I was there also," Luna added dryly, aware that her involvement in protecting Usagi’s virtue had once again been forgotten.
"You had a shower with him in the room with him? NAKED?!" Rei burst out, looking shocked again.
"Of course I was naked, Pyro!" Usagi shouted back, incensed. ["How else can one HAVE a shower?"] she continued mentally.
"Young maaaaan-" Kenji began furiously, but he took one look at Usagi's angry eyes and sank back without a word. She could certainly handle Mamoru! She used to be Sailor Moon after all AND Luna had been there.
"Very mature of you, dear," Ikuko murmured to him, reaching over to pat his arm approvingly.
"I'm not sure I can do this," Ami said weakly, eyes going to Mamoru. ["Have a MAN in the room with me naked?"]
"QUITE naked, Ami," Usagi teased lightly.
"We'll ALL be naked, Ami," Makoto said rather maliciously, giggling when Ami and Rei turned bright red.
"I have a blind-fold," Mamoru told them, wondering how he had ever come to this. Almost every man in the world would envy the fact that he was soon to be in a room with five beautiful NAKED girls.
["Don't make me kill you, Mamoru"] Ami growled at him warningly. ["What did I tell you about hentai thoughts?"]
"We have a plan then!" Rei said with false brightness, nervous never-the-less.
"I think I forgot it!" Mamoru exclaimed suddenly, looking both chagrined and relieved.
"I can make another one," Luna said pointedly. There was no WAY she was letting Mamoru go in there with all her charges stark naked!
"I'm afraid we can't allow that, Endymion," Malachite said suddenly.
"Certainly not," Nephlyte added.
"In the same room as our fiancés? Not a chance, my Prince," Zoisite continued coolly.
They all nodded firmly.
"Unless...we are present also, of course," Jadeite mused aloud, eyes turning to Rei.
"I don't THINK so!" Rei screeched at him in outrage, cheeks turning bright red at the thought.
"Pity," he replied, disappointed, but not surprised. "Maybe later."
Rei looked ready to throw a fireball at the arrogant General who was her past-fiancé, so Minako cut in. "Luna and Artemis can come!"
"ARTEMIS?!" Luna screeched, sounding like Rei a moment before. "That fur ball isn't coming near ANY of you unclothed!"
Minako looked surprised. "But he's just a cat. He's been in the bathroom with me before" she said.
The response was explosive. General Malachite leapt to his feet, murder in his eyes and Luna’s fur swelled to twice her size, eyes spitting fire. "YOU WHAT?!" she roared at her white counter-part.
"What's the problem?" Minako said nervously, honestly bewildered. "It's not like he's a man or anything!"
"You don't KNOW?" Luna almost screamed at her. "Artemis and I have a human form! He WAS a man in the Moon Kingdom!"
"That's it!" Malachite roared, drawing his sword and advancing on a freaked-out Artemis.
Artemis hadn't been human in so long that he'd almost forgotten and turning back into one was something that he didn't even know if he could DO anymore. Therefore, he eyed the enraged General with panic and his fur went up.
"ARTEMIS WAS A MAN?!" Minako screamed at the top of her lungs. She dropped to her knees suddenly and started to throttle the cat. "You saw me naked and you didn't say anything!" she shouted at him, shaking the cat back and forth. Malachite hovered over her shoulder, sword still drawn and waiting to murder the cat when his love released him.
"I'm sorry!" Artemis yowled loudly. "I haven't been a man in almost 1,000 years! I FORGOT!"
"Forgot? Forgot!" Minako threw the cat onto the couch, golden eyes blazing. "That's it! You're BANNED from my bathroom and further-more I'm dyeing you bright pink with purple polka-dots as soon as we get back to England!" she yelled at him.
"No, no!" Artemis said with horror, cowering back into the cushions. "Have mercy, Minako! 1,000 YEARS for crying out loud! And you're only 14!" he yelled back.
"Pink with purple polka-dots, or I never forgive you and-" she stepped aside to let the cat see the furious General, complete with sword and homicidal look in his eyes. "I let Malachite make you into sushi!"
"Alright! I give!" Artemis yowled at her, then he leapt over the back of the couch and high-tailed it out of the room.
"Well...damn girl! Your cat is a GUY?" Makoto gasped at her.
"Luna's human too?" Ami asked, looking amused over the Artemis-dyeing fiasco. He'd certainly be the first cat in the world with those colors!
"I used to be," Luna said, trying to smooth her fur down with her tongue. "That cad! I can't believe he didn't tell you."
"Neither did YOU, Luna," Rei pointed out, crossing her arms.
Luna looked sheepish, then angry again. "I'm not a male cat bathing with a young girl!" she retorted.
"I really don't feel so bad now," Mamoru grinned at everyone. ["At least I was blind-folded"] he continued mentally.
Chapter Twelve
"You think we'll age like Usagi?" Rei asked suddenly, looking her utterly beautiful Princess over speculatively. ["If I look that hot at that age, I'll have guys falling at my feet!"] she added mentally, not wanting the adults and the General's to hear.
"Yes, you will," Seline murmured. "And sooner than you think."
"What's that got to do with bathing?" Shingo demanded, rolling his eyes. They'd gone from a VERY interesting conversation about naked girls to-his sister. He looked at Usagi, admitting privately that she was very beautiful now, not just pretty. Of course, if ANYONE told him that'd he'd have said that about her a few days ago, he'd have cracked up! Things had sure changed now. From ditzy blonde-to amazing super-heroine-to beautiful Princess.
["Or ONE guy in particular?"] Ami said slyly, staring pointedly in Jadeite’s direction and smirking.
Jadeite sensed her eyes on him and looked over, an eyebrows raised in inquiry.
["Hey!"] Rei growled silently, flushing brightly. ["I SO do not want to attract that General!"]
["Too laaaaaaate!"] Usagi, Mamoru and Ami said evilly.
"SHUT UP!" Rei yelled at the top of her lungs, glaring murder at the three.
Everyone else in the room stopped talking and stared at her, making her flush brightly.
"I SO want in on that bond!" Makoto said enviously, green eyes staring at Usagi, Ami and Mamoru's grinning faces.
"No you don't," Usagi said, sobering immediately. Her silver eyes flickered over Makoto, then Minako with sadness. "It means that you have to die-"
"Maybe I WANT to die and be bonded with you all!" Makoto burst out, then looked horrified when Usagi's face crumpled and she burst into tears. "I-I...didn't mean-" Makoto stammered, looking as if she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her. She leant forward, but Usagi covered her face with her hands and refused to look at her.
"I WON'T see any more deaths! I WON'T!" Usagi sobbed, removing her hands and throwing herself into Mamoru's arms.
Mamoru stared at Makoto icily, but then he nodded at her in understanding. He wrapped his arms tight about Usagi and stroked her hair soothingly. ["She only felt the need to be bonded with us, love. She feels so left out right now, when she's part of a tight family and it now seems like she's an outsider"]
"I knoooow!" Usagi sniffed, burying her face into his neck and wrapping her arms tight about his shoulders. "But I can't see more death. I held Rei and Ami in my arms as they were covered in blood and their FACES-" she broke off in horror, squeezing her eyes shut to block out the sight.
There was a rush of clothing and Makoto fell to her knees in front of Usagi and threw herself at the princess, burying her head in her lap and her arms about the slender form. "I'm sorry, Usagi! I'm SO sorry!" she burst into tears too.
"Makoto..." Nephlyte said softly, half-rising, but then he sank slowly back, knowing his interference would not be welcomed. She was not...his any more.
Jadeite lay a hand on Nephrite’s shoulder in understanding, but said nothing, his eyes fixed on Rei's unhappy face.
"Oh, Serenity," Seline sighed, coming back into the room hurriedly with Setsuna as she sensed her daughter's pain. ["Serenity, this must be"] she whispered mentally.
["WHY MUST IT BE?!"] Usagi screamed back at her mentally, making her mother wince in the wake of the psychic backlash. She pulled back from Mamoru and looked down at Makoto and then at Minako. "I want you to leave," she spoke quietly, deadly serious.
"What?!" Makoto exclaimed, raising a tear-stained face and looking up at Usagi with pain and incredulity.
"You-want us to leave?" Minako said painfully, golden eyes flooding with tears. She'd only just met them, but they were already like sisters to her! And now her Princess didn't want her around?
"You'll DIE if you stay around me. Rei and Ami did. Mamoru did," Usagi told them both, raising a hand to stroke the side of Makoto's face tenderly. "I won't have any more of my family die."
"But Usagi-" Makoto whispered.
["Usagi, you'd separate us?"] Rei said, tears filling her eyes also and spilling down her cheeks. She dashed the wetness from her face, angry at the weakness when she should be strong.
"Serenity" Seline said firmly. "You CAN'T separate from your Senshi. Your sisters. They WILL die without you there."
Everyone's head shot around to stare at her in shock.
Seline's lips curved into a bitter smile, shocking then yet again with her look. The silver-haired girl had NEVER looked so. "The Senshi will never be at their full power and will eventually die in battle if they do not die soon. Their link with the Silver Crystal depends on them becoming fully beings of their planets. The Mercury Computer will tell you that they are not human, however, they were BORN of human's and it will KILL them if they do not make the change," she told them relentlessly. "You probably don't remember, but the Senshi committed ritual suicide in order for their gods to instill the powers into their avatars properly. They were born and instilled with some powers of the gods when they were chosen, yes, but to TRULY be Senshi and CONTROL their powers, they had to die even then a thousand years ago," she sighed, looking upset that she had to explain such a terrible thing to such a young girls. "It's evolution, my Daughters."
They all stared at her in shock.
"Serenity is quite right," Setsuna admitted quietly. "Your alien soul within a half-human body will kill you...and the Princess would never be able to bring you back."
"NO!" Usagi cried out, hand going to her chest in physical pain. "Please, Mother!" she pleaded.
"I'm so sorry," Seline whispered, a hint of wetness in her own silver eyes. "This was not meant to happen so quickly, but when the Timeline was disrupted and your and Endymion's souls were truly freed, a chain reaction was started."
"Then STOP it!" Usagi shouted, face filling with fury. The crescent moon on her forehead abruptly blazed to life in a golden fire. Mamoru cursed, but kept his hold on her and even though Makoto was so close to the infuriated Princess, she still clung desperately to her waist. Usagi turned her head to look at the Guardian of Time. "You guard the Time Gate! YOU stop this."
"I am locked out, my Q-my Princess," Setsuna stammered slightly, then recovered and changed her address of the girl swiftly. This was not yet her Queen...and the Princess and her Court were not ready to know of their future in Crystal Tokyo...and Pluto greatly feared...feared that Crystal Tokyo would now never be. She had seen nothing of this. What would become of them if Serenity tried to stop the new course of time? She had the power within her broach. In her soul. The Crystal that was the most powerful thing in existence would bend to the will of the Princess alone. "If-IF you STOP this, you may very well destroy EVERYTHING," she stressed in a deadly voice, trying to make her Princess understand.
"Everything?" Usagi said in a hushed voice, horror in her eyes. She suddenly understood. "I...can do nothing?" she whispered hopelessly.
"Nothing," Setsuna lied firmly. It was better that her future Queen NEVER know the power in her grasp. It was not that she would abuse it-but that she would do ANYTHING to protect those she loved. It made her the most powerful and the most DANGEROUS being in existence...and all time.
["Please, Usagi. Be brave"] Rei whispered, leaning over to kiss her Princess right on her glowing crescent moon.
["Be brave, for us"] Ami murmured, leaning over Mamoru to do the same.
As if Makoto and Minako had HEARD Rei and Ami's words, they too leant over and kissed Usagi's forehead, letting all their love and support spill from them into her.
Usagi smiled tremulously and then tenderly at the four girls who loved her so much. "Thank you." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms about Makoto's head, holding her close to her heart tightly. Rei, Ami and Minako wrapped their arms about Usagi and Makoto and the five were silent, holding each other.
"Do you understand now, Serenity?" Seline said gently, brushing the silver hair from her eyes and staring steadily at her daughter. It was very important that Serenity understood. It depended on her. She-she was the HEART of the girls. Of the universe.
Usagi let go of Makoto and Rei and Ami and Minako let the silver-haired girl go, but settled about her on the floor and the couch, staying close. "I understand, Mother. Even if I cannot stand to see them die. If...if only I could know that they would come back to me."
"It is not their time to die," Setsuna said mysteriously. Seline and she walked over to the other and sat down on the chairs beside Usagi's couch.
["It still hurts so much..."] Usagi murmured mentally to Mamoru, leaning back against his shoulder.
Mamoru wrapped his arm about her slender form again and kissed her soft hair. ["I know"] he murmured back, sighing pensively. He saw Usagi bite her lip and still felt her mind in turmoil, though she was no longer crying. It hurt him terribly to see his love in such pain. Suddenly, he made a decision. "Come on," he told her, then looked at the Senshi clustered about their legs. "Can you let Usagi and I up, girls?" he asked dryly, feeling as warm and mushy about them as Usagi-but REALLY! How was he supposed to even STAND with Senshi limbs everywhere?
["Lovely"] Ami said wryly. ["You sure know how to ruin a moment"]
["A MUSHY moment"] Rei glared at Mamoru, letting him know she'd heard his thoughts of a moment before.
["A warm mushy moment"] Usagi said in amusement, a smile lightening her drawn features.
"I need a few MOMENTS with Usagi," he told them, blue eyes twinkling with an equal amusement. He really loved these girls!
"You big SOFTIE, you!" Ami squealed and impulsively jumped up and turned around to hug Mamoru about the neck.
Mamoru stared at her cleavage, startled to see it so close to his face, then he grinned and stood up, taking a VERY startled girl with him. ["You're a doll, Ami"] he told her.
Ami clung with his head to her chest and blinked about, feeling nothing under her feet. She squeaked and let go, dropping back down and barely avoiding Makoto's legs.
"I'll allow your chest pressed to my love's face because you're my sister, Ami and it was a mushy moment," Usagi giggled at Ami's brightly flushing face and felt her unhappiness lift from her.
"And I'LL allow my fiancé’s bosom’s pressed against my Prince's face for the same reason," Zoisite remarked dryly.
Ami only flushed brighter.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Usagi reminded Mamoru, taking pity of Ami's almost fire-engine red complexion. She was sure she'd never seem Ami look that embarrassed!
["I've NEVER BEEN that embarrassed!"] Ami retorted mentally, sinking down next to Usagi into the spot of the couch that Mamoru had vacated.
"Just HOW do you plan to do that?" Minako asked curiously, golden eyes flickering over Mamoru, then Usagi.
"A closet" Mamoru announced with all the force of an atom bomb-and the reaction was just as explosive.
"A CLOSET?!" Everyone shouted, most with surprise and Ami and Rei and Makoto with disbelief.
"That's what STARTED all this mess!" Makoto yelled at him, clenching a fist and waving it under Mamoru's nose. "What if you come out of there King and Queen of the frigg'n Universe this time?!"
"You're exaggerating," Mamoru responded ironically.
"What are you saying?" Kenji growled. "YOU-" he pointed around at Ami, Usagi, Makoto, Mamoru and Rei with an accusing finger. "-all told me that Usagi and Mamoru were locked in a ROOM together!"
Rei slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned. ["Oh crap, he's right!"]
"Oh, did we forget that?" Ami said innocently, blinking at an angry Kenji.
"YES YOU DID!" he screamed at her and abruptly returning to 'homicidal father' mode.
This time Ikuko didn't try to stop him, but stared angrily at Mamoru. "A CLOSET, Mamoru?" she demanded, crossing her arms.
"Er-" Mamoru said sheepishly. He'd forgotten that only the girls and he knew about the closet part-oh, and Motoki and Reika too. ["Oh. Ehehehe"] he thought, rolling his eyes skyward and preparing to be throttled. It seemed to be the er-weapon of choice when dealing with him lately. "Present neck," he said dryly, raising his head and thrusting his bare neck slightly in Seline and Kenji's direction.
"Nothing surprises me any more," Seline said wryly. "No, no, Mamoru, please DO keep your neck intact."
Ikuko and Kenji turned their heads to stare at the surprisingly mild Queen of the past.
Seline shrugged her shoulders, long silver hair sliding over them smoothly and pooling in her lap. "I know that Serenity and Endymion haven't yet consummated their bond, as I have both their words, so there is no use in worrying over what is past," she narrowed her eyes on Mamoru's amused face. "Of course, if he tries to BREAK that word, I will have to take SEVERE measures," she added thoughtfully.
"Would I dare?" Mamoru wondered, reaching down to pull Usagi to her feet. "Come along girls" he told Ami and Rei. "There was a nice closet in that room we slept in earlier."
"Who would like some coffee?" Ikuko asked around brightly.
Mamoru never heard as he and the girls left, his thoughts going ahead to the bedroom...then the bed...then the closet and a wicked grin spread over his lips, eyes devilish. He'd done some DELICIOUS things to his Usako on a bed and a closet-not to mention in downtown Tokyo in from of all the Senshi...He leered at her, momentarily forgetting the other two bonded to him. ["Care for a repeat performance, darling?"] he purred.
Usagi blushed brightly, remembering the many times she'd felt Mamoru's warm lips on her own. Her stomach dropped to her feet and her heart began to thunder. With all that had gone on, she had forgotten just WHAT they got up to in that first closet.
Ami smacked him across the back of the head, muttering uncomplimentary things under her breath.
"Just what DID happen that first time?" Rei asked suspiciously, red eyes fixed on Usagi's face. But then Mamoru grabbed the silver-haired girl's hand and dragged her after him and Rei and Ami had to scramble after to make sure the bond wasn't broken.
["Don't think I won't ask later, buster!"] Rei shouted at his back mentally, sticking out her tongue.
["I want to know too"] Ami grinned widely at her friend, then rubbed her hands together like a mad scientist. When Rei stared, she shrugged and grinned wider. ["What? I can't live vicariously through Usagi when I don't have a guy?"]
["We HAVE guys. Sort of"] Rei muttered, scowling. Guys who happened to be drop-dead gorgeous. Generals who'd kissed her senseless.
["I wasn't kissed senseless"] Ami said brightly. ["YET"] she added thoughtfully.
"Are you serious?" Rei exclaimed, following Mamoru and Usagi into the hall, then up the stairs.
Ami mused over that for a long moment. "I'm not sure," she admitted finally. "It had it's merits...however, it's VERY weird, seeing as we're currently fighting a FEMALE counterpart to him." Rei snickered and Ami shot her a hard look. "YOU'RE no one to talk! I didn't see you fighting very hard when Jadeite was playing tonsil hockey."
"AMI!" Rei exclaimed in shocked accents, flushing fire-red. She slapped her hands to her cheeks and hoped Mamoru was too busy with Usagi to hear that comment. When he turned his head and smirked at her, all hope dribbled out of her feet. ["Darn"]
["You can't have many secrets with THIS bond, sister-dear"] Mamoru told her dryly, slipping an arm about Usagi's slender waist and heading down the hall to the room they'd slept in.
["Yay me"] Rei retorted, trying to loose her blush. Damn him, he was right! About the bond...and the kissing. Her red eyes became dazed as she remembered Jadeite kissing her. His lips had been wonderful and she could have just stayed in his arms forever. And oooh, that hot bod of his and that CHEST that she was just dying to run her hands over-
"REI!" Ami and Usagi screeched at her, pausing in the doorway to glare at their red-haired friend.
Rei gaped at them when she realized she'd just broadcast on the mental 'radio channel' called their bond, that she wanted to get down and dirty with the guy she professed to hate. "I DO HATE HIM! ARRRGGGGH! Why does he have to be so HOT?!" she shrieked in outrage, glaring daggers at the three smirking smugly at her.
"Peeeerfect match!" Ami sang, laughing outright.
"Shut up! Shut up!" Rei shouted back, covering her ears to shut Ami’s singing out.
["Perfect, perfect-"] Ami continued mentally, unabashed.
"Grrr" Rei growled at Ami, the red symbol for Mars on her forehead beginning to glow ominously. "You were never this annoying before!"
"It's a talent" Ami snickered, then covered her mouth. ["Sorry!"]
"Hmmp"
"Can we have our moment now?" Mamoru asked mockingly, staring at them expectantly, Usagi glued to his side and giggling.
"Yeah, yeah," Rei waved them into the room and followed, Ami still snickering behind her.
["Per-"] the blue-haired Senshi began, then shut up as Rei swung about to glare suspiciously.
"What was that?" Rei demanded.
"What?" Ami said innocently, blue eyes wide and guileless.
"Okay, you two play-and WE'LL play" Mamoru told them, opening the closet door and dragging Usagi inside. His eyes caught something before the light faded and they widened and then narrowed wickedly. He reached out and clicked the lock he'd spotted, hoping Usagi hadn't heard anything. Luckily, she somehow didn't SEE it in his MIND either. He must be getting better at this...
"Mamoru!" Usagi gasped at him in the darkness, feeling a sense of deja vu. "Are you sure a closet is a good idea."
Mamoru grinned at her wickedly, knowing she couldn't see his expression in the complete blackness of the closet. "You're upset, I'm here to make you forget it. Welcome into my power, sweetheart," he said silkily.
"You wanted to TALK, remember?" she hissed back, un-surprised when a pair of warm hands slid about her waist and she was jerked hard against a naked chest.
"Maybe in a minute," His head dipped and he sought her lips out in the darkness, finding them with unerring accuracy.
Whatever protests Usagi had went right out the window when Mamoru kissed her like no tomorrow-and when his tongue swept past her lips and into her mouth, all THOUGHTS went out the window.
Chapter Thirteen
"Venus?" Malachite asked, not looking up from his cup of coffee after five minutes of silence after the four had left the room.
"Yes?" Minako asked rather warily. Given that Jadeite had been pouncing on Rei, she was in full rights to look at HER fiancé of 1,000 years ago in askance.
"Would you mind telling me what her Royal Highness Princess Serenity and heir to the entire Solar System is doing in a closet with his Highness the Prince of Earth?" he said calmly.
Her eyes glazed over at his speech. "Couldn't just have said what are Usagi and Mamoru doing in the closet?"
Light blue eyes rose to stare at her penetratingly. "I was trying to stress that two such Royal personages SHOULDN'T be locked in a closet together like a parlor maid and the serving man having illicit meetings!"
"Oh," she chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, considering, then looked over at Makoto. "Do they do this often?"
"More than you'd THINK" Makoto replied dryly. "We're quite blase about it now."
"You condone this?" Nephlyte said with some surprise, blinking at her. "You HAVE changed, Jupiter."
"As to that, we'll I don't really remember WHAT I was like," Makoto responded, looking half-annoyed and half-thoughtful. "Umm-but trying to tell Usagi and Mamoru to keep their hands off each other is pretty much impossible," she concluded wryly. "It's been three days and I've lost count of the times we've had to pry them off each other."
"No kidding!" Minako said with bright interest. She leaned forward eagerly, glazing her hands together on her lap. "Tell me more!"
"Shouldn't you be prying them apart NOW?" Malachite stressed, an eyebrows raised in a haughty manner.
Minako's nose twitched as she thought that one over, then slowly shook her head. "I'm the Avatar for the Goddess of love, Venus. Who am I to stand in between two soul mates?"
It as a surprisingly adult speech and Malachite was left staring at her, a strange pain in his heart. Who indeed were they to stand between soul mates? He sighed, looking away from Minako's warm golden eyes. At least she hadn't known his evil-self that was in this century, so she didn't have cause to hate him as the others did their soul mates. However, he could not help but feel agony each time he looked in her eyes and remember what they had had in the past. Would they ever have it again? "As you say," he murmured to her, falling into a pensive silence.
"Mmm," Minako murmured, seeing past his supposed calm to the raw emotions reflected in the General's eyes. How could they stand to look at one's who were once their fiancés, but now no longer loved them?
"That's all very well, you two," Zoisite said, head tilted to the side as he considered their words. "BUT-I might point out that Serenity and Endymion AREN'T yet married-" he trailed off and smiled, eyes closing in a smug expression. "Of course, if you'd like an heir to the thrones of Earth and the Moon in nine months time-"
"WHAT?!" Kenji thundered, leaping to his feet, a maniacal expression in his eyes. "I'LL KILL HIM before I let him touch her!"
Ikuko closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Here we go again. Kenji darling how many times do we have to go over this?"
"They will be fine," Seline said calmly, staring down at her cup. She wrinkled her nose and leaned forward to place the cup on the table gently. "This drink is DREADFUL, Ikuko," she continued, casting a disapproving look at the blue-haired woman.
Ikuko giggled like a little girl. "It IS, isn't it?" she placed her own untouched cup of coffee on the table. "Shall we make some tea, Seline?" she offered, smiling at the young girl.
"That would be nice," Seline answered, smiling back.
Everyone stared in dead silence and as the two women, one in her thirty's and one in her thousands, left the room together.
"I guess they don't mind," Minako said, grinning at Makoto. "And if her own Mother's don't care, then I guess we shouldn't worry."
"Besides," Makoto added. "Rei and Ami are linked to them mentally. How much can they do in a closet with two other people poking around their every thought?"
Everyone considered that for a long moment.
Then Jadeite laughed in amusement, reaching for the coffee jug to pour himself some more. His eyes flashed with mirth as they met Kenji's, an eyebrow raised significantly. "Have you ever heard about the chaos theory?"
["My Usako. Mmm, your lips taste delicious"]
"I KNEW they weren't going in there to talk," Rei said, rolling her eyes and leaning back against the wall to studying her nails.
"What was your first clue?" Ami demanded, all agog. She placed a hand under her chin and stared at Rei expectantly, as if about to hear some world-shaking disclosure. But her eyes were mocking.
["Mmmmmmm"]
Rei smiled at her after a moment, suddenly amused by her friend's old emerging personality. ["I think I like the new you, Ami"]
["Oooh, Mamoru"]
["Keep your 'ooohing and ahhhing' to yourselves!"] Rei snapped at them both, but they totally ignored her, too involved with each other to even notice the other two's presence in their minds.
Rei and Ami were being barraged with feeling of desire and love one moment and the next-nothing.
Somehow, between kisses and caresses, Usagi and Mamoru became Serenity and Endymion-and then things REALLY began to heat up.
Endymion crushed Serenity into the wall beneath his armored body and deepened the kiss, hands sliding up from her waist. His fingers danced lightly over her ribs, then up to her breasts, caressing them lightly through the silk of her dress.
Serenity gasped into his mouth, never having felt his hands on her breasts before. The sensation was wonderful. She felt like she was melting and there was a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. She moaned when his fingers dug into her right breast lightly and began to caress her nipple. It hardened and she moaned again tongue seeking his out and brushing against it tentatively.
Endymion was pleasantly surprised when Serenity's tongue swept into his mouth and brushed against his. Her hands swept up from his shoulder and around his neck, pressing herself closer to his body and the hand bringing her such tortuous pleasure on her breast. He couldn't help himself and suddenly ground his lower body into hers. She gasped in shock and pleasure and then relaxed into his body, letting him do what he will.
Then suddenly, there was loud banging and shouting from somewhere and they both froze in surprise wondering what was going on.
["What?"] Endymion growled, staring about in the darkness and pressed from chest to thigh to his soul mate's gorgeous soft curves.
"Usagi!!!!! USAAAAAAAGI!" came a man's scream-and suddenly Endymion and Serenity were Mamoru and Usagi again and it was MAMORU glomped to Usagi.
Usagi remembered VIVIDLY what she and Mamoru had been doing and flushed brightly in the darkness, arms about his neck and Mamoru pressed against her entire length, hand on her breast. "Arrggggh!" she yelled in shock, almost shoving her love away from her. "Just what happened right now?!"
"You're not THAT young, Usagi," came the responsive drawl.
A yell came from outside the closet again and they remembered Rei and Ami.
"I think we should continue this later," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her hungrily.
"Mmm," she agreed, kissing him back with as much hunger, then she blinked and thrust her hands at his chest again. "Hey! Enough with the wandering hands, mister! Rei and Ami are going to get a front- -seat if you don't stop!" she hissed at him, trying to block her thoughts from the two girls. It was weird, but she was successfully blocking her thoughts from the two girls as she had done once before, but she KNEW Mamoru couldn't yet!
["Too late"] he purred at her, stroking a hand down her neck and over her breast again.
Usagi grabbed his hand, still flushing brightly and MORE than a little confused by how intimate they'd just been. The bond was certainly trying it's best to get them consummate. She bit her lip and sensed him smile. ["We're coming out"] she told Rei.
["About time!"] the fire-priestess snapped.
["I think I'm going to have to kill you if you grabbed what I thought you grabbed"] Ami said darkly, having heard Mamoru's thoughts of a moment before loud and clear. ["Maybe later. Kenji and Seline are about to kill you first"] she sounded rather smug.
["OH HELL!"] Mamoru groaned, reaching for the lock.
["Hello? Mamoru?"] Rei thought, reaching futilely for the bond, but it was gone.
["Usagi? Mamoru!"] Ami yelled, but with no response.
["Come in Mamoru!"] the red-haired girl demanded mentally, tapping a finger against her head as if it were a two-way radio that had lost it's connection.
"OH HELL! They've gone all royal on us!" Rei groaned, turning to glare at the closed closet door.
"Huh?" Ami said intelligently, watching as Rei hammered a fist on the door.
"Serenity! Endymion! OPEN THIS DOOR THIS MINUTE!" the Senshi of fire hollered.
"Oh. OH!" Ami said, catching the gist. "That's not good" she tapped a finger on her forehead as she thought. "Hmm-we have too hormonal 19 year olds with over 1,000 years of pent-up sexual tension" she turned hastily and began thumping on the closet door in time with Rei. "That's DIRTY POOL you two!" she bellowed at them through the door.
"What's the commotion?" Jadeite demanded from behind them.
Ami and Rei turned to see everyone gathered in the bedroom behind them.
"Serenity and Endymion have locked themselves in the closet!" Rei announced angrily, spinning back to the closet to thump on it imperiously. "Come on you two! Enough with the smoochies already!"
"So?" Malachite asked, staring at Rei's behavior. "We already knew they were in there."
"YES, but SERENITY and ENDYMION are in the CLOSET ALONE!" Ami spoke through gritted teeth, emphasizing particular words to try and get her message through to the others.
"Oh my," Seline said, understanding immediately. She ran to the closet and hammered on it with her slender hands. "Serenity! This is your Mother! Open this door IMMEDIATELY young lady!" she shouted.
Kenji was a second behind her and was soon hammering on the door too, his face red. "Usagi! You come out here this MINUTE!" he screamed at the door.
The Generals' eyes boggled in shock when the Queen of the Moon started banging on the closet door like a maniac and the human who had cowered before them earlier was just...SCARY when he was mad!
"Did I miss something here?" Nephlyte asked, utterly bewildered.
"Rei and Ami can sense what Mamoru and Usagi are thinking-as long as they STAY Mamoru and Usagi," Ikuko informed them, passing a weary hand over her eyes. Why did these last three days seem like they were stretching into years?
"When they become Serenity and Endymion, their er-bond goes out of control," Grandpa added.
"Right," Jadeite said, walking purposefully towards the closet. "Excuse me Queen Serenity," he said politely, ignoring the raving lunatic next to her.
"Usagi!!!!! USAAAAAAAGI!" Kenji bellowed over and over.
"Honey, let the nice General break down the door," Ikuko urged from behind. When Kenji continued banging unabated, she sighed and stalked over, hauling him away by his shirt. "Come along, dear," she said firmly.
Jadeite calmly reached out and jiggled the door knob to assess that it was indeed locked from the inside, then he thrust out his hands-
Ami and Rei suddenly felt the bond re-opened with Usagi and Mamoru and they were treated to a very INTERESTING conversation.
["Hey! Enough with the wandering hands, mister! Rei and Ami are going to get a front-row-seat if you don't stop!"]
["Too late"]
["We're coming out"]
["About time!"] the fire-priestess snapped at them, tempted to wave her face at the overwhelming lust coming from the two. Then she and Ami suddenly got a sensation in Usagi's body and realized that Mamoru had touched Usagi's breast! Rei gasped and flushed.
["I think I'm going to have to kill you if you grabbed what I thought you grabbed"] Ami said darkly, having heard Mamoru's thoughts of a moment before loud and clear. Not to mention the breast-grabbing! ["Maybe later. Kenji and Seline are about to kill you first"] she sounded rather smug, eyes glittering maliciously. Yep, Mamoru was answering to her fist later for copping a feel of her Princess.
["OH HELL!"] Mamoru groaned, from both hearing that Seline and Kenji were homicidal again AND the fact that Ami and Rei somehow knew just WHAT part of Usagi's anatomy he'd stroked a moment before. He reached for the lock, swinging the door open to face the firing squad. EVERYONE was there!
"Wait-!" Rei yelled, holding out a hand towards Jadeite.
And just as he was about to blast the door, it swung open and Usagi and Mamoru walked out.
Mamoru and Usagi stared around at everyone and she blushed brightly. "What was all the racket about?" Mamoru demanded, scowling darkly.
Kenji broke free of Ikuko and dashed over to Mamoru, grabbing him around the neck and beginning to throttle the life out of him. "What did he touch? What did he TOUCH?" he screamed at Usagi, ignoring the gurgling noises coming from his victim.
"DAD!" Usagi shrieked, seeing Mamoru's face going an interesting shade of red. "You're KILLING him!" she grabbed Kenji's shirt and began yanking back and forth, trying to shake him off of Mamoru. "MOM!"
Ami watched, taking strange delight in Mamoru's throttling. ["I guess you don't need to meet my fist later, after all"] she mused silently.
["And I suppose we don't need to tell anyone that they weren't just talking"] Rei added, grinning at the sight of Kenji, Mamoru and Usagi. Never a dull moment. She stared as Mamoru's face began to turn a funny shade. ["Should we really be letting Usagi's dad strangle our brother like this?"] she said worriedly, using that endearing address for the first time, utterly unconscious that she'd used it.
Mamoru, of course, notice, but was er-occupied at the time with a slight case of asphyxiation. ["Help"]
["Less talk and more HELP!"] Usagi shrieked mentally at them, not sparing a glance, but trying to shake her maniac father off of her fiancé.
"Should we be helping him?" Jadeite asked, staring at his Prince being strangled by a madman.
"I'd LIKE too-but remember, Kenji is one of the people allowed to do anything to Endymion without us beating the crap out of him," Zoisite pointed out reasonably.
"HE DIDN'T TOUCH ANNNNNNYTHING! We TAAAAAAAALKED!" Usagi wailed at her dad with blatant disregard for the truth, jumping onto his back and grabbing at his hair.
"Talked?" Kenji said, rage clearing from his eyes.
"Talked," Mamoru croaked out from beneath the crushing fingers. ["Usako, you're lucky this is your dad strangling me and my future father in law-or I'd have to KILL him!"] Mamoru shouted, collapsing against the closet door when he was abruptly released.
Usagi jumped off Kenji's back and threw herself into Mamoru's arms. "Did he hurt you? Can you breath?!" she asked anxiously, staring into his eyes. ["I'm sorry my dad's a homicidal maniac!"]
Marie shook her head and sighed, walking right up to an embarrassed Kenji and staring him in the eyes. "Have you ever considered Anger Management?" she asked him. "You're going to have a heart attack one day-or your daughter's boyfriend is going to kill you."
"K-kill," Mamoru croaked, staring at Kenji over Usagi's head with murder in his eyes. ["I'm sorry, Usako-but your dad's about to get a taste of his own medicine! I've been throttled one too many times!"] he roared mentally, more than making up for inability to do more than croak anything verbally.
"He wants to kill you," Jadeite translated for Kenji, who suddenly paled and realized he's just tried to throttle his future son-in-law, not to mention the Royal Prince of the Earth.
"Gaaaaaah," Mamoru managed. ["Water. Water!"]
Everyone looked at Jadeite, who shrugged his shoulders. "It didn't translate."
"He needs water!" Rei yelled at her fiancée-from-the-past.
"Right," Jadeite said, striding out of the room. He'd spotted a bathroom a few doors down.
Everyone else stayed to watch the entertainment with avid interest.
"Let me strangle him. Just a little!" Mamoru rasped, stepping around Usagi.
"No!" Usagi jumped onto his back, but he kept moving. ["I can't let you strangle my daaaaaaad!" she wailed at him mentally, ignoring the tingling all down the front of her body from contact with his naked back. She groaned.
["Not now, Usagi!"] he said in a strangled tone, feeling also very affected. But right now, he just wanted to murder his future father-in-law. Kill now, ravish later!
"Come on!" Rei yelled, grabbing his left arm. Ami grabbed his right and Makoto and Minako dove to the floor, grabbing a leg each.
"Now that's something you don't see every day" Jadeite commented in surprised mirth, coming back into the room with a glass of water and just a little jealous that Mars wouldn't hang off HIS arm like that sometime. Five utterly GORGEOUS girls were clinging desperately to Mamoru's body-parts...which subsequently were crushed to five heaving bosoms...and all the Prince wanted to DO was throw them off in order to kill some guy in a homicidal rage? "What's wrong with this picture?" Jadeite continued, glaring at his Prince with disbelief.
"Look what you did now, Kenji," Ikuko growled at her husband, eyes flashing with anger. "We're having a talk. NOW."
"But Ikuko-" Kenji began, whining like a kicked puppy.
"Come on," she grabbed his arm and hauled him towards the door. "I apologize for Kenji's behavior, Mamoru," she threw over her shoulder before the two disappeared out the door, Kenji still complaining loudly about her embarrassing him before everyone.
"Ikuko! For God's sake, I'm a grown man!"
"And where was this grown man when you were strangling the Prince of Earth?!"
"Jeez, Ami-your mom is cool compared to MY parents," Shingo snickered loudly.
"You want the water?" Jadeite asked, tilting his head to the side and trying very HARD not to laugh at his Prince. The other three Generals were also fighting this urge.
"No thanks. This is so embarrassing," Mamoru muttered, finally cooling down with Kenji out of the room; a girl hanging off of both arms and legs and one on his back with her legs about his waist. He tried to shake Rei and Ami off his arms and looked like a demented seagull instead.
"Embarrassing is NOT the word I would have used to describe five beautiful girls clinging to you," Nephlyte said sourly.
"Yes, DO get your priorities straight, Endymion," Malachite said disapprovingly, shaking his head.
"Could I please have my fiancée back, my Prince?" Jadeite said coolly, eyebrow raised.
"What have I told you about that?! I'm NOT your fiancée!" Rei yelled, still clinging to Mamoru's arm.
"And what did I tell YOU about shouting at me?" he returned, quirking an eyebrow suggestively.
"Try to kiss me, buster and I'll throw Mamoru at you" she threatened, taking a stronger grip on Mamoru's arm.
"Don't make me smack you over the head, Rei!" Usagi growled from above Rei's head, still clinging to her Prince.
["Have mercy! I was just strangled by my true love's father!"] Mamoru uttered in a long-suffering tone.
"Hehehe. I'd like to see that," Makoto said wickedly.
"I'd LIKE my limbs back now," Mamoru said loudly, annoyance building. ["What a way to speak to your Prince. Threatening to throw me like some cushion"]
["Sorry about that Mamoru"] Rei said sheepishly, letting go of his arm. ["Jadeite just makes me so-so...! Grrr!"]
["You want to kiss him silly?"] Ami suggested in such a regular tone of voice that Rei responded without thinking"]
["Yeah, that too. Boy he kisses GREAT!"] she whirled, face filled with horror and saw that Ami, Usagi and Mamoru were grinning evilly at her. ["Say a WORD and I'll strangle ALL of you!"] she threatened them all, shaking a fist under their noses.
["Would we do that?"]
["My lips are sealed"]
["You couldn't torture it from me"]
All three flashed her innocent smiles.
"Why do I feel we're missing half a conversation here?" Jadeite said conversationally to Grandpa and Yuuchiro. "Mars has the most INTERESTING expression on her face."
Rei pulled a face at him and then flounced away, stopping a few feet from Ami, who let go of Mamoru's arm.
"Nothing is EVER boring around here," the blue-haired Senshi remarked, grinning.
Suddenly a beeping filled the air and the Senshi and Mamoru all exchanged horrified looks.
"What was that noise?" Malachite asked curiously, looking around to try and pinpoint the source of the noise.
"You HEARD that?" Minako exclaimed in shock, gaping at him.
"It's my Mercury computer," Ami said grimly, making a reaching movement with her hand. Her small computer fell smoothly into her palm and she opened it swiftly, scanning the information there. "It's an energy disturbance in Juuban Mall. A Youma," she said softly.
"A what?" Zoisite demanded, divining from her expression that it was something serious. "What's a Youma?"
The girls all looked at him with somber expressions. "Trouble," they all said simultaneously.
Mamoru nodded, remembering that not only could Sailor Moon not be at the battle to use her Moon Wand to destroy the Youma, but Sailor Mercury as well...Zoisite thought that the Senshi was dead... "BIG trouble."
