Hey minna-chan
Thank you so much for all of the reviews. I really do appreciate them. It helped me write this chapter in four days instead of the week that I had originally planned. I wasn't sure if anyone would like this story, but apparently you do. The first chapter isn't a stand alone fic (one of my reviewers asked about that but I don't remember which one.) I will try and get the chapters out as fast as possible. Chapter 2 twice as long as the last chapter so I hope everyone enjoys it.
The Senshi gathered at Usagi's house. Luna refused to tell them anything until everyone arrived.
Venus and Mars sat on the bed; Jupiter on the windowsill and Mercury paced back and forth.
"So what happened?" Ami asked.
Luna stood on the dresser and looked down. "I don't know. Usagi has been having nightmares for the past week. Tonight was one of the worst; she was thrashing about so much I thought that she had might hurt herself. I was about to wake her up when she calmed suddenly. She didn't move for the next half-hour so I thought it was okay to go to sleep."
"Oh, this is all my fault." Luna thought guiltily. "If I had stayed awake then she never would've disappeared."
"A bright light filled the room and then vanished. Usagi was still in her bed when the light appeared, but I'm pretty sure she vanished when it... Rei, what are you doing?"
The senshi of Mars was kneeling on the floor, lifting up the corner of the bedspread. "If Usagi was scared, then the odango atama is probably hiding under her bed. That's what she does at my house during a thunderstorm."
Luna was about to deny this, but then thought about it carefully. Yes, Usagi could definitely be under the bed. All that worry wasted for nothing.
"Well, is she there?" Minako asked, peering over the edge.
Rei came out from under the bed, her face ashen. "She's gone."
Mamoru rested his arms on the edge of the balcony, his hands cradling a cup of tea. He gazed up at the moon and disinterestedly traced the outline of a rabbit.
"This isn't working." He thought, the only reason he had made the tea and come out here was so that he could relax and fall asleep. Disgusted, he poured the tea out, hoping that no one was standing on the street below.
"I need to do something; I can't stay up all night." Sighing, he tugged the edges of his robe closer together and went back inside.
His room was lit by the dim light of the full moon. Mamoru made the way to his bed with a minimum amount of bumping. He laid down and gazed at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come.
"How could you?" A voice accused. "You promised me that you would search for the ginzuishou."
Mamoru turned towards the indistinct shape that was forming in the mist.
"I have been searching." He explained. "I already have two of the nijizuishou."
"You have two of the crystals but you almost let my heartsister die. Why did you wait so long to transform?"
Mamoru blanched, knowing that the Princess was referring to the last youma battle.
The last transformation had occurred while he was in the middle of taking a test. He'd felt Sailor Moon transform and a rose had appeared in his hand.
"Not now." Mamoru thought as he hid the rose away before the ever-questing eyes of the teacher could spot it. He tried to suppress the transformation until he could finish his test. Another rose appeared and he was assaulted by a sharp jab of pain. Agony assaulted his nerves.
Not caring, only wanting to stop the pain, Mamoru picked up his test. Staggering to the front of the room, he gave the test to an openly gaping professor and ran out to the hall.
Luckily the corridor was deserted; he gripped the rose and transformed, then hurried to join the fight.
He had almost arrived too late; three of the Senshi were unconscious and Sailor Moon was being held by the youma. Sailor Jupiter was trying to aim for the youma but couldn't hit it with her attack because Sailor Moon was in the way.
Tuxedo Kamen threw a rose to distract the youma. It had let go of Sailor Moon, pitching her backwards. Jupiter quickly took advantage of the distraction, aiming her Supreme Thunder at the youma and hitting it head on.
"Now Sailor Moon."
Sailor Moon nodded at Tuxedo Kamen, threw her tiara and dusted the youma.
"That's how you'd like to remember it." The disembodied voice came from every direction, echoing back on itself. "We both know that's not what happened. You're just fooling yourself."
Tuxedo Kamen looked at the princess. She had begun to fade.
"Come, come Serenity." The voice admonished. A form began to materialize out of the mist. It was a man sheathed in shadows. "Princess, I have something that you want." The figure lifted a hand and a silver crystal appeared. It levitated a few inches above the outstretched hand.
"The ginzuishou." Mamoru whispered. He glanced at the princess. "Why isn't she doing anything?"
"She must do my bidding." The voice informed him. "She can't leave until I give her permission."
Tuxedo Kamen gripped a rose, preparing to throw it at this new adversary.
"Foolish, Endymion. I will not let you best me twice. Watch what truly happened this evening."
Tuxedo Kamen started reliving the battle, only this time he arrived too late. He watched on horrified as the youma sucked the lifeforce out of Sailor Moon. Tears streaming down her face, Sailor Jupiter hit the youma with her strongest attack. It died quickly, but it was too late. Jupiter turned towards Tuxedo Kamen with accusing eyes.
The setting vanished; the Princess had fallen to her knees and was weeping openly.
Tuxedo Kamen knelt besides her, enfolding her with his arms. He tried to comfort her, but her tears wouldn't go away.
"Will you admit defeat Serenity?"
Serenity and Endymion glanced up into the eyes of death. "I will never give up." Serenity whispered.
"Then watch your dreams die." The ginzuishou began glowing a deep red. It floated higher and higher and then dropped. It hit the ground and shattered.
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!" A voice screamed loudly.
Mamoru's eyes snapped opened and he sat up quickly. He could've sworn... He looked around the bedroom. No, it was impossible. "You have odangos on the brain." He thought as he lied back down and tried to fall asleep again.
Usagi prostrated herself on the floor, clenching her mouth closed tightly. "This is not happening." She thought. "I'm not in the bedroom of one of the hottest guys in Tokyo. I am..."
The bed creaked as Mamoru sat up again. Usagi yeeped, her eyes searching the room frantically.
"I've got to hide, gotta hide. Oh yes!!!" Hastily she pulled herself under the bed, only to find it already packed.
"What does he do, keep his whole apartment under here?" Usagi whispered to herself.
A pair of feet appeared only inches from her face. Usagi shut her eyes and tried to pull back as far as possible. She knew he wasn't wearing a top, she'd been snuggled against a very warm, very muscular, and most definitely bare chest. It looked like he wasn't wearing bottoms either.
Mamoru reached for his robe, but decided against it. "There's no one here to see me." He reasoned.
"Daddy is gonna kill me." Usagi had never seen a nude male before. Well, there was Shingo, but he had been a baby so it didn't count.
"Wait a minute." Usagi thought, opening her eyes. "No one will ever find out about this. If I'm here I might as well enjoy the view." She watched avidly as more and more skin was revealed.
"SHIMATTA...that baka just has to wear boxers." She wailed to herself, then grinned eagerly. "I see London, I see France, I see Mamor... Nuh uh." She couldn't call him Mamoru after this; he had to have a special name. "hmmmmm... I see London, I see France. I see Mamo-chan's underpants." She giggled to herself quietly. She'd never tell anyone about this, but Ohhh was she glad it was happening. Mamo-chan's boxers were kinda cute, black silk embroidered with blood-red roses.
Mamoru stopped at the entrance to his bedroom. Had someone giggled? "I must be going crazy." He thought as he left the room and went to the kitchen.
Usagi crept out from under the bed and looked around. She had to get out of here before Mamoru saw her.
Wait a sec... Something was pulling her pajama top... "My brooch," she thought, grabbing it quickly. Then she looked at a sliding glass door that led to a balcony. She'd just come up with her escape plan.
Usagi crawled to the sliding doors, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure that Mamo-chan didn't come in. She opened the doors and stepped out into the cool night air. Shivering violently, she put her hand to her brooch and said, "Moon Prism Power." A dazzling display of lights illuminated the surrounding buildings. When they were gone Sailor Moon stood on the deserted balcony.
Mamoru set his tea down as he felt an all too familiar twinge. A rose appeared in his hand and he had exchanged his boxers for a tuxedo and cape. "No." He whispered, painfully resting his head on his hands. This would make the sixth time in the past three days.
Usagi looked down at the ground and then up at the roof. The roof was definitely closer. Groaning slightly heavily, she crouched down and then leapt up.
"Oh no." She thought as she grasped for the edge of the roof. She tried to hold on but her fingers were slipping. They let go and she tumbled towards the ground.
Mamoru dropped his tea, not even noticing the cup breaking. Agony ran along his nerves. Sailor Moon was in trouble, close to death. Swearing, he turned around and ran to his bedroom. Rooftops were the quickest way anywhere.
"Usagi?" A voice called from the other side of the door. "Honey, are you all right?"
"Hide." Luna whispered, using her powers to turn off the lights. "Venus, under the covers."
Minako looked at Luna strangely, but did as she commanded. Mako grabbed Artemis and threw him out the window. Then she took a hold of Ami's arm and pulled them both into the closet. Rei stuffed herself back under the bed, cursing as springs dug into her.
"Answer her." Luna had hopped onto the bed and was curled up by Mina's ear.
"I'm fine, Momma." Venus said, trying to get her voice to sound like Usagi's.
The door opened and light poured in from the hall. Mina pulled the covers over her head. "Don't come in," She thought, "just stay out in the hall."
Ikuko entered the darkened room. It had been so noisy, she thought that Usagi had been talking in her sleep again. She was about to turn on the light.
"No!" Luna yelled hoarsely.
Ikuko paused and came closer to the bed. "Darling, are you all right? You don't sound very good."
"Yes." Mina coughed weakly. "I think I'm getting a sore throat."
"Oh poor dear." Ikuko had sat on the edge of the bed and was rubbing her daughter's forehead. "I'll make some tea for you in the morning. Do you want anything?"
Mina brightened. "I could use a chocolate milkshake. Something cold would make my throat feel a lot better." Luna batted Mina's ear.
Mina sighed. "Never mind, it just might make me sicker."
Ikuko looked at her daughter, amazed. Usagi would never refuse food, especially a milkshake. She was most definitely sick. "Go back to sleep dear. I'll make an appointment with the doctor tomorrow."
The senshi sighed in relief as Ikuko left the room.
Sailor Moon windmilled her arms and gasped painfully as she hit a metal rod. Grabbing it quickly, she pulled herself up. She glanced at the few feet up to the roof. Sighing, she performed a gymnastics feat that she would never be able to repeat in her klutzy Usagi mode.
"I'm never doing this again." She thought once she was safely on the roof. "Next time I'll walk. Anyone who does this is crazy." Sailor Moon quickly oriented herself, then began jumping from roof to roof.
A staccato sound broke the silence of the night air. It sounded like someone... running?
Sailor Moon glanced back. A black form was leaping from building to building, coming straight towards her. "Not another youma." Usagi thought, looking around. There was no way she could fight a youma alone out in the open. What if she fell off the building?
"Oh perfect!" The next building was covered with air conditioning ducts and exhaust fans. "I can make my stand there."
Sailor Moon leaped over to the rooftop and hid behind a huge duct, waiting. "From now on I'm wearing my communicator even to bed." She definitely could have used the other Senshi's help.
The figure had made it and was coming straight towards her. She stepped away, pulled her tiara down and called out. "MOON TIARA MAG... Tuxedo Kamen!" She gasped, dropping the tiara in surprise.
Tuxedo Kamen stopped and looked around quickly. "Where's the youma?" He demanded.
"Th..The youma?" Usagi asked confused.
Mamoru sighed heavily and walked slowly towards the heroine. "Yes, Sailor Moon, the youma. The thing that nearly killed you, that made me get out of my nice warm bed and made me come here." With each word, he took another step and Usagi rapidly backpedaled. Finally she ran out of roof. Sailor Moon glanced down at the ground, wondering if she should jump or face Tuxedo Kamen.
"There isn't a youma. I was practicing my jumping and I missed one of the rooftops. I fell but I managed to grab onto a flagpole and get back onto the roof."
"You What!?!?"
Sailor Moon looked at his enraged face and decided that jumping was most definitely her best option. She turned swiftly and tried to jump but a pair of firm hands gripped her around the waist. She struggled futilely but the Tuxedo Kamen had hold of her too firmly for her to get loose. Mamoru enwrapped Sailor Moon's arms and waited until she ceased her attack.
"I'll let you go." He whispered calmly, "but you have to promise not to run away."
Usagi paused and then nodded. The hold on her was loosened until Tuxedo Kamen only had hold of her wrist.
Mamoru glanced around, saw a flat boxy shape and pulled Sailor Moon towards it. He sat her down and then joined her, never loosening his hold on her wrist. Silence reigned.
Tuxedo Kamen sat in disbelief; after the dream he had just had and the prospect of losing her to something so dim-witted. He considered tying her up and taking her back to his apartment until he could find one of the other Senshi to babysit her.
"You are one of the protectors of Tokyo. You shouldn't be jumping around on rooftops if you've never done it before."
"Like I had a choice." Usagi thought bitterly.
"If you're going to practice," Tuxedo Kamen continued, "then you'll have to do it during the day and make sure one of the other Senshi is with you. I can't be there every time to save you."
"Why do you then? Sailor Moon demanded. Usagi had been through enough tonight and she didn't need another Mother Hen. Luna was bad enough. "Oh no!" she thought alarmed. She'd forgotten all about Luna. "What is she going to say? What should I tell her? Oh kami..."
"Because I have no choice." Tuxedo Kamen answered her, quietly unaware that she wasn't even listening. "The princess gives me no choice."
"Woah... Princess." That word cut through Usagi's ramblings. "You know about the Princess?" Sailor Moon was amazed.
Tuxedo Kamen looked up at her words. Finally here was someone who could answer his questions. But how did the Senshi know about her. "Do you know who she is? Where is she? How are you and the Senshi connected to her?"
Sailor Moon considered her answer carefully, she refused to tell him that she didn't know. "We're her protectors and I'm not telling you where she is. I don't even know who you are."
Mamoru sighed. Maybe if he told her about his dreams, she'd tell him about the princess. "Ever since I was little the princess has come to me in my dreams, asking me to find the ginzuishou. When I was younger I was in an accident, I don't remember anything about my parents. If I find the crystals then I might be able to regain my memories."
"I wish I could help you." Usagi admitted as she stood up and backed up slowly. She really did want to help, but if she didn't get home before sunrise Luna would kill her. She turned and jumped away.
Mamoru sat silently watching as she left. For some reason he knew that she would get home safely.
Ami and Mako came out of the closet as Rei pulled herself out from under the bed. "Mina, next time go easy on the dessert. You almost squished me." Without Usagi around Rei had to take her anger out on someone and Minako was the best target.
"Girls, stop bickering. We need to find Usagi."
The window opened and an enraged Artemis entered. His fur was puffed and he made his way straight towards Makoto.
"I'll search downtown." Jupiter called as she avoided Artemis' claws and leapt out the window.
Luna watched her go. "Settle down Artemis." She admonished.
"Settle down!" Artemis hissed. "Mako threw me out the window!"
"Well, there wasn't time to think. We can deal with it later. Right now we need to look for Usagi. If you're not going to help then I'm sure someone else will be happy to throw you out again."
Artemis unarched his back and sat down huffily.
"Mercury." Luna continued pretending that Artemis wasn't even in the room. "Is there any chance that Usagi is still in Tokyo?"
"Yes." Mercury answered. "There wasn't enough power in the teleportation for her to have gotten very far. The best thing would be for us to search. There's an eighty-percent probability that we'll find her."
Mercury divided the remaining Senshi and gave them specific areas to search in. They left, promising to contact Luna if they found anything.
Artemis watched them leave and then looked at Luna. "Do you want me to help you search?"
Luna shook her head. "I'll stay here. Usagi might find her own way home and we have to have someone coordinate the search. Would you please go and look?"
Artemis nodded and then left out the open window.
Luna stood there and looked up at the moon. "Selene. Please help Usagi get home safely."
Usagi had finally managed to get down off the skyscrapers and was only a few blocks from her home. "Never again, never ever again." She had been repeating this mantra ever since she'd left Tuxedo Kamen. "I will walk. I will crawl! But I am never going to get back onto a roof that high ever again."
She was finally at her back door. Sailor Moon looked up at her bedroom window and shook slightly. She'd had enough heights for one night. Usagi detransformed and very quietly opened the back door. She crept through the kitchen and up the stairs.
Luna sat up as the door opened. If Usagi's mother came in and found her daughter missing...
Usagi shut the door silently and shuffled slowly to her bed. "Luna didn't notice I was gone." she thought relieved. "At least one thing is going my way tonight."
Luna watched in amazement as Usagi entered the room and made her way to the bed. The shock left her and she cried out, almost yelling.
"USAGI!!! Where under the moon have you been?"
Usagi groaned softly as she pulled the covers over her head. "I need a good story, but what will she believe?" Usagi considered the possibilities. 'Well, I blacked out and when I woke up I was protecting someone from a youma. I think it might be a new power.' Yeah right, that would never happen.
Well, since she couldn't tell Luna the truth, she'd just tell her a very small white lie.
"I..I don't know Luna." She admitted. "The last thing I remember I was sleeping in my bed, but then I woke up and I was in a strange part of downtown Tokyo. Luckily I had my brooch, so I transformed and came home." "Oh please, please, please believe that."
"That's all right Usagi, I understand."
"She bought it." Usagi thought amazed, this definitely was her day.
"It wasn't really your fault. Someone transported you away."
"Mmm..hmmm..." Usagi answered as she pulled her covers up and fell asleep.
Luna continued on for a few more minutes. "We'll have to contact the other Senshi." She glanced at Usagi and noticed that her chest was rising and falling rythmatically. Luna smiled, tugged the edges of the blanket and tucked them around the sleeping girl.
She jumped to the dresser opened the communicator and told them that Usagi had been found, but wasn't to be disturbed until tomorrow.
