Yellow Roses, part 23: You Do This to Torture Me

Warnings: I think Taiki and Ami are cute together.

Disclaimer: I hate my life.

Website: The Scribs: Home of the Insane Fanfiction Writer Cassima

If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten. 

Mamoru awoke to the doorbell. Sitting up, he blinked his eyes a few times, wondering what he was doing sleeping on top of the covers in his clothing. Glancing over next to him, he saw Sade lying next to him, frowning in her sleep. He wondered what she was dreaming about, and rose to answer the door.

Before he was more than a few steps out of the bedroom, the door to his apartment opened. "Hi, Mamo-chan!" Usagi chirped as she let herself in with her key. "When you didn't answer, I thought I'd just come in and wake you up. You look..." she paused for a moment to study his clothing, biting off on the word "handsome". "Rumpled," she finally decided. "Did you sleep in your clothes?"

Mamoru self-consciously ran a hand through his hair, trying to smooth it down. "Good morning, Usako." He gave her a small kiss, and smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought we could have a picnic," she said shyly, reaching into the hallway and retrieving a large basket. "I made the food--well, with Makoto's help, and she said to tell you that we were really careful and nothing will give you food poisoning, like last time. I thought we could go out to the park. Okay, Mamo-chan?"

She was beautiful, he thought fondly to himself. She was a treasure. She was more valuable than... "That sounds nice," he found himself answering. "I'm just going to go brush my hair." And his teeth, he decided. Morning breath. Ick.

Usagi smiled as she watched her boyfriend wander towards the bathroom, still looking half-asleep. How strange, for her Mamo-chan to be in bed so late!

What would be really nice for the picnic, she speculated, was a blanket to sit on. Lucky for her, Mamo-chan had a really nice one. It was soft and durable, and stains washed out fairly easily (as they'd discovered the hard way). Usagi had many fond memories of that blanket, of the picnics and--other activities--they'd used it for. The bright blue color was fading a little, and one of the corners was a little ragged, but Usagi had decided a while ago that they were never getting rid of it. Never, ever, ever. Opening the door to his bedroom, she slipped inside.

There was a girl sleeping in her Mamo-chan's bed.

It was that Lun@ girl.

Usagi felt, in order, shock, confusion, and a healthy dose of anger. There was an explanation--there had to be; Mamo-chan wouldn't cheat on her. They were Meant To Be--and she was sure it was damn good one, but even so...

Lun@ stirred a little, eyes sliding open and head turning to the other side of the bed. "Mamoru?" she asked sleepily.

Usagi made a small noise in the back of her throat.

Lun@ turned her head back, blinking in confusion. "U-Usagi," she said. She frowned in worry, and struggled to a sitting position. "Um. Hi."

"What's going on?" Usagi asked her. The basket dropped from her hands to clatter noisily on the floor.

Lun@ winced at the loud noise. "I... This isn't what it looks like, I swear."

"What is it, then?" Usagi asked, surprised at her own calm tone. She raised a hand to her heart, unconsciously trying to soothe the ache in her chest.

"I just... I was sleeping... nothing happened, I promise you." She was shaking, Usagi noticed. She looked different, somehow; her hair was stringy and tangled, but that wasn't it, nor was it the grey cast to her usually pale skin. Her eyes were large in her face, and something in them seemed... dead.

"What's going on?" Usagi asked again.

"Usako, I'm--" Mamoru entered the room behind her. "Oh," he said faintly, as two sets of confused eyes turned towards him, begging for help. "It's not what it looks like," he told Usagi, reaching for her hands.

She pulled back, moving towards the wall, away from both of them. "It's not."

"I can't tell you what it is," Mamoru replied, glancing at Lun@, who was studying the sheets in front of her. "It's not my secret to tell."

"What am I supposed to think?" Usagi asked, glancing back and forth between them.

"I can't--"

"Tell her," Lun@ whispered. "She deserves to know."

"Are you sure?" Mamoru asked.

"She's the leader. If she promises not to tell the others--do you promise, Usagi?"

She nodded, unsure.

"Okay," Lun@ whispered, and pulled the covers off her lower body.

Usagi gasped involuntarily. Her legs were thin and shriveled, even through the material of her jeans, and she moved over to her bedside, touching her legs with a kind of fascinated horror. "How did this happen?"

Lun@ was refusing to look at anyone, eyes focused somewhere in the sheets. "My name is Sade." Her voice lifted for a moment, and her eyes darted over to them before she concentrated again on the bed. "I used to be an Angel of Death, but I... I have no... and now I use magic to make my body strong enough to fight. I'm a fraud. Now you know." She hid her face in her hands. "Kalguna just told me I'm Sailor Sirus, and I can't feel my lower body until I transform, and I'm sorry!"

"What are you sorry for?" Usagi asked gently.

"I don't know!" Sade began to cry.

Reaching out, Usagi pulled her into a tight hug. "It'll be okay," she whispered.

"I don't remember my past, an' no one'll tell me, and I'm not strong enough to protect Buffy, an' everyone hates me, an' I don't want to be Sailor Sirus, I want to be Diabolique and kill people again!" Her body was stiff in Usagi's arms, and Usagi felt sympathy and pity overcome the lump of jealousy in her chest.

"Don't worry," Usagi said. "I'm sure everything will turn out fine!" There wasn't a chance on this side of the moon that Mamoru had done anything with this sobbing wreak of a person.

Besides, Mamoru would never cheat on her.

"Are you re-charged?" Mamoru asked kindly when the sobbing and dulled to dry hiccoughs.

"Prob'ly," Sade said, sniffling and wiping her nose on the tissue Usagi handed her. "I guess I should try."

Usagi stepped back, giving Sade some room. "You can do it!"

The silver wand was suddenly under Sade's hand, and she lifted it. "I call upon the power given to me! Sirus Planet Power, Make up!"

Usagi gasped a little as Sade's thin, bony, emaciated body rose into the air. Grey ribbons sprung from behind her, wrapping themselves around her lower body and legs. As they tightened, they firmed and settled, and suddenly her legs were muscular. She settled into an upright position, and silver light shot up from the floor and bathed her body, making it suddenly healthier. Finally, more silver ribbons snaked around her, solidifying into a Sailor fuku, knee-length boots, and elbow-length gloves. The very front portion of her hair twisted and braided into two braids, which hung with the rest of her hair past her ears

As the transformation ended and she stood there in full uniform, Sade blinked and looked down at herself. "I never realized how short these skirts were," she muttered. She was still holding the transformation wand.

Usagi grinned. The new hairstyle softened Sirus' features; it looked much better than the usual tight braid she wore. "It is nice to meet you, Sailor Sirius."

Sirus inclined her head in a polite manner. "The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure." Picking up one of her braids, she looked at it disdainfully. "I wonder how I get my clothes back. I really liked those jeans; they were all broken in and everything."

With the magic cushioning her again, once more supporting and enhancing her limbs, she was nothing like the unsure girl she had been before. She was a warrior again, hardened and cynical. Usagi was suddenly reminded of her first meeting with Saturn, right before Saturn had gone off to drop her Silence Glaive. Saturn had been just as calm, just as confident, just as deadly.

As she fumbled to undo one of the braids on the side of her head, the wand suddenly slithered from her hand to her left wrist, where it became a watch. The watch cover, a star within a circle, flashed briefly, and suddenly Sade was back in her street clothes. She blinked. Her hair was back down again, out of the strange hairstyle, but not up in her one braid.

"You can't tell right now," she said slowly, "but inside I'm freaking out."

Agent Scully sipped her coffee and stared at her report. It was done, but she could imagine the look on A.D. Skinner's face if she handed it in. It would resemble his, "I am not amused" face, with a hint of "Scully's illness has sent her brain bye-bye" and a speck of "You do this to torture me, I know it." Quite honestly, she wasn't quite sure she believed it herself--but that was almost standard practice for cases on the X-Files. Science and the X-Files had a precarious relationship with each other; sometimes they weren't on the same planet, and other times they were strange, strange bedfellows.

"More coffee, Agent Scully?" Taiki asked shyly.

"Hm? Oh, please." She held out her mug, still frowning at the screen of her computer.

"Is something the matter?" Taiki asked as she poured.

"What? Oh." Scully sighed. "I'm just working on my report." She gestured to the screen. "I can't turn this in."

Taiki glanced over her shoulder. "A report on the Sailor Senshi?"

"They'll never accept this." She sighed, saved the document, and shut down her laptop. "But, how are you feeling?"

"Better," Taiki answered truthfully. "When can I transform back into a--my other form?"

"Let me check your wound," Scully replied, and ushered Taiki back to a chair. "Lift up your shirt." She crouched in front of her, fingers peeling back the bandage to check the gash.

Taiki complied, holding as still as possible. "Well?" she asked after a moment.

"You're not healing as quickly as I'd like," Scully replied. "I'd like you to remain in this form for another day. Besides," she said, "Your energy flows much better in this form. I don't think the other would be very comfortable."

"What?" Taiki asked, pulling her shirt back down. "How do you know about that?"

"About what?" Scully asked, confused.

"What you said about my energy," Taiki said. "How can you tell?"

Scully frowned. "I didn't say anything about your energy."

"Yes, you did," Taiki said. She looked up at the doctor with concern.

"I don't remember," Scully said with a frown, stepping back and touching her face.

"Are you okay?" Taiki stood, taking a step forward. "You look pale."

"I... I think I need to sit down," Scully said. She could feel the blood draining from her face, and the world tilted slightly around her.

Taiki's hands came around her, carefully helping her into the chair. "Agent Scully? Scully?"

"I'll be okay in a moment," Scully replied, grasping the arms of the chair. "I just feel a little dizzy."

"Mr. Giles," Taiki called to him as he passed by the doorway, "could you please bring me a glass of water? Agent Scully isn't feeling well."

"Of course," the man replied, a concerned look on his face.

"This really isn't necessary," Scully said weakly as a glass was pushed into her hand.

"Do you have blood sugar problems?" Giles asked. "When was the last time you ate?"

The world swam before her eyes and was suddenly replaced by the image of a tunnel. No, not a tunnel, more like a cavern. It was large, spacious... and incredibly empty. There was a feeling of void coming from that tunnel, and she knew it was *wrong* in a way that extended beyond the physical. The floor was made of sand; she could feel the tiny grains shift beneath her feet, and the passage of air through the tunnel chilled her bare arms. There had been death--lots of it, so much that the earth wished to mourn with her, for the Silver Peace was gone, murdered in a vicious bloody battle. The Silver Peace had lain on the ground in a puddle of blood, white flowing dress stained red, black tuxedo torn, splattered with red. Slain by Earthlings. And the tunnel... the sandstone arch with those runes carved in warning... "It's coming soon," she whispered. She itched to close her eyes against the images; her fingers itched for a pen to draw them out, to make the others see.

"What?" Taiki asked.

"What do you see, Agent Scully?" Giles asked her, setting the water aside.

"We have to stop it. He's summoning his army--the Ancients will be upon us. It is the Chamber that Unmakes the World. We have to stop him." Images flashed through her mind, and she struggled to hold onto them. She felt alone. "The White One--the Lady of Light can stop them. There is death--watch how they fall. Watch how we fall. Falling--the blood--Oh, God, the blood--"

"Scully?" it was a new, familiar voice that interrupted this time.

Mulder, she wanted to say, but the strange vision drove her on. "Through the tunnel, under the arch, magic shall not pass through this sacred place."

"Scully, wake up!"

She was almost chanting the words. The images swept her along with them, and she could barely keep up. She was falling through the arch, through the tunnel, and the Chamber of death was there. "Follow the tunnel between worlds to the arch--Requiem, it sings a Requiem, and all the voices of the dead join in--through the arch, but magic will be destroyed. The Chamber is sacred--the battle must be there. He must not win the Chamber. Oh, the blood..."

"Scully, stop it!" Suddenly, she was in control again, and she opened her eyes to find Mulder kneeling in front of her, his face so close to her own. His hands were gripping her shoulders tightly; it was painful, but she didn't stop him. She could feel the warmth of the blood on her upper lip, taste it as it slipped down onto her lower lip and into her open mouth.

"It's beginning," she said, hands reaching out to clutch his arms. "So soon, Mulder..."

"What is?" Mulder asked. His eyes were so intense. Scully felt herself being drawn in.

"I don't know," she replied. "All I know is it's bad."

"I'll look it up," Giles said, and she remembered he was still there, and Taiki. "I have some books. We can get started on research right away. I already know where to start."

"I'll help," Taiki said.

"You rest," Scully corrected, and Mulder released her shoulders. "Take a nap. You've been up too much already."

"I'll bring you back a book," Giles promised her. "What languages can you read?"

"English, Japanese, German, Latin, and French," she said. "And I know a little Russian."

"That should be fine," Giles said. He looked impressed, Scully noted. Heck, she was impressed. Surprised, no, but impressed? Hell, yes.

Mulder pushed a tissue into her hand, and she absently held it to her face. "We don't have much time," she said.

"Yes, I remember reading something about this before," Giles said. "There was a prophecy... I've been sorting through my books. But the passage you described sounds fairly familiar. We shouldn't have any problems. Finding it. I'll be back shortly."

"Good," Mulder said, watching him leave.

"Taiki, why don't you go take a nap?" Scully said. "Or at least, lie down for a few hours."

"Right," she said. "I'll do that."

"Why don't you go to the bathroom, Scully," Mulder said. "Wash off your face."

"Yes," she replied, wondering if she'd gotten any blood on her clothes. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Maybe you should lie down after that, too," he suggested. "You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine, Mulder," she replied. "Or, at least, I will be."

"Right," he said. "You're fine. Right. I forgot." He stalked out the door. Scully had the impression that, if it hadn't been a sliding door made out of something resembling paper, he would have slammed it.

Right. She was fine.

Right.

"Here, you take these ones," Giles said, handing a small stack to Willow. "And, Ami, you take these ones." The stack he handed her was a bit larger.

"Hey, what about me?" Xander asked.

"Xander, these aren't picture books," Willow said. "You know that, right? I mean, they have pictures, but you have to read the words, too."

"Oh," Xander said. "Right. Yeah. I'm just going to... sit around and cheer you guys on. You go, guys!"

"Xander can help me sharpen stakes," Buffy said. "I assume we will need stakes?"

"Wha--? Oh, yes, of course, the stakes. By all means, sharpen them." Giles settled his glasses more comfortably onto his face. "Jenny, if you wouldn't mind taking these ones--"

"Of course, Rupert," Ms. Calendar said. "I'd be happy to look through this dead print instead of looking it up on the internet."

"Thank you," Giles replied. "I appreciate the assistance."

No one was quite sure if that was sarcasm or not.

The door slid open quietly. "Hello, everyone."

"Lun@," Xander said. "And where have you been, young lady?"

"It's been thousands of years since I've been young, and I can't recollect ever being called a lady," she said. "I've been busy. Now I'm done. Inform me."

"Agent Scully had a vision," Giles said. "We're doing research. According to her, we have very little time until the Ancients have enough power to begin conquering. There's a ceremony we can disrupt to stop it. We're researching."

"Great," she said. "By the way, my name is Sade now."

"Geez, what are you, 1,000 Names For Your Bundle of Joy?" Cordelia cried. "Just pick one already!" 

"I did. It's Sade." She looked at him coolly before nodding at Buffy. "I'm ready. Tell me what to do."

"Set 2B."

Buffy obediently changed her fighting pattern, slipping easily into the form as her well-trained muscles found the moves without the slightest hitch or hesitation. "So," she said casually, "how did last night go?"

Sade smiled, looking up from her book briefly. "Mission successful. I'm bad, I'm back."

Buffy panted, dropping gracefully to sit next to her mentor on the porch. "What's the dish? Come on, give." She wiped sweat off her upper lip with the back of her hand and leaned back to half-lay on the floor.

"The planet of Sirus lends me strength," Sade said, choosing her words carefully. "I needed to work some of details out with them. But, don't worry," she said cheerfully. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here to ride your ass from here to hell and back."

"Where've you been all day?" Buffy asked. "With Mamoru?"

"Nah," Sade replied, turning the page of her book. It didn't look like it was going to have anything interesting. Or pertinent. "He went on a picnic with Usagi. I walked around the park, did a little window shopping."

Buffy made a face. "I don't know what they see in each other. They're so different."

Sade chuckled a little, amused. "You're hardly one to talk."

Sticking her tongue out at her, Buffy had to laugh a little in agreement. "Touché."

Fingering the edge of the page, Sade looked up into the sky. Dusk was approaching, maybe an hour away. "Power attracts power, Buffy. All of the senshi are a bit in love with Usagi; it's her light. Her magic is strong... it's the strongest I've ever seen, actually. Mamoru can sense it--it draws him in. He's similar. Lots of power, but something's missing from him." She looked up to her Slayer, eyes gentle. "You're similar, you know? You two would complement each other well. He can call on magic, but can't enhance himself with it, while you can't do a simple levitation spell, but..." Sade shook her head. "I'm sorry, I must sound like I'm speaking nonsense. Your break's almost over."

"It sounds like intelligent nonsense that Giles spouts," Buffy comforted, rising to stretch. "So, good nonsense."

"Just keep working," Sade said, humor in her smile. "I can't read and talk to you at the same time." Her gaze slid over to the entrance to the temple, where she felt two pairs of eyes glaring at her. They sent her a clear message:

Watch your step.

She frowned a little, and Buffy followed her gaze. "What's their problem?"

"I don't know," Sade replied, growing uncomfortable. "They seem pretty upset, though.

Buffy cracked her knuckles. "Ya wants me ta go have a Talk with 'em, boss-lady?"

Sade groaned, turned back to Buffy. "That was the worst movie you've ever made me see. No more old mobster movies."

Buffy grinned charmingly. "But it was great when they broke out into song and dance!"

"If that's the last time I see a mobster tap dancing with his violin case, I'll die happy," she said.

"Spoilsport."

"Set 12C."

"You're trying to kill me."

It was late that night (actually early the next morning) when Rei was moving through the temple, making sure everyone was done for the night. Usagi had dropped by briefly, only to flee with Minako and Makoto at the word "research"--which, frankly, probably only improved the group dynamics. Ami had holed up with Taiki--Rei smirked--and the two of them together had tackled a few of the more difficult books. Mr. Giles was coming up with a rough plan, and the other friends of the Slayer were asleep.

Gently, she removed a very old text from beneath Mr. Giles' head and covered him with a blanket. It would be a shame to ruin such a well-preserved tome with drool.

Their weapons were all sharpened and shined and laid out neatly; Rei took a moment to admire the blade of an especially wicked axe. It was odd how much damage Buffy could do with such old, mundane weapons. The Slayer herself was quite the enigma; obviously, she had super strength, extra luck, and superb vitality, not to mention the other things Rei had no clue about, but where did this power come from? Someone, sometime, must have endowed the Slayers with these abilities--but who had the energy to do such a thing?

Rei turned out the lights and closed the door.

The last room, where Taiki was healing, still had a light on. When her knock received no response, she slid the door open a bit and peeked inside.

Ami and Taiki were seated on the bench, a large red book laying across their laps. Ami's head was resting against Taiki's shoulder, and Taiki was leaning slightly in her direction. Rei was startled for a moment, and then smiled. They were cute together.

Taiki shifted slightly in her sleep, her hand moving to clasp Ami's. Ami moved her head into Taiki's shoulder in a nuzzling way, a strand of her short blue hair curling on her cheek. Despite the vast difference in their heights, the two looked perfectly content and happy curled up together; the book only completed the picture of happiness.  Ah, love between bookworms. I guess Ami has found her Einstein, and Taiki has found the one person who can out-think him. It's about time.

The smile still on her face, she dimmed the lights and left, closing the door softly behind her. They were starting their two weeks of vacation tomorrow; Ami could stand to sleep in for once in her life.

Besides, it would give her a better opportunity to pry what the hell was going on between them out of the warrior of ice.