Hands Fall Together by Kihin Ranno

Part Nine: Breaking Up

As Motoki leaned his head against the soft pillows, inhaling the scent of French perfume mingled with sweat, and thought that life could not possibly get better than this.

Reika giggled beside him. He peeked at her, smiling at a pair of soft green eyes almost entirely hidden by a mess of hair. He reached forward and brushed it away. "If only the world knew what your hair looked like in bed. You probably wouldn't be nearly as popular."

Reika laughed and swatted his arm, her fingernails grazing the skin, feathers with a sharpened point. "Don't be mean," she instructed, scooting closer to him and resting her head on his chest. She took one of his hands, amusing herself by figuring out different ways to entwine their fingers. "Especially not after I was thinking about how happy you looked just then. I was about to say as much when you decided to get surly."

"I'm sorry," Motoki recited, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead. "But why wouldn't I be happy? Look at who I'm in bed with." He craned his head further and placed his lips on her neck.

She yelped and squirmed against him, trying not to laugh. "What have I told you about doing that?"

"To always tickle you there just when you get comfortable."

She gently elbowed his side. "No, that's what you say. I tell you to stop."

Motoki moved so that his face was just inches from hers. "Your lips say one thing, but your eyes..." he trailed off, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Reika scoffed and rolled away from him. "You, Furuhata Motoki, are impossible."

Motoki pillowed his arms underneath his head so that he could take a long, appreciative look at Reika as she emerged from bed. "If by impossible, you mean impossibly good-looking and utterly fantastic in bed, I may just have to agree with you."

"No, just impossible," Reika said, pulling some clothes out of her dresser.

"You're getting dressed? What happened to Naked Day?"

"Motoki, it's almost midnight. In a few minutes, Naked Day will bleed over into Monday."

"And the problem with that is...?"

Reika scooped his shirt up from the floor and pitched it at his head. "I am taking a shower because I have work tomorrow, and I can't go in smelling like I just ran a marathon."

"Two marathons!" he corrected crossly, yanking the shirt off his face. "Remember, there were two of them!"

Reika nodded, ruffling his hair on the way to the bathroom. "Yes, Motoki. They were both very memorable."

"That doesn't sound very sincere!" he called out as she shut and locked the door. That meant she actually wanted to shower alone, which in his opinion, was absolutely no fun at all.

"Abusive," he muttered, sticking his tongue out at the door.

"I heard that," Reika called out. "And don't stick your tongue out if you don't want me to bite it off."

Motoki shook his head and whispered, "How does she do that?" He half-expected her to answer that question as well, but she'd turned on the water by that time, which meant that even Reika's super-sonic hearing was out of commission. He heaved a tragic sigh and pulled his tee-shirt over his head.

Motoki climbed out of the bed and went in search of his boxers, which to his dismay had not landed in an amusing area of the room. He rather enjoyed fishing underwear out of garbage cans or pulling them from lamps and ceiling fans. Sometimes he flung things about just hoping for them to land somewhere nonsensical.

"Maybe Reika and Mamoru are right," Motoki mused. "I'm just easily amused."

He shrugged and continued picking up the rest of the room, finding his button-down shirt and jeans easily enough. Reika's outfit, which of course consisted of a ridiculous number of layers and accessories, was much more difficult to locate. Her jacket was hanging on a bed post, one of her shoes had wound up in a potted plant, and her bra was lying on her desk, one of the straps wrapped around the knobs on the top drawer.

He gathered up a few of the items and deposited them in the hamper. While Motoki preferred to live in chaos, Reika was an incurable neat freak, so he indulged her when he stayed over. She never ventured into his apartment unless he promised that he had cleaned, which of course he never did.

He chuckled a bit and sauntered over to the desk, tugging the bra with one hand. Unfortunately, he hadn't been paying close enough attention to what he was doing, so he didn't bother to untangle the straps before pulling. His error resulted in him not only opening the drawer, but pulling it off its track and dumping an unbelievable amount of writing supplies onto the floor.

"Gah!" Motoki yelled, jumping to avoid a particularly malicious pair of scissors that spun toward him. He surveyed the damage, knowing that he was probably going to get yelled at for messing up what was the meticulously organized drawer. He sighed and tossed the bra into the hamper. "I just can't win."

"Motoki, are you all right? I heard a crash!"

"Just me being clumsy," Motoki called back. "Don't worry, I'm fine!"

"You won't be if you don't clean up the mess you made!" she teased.

"I know, I know," he muttered, crouching down to put things back together as best he could. Reika wouldn't really be that upset, and besides, he'd stop by her work the next day with lunch as a surprise. That would make up for every irritating thing he'd done since he'd stopped by that morning.

He started loading everything back into the drawer as neatly as he could. The envelopes went on top of the extra sheets of computer paper, and the box of staples found a place next to the bag of paperclips. In minutes, everything looked where Motoki thought Reika might put them.

"That's more like it," he said, lifting the now full drawer and fitting it back into the desk. He realized belatedly that he probably should have done that the other way around, but after a bit of struggling, he managed to slide it home. He straightened, brushing his hands off for emphasis. "And done!"

He started to walk back towards the bed, when his bare foot brushed against a sheet of paper. He looked down at yet another envelope. He nearly went to go put it with the others, when he noticed that there appeared to be something inside.

Curious, he turned it around and looked at the postmark. He raised both his eyebrows when he saw that it had come from the Azabu Institute of Technology. He glanced over hisshoulder at the bathroom door. It had been nearly ten minutes, sohe probably had about five before she would come out. It didn't seem like a thickletter, so he could read it in that time.

He slid the letter out of the envelope and started to read.

Dear Ms. Nishimura,

Thank you very much for your application to join our archeological program in Equatorial Guinea. As you are undoubtedly aware, this program is extremely popular among our science students at the university, and as such, we have received a great many applications to join. However, we are pleased to inform you that you have progressed beyond the first round of applicants.

It is highly uncommon for undergraduate students to be considered for this type of research, so you should consider it an achievement to have made it this far in the selection process. This research excavation will assist in gaining experience in the field.

We would like to once again stress the fact that this is a one-year program in a poorer section of the African continent. If you have any long-term health problems or any other reservations about your participation, we strongly urge you to contact our office and withdraw your name from consideration.

You will receive a letter in one month's time to inform you as to whether or not you have been accepted. In the meantime, please continue to have a restful and pleasant break, and we will see you at the beginning of next term.

Sincerely,
Dr. Kikawada Masaya
Dean of Natural Sciences
Azabu Institute of Technology

Motoki stared in utter shock at the sheet of paper in his hands. Just to be sure that he wasn't hallucinating, he went back and reread its contents, confirming everything he had seen the first time. He didn't have to reread it a third time to know that Reika had never told him about this. She had never once mentioned considering the program, her application, or this letter.

Finding that he needed to sit down, Motoki took a few steps back and collapsed heavily on the bed, bouncing a bit as the springs reacted to his sudden weight. He continued looking at the letter that quivered slightly between his fingers, studying every character intently, willing them to change meaning.

He had never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Reika had seemed just the same to him: dedicated in her studies, precise in her organization, graceful in her movements, and breath-taking in every other aspect of her life. He hadn't seen any change in the woman he loved so much that Mamoru often worried about his sanity. There had been no thoughtful crinkle in her forehead, no nervous tightness around the corners of her mouth, no hesitation in her eyes when he saw her. She had hidden this so well that he hadn't even suspected she was hiding something.

He heard the door open and inhaled, his nose filling with the vapors of steam and lavender. It was the aroma of cleanliness, and it felt so wrong when he felt so wronged with that letter in his hands. "You know, I'm glad you finally talked me into complaining to the superintendent about the water pressure. I swear, I actually look forward to showering now." He listened to her bare feet slap against the wood floor. "What did you upend anyway?"

"The drawer," Motoki said in a quiet voice.

Reika paused. "Well, I see you got everything cleaned up. Aren't I lucky to have such a considerate boyfriend?"

Motoki held up the letter just high enough so that she could see it. "When were you going to tell me about this, Reika?"

The silence that followed the query was so full that it may as well have sucked all of the oxygen out of the room.

-----

Everything was burning. Mamoru didn't think that gold and stone could actually burn, but he couldn't deny what he was seeing. He seemed to be standing in a hallway of flame, surrounded by red flame that could have rivaled Rei's powers. But his skin didn't blister; smoke didn't fill his lungs. The fire gave him terrible claustrophobia, the scalding heat making him eating all the oxygen he tried to inhale.

"There isn't much to fear from fire," an unfamiliar voice whispered in his ear. "You ought to fear those who light the spark."

He turned to look at who had contradicted him, but it was useless. He knew that this wasn't the princess; the voice was too deep and sounded much wiser than the girl ever had. But just like his usual visitor, Mamoru found that he was looking right at this woman and still couldn't see her face. "I think we should fear the weapon as much as the one who wields it," he countered, dimly aware that he was speaking too formally.

She shook her head, and hair that seemed either silver or lavender shimmered in the crimson light. "Fire is a tool, like any other weapon. They want you to be so afraid of it that you forget to be afraid of them. Be wary of it and know the harm it can do, but be more aware of your opponents. You never know when they'll switch tactics and go for the throat."

All at once, the fire vanished. Mamoru looked around and saw they were standing among ruins. There wasn't a single scorch mark.

"The fire wasn't real," Mamoru realized, almost scoffing at his mistake.

"No, it wasn't," she answered with a weary sigh. "The second general, Jadeite, who I believe you've met, created the illusion when things began to look as if we might turn the fight in our favor. Our forces went completely mad. They scattered and were driven directly into groups of hungry youma." She exhaled, a sound far too melancholy for her voice. "I was sorry that I lived to see so much blood."

Mamoru closed his eyes. He had never known those people, but he knew that he had been a part of that time a thousand years ago. He wondered if he had been one of those soldiers who turned and fled at the sight of the inferno and if that was why this woman had told him the story.

"He's dead now. Again," Mamoru told her.

He glanced over and very clearly saw her lips curve into a smirk. Everything else was blurred. "Mars?"

Mamoru blinked. "Yes, actually."

"I'm not surprised," she said, sounding amused. "She wasn't very happy when he used her element, illusion or no. I wouldn't be surprised if a bit of that grudge carried over."

Mamoru smiled at that. At least one similarity between Rei and her past life. He wondered if he'd ever tell her about it.

He cleared his throat. "So, I'm going to guess that you're Queen Serenity. I'd throw in some pre-apology to take care of the possibility that I'm wrong, but I don't think I am."

She laughed this time, and he couldn't stop the swell of pride that filled his chest. Nor could he pinpoint exactly why it had appeared. "You are clever, then. And confident." She paused, to chuckle a moment more. "Just as I remember."

Mamoru paused, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. This was important. "You knew me?"

"I did," she admitted easily. "To be perfectly honest with you, there were very few people who did not know of you and a great deal who knew you personally before the end. You were very easy with your friendship, although there were those close to you who wished you hadn't been."

There was bitterness there, slight but unmistakable. He thought of questioning it, but he sensed she wouldn't answer. She wasn't speaking in riddles like the princess, but somehow, he was sure that she would elude him nevertheless. Besides, there were more important questions to voice.

"Might I ask you something?" Mamoru inquired, sensing it was best to ask permission first.

"Of course," she responded kindly.

Mamoru turned to face her, his eyes boring into the place where he thought hers might be. "Can you tell me what the Ginzuishou is and where I might find it?"

He knew her lips were moving, but what he heard next was not her voice. It sounded more like banging, but that didn't make any sense.

If a drumming goldfish suddenly floated overhead, he was never, ever going to forgive his mind.

"I'm sorry, what?"

She hadn't stopped talking, and the banging hadn't stopped. He covered his ears as it got louder and more persistent. He turned to see if the noise was coming from behind him, fully prepared to tell whatever it was to shut up and let him get information in peace.

All he saw was his own ceiling.

Mamoru blinked away sleep. He'd woken up, groggy and irritable. She could have been telling him the longitude and latitude of the damn thing's location as well as what it was beyond some spiritual nonsense, but now he was never going to know. He didn't even know if that had been a vision or a dream or some strange combination of both. He certainly couldn't see what its purpose had been, and he was beginning to become so frustrated with the whole business that he wanted to wake Luna up and tell her to go shove her mission up her—

The banging came again, and he sat up. Luna groaned at the foot of his bed. "Mamoru, would you please go punch whoever that is?"

Mamoru almost asked her what she was talking about, but then he realized that someone was knocking. He looked at the clock; it was after four in the morning. He glared at it reproachfully, as if Time was to blame for the noise in the hall, but he threw the covers off anyway. He pulled a pair of seldom worn pajama pants out of his drawer and stepped into them, thinking that even though it was unlikely to be Ami or Rei, he didn't want to have to deal with one of them fainting or jumping him.

He staggered into the living room, rolling his eyes as the banging started again. "I'm coming," he grumbled, not bothering to acknowledge that no one outside his apartment was going to be able to hear him. He dragged himself down the hallway and struggled with the locks on his front door. Finally, he flung it open, glaring darkly at who was on the other side.

He found it very difficult to maintain that when he saw the look on Motoki's face.

"Shit," Mamoru muttered, feeling that was an appropriate assessment.

Motoki opened his mouth, took in Mamoru's appearance, closed it, and opened it again. "I woke you up." He looked at his watch. "It's after four - of course I woke you up."

"Don't offer to leave," Mamoru instructed, pulling him inside by the shirt collar. "I'm not going back to sleep with you looking like that."

Motoki shook his head as Mamoru locked them in again. "I didn't think it was that late. I guess I've been walking around for a long time."

"You've been out by yourself at this time of night?" Mamoru asked, mildly horrified. "I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly stupid that is, and that's even ignoring the upswing of paranormal activity."

Motoki didn't even crack a smile at Mamoru's deft use of understatement. "I was too busy wallowing in self-pity to think about my safety. I think I might have even thought it would be better if I were attacked by a vampire or something." He sighed, rubbing the heel of his hand into his eyes. "I've turned into a teenager again. It's horrible."

Mamoru leaned against the door, arms akimbo and eyes narrowed in concern. It wasn't often that Motoki indulged himself enough to brood. "What happened, Motoki?"

He heaved a fantastic sigh and opened his eyes, staring at Mamoru woefully. "Reika and I broke up."

That was enough to bring Mamoru fully into wakefulness. His back straightened, and his mouth fell open. "Jesus, how?"

-----

"I was going to tell you, Motoki. I just…" her voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

He hated that. He didn't want to hear her being unsure of herself now, not when she had been sure enough to take action. He got to his feet and turned around, finding that it was hard to stand straight with what felt like a dumbbell sitting inside his chest. "I would never abandon you," Motoki said quietly. "Don't you know that?"

Reika hung her head, her fingers curling into the towel she had wrapped around her trim form. "I know."

"Why did you hide this fellowship from me?" he asked gently. "I would have encouraged you. I would have helped you. Well, I might not have been much help, but… I would have wanted to be involved, Reika."

Reika shrugged. "I didn't want you to get my hopes up, I guess. I haven't been accepted to the program. There are a lot of applicants, and--"

"But none of them are you," Motoki insisted. "You're… you're brilliant, Reika. You're tops over most of the students in your field. You're probably smarter than a lot of your professors. How could they not accept you?"

Reika sighed, shaking. "This is what I mean, Motoki. I applied because my advisor encouraged me to," Reika said matter-of-factly. "He said I would be perfect for the program. I didn't think it would go anywhere. It was just a few hours on a Saturday afternoon filling out the application and one interview. It didn't even seem worth mentioning it to you, but then I started thinking about it, and… it started to sound really good for me. I started wanting it, even though I knew I shouldn't. I should have been expecting the worst because the worst is what almost always happens. And it took me awhile to get to that place, but I got there again. If I'd told you, you would have just lifted my spirits again."

Motoki laughed in disbelief, throwing his arms out. "So, if I was completely disinterested and defeatist, you would have told me?"

"No," Reika said, her voice tight. "You never would behave that way. You're a good guy."

"Yeah, I'm a good guy!" Motoki agreed loudly, standing more upright. "I have always been there for you, right beside you every time you've achieved something that makes my jaw drop."

Reika ran a hand through her damp locks. They were drying in the air, curling in on themselves and starting to frizz. "You have to say those things because you're my boyfriend."

"But it's true," Motoki maintained. "Reika, even if you thought I was some slug not worthy of being crushed underneath your heel, I would still think all of these things about you."

"No, Motoki." Reika's eyes flashed with unexpected anger. "You always do this. You ignore everyone's faults so that we're up on pedestals. It's completely unrealistic."

"Reika, I know you're not perfect, but that doesn't mean--"

Reika shook her head sharply, sending the water that clung to the ends of her hair scattering. They dropped to the ground, mimicking the sound of a brief, light rainfall. "What are my faults then, Motoki?"

Motoki froze. Reika wasn't a woman who would bite his head off for actually answering the question, but he didn't want to appear too eager to rattle them off. Not to mention, he couldn't come up with anything other than "trust issues" at the moment, and he did not want to go down that road.

"I am not going to answer that question," Motoki decided. "It's a ridiculous thing to ask of me, Reika, and I won't do it."

Reika seemed very tempted to argue whether or not the request was in fact ridiculous. "All right, Motoki. Let's set that aside. Suppose I was selected to go on the trip. What then?"

"Then you'd go on the trip," Motoki said, incredulous.

"I mean, what happens to us?" she asked, looking at the ceiling in exasperation. The program lasts a year, and there's a good chance it could be extended if enough research is generated and grant money can be obtained. What are we supposed to do?"

"What, is there no paper in Equatorial Guinea? No pens?" The moment the words left his mouth, Motoki considered kicking himself. He could tell she hadn't appreciated his sarcasm. "I just mean that we can write. I don't expect that you'll have very much access to a phone, and I'm not saying my letters will be very literary, but--"

"Motoki, you have no idea how difficult a long-distance relationship is," Reika said, cutting him off.
"Oh, and you do?" Motoki asked sharply.

Reika nodded, folding her arms across her chest. "I do, as a matter of fact. I've tried long distance before, a year before I met you, and it was a disaster. He… he cheated on me and everything just completely fell apart. I can't deal with that again."

"This is different, Reika," Motoki insisted. "You know me. I would never do anything resembling that."

Reika shook her head. "I thought Touya was different, but he's the one with a trophy wife now, isn't he?"

"I am not your ex-boyfriend, Reika," Motoki snapped. "Don't compare me to him. It's not fair to me."

Reika took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry. I just want you to understand that it is very difficult to go that long without seeing each other. I wouldn't be able to come back until the fellowship was over, Motoki. Not for…" she faltered a bit. "Not for anything."

Motoki felt a lump in his throat. He'd been so focused on Reika's success that he hadn't really considered how it was going to affect him. A year sounded much shorter than the reality, and to go that long without seeing or touching Reika, made him dizzy.

"We'd manage," he maintained.

Motoki could tell by the thickness in her voice that she was on the verge of tears. He felt nauseous with guilt even though he had no idea what it is he could have done wrong. "You say that now, Motoki, but nothing really matters until it actually happens, does it? You'll get lonely. You don't do well neglected, and Mamoru can't keep you inebriated for twelve months."

Amazed at how wrecked she had become in less than a minute, he started to move forward to take her in his arms.

"And next thing you know, you'll turn to someone else for company."

This brought Motoki to such a halt it likely looked as if he'd hit an invisible wall. "What?"

"Well, it's not as if there aren't other girls for you," Reika continued, her lips trembling. "There's the fashion student you used to go around with."

Motoki ran a hand down his face. "That's hardly worth considering since she's decided she much prefers breasts now."

"And of course there are those girls from the arcade," Reika concluded. "It's terribly obvious that one girl with that hairstyle – you know the one – wouldn't say no to being your girlfriend."

Motoki couldn't help but feel utterly disgusted. "Usagi? Reika, for God's sake, the girl's only fourteen."

"Well, she'll be fifteen before I'm back," Reika reminded him, sounding bitter and miserable.
"And it'll still be disgusting!" Motoki said, finally yelling.

"So maybe it wouldn't be her," Reika countered, her own voice matching Motoki's in volume.

"There is no way that anything like this is going to happen!"

Reika shook her head violently. "You can't predict that Motoki. You can't say--"

"Yes, I can," Motoki insisted firmly, refusing to back down.

Reika huffed, obviously disliking how much it felt as though she were on the losing side of this argument. "Even if you didn't, I'd always be thinking that you might be. Obviously, you don't do well when faced with the possibility, so surely we'd argue about it. This might ruin everything."

"It won't!" Motoki shouted, his own tears making his voice crack. He cleared his throat harshly, furious with himself. "We're not going to let something like that wreck us. We are stronger than that, Reika, better than that." He paused, staring at her as realization dawned. "Or at least I thought we were."

Reika looked at him, long and hard. Her eyes, dark as forests and deep emeralds, glittering with tears. She looked at him imploringly, silently begging for understanding he knew he was unable to give. He loved her so much he breathed in glory, and he wanted nothing more than to find some peace with her. But when she stared at him like their relationship was already broken, he breathed nothing but hopelessness.

Reika's shoulders hitched as she released a quiet sob, her hand moving up to cover her mouth. She kept looking at him, but the request was gone from her eyes. Now he couldn't see past the tears. "I love you, Motoki," she said with unquestionable sincerity. She took a deep breath and continued, "But I…"

"Please don't," Motoki said softly, holding up his hand. "Please, I… I don't want to know whatever it is you're going to say."

"Motoki--"

"No."

-----

When everything was said and done, they'd gone through one six-pick and were steadily making their way through another. Motoki slumped on the couch, his eyes glued to the ceiling as if there were answers in the plaster. His breaths shook and his eyes shined. He was flattened.

Mamoru knew this was the moment when he was meant to prove his worth as the best friend. The right words were meant to pour from his throat – the right promises, the right advice, the right everything. Cosmic knowledge should have magically appeared in his mind and his tongue should have relayed. He was supposed to fix this. He'd been tasked to do it.

Mamoru popped open another can and leaned across the coffee table. "Here."

Motoki took it, not looking away. "Thanks."

"Don't say that," Mamoru whispered.

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Mamoru swallowed, his eyes seeking out a stain on the carpet. "Nothing."

-----

When Usagi and Naru had been in elementary school, Naru had gone through a very brief, painful daredevil phase. A few bullies had tried to get Usagi to jump off a swing as soon as it had reached its highest point in the air. Usagi had cried because it was her default reaction to all things unpleasant, and Naru coming to her rescue by doing it instead. This resulted in Naru breaking both of her arms. The screaming had been terrible, and Usagi had literally made herself sick from sobbing so much.

The casts, however, had been spectacular. It had made Naru extremely popular for the length of time she had them. Everyone had been desperate to sign their names with well-wishes, including the bullies who had instigated the incident in the first place. As a nine-year-old, Usagi had seen this and been jealous. She even went so far as to contemplate breaking her leg to siphon some of that excitement, but she decided that, considering the amount of times she had fallen down the stairs without so much as a fracture, her bones were unnaturally strong.

Usagi didn't have a cast now. Instead, she had a brace, a good deal of bandages, and a pair of crutches. Usagi had always thought crutches looked ungainly and uncomfortable, but felt she would be willing to endure them so long as she had the cast.

Clearly, God had a very mean sense of humor.

Usagi whimpered as she hobbled down the street, quickly regretting her decision to get out of the house and to visit Motoki at the Crown Arcade. It had seemed like a good idea when faced with her ill-tempered father, supposedly home with a symptomless head cold, her hovering mother, and her continually sullen little brother. They had all been shaken by Shingo's experience, but the attack on Usagi had nearly made their legs go out from beneath them. Of course, they had no idea that this was hardly the first time Usagi had found herself on the wrong side of a battle – the side without any weapons with which to fight. She knew now more than ever that she would have to keep that secret forever.

Usagi sighed in relief when she finally saw the arcade come into view. In just a few moments, she'd be inside with booths and stools and chairs galore, as well as Motoki, who had just pulled ahead of Tuxedo Kamen in the race for who would one day become her husband.

She didn't like to do it, but considering the masked hero had neglected to show up in time to save her from torture and the ill-fate of crutches, she had little choice in the matter. Motoki had, after all, saved her little brother not too long ago. He might not have a cape, but he was proving to be the more reliable man.

Finally, Usagi reached the arcade, and was increasingly thankful for its automatic sliding door. She hobbled inside, breathing hard, and swiveled to the soda and ice cream bar. She was torn between smiling and scowling when she saw both Motoki and Mamoru. It was so hard being in love with a man whose best friend was a complete cow.

Usagi continued forward anyway because with Motoki held the promise of sundaes. Besides, she was injured. Surely Motoki would do the noble thing and beat Mamoru upside the head if he made any snide remarks. She reached the counter, smiling as widely as she could while trying to catch her breath, and chirped, "Hi, Motoki!" She turned to the dark-haired man hunched over in his seat and frowned. "Mamoru."

Motoki winced a bit at her greeting, but waved back cheerfully, if slowly. "Morning, Usagi."

Mamoru just grunted.

"Oh, that's nice."

"As you have so plainly observed time and again, ‘nice' is not one of my attributes," Mamoru muttered. He looked down at his coffee cup, resentfully. "Motoki, did you give me decaf?"

"It's entirely possible," Motoki said with a sigh. He reached forward and plucked it out of Mamoru's hands. He barely seemed to notice it was gone. "What can I get for you Usagi?"

"Large vanilla ice cream sundae with hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, and three cherries," Usagi rattled off easily.

Motoki nodded. "The usual." He watched as Usagi struggled towards a seat slightly removed from the brooding Mamoru. Motoki poked his friend with his free hand. "Help her, would you?"

Mamoru snorted. "Help her with what?"

Then, for the first time since she'd walked into the building, he actually turned to look at her. Usagi was taken aback to see his eyes instantly focus and the rest of his body snap to attention a breath later. Actually, he looked positively stricken, something that took her so off guard that while she was attempting to rest her crutches against the counter, she stumbled and almost fell.

He was up like someone had fired a shotgun, one arm darting to wrap around her waist, the other gently catching her elbow to steady her. She gasped at the quick movements and the way he was looking at her, intense and determined and concerned. She'd never been looked at so purposefully in her life, and it left her a bit breathless. In the commotion, she lost her grip on the crutches, and they went clattering to the floor, bringing all conversation to a halt and no doubt dragging all eyes towards them. She felt for a moment that everyone who had ever been born was looking at her, and her face grew uncomfortably hot. Their proximity was not helping this mortifying claustrophobia and self-awareness.

"I'm fine," she whispered, looking up at him even though it almost made it feel as if neither of her legs could support her. "Sorry, I just… lost my balance for a minute."

He frowned and said, "Sure you can make it on to the stool?"

"Yes," she assured him, more sharply than she intended. He had a tendency to bring that out in her. She paused, breathing for a minute. "Yes, thank you. I'll be all right." She cleared her throat and glanced toward her seat meaningfully. "If you could just pick up the crutches, I'll deal with the rest."

Mamoru seemed skeptical, but he didn't argue. Once he saw that she had a hand on the countertop, he moved away to pick up the fallen crutches. As she pulled herself up on the seat, she felt him hovering, and glanced back to see he had a hand out to catch her unless she tipped over again. Her cheeks colored, but she kept her head. Finally, she was situated and the crutches were leaning beside her. She exhaled when Mamoru circled around, sitting one seat closer to her.

"Thank you," she repeated.

"What happened?" he asked in an odd voice, suddenly not making eye contact.

Usagi blinked. She thought Motoki would have mentioned it. He'd heard about it somehow and called her house Saturday to make sure she was all right. She opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated, unsure if she actually wanted to tell him. But then, if she lied, he'd figure it out later from Motoki.

"Didn't move fast enough," she muttered, fidgeting uncomfortably.

She'd thought she'd been too subtle and that Mamoru would continue to question her about it, but he seemed to understand. There was a flash of anger in his eyes, and his knuckles were white from gripping the counter. She felt her heart beating in her chest and wondered why it was still pounding from the walk over.

"You look terrible," she remarked, a bit callously. She was desperate enough to get away from the subject to forgo manners altogether. "What happened to you?"

Mamoru took a minute to answer, visibly composing himself. He rested his chin on his fist, trying to look relaxed, but she couldn't miss the tension he held in his back. "I was up all night with that one. He managed to get some sleep – passed out really, the lightweight – but I didn't."

Usagi smiled. Something about knowing that Motoki had consumed alcohol the night before made him more appealing. It wasn't a sense that he was dangerous, just that he was more grown up. She liked it, lightweight or no. "What were you doing up so late?"

"He had a bad day."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said softly. A second later, Motoki reappeared with her ice cream and a cup of coffee in hand. She sat up a bit and said, "Mamoru told me you had a bad day yesterday, Motoki. Anything I can do to help?"

Both boys made identical choking noises, Mamoru unfortunately with a mouthful of hot coffee. He coughed loudly while Motoki slapped his back, looking a bit nervous. "No! No, Usagi. I'm… Well, I don't think there's much you can do to help the situation."

Usagi stared at both of them for a second, certain that something had just happened and finding herself ill-equipped to decipher it. She did what she always did in such situations and ignored it. "Okay… I hope you feel better anyway."

"Thanks," Motoki said, sincerely, his forehead creased as if fighting off a headache. "Water?"

"Please," she responded automatically, taking a large spoonful of her sugar-filled concoction.

Usagi heard the doors slide open and glanced over to see who it was out of habit. She was surprised to see Ami, Mamoru's cat, and another girl she hadn't seen before walk inside. Usagi waved wildly at Ami, thrilled to see her even as Naru's warning echoed in the back of her mind.

I told you that you should just forget about her, Usagi. You have been nothing but sweet to her, but she still acts like a total snob! There's a difference between being shy and just being unfriendly, and that's Mizuno-san.

Ami waved back, looking self-conscious. She made a tiny noise of surprise when Luna leapt from her shoulder onto the counter, and made a beeline for Usagi.

Usagi giggled as the cat butted her head up against her wrist. She spooned another bite of ice cream into her mouth before switching hands, using her left to eat and her right to scratch Luna behind the ears. The cat purred loudly, causing Mamoru to cluck his tongue.

"Shameless," he admonished.

The cat gave him a scornful look and then went right back to enjoying Usagi's attentions.

Usagi stuck her tongue out at Mamoru, taking care to be sure there wasn't any chocolate stuck to it first. "Obviously, you don't give her enough affection, so she has to look for it elsewhere. It's absolutely horrible, isn't it?"

The cat seemed to meow in agreement.

"Good morning, Usagi," Ami greeted as she and the other girl finished walking over to them. "I heard about your leg. Is it feeling any better?"

"It hurts a bit," Usagi confessed, although she actually wasn't being that truthful. It hurt a lot, and the painkillers she'd been prescribed didn't do much good. When she'd left the house, her father had been on the phone with her doctor, demanding something stronger.

"The doctors said it should heal all right though."

And that was a blatant lie. They actually suspected there was enough damage that she might always walk with a slight limp, but Usagi wasn't going to admit that to anyone. Not after seeing her mother cry.

"That's good," Ami said earnestly. The unfamiliar girl cleared her throat discreetly, making Ami's ears turn pink. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'd forgotten you two don't know each other. Usagi, this is my friend Hino Rei. She goes to the Catholic girl's academy. Rei, this is Tsukino Usagi."

"Pleased to meet you," Usagi answered automatically, bowing as best she could with both her hands occupied and sitting on a barstool.

Rei narrowed her eyes a bit, scrutinizing Usagi as if she were a car on display. Then Rei looked over at Mamoru, seeming to take note of the distance between them. Usagi looked over to see Mamoru and Motoki exchange a meaningful glance, Motoki's eyebrows waggling, and Mamoru threatening him vaguely with a plastic spoon. A whole slew of messages flew over Usagi's head. It was making her dizzy.

"Likewise," Rei returned finally, bowing much more respectfully than Usagi had done.

"What were you two doing with Luna?" Usagi asked, pausing to swallow another bite of her sundae. It was starting to melt. "Saving her from mistreatment at the hands of this guy?"

Mamoru tutted. "I help you, and this is the thanks I get."

Usagi scoffed, waving a cherry in his direction. "I'm just teasing. Lighten up," she said, and just this once, she actually meant it.

Unfortunately, Usagi's good humor quickly evaporated after Mamoru leaned forward and plucked the cherry right off the stem with his teeth. She slammed her uninjured foot against her seat and yelled, "Hey!"

Mamoru chewed smugly. "Mmm. There was chocolate on that. Lucky me."

"Lucky you nothing, cherry stealer," Usagi hissed. "Congratulations. Now we're fighting again. God, you can be such a jerk."

Motoki let out a weary sigh. "I'll get you another, Usagi."

She swiveled and beamed up at him, opening her eyes wide and fluttering her lashes. "Oh, would you, Motoki? Thank you so much!" She darkened and glowered at Mamoru. "It's nice to know there are some gentlemen left in the world."

"Not when I get through with them," Mamoru said smartly, hopping out of his seat. "Thanks for the coffee, Motoki."

Motoki waved tiredly. "Thanks for not paying."

"Anytime," Mamoru said, looking more energetic than when she'd first come in. He leaned forward again, and Usagi hunched over her ice cream protectively, still giving him a look that would have killed him if there was any justice in the world. "See you later, Odango Atama." He patted her buns before sauntering off, Ami and Rei following quietly behind.

"Don't call me that!" Usagi screeched, practically leaping off her stool until she remembered her injury.

Motoki whimpered a few feet away. "Usagi, please don't yell."

She covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, Motoki."

She sat fuming for a minute, eating the new cherry Motoki had provided her with and finishing off the rest of her sundae. She looked over her shoulder once she was sure she could do so without being overtaken by a fit of murderous rage.

She saw the three of them together in a shadowy booth apart from everyone else. Mamoru was sitting by himself, Luna on top of the table next to him, his hand idly stroking her back. Ami and Rei were huddled together in their seat, speaking in low, hushed tones. Usagi thought by the way they spoke that they were making the same speech in parts, switching off while Mamoru listened. They didn't seem to be having fun, but there was a camaraderie between them that Usagi had been starting to think Ami was incapable of. Something she'd been sure Mamoru was incapable of.

Usagi felt like the little girl jealous of her best friend for breaking her arms.

-----

"Odango Atama?" Rei repeated scathingly.

Mamoru shrugged, lifting his hand to pet Luna as she settled down beside him. He found himself hoping Usagi would glance over and see that he wasn't the horrible pet owner she seemed to think he was. "It fits. Did you see that hairstyle?"

Rei sniffed, her lips pursed unattractively. "Just seems a bit familiar, that's all."

Mamoru had absolutely no idea what she was driving at, so he decided it was best to just change the subject. He looked over at Ami and said, "You didn't tell me she was hurt that badly." His voice was pitched low and sounded coarse. He hadn't liked that surprise when she came into the arcade, and he wasn't keen to repeat it in any context.

Ami didn't blush but looked chagrined. "I suppose we didn't realize it in light of… everything else." She looked over at Rei, smiling shyly. "I thought she'd just been scraped up. From the look of it, there may have been some bone and nerve damage as well."

Mamoru frowned. "That means she might not walk right again."

"Yes," Ami said, looking dismal.

"But she said--"

"She didn't want you or that other guy to worry," Rei interrupted, reminding Mamoru that he hadn't bothered to introduce the girls to Motoki. "There's no sense in getting everyone worked up over something that may or may not happen. Besides, she doesn't seem like the sort of girl who's involved in a lot of sports. It probably won't affect her that much."

Mamoru remembered the first time he and Usagi had met, her barreling down the street in a blur of blue and gold, sounding frantic but at the same time resigned, as if this was life's standard fare. He was inclined to disagree with Rei, but Luna intervened before he could speak.

"What happened with Usagi was unfortunate, but we have more important things to discuss."

Mamoru nodded, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a few sheets of newspaper. He spread them out on the table, gazing down at them wearily, going over the headlines in his head, unsure if he was reading them or if he'd memorized them.

SENATOR TARGETTED
Campaign against Sailor Senshi interrupted by untimely monster

SENSHI RESCUE SENATOR
Coincidental save does little to abate anti-hero opinions

THE DEBATE CONTINUES
More people coming out in support of Senator Hino

TUXEDO KAMEN ABSENT FROM INCIDENT
Did he refuse to come to the aid of politician?

SAILOR MERCURY, SAILOR MARS COME TO THE RESUCE
Just who are these mysterious warriors, and what do they want?

He looked up at the girls to gauge their reaction. Ami nodded, clearly familiar with what had been going on, but Rei was more surprised. She'd said before that she didn't pay much attention to the news, particularly politics, but he'd thought she might make an exception for this. He thought about asking how he was, but he had a feeling that would do nothing but start an argument.

"Are they all negative?" Rei asked quietly, looking slightly pale.

"No," Mamoru said, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. His momentary adrenaline jump from baiting Usagi was wearing off. "Actually, these are in the minority. Your fa—Senator Hino is actually looking a bit worse. Even though he hasn't issued a comment since the incident, many are saying he's being petty and refusing to be grateful about his life being saved by people he hated. See this headline about the cover-up? They're saying that he's the one who hushed it all up because he didn't want to look bad. Like getting attacked was his own fault."

It took about a nanosecond for Rei to be moved to fury. "He had nothing to do with--"

"No one here is suggesting that, Rei," Luna said, her brown eyes sympathetic.

"But think of how it looks," Mamoru continued. "He starts campaigning against us, and our enemies use it as an advantage to try and make us look bad should we not save him. Some people are even saying he's in league with them, but I think that's going to be shot down pretty quickly by his extended stay in the hospital."

Actually, Mamoru suspected that was precisely why Senator Hino was still lying in bed under Dr. Mizuno's care. If people thought he was seriously injured, they couldn't accuse him of being part of an organization hell bent on destroying Tokyo and the rest of the world. He was just going to have to hope no one tracked down Sakurada Haruna who aside from being shaken, was perfectly fine.

"Couldn't they just as easily say that we arranged it to make ourselves look good?" Rei asked bitterly.

Luna scoffed at this, apparently finding the supposition so laughable that she refused to respond.

"It's an opinion that's gaining popularity," Ami murmured sadly. "It does seem pretty convenient that he starts this crusade and we save him the same week."

Rei's eyebrow twitched. "I wonder what they'd say if they knew he was my father."

Mamoru had a better question. What if they knew he was her father and that they could barely stand the sight of each other? If that ever got out, Rei stood a good chance of being accused of attempted murder if her father or those around him were vindictive enough.

"Look, I really don't think we have that much to worry about," Mamoru said, talking over his own morbid considerations. "This opinion isn't going to gain popularity unless--"

"Unless we make another mistake," Ami interrupted gravely. She shook her head, her gaze fixed intently on the newspapers between them. "In essence, we're only heroes until we fail."

"And you can't afford to only be successful most of the time," Luna added, whipping her tail back and forth in agitation. "We have to be on top of things every single moment if we have any hope of riding this out."

Rei nodded in agreement. "Clearly what happened with my father is helping us. We were there for him even when he was saying horrible things." She paused, her skin now looking green, no doubt remembering just how violent some of his declarations had been.

Ami's laid a hand on Rei's shoulder.

"Not me," Mamoru reminded them sourly. "I wasn't there, remember?"

Luna leaned against his hand, trying to provide some measure of comfort. "Nobody knows that for certain. The cynics will take that view, but I think after awhile, most people are going to be logical and just realize that you couldn't get there in time. That is what happened after all."

"For all they know, we can teleport," Mamoru muttered, sullen. He hated the insinuation that he hadn't done everything he could to get there in time. Even though he knew no one blamed him for it, he couldn't help but sulk.

"Well, what would you suggest? Take out an ad in the paper to set them straight?" Luna asked, her tone sharp and cold like an arctic wind.

Mamoru was half-tempted to say it wasn't a bad idea. After a moment, however, he waved his hand, dismissing this area of conversation.

Ami was happy to pick things up, clearly uncomfortable with Mamoru's moodiness. "All this means is we have to work harder than ever."

"We're not talking about homework, Ami," Rei teased, smirking a bit.

Ami took the jibe in stride. "I just mean we have to be more vigilant. I had ample opportunity to realize that something was wrong with Haruna-sensei, but I didn't put two and two together until Rei felt something wrong. And all of us had been paying attention to Senator Hino, but no one thought anything was out of the ordinary because we'd seen him arguing with Rei earlier and assumed he was always that ill-tempered. If we can discern who Nephrite is going after before he strikes, we can isolate them to keep anyone else from getting involved."

"I might even be able to drive the spirits out of them if we get there in time," Rei suggested, folding her arms across her chest and leaning back in her seat. "It seems as though Nephrite is channeling his powers through objects – Haruna's car and my father's glasses. If we know what the object is, I could exorcise the demon inside."

"Are you sure about that?" Mamoru asked, sitting up in his seat.

"As certain as I can be," Rei assured him, nodding. "I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't be able to."

Ami narrowed her eyes in consideration. "Is it possible that Nephrite's guessed someone might be able to do that and put some sort of block on it?"

Rei shook her head. "I doubt it. He's probably powerful enough to manage it, but it would take a lot more effort on his part. My guess is that he has to be near the objects to put the curse on them, and while he could have had all the time he wanted with Haruna's car, my father keeps his glasses on him at all times." She paused, bristling. "He was really young when he started campaigning, and there was some concern that he looked too much like a kid to be taken seriously. His manager told him that they made him look older." She combed her fingers through her hair, chewing on the inside of her lip. "He wouldn't have let some stranger handle them for hours."

Ami's eyes lit up for a moment. "And do you know, I don't think anyone in the Dark Kingdom is aware of your psychic abilities. Nephrite wouldn't know to put a block on unless he knew that you could sense dark energy."

Rei frowned at this point. "That means we might only have one opportunity to stamp out the problem before it blows up in our faces."

Luna nodded gravely. "And I don't think we can count on Nephrite not being able to figure out what's going on. He doesn't seem the type to take his own fallibility into account."

"Would he automatically know what happened?" Mamoru questioned.

Luna shrugged. "We certainly can't rule it out. Sometimes, I feel that Mars had similar powers in the Silver Millennium. My memories of that time are incredibly hazy, and I'm starting to suspect our enemies know more than I do. If that's the case, they might already have that knowledge, or it might not be far from the surface." She paused, narrowing her eyes. "I'm going to bet on the latter. It doesn't seem likely that they wouldn't have somehow taken advantage already."

Mamoru suddenly remembered the dream from that morning and made a mental note to ask Luna about it later. Perhaps it would jog her memory.

"I think we need to focus on awareness first and foremost," Ami suggested. "Being able to circumvent the problem before it begins would be wonderful."

"We shouldn't be too optimistic," Rei muttered darkly.

Luna nodded. "Exactly." She paused, looking at each of them in turn. "And while I think we should worry about the intended victims first and foremost, we also ought to keep in mind that… Well, the last few battles have been rather public, haven't they? Too many people have gotten involved. Bystanders have been injured, and now that there is an issue of public trust, I feel we have to be more careful than ever. The last thing we need is a repeat of the hospital incident. They might not be kind enough to wait until we've settled everything next time. Failure to save a victim is understandable, but failure to protect those who aren't involved is… unforgivable."

The whole table sank into silence when Luna had finished. Each and every one of them knew she was right. Usagi had been a warning shot.

Mamoru sensed Ami and Rei both looking behind him, and he couldn't resist the pull he felt to follow their gaze. He stared directly at Motoki and Usagi. She was bent over what looked like her second sundae, laughing exuberantly about whatever Motoki had just said. The college student seemed to be chuckling along with her, but Mamoru couldn't overlook his stopped shoulders and shadowed eyes, hints at a loss Usagi was still too happy to fully understand.

These were the people he had to protect. And he was slowly coming to understand that exasperating as they both could be, he didn't want to lose either of them.

-----

Reika had been standing in a phone booth for the past twenty minutes, and she hadn't made a single call.

She'd left the boutique to go for a walk on her lunch break, telling herself that she would go find food. She had also told herself that she would not waste the whole sixty minutes thinking about, talking about, or attempting to get in touch with Motoki. As evidenced by the staring contest she was now having with the phone, that vow was quickly falling by the wayside.

Reika leaned against the glass and massaged her temples gently. She felt weightless and clumsy, and the impulse to sink to the bottom of the phone booth threatened to overwhelm her, but she stayed standing. Motoki might have invaded this much of her day, but he wasn't going earn her surrender so easily.

The problem was, of course, that she wanted to call him. She had gotten too used to hearing his voice when she was upset. They fought so rarely that she seldom had this problem, and even when they did argue, Motoki almost always called her before she had to cave. All she wanted was his arms around her, whispering that everything was going to be all right.

But she couldn't bear to hear him lie.

"You are an idiot," she informed herself solemnly. "No person living or dead could rival the stupidity you have so aptly displayed."

"I somehow doubt that."

Reika gasped and clutched her chest, her eyes flying open as an afterthought. Her gaze swept over the intruder hurriedly, assessing the danger.

She quickly realized he was an unlikely threat. There were dozens of people all around them, and besides, with his long hair and expensive-looking clothes, she doubted he wanted to rob her.

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," the stranger chuckled in a tone that didn't sound very apologetic.
Reika nodded, still breathing hard, unable to ignore the fact that he blocked the only exit. "It's my fault for standing here this long, isn't it? I expect you need to use the phone." She moved forward, hoping it would be a subtle enough indication that she was beginning to feel shut in.

"Actually, I was wondering what such an attractive woman was doing looking so depressed," he said, flashing a bright smile.

Reika barely resisted the urge to curse. He wasn't a menace, just an annoyance. She was tempted to use her usual excuse and say she had to go meet her boyfriend somewhere, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to do it without bursting into tears.

"I was thinking about making a phone call," Reika said, her tone appropriately frigid. "But I've decided not to. So if you wouldn't mind--"

His hand darted out so quickly she nearly shouted again, thinking he was going for her throat. He stopped just short, index finger poised beneath the gold locket hanging around her neck. He flicked the pendant open effortlessly, raising an eyebrow when he saw its contents. "Is this who you're thinking about calling?"

She stared at him, trying very hard not to choke. She had no idea how to react to this brazen invasion of her space. It didn't help that he'd chosen to point out the locket of all things. She hadn't even realized she'd put it on that morning. An old habit dying hard.

Panicked, she thought of Motoki and wondered what would happen if he came down the street at this exact moment. Would he assume that Reika was heartless, that she was already moving on? Or would he still be able to read the fear in her face and come to her rescue? And would he remember when he had given her that locket on their first anniversary? How nervous he'd been that she would think it was a stupid gift; how happy she'd been to finally have a boyfriend who understood girls liked sappy things? Would he remember that she'd cried? Would he remember that was the first night she told him she loved him, having finally decided that it was true?

Reika's throat started to close, but she kept her head. She would push this guy away and start yelling, attract a crowd, and hope that someone was good enough to break his nose for her. After all, she didn't have a boyfriend to do it anymore.

Just as she was about to move, the man released the necklace. "I guess it is." He gave her a small wave and then turned to go, leaving her alone in the phone booth.

Reika staggered outside as if she'd been locked in an airless cell. She wrapped her fingers around the locket, closed it and pulled down on the chain. She cradled it, wanting both to protect it and wanting to tear it away.

"Bastard," she whispered, trembling. She checked to see if anyone else had noticed and been ready to spring into action, but was quickly disappointed. Everyone was impassive and going about their business, all unaware that anything had happened. It made her wonder if maybe the encounter had been an overreaction or even a hallucination.

She didn't know what to think when she found that the stranger had vanished as if he had never existed.

-----

After another half hour or so of discussing, less pressing issues, Ami and Rei departed. Mamoru was staying to speak to Motoki again, although he was still preoccupied with Usagi, who had moved on to lunch.

Luna padded after the two girls as they exited, leaping onto Rei's shoulder this time. She glanced around to see if anyone was looking and, satisfied, hissed, "Ami, do me a favor and circle around to Rei's other side. I need to talk to you both about something."

Once again, Ami scarcely hesitated before complying, her brow furrowed in concern. She turned her head, looking at Rei but addressing Luna. "What's the matter?"

"I want to ask you both if you've noticed anything odd about Mamoru lately."

A deaf man couldn't have missed Rei's snort. "Would you like me to give you a list?"

Luna glanced at her and dryly remarked, "Turning you down for a date is not the sort of thing I had in mind."

Rei sputtered for a moment and valiantly fought the flush that spread from her neck. "That's not what I meant at all," she insisted, although Luna very much doubted that this was the case. "He seems distracted."

Ami nodded, bringing her fist up to her face to chew on a knuckle. "And he still looks like he's not getting enough sleep, which is odd. The last few incidents haven't been late."

Luna's ears twitched irritably. "Yes, well that might be because of the dreams."

Rei straightened, curious. "What kind of dreams?"

"Bad ones I expect," Luna muttered. "He's woken up shouting a few times. Sometimes he's quite calm, but he can never go back to sleep afterwards. He's been taking pills, but they aren't doing much good."

"Clearly," Ami said. "It sounds to me as if he's just stressed right now. Once he figures out how to deal with everything--"

"If it was stress, it should have been worse when he was in school," Luna interrupted, shaking her head. "If anything, he should be feeling a bit more… well, not relaxed, but some variant of that."

Rei appeared dubious, frowning. "I don't know. The stakes have risen since the end of the term. There's still a lot we don't know about Nephrite, and he didn't handle the thing between Ami and I at all well."

"Not to mention the fact that he's clearly blaming himself for what happened to Usagi," Ami sighed, massaging her forehead.

Rei rolled her eyes. "I know. I wanted to kick him so badly when he started that."

"He takes things on himself," Ami murmured with a helpless shrug. "It's unendingly frustrating, but there it is."

"If we could snap him out of this guilt-trip, I think it would help, but I don't see that happening any time soon. He's too stubborn," Rei supplied.

Luna flicked her tail back and forth, becoming increasingly agitated by their lack of response. "I still feel like there's more to this than meets the eye. Something about the dreams in particular strikes me as odd."

"Well, it's entirely possible Mamoru has some other problems we don't know about," Ami voiced quietly.

Rei blinked, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"We haven't known him very long," Ami continued. "It may not seem like it, but we actually know very little about him, do we? We know he lives alone, we know he drives a motorcycle--"

"He drives a motorcycle?"

Ami smiled, ignoring Rei. "But my point is we don't know many concrete facts about Mamoru's life. We know his personality, and that's really all we need to know to learn how to fight alongside him, but his history isn't something we're privy to."

Luna frowned, remembering when she'd asked Mamoru about his parents. Normally, he avoided subjects he didn't want to discuss with some finesse, but he'd been rather harsh with her that time. She'd assumed later that it was the strain of the girls fighting and the early morning, but now she was more certain than ever that she'd struck a nerve. She was apprehensive about the lack of photographs in his apartment and the way his answering machine seemed to only feature the occasional telemarketer and Motoki. The meaning of these pieces became clearer with each passing day, and she was quite sure she was not going to like the picture once it was complete.

"We'll keep an eye on him," Rei decided, her manner comfortingly authoritative. "See if there's anything we can do to make him feel better without him noticing."

Luna thanked both of them for their support and tuned out of the conversation as they moved on to lighter topics. In spite of their assurances, she couldn't shake the restlessness that hung about her. She wanted to do be active and inquisitive, wanted to fix the problem instead of gather more research. The impulse was unlike her, but the situation made her feel sour.

But in the end, there was nothing she could do unless he decided to let her in, and she knew that was not due to happen for a very long time.

-----

Nephrite arrived back at D-point with a hand in his pocket and a frown on his face. He hadn't taken three steps before he allowed his disguise to dissipate, revealing his normal uniform along with the weight of the still unfamiliar epaulettes. His mouth watered at the thought of brandy, something he felt was sorely needed after that near disaster, but the whole ordeal had left the rest of his body itching for movement. So rather than head straight for his chambers, Nephrite took a detour, wandering through the murky tunnels of the Dark Kingdom and hoping the youma and Zoisite all knew to avoid him.

Things had not gone at all as planned. Something had been off about the encounter. He'd felt as though adrenaline was seeping into his blood slowly, not prompting a flight or fight response, but sending restless shudders through his muscles. It unsettled him foremost, but he could not deny the tiny thrill that had sung out in his bones or the way his power seemed to huddle strong and ready at his fingertips, allowing him to leave the mark on a locket far more quickly than he had ever been able to before.

The stars had chosen Nishimura Reika for a reason. He had assumed it was related to her silly lovers' spat, but now he was beginning to wonder if there was more to the situation, or at least to her, than he had realized. Perhaps the stars had neglected to divulge vital information.

Nephrite frowned and came to a stop. Indeed, that could be the case. While the celestial bodies scarcely ever lied, they were fond of trickery and misdirection. It wouldn't surprise him in the least to find that he was playing this game half-blind.

Nephrite growled subtly in the back of his throat and retraced his steps. The need for alcohol was going to have to wait. He needed to find out what this signified, and time was running out.

-----

Hours after leaving Motoki to suffer through the rest of his day, Mamoru was not at all surprised to hear a lethargic knock at his door, and he didn't have to check to peephole to know who it was.

He sighed around his mouthful of rice, and looked at Luna meaningfully. She straightened from where she had been lapping up her water, disbelief written all over her face. "No."

"Oh, yes," Mamoru grumbled, pushing himself away from the table. "Why do you think I made enough for two?"

"Leftovers," Luna answered sensibly.

"I had a feeling he was going to come back over later."

Luna followed him out, whiskers set so that her prim expression could not be mistaken for amusement. "Doesn't he have his own apartment?"

Yes, he did, Mamoru thought grudgingly. However, just because he had a flat to himself didn't mean he wanted to stay there alone. Reika was right about one thing: when Motoki was upset, he didn't want to be by himself. He might be tempted to brood, which was entirely too like Mamoru for Motoki's taste. There was no telling what psychological damage could result from that.

Mamoru made it to the door and undid the series of locks. He opened the door with an expression of concern plastered on his face. The look on Motoki's face was enough to make him wince. "Hey."

Motoki didn't even lift his head to make eye contact. "Hey."

Mamoru stepped out of the doorway, silently drawing Motoki into the apartment. He knew they were in for another long night.

-----

Reika had an even harder time concentrating at work for the rest of the day. Her neck ached from the number of times she whipped her head around to focus on ghosts of movement she felt brushing against her skirt or saw dancing in her peripheral vision. She'd felt hypersensitive for the rest of the day, strangely more awake. She swore she heard hissing in her ear, whispering of freedom. Once she'd even heard a scream.

Reika massaged the back of her neck with trembling fingers. She'd never done well with no sleep. It always left her feeling unnatural, but this was more severe than anything she'd ever experienced. She wanted nothing more than to get out of this place and collapse in her bed and sleep until the day ceased to exist.

release

Reika spun around again, eyes darting, searching for whoever was taunting her. Her sight was sharp in the half-light, and she caught a strong whiff of another employee's perfume, but no one was there. A word hadn't been said.

There was still much to be done, but she couldn't stand it anymore. It was stuffy inside the boutique, too clogged with cologne samples and disinfectant. She'd never realized how it was to breathe in there.

Reika slapped the garment into place, turning smartly on her heel. "I'm leaving. Everything's in order out here."

"All right, Reika," the manager answered dully, pouring over the books to account for the money in their register. "See you tomorrow."

Reika said nothing in return. She merely grabbed her coat from the rack and threw it over her shoulders, not bothering to slip her arms into the sleeves. The door chimes jingled merrily as she passed beneath them, predictably out of synch with her mood. She only took a few steps before pausing to inhale deeply. The air was hardly fresher, but the staleness vanished and left her feeling strangely liberated.

She stood there, breathing for a very long time. She covered her face with her hands and struggled to reconcile the day's events. Strange men in phonebooths. Dark whispers from nowhere. Motoki gone.

"Damn it," Reika swore, throwing her hands down to her sides. She started walking, keeping her gaze close to the ground. The lights made her head hurt, and the noise was than capable of giving her a migraine. She felt certain that every sound was amplified, and she couldn't help but shake her head violently as if she could knock her hearing loose.

There was something else different about being away from the shop, among the throngs of commuters. Everything felt so much more alive outside, enough to make the hairs on her arms stand at attention. Tiny bumps forming as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. But she actually felt warmer, and her heart was pumping frantically in her chest. She could feel the blood moving through her veins.

If Motoki was with her, he could talk her down, but he wasn't there anymore.

"Son of a bitch!" she snarled, turning and stamping her foot. She closed her eyes and dug her hands into her hair. She felt the urge to rip and tear, and it frightened her for a moment, reminding her of nightmares she'd had as a child, dreams that had driven her into therapy. She thought she tasted blood in her mouth and gagged, throwing herself into the side of a building.

She took deep, steadying breaths, willing away the memories and acute sensations that were making her body feel as if it was too much her own. She'd never make it home at this rate. She was going to have to figure out what was wrong on her own and shove it to the side so she could keep walking.

She'd gone without sleep before. She knew what happened when she pulled all-nighters, and this was not it. All that needed to be done was find the anomaly and root it out.

But of course that answer was all too easy.

Somehow or another, Motoki had done this to her. He'd found the letter. He'd started the argument. He was the one who walked out of her apartment. He was the catalyst.

How could she fix that?

Reika opened her eyes and looked around, and for the first time in hours and saw something very significant indeed.

Men.

A lot of men. So many men filled her vision that Reika found herself a little aghast at just how many of them existed. It had been so long since she'd been able to open her eyes like this. She'd almost forgotten there were others who could catch her eyes.

Her heartbeat began to slow, the lightning in her skin ebbing away. She brought a hand up to her chest, and she knew.

There was life after Motoki. She didn't have to go home and mope. She didn't have to weigh the pros and cons of calling him to see if they could work things out. They didn't even have to work things out. She was a beautiful woman with a lot of options. Even Motoki couldn't disagree with her. He'd sometimes seemed a little amazed to be with her. She'd found it endearing at the time, but suddenly she found it annoying. Amazing, how she hadn't even noticed before.

free me

This time Reika heard the voice and was not afraid. She finally understood what it was. It was her own voice, telling her what she needed. Motoki had been holding her back. She needed to break free and break him apart.

"Good-bye, Motoki," Reika whispered darkly, turning and walking in the direction of the nearest bar. "Hello, freedom."

-----

"Men," Luna muttered for the third time since she'd finally gotten Mamoru to realize she wanted out of the apartment. They'd broken out the hard liquor within moments of Motoki's arrival, and that had made him too soused to notice anything other than alcohol. Seeing how many marshmallows Motoki could fit into his mouth unendingly stupid and juvenile. She had no patience for idiocy at the moment.

She was going to make Mamoru sorely regret his drunken antics in the morning by meowing as loudly as her lungs would allow.

Luna rounded the last corner and looked to be sure that she was alone. It was still early, but this section of Juuban tended to vacate quickly in the evenings. There were very few restaurants or bars in the immediate area, so there was little point in hanging around. She wasn't sure if that was luck or just good planning.

After a few moments, she arrived in front of the Crown Arcade. A hard look and a quick flash of the crescent moon on her forehead forced the steel barricade to rise. With that done, Luna calmly slunk forward, nodding at the doors in thanks for opening without nearly so much fuss. They closed behind her, and the steel barricade descended.

Luna jogged down an aisle until she reached the third Sailor V game console on the left. When she'd been told how to get in touch with Central Control, she'd thought their sense of humor had been irritatingly obvious, but it had worked well enough so far. She hopped up onto the shelf and reached out a paw, touching the console to activate it. After punching in a series of instructions, a familiar voice filled her ears.

"Password."

"The masked man is always oblivious when he plays with fire."

"But does he know when he is skating on thin ice?" the automated voice asked.

"Only when the cat tells him," Luna answered on cue.

There was a pause and a series of beeps, as well as a quick flash that she assumed was scanning the area to be sure no one had a gun to her head. Finally, the voice returned, this time sounding a bit less like a computer, but no less processed. "Welcome back, Luna. We trust you're here to give us a report on their progress?"

Luna sighed testily, sure this was going to take awhile. "Well, the good news is that Mercury and Mars aren't trying to kill each other anymore." She paused. "I suppose they never really were, but whatever the case, the fight's over and they're acting as if nothing ever happened."

"This is excellent. We commend you on your ability to sort out the issues between them. As you know, a rift between the Sailor Senshi could have been devastating."

Luna's whiskers twitched. She hadn't done anything to solve their problem. They'd worked it out for themselves, and she was extremely proud of them for that. But if she passed such information along, she was liable to be lectured about neglecting her duties. As if she'd been sitting around making herself silly on catnip while Ami and Rei sniped.

"Yes, well," Luna muttered uncomfortably. "Of course, now that that's taken care of, I can get back to worrying about Mamoru."

"Does he give you cause to worry?" they asked, not sounding the least bit concerned. "Does he still rush into battles he has no business fighting?"

Luna snorted. "He hasn't gotten a chance to lately. He didn't even make it to the last fight."

"Ah," Central Control intoned in that voice that hinted at an omniscience Luna knew was complete rubbish. "He is not handling this well, we expect."

"Not exactly," Luna understated. "But that is not my only cause for concern. You see, I think he has some sort of sleeping disorder. He has quite a number of bad dreams."

There was a pause that Luna couldn't discern the importance of. "Dreams, you say?"

"Yes, he--" She stopped, hearing static from the other end of the communication link. She could almost mistake it for whispering. "Are you there?" No answer. "Central Control?"

"Sorry, err… Strong wind," they answered. "How long have the dreams been happening?"

Luna frowned, considering. Actually, now that she thought about it, the first time she'd been in his apartment, he'd been muttering something about a dream. What was it he had said?

Why now, after all this time?

"Since I met him," Luna responded with utmost certainty. "But he's had them before. Years before."

There was more static, but this time Luna didn't panic. It wasn't as if they could do anything about the wind.

"There is a possibility something from his past may be bothering him," Central Control finally stated. "It could cloud his reason and result in a mistake in battle. And as we are sure you realize in the current climate, mistakes are ill-afforded."

"I know," Luna said gravely. "They all know. It's actually put all of them on edge I think, but with Mamoru--"

"We understand," they interrupted. "We will look into it. Watch him as you always do, and be wary of this media situation."

"Of course."

"If that is all, please give us the new password for our next meeting."

Luna brought a paw up to her chin thoughtfully, mimicking the human gesture out of habit. It disturbed Mamoru, and she enjoyed teasing him every now and again. After a moment, she smiled.

"The wise cat says, ‘Sake and marshmallows do not mix.'"

-----

Mamoru was sick of it.

Motoki was his best friend, but he was not incapable of grating Mamoru's last nerve. As it turned out, he was actually quite good at that. After all, Motoki was a pathetic drunk, and Mamoru had been privileged to listen to four solid hours of the blond man lamenting his troubles before they'd both passed out.

The logical course of action would be to find Reika and facilitate a reunion. The reality of the situation, however, was that Mamoru hadn't been able to do anything for his best friend except pour alcohol down his throat. How could he be expected to help two people when he was useless with one?

It was now mid-afternoon, and Mamoru had been wandering around for hours, avoiding his own apartment and his house guest. Finally, he'd decided that he was going to have to bite the bullet and at least try to get Reika back to his apartment. Then he could leave it up to the two of them to sort out their problems. So he changed direction and headed towards the boutique, bound and determined to fix this mess.

But as he rounded the corner, he heard something that made the pain between his ears spike in intensity.

"Oh, Chokichi, you're so funny!"

Mamoru knew that voice. Worse still, he knew that particular inflection. That was Reika's flirty voice being used on someone whose name was definitely not Motoki.

Mamoru quickly sought them out and stalked forward, looking as threatening as possible. The pair were leaning up against a car, practically glued together. He would have felt ill if he weren't so determined to be frightening.

When he reached them, he cleared his throat purposefully, catching their attention. The man-who-was-not-Motoki looked ready to run for his life the minute he saw Mamoru; Reika looked strangely pleased.

"Mamoru!" she exclaimed, not bothering to drop her flirtatious tone. "What a nice surprise. I almost never see you around this part of town."

He completely ignored this greeting and continued staring Chokichi down. The redhead quickly got the message and extricated himself from Reika's embrace. "I, err... just remembered something. That I have to do. Alone. And not here." He took off, speed-walking away from the boutique and waving over his shoulder. "Bye, Reika!"

"Uh-huh," Reika muttered, not taking her eyes off Mamoru. She reached forward and pushed her fingers into his hair, considerably lessening the distance between them. "I absolutely love what you're doing with your hair."

"I didn't wash it this morning," he deadpanned.

"Well, it's very sexy," she confided softly.

Mamoru cringed and pushed her away. "Reika, if you're trying to make Motoki jealous, don't. He's miserable enough as it is, and I don't need you permanently making him into a pitiful blob ripening on my couch."

Reika waited a moment before responding, her eyes remaining fixed on his. "Did I ever tell you that you have the most amazing eyes?"

"And it really isn't going to work with me," Mamoru said, taking another step back. "Jesus, Reika, I thought you were a better person than this."

Reika rolled her eyes dismissively. "Mamoru, you're gorgeous, but you're not very bright."
His eyebrow twitched.

"I'm not trying to make Motoki jealous," Reika insisted, flipping her significantly more styled hair over her shoulder. "Why would I want to go back to that stick in the mud?"

Mamoru straightened, completely stunned. "Stick in the mud? How in the—"

Reika continued undeterred. "Motoki was all wrong for me. Sure, he was a nice guy, but he was kind of beneath me, you know? Since we've broken up, I've come to realize that I'm an incredibly gorgeous, extremely intelligent, and downright lovely woman. I don't need to spend the rest of my life languishing with the King of Average."

Mamoru's jaw began to clench. He imagined it acted as a kind of barrier to keep back the actual things he wanted to say to her. "Well, as long as you haven't gotten a big head."

"And just how big is yours?" Reika purred, moving forward like a lioness ready to pounce.

Mamoru immediately pedaled backwards. "I am going to pretend you didn't just say that. Actually, I think I'll just pretend that I didn't see or hear any of this because clearly you're going through post-relationship insanity. Don't worry. Motoki won't hear about any of this."

Mamoru knew that it was time to leave; really, there had never been a time to stay. So he turned around and tried to walk away from Reika as quickly as possible. But before he managed so much as a step, she grabbed his arm and, with a surprising amount of force, spun him around so that his back was up against the car. And suddenly she was all over him, melded to every angle of his body.

"What if I want him to know about it?" Reika hissed in a low voice. "Sing it from the rooftops or scream it in his ear."

"Not really a song and dance kind of guy," Mamoru snapped, attempting to peel her off. "And I don't know what game you're playing at, but he isn't going to hear a single word about anything that just happened. Now if you would kindly get off—"

"Oh, but it's so much fun. For me," Reika insisted. "I want you to tell him, Mamoru. I want him to know that I'm not curled up in some corner of my apartment, bawling until I vomit." Her green eyes gleamed, her lips curving into a grotesque smile. "I'm breaking free."

Mamoru placed his hands firmly on her shoulders and started to push, trying not to hurt her and finding that she was making that goal next to impossible to accomplish. "You're a wreck," he told her seriously. "Get help."

Reika threw her arms around his neck. "You were always more in my league, Mamoru."

"Reika, I'm serious. Get—"

Mamoru final plea halted when he caught a familiar silhouette in his peripheral vision. At first, he denied what his brain was telling him. There was no way he could be so supremely unlucky as to be caught in this particular position by her of all people. But when he heard a quiet grunt and saw a wind-sail of ebony hair flip into the air, Mamoru realized his luck was, in fact, complete shit.

"Damn it," Mamoru muttered. He took a brief moment to give Reika a fierce look before snapping, "You have no idea how difficult you have just made my life." Then, before she could respond, he moved both of his hands onto the hood of the car and pushed, sliding backwards and at last managing to escape the clutches of Motoki's obviously deranged ex-girlfriend. Without wasting another moment, he jogged after the girl who had only just vanished around the corner.

"Rei!" he yelled just as soon as he caught sight of her again. Her back stiffened as if someone had just shoved a knife into it, but she barely took a moment to pause. She picked up her pace, slipping through the crowd and forcing him to issue a number of hasty apologies in his pursuit of her. At last he grasped her arm and pulled her around to face him, although the look she gave him almost made him wish he'd let her go. "Stop. Listen to me."

Rei flipped her hair in a way he was sure she must have practiced and spat, "I have absolutely nothing to say to you."

"Actually, the last thing I want you to do right now is talk."

Her sour look shifted into something more menacing, and he suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for their enemies. "Are you trying to make me set your hair on fire?"

Mamoru dragged his free hand down his face. "What is it with you people and my hair?"

"Could you please just go ahead and tell me that I didn't see what I thought I just saw?"

Mamoru sighed. "Rei, it was not what it looked like."

In an enviable display of aptitude for such situations, Rei's foot shot out and struck his kneecap, making him collapse and lose his grip on her arm. "Liar!" she shouted, stalking off.

Mamoru bit his tongue to extinguish a few choice words he would have very much liked to have said to her at that moment. Instead, he forced himself to his feet and limped after her. "Is that really a reaction you're going to be proud of ten years down the road?"

"No, but it sure felt great."

Mamoru fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Why do you automatically assume that I'm lying? And if you throw a ‘men are scum' line in my face, Rei, so help me—"

"Men are not scum," Rei snapped, waving her hand sharply in his direction. "My father is scum. You are scum. But unfortunately, I cannot defame the entire gender because I do plan on getting married one day."

"Well, that's almost reasonable," Mamoru murmured, reaching down to rub his throbbing knee.

"Why did you have to lie?" Rei demanded, suddenly coming to a complete stop. Mamoru thought he heard her voice break, but decided it was probably his pain playing tricks on his other senses. "You didn't have to. You could have just said… that you weren't interested. You didn't have to tell me that you don't even like that sort of thing and then have me find out like that— God, you are such a jerk!"

"First of all," Mamoru began, "I didn't lie. Second of all, I should not have to explain myself to a fourteen-year-old who acts like she's two when she doesn't get her way. What I do with my life isn't any of your business. You're acting like you have some sort of claim over me, which is completely disturbing and entirely out of the realm of possibility."

"Stop it." Rei blinked several times and folded her arms across her chest. "I know it's not… I know that it's stupid, but that does not change the fact that it is absolutely infuriating to see you all over some slut in the middle of the street."

"Hey!" Mamoru snapped, still feeling some residual protectiveness of Reika, if only for Motoki's sake. "Don't say that. You don't even know her."

"Please. I saw what color lipstick she was wearing," Rei snapped. "Besides, there's only one kind of girl who acts like that in public during the day."

"Look," Mamoru said in as soothing a tone as he could muster. "She's not usually like that. And what's more, she's not… She's my best friend's girlfriend. You remember the blond guy at the arcade? You saw him the other day."

Rei nodded slowly, and she looked decidedly skeptical about this version of events. "And she was on top of you because she's blind?"

Mamoru straightened, stretching out his still throbbing knee. "It's complicated. They're going through… something at the moment. Supposedly they've broken up, and maybe after that display they ought to stay that way. Anyway, they aren't together, he's practically destroyed over it, and Reika is apparently dealing with it by throwing herself at every male in the general area. Believe me, it was not the sort of position I enjoy finding myself in."

Rei stared at him for a moment, still unsure if she was going to believe his story. "If I find out that you're lying, you'll be ashes inside of a minute."

Mamoru snorted. "Well, I can't accuse you of being indirect."

"And this doesn't mean I'm happy," Rei added.

"I'm not going to ask for the impossible. I just want to make sure you're not going to kick me again."

Rei shifted her weight, not quite looking at him. "Not at the moment."

"I'll take it."

The pair of them stood their, all too aware of the awkward silence that hung between them. That issue covered, neither of them knew how to part or even if they should. Mamoru found himself pinching the bridge of his nose, once again all too aware that he wasn't a social expert if he wasn't looking for a job, a grade, or the occasional one-night stand.

Finally, Rei brought it to an end and cleared her throat. "Do you think we should all meet tomorrow?"

Mamoru blinked, taken aback by this sudden change of subject. "Is there any reason we should?"

Rei shrugged. "I think Ami said there was something she wanted to talk about."

Mamoru shoved his hands into his pockets, considering the suggestion. "I guess it couldn't hurt. Can we do it at the shrine?"

Rei shook her head. "Possible investors are going to be stopping by."

"Shouldn't you be there for that?"

"Grandpa has learned that it's best to keep me away from pretentious, spoiled, overly rich patrons. I have a tendency to say what's on my mind."

"I can see how that could negatively affect the cash flow," Mamoru concluded. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Will you call Ami? I don't want to get yelled at again for interrupting her reading."

"I will," Rei said, waving slightly. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Mamoru returned, turning to go. He walked several meters, not quite content with any of the situations he had found himself in, but feeling as if one of them had almost been resolved. On a whim, he turned his head to see if Rei was still there and saw that she was, her back pressed against the wall of a building and her head hanging low. He couldn't see her face with her hair falling around her, but her posture told him enough. It made him wonder if maybe he had heard that break in her voice.

He thought about turning around, but he knew better. Instead, he pretended he hadn't seen and continued walking, determined not to examine anything.

-----

The only way to move past him was to find someone else. What did it matter to anyone how many someone elses she found?

She saw the looks the other women in the shop were giving her. She heard them whispering about how she used to stay away from the male customers and let the older women deal with them. She felt the glares when she leaned forward and whispered dirty things, when her fingers grazed the stiff fabric of button-down shirts, when her eyelashes fluttered just so. She knew everything, and she didn't care because this was moving on.

So was spending the night in the same nearby bar, passing herself from lap to lap, winding ties around her finders. A constant tease. Promises were never made, contact was never established. She flitted from body to body, putting as much distance between her and Motoki as she could.

She wondered if Mamoru had caved by now, if Motoki knew. It was the only reason she'd bothered with him in the first place. She wasn't stupid enough to think she could come between friends. She wanted to twist Motoki with the knowledge of her growing freedom.

She never lost count of how many lay between what she had possessed and what she deserved. The junior politician who drank lemon martinis with a bobbing, bulging Adam's apple was number twenty-three, and she was on the prowl for the next. There was nothing wrong with twenty-three; he was probably a suitable mate, but that wasn't what this exercise was about.

The more men wanted her, the more powerful she was. She hadn't slept since Motoki left her, and she didn't feel tired. As far as she was concerned, she could ride this adrenaline high for the rest of her life, pushing boys into walls and leaving them panting after her. It was the ultimate rush.

This was the way to live. This was better than food, better than wine, better than sex. This was the closest she would ever come to being a god, and maybe in her own small way, she was becoming one. A transformation was happening. She felt her body reacting to it, her blood rushing and a pulsing heat radiating from her chest. It almost felt as if she could make things appear out of thin air. That kind of magic.

glory is coming

Reika inhaled, arching her back against the bar. The voice no longer frightened her for it spoke nothing but the truth. It had asked for freedom, the first step. The next movement was coming, and then, only God knew what she would be capable of.

Door opened. Door closed. She smiled.

"Number twenty-four."

-----

Twenty-four hours later, Mamoru was still sick of it.

"Why don't you just call her?"

Motoki let out the most depressing sigh Mamoru had ever witnessed. "No."

"And why not?"

Motoki dragged his dirty dishtowel over the countertop without his usual enthusiasm. "She won't answer."

Mamoru blinked very slowly. "Have you actually tried calling her?"

Motoki looked like a child confronted with sound logic. "No."

"Then how do you know she won't pick up?"

"'Cause she won't."

Mamoru ripped open a sugar packet with more vehemence than was necessary and dumped it into his already over-sweetened coffee. "You are the most pathetic human being alive. You do realize this?"

"Yeah."

There was a great deal more that could be said in response to this, but Mamoru was momentarily distracted by the sound of the doors opening. He was expecting Ami and Rei to arrive any moment, but the only people who came in were two pre-pubescent boys looking to spend all their money on war games.

Then Mamoru saw what was going on behind them and swore. "Hell." His mind whirled, wondering if there was any way he could prevent this confrontation from occurring. He was about to distract Motoki by spilling coffee all over the place when one of the men stepped just close enough to the sensor to open the doors.

Motoki glanced over on instinct. He stopped. He took in what he saw. And then he turned a very funny color and looked decidedly less pathetic.

"Be right back," he grumbled, hopping over the counter and tossing his apron to the floor.

Mamoru quickly got up and followed silently. There was no way he was leaving Motoki alone with the now viper-like ex-girlfriend and her entourage.

Motoki didn't seem to notice. He just stalked outside, where Reika was laughing and tripping over her own feet. She tossed her hair, allowing her to catch sight of Motoki. She seemed to falter and land in Buffoon #1's arms by accident, but Mamoru knew that had known women who feigned clumsiness just for this experience. He'd always thought better of Reika.

"Oh, hi!" she practically shouted, her voice shrill and grating. "What a nice surprise. Boys, this is my old boyfriend. The schmuck."

In the time it took Mamoru to blink, Motoki changed from a man who had just been emotionally punched in the stomach to a man perfectly willing and able to punch someone else's stomach. He'd never been a particularly intimidating force, but even Mamoru was surprised by the venom in Motoki's voice. "Schmuck or not, so help me God, I will rip you both three new assholes apiece if you don't get off her. Now."

Mamoru had never been so grateful for a sudden mood swing in his life. Both of Reika's companions seemed to think that it was more important that they go home and sober up than fight for the affections of one woman. This gave Mamoru hope for the remainder of his gender, so he viewed their retreating backs with a measure of satisfaction and relief. However, there was still a very large problem to resolve in front of him.

Reika pouted and hopped onto the hood of a parked car, crossing her legs in a manner that would have been fetching in other circumstances. "You chased them away. That's very rude, you know."

Motoki clenched both of his fists, his knuckles white and his frame trembling. "I don't believe you. I have been… I have been an absolute wreck, and you've been out barhopping?"

"It's called moving on, baby. Independence," Reika informed him in a sickly sweet voice. "And speaking of moving, I really can't sit here looking pretty all day. Then again, I'm sure you'd just follow me down the streets like some lost puppy dog until you've had your say. Have at it, then. Just make it quick."

At first, Mamoru thought Motoki would crumble beneath the dog analogy, and for a moment, it looked as though he was right. But just as her arrogance was about to crush him, Motoki pulled himself together. He relaxed his muscles, straightening his hunched shoulders, and looked her directly in the eye.

"Reika, what's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," she insisted. "I've become better, far better than I could have ever been attached to you."

"What are you doing, Reika?" Motoki asked, his voice sympathetic. "Are you compensating for that business with the letter?"

Reika snorted and examined her nails. They looked as though they'd been freshly painted. Mamoru was used to seeing them chipped from field work. "As if I care about studying abroad anymore."

Mamoru and Motoki balked. "What?" they chorused.

Reika sniffed. "I think I'm just a little too fabulous to be trotting around Equatorial Guinea in khakis, don't you agree?"

Mamoru narrowed his eyes. Something about Reika was definitely not right. Up to this point, he'd assumed what Motoki had proposed: Reika was trying to assert her independence and confidence in the wake of the break-up. It was intervention worthy and disturbing, but this added layer to her personality made him wonder.

"The Reika I know wouldn't give up an opportunity like that for eye candy," Mamoru murmured quietly.

Motoki looked frantic. "You're starting to scare me, Reika."

"Already scaring me," Mamoru muttered, looking around. He couldn't be sure if he was right, not without Rei. Haruna and the Senator had been frenetic, absolutely crazed when infected by the Dark Kingdom's magic. Reika was acting oddly, but it wasn't the same. She seemed perfectly in control, alarmingly so. She'd always been capable, but now there was a kind of cold competence that hung around her shoulders. It wasn't flattering.

Reika frowned, displeased. "But I don't want you to be upset, Motoki." The frown quickly shifted into something far more menacing. Her teeth glinted under the sunlight. "I want you to suffer. Are you suffering, dear? It would make me so very happy."

Motoki shook his head, swallowing. "What did I ever do to you?"

"You held me back," she snapped. "You kept me in your little cage and used this as the key," she claimed, grasping the locket that had always hung about her throat. "This is the symbol of what we had, and it's like a fire on my skin, driving me forward. I am electric. I am superior. I am moving away from what I once was. Becoming."

That made Mamoru sure of it. Reika may not have fit the usual pattern, but she was definitely Nephrite's latest victim. The locket had to be the cursed object.

"Something's wrong with her."

He nodded, not having to turn around to know that Ami, Luna, and Rei were standing at his side. "I think it's her necklace."

Rei shook her head. "It doesn't matter. The level of dark energy around this place is unbelievable. She's about to peak, and I know I don't have enough time to disarm it."

Ami's lips pressed together, her face paling significantly as she inspected the arcade. It was full, and even though the battle was about to take place outside, they could easily be caught in the crossfire. "We need to get them out of here."

"Fire alarm," Luna muttered as subtly as possible.

The three of them exchanged wary glances. Ami hesitated, reluctant to involve herself in something so blatantly illegal. Mamoru jerked his thumb back towards Motoki and Reika, whose discussion was becoming progressively more heated. That only left Rei, who really had no excuse.

She threw her hands up and hissed, "I have to do everything around here."

She stalked off rather obviously, but Motoki and Reika were not deterred.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, and Mamoru was fairly certain it was a question that had already been thrown out and deflected.

"Because I deserve more than you could ever hope to give," Reika spat, leaning forward and nearly coming down from her perch on the car.

"No. There's something else. I know it."

Reika was obviously about to offer up some snappy retort, but she stopped short. Mamoru watched something more change in her. Something in her eyes that he could perceive without pinning down, sense without seeing. Both he and Ami simultaneously took a step back, and Luna arched her back, hissing.

"You're right," Reika said, her voice a far-off whisper. She sounded older now, much older, and it made the skin want to crawl off his bones. "There is something else. Something that's been inside me for a very long time."

Mamoru was feeling sick again, something in Reika's voice making his blood feel wrong in his veins. "Motoki," he called out, his voice thick with warning. "I think we should--"

"I've always felt different," Reika continued. "All my teachers told I was smarter, but I never believed them. I think I'm beginning to understand why I see things more clearly than most people."

A strange smile crossed her lips. "I think I know why I sometimes have dreams about peeling white flesh off the bones of children."

Ami shuddered beside him.

"This is wrong," Mamoru whispered. "This isn't what's supposed to happen."

Reika continued, her eyes widening. "The screams were so delicious."

Now Motoki finally had the good sense to back away. His mouth bobbed open for a moment, a hoarse whistle escaping between the spaces of his teeth. When he did speak, it shook like a twig in a thunderstorm. "No. I know Reika, and you're not her."

"There's something else in here," Reika said plainly, her hands reaching up to her chest. "It wants to wake up. The whispers… I was wrong. Now I know what they really mean."

The fire alarm rang out.

"I think I'll set it free."

-----

Nephrite watched from across the street. The time it took for her energy to crest had been swifter, and there was palpable tension in the air. Sometimes the space where a war would be fought sensed the blood soon to be spilt and changed. It took on an aura of foreboding, either keeping people away or driving them to it. This street had that feeling.

He wasn't ruffled easily, but the shift made him uneasy. He watched the scene unfold with intense scrutiny. This victim was not like the others. She was nothing like the others. The behavioral differences were easy to spot, a calmness where others had raged like a lightning inferno. But there was something more profound than that, something he did not recognize until it was too late for him to change course.

Her shadow was deeper.

The moment hit, and the whole street was filled with blood-light so intense even he had to look away. The patrons proceeding lazily out of the arcade soon became a deluge of bodies, pushing through the doors and nearly mowing down those who surrounded his quarry. A scream filled the air, one filled with terror and ecstasy. For a moment, he felt like it was ripping something inside him apart. He covered his ears and grunted, ducking behind the structure on the roof that held the door. Still, he could not help but dare to peer around its edge and witness the monster he had created.

Out of the locket on her chest, a darkness more palpable than he had seen before emerged. It towered over the group, and they huddled together against the glass storefront, the dark-haired man grabbing onto a girl as she stumbled out of the arcade, shrieking and clutching her head. Reika's back arched terribly so that her torso was nearly perpendicular to her legs, and she flung her arms out wide. The darkness descended on her in a moment, engulfing her whole. The boyfriend screamed her name and was just barely held back.

She was devoured whole, her energy sucked dry. Nephrite watched her crumble, her skin drawn and wrinkled and her hair considerably lighter. She looked dead.

But that quickly ceased to be interesting when he saw an unfamiliar flash of bright blue.

The dust settled, and the youma remained. Nephrite sat up when he saw it. It should have taken on some characteristics of the locket, but it didn't resemble the piece of jewelry at all. Its skin was bright green, and much of it was exposed, as it chose to don nothing more than a dark blue bustier and red boots that ran past the knee. A gold armband wound around its left limb, earrings dangling from pointed ears. Its washed-out blonde hair with a shock of pink only covered half of its head, drifting to the side like a weighted, lopsided mohawk. But the most curious feature was the monocle it wore over one eye.

It was not the monster he created. There had been something else inside that girl. An unknown terror had been released, something he was going to have no control over.

Vexing as that was, he couldn't help but smirk.

"How will you handle this, Sailor Senshi?

-----

Mamoru barely kept Motoki away from Reika's disturbingly shriveled form. Rei was on the ground as the explosion had sent her senses on overdrive. Ami was slapping her to keep her conscious, and Mamoru prayed very hard that she would be able to help fight.

"What is that thing?" Motoki hissed, enraged. "What did it do to Reika?"

Mamoru attempted to drag him away. There was enough of a crowd fleeing the scene so that he could dump him and allow him to be carried away by the others, but first he had to get there. The Crown had cleared out at record speed, and he needed Motoki out of the area fast. "We're going," he instructed harshly.

Motoki struggled in his grip, and Mamoru had to fight to hold him in place. "I'm not leaving her!"

"And I am not letting you stay here another minute," Mamoru grunted fiercely. "Go. Now."

The youma chuckled, resting a fist against its hip. "I can't very well let my little lab rats escape their cage."

Motoki snarled and once again strained under Mamoru's grip. "What are you? What did you do to Reika!"

"My name is Rikokayder. I am one of seven," it answered, smirking at him and readjusting the glass that covered its eye. "I merely redistributed the resources she generated and was meant to provide."

"It has a name," Ami whispered in disbelief.

"And there are more," Luna stressed as subtlety as she could, keeping her head away from Motoki and beginning to move away. "Ami, get Rei away from here. Let Mamoru deal with Motoki."

Rei took a deep breath. "Just give me a second. I'll be able to run on my own."

Mamoru was about to seriously question that idea when Rikokayder interrupted him. "Let us redirect our attention to more important matters. I have a hypothesis I would like to explore." She flung her hands out sharply, and at least ten canisters floated at her fingertips. She moved them in a manner that resembled a spider and taunted, "If I throw these directly at you, then you will run away so that you don't get hurt." Her cruel eyes filled Mamoru's vision. "Why don't we test my theory?"

She cast both hands forward and the canisters began to fly straight for their heads. The first struck the doors of the Crown, exploding outward and sending a shower of blue dust into the air. As it began to clear, the damage became sickeningly obvious. The whole storefront was completely pulverized.

The group did not have to be warned again what would happen if they stayed in one spot.

Ami dragged Rei to her feet and took off running, Luna hot on their heels. Mamoru didn't let go of Motoki, throwing himself to the ground and rolling just in time to avoid one of her projectiles. It left a small but significant hole in the street. Mamoru flinched when he thought of what almost happened to his spine.

"Thus far, my hypothesis is holding up nicely," Rikokayder considered aloud.

Motoki shook him off, throwing Mamoru onto his back. The wind left his lungs so thoroughly that he couldn't even cry out.

"You're going to pay for hurting her," Motoki seethed. He drew his fist back and rushed forward, screaming like an animal as he ran. He was a blur of pale rage, and if he had not been so obvious about it, Mamoru didn't doubt that he would have broken a few bones.

Rikokayder just smiled. "Time to replicate my experiment." She tossed another canister again, this one at least twice the size of the others.

Motoki kept running.

Mamoru took a large gulp of air and pushed himself up on his elbows. "Stop!"

But it was all in vain. One of the things was hurtling right for his chest. Mamoru reached out and laid hands on one of the chunks of rock the last explosion had created. He took aim, compensating towards the right because he could not miss this by even a fraction of an inch.

He threw the stone, watching as it turned end over end, racing for the target. It connected with her mini-bomb just moments before it would have it Motoki directly in the chest. The explosion was massive, lifting Motoki off his feet and hurtling him at least ten feet in the direction he had come from.

His head hit the ground first. Mamoru saw blood.

"Motoki!" he shouted, knowing that his friend couldn't possibly still be conscious.

Rikokayder clucked her tongue, shaking her head at the display. "I do so hate conflicting results."

Mamoru balled his fingers into fists. All he wanted to do was leap to his feet and physically tear the youma apart with his bare hands. He'd never felt bloodlust before, never understood what drove Jadeite to harm and Tetis to kill, but now he thought it was growing. When you believed in something strongly enough, when you felt something so intensely that a copper taste filled your mouth, you could do anything. Even slaughter.

But he knew it was neither the right nor the smart thing to do.

He looked over at Rikokayder and very solemnly said, "I am going to enjoy watching you die."

She snickered, amused. "Perhaps I have a pair of suicidal lab rats." She mimicked the same gestures as before, and the canisters once again returned. "That would be a very interesting variable." She sneered and stepped forward. "I wonder if your screams will taste as sweet."

"SHABON SPRAY!"

Thick mist rolled across the street like the old London fogs. It would provide Mamoru with more than enough cover to get him and Motoki out. He groped his way over to his fallen friend, pausing only to think of the damage he could do if Motoki had sustained any injuries to the spine. In the end, he pushed it out of his mind and prayed.

And if he'd guessed wrong, he decided it was better to be paralyzed than dead.

-----

"God, I hate this stupid fog," Mars confided to Mercury, who she assumed was somewhere off to her right. "I can't see a thing."

"I had to give Mamoru some cover," Mercury explained, her voice coming from the left.

Mars exhaled and attempted to push her way through the mist. "I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Where should I aim?"

"Give me a moment. I'm having trouble triangulating her position. She's moving around a lot."

Mars shook her head, her ruby earrings brushing against the sides of her neck. "Well, hurry up before she finds us. We're not doing much moving… around." She trailed off, staring around her. She was starting to see the outlines of cars and buildings. "I thought you said it would last awhile."

"It should be," Mercury muttered suspiciously. "Even in the open air it shouldn't be dissipating this fast."

Within seconds, the whole street was cleared of fog. But worse still, Rikokayder was nowhere in sight. Both girls stiffened and looked around sharply for a sign of their enemy.

It came from above.

Before Mars knew what was going on, she was hit with an intense, wet pressure, strong enough to knock her to her knees. She covered her head, sputtering underneath the water jet. She ground her teeth and groused, "I am so not in the mood for this. FIRE SOUL!"

She sent a stream of fire upwards, putting as much energy behind the blast as possible. The red flare turned a few inches of the spray to steam, giving Mars a moment to roll out of the way, soaked to the bone. She shivered in the sudden breeze and quickly took stock of the situation. Rikokayder held some sort of beaker that must have sucked up the Shabon Spray attack. She had now turned it on Mercury, knocking the girl off her feet.

The youma had nearly emptied the flask, and while Mars wasn't sure if Rikokayder could ensnare the fire power the same as the water, she was in no mood to find out. She was going to have to get rid of that beaker, and fast.

"Aku Ryo… Tai Sen!"

She sent five of her ofunda streaking towards the monster, trying to hit either it or the instrument in her hand. Rikokayder took to the air, narrowly avoiding the papers. Thankfully, Mercury was too low on the ground to be hit. She'd never used the ofunda on someone that wasn't a demon, but she had a nasty feeling that the results wouldn't be good.

"You all right?" Mars called out, while attempting to locate the monster.

Mercury coughed and spit out a mouthful of water as she dragged herself to her feet. "Just chilly."

A shadow fell across Rei's vision, and she nearly lashed out, stopping only when she heard the familiar flutter of a cape. She fixed her glare on his masked visage, her hands on her hips. "Announce yourself once in awhile."

"Sorry," he said, looking grim.

"Is Motoki all right?" Mercury asked, walking forward and joining in Mars's search.

Tuxedo Kamen shrugged, pulling out his cane and looking around the street. "I hope so, but we'd better deal with one thing at a time. Where's Rikokayder?"

Mars tensed and cracked her jaw. "What do you think I'm trying to—"

Something slammed into the back of Mars's head, and stars exploded in her vision. She cried out and flew forward, barely managing to put out her hands to prevent landing face first in the pavement. In spite of her blurred vision, she turned herself onto her back and drew her hand back, another ofunda caught between her fingers. "Aku Ryo Tai Sen!" It shot out so quickly that it was little more than a white blur on the wind.

Rikokayder dodged the proverbial bullet once more. It was doing Mars's mood no favors.

Tuxedo Kamen and Mercury immediately sprang into action. He kicked out, driving straight for her head, but she caught his ankle and seemed to hold it effortlessly in spite of her thin arms. Mars could see his eyes widen in shock. Mercury attempted to take advantage of the temporary distraction, trying to punch the beaker from her grip. But Rikokayder was not as easily fooled as they had hoped. She swung Tuxedo Kamen around like he was nothing more than a child's toy and hit Mercury hard in the shoulder, sending them both careening off into a parked car. Painful as it looked, she couldn't help but be a little envious when she saw how they landed.

"Lucky," Mars muttered, staggering to her feet and holding the back of her head. At first she thought the wetness she felt was the water, but when she pulled her hand away, she saw the glove was stained bright red. She shuddered and fought to stay upright, staring the monster down. Much as she would have liked to take the flask out herself, the others were in a better position to do so, and her aim would be completely off now. She'd just have to keep the thing occupied and hope she didn't keel over in the process.

"What did you mean by one of seven?" Mars asked, latching onto the first bit of information she could recall. "You're not like the others we've faced."

"That's because I'm better than the others. I was engineered that way." Rikokayder smiled, her eyes still narrowed into slits. "And I am more than good enough to recognize a diversion when I see it."

Mars's eyes widened when she saw Rikokayder produce yet another huge canister and hurl it in her direction. Both Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen screamed out for her, but Mars could hardly see straight. She hit her knees when she tried to run away, cutting the time she had before it detonated in half. In one last, desperate effort to save herself, Mars pushed off the ground, moving up and back and hoping it would be far enough.

When it hit the ground a moment later, the force of the explosion propelled her three times as far as the kick had. This time, she didn't have the sense to brace herself for impact. Her arm scraped against the asphalt, opening yet another red wound. She turned end over end, rolling farther and farther away from the battle until she finally came to a stop on her back.

She groaned loudly, trying to clutch at everything that hurt and finding that she didn't have enough hands. She coughed, her back arching as she tried to push herself up. But her elbows couldn't support her weight, and they collapsed, leaving her sprawled on the ground.

The tops of buildings bled into the sky, swirling in her vision like watercolors dripping down parchment. She blinked hard, fighting to stay conscious, but she could already see the edges of her sight beginning to darken. She coughed again, hating her own stupidity, when she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

Auburn hair in waves. Grey uniform. A sober, chilling expression leveled directly at Rikokayder and the others.

"Nephrite," she whispered, pointing her finger and trying to gather strength.

Everything went black, and her limb fell, taking the secret with her into a sea of darkness.

-----

Tuxedo Kamen swore when he saw their greatest offensive threat blown down the street, and he knew that there was no point going to check on her. She'd live, but she was officially out of commission. That left Mercury and him to finish the battle, and they both knew that neither one of them was equipped to take this youma down.

"Mars," Mercury wheezed, attempting to run to her. She resisted when Tuxedo Kamen held her back, unwilling to leave her friend.

Apparently, she had no intention of doing that ever again.

"We have to finish this," he hissed, holding her firmly and bringing them both upright. "She'd rather we take out the thing that hurt her than hover."

Mercury shook her head. "How can you say that after—"

"It's different now."

Mercury froze, her face twisted into am uncomprehending grimace. But she soon saw sense enough. "We wouldn't make it to her anyway, would we?"

"I doubt it."

"I can tell you that it is very much a certainty," Rikokayder stated, turning to face them. The beaker was still tucked under her arm. It had run out of ammunition, and he was certain Mercury would give her no more to work with. From that perspective, it was almost better that Mars was out of the picture.

He shook his head a second later. No matter the cost, having Mars with them was worth the risk.

"Hand-to-hand?" he muttered.

Mercury looked pained. "That's really not my specialty."

"Find another crowbar."

She frowned and opened her mouth, likely to condemn such a poor strategy when he zipped away from her, producing a handful of steel-tipped roses. He let them go on the move, hoping that at least one would hit home.

Rikokayder was sincerely unimpressed. She pulled the beaker out and held it between her hands, palms flat to either end of its surface. "Hypothesis: If your opponent changes tactics, then it is necessary to react in the same fashion." She pressed down swiftly, collapsing the beaker as if it were made out of rubber. When she pulled them apart again, a small, corked flask had taken its place. She shook up the bright green contents, pointing the opening at the flowers. "Experiment commencing now."

She pulled the cork away, and the liquid spewed out. The roses were hit first, and Tuxedo Kamen gaped as he watched the brew completely disintegrate them, tips and all. Much of the concoction kept moving, speeding towards him at an alarming rate. He ducked and rolled out of the way, turning his head in time to watch the acidic compound hit a steel door.

He didn't have very long to look at it.

"Let's see how this agent reacts with human skin," Rikokayder said, her voice still detached and calm as she sauntered over to him. The consummate scientist. "I wonder if it will eat through muscle and bone."

Tuxedo Kamen grunted as Rikokayder attacked once again. He brought his cape around him to block the spray, but he sensed it would do little good. He had no time to dodge, and he was about to lose his arm.

Somehow, he doubted it would grow back.

"Shabon Spray!"

Tuxedo Kamen opened his eyes and saw Sailor Mercury standing in front of him, her hands cupped and arms outstretched. A jet of wide jet of what shot from her palms, keeping the attack at bay. The pair of them were locked in a stalemate.

"Thanks," he murmured gratefully as he got to his feet. That's when he noticed Mercury wasn't even looking at Rikokayder. Her eyes were cast upwards, searching the rooftops for something unknown to him. "What's going on?"

"Just before Mars passed out," Mercury explained, "she pointed at something up there. I think there's something else up there."

"Or someone," Tuxedo Kamen added bleakly.

Tense seconds passed. Rikokayder was quickly becoming annoyed with Mercury's liquid blockade, and Mercury's disposition was equally sour. Finally, Mercury straightened in triumph. "There. Right across the street from the arcade."

Tuxedo Kamen followed her gaze, and it didn't take him very long to find out what was so interesting. "Nephrite."

Abruptly, Rikokayder's green spray came to a stop, and Mercury quickly followed suit before she exhausted herself. The youma's head whipped around, and both warriors shuddered when they saw that it had turned a full inch farther than what should have been possible. And for the first time, they heard her growl.

"Time to put the toys away."

Tuxedo Kamen cried out as he and Mercury were shoved closer together by some unseen force. He quickly realized that they had both been sealed up inside a beaker much like the first she had had. He looked up desperately only to see that the opening was stoppered.

"Let us out of here!" Tuxedo Kamen demanded, punching his fists against the glass.

"Suffocate while you watch a real fight," she hissed. Then she sped off, heading straight for the Dark King meant to command her.

-----

Nephrite's lip curled when he saw Rikokayder speeding towards him. He had been wondering if this demon would be beyond his control. This display certainly confirmed it. She was flying towards him like a heat-seeking missile, wearing her worst look.

He folded his arms and waited.

"Nephrite," she spat. "Third of the Shitennou. Star-gazer. Commander of the Shadows."

"Indeed," he agreed, noting that these titles were hardly meant to be complimentary. "Am I meant to know you?"

"I am one of the Seven Dark Warriors. One of the Shadow Creatures," Rikokayder continued. "I was black incarnate with eyes of blood. I ate the bones of children, and I laid waste to all who stood in my path."

Nephrite looked at the creature with a level gaze. "Never heard of you."

She recoiled, hissing horribly. "You have forgotten the greatest of all the youma?"

"You must not have been that remarkable," Nephrite drawled. "Would you mind telling me just why you are interfering with my plans?"

Rikokayder appraised him for a moment and then seemed to understand. "You did not mean to call me."

"Not in the slightest," Nephrite answered. "Why are you here? And if you're such a formidable warrior, why are those three still alive?"

Rikokayder was deeply insulted by the last comment, but she didn't reach for his throat. The time had not yet arrived for that. "I was bound inside that girl, encased beside her heart. Characteristics were absorbed, shaping me into this form." She paused, grinning wickedly. "I have not yet fully evolved. Metallia's kiss will unleash my true potential. I will devour again."

"I somehow doubt that was a request for me to escort you to the Dark Kingdom," Nephrite said, brushing some imaginary dust off his epaulettes. "You seem to hold some sort of grudge against me."

Rikokayder seethed, leaning forward. "You have forgotten, Nephrite, but I remember all. There was a time when you saw fit to fight against me and the others. You resisted." She snarled. "This I will not forgive."

Nephrite blinked. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"That really doesn't concern me," Rikokayder snapped.

She gave him no more warning than that. She lunged for him, sharpened teeth exposed and eyes wild beneath the glass slide. But he needed no warnings. Nephrite leapt up, flipping over her head. He turned and hovered on the air.

"The greatest of youma certainly is obvious," he remarked coolly.

"I conquered you then, general!" Rikokayder shouted. "I will do so again."

Nephrite frowned. "I don't appreciate being demoted." He held out one hand and sent forth a swirling starburst.

Rikokayder barely managed to dodge. "Pathetic display from the third," she taunted

"Second," Nephrite corrected off-hand. "Jadeite is dead."

Rikokayder smiled. "Pity. He was a good boy. Came on his own."

Nephrite scoffed. "If I had any interest in what you were talking about, I'd ask for the details."

She didn't bother to throw any more witticisms at him. She merely flew at him, pulling out of her exploding mechanisms and hurling them in his direction. He raised an eyebrow, extended his hands, and blew them aside with another torrent of starlight. He realized after they'd exploded that Sailor Mars was in range, and he heaved a frustrated sigh.

"Perfectly good opportunity wasted," he grumbled. He glanced back over at Rikokayder and saw that her momentum had not slowed. He was not prepared for the fist that landed directly against his jaw, sending him reeling in the air. He glared and muttered, "Now you're beginning to annoy me."

Rikokayder just continued her assault. She yanked out the acidic compound again, but Nephrite was in no mood to have his muscle chewed threw. He sent out another starburst, knocking the beaker out of her hand and thoroughly destroying it. Not even a drop of the stuff was left behind.

With that done, the battle resorted to a purely physical realm. Her kicks were vicious, but he had the upperhand in terms of body strength. Eventually, he wrestled her down to the ground where such combat was easier.

Then it was a storm of motion. Both of them were blurs along the street, punches opening wounds that were sure to leave scars. Neither one of them slowed, neither one of them relented, the violent dance continuing with their lives depending on it.

And that meant he wasn't about to lose.

He propelled his fist into the youma's stomach, sending her careening backwards. She landed in a heap, gasping to put air back into her lungs. She was down, and she wasn't moving quickly enough. He could have easily blown her apart.

And she knew it.

"Why don't you attack?" she wheezed. "I'm easy prey."

Nephrite scoffed. "There hasn't been a moment during this entire battle when you weren't."

Rikokayder's eyes widened. "Liar!"

"Not this time," he confided. "You see, after the irritation you've caused me, I really wouldn't mind killing you, but you present me with a rather large problem. You consumed that girl's energy, and getting rid of you would send it directly back into her body. That would constitute another loss on my part, and I'm afraid I can't afford that at this point.

"I've just been leading you around while I devised another method of transportation," he smirked, laughing quietly. "And I believe I've come up with the perfect solution."

Nephrite looked to the sky, holding up his right arm. All at once, night seemed to fall over the area, and the stars shone more brightly than ever. He heard appreciative gasps from the two enemies that were conscious, and he couldn't help but feel a bit smug.

"O Regulus, star of Leo, shining in the Southern night sky… grant me your power!"

The constellation of the lion stood out apart from the rest, and within a moment, the outline of the African king was clearly distinguishable in the night sky, larger than life. In the blink of an eye, it dropped down, a full-sized lion of pale blue and lavender. It lifted its head and let out a mighty roar, saliva dripping from his teeth.

He ran forward and pounced, paying no heed to the screams of Rikokayder. The beast fell on her, pinning her down by the arms and tearing his teeth into the face of the youma within moments. Nephrite heard another shout and glanced up to see Mercury hiding her face, and Tuxedo Kamen further shielding the girl by turning her away. The masked warrior couldn't seem to tear his eyes off the horrifying scene.

Nephrite turned back to the carnage, appraising the damage. The lion continued its feast, tearing into her chest like the weakest gazelle in a herd. Dark blue blood leaked from her wounds, staining the already wrecked street beneath her. An arm was ripped off and cast aside. Claws dug into her thighs, leaving deep gouges. And finally, white tendrils curled up from her corpse. The lion swallowed them greedily, as if flesh could not satisfy him, and soon he glowed from within. Once the energy was devoured, the lion turned to Nephrite, waiting for orders.

As it was meant to be.

"Take it to the Dark Kingdom. Find Kunzite," Nephrite instructed. "He will know what to do."

The lion nodded reverently, licking the dripping blood of the youma from his lips. He vanished in an instant, fully ready to do Nephrite's bidding.

Nephrite heard the sound of someone vomiting from behind him. He didn't need to look to know that Mars had woken up to see the mutilated carcass. He kept his eyes on Rikokayder's body, just to be sure.

He blinked, and her body began to dissolve into dust which was quickly wiped away by an unexpected breeze. She was gone for good.

"Greatest indeed," Nephrite muttered. Then he turned around to face Mars, who was sniffling and wiping her mouth indelicately. When she saw him looking, she colored, ashamed of the position she was caught in. But the embarrassment quickly melted into righteous anger as was her way. She started to get to her feet.

"You would really do better to simply lie there and accept your fate," he advised her. "You're no match for me, and certainly not in that condition."

She spat out a mouthful of bile and continued her fruitless struggle. "You don't deserve to live."

"Your judgment means nothing," Nephrite stated as she almost made it and then collapsed on one knee, breathing hard and reaching around to hold her head wound once again. "Your life means less to me."

"Leave her alone!" Mercury cried.

He barely contained the urge to roll his eyes. As if that would work.

He turned and called out to the two opponents still caught within Rikokayder's make-shift cage. "Don't worry. I'll be letting you two out to meet your ends shortly. I'd just prefer to take care of this problem first."

He raised his hand over his head, gathering the starburst that would surely finish Mars off.

"Nephrite."

He paused, turning his head to the sound of an unfamiliar rasp. His eyes found a blue youma, covered in fur and leather crouching on a parking meter. Its sharp eyes bored into his own, and a necklace of cherry blossoms wound around its thin throat.

"One of Zoisite's scouts." He clenched his jaw and growled, "Does your master see fit to interrupt my battles now?"

"Apologies," it pronounced, and for a moment, he almost believed. "He was with Kunzite when the lion came."

Nephrite snorted. "Wonder of wonders."

"I saw what happened, Lord Nephrite," it explained further. "I told them something had gone wrong, and now Lord Kunzite calls you back immediately."

Nephrite's eyebrow twitched. It would not do to keep Kunzite waiting. Not unless he wanted a sound beating. "Fine. I'll kill this one and be right over."

"Aky Ryo Tai Sen!"

He whirled, sneering at her third attempt to use those damned scrolls. He expected to need to dodge them, but the one she had sent out flew by his face as if it was not intended for him. He thought for a moment that her aim was incredibly off, but he quickly realized that she had hit her intended target. The paper lay flat against the glass of Rikokayder's cage, which began to crack from the moment the two touched. It did not take very long at all for the cracks to spread until the prison shattered outward, freeing Tuxedo Kamen and Mercury from their confinement. They raced forward, narrowly avoiding the starburst he sent their way. In a move mimicking his own, they soared above his head, coming to rest directly in front of their wounded comrade.

"Perhaps you need to double-check on the meaning of the word ‘immediately,'" Tuxedo Kamen suggested coldly.

Nephrite scowled, wanting nothing more than to call that lion back if he were not otherwise occupied. He wouldn't mind seeing Tuxedo Kamen's head ripped off in front of his female admirers one bit.

"Cape Boy has a point," the youma rasped.

Tuxedo Kamen choked.

Nephrite took a deep breath, shutting his eyes. Much as he would have liked to kill them all, wounded or not, it was going to take more time than he would have liked. Not to mention the fact that when he did kill Mars, which was really an inevitability at this point, the other two would likely run. Kunzite would not absolve tardiness unless he brought back three corpses, not one.

"Fine," Nephrite muttered.

He held out his hand to his left and casually sent off another attack. The youma barely had a chance to shout before it was rendered into another pile of dust.

"Take that message to Zoisite, if you can," Nephrite said quietly. He opened his eyes and redirected his attention to the three warriors, each of whom looked a bit pale. "Much as I would prefer not to, I'm going to have to abandon our little get-together for the time being. But rest assured, next time, there will be no interruptions and no mistakes, and you will have me to contend with instead of a scavenging demon."

He held out his hand, opening a portal of shadow that would take him back to his home. He began to move towards it, watching his enemies slowly relax as he moved away from them out of the corner of his eye.

He shot off another burst of energy, smiling at the dust and screams it brought on.

"Amateurs," he taunted before vanishing into the dark.

-----

Tuxedo Kamen just barely managed to pull Mars out of the way of Nephrite's final assault. He soared above the blast, searching through the smoke for Mercury's silhouette. He found her soon enough, diving behind a car for cover.

He breathed a sigh of relief. He was in no mood to take anyone to the hospital.

He landed with Mars by his side, fully supporting her. For once, she didn't look like she was in a position to complain. "Are you all right?"

She gave him a withering look. "Did you miss the part where I got kicked in the head and blasted down a block?"

"Right. Stupid question."

Mercury emerged from behind the car, Luna now gathered up in her arms. Neither of them looked happy. "Well, that was certainly unexpected," Luna muttered. She paused and gave each of them a look. "And I meant the in-fighting, not that last cheap shot. That you should have seen coming."

Tuxedo Kamen winced, chastened. "Point taken."

"Do you need a doctor?" Mercury asked, choosing the far more pertinent question.

Mars seemed to consider the query but eventually just shook her head. "I don't think so. My vision was blurred for awhile, but I saw clearly enough to save your butts."

"Well, to be fair, it was a rather large target," Tuxedo Kamen muttered.

"I would kick you again if you weren't the only thing keeping me from falling over," Mars informed him soundly.

"Thank you," Mercury interrupted, holding up her hands, "for the rescue. I don't know how we would have gotten out of there otherwise."

"Nephrite would have blown us out," Tuxedo Kamen said grimly. There was likely more to be discussed, but he heard the sound of sirens coming towards them. It seemed the city of Tokyo had once again neglected to send the cavalry until after the battle was won. "We'd better get out of here."

"There will be paramedics," Luna said. "Mars, you should go ahead and get checked out."

Mars opened her mouth to protest, but Tuxedo Kamen was in no mood to listen to it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and leapt upwards, landing behind a car. He let his transformation fall away and then left her in the care of Mercury, who followed soon afterwards.

"I've got to go check on Motoki and Reika," he explained tersely. "Make sure that she actually sees somebody will you?"

Mercury nodded as Mamoru spun around, walking as quickly as he could to his fallen friends.

-----

Motoki had come around just in time to see Mamoru's worried face hovering over him. Before he could even ask if Reika was all right, he was surrounded by medical personnel and felt poked and prodded on every inch of his body. Motoki could barely hear Mamoru's version of events over his own shouts, but he managed to gather that his friend did not hold him in extremely high regard for rushing a monster as he had done.

As he was being wheeled out of the arcade, he remembered that Mamoru had saved his life. It was too late to thank him.

He was rolled into the back of the ambulance along with some older woman. The pair of them were jostled a bit as the paramedics struggled to make room for both the stretchers. Finally, they managed the fit and the doors were shut. He heard a bang against the back to signal that the patients were loaded. A moment later he felt the ambulance begin to move and the sirens wailed. He was likely to find himself in emergency care within minutes.

And he still had no idea what had happened to Reika.

He covered his face with his hands, hating himself. He was supposed to be in love with her, and didn't that somehow obligate him to protect her? Even if she hated him now, even if she wanted other guys more than him, all he had wanted to do was save her from that… thing, and he hadn't been able to do it. Logically, he supposed he was asking too much of himself. But he'd felt the adrenaline rush as his body readied to fight. He should have been able to do more than get knocked out without so much as throwing a punch.

"Reika…" he hissed, feeling hot salt water sting at his eyes. "Where are you?"

The old woman beside groaned quietly. His eyes flew open, and his entire body stiffened. He knew that voice. He'd heard it whisper in his ear, heard it sing off-key in the shower, heard it spit at him and tell him he was unworthy.

He sat up as straight as he dared and spun to look at her. Her skin was dangerously pale, and her hair had turned completely grey, but it was her. It was his Reika.

"Oh, God," he whispered, reaching out and grasping her hand. "Reika? Reika, please wake up. It's me."

She groaned loudly, but her eyes fluttered open nonetheless. Even they seemed less vibrant. Less alive. She turned her head to look at him, but she had to blink three times before she actually saw him. "Motoki?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice choked and hushed. "It's me."

"What happened…? I was…" her eyes widened in horror, and somehow, her skin managed to turned even paler. "Oh, no. What have I… Motoki, I didn't—"

"I know," he said, hushing her and gripping her hand even tighter. "I understand now. You were… possessed or something."

Reika shook her head, her green eyes sparkling with tears. "All those horrible things I said to you. I didn't mean a thing, Motoki, I swear. I don't think you're—"

"I know," he repeated, this time more firmly. He smoothed a thumb over the back of her hand. He looked down at it and saw that it was slightly withered. He winced, fighting the urge to gather the woman in his arms and clutch at her until they both disappeared. "Don't talk about it anymore."

Reika let out a strangled sob, her chest heaving. "I should have just told you about the stupid program. I should never have hid the letter."

He swallowed the lump in his throat, his heart beating unbelievably fast. "Let's not talk about that right now."

Reika didn't hesitate before nodding. "I don't want to be alone."

Motoki let out a long sigh of relief and shifted closer to her. Still holding on to her hand, he bent over her until their foreheads were touching, skin against skin, his tears quickly mingling with her own. "Neither do I," he whispered with conviction. "Neither do I."

-----

Luna wandered up behind Mamoru as he watched the ambulance with Reika and Motoki pull away. She brushed against his legs, purring as loudly as she knew how. A ghost of a smile haunted his lips, and he bent down to gather her in his arms. She kept purring even though there was very little for her to be pleased about.

"How's Rei?" he asked the cat, keeping her close to his chest.

Luna's ear twitched. "She'll be fine. She's giving the paramedic trying to check her over three different kinds of hell."

"Nothing wrong then."

Luna looked hard at Mamoru's face, taking in the sharp lines of his jaw and the clouds that had gathered over his eyes. She followed his gaze for a moment. His eyes still had not left the ambulance. "It wasn't your fault, you know," she told him gravely.

Mamoru sighed. "Funny how the people who get targeted all seem to be connected to us, Luna. I'd like to actually save a stranger one of these days."

Luna frowned, pondering this. There was a perfectly plausible explanation for this phenomenon, but it was not one that would do Mamoru any favors to hear. She swallowed her explanations and hoped he didn't press her further.

Luckily for her, Ami and Rei came up behind them at that particular moment.

Mamoru glanced over at the pair, taking in the towel Rei was holding to her head. "No hospital then?"

Rei's frown deepened. "Not if that paramedic is going to be anywhere in the area. That kind of idiocy could spread."

Ami shook her head, folding her hands in front of her. "Really, Rei, I think you were a bit unkind."

"He deserved it."

"That may be, but I don't see why you felt the need to bring his mother into it."

"What do you think he meant by no screw-ups next time?" Mamoru interrupted.

The girls' conversation came to a grinding halt.

"Well, that seems obvious enough," Luna put in. "The monster tried to attack him. That's not exactly a plan coming together perfectly."

"Then why the plural?" Ami questioned, no doubt echoing Mamoru's own thoughts. "Besides, the youma didn't even realize that Nephrite was around. The others have had some awareness of him. Rikokayder found out he was there and then it was like we didn't matter to her anymore."

Rei shifted uncomfortably. "I don't like that it had a name."

Mamoru's nodded, remembering Tetis.

"What do you think he did wrong?" Ami asked.

"No idea," Luna confessed, flicking her tail in annoyance. "And I also have no idea what she meant by her being one of seven. She couldn't be referring to the other two. They were nothing like her."

Mamoru frowned at her. "You really don't remember anything from… before that might explain it?"

Luna mulled over it for a moment, but eventually shook her head. "I told you everything about that time that I can remember, I'm afraid."

"Keep trying," he instructed.

Luna nodded. "Of course."

Ami cleared her throat and quietly asked, "How are Motoki and Reika?"

"He'll be fine," Mamoru answered uncomfortably. "But she…" he closed his eyes, bowing his head in frustration. "She doesn't look like herself."

Vaguely familiar with what a victim of a full-energy drain looked like, Luna quietly provided the answers to the questions Mamoru would not bring himself to ask. "Her skin will return to normal after a few good meals and some rest," Luna explained. "But her hair will remain grey for the rest of her life. She'll get tired more easily for about a month, and… she could be more susceptible to illness after this. It depends on how healthy she was before."

Mamoru looked sick and swallowed hard. Neither of the other girls looked much better.

"None of the others ever looked that bad," Rei murmured, no doubt remembering her father, who was still holed up in a high-security hospital room although there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.

"I don't believe any of the others took quite as much," Luna said.

She didn't say it, but she was really very surprised that Reika had survived at all.

One look at Mamoru's face and she realized that she didn't have to say it for him to know.

"There was something wrong with that youma," Rei insisted. "Not just the name. It was just… different from the others."

Luna furrowed her brow. "Is there any way you can find out more?"

Rei nodded. "I'll scry the fire as soon as I can hold myself up properly and see if there's anything I can find out."

"I'll come back later tonight once all of this has died down," Ami offered. "I'll analyze anything I can find with the computer and then bring it to you."

Mamoru fidgeted.

"We'd better all get going before anyone tries to ask us any questions," Luna suggested.

He nodded. "Good plan. Rei, do you need a ride home?"

"Do you even have to ask?" she chastised, hobbling forward and using anything she could get her hands on for support.

Mamoru closed his eyes for the span of about ten seconds before he asked Ami the same question.

"No thanks," Ami said, tucking her hair behind her ears. It was getting longer. "I think I need to walk around to clear my head for a bit. I don't think being in the car with you and Rei will be conducive to that."

Luna watched Mamoru's face fall a bit. She couldn't help but chuckle at his dislike for being alone with the priestess, but there was nothing to be done about it now. In the end he sighed and said, "Just us two against the spitfire, Luna."

"Watch where you're going! I'm injured, you know!"

Recognizing Rei's voice, both Ami and Mamoru hung their heads. Luna was the only one who bothered to look at who she'd bumped into. It was a blonde girl with a rather obnoxious looking red bow holding up half of her hair, whose bright blue eyes widened in surprise. She stared after Rei in disbelief, but didn't pursue the matter, quickly disappearing into the growing crowd to have a look at what was going on.

After that, they parted ways. They all had their jobs to do.

-----

Hours later, Sailor Mercury returned to the scene of the crime.

It had taken much longer than she had expected for all of the crowds to clear. The rubberneckers had to get their fill of sensationalism before they returned to their lives, and police and government officials stayed behind for hours attempting to appraise the situation. The media was not far behind everyone else, and soon the airwaves were filled with live feed, all of them saying the same thing: the soldiers had once again racked up a great deal of collateral damage; the great debate over the city's saviors waged continued with Senator Hino lounging uselessly in the hospital, and everyone wanted to know who the Sailor Senshi were and who was the man behind the mask.

Mercury wanted nothing more than to stay hidden, and that was why it was necessary for her to stick to the shadows.

In the dark of night, Mercury scoured the area as thoroughly as she knew how. She collected a sample of the blood Rikokayder had spilt, not doubting for a second that the city of Tokyo had done much the same. She located a strand of the lion's hair and tucked that away although he was not her primary target in this search. Every bit of evidence, no matter how miniscule, was gathered and collected, hidden away in a pouch she had brought along with her.

Still, even after an hour of looking, the pouch was depressingly empty. Perhaps she had been naïve to hope for some large, momentous discovery at this point. If those were to be made, surely the police or someone more qualified than her would have found them. She hadn't relished the idea of allowing others to have a look at the scene before her, but she hardly had the authority to take first dibs on a crime scene she had been a part of.

Mercury considered for a moment that it would be nice to one day have that authority. She wondered if someday, the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen would be respected enough to be allowed such things, minor concessions in the chain of command for the greater good.

"That will take years," Mercury concluded glumly. "I hope we're not still fighting when that time comes."

Mercury took another sweeping look over the landscape. The street was badly torn up. It would cost thousands of dollars to repair. There was also damage to several buildings, and Nephrite had blown away a parking meter along with that second demon. She had been everywhere, collected everything she could. There was nothing more for her to do here.

"Good night," Mercury whispered to no one.

She was about to turn to go, planning on taking the rooftops so that she could beat her mother home. However, before she completed her revolution, a glint of blue caught her eye.

She paused and turned in the direction of the blue light. It vanished of course, but she shifted her position once again to be certain that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. They weren't.

Mercury walked forward, her boots clacking loudly against the street. She was quite surprised to find, hidden underneath the car Reika had been standing beside, a blue crystal concealed behind a tire. At first, Mercury had no idea what significance this particular object could have.

Then she remembered the bright cerulean flash just before Rikokayder had emerged.

"Was that what Nephrite cursed?" Mercury mused aloud. "But why on Earth would Reika be carrying something like this around?"

She shook her head after another moment's consideration. It didn't make sense for Nephrite to have used that against her, even in the unlikely event that Reika always had the thing in her pocket. Haruna's car and Senator Hino's glasses had become the youma that attacked. Rikokayder didn't resemble a blue gemstone based on any stretch of the imagination. The crystal simply didn't fit into the pattern.

But then again, almost nothing about this incident did.

Regardless of what this could mean, one thing was for certain. The crystal had played an integral part in the situation that had taken place just hours before. In fact, it could be the very root of the anomalous circumstances. Supposing that, it really only left Mercury with one option.

Her hand darted out and snatched up the stone, placing it into the pouch along with everything else. She had no idea how trained professionals had missed this, but she was grateful that they had. The last thing she needed was a crucial piece of evidence falling into the hands of those who had no idea what they were dealing with. It was extremely good luck that this had come into her possession.

Without taking another moment's pause, Mercury ran forward and then leapt up. She landed on a nearby roof and didn't slow down for a second. Her mother was going to be home late that night, but at this rate, she only had about fifteen minutes to arrive there before she did.

-----

Once Mercury was out of sight, another girl in a very short skirt emerged from the very spot Nephrite had chosen to hide during the fight, a white cat slung over her shoulder.

"Good thing she found that thing, huh?" he deadpanned, giving his blonde companion a look.

Sailor V waved at him dismissively. "So I tampered with evidence. Would you rather I have let it get taken and then broken into government facilities to get it back?"

"It would have amused me."

She flicked his ear gently.

"Ouch!"

"Baby," she said, watching Mercury's retreating silhouette. She folded her arms akimbo and leaned against the bricks. "So, you really have no idea what the heck that crystal was?"

"Not a clue," Artemis confessed. "I'd be half-tempted to claim it was this fabled Ginzuishou except for the fact that it's not actually silver."

"Could be a clever ruse to disguise what it really is," Sailor V suggested.

"Doubtful," Artemis concluded.

She nodded. "I know. Just saying." She sighed loudly and tossed her hair over her other shoulder. "Whatever it is, I'm glad she has it. She's the only one of us who might be able to make heads or tails of that thing."

Artemis sighed. "I sort of hope they can use it as a weapon after what Nephrite said."

Sailor V frowned, remembering the report Artemis had given her. She'd missed the fight after being locked in her room until she actually cleaned it, further proof that her mother was a sadist. "About fighting them himself?"

"That would be it."

"I'm not so thrilled with that myself," she murmured, her forehead creased. She clenched her fists against her chest and quietly said, "If it gets bad, don't expect me to sit on the sidelines. They're not ready to take him head-on. They barely survived Jadeite, and even if he was higher-ranked than Nephrite…" she trailed off, unwilling to finish.

"What is it?" Artemis pressed.

"During the last battle, Jadeite didn't have the stomach to kill anyone," Sailor V said darkly. "Today, you told me Nephrite watched one of his own get eaten alive without even blinking."

Artemis understood, shuddering a little at the memory. "Good point."

"You won't be able to stop me from helping them," Sailor V continued, determined. "I'm bigger than you."

He hung his head a bit. "I know, I just… Just don't jump in too quickly."

"I won't," she assured him, her body relaxing with the permission given, necessary or not. "If it's all the same to you, I'd much rather have a little chat with one of them rather than reveal myself to the whole lot."

"Well, hasn't your tune changed over the past few weeks?"

"I'd just as soon not have to deal with Mars," Sailor V confessed. "She's downright unpleasant." Her pink lips curved into a smile, her back straightening as the wind changed direction, blowing her hair away from her body. She turned her face up to the moon as if searching for someone.

"Tuxedo Kamen, on the other hand, seems very pleasant indeed."

Artemis laughed out-loud. "Boy crazy."

She flicked his ear again, feeling no sympathy for his whinging cry of pain.

"Shut up."

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