Soul Mates
by lady

CHAPTER THREE
Far From Home: Usagi’s Tale

 

On the top floor of a skyscraper, somewhere in New York City, a lone man was working in his corner office. Outside, a thunderstorm raged. Sheets of rain poured from the sky slapping against the tall windows which comprised one side of the room. Inside, only the tapping of his fingers on the computer keys broke the blanket of silence. It had been many hours ago when the last of his companions departed, leaving him all alone. Looking up at the clock, which hung on the wall opposite his desk, he grimaced. It was close to midnight.

Sitting up, he rolled his shoulders to ease the tension in them before getting up. He was a tall man with a build that showed leanness but didn’t want for muscles. Power emanated from him with every stride he took as he walked towards the glass windows. He looked out at the falling rain with eyes the color of gray bordering on silver. A high forehead, straight nose and a firm mouth completed a face unique in its lack of emotions. Hair the color of fresh snow fell straight to a few inches below his shoulders and made him look much older than his twenty-seven years.

Suddenly, he closed his eyes and put up a hand to rub his neck muscles. He was tired, he thought. Not just because of the full day he'd just put in but tired of the whole situation. It was time for a change. In his line of work, one couldn’t afford to be less than fully alert. Lives were at stake and everything depended on a keen, clear mind. Again he thought, it was time for a change.

He’d been talking about getting out of the system with his superior. He had been hard to convince but, in the end, it was the agent’s decision to make. He’d been delegating his work little by little over the past few months and tying up the remaining loose ends. Today he’d finally completed his last project and all that was standing between him and the change he needed was a debriefing required of all agents leaving the system. One more week and he could walk away from this life forever. Somehow it felt like being freed from a cage. Free to live his life the way he wanted. Free to seek out the knowledge that had been beckoning to him for so many years now. He didn’t know he only had to walk out of the building to find it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thunder crackled and lightning struck near the car parked in the alley beside a tall building. Usagi almost jumped out of her skin when the booming noise penetrated the interior of the vehicle.

"I hate storms!" she exclaimed, hugging her arms around her body.

"I know," Galen said, sitting at the driver’s seat across from her, "but we can’t leave until we talk to Kenjo. He should be coming out in a few more minutes. He always leaves around midnight."

"Here he comes." Ashe pointed to the door in the alley which opened from the building. "Are you ready, Usagi?"

"Ready as I’ll ever be. Wish me luck."

She huddled her trench coat closer to her body and pulled down the hat covering her head. The rain quickly drenched her when she left the car and walked hurriedly towards the departing figure.

"Excuse me!" She had to raise her voice to be heard over the noise.

Kenjo turned and automatically reached for the gun, which usually rested on his side. It wasn’t there. He remembered surrendering it to his superior along with the other items connected to his job. He didn’t really need it, he thought. He had other things he could count on.

"Get out of the shadows so I can see you." The person wasn’t that tall from what he could see. He wasn’t big nor was he carrying any kind of weapon. He didn’t look like any kind of threat.

Usagi slowly moved out of the darkened part of the alley as he commanded. She looked calmly back at him while he surveyed her. Inside, she felt like a quaking mass of Jell-O. She wasn’t usually afraid to confront any ordinary man. After all, she could defend herself easily with her karate skills. And, if that didn’t work, she always had her powers as Sailor Moon to fall back on. But Kenjo was far from ordinary and the added distraction of thunder and lightning didn’t help her nervous system any. Besides, she still half expected him to blast her away.

He was surprised to see that it was just a slip of a girl who confronted him. Correction, he thought. She wasn’t really a girl but more like a young lady. She was looking at him determinedly and he can’t help feeling that he’d met her somewhere before.

"What do you want with me?" he asked.

"To talk."

"If you haven’t noticed, it’s midnight. I’m dead tired and I want to go home. Why don’t you give me a call in the office tomorrow, hmm?" With this said he started to turn away from her.

"You won’t be in your office tomorrow, or any other day. I need to talk to you now."

His steps halted at these words and his irritation was evident on his face. "Give me one good reason why I should do what you want."

The next few minutes passed in silence and he had started to walk away again when.

"Kunzite."

She said it softly but, to him, it seemed like she screamed it. He’d never heard that title outside of his dreams and he thought never to come across it in his waking hours. No matter that he had planned to pursue a search for the other people in them, he held no hope of ever encountering one. And yet there she stood, looking fragile and strong at the same time, uttering the one word that could change his life forever.

He slowly turned to face her once more. She was lifting her arm to remove the hat that covered her hair. He watched as two long streams fell all the way to her calves and traced them up to the buns sitting on both sides of her head. There was no mistaking her identity. She was Endymion’s princess.

"Princess Serenity," he uttered softly, almost reverently.

"I’m afraid so," Usagi said. "Now will you come with me?"

"Of course."

He walked towards her and, together, they started for the car where Galen and Ashe waited. Introductions were made before they all headed towards Usagi’s apartment. The rest of the night was spent making explanations and discussing new plans. Their next target: Nathan Sanada a.k.a. Nephrite.

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Usagi was tired. She'd been looking forward to spring break two weeks ago and, here, it was almost over, she felt like it never even started. For the past week she had been hopping from one place to another, acting out scenes like a movie star and, at least, getting great results. For one, she got to dine at a world famous restaurant in Hollywood with Galen. She could still imagine all the classy people, dining in their gowns and tuxedos, and taste the tempura dipped in delicious sauce if she closed her eyes...

______________________________________________________________________________________________

The walls were made of marble, the curtains of velvet, and the carpet felt thick beneath her shoes, Usagi noted as they were ushered in. The chandelier lights were dimmed and the patrons were all talking in low tones. Galen asked to be seated near the tall glass windows overlooking the city lights in the distance. It had one of the best views from the restaurant. It also had the advantage of being located near the table where the owner usually dined. One Nathan Sanada had been seated there, talking and dining with a few other people.

"Good evening," the waiter who was suddenly standing beside their table said. "Would you like something to drink before ordering your meal?"

"No, thank you." Galen didn't drink, Usagi learned from all the time she'd spent with him the past few days.

"You have a nice place here, though," he continued. "Only the best from what I can see." Galen raised his wine glass and pretended to examine it.

"Of course, sir," the waiter agreed, looking proud. "We have the best crystal stemware imported all the way from England. Nothing else will suffice."

"One of the best, I'll give you that," He raised his voice enough to be overheard by the next table. "But, surely, nothing can top the Imperium Silver Crystal."

Usagi saw Nathan, who was seated at Galen's back, pause momentarily at this statement. She nodded her head at her companion to show that their target had taken the bait. He quickly gave their orders, much to the poor waiter's confusion, who walked away looking dazed.

It was much later in the evening before the next step to their plan took place. Galen was having a cup of coffee while Usagi was slowly finishing her dessert. The people at the next table were busy saying their good-byes to their host and leaving. When all was quiet, Usagi looked up to see if Nathan was still there. All she saw was an empty table, and she was about to panic, when a deep voice from behind her said.

"Would you mind if I join you?"

Nathan had been standing behind Usagi, studying the couple that was responsible for his being distracted for half the evening. He didn't feel any irritation towards them at all; only elation one feels when finding long lost friends. For that's what they were, long lost friends from his very distant past, from the Silver Millennium. Moving forward to embrace all the new changes they represented in his life, he asked to join them.

"Be our guest," Galen offered, seeing the light of recognition in Nathan's eyes. He knew then that the second part of their plan was about to be accomplished.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

In the end, no more introductions were really necessary, Usagi remembered. Nephrite had known who they were right away and was more than willing to join them in their search for the rest of the team.

She leaned on the wall beside her to take off some of the weight from her aching feet. This bookstore had better open soon or my legs won't be able to move for being numb, she thought. It was much easier waiting in the plush offices of the Gin Construction and Design Company, Houston division. At least she got to sit on a soft sofa while the minutes ticked by...

______________________________________________________________________________________________

She had made an appointment to see the head of the company at two o'clock in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the meeting he was attending had been extended for at least an hour and she had no other choice but to wait for him.

She opened the portfolio on her lap once more and looked over the drawings she would be submitting for his perusal. She smiled. They weren't exactly what he asked for when he advertised for an interior designer to decorate his newly constructed hotel. Not that they were ugly, she judged. They were very well drawn. Quite professional looking, actually. She had, after all, gone through three years of university, majoring in Interior Design, and was well into her last year of school. If she hadn't learned to draw by now, she never would. It was quite an accomplishment for someone who couldn't even make stick figures when she was in junior high. Again she smiled and closed the portfolio.

The clock was showing a quarter past four, and Usagi was slowly starting to doze, before the secretary called her attention.

"Excuse me, Miss Tsukino," she said. "Mr. Tanaka is ready to see you now." She walked to the doors behind her desk and opened them. Usagi heard her say, "Miss Tsukino, the interior designer, to see you, sir," and she motioned for her to go in.

The office she entered was spacious and tastefully decorated, she noticed. The man standing behind the huge desk was busily straightening papers and keying numbers on the computer in front of him.

"Please have a seat, Miss Tsukino." He motioned with his hand to the chair on the other side of the desk without once looking up from his work. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude but, as you can see, this meeting has put me way behind schedule."

"That's all right," Usagi replied. "I'm not in any hurry."

After clearing some space on his desk, he asked, "So, did you bring a sample of your work?"

"Of course." She placed her portfolio on the desktop and pushed it towards him.

"Just a moment," he said, sitting down and typing some more numbers on the keyboard, before, "There, that should do it. Now, let's see what you've got here."

He opened the portfolio quickly, expecting to see some designs for his new hotel. Instead of sketches of the lobby and rooms though, he saw a very well drawn picture of some kind of building. It was long, longer than it was tall. It had several towers; all topped by roofs shaped like that of the Taj Mahal, and was supported by columns like those in ancient Greek temples. In front of the building, two rows of fountains marched from the stairway leading to the front doors all the way to the huge gates, shaped liked a pair of harps, which were open as if in welcome. The fountains were flanked on either side by the largest set of gardens he had ever seen depicted.

After pausing for a time on the first sketch, he slowly went through the rest, giving each one an inordinate amount of attention. He couldn't seem to shake the feeling that all the scenes were hauntingly familiar. He had seen that building before, that palace. It was in the moon. Yes--, it was the palace of the Moon Kingdom in the Silver Millennium. It was the palace in his dreams.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, afraid to believe what he saw before him. He had been searching for so long, could it be that his quarry had found him instead? Hoping against hope, he opened his eyes and, for the first time that day, looked at the lady sitting across from him. He wasn't disappointed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Usagi wasn't really surprised when Jadeite recognized her then. After the meetings with Nephrite and Kunzite, she fully expected him to. What surprised her was the look of relief on his face when he saw her. It puzzled her for a moment but she totally forgot about it when she saw him smile afterwards. Looking back, she found she was right the first time she saw Jadeite masquerading as a ship captain. He was a truly gorgeous man.

The opening of the bookstore doors claimed Usagi's attention and she shook her head to clear it of daydreams. It was show time once again. She looked to the shoe store across the mall where the five guys were standing, and motioned that she was going in. They nodded their understanding.

The book signing started right away and was going slower than she thought it would. Usagi was somewhere near the end of the line and most of the people in front of her were pausing to chat with the author, Zachary Kurata, before moving on. She took the time to study him more closely. Of all the generals, he was the one who looked most different from the clone Beryl created. Perhaps it was because his facial expression lacked the sneer that was perpetually a part of the clone's face. She couldn't believe he actually looked friendly and approachable. He was quickly signing all the books while listening to the chatter directed towards him. He, then, replied to all the questions, bestowing each person with a charming smile, before moving to the next one. Soon it was her turn.

"What would you like me to write?" Usagi heard him ask before he opened the book to the inside cover.

"Please address it to Usagi." She paused to see if he recognized her name before finishing with, "and sign it 'Your good friend,--Zoisite'."

She saw him lose his grip on the pen and watched it clutter to the floor. He quickly bent to retrieve it before slowly looking up. He stared at her from a face so stoic, she thought she might have been mistaken, that he didn't recognize the names. But then, his face softened and, little by little, that oh so charming smile was formed and lit his face with welcome. He finished signing the book and, as he was handing it to her, asked in a soft voice, "Will you wait for me?"

Usagi nodded her head and whispered back, "My friends and I will be by the door when you're finished." And, with that, she took the book and walked towards the entrance.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The five men were now standing in front of the bookstore, talking among themselves.

"What could be taking so long?" Justin asked impatiently.

Nathan laughed before saying, "Could it be the long line-up in which Usagi is almost last?"

"Tsk, tsk," Kenjo put in. "We have to find Rei quickly, so you can stand in place for a few minutes without complaining. You didn't seem to mind being idle when she was around."

Blushing a furious red, Justin replied, "I'm never really idle when I'm with Reiko. I'm always looking at her, holding her hand, kis--ahem, never mind," he finished, cheeks turning even rosier than before, if possible.

All the men laughed, patting him on the back, with Ashe adding, "Just like Justin to stop when it was getting interesting."

"Hey, guys, let me in on the joke," Usagi called, walking out of the bookstore with the book in one hand.

Galen smiled at her and said, "We were just teasing Justin, here, about Rei. You should have seen him blush." And, as if on cue, his face turned red once more.

Usagi smiled as well before saying, "I could just imagine her face when she sees you again." Her smile quickly vanished at that statement. "I don't think I want to be there."

"But why?" Justin asked.

She looked at Galen and Ashe. "You know why."

"But we don't," Nathan said, watching the three of them. "Is there something you haven't told us?"

"We never told you why Usagi is living here instead of in Japan." Galen put a protective arm around Usagi, even though he knew none of the men would hurt her.

Kenjo was surprised. "But I thought she grew up in Canada. Are you saying she didn't?"

Ashe was the one who answered this time. "She's only been in Canada for over three years. Before that, she lived with her parents in Japan."

"And Reiko? Have you met her, Usagi?"

"Yes. She was my friend and we fought the Dark Kingdom together a few years ago."

"What about Makoto?" This was from Nathan.

"And Minako?" This from Kenjo.

"And Ami?" And this last query was from Zachary, who was just coming out from the bookstore.

"They were all my friends, Haruka and Michiru, too. We all fought together until..." She stopped talking because the tears filling her eyes were in danger of falling if she said anymore.

"I think we'd better finish this at home," Galen suggested. He looked at the newcomer. "I assume you know everybody," he said, giving a quick glance at the men around him.

Zachary nodded and Nathan put a hand on his shoulder saying, "Welcome to the team, Zach. We'll catch up on old times later."

With that said, they all started towards the mall exit, Galen leading Usagi with the rest of the guys following.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The sun was setting in the western sky, painting the white sprawling bungalow in shades of yellow and orange. Inside, the seven people gathered around the living room were taking a break from the long afternoon of talking. The generals of the Royal Guard were quietly discussing the things they had just learned, while Galen and Ashe decided to stretch their legs and were, even now, standing by the window. Usagi was slowly sipping her coffee, thinking about the past afternoon.

She was tired, she thought for the second time that day. Her head was throbbing from trying to remember all the details of her life as Sailor Moon, and her throat was sore from all the storytelling she had done. It wasn't over yet. She groaned when she thought of the part that was to come. It was the most difficult part to tell. The part where she cuts her ties with all the Sailor Senshi and...Tuxedo Kamen.

"Usagi, are you ready to continue?" Kenjo asked.

She looked up to see the men seated around the center table once more. They were all waiting for her to start the rest of the tale. Putting her coffee cup down, she took a deep breath and focused on the centerpiece while her mind delved into the past.

"We all thought we were finally at peace. It had been a long time since the last battle and there were no signs of youma activity anywhere. Then, Morgon appeared..."

______________________________________________________________________________________________

It was a beautiful day in September. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky, and Usagi was just coming out of detention.

"How can she put me on detention on a gorgeous day like this?" she asked herself. "After all, this is the only time I missed my homework so far this year."

Usagi had been doing better in school with a lot of help from Ami. She figured that, since she was already in high school, she had to be more responsible. But that still didn't stop her from pigging out on food and spending too much time in the arcade. That was where she was headed right now.

She was about to open the door when her communicator beeped. It was Rei.

"What's up Rei? I'm about to try that new Sailor V game, so this had better be important."

"Forget about your stupid game and listen. I feel an evil presence nearby and it's coming from the park near Mamoru's place."

"What?!"

"Ami, Minako and Makoto are heading there right now, and I'm on my way." "

I'm on it, Rei." She went to an alley nearby, took out her heart shaped locket and screamed, "Moon Cosmic Power!"

She quickly transformed and was off and running without a moment lost. She had to be there if Mamo-chan was in danger. She was hurrying so much, she didn't notice the man before she hit him and went sprawling on the ground.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," she apologized. She was up and starting off again before she noticed that the man was not standing on the ground. He was floating three feet in the air. She hadn't really hit his body but the force field surrounding it.

"Who are you? And what do you want here?"

"Well, nice to meet you, too, Sailor Moon." He gave her an evil smile and it sent chills down her spine.

Why did he look so familiar? Did he look like Rubeus? No. He had short dark hair while this guy has long red locks. Ail maybe? No, again. Ail had long hair but exotic looking eyes. This man's eyes were elongated, and sharp towards the end, like a snake's. Wait a minute, she thought. Long red locks and eyes like a snake's. She only knew one other person who had those features.

"Queen Beryl!" she said aloud.

"Got it right the first time, Sailor Girl. I am Morgon, Queen Beryl's son. When you defeated my mother and blasted her back to the Dark Kingdom, she was humiliated. I swore I'd avenge her and, now, it's payback time." He pointed to a tree nearby and it quickly changed into a youma. "Let's see how well you deal with this creature." And then, he disappeared.

Sailor Moon didn't have time to think about where he went. The youma was starting towards her and she quickly used her wand to attack it.

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" The youma easily disintegrated into a million pieces.

Well, she thought, I must be getting better at this. The beeping of her communicator reminded her of what she was supposed to be doing.

"Sailor Moon, where are you?" It was Jupiter. "We need you in the park, pronto."

"I'm coming," she replied, running while she was talking.

She arrived at the park within ten minutes and found the senshi fighting a huge youma with sharp claws and a catlike body. When it moved a little, she saw Mamo-chan lying on the ground behind it, unconscious. She wanted to see if he was alright, so she quickly jumped into the fray.

Clapping her hands to get the youma's attention, she said, "Hey you! You big, sorry specimen of the cat family. Why don't you try fighting me instead? I'm Sailor Moon and, on behalf of the Moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil. And that means you!"

Before she was even finished her speech, the youma leaped towards her, sharp claws striking, making her jump with a screech.

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!" Minako immediately attacked the creature, stunning it for a moment. "Now, Sailor Moon!"

"Right." She, once again, put up her wand and yelled, "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" Just like the first one, this creature also disintegrated into a million pieces.

Sailor Moon didn't wait to see if she finished the monster off. She quickly ran to Mamoru's unmoving body to cradle his head in her lap.

"Mamo-chan, are you alright?" She pushed the hair away from his face to see him better. He groaned and opened his eyes to see Sailor Moon leaning over him.

"Usako, what happened?" he asked, sitting up groggily.

"You were attacked by a youma. Didn't you see it coming?"

"No. I was just walking home when I felt something hit me on the head from behind, and, then, I blacked out."

"Well, I felt an evil presence somewhere near here and I asked the others to come quickly. Of course, if somebody wasn't late coming, we could have finished the youma much faster." Mars was positively sneering at Sailor Moon.

"Stuff it, Rei. If you must know, I met Beryl's son on the way here. He's the reason I'm late."

Mercury looked as surprised as the rest. "Did I hear you right, Sailor Moon. You said you met Queen Beryl's son. I didn't even know she had children."

"I didn't know it either until I met Morgon. That's the name he gave me when I literally bumped into him. He said he was here to avenge his mother's humiliation at our hands."

"We had better discuss this back at the temple, don't you think?" Luna, who had joined the senshi after the battle was over, suggested. Artemis, beside her, nodded his agreement.

The five senshi quickly changed back to their normal appearances. Usagi and Makoto assisted a still groggy Mamoru up before they all proceeded to the temple.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

They all gathered at Rei's room to listen to Usagi's story. Afterwards, everyone had at least one question to ask.

"But why would Beryl's son suddenly appear after all this time. It's been years since we defeated her," Makoto wanted to know.

"You'd think he'd come right away after he found out," Rei added.

Ami gave it more thought. "Maybe he had to gather his forces before he could attack."

"I agree," Minako put in. "But why would he attack Mamoru? We were the ones who put away his mother."

"That's true, Minako," Luna replied, "but you have to remember that Queen Beryl was obsessed with having Endymion rule by her side. Perhaps Morgon blames him for everything that happened to her."

"Then we had better look out for Mamoru until we know what he intends to do," Ami suggested.

"Wait a minute!" Mamoru, who had been quite 'til now, suddenly exploded. "Don't I have a say in this? I can take care of myself very well, thank you. I don't need any watchdogs."

"Mamo-chan, we know you can look after yourself. But this is the Dark Kingdom we're talking about, and they've managed to take you from us more than once before." Usagi held his hand while she tried to calm him down.

"Alright, Usako. But you don't have to follow me all the time. Rei could sense whenever there is evil around, can't she. Maybe she can just tell everyone where it's coming from and, then, you can come to the rescue, like today."

"What do you think, girls?"

"It will probably work, but only if we're all there on time!" Rei told Usagi.

"I'll be there already! Satisfied?!"

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

But Usagi wasn't there. It seems that every time she was on her way to join the senshi as Sailor Moon, she was confronted by another youma. All of them were easily defeated with one attack, but they managed to delay her from the main fight for a few minutes. Her tardiness was being noticed by all the senshi now, not just Rei. Even Luna and Artemis had commented upon it. Only Mamoru hadn't said anything but he must be on his mind as well.

She never remembered to mention the youma she encountered alone because, by the time the real fight was finished, she got so preoccupied with Mamo-chan's welfare that she totally forgets about them. Besides, she thought, they were not worth mentioning anyway. It's not as if she had a hard time fighting them.

On this day however, eight months after the first attack, she was determined to tell the others the reason for her being late all the time. She didn't want them thinking that she didn't care about Mamoru's well being, or that she was being irresponsible. She kept reminding herself to mention it at the meeting later at the temple. She wasn't going to forget this time.

She had just finished helping her mother with some chores, and was heading with Luna for the ice cream shop for a sundae, when her communicator sounded. It was Ami.

"Rei said that we are needed at the old church near Mamoru's school. We couldn't get in touch with him. Hurry up, Usagi!"

"I'll try not to be late this time, Ami. I promise." Putting away her communicator, she opened her locket and screamed, "Moon Cosmic Power!"

Soon Sailor Moon and Luna were running towards the location Ami mentioned. She had her wand ready just in case a youma appeared to delay her. She was planning on blasting it without even stopping. The youma, however, didn't appear in front of her but behind her.

"Hold it right there, Sailor Moon." It was standing about ten feet away from her. It reminded her of the devil, with it's sharp horns, long tail, lethal looking claws and human like body, all covered in slimy, red scales. "You have to deal with me first!"

"Alright," Sailor Moon said confidently. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

Before the blast could hit the youma, it was airborne and was heading for Sailor Moon, claws bared.

"Watch out, Sailor Moon!" Luna screamed the warning.

She managed to evade it by only a narrow gap. She tried to blast it again. This time it got hit but was only stunned by the attack. Sailor Moon didn't know what to do. Apparently, this youma was stronger than the others before it. She couldn't call the others for help since they were probably in another fight. She had no choice but to face this monster alone.

She tried to use her hands and feet to do some damage and she succeeded in stunning it a few times. For the next few minutes, they exchanged blows and managed to give each other some bruises. Sailor Moon was out of breath when they paused momentarily, and it seemed her whole body hurt. Enough is enough, she thought. It was time to power up. She raised the chalice that suddenly appeared in her hand and screamed, "Crisis, Make Up!"

She transformed to Super Sailor Moon and got ready to blast the youma to smithereens. Only, he was nowhere to be seen. She quickly looked to both sides of her and, even as she turned her head to look behind, she felt several sharp claws digging into her and pushing her forward to land on the cold cement. Her whole back felt like it had been skinned and blood was turning her white top to red. She raised her head to see what the youma was doing.

It was preparing to go at her again when a small furry object hurled itself at the creature and tried to wound it. Luna, who had been watching the battle, knew Sailor Moon needed time to prepare herself to retaliate. She was going to give her that time if it killed her.

As fast as she could, Sailor Moon painfully lifted her body and positioned it to do her attack. When she was ready, she shouted, "Rainbow Moon Heart Ache!"

The youma had managed to dislodge Luna's hold and threw her against a tree. The blast caught the creature as it was moving forward to hit Sailor Moon once more. It didn't have time to change it's course and was immediately turned to dust.

Sailor Moon watched as it disintegrated and walked to where Luna was. She found her unconscious and, once she determined that the cat would be alright, decided to leave her where she was. She had to hurry to make it to the other senshi. She felt like this fight was going to be important.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Venus was holding an unconscious Mercury while Jupiter was on her knees, holding her bruised arm, a few feet away. A badly wounded Tuxedo Kamen was trying to help a battered Mars to her feet. Artemis didn't seem to be breathing at their feet.

Sailor Moon looked over the scene of the fight as she approached, silently, from behind. She couldn't believe her eyes. What happened that all the senshi were either badly hurt or unconscious? She looked at the back of the creature that caused all this destruction. It wasn't a youma at all who did it. It was Morgon himself.

His head was thrown back, evil laughter, reminiscent of Beryl, pouring from his mouth. He stopped to survey the damage he had done.

"Now you're all going to suffer for what you did to my mother. When Sailor Moon finds out you're all dead, she will know how I felt when Queen Beryl was destroyed, and then I will kill her too."

"You're mother was the most evil, pernicious creature who ever lived. She deserved everything that happened to her," Mars said with all the bravado she could master.

"You're going to pay for those words!" He raised his hand, getting ready to blast Mars, when, somewhere from behind him, he heard.

"Rainbow Moon Heart Ache!"

He looked behind him and saw it coming. He tried to evade it but was only partially successful. It caught him on the side and left the whole right part of his body burned and bleeding. He fell to his knees and looked at his attacker.

"You got me this time, Sailor Moon, but this is far from over. I'll be back and, when I do, you'll have to face me. We'll see whose going to survive!" He closed his eyes then, obviously in extreme pain, and faded from sight.

Sailor Moon was ready to collapse but she needed to know if her friends were alright. She saw that Ami had regained consciousness and was trying to gain her feet.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked the group in general.

"No thanks to you, Sailor Moon," Mars said accusingly. "As late as you were, you might as well not have shown up."

Sailor Moon looked devastated. "Is that how you all feel? Mercury? Venus? Jupiter?"

"You promised, Sailor Moon. You promised you wouldn't be late," Mercury reminded her.

"What was so important that you were willing to sacrifice our lives?" Venus wanted to know.

"Yeah, Sailor Moon. Every time we fight lately, you're never around 'til it's almost over," Jupiter put in. "Don't you care about Tuxedo Kamen anymore? I thought you loved him."

Sailor Moon couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were supposed to be her friends. They were supposed to trust her. She turned to Tuxedo Kamen.

"Is that what you believe, Tuxedo Kamen? Mamo-chan?" she asked of him. "That I don't care about you anymore?"

He was quiet for the longest time before, "I don't know what to believe, Sailor Moon. All I know is that you weren't here when we needed you."

Oh God, this was a nightmare, she thought. Any minute now she was going to wake up and find that the last eight months never happened. How can he say that to her? Why didn't he trust her? After everything they've gone through together, he still didn't believe in her.

She recalled all the times when she had believed in him, and trusted him, no matter what. When the Dark Kingdom turned him against the senshi, she knew that, somewhere inside, the man she loved still lived and she did everything in her power to bring him back. When he lost his memory after the battle with Beryl, she couldn't believe that he could forget the love they shared, and she tried her best to make him remember. When he had those horrible dreams about their future, when he pushed her away and treated her like she didn't matter, she was the one who persisted in loving him. And, when she found out the reason for his actions, she was the one went to him, and told him she understood, and never berated him no matter how many times he had made her cry.

And now, when she needed his support, he stood there saying he didn't believe in her!

"You know I would have been here if I could. There's a reason why I am late," she tried to explain one more time.

"What?" Rei asked skeptically. "That you couldn't leave without finishing the new Sailor V game, or that you had to have one more ice cream cone, or that you fell asleep! Save it, Usagi. Your reasons could have gotten us all killed!"

"Rei!"

"Well it's true, Ami. While she was doing whatever she thought was important, we were fighting for our lives. Some friend she is. Some leader."

That was it, Usagi thought. She'd had enough. She had always been a good friend to each of them and had tried her best to be a good leader. It seems her best just wasn't good enough. She couldn't believe that all the things she'd done for them, all the times she had come through for them, was erased because of one incident. And it wasn't even her fault. But they weren't ready to listen to her. They had put her on trial and found her wanting. It was over.

She closed her eyes and accepted what had happened. Maybe it's better this way, she told herself. She never wanted to be a fighter, anyway. Now Rei could be the leader like she always wanted. As for Mamo-chan, if he didn't love her enough to trust her now, he never will. Perhaps he had never loved her at all, just went along with what they believed was their destiny. That was the part that hurt most of all. That she gave her whole heart and soul to him and he didn't want it. He didn't want her.

"Very well, if that's how you all feel, I am stepping down as the leader of this group. Now you can be the leader like you've always wanted, Rei. I hope you'll be happy." She looked at all of them. "I hope you'll all be happy."

With that, she turned around and walked away. She focused on getting to a hospital. She knew she needed medical care and, afterwards, she was going to decide what to do with the rest of her life.

Luna, who had regained consciousness and followed Sailor Moon, met her as she was leaving. Usagi heard her ask, "Sailor Moon, where are you going?” just as a series of gasps came from the assembled group behind her. They must have seen her back, she thought, and wondered what had happened. Well, it was too late. She didn't want to discuss it with any of them now. The last thing she heard was Luna saying, "Would somebody please tell me what is going on here!"

______________________________________________________________________________________________

"I went to a hospital and I told them I fell on a wire fence," Usagi continued, while the six men looked at her sympathetically. "They seemed to believe me and didn't ask any more questions."

"When I got home, my parents were out and Shingo was playing video games in his room. I went straight to my room and started to pack. I had decided, the way I was being treated, to leave for Canada. I wanted to cut all my ties to Japan and forget all that had happened in the past few years. I believed I could do that better in another place."

"My family was planning a trip to Canada in June, which was a couple of weeks away. Our passports were ready and the tickets bought and paid for. I took both items, as well as all the money I had saved, and left the house as soon as everybody was in bed. The airport personnel who served me looked at me strangely when I asked to have my ticket changed to the first available flight to Canada. She didn't say anything, though, so I proceeded to the right gate and boarded the plane."

"I felt both relieved and nervous when I was finally in my seat. Relieved that everything had gone smoothly so far, and nervous because I didn't know what to expect when I arrived at my destination. I was lucky enough to be seated beside a professor. He was middle-aged and had a kind face so I felt comfortable with him. He asked me why I was traveling alone and, maybe because he was a stranger, I told him the truth. Not about being Sailor Moon, but about everything else--having my friends turn on me and wanting to get away to live a new life. He was very nice and he didn't pry any more than I wanted to reveal."

"He told me his name was William Stanton and that his wife, Michelle, was a high school teacher. He offered me a place in his home and all the help I needed to get into the school system. He said he had a son a year older than I was, and that I would make his family complete."

"I cried then. I didn't know there were people like that in the world. I even asked him why he was doing it. He said when he first came to Japan a few years back, the family he stayed with welcomed him like a long, lost relative. He said he was just paying back their hospitality, in a way."

"So, I ended up staying with his family for almost two years. Michelle tutored me for the first six months in all the subjects she thought I needed to learn, especially English. Their son Kyle, who graduated from high school that year, helped me as well. He waited to enter university until I could join him. He thought I would feel more comfortable having someone familiar around. He was right."

"After a few months, I finally got my Grade Equivalency Diploma and, because I had good marks, I managed to enroll into the university. Kyle was going into Architecture and I thought I'd stay close to him. So, I went into Interior Design, which was in the same faculty. We had mostly the same subjects and got to spend a lot of time together. He became my best friend."

"He's the guy who was with you the day we met, right?" Ashe interrupted. "The one who got beaten up?"

Usagi smiled in remembrance. "That's right. Poor Kyle, he seemed to have appointed himself as my protector. He's probably wondering where I disappeared to the past week."

"You must be pretty close," Nathan observed, "if he's willing to get beaten up for you."

"He's like the older brother I never had," she affirmed. "He's the one who protested the most when I decided to live on my own. His parents agreed, though, so, within a month, I had rented an apartment near the campus. Of course Kyle walked me to and from school for the first month or so. He even brought me to work and picked me up."

"Work?" Kenjo wanted to know.

"I held a job as a receptionist/switchboard operator at a local car dealership. It paid well enough to cover my rent and a few necessities. My tuition was paid by a student loan so I didn't have to worry about it."

"Anyway, I was determined to finish school as soon as possible, so I took classes even during the summer. I will finally be graduating after this semester is finished."

"What are you planning to do after you graduate?" Galen asked.

Kyle would be the one asking that question if he was here, Usagi thought. There was something similar about the two of them even if they didn't look anything alike.

"Nothing much. I was thinking of joining a firm as an interior designer and maybe moving to a better apartment. I didn't plan any further than that and it's a good thing too. Everything's going to change now that I've met all of you."

"Are you sorry you met us?"

"No," she said without any hesitation. "You're all like part of my family, like the friends I left back in Japan. You've made me realize I can't run away from my destiny and all the responsibility it entails. But, also, that it's okay because I have all of you to support me."

"Does this mean we can push through the plan to go to Japan?" Justin inquired hopefully, crossing his fingers on both hands.

"Yes."

"Alright! I thought you were going to back up at the last minute, and I was so looking forward to seeing Reiko again."

"I hate to burst you bubble, Justin, but, like I said, her reaction might not be very welcome. I'm not even sure I would get a good reception."

Everybody looked towards Ashe and Galen. They both sighed heavily.

"Looks like you and me again, Ashe."

"And here we thought it would be easier if we found everybody before going. Oh well."

"So what's the plan?"

Justin immediately took a folded paper from the back pocket of his jeans and laid it on the table.

"Looks like somebody's ready," Nathan commented, sounding amused.

"Hey! I've been planning this for as long as I can remember. If I only knew where she was, I would have been there long ago."

"And she'd probably have blasted your butt to kingdom come. She'd have thought you were that Dark Kingdom general."

"Probably, but I'd have tried, nevertheless. Anyway, it's over and done with, so do you want to hear my plan for our next move."

"Go ahead."

"What if I have a building constructed in an area close to where the senshi live? It will be a branch of my company but will also house many other businesses. It can have a branch of Galen and Ashe's security firm, with a resident expert on covert operations," he stated, looking at Kenjo. "It can have a world famous restaurant on the top floor," to Nathan, "and it can even have a world famous author as a resident!" and lastly, to Zachary.

"What if we send Galen and Ashe to promote the building and to invite other businesses to fill up the rest of the floors. We could have tours of the site so anybody interested could see what we have to offer. If we advertise it enough, somewhere, sometime, the senshi will hear of it and come to have a look. That's how we'll meet them."

Kenjo wasn't so sure of that. "What if they don't come around? What then?"

"Then these two will just have to look for them and contrive to meet them accidentally. At least they'll have a legitimate reason for being in Japan."

"What do you think?" Galen asked Kenjo.

After a short pause, he replied, "It just might work."

"Well, guys?"

"Count me in," Nathan volunteered.

"Me, too," Usagi added while everybody else nodded their agreement.

"I guess we're off to Japan, Ashe."

"I guess we are!"

And so the second, and last, phase of their mission was about to begin.

 

to be continued...