Earth
Guardian Prince Endymion:
By Senshi
of Ruin and Mizu no Senshi
Part Seven:
Kisho nodded, “And the best way to do that is to beat them
at their own game.”
Kisho would be lying to himself
if he said that he did not feel any apprehension as he unlocked the door to his
apartment and stepped rather hesitantly inside. After pausing to take off his
shoes, made his way to the front room. He sat down on the sofa, thinking back
over the curious events of the day.
Usually he would have known
better that to believe it, but with his own conflicting memories and Mamoru’s
determined stubbornness, Kisho was confident that something/someone was handing
them over to the Dark Kingdom and changing the remaining ones’ memories, but
for what purpose Kisho did not know.
The logical assumption would be
that it was Queen Beryl who was behind this, but Kisho felt that such an
accusation was not ‘safe’ and they had no evidence of this as such. It also
didn’t explain the reappearance of the Senshi. Surely Beryl would want to capture
them all rather than hand the Princess’s guardians over to their heiress once
more? Another possibility was that it was the Senshi themselves who were behind
this, but again Kisho was not happy with this idea and thus he was inclined to
believe that the Princess herself was to blame.
In the past life she had lost
them to the Dark Kingdom and Beryl had been targeting the Shitennou. Perhaps
this was a way to make things ‘right’ as she would see them. The only problem
with this theory was that Kisho had not sensed the Princess’s essence and
Tsukino Usagi had yet to use the Ginzuishou again. Mamoru had been adamant that
Usagi was not behind this and Kisho, although he did not wish to admit it,
trusted Mamoru’s judgement enough to leave the matter be.
He glanced again around the
apartment before transforming into his Tennou self. Ayame was staying over
night at a friend’s house and thus Kunzite knew he would not be discovered. He
had no wish to draw Ayame into all of this, especially as he knew that now
Masaki, Taro and Seiichi were gone, there was a very real possibility of him
being targeted next. Realising this, Mamoru had been very reluctant to allow
Kunzite to go back to the apartment alone. Kunzite, however, was quick to point
out that whoever this was, was powerful enough to render Mamoru unconscious and
give over three hundred people in the Kouryo Concert Hall a new set of
memories for the afternoon so it would serve little purpose in putting the
Prince at risk again.
Instead Kunzite had given Mamoru the ‘distraction’ task of
locating Masaki and Seiichi’s families, as he was a little curious to see what
sort of reaction they had if their ‘sons’ were mentioned. Kunzite, thinking
back on Kanaye’s reaction, knew that the chance that they would remember them
was remote, but it would be good to get a feel for just how powerful this
person was. After all, it must have taken a lot of energy to completely rewrite
an entire family’s memories. Also, it kept the Master safe from harm, or so
Kunzite hoped.
Standing up again, Kunzite walked over to the window and
looked out across the city. It was early evening so he could only assume that
Mamoru had gone home. He sighed and pressed his forehead to the glass as he
recalled, with ease, how they had put aside their differences of opinion when
it came to the mission. How working together again had come so naturally. If
only Mamoru could see the Princess’s true face and then, perhaps, Kunzite could
start to forgive him.
The want to protect the Master was still there, and, even
more so in Tennou form, Kunzite knew that it would never go away. In the past
life, from an early age, they had known of their destinies as Endymion’s
Guardians. Kunzite himself had been five when he was told of this and
Jadeite-tachi had been even younger. It had been this way, or so he was told,
to ensure the ultimate loyalty from them.
They had certainly had that, Kunzite thought somewhat
bitterly. Ever since his awakening he had constantly gone over the events
leading up to their deaths, scrutinising his every word, every action for
something that he could have done differently, one thing that could have
changed the way things had turned out.
Laying the blame at himself and the Princess’s doors was the only way
that Kunzite found that he could come to terms with what happened and now… again he had failed them without evening
realising it. It would not happen again, he had resolved. The being behind this
would appear sooner or later and when they did, Kunzite intended on doing
everything in his power to get the Tennou back.
******
When Mamoru had got back to Motoki’s house he found a note
taped to the inside door from his friend explaining that he was going over to
his parents house for the evening. Mamoru couldn’t honestly say that this
disappointed him. After the events of today, he was just glad to have some
peace and quiet.
Sitting down on a chair in the kitchen, Mamoru knew that
he would have to start looking for another place of his own once he had sold
his and Hina’s apartment. He winced at the mental pain that came with thinking
of his dead fiancée. Then, forcing this aside, Mamoru told himself that it just
wasn’t practical for him to stay here for longer than he needed too. He wanted his
own space, too, and whilst he appreciated Motoki’s kindness, his best friend’s
hyper nature did tend to grind his nerves at times.
The events of the later part of the afternoon had been
nothing short of frustrating. Kisho had given him the meagre task of trying to
locate Masaki and Seiichi’s families to ‘test’ how strong the being behind this
power’s were. Of course, Mamoru had no idea if Seiichi had any family or where
to find them as he had never mentioned anyone and, when Mamoru went to where he
remembered Masaki living, he had found that the house had a ‘for sale’ sign
outside no one by the name Ueda had ever lived there according to the
neighbours.
Mamoru was well aware that Kisho wanted him out of harms
way and, as much as he hated to admit it, he was inclined to agree with him.
There had been nothing Mamoru could have done when the being came for Seiichi
so it stood to reason that it would be the same for Kisho. All Mamoru could do
was wait and hope that his friend’s powers were greater. This didn’t stop him
from being concerned though.
Staring once again at the photographs, Mamoru knew that
this person’s power could not be infinite. If it were then there would be
nothing left behind and he would have no hope of remembering them.
His memory was, very slowly, close to being fully
restored. His true recollections of the past year were coming forth and
blocking out the false ones. Whoever
was behind this had tried to keep such memories from him and had failed. His
friendship and loyalty to the others was too great for them erase. This was yet
a small comfort for Mamoru, however, as he did not know who to go about getting
his friends back.
From his true memories, Mamoru knew that the Dark
Kingdom’s hold on the Senshi had been strong. Not even Usagi could break the
hold that Beryl had upon them. Only when healed with the Ginzuishou did Venus’s
loyalty return. Mamoru knew that he could not ask such a thing of Usagi. To
heal one would take all her strength alone. How could he ask that of her?
Mamoru bit his lip as another thought surfaced. If he
managed to free his Tennou, what impact would such a thing have on her Senshi?
Would they remain free or would they be returned to Beryl once more? What was
the price that Usagi would have to pay? She had her Senshi miraculously
returned to her only for them to be torn from her side once more. Could Mamoru
be that cruel?
He would not think of this, not until he was sure that it
would come to that. If at all possible, he would find a way for them to all
have what they wanted but if it came to a choice… Mamoru did not know. He did
not know if it were a choice that he would be willing to make.
Mamoru started slightly when his phone rang. Glad of the
distraction, he hurriedly answered it.
“That was fast” Kisho commented dryly, “Were you worried
about me?
Mamoru laughed a little nervously, “Of course not.” He
could well imagine his friend’s smirk at his almost hostile response and his
sense of sadness deepened. Why couldn’t things be this way all the time? Why
did Kisho feel as though he had to make Mamoru choose between his Tennou and
the Princess?
“How did you get on with the families?” Kisho asked after
a moment’s pause.
Mamoru knew that this was just Kisho’s way of letting him
know that he was still there and hadn’t succumbed to whatever had taken the
others away from them, and answered: “Not great. Masaki’s family don’t live in
Tokyo now.”
“And Seiichi’s?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t ever talk about them.”
“Did you try his manager?”
“No. If family cannot remember them then I doubt that
Tetsuya-san would.”
Kisho was silent for a moment or two and then said,
“You’re right. Best to leave things be for now. We don’t want to go stirring up
anything, especially if there is a chance that things will stay like this.”
Mamoru was secretly horrified at this thought, but refused
to let on to his friend and said: “I know. We should just keep this between
us.”
“Do you mean that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“If this is just between us then you will not mention a
word of this to the Princess?”
“No” Mamoru snapped, a little defensively, “If it is just
between us then I’m not going to tell Usagi, though it could be a good idea if
we were to let her know what is happen” and to soften the blow later on, Mamoru
added to himself.
Kisho paused, definitely on edge now, “You mustn’t breath
a word of this to the Princess” he said seriously.
Mamoru frowned, he could see where this conversation was
heading and he didn’t want to be drawn into a heated discussion concerning
Tsukino Usagi at the moment and was content so agree to Kisho’s terms, even if
just to keep the peace between them.
“I won’t,” he said, putting as much weight as he felt he
could behind his words without sounding angered at his friend.
Kisho seemed satisfied with this; “I’ll meet you at Crown
tomorrow morning” he said next, “By then we should know what we are up against
one way or another.”
Again, Mamoru felt uneasy and almost voiced his concerns,
but bit his tongue just in time. What kind of leader would he be if he were
unable to allow for his Tennou to take such risks?
“Be careful,” he did allow and Kisho chuckled slightly at
his words before, sensing the hidden seriousness behind them, adding that he
would be.
Far from satisfied, Mamoru hung up the phone and took to
pacing up and down the kitchen, then getting himself a glass of water and
staring into it without drinking and finally pouring it down the sink and
moving into the front room.
This sense of unease was different from any he had felt
before and the most frustrating thing was that he couldn’t do anything about
it. All he could do was wait to meet with Kisho tomorrow.
Sitting back down on the sofa, Mamoru picked up the television
remote and started flicking through channels. It was going to be a long night.
******
It had been half an hour since Kunzite had spoken to
Mamoru, but it felt as though it should have been a lot longer. Even for
someone as composed as him, Kunzite was beginning to feel the pressure of this
waiting game and keeping his transformation going for this length of time was
beginning to tell on his energy reserves which were already low as it was owing
to the recent events concerning the Princess and Beryl.
Kunzite had not let on to Mamoru that he was transformed
into his Tennou self. To do so, he decided, would cause unnecessary trepidation
and this was something that he did not need at the moment.
Pausing again at the window, his hand poised on the hilt
of his sword, Kunzite stared down at the streets below, taking in the people
hurrying home late from work and the crowds of youths leaving various
nightclubs and cinemas on their way home. He was aware of every sound, every
time someone closed a door, each time someone in the apartment above him moved
about, Kunzite could sense it all. The light in his front room flickered
slightly, a moth buzzing around the bulb in half crazed circles as it sought
escape.
Moving away from the window again, Kunzite refused to be
seated, feeling sure that whatever fate was awaiting him couldn’t be long in
revealing itself to him as it had done so to the Tennou before him.
Had Mamoru not suspected? Or was he simply afraid to look
for the truth behind the bubbly smile of Tsukino Usagi? Being one of the
Shitennou was simply more than a glorified role thrust upon them by their
betters, Kunzite knew. He could recall the loneliness, the emptiness that they
had to endure. Even to each other, in the beginning, there had been a coldness,
but, as the years went by and they themselves grew older, they began to learn
that they had been chosen for this before they were even born. Why else would
they have such power? They were connected, even now, and Kunzite had realised
that he could trust the others, even if he couldn’t trust himself.
They had also trusted Endymion, he thought with
bitterness. They had trusted him to do the right thing by the kingdom and he
had let them down and he--
Kunzite paused in thought, cutting this irate recollection
off before it could begin its torrid of emotions as he felt the aura in the
room change. No… perhaps change was the wrong word to describe it. Before he
could hear everything, every little movement and now he could hear nothing save
for the violent beating on his own heart.
He turned around, the air suddenly turning thick and
heavy, making it difficult for him to breath. Drawing his sword, Kunzite took a
wary step forwards, glancing about the silent apartment. The light then died
and he was plunged into darkness.
Kunzite whirled around, becoming increasingly aware that
whatever it was, was toying with him.
Kunzite stumbled towards the gates of the palace, fear
clouding his heart and choking off his air as he pressed on. He had seen the
smoke rising in the distance, but had been slowed down by the Youma troops that
had now suddenly fled the scene of destruction around them. The battle must be
over, Kunzite knew and this did nothing to ease his pain. What would he find
once he reached the palace?
The eerie silence, save for the odd scream was more
terrifying than the prospect of what lay within those walls. The calm pressed
in around him, suppressing Kunzite’s fears, his hopes and even his worst
nightmares. He could hear his own heart hammering loudly in his chest as he
forced open the buckled iron gates and raced up the blood soaked path towards
his Master’s home.
“This aura… this muted sadness… it is the same” he
whispered to himself as he felt the agony of loss settling on his heart. “I
felt this way when… when Jadeite-tachi died.”
She’s trying to wrong-foot me. She’s trying to make me
lower my guard.
Kunzite whirled around again, this time as the soft melody
of the harp entered his ears. The music was low and haunting, full of the
regrets and pain that Kunzite himself had been feeling.
“What
about my Senshi? They gave up more than their lives to defend the Earth? When
the battle comes to the Silver Millennium they will die!”
Kunzite stumbled back as her
words echoed in his mind. The music from the harp increased its playing with ferocity
forcing him back further, towards the window.
His hand tightened its grip on his sword and Kunzite spun
around, taking the being completely by surprise as he swung his blade in a
downward arch, cutting into the soft skin of her left shoulder. The illusion
faltered slightly as his sword tore through its fragile state and the young
woman staring back at him smiled and shook her head, silently berating his
actions before lowering the harp to her side and reaching out for him. Her face
was obscured by the darkness in the room but her words dug deep into his soul
and caused him to tremble slightly at the hidden pain and bitterness that they
conveyed.
Kunzite leapt backwards, avoiding her outstretched hand
and swung his weapon again. She easily batted it aside, knocking it to the
floor with a clatter.
Not bothering to retrieve it, Kunzite called up a ball of
blue energy and hurled it at the illusion. Again, for a few seconds when it
made contact, the woman shimmered before reasserting her form once more.
She repeated her words of before, the anger that Kunzite
was trying to evade her was clear in her voice as she stepped towards him
again. Kunzite moved back, striking the wall behind him as he felt his legs
turning numb as his gaze met her own. The feeling spread up to his chest and
down his arms, putting paid to any other thoughts of escape he might have had.
The last clear thought he had was of Mamoru and how he had
failed him and the others after all and then his world went black.
******
Mamoru bolt upright in his chair, his back cracking
painfully as he straightened up and realising how much by surprise sleep had
taken him.
Peering around in the gloom, one hand rubbing sleep from
his eyes, Mamoru could hear the woman’s voice echoing in his mind.
“Princess?” he murmured softly. “Impossible?”
Could it be? Mamoru shook his
head, as he suddenly knew, with a painful certainty, that Kisho would not be
meeting him tomorrow at Crown after all.
******
“I am…” Usagi whispered, a single tear running down her
cheek as she glanced up at Mamoru, “The destroyer of worlds…” with this she
turned and ran.
~~~~~~
De-transforming, Usagi shyly made her way to Mamoru’s
side, “Are you alright?” she asked, a tint of red blush adorning her cheeks as
she spoke.
~~~~~~
“Are we
agreed?” Rei repeated, a little impatiently, “That until you have the
Ginzuishou fully under control you will stay away from Chiba Mamoru.”
“We’re
sorry, Usagi-chan” Ami said quietly, “But the Princess’s emotions towards
Endymion are too strong. We have to take these measures to ensure that the past
if not repeated.”
Usagi
nodded, “I’ll stay away from him” she promised.
Usagi rolled over in bed, hugging her pink bunny plushie
tightly in both hands as she stared up at the silvery moonlight shimmering in
through the window. On her desk Luna laid curled up sound asleep. Usagi
couldn’t help but envy the cat. Since… since the Princess’s full awakening she
had been afraid to go to sleep, afraid that, once she was, her past self would
take full control again. As it was she… Usagi bit her lip hard enough to draw
blood.
Rei-chan, Ami-chan, Mako-chan… they were all worried about
her. She desperately wanted to keep her promise to them and stay away from
Chiba Mamoru, especially as she now had them back again, but Usagi didn’t know
if this was a promise that she could keep.
Turning over again, she released the plushie and one hand
now curled around her transformation locket. It felt cold to touch, but even so
the power was undeniable. The destroyer of worlds… when used with the will of a
weak heart… She hadn’t asked for this! She hadn’t asked to become a Senshi of
Justice! She hadn’t wanted to be the Princess. She wanted what all normal
teenage girls wanted; to do well at school, to have friends and a man that she
loved at her side. What was so terrible about wanting Mamoru to be by her side
forever? Or did this make her as bad as Beryl?
Usagi slowly shook her head. She loved Mamoru enough to
let him go if he truly felt nothing for her, but the Princess… the Princess
would walk through hell itself to be with him.
The past life was… relevant, as Minako-chan often said,
but Usagi felt that it could be changed.
“It is
for the best” Makoto smiled slightly to encourage her, “Just until the Dark
Kingdom is defeated.”
Minna… if
only you could recall the loneliness that I felt when you were gone… now that I
have you back again… a chance to change this world… I will stay away from
Endymion… for now the Princess resolved.
She would stay away until the time was right. When the
Dark Kingdom was defeated, as Mako-chan said, then things would be different.
Usagi could be with Mamoru without fear of what Beryl or the Princess might do.
“What do you think?” she asked when Makoto quietly took a
seat at the table.
Makoto shrugged again, “Why would I think anything?”
“Mou”
“Usagi-chan?” Ami asked tentatively, “What is wrong?”
“Motoki-kun likes Mako-chan” Usagi declared.
Rei shook her head, “Usagi, we have more important things
to worry about. The Dark Kingdom--”
“It must be nice” Ami mused quietly, thinking that no one
had heard her, “To have someone who likes you…”
That is all, Usagi thought to herself. From now on she no
longer needed her other self. Now she would fight battles alone…
******
Mamoru did not bother going to Crown the next morning.
Upon trying Kisho’s phone and finding that the number was no longer in service
it had confirmed his suspicions that his friend had succumbed to the same fate
as the others and, therefore, to go to Crown would only prove to deepen his
anguish.
Instead he went for a walk to help, he hoped, determine
what he should do next.
Without consciously realising it, Mamoru entered Ueno Park
still lost in his own thoughts. It was only when he glanced about and recalled,
with some hurt and anger, the many attacks that himself and his Shitennou had
defended civilians from in this place alone. Someone sought to take away the
Earth’s Guardians and Mamoru resolved that he was not going to hold back when
he found out exactly who had done this.
As he processed this thought, he saw a familiar looking
girl standing under one of the Sakura trees, her face set into an unhappy
frown. Without knowing why, Mamoru hurried over to her.
“Chiba-san?” she exclaimed in some surprise, a petal from
the tree clenched tightly in one hand as she spoke to him.
“Mizuno-san” Mamoru greeted her.
Mizuno Ami smiled again and went back to silently staring
at the falling petals until Mamoru enquired to know if there was anything
wrong.
“Yes… no…” she faltered slightly and smiled again, “I just
like being here, that is all.”
“It is nice this time of the year” Mamoru was really not
sure what to say to her, but had to concur with her comments about the park.
The glade that they were in was rather secluded and cut off from the rest of
the park.
“Do you often come here?” he asked next. Mamoru didn’t
know why, but something compelled him to stay and speak with the quietest of
the Senshi. It was as though by doing so he might learn something of relevance
to the situation he had found himself in.
Tuxedo Kamen’s heart ached at the saddened look upon her
face and he knelt down beside her, gently cupping her chin in his shaking hand.
“Usagi…” he began, but found himself at a loss for words.
She looked up, her eyes meeting his own as she reached out
with a trembling hand and touched the white mask across his eyes.
For what seemed like an age, she simply kept her hand on
this, as though seeking permission from the man before her.
Tuxedo Kamen simply waited. His heart was pounding so hard
in his chest that it hurt and he could do nothing but return her gaze as,
slowly, she pulled the mask away.
“Chiba Mamoru” Sailor Moon whispered, her voice flat and
expressionless, “Then… it is as I expected.”
She stood, letting the mask fall from her fingertips as
she did so, and turned away.
The park also held a certain allure for him, too, ever
since Usagi discovered his identity.
“No” Ami hesitated slightly, allowing her hand that was
outstretched to catch the blossoms fall to her side once more, “I don’t know…
Sometimes I get these feelings… of being detached from this life… that I’ve
lost something precious to me… that I don’t belong…”
Mamoru realised with a sudden certainty. Whereas the
Shitennou’s normal lives had been erased, the Senshi’s had been created but
they must have gaps in them. Memories of what truly was still lingered and Ami
felt them deeply, perhaps more deeply than most for a reason unknown to him.
“We’ve all lost” Mamoru said, without being completely
conscious of what he was saying, “We’ve all lost things that are precious to
us.”
“You?” Ami asked softly, turning around to look him in the
eyes, “You too have lost someone precious to you.”
Mamoru shook his head, not willing to voice to extent of
his feelings to such a girl.
Ami smiled slightly, understanding what he was truly
trying to say and accepted his silence on the matter.
Closing his eyes, Mamoru was content to simply breathe in
the scent of the Sakura petals falling around them. As he did so he became
aware of another aura; this one new and yet painfully familiar at the same
time.
Opening his eyes once more, Mamoru heard the screams of
civilians and knew, with certainty that the Shitennou were close by. Ami, too,
appeared to realise this. She hurriedly pulled her phone from her bag and
dialled Usagi’s number.
Meant to be? If that was so then the Shitennou were now
the enemy.
Transforming into his Endymion self, Mamoru broke into a
run, following the aura that almost screamed out to him in its powerfulness.
This was wrong… this was not meant to be… The Senshi and
the Shitennou would fight again. His Shitennou were now intent on harming the
very civilians that they had once fought to protect.
******
“Such foolishness” Kunzite said softly as he observed the
Youma at work. One by one the humans fell, their energy stolen from them.
At first they had not given thought to flight. Mesmerised
by the strangeness of the beast before them, it was only until the first few
started to succumb did fleeing enter their minds… and then it was too late.
“Why must we, the Shitennou, oversee this petty energy
gathering to start with?” Jadeite griped, “Surely there are much more fitting
tasks that could be bestowed upon us.”
“We’re overseeing to make sure that we have no more
interruptions from the Sailor Senshi” Nephrite reminded him, a little
impatiently, “Beryl-sama was most displeased that your last Youma failed.”
“So did yours” Jadeite sniped back, a little irately,
“Perhaps your dedication to the mission is weakening?”
“How dare you?” Nephrite swung round to face him,
“Beryl-sama will always be my master.”
To this Jadeite simply smirked.
Kunzite ignored their petty battle and again observed the
Youma’s progress. A tenth human fell, and then an eleventh and twelfth before a
familiarly clad man stepped between it and its thirteenth victim.
“Endymion” Zoisite stated softly, thus reminding Kunzite
of the quietest Tennou’s presence.
Jadeite and Nephrite ceased their arguing at this and
joined the strongest kings in watching Endymion fighting the Youma, parrying
back and forth, struggling for the upper hand.
“What a fool” Nephrite declared haughtily at this display.
This comment when unanswered as Kunzite voiced to the
others that Beryl would not be pleased if the Youma died. After this, he
promptly initiated a teleport to steal the energy that the beast had already
gathered.
This proved to be a wise move as, just at that second,
Endymion drove forward, embedding his sword deep into the stomach of the Youma.
“Kuso” Jadeite sword furiously as it died. The
blonde took a step towards the triumphant Prince, but Nephrite caught his arm:
“Beryl-sama forbids us from confronting him” he reminded,
“It would not do to go against her orders.”
Kunzite snorted at this. He very much resented Beryl’s
hold over them as he had Endymion’s in the past life. What was to fear from the
Earth Prince in this world?
Driven by his desire to go against Beryl’s orders, Kunzite
dismissed Nephrite’s warning with a sweep of his cape as he made his way slowly
towards Endymion.
******
Endymion tore his
sword from the Youma, watching in subdued satisfaction as it died. A part of
him was glad that he had proved he could fight alone, but another part of him
desperately wanted for his Shitennou to be here. Those photographs still spoke
of a reality that had once existed and one that Endymion very much wanted to
reclaim again.
The Shitennou were now the enemy.
This knowledge pained him beyond words. His friends… they
had once fought alongside each other…
Mamoru opened his eyes and stared at Ueda-san, seeing for
the first time what had drawn him to the other man.
He stood, trembling, retrieving his cane from the floor
and called out in an equally shaky voice:
“Jadeitou!”
Ueda-san gasped upon hearing that name and, with a sudden
burst of strength, threw the Youma off of him. As he did so the entire room lit
up in a red light. Mamoru leapt backwards, shielding himself with his cape when
it became too bright. The glow seemed to be coming from Ueda-san.
The Youma howled in pain, writhed in agony and then
shattered, sending millions of tiny clay particles all over the carpet.
Slowly, Mamoru lowered his arm and then gasped again.
Ueda-san slowly lowered his hand, staring silently down at himself and the
transformation he had undergone.
~~~~~~
“Motoki!” Mamoru jumped backwards as it now turned on him.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the now familiar transformation of Tuxedo
Kamen, but before he could do anything other than transform a clawed hand
closed around his neck.
Helplessly, Tuxedo Kamen swung at the Youma with his cane,
but it caught it in its free hand and snapped it in two before hurling it
against the wall. Tuxedo Kamen soon followed and landed beside Motoki.
The Youma was now advancing on them both. Tuxedo Kamen
stood, unsure of what to do. He could hardly leave Motoki, but what could he
do?
Then flames erupted right at the Youma’s feet. It howled
and halted in its tracks as someone stepped between them and it.
“Typical” Nephrite complained, “I wander all round this
stupid zoo looking for a Youma and it was here the entire time! Can’t I leave
you alone for five minutes?”
~~~~~~
He trailed off when the door opened and Taro and Kisho
returned.
“You’re awake” the taller man commented lightly before
dumping the several shopping bags he was carrying on the floor at Mamoru’s
feet.
“I hope you’re hungry” Mamoru said when he looked in one
of the bags, “I think we have enough here to feed an army.”
“I can eat back at the hotel.”
“Really? Which hotel are you staying in?” Taro asked.
Komoro-san hesitated slightly before replying: “The
Okura.”
“I’ll bet that costs a lot.”
“Money is not a problem.”
“Pretty full of himself, isn’t he?” Taro said to Kisho,
“He must be one of us.”
~~~~~~
Mamoru started slightly when his phone rang. Glad of the
distraction, he hurriedly answered it.
“That was fast” Kisho commented dryly, “Were you worried
about me?
Mamoru laughed a little nervously, “Of course not.” He
could well imagine his friend’s smirk at his almost hostile response and his
sense of sadness deepened. Why couldn’t things be this way all the time? Why
did Kisho feel as though he had to make Mamoru choose between his Tennou and
the Princess?
“How did you get on with the families?” Kisho asked after
a moment’s pause.
Mamoru knew that this was just Kisho’s way of letting him
know that he was still there and hadn’t succumbed to whatever had taken the
others away from them, and answered: “Not great. Masaki’s family don’t live in
Tokyo now.”
“And Seiichi’s?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t ever talk about them.”
“Did you try his manager?”
“No. If family cannot remember them then I doubt that
Tetsuya-san would.”
Kisho was silent for a moment or two and then said,
“You’re right. Best to leave things be for now. We don’t want to go stirring up
anything, especially if there is a chance that things will stay like this.”
To look upon them as they were now… Endymion took a deep
breath. “Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, Jadeite” he whispered as, one by one, the
Shitennou materialised before him.
“ Master” Kunzite replied to this steadily as they each
drew their swords and took steps towards him.