Stuff at bottom. ^_^
-Lianne (LianneSen@aol.com)

*Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Strike*
Part 6

	They were laid out on the floor, neatly, upon blankets and pillows to 
keep thier still bodies from lying against the hard floor. Eight men and
women, their faces set in quiet, peaceful expressions, their bodies and
skin glistening with present perspiration. The windows were open, allowing
bright, glittering sunshine through the apartment and making the room bright.
	It was deathly silent. The breathing of the figures was so shallow it was
hardly noticeable. A lone, silent woman was sitting beside the last body on 
the end, her eyes half-closed and unreadable. Her hand reached out slowly, a
long, red-nailed finger gently touching the face of the small girl with black hair...
her eyelids drooped lower. The woman gently touched the smooth, dark bangs
of her unofficial daughter, gently running a finger down her face...
	"Setsuna-san."
	The woman looked up slowly, her dull eyes unreadable. Ami stood in the doorway,
her arms crossed in front of her and clutching her computer protectively in front
of her pants-clad legs. Her cheeks were stained with tears, her eyes still watery
from obvious crying not long since past. She bit her lip.
	"How is your progress?" Setsuna asked quietly.
	Ami looked down. "...Not much. I've...been scanning the blood samples...the dart...
the grass samples from the park where the youma fought and died...I'm not seeing
much, Setsuna-san. Though it could be...too early to tell."
	Setsuna looked out the window silently. "I understand. I greatly admire how 
much time you're putting into this, Ami."
	Ami tried to smile, though her eyes quivered and gave her away. "Well...what 
else...am I gonna do? There's still...hope for them. I'm not gonna...just...let them...
die...am I?" Her eyes filled up with tears as her smile shook.
	Setsuna looked up at her, then lowered her eyes. She stood up and walked towards
Ami slowly, keeping her eyes away from her. "Arigato, Ami," she whispered as
she slowly walked past the younger woman and out the door, leaving Ami alone.
Setsuna closed the door behind her as she heard Ami break into a soft sobbing.
	Setsuna walked slowly through the apartment, looking at the floor with 
unwavering eyes. It was silent throughout the entire place, the only sound
a soft breeze that blew in through the open windows.
	She knocked on the bedroom door softly when she reached it, putting her
ear near the door. "Seiya? Are you in there?" she said quietly.
	Silence ensued for a moment, then she slowly pushed open the door. Seiya
was sitting in a chair, turned to face the closet door. His form was turned away 
from Usagi's pale body on the bed. Setsuna walked up to stand behind him, her 
footsteps not making a sound. "Seiya?" she said quietly.
	Seiya didn't look up. "Hai." His voice was distant, soft.
	"How are you doing?" she asked softly.
	His eyes stared blankly at the closet door. "I...I'm fine."
	Setsuna's eyes were unreadable. She slowly put a hand on his shoulder. He
didn't make a motion that he had felt it. "Where's...Mamoru-san?" he asked.
"I thought he might..want to be here with Usagi. Or Chibi-Usa."
	Setsuna sighed and looked away. "He's...been out on the balcony since I
last saw him. I don't know if he's even looked at them."
	Seiya turned to her slowly. "The...balcony?"
	She nodded. Seiya turned back to the door, then slowly stood up. He turned to
her. "Did you...want to stay with Usagi?"
	Setsuna looked down at her. "Perhaps I should. Ami says she's in the poorest 
condition as of now."
	Seiya looked down. "Hai," he said quietly, then silently left the room.

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

	"Mamoru-san?" Seiya stepped out onto the cool balcony, a slight wind 
blowing his ponytail out behind him to dance in the breeze. He looked out, 
but saw no one there. He turned around. "Mamoru-san?" he asked again. 
His eyes caught Mamoru sitting in the inner left corner of the balcony. 
His knees were brought up, his arms wrapped around them and 
his face staring at a hand resting nonchalantely off. His eyes were blank and
unreadable. The fingers of his other hand toyed with something that he was
staring at - something on the hand he so unconsciously kept his empty eyes
on.
	Seiya looked at the floor. His whole body hurt and felt strained, worn...
"How are you...holding out?" Seiya said hoarsely after a moment. Mamoru 
didn't answer, his eyes not moving and his fingers not stilling. Seiya 
felt his eyesight grow fuzzy, but he tried to blink it off. He felt like he 
would fall over...he shifted his feet farther apart to try to keep his 
balance better. He brushed a strand of dark blue hair that had freed itself 
of his ponytail out of his face. "Did...did you want to see Usagi or Chibi-Usa?
Setsuna's watching Usagi right now..." His voice trailed off as Mamoru still
made no movement or sound. Seiya took a shaky breath. "A...Ami's been...scanning 
any data she has...she's looking for...anything that might...cure them...she's doing
all she can to keep them in the best possible condition. She...hasn't stopped
working. She's...she's got to...find something..."
	Still silence. Seiya was quiet a moment. He took a breath. "M...Mamoru-san?"
he finally managed to squeak out. He looked up at Mamoru, who hadn't stirred
from his position. Seiya's eyes focused on what Mamoru was playing with...
Seiya suddenly bit his lip so hard he nearly drew blood. It was Mamoru's wedding 
band.
	Seiya choked as tears filled up his eyes. He suddenly ran off the balcony and
through the apartment, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed. He ran into 
the bathroom and slammed the door shut, locking it behind him.
	Setsuna looked up from her position beside Usagi's bed. She heard the door 
slam behind Seiya through the open bedroom door. Through the living room's
closed door, she heard Ami start crying louder. Setsuna closed her eyes and 
looked down, her body shaking slightly. "Oh, God..." she whispered. "Oh, God,
please..."

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

	"KUTANDU!!!!!"
	Kutandu shot up from the sword he was polishing, accidentally grazing
his finger across the blade and leaving a cut. "Kuso," he muttered as he 
clutched it to stop its light bleeding. He ran out of the room, to see Prince
Russic standing in the hallway, his eyes flaring with anger. Advisor Kutandu
stopped, and looked at him with wide eyes. "Prince...?"
	"They're not all AFFECTED!!" Prince Russic threw his cape behind him with 
an angry sweep of his arm.
	Kutandu blinked. "W...what?"
	"Follow me." Russic whipped around and began quickly walking down the metal
corridor. It took Kutandu a moment to register what was happening before he
stumbled to follow him. Russic walked through many long hallways before he at 
last emerged into a large, mechanical room with a huge computer at the front.
He walked briskly to it and hit a button. Immideately the mammoth screen
lit up, split into four vertical sections with a person displayed on each. Kutandu 
walked closer, his eyes wide. The four people were shown doing fighting 
moves, attacking invisible enemies as status data lit up across the bottom
of their figures. Russic turned to Kutandu, and he shot up straight abruptly.
Russic's eyes narrowed. "Advisor," he hissed. "Are you SURE your "youma" 
infected these four?"
	Kutandu blinked, then squinted his eyes at the screen. After a moment, "Yes,
my Prince. These four were with the others. They were all infected, I would
put my life on it."
	Russic turned back to the computer screen. "These four warriors are, for 
some reason, not being affected by the disease."
	Kutandu's eyes shot open. "What?"
	Russic pushed another button, and BLOOD TYPE lit up in red on each screen.
"It appears all four of these were the only ones infected that had blood
type A," he said coldly. "This seems to be why they are immune."
	Kutandu's eyes were wide. "Blood...type?"
	Russic turned to him. "We were not prepared for this. The others will die,
but these survivors must be eliminated as soon as possible so we will have
no opposition."
	"Y...yes, my Prince," Kutandu said quietly.
	Russic's eyes flashed. "We will need to put our attack plans on hold. These
survivors must be dealt with first."

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

	Ami sat on the floor of the dining room, her legs tucked beneath her, 
her mini computer clutched in her lap as her fingers typed at the keys in 
a weak but driven manner. The screen blinked, and she looked at
it as her fingers continued to type. The lights of the screen glowed in her 
sad eyes, the same figures she had seen time and time again blinked in
the same pattern they had time and time before. She looked back down at 
the keyboard, her fingers unresting as she clicked on. A few moments of
calamity passed, then Ami's eyes slowly grew glassy. She hiccuped, biting 
her lip as she typed harder. A tear splashed on the keyboard where she stared,
followed by another. She let out a choked sob, her shoulders curling towards
the floor as her head lowered. After a few more seconds of trying to fight 
it, she broke down sobbing, her computer clutched in her hand as she rubbed
a hand over her eyes. Her small frame shook in the silent room, her
small, sad crying unheard by the emptiness around her. "Minna," she whispered.

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

	Seiya sat beside Yaten and Taiki, the two sleeping Lights beside each other
on the floor of the silent living room beside all the other senshi. Seiya stared 
at them, his eyes still and dark. His hands were resting in his lap, shaking slightly. 
"Yaten...Taiki..." he whispered, his voice wavering. "Why...why are you so...quiet
now? There used...to be a time...when I couldn't get you to shut up...EVER. You
were always...BICKERING and FIGHTING...I always wished you two...would learn
to be...quiet, for once..." He looked down to stare at his lap, his eyes quivering.
"Y...Yaten...Taiki..." he whispered, his voice wavering on high pitches. "I...I don't
care anymore. I...I don't CARE if you're loud. Just...say something, ok? I...I miss
hearing you two...argue..." He choked, and tears broke from his eyes as he started
to cry, burying his face in his hands. "Yaten..." he whispered. "Please...make fun
of Taiki...Taiki...go chase after him...PLEASE, you two! PLEASE, just WAKE UP!!"
	His two brothers still made no movement or sound. Their ponytails were undone,
their long, silky hair rippling and shining on the floor underneath them. Yaten's
eyelashes didn't make any attempt to open, and Taiki's lips were still. Seiya cried 
harder, wrapping his arms around his shaking torso. "Please..." he sobbed.
"Please...just...start ARGUING again...please...run, scream, fight, I don't CARE, 
just...please...please...start arguing...again..."

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

	Setsuna sat by herself in the kitchen, upon one of the wooden chairs. Her eyes
were empty, and almost...lost. She hadn't henshined, but she had called forth
her Time Staff regardless, tilting it so the bottom could rest on the floor and
she could have the Garnet Orb in front of her chest. She ran her fingers on the
red sphere, her long fingertips gracefully running across its smooth, cool
surface. She saw her eyes reflected in its shining surface - eyes she had so often
stared at in the mirror for long periods of time. Their color was much like the
orb, only...lighter...she brought the orb closer, pressing it against her chest. Her eyes
stared at the floor, her shoes turning inwards so the toes touched and pointed
under the chair. She stared in silence at nothingness for a few moments, before
she slowly closed her eyes. She hugged the Garnet Orb tighter.

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

	Chibi-Usa was cradled in Mamoru's arms, in the dark, silent room where her
crib lay. His watery eyes stared down at her still form, her skin flushed
and sweaty. His lips were moving mechanically, whispering lullabies to
the unconscious child as he rocked her, pulling her close. He closed his
eyes, his voice shaking.

"Hush little baby don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird,

"If that mockingbird don't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring..."

His eyelashes quivered, a tear squeezing out from beneath them.

"If that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you...a looking glass..."

His chest had started to rack, and he pulled her closer to his shaking body.

"If that...looking glass goes...broke,
Papa's gonna buy...you an ox...and yolk..."

Tears streamed from his closed eyes, the droplets splashing on Chibi-Usa's
face.

"If...that...ox and...yolk...turn...over...,
Papa's...gonna...buy you...a dog...named...Grover..."

Mamoru could hardly talk through the fitful sobs that racked his body.

"If...that...d...dog...named...G...Grover...don't..."

	He broke off as he fell into a heartbroken cry, his face pressed against his
daughter's cheek as his tears rolled down and smeared on her skin. His
breathing was hiccupy and choking, his body shaking madly as his crying
echoed through the empty, silent room. The darkness that surrounded him...
the room...he started to remember something he had dreamt...just before he
had proposed to Usagi...darkness? His life...
	"Chibi-Usa," he whispered through his crying. "I wish...I could be dying...
instead of you...don't leave Daddy alone in this world, do you hear me? You...
can't...die on me...I...I can't live...without you..."
	She remained still. He pulled her closer, trying to cover her body with his,
trying to flush out any disease in her by engulfing her with his love, his need...
"I need you..." he whispered. "You're...my family, Chibi-Usa...I'll die if you
leave me...I can't LIVE without you...please..."
	His warm tears rolled down her still face, dripping onto the pajamas
she wore and disappearing into the thin cloth. "Usako," Mamoru whispered.
"Usako...Chibi-Usa...if you die, so will I..."
	He held her tighter. "So will I..."

To be continued...

-No, no action again. Sigh. Hope you all don't kill me. ^_- This story IS going
to be rather long...maybe I can finish it up in 4 more Parts. I hope you're not all bored.
This story's intent is to have some heavy character development and emotional 
strain. Does anybody actually LIKE how it's coming along? Maybe a little 
different from my other stuff...more characters than "Blossomings," THAT'S
for sure. ^_- Speaking of "Blossomings," anybody catch the reference to it in 
this part? You might have skipped over it...^_- Anyway, I'd like to take this time
to say thank you to Alpha, who is SO helpful with all my writing and is the BEST
support group I could ever hope for; to Amethist, who never fails to start up
a phone converstaion that gets us rolling on the floor in laughter; to Jen 
Wand, for...well, everything; to MJ, for putting up with me; to Sue Mei, for continuing
her FABULOUS writing and for ALSO putting up with me; to Ninx, of whom I
am STILL your #1 fan; to Sailor Charon, for always being one of the kindest people 
I know; to Tiga Shadow, for being herself; to Sailor Dolphin, for ALSO ALSO 
putting up with me (^_-); to Pandora, for being forever charming and kind; to 
Razzz, for writing such GREAT stuff and being my #1 surfer chick pal (^_-);
to Jenn, whom I miss talking to (;_;); to the end of the SuperS series, for
showing that COOL Helios/Endymion dream with one of my FAVORITE BGM's for it 
(and, incidentally, to Jen Wand for lending me that episode ^_-); to Crystal
Heart, for her story "Guarding Heart" that is so fantastic I nearly killed myself;
and to EVERYONE who reads and writes me. I love you all, I just have SO little
time to write e-mail. ^_^; The next part of this story will be up either next
week or the week after, and "Surfacings: Desperation" Part 4 will probably be
up next week (you all seem to LOVE it so much...^_-). Ja, minna-chan! ^_^
-Lianne (LianneSen@aol.com)
*Sailor Moon and all its characters are copyright Naoko 
Takeuchi/Kodansha Ltd./Toei Animation, Co., Ltd. and the English 
adaptation is copyright 1995 DIC productions, LP. This story is 
copyright Lianne Sentar, December 1997.	
**DOWN WITH DUB-BASHING!!!