All right...last part here! Things are gonna move fast, now that it's CLIMAX TIME!!! Get ready - hope you like it!! -Lianne (LianneSen@aol.com) *Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Surprises* Part 10 "Got it!" Mercury's fingers were fast as lightning as she stared at the tiny screen. "Got it got it got it!" "REALLY?!" Venus practically zoomed to look at the computer screen. She jumped up and down excitedly. "Oh, DO IT! DO IT, AMI-CHAN!" Jupiter looked up from her seated position, her eyes wavering. "The... the energy you got on that scan of me...did it work?" "Sure did, Mako!" Minako exclaimed ecstatically as Mars ran to join her. "She traced the energy! We know EXACTLY where that queen's kingdom is! We're gonna go!" Makoto was silent. She swallowed, then took a deep breath. "OK..." ********************** Queen Nestia looked into her crystal ball. She grinned wickedly. She looked out at her servants, her ruby lips curved in a smile. "It is time," she hissed. ********************** Usagi's dreams came crashing down on her. A white light...exploding... she awoke with a grasp, clutching at Mamoru. He, too, awoke with a start, his eyes containing the same fear hers did. She saw in his blue pupils the same white explosion echoing in a dream...he had dreamed it, too..."Mamo-chan!" she cried. They knew. Both of them. In that moment, everything had burst through their minds in blasting clarity, and they knew what was happening. They jolted to sitting up positions, and Mamoru wrapped his arms around her and held her as tightly as he could against him, closing his eyes tightly. Usagi curled up against him, her body shaking, her eyes squinched shut. "No...no, please...oh, God..." she whispered shakily. The steadily growing light Mamoru felt against his eyelids made his heart drop to his stomach. He opened his eyes and saw with fear Usagi was slowly glowing green. Usagi opened her eyes with a gasp, clutching at his shirt with frightened hands. "MAMO-CHAN!" "Oh, God, no!" He held her tighter, but even then he could feel how airy her body was growing and how her outline was slowly disappearing. "NO! Don't TAKE HER!" he cried as he squeezed his arms tighter around her in vain. Luna and Artemis awoke with a start. They immideately gasped with horror as they saw Usagi's form, glowing bright green, disappear from Mamoru's arms. "USAGI-CHAN?!" "NO!" he cried a last time as Usagi faded from him. The last thing he saw was her scared eyes, and heard her desperate scream. "MAMO-CHAN!" She was gone. "NO!" Mamoru yelled hoplessely, stumbling to a standing position as he looked around the empty air. "USAKO!!!!" *********************** "This is it!" Mercury declared as the small black portal appeared before them. "C'mon, minna-chan!" "Right!" Venus and Mars held hands with Mercury. They looked back at Jupiter. "Mako-chan?" Makoto took a breath, then slowly walked up and took their hands. "Hai." "Be strong, minna," Mars said quietly. They jumped into the portal. *********************** Usagi felt herself slowly materialize on the stone floor of the throne room. She screamed as many of the minions of the queen started swarming towards her. Grasping hands grabbed at her - the little white hands were so numerous, she thought the world was made up of them. She fought in vain, fear making her limbs shake, as she was held and pushed forcefully to a black stone alter. The queen stood nearby, her eyes flashing clear with wickedness. "Excellent," she hissed. "Prepare her for the ceremony." Usagi screamed as she was pushed against a tall, slightly titled black stone slab that stood upright. Her hands were chained to it, the small white hands making quick work. "Get AWAY from me!" she screamed as she kicked out and tried to get the small creatures away. She fought the chains, but she realized hoplessely they were far too strong for her to break, despite her fear-energized frenzy. The queen walked up to her, eyes flashing clear. "It is time for you, female," she said coldly. "It is the mark of my admittance and conquerance of your world." "GET AWAY!" Usagi screamed. "LEAVE ME ALONE, WITCH!" Nestia quickly walked over to a high alter, picking up her crystal ball. "We shall start," she told the minions as her ball starting to glimmer with power. "MAMO-CHAN!" Usagi screamed. *********************** Mamoru slammed his hands against the bars, pushing with all his strength. Luna and Artemis watched him with wide eyes. "No..." Mamoru half-sobbed as he pushed, his arms shaking with the effort and with his fear. "God, no, PLEASE!" His mind was filled with her disappearing eyes, and her hands clutching at him in fear..."Please, GOD, NO!" He pushed harder, his eyes closing as he tried to focus all his efforts on the one metal bar his hands clutched around, pushing with all his might. "Usako..." ************************ Four pairs of shoes clicked on the stone floor. The cavern was dark, cold, and ominous. "This is it, minna-chan," Ami whispered. Rei took a step forward, then froze. She jerked her head down to look at herself, then gasped. "Minna! What happened to our fukus?!" The other girls looked down at themselves and took in breaths. Minako's eyes widened. "We...we've detransformed!" Rei immideately pulled out her henshin stick. "MARS CRYSTAL POWER MAKE UP!!" Nothing happened. She turned to them. "Minna! I don't think we can transform here!" Minako and Ami immideately pulled out their sticks and tried to henshin several times, all to no avail. Makoto didn't even bother - she was staring out down the cavern, where it led off into many stone corridors. Her expression was blank. Rei looked over at her. "Mako-chan?" Makoto didn't look over at her. Suddenly, she broke out in a dead run, flashing through the cavern and disappearing down one of the corridors as quick as lightning. Rei gasped. "Mako?!" Makoto seemed to know exactly where she was going. She didn't even look back as she disappeared from view. "MAKO-CHAN!!!" ************************ Mamoru pushed harder, focusing all the strength he had on the one bar. It was solidly in the wall, and it served as a blockage...keeping him from getting to her..."No...please..." Flashbacks flashed through his mind - Heiko's burning red eyes...her echoing voice..."that bunny of yours could die in an instant..." Mamoru's hands shook. Arasei's green eye, burning in frenzy...taking Usagi away while she screamed...that scream piercing through his heart...all of Mamoru's memories of a year and a half ago crashed down around him, filling his mind with their chilling memory. He had almost lost her...tears squeezed out of his tightly shut eyes as his heart pounded. "No, God, PLEASE...not again...!" His body screamed under the strain as he pushed harder. ************************ Usagi watched in horror as Nestia closed her eyes and started to chant. Her green hair started to blow around her with unseen wind as the crystal ball started to glow. Usagi gasped as she felt something inside her stomach... her unborn child, barely two months old, moving around..."NO!" Usagi screamed, fear for her baby clutching her heart. "LEAVE HER ALONE!!" Nestia continued to chant, glowing white. The crystal ball floated out of her hand, and floated to float between Usagi and the queen. The same light that glowed around the crystal and Nestia started to grow around Usagi. She felt like a claw was reaching thorough her...reaching for her baby..."NO!!" she screamed. "NO!! MAMO-CHAN!!" Her heart's thumping hurt in her chest...everything started to go hazy...she could hardly focus as she felt like her stomach was being flipped inside out...she screamed as she fought the chains weakly, her arms starting to lose the strength to move. Her body felt like it was giving in... *********************** Makoto didn't look anywhere but ahead. Her mind was empty, her temples pounding as she ran down the stone corridors as fast as her legs could. Visions of Usagi were the only things that were in her blank mind. She was attatched to the stone slab...screaming as her body began to glow... Makoto's eyes flickered clear. She angrily shook her head, trying to brush it off. "NO!" she yelled, running harder to clear her head. Her eyes fought to stay green. "Usagi-chan...not you..." Memories flooded back into Makoto's mind, memories she had thought she had buried forever...she was chained to the wall, her small body thrashing around in fear...the white light was glowing around her...her eyes turning clear...then a flash of cleansing green flashed from her, freeing her bonds and blasting the queen...Jupiter. It had been her power as Jupiter, undiscovered, that had kept the queen from possessing her...Makoto's eyes narrowed, and the sigil of Jupiter glowed faintly on her forehead. "Hang on, Usagi-chan..." she whispered. *********************** Mamoru's head swam with dizzing thoughts, his hands turning white and his veins showing on his body as he put all his strength harder into his actions than he ever thought possible. But he wasn't even thinking about that. The cats stared in awe. "Please..." Mamoru sobbed, the tears streaking down his face. "Please...God...!" His perspiration dripped down the bar, his fists clenched tightly around it, white as if they were of no blood, all of his weight and all of his strength against it. "Please...!" *********************** Makoto felt her muscles tense as she followed the power that made her heart thump in her chest. Usagi... Makoto's eyes started to flicker clear again, but her sigil grew stronger, the greenness of her eyes flashing and regaining control. Her voice grated. "She won't...have you..." *********************** Usagi's breathing nearly stopped. Her hair was whipping around her unmoving body as she glew brighter. Nestia was glowing piercingly white, the inside of the crystal ball flashing with power. Usagi's body went totally slack as her baby moved around inside her more furiously. Usagi couldn't even feel it. Her eyes flickered clear. *********************** Mamoru pressed harder. "Please..." *********************** Makoto ran faster. "No..." *********************** The senshi felt something. "Nani?!" *********************** Usagi's lips moved. "Mamo-chan..." *********************** "Usako...!" *********************** "Usagi-chan..." *********************** "Usagi?!" *********************** "Mamo-chan..." *********************** There was a crack. And the bar broke out of the wall. The cell bar had broken out of the stone in the ceiling where it was attatched, becoming as loose as a loose tooth in Mamoru's hands. He jerked it back towards him with all his strength, and the bar totally broke free of the ceiling and floor and fell to the floor beside him. He ran out through the space in the bars without even thinking. Luna and Artemis stood staring at him, mouths hanging to the floor. "Oh my...God..." Luna whispered. "Did...did he..." Artemis gazed in awe, then blinked and shook his head to clear it. He started to run after Mamoru. "C'mon, Luna!" Luna could only shake her head in confusion, then choke as she started to run, the two cats running through the stone corridors after Mamoru. ************************ The three girls ran through the halls quickly. "Where...where IS everyone?!" Minako exclaimed. "Mako...Usagi...Mamoru...Luna...Artemis...where ARE THEY?!" "Something terrible is happening," Rei said between quick breaths. "We have to find them NOW." Ami nodded. Minako's hair flew around her as she looked around the bleak corridors as they flashed by in a blur, never stopping her running. Her eyes were hopeless. "But where?! What are we gonna do?!" *********************** Makoto could feel her nearby. She ran faster as she felt her mind grow hard and her determination flare. "Usagi-chan...don't worry..." *********************** His heart told him where to go. Mamoru didn't bother looking. He just ran with all his ablility to where he knew she was. "Usako..." *********************** Makoto and Mamoru, not watching where they were going, collided into each other around a corner at full speed. They crashed to the ground painfully. "Hey!" Artemis yelled. "Mamoru-san! What..." Makoto and Mamoru shook their heads to clear them, then jerked their eyes to each other. Blue and green eyes widened. "Mako?!" "Mamoru?!" "Mako-chan?!" The cats yelled as they ran up to them. "What are you doing here?!" Makoto flew to a standing position as Mamoru followed suit. "No time!" Makoto exclaimed. "We have to get to her!" "The baby!" Mamoru told her quickly. "The queen plans to possess the baby Usagi's pregnant with!" "She's losing, I can feel it," Makoto breathed. Mamoru nodded at her. They started to run, the cats following breathlessly. "Hey! Wait...wait up!" Mamoru's eyes hardened. "Usako..." ********************* Usagi's eyes were totally transparent. Her blueness flickered weakly, almost totally giving in to the clearness. The queen's eyes were closed, and the room was filled with the radiating white power that consumed them both. The winds blew mercilessly, whipping clothes and hair around as if they were in the middle of some storm. The crystal ball started to shine, and Nestia slowly opened her eyes. They were completely crystal clear. They flashed with white, the pupils disappearing as a green light started to float from her and towards Usagi... ********************* The room's light was blinding. Makoto and Mamoru ran in, and both immideately knew that they had reached what they had to. A spear lay against the wall's entrance as they came in - one of the weapons usually carried by the queen's minions. Mamoru picked in up, his mind blank and eyes deep, and threw it with all his strength into the light. ********************* A scream erupted from the glowing of power. Nestia collapsed to the ground, clutching the spear lodged in her arm as blood dripped down her green dress and to the stone floor. The light slowly faded, like fog disappearing under the sun's touch. Mamoru and Makoto ran in, Luna and Artemis running in from behind. The crystal ball slowly dimmed, then floated to the floor. Usagi's glowing silted away, and her wide-open eyes slowly faded back to blue. With a sigh, her head drooped to lay limply on her chest, her bangs limp and weak on her forehead. "Usako!" Mamoru immideately ran to her, the cats following, as Makoto quickly spotted some swords against an opposite wall. She ran to them. Mamoru threw his arms around her limply hanging form to support her, fighting to pull out the chains as he looked down at her with light eyes. She didn't move. Luna was close to tears. Makoto ran up, holding her sword ready. "Mamoru-san!" Mamoru looked at her, then moved back as she swung the sword with full strength at the chains. They sliced open, and Usagi fell into Mamoru arms. He dropped to the floor with her, trying to find signs of life on her as she lay limply in his arms. "Usako..." He held her close, closing his eyes. Her chest moved shallowly against him, her tired breathing in his ear. She was all right. Her hugged her gently, rubbing his face against her temple as he sobbed into her neck. "Usako..." Queen Nestia looked up slowly, green eyes burning furiously. They flickered clear as she saw the five. She grabbed the spear and pulled it out of her arm, the blood flow coursing down her arm like a crimson river. She stood up slowly, eyes of fire, her arm hanging limpy at her side. Makoto looked up at her. Her eyes narrowed, and she clutched the sword more tightly. Nestia's eyes hardened, and her fist clenched. "You..." her voice grated. Makoto stood up solidly, her eyes hard. "Hai. Remember me, witch?" Nestia's fist clenched harder, knuckles white. "You...took something from me..." Her eyes flickered clear. "The power...you took...took me long to get back..." Makoto's eyes burned. "You plagued me with nightmares. You made me wake up screaming in the night as a child. You made me lose the innocence I had a right to have!" Nestia growled. "You...will die...and my power will grow further..." She suddenly shot up a hand and blew a green light at them. Makoto went flying back, Luna and Artemis making strangled meows as they were hit with the light. Mamoru protected Usagi with his body as he, too, was thrown. They all slammed against the far wall and fell to the floor. Makoto and Mamoru looked up as the queen moved forward, energy building in her hand. "Mamoru-san!" Makoto yelled. "Get Usagi away!" Mamoru picked Usagi up and ran as fast as he could to a corner in the wall where there was a shelter. The queen shot a wave of light at him, but he pushed Usagi into the shelter before being slammed against the wall again. He took his head painfully as he looked at her through one eye. "You," Nestia hissed, "have caused enough problems. Die, male!" She shot again at him, but he dove out of the way as Makoto ran up to the queen and swung at her with the sword. The queen moved out of the way and blew her back. The cats jumped on her, clawing and biting as furiously as they could. She screamed, then threw them off her, the two flying back and skidding across the floor beside Makoto. Mamoru grabbed another sword against the wall nearby as he ran at the queen. She prepared to shoot at him as a small bit of paper suddenly flew out of nowhere at her injured arm. "AKYRO TAISAN!" Nestia screamed as red power shot electrically through her as Rei, Minako, and Ami ran in. Luna looked up. "MINNA!" The girls ran to them worriedly. "Are you all OK?" Ami asked. Artemis ran to the shelter where Usagi was, checking her unconscious form that lay on the floor. Minako ran after him, and gasped. "Usagi-chan?!" "Is she all right?" Ami asked Luna quickly. Another wave of power crashed into all of them, slamming them into the wall ruthlessly. A few of the girls screamed. Nestia looked at them with burning eyes. "YOU WILL ALL DIE!" she screamed as she blasted them again. They weakly fell to the floor, their strength leaving. She blew them back again and again mercilessly, each wave knocking them back and wearing them down. She finally stopped, and they all collapsed to the floor, still. Nestia breathed heavily, looking at their limp forms. She hardly saw as a pair of eyes looked up slowly, cold and hard. Nestia built up a huge wave in her fist, her eyes flashing. "Good-bye," she hissed. She didn't even have time to think as Makoto shot to a standing position. Her sigil burned on her forehead. "JUPITER!" she called. Nestia's eyes widened as the light began to shine from Makoto's forehead. "That...light..." Nestia whispered. "CRYSTAL!" Makoto took a fighting stance, her hair blowing around her with unseen wind. Nestia suddenly remembered the light that had stopped her so many years ago...the same light that now came from Makoto... "POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The green light shot from Makoto in a flash of blinding light. It blew against the queen, and she screamed as her body burned in it. "NO!!!!!!" Makoto saw the shady outline of Queen Nestia as her skin melted from her, bursting into green flame. "KINO...MAKOTO!!!" the queen screamed. "YOU... CAN...NOT!!!" Her arms moved in jarring movements, trying to fight the fire that consumed her, but all the thrashing of her limbs didn't help. Makoto's eyes were emotionless as she saw the queen's final attempts to live fail. With a final scream, Nestia's body burned in a flash of green, and a white light burst through the room. ***************************** Usagi stirred. She felt a bright light against her eyelids, and she struggled to open her eyes as it drifted away. She weakly looked out, only to see Makoto, standing firm and placid, staring at where the queen had been a moment before. Her green eyes flickered clear for a second, before it died in her eyes, and her greenness ruled dominantly. She didn't even turn her head. Mamoru looked up weakly. His eyes saw Usagi, and they widened. "Usako!" "Mamo...chan..." Usagi saw him stumble to get up and over to her, collapsing again to his knees as he held her tightly. She let her tears leak against his shirt as she lay against his chest, too weak even to hug him back. "Mamo-chan..." "You're OK!" he whispered to her shakily as he let his own tears soak into her hair. "You're...you're OK!" "Our baby..." she whispered. "She didn't hurt...our baby..." Mamoru choked out a chuckle as Makoto looked over at them. "If that baby's anything like you," he whispered to his wife. "NOTHING can hurt it." Usagi smiled as she melted in his arms tiredly. Mamoru looked up at Makoto, eyes light with his tears. "Mako..." he whispered. "Arigato..." Makoto smiled. The others stirred, looking up tiredly. Rei held her head. "What...what happened?" Makoto smiled at her as Mamoru held Usagi tighter and buried his face in her hair. "The queen is gone," she said quietly to Rei. "Usagi's safe." Rei looked over at them, then smiled. She looked back up at Makoto. "And you?" Makoto looked out, unseeing. She smiled. "I'm free." ************************ Usagi giggled weakly as Mamoru carried her through the door of the bedroom and lay her down on the bed. He brushed away some of her bangs affectionately as he smiled at her. "Comfortable?" Usagi held out her arms. "Stay with me, Mamo-chan." He lay down next to her and held her comfortingly as she snuggled against him. "Usako..." he said quietly. "I'm glad...you're OK..." She sighed. "So am I." She was quiet a second. After a moment, she said quietly, "Mamo-chan?" "Mmmm?" "Are you still mad at me for not telling you I was pregnant yet?" Mamoru chuckled. "No. I know you would've told me soon enough. I DO think you should tell me when you're pregnant so I can be more careful with what you do, though." Usagi giggled into his shirt. "Just don't cut ALL my freedom, OK?" Mamoru was silent, as if considering. Usagi laughed, then pushed him playfully. "Mamo-chan!" "I'm thinking." She laughed as she buried her face in his chest. He smiled down at her and held her closer, letting her laughter die happily on her lips. She smiled as she looked up at him. Her eyes sparkled. "Mamo-chan...we're gonna have a baby..." He smiled, biting his lip. "I know...oh, Usako...can you believe it?" She giggled. "I'm just happy," she sighed against him. "Do you think we'll be good parents?" Mamoru chuckled nervously. "I hope so. But I'm sure willing to try. Just as long as we can raise it together." Usagi smiled. She closed her eyes. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too," he whispered back. He kissed her forehead as she let sleep take over her weary body. They had sweet dreams that night. The End -Tah Dah! DONE! Phew - it's ABOUT TIME! This story just seemed to go on and on...^_^ There was a flashback to "Blossomings" in here, as you probably recognized. For anyone who HASN'T read "Blossomings," that reference was with Heiko and Arasei. This concludes the second story in my "Usagi and Mamoru's Love" series. Shall I go over all the stories in order again? Why not. ^_- "Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Blossomings" "Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Surprises" "Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Childbirth" "Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Strike" "Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Newcomings" "Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Warriors" "Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Emergence" "Usagi and Mamoru's Love Epilogue: Battle" The next story, "Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Childbirth" will be out next week. It only consists of one part, so the WHOLE THING will be out next week. ^_^ Look for it! I also am sorry to say this whole series will NOT be finished by Februrary 14, as I had hoped; but, rather, will not be done until quiet a while after. I'm striving to be done by May. I will hopefully still have a part out just about every week, so you hopefully won't be bored, but it's going to be a while before all the stories are out. Hey, I can only type with three hands. Two. I meant two. Anyway, since I can't have it done by Feb. 14 like I said, I have a special treat for you all instead to make up for it. By Februrary 14 I plan on having a special short story consisting of, once again, only one part, entitled "Valentine's Day," up. It takes place in the "Usagi and Mamoru's Love" series, but it isn't an actual part of the series - more like an add-on. It would take place between "Blossomings" and "Surprises," after Usagi and Mamoru have been married for under a year. This is a complete ROMANCE STORY, so if you're looking for action, FORGET IT. ^_^ This is just totally and entirely something for hopeless romantics. I'm hoping to try to MELT the audience with this one. I'm working really hard on it, so look for it around Valentine's Day, 1998. Thank you for bearing with me and not hating me for not having the whole series done by then. ^_^; I'll probably also be working on a few other stories during this time, such as the sequel to "Surfacings" which I hope to start soon, and a few other fics that I'm writing with other people - "Fear," a action/romance I'm doing with a friend, "The Wacky Adventures of Psycho Setsuna" which I'm still working on with Amethist, plus a new humor story that isn't quite as wacked as "Psycho Setsuna" but is rather silly, although it DOES contain character development for two characters you'd NEVER expect to see working together. I'm writing that one with Amethist AND Alpha, another friend that's gonna try her first shot at writing. No title yet, more info to come. Also, this week I've FINALLY gotten my story about Mamoru while he's living in the orphanege up. Got a title! I'm calling it "Lost Tears." Slightly more mature. Rated PG-13. And VISIT MY WEBPAGE at http://members.tripod.com/~Lianne_Sentar/index.html because you can expect some BIG updates over this holiday vacation, the majority of which will hopefully be up by December 27th. PLEASE COME! There's stuff of mine up there that you can't find anywhere else, so come check it out! PLEASE! ^_^ Anyway, thank you Amethist, Leia, Alpha, Sailor Charon, Laurel Anne, MJ, Sue Mei (BLUSH BLUSH BLUSH - OOOOHHHH, SHE'S BLUSHING AGAIN!!), Shana, Nicole, Pandora-sama, Jen, Jenn, and Jen Wand (^_^), Chimera, Fushigi Kismet, Razzz, Ninx, Julie:0) (WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!! READ HER STUFF AND GIVE HER FEEDBACK!! SHE WANTS YOU TO! WELL?! WHAT ARE YOU *WAITING* FOR?! GO!!! ^_^), Sailor Mercutio, Sonia, Becky, Michi, Sailor Sun, and just SO much more I KNOW I'm forgetting, but thank you to these people for now. And especially thank you to all of YOU - it is your continuous reading of my writing and your wonderful comments that keep me writing when I should be doing other things ^_^. I'm SOOOO backed up on e-mail - please, everyone that wrote me and asked a question or asked for a reply be patient! I'm trying very hard to keep up my writing AND my life, so e-mail takes a while to get to. ^_^ ARIGATO, 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, October 1997. **DOWN WITH DUB-BASHING!!!