Konnichi wa, minna-chan! I've gotta do homework now, so I have nothing to say. (By the way - unless I've got this totally wrong, "dame" means "stop" and "daijobu sa" means "it's all right." So you won't get confused. ^_^) Ja ne! -Lianne (eclipse@ntplx.net) *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!!! *Usagi and Mamoru's Love: Surprises* Part 3 Minako awoke with a yawn. Her alarm clock radio (the alarm turned off) glowed in the early morning sunshine. The red digits read 8:30. She stretched out her arms and scratched her head, looking casually at the two balls of black and white fur cuddled up at the foot of her bed. She smiled and jiggled her feet around so they'd bob a bit. "Morning, lovebirds," she teased. Luna brought her head up, yawning. "Time to get up already?" Minako smiled as she hopped out of bed. "You ARE getting more like Usagi," she giggled as she walked out of the bedroom and into her small living room. "Ouch!" Minako picked up her foot quickly, eyes wide with surprise. She looked down at where the voice had come from, and saw Rei rubbing her head and sitting up on her blankets. "Watch where you're stepping, baka!" Minako put her hands on her hips. "Well, if you're gonna sleep so close to the door, you better be prepared to face the consequences of accidents. What are you trying to do? Impersonate a doormat?" Rei glared. "I didn't know you were so PICKY in where your guests slept over." "I'm not. Just don't camp near the door and blame me when I step on you and squash you to death." Rei grinned wickedly. "And with how much YOU eat, I'd say 'squashing to death' is a likely consequence." "OOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!" Minako squeeled in vexation. "You LITTLE - " "Dame, Minako," Ami muttered while turning over in her spot on the couch. "We don't need to start out the morning like this." Minako and Rei started chattering at each other like angry squirrels as Ami stretched and yawned. A happy morning. Except for Makoto. She was awake, sitting on her sheets on the floor silently. The dreams she had had the night before had been blurry and unclear, but vaguely familiar. That evil feeling washed over her again, but it was different this time. Her body didn't reject it, it welcomed it. A feeling from long ago...her eyes flickered clear, none of the girls noticing. She started to slip out of reality... "Mako-chan?" Makoto's eyes widened. The flickering subsided, and her eyes stayed deep green. She shook her head to clear it. She turned her head to Ami, who was looking at her. "Sleep well?" the blue-haired girl asked. "Nani?" Makoto stuttered a moment, catching her breath. "Uh...hai. I slept...fine." Ami smiled. "Good. Thanks for letting me sleep on the couch - I can't sleep on the floor for some reason. Makoto smiled, feeling her insides melt into a state of calm again. "Daijobu sa. I like the floor." Luna and Artemis walked in, avoiding Minako and Rei, and went over to the two of them. "We gotta wake up to THAT?!" Artemis muttered as he covered his ears to the sound of their bickering. Ami chuckled. "Poor neko. Seems like old times with Usagi and Rei, ne? Guess Rei needed to find someone else to argue with." "But Usagi will always be her favorite," Luna commented as she curled up in Ami's arms. "I'M the one that's conceited!" Minako yelled angrily at Rei. "Never have I ONCE seen you do anything but - " A quick, high-pitched beeping cut her off. She looked up, blinking. "Nani? What's that?" Everyone looked around the room, puzzled. "Where's it coming from?" Artemis asked. Rei slowly got up and listened carefully. She followed the beeping as best she could and came upon a small, navy blue purse. "Ami-chan, I think it's coming from your stuff." Ami got up, puzzled, and went to her purse, picking it up and fishing through it. She finally came out with the source of the noise - her Mercury computer. She pulled it out and flipped open the top, typing quickly as she did so. The others came around her and looked at the screen. Minako frowned. "What's all that stuff on the screen, Ami-chan?" Ami furrowed her brow in concentration as she worked. "I...I'm not sure. It seems it's beeping to tell us of something." "Tell us what?" Ami typed on. "It looks like an energy field has appeared nearby. About 4 km to the North West, at the foot of the mountains." Luna frowned. "What kind of energy field?" Ami's eyes widened as she looked at the small flashing screen. "I...I don't know. But this thing is INCREDIBLY powerful. Moreso than any portal or energy field we've ever dealt with. That must have been why my computer beeped - it was telling us this is urgent." "Is it evil?" Rei asked flatly. Ami shook her head. "Can't tell. But we better check it out." "Right. Ami, you, Mako, and Minako henshin now and get moving," Luna ordered. "Rei-chan, call Usagi. We need her and Mamoru for this." "Hai." The girls pulled out their henshin sticks as Rei pulled out her communicator. "Usagi? Usagi, come in!" ******************************** The morning sun shone bright and full through the apartment windows. No lights were on, but the sunlight flooded the small apartment with beams of yellow. "Usagi? Usagi, come in!" There was not a stir. "Usagi?" No movement. "Usagi?" Nothing. "BAKA-USAGI, PICK UP!!!!" Mamoru shook awake groggily. "Nnnnngggghhhhh?" He blinked his eyes to try to get the sleep out of them. "USAGI!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mamoru frowned. Usagi, fast asleep in his embrace, was still sleeping like a log. Mamoru reached up with a free arm and fumbled over the top of the bedside table, knocking over his car keys and a lamp before finally finding Usagi's locket communicator. He popped it open. "Rei-chan?" "Mamoru-san! Where's Usagi?" "She's still asleep," he said tiredly as he ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair. "What's the matter?" "We need you two to henshin and join us at the foot of the mountains 4 km in the North West in 15 minutes. Ami's computer's picking up readings of an incredibly powerful energy field. We need to see it." "Is it evil?" "Dunno. Just come, O.K.?" Mamoru yawned. "Yeah, O.K." The communicator clicked off, and he tossed it back onto the table. He started to gently shake Usagi. "Usako, Usako, you gotta wake up." Usagi stirred, but only murmured in her sleep as she snuggled deeper into his chest. "Usako, come on." She didn't move. He sighed, then looked down at her face. She looked so peaceful and calm, as beautiful as an angel in rest. His eyes softened. He bent down over her and kissed her deeply, brushing away some stray bangs from her face as he did so. She still didn't move, but he knew she was awake when he felt her hand slowly come up and hold the side of his face. He broke from her slowly, smiling. "Awake?" She smiled and reached up, running her fingers through his hair. "Morning, baby." "Usako, we gotta get going. The senshi called." "Yeah? Why?" He sighed. "Energy field's been spotted. Supposed to be really powerful. The girls want us to..." He trailed off as Usagi put a hand behind his head and pulled him down, kissing him again. "I love you," she whispered to him. He smiled. "Usako, you're so easily gotten off track." He smiled as he pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you more." ********************************* Sailor Mercury frowned as she typed faster. The other three senshi stood around, waiting a bit nervously. Mars looked out into the distance as Venus's eyes trailed up the steep mountainside. "So where is this thing, Mercury?" Luna asked. "Nearby," Ami muttered. "I'm getting the place now." "Where're Usagi and Mamoru?" Minako asked. "They should be here by now." "Well, let's just hope they get here soon," Artemis said. "We may need all the help we can get if this thing turns out to be evil." Makoto stood, silent. She felt something...near...that feeling washing throughout her...her eyes flickering... "Minna-chan!" Ami called out. Makoto snapped back into thought mode. "I got it! It's...up there, in a cave a little bit up the mountainside!" "I don't see a cave," Luna remarked. "It's not visable from here," Ami said. "We need to climb." "Alright," Rei said. "Jupiter, go first, and we'll follow." Makoto nodded, and climbed the rocks without too much trouble. In a few minutes she had gone far enough up the mountain to get off on a ledge. She brushed off her uniform as she saw a cave deeply set into the rock. she thought. It came again. The feeling of evil, slowly washing through her. A familiar, old feeling. It came from the cave. She could feel it take her over. She knew she should fight it, but she couldn't. It washed her over deeply, pulling her in. Calling her. Beckoning to her. Her eyes flickered clear again as she stared into the cave, a soft glow emenating from it. It called to her... Rei pulled herself up onto the ledge. "Nnnngggghhhh. These outfits are NOT fit for mountain climbing. Especially not with the big bows on the chest and the high heels." She brushed some stray hair out of her face as she looked at the cave. "I guess that's it... Jupiter?" She had just noticed Makoto's hypnotic stare into the cave. She went to her. "Jupiter, daijobu?" Makoto's eyes flickered stronger. They were wide and unblinking, staring into the glowing darkness of the cave. She started to walk towards it. Rei gasped and took her arm. "Jupiter, what are you doing?!" Makoto tried to pull her arm away, eyes unmoving from the mouth of the cave. Rei grabbed harder, trying to pull her back. "Mako-chan, stop it!" She desperately tried to pull the taller woman away. "Mako-chan, please! Don't!" Makoto ripped her arm free and continued on. Rei threw her arms around Makoto's torso and dug her feet into the ground. "Mako-chan!" Makoto tried to break free a moment, then lost patience. She slammed the back of her elbow into Rei's face, making the other woman cry out and fall to the ground. Blood seeped out of Rei's nose as her vision grew dark for a moment; she coughed and tried to blink it away, attempting to get up but only managing to fall over again. Makoto was so close to the mouth of the cave...she continued forward. Rei's darkening eyes barely made out Makoto as she began to enter the glowing darkness of the cave. "MAKO-CHAN!" Rei screamed. To be continued... -Gomen nasai, minna chan; this story is NOT coming out good yet! I'm REALLY sorry if you've all been bored to tears. There's been an Usagi and Mamoru shortage so far, and they've had like NO character development! They're acting like stupid, brainless animals or something. I'm SO sorry if you haven't liked this so far, but I PROMISE next part'll be good, and finally get the story moving. Please do not judge this story yet - it'll get a LOT better very soon. Thank you for putting up with me and my short, crappy parts - school's takin' its toll. ^_^; Ja ne! -Lianne (eclipse@ntplx.net)