Before we start.. some questions/comments I'd like to address..
Alex – Yea. I kind of noticed that too. And I'm trying to fit more romance in there (honestly I am ) but… just bear w/ me.. I need the action plotline to actually play out too
Amanda – Thanks for the LONG review… Haven't gotten one of those in a while.. Your excitement is the best gift for an author. thanks for the advice too.
moonfan2012 – wow.. good catch… I didn't even realize that. The thing is, I started this story when I was 12 or so.. and back then.. all I knew was the dub version of Sailor Moon.. when I started watching the subbed later seasons of the series, I started getting used to the Japanese names. The reason Neptune and Uranus have their Japanese names in this is because I didn't even think of adding them to the story until a few years after watching the sub version. In fact, I was thinking of just changing the names halfway through this story (from English dub to Japanese) .. but I guess that would be too weird.. anyway, enough rambling. Thanks for the catch once again.. I've gone and changed it.
Goodbye, My Love – Chapter 21
"WORLD SHAKING!"
"BURNING MANDALA!"
"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!"
A cloud of debris filled the air. The Senshi waited with bated breaths. Slowly the haze cleared enough for them to see a hole had clearly been formed in the center of the obstacle separating them from Sailor Uranus.
"Yes!" Sailor Moon leaped for joy. Now, the only problem would be getting Darien to wake up. Looking down at the still unconscious man, she felt her joy diminish a little.
"Venus!" The princess looked up to see the Senshi of Love stop in her tracks and turn around to the fiery miko in question. Mars shook her head, muttering under her breath at how careless the blonde was.
"Just in case," the raven-haired girl mumbled as she picked up a rock off the floor and tossed it through the opening. It flew through without problem and landed safely on the other side, a small distance from Uranus. Satisfied, Mars walked past Venus who still stood with a confused look. Holding onto a small amount of suspicion, the miko sucked in a breath and walked through the opening. Nothing happened. She let out her breath in relief.
"Alright." She turned back around to her friends. "Let's get going." She glanced at Max, who was still holding his arm, his face grimacing every few seconds, then at Darien. "Uranus, can you carry him?" Mars directed over her shoulder. Behind her, Uranus nodded and walked the short distance towards the miko and her friends.
"This way." The Senshi of Wind shifted the weight on her back as she continued to lead the way down the dark pathway.
"Are you sure?" Sailor Moon asked as she looked worriedly at Darien. He really needs help… fast… The amount of blood that had drenched the man's shirt bothered her greatly. The stab wound wasn't big, but it was deep. The amount of blood could lend testimony to that. The facts terrified her. She couldn't lose him again. Not when she had just started to trust him again. If anything happened to him, she didn't think she would be able to recover. It would be too big a blow to her mental state. Sailor Moon shook her head, trying to clear it of these dark thoughts.
"Yea. I'm sure." Uranus responded after some thought. If we continue down this way, we should get back to the disappearing door. At least.. I hope so..
The group had finally reached the door. The problem was, it wouldn't open. Great! Another door that doesn't open. Uranus let out a frustrated groan. Glancing around her, she could tell that Mars and Venus were just as frustrated, not to mention Max who could do nothing more than stand and watch. Uranus sighed as she saw the flickers of pain cross the Love Senshi's face. The girl wasn't fairing well at all. The taller blonde could tell she was trying her hardest just to stand upright with her injured leg. Sailor Mars, Sailor Moon and herself were the only people who were uninjured at the minute. Uranus glanced at the princess who was sitting on the floor behind them. Not like.. she's much help.. The only thing on her mind right now is her prince…
"I don't like this Darien," Sailor Moon whispered to the man she held in her arms. She had long since sat down on the floor, ignoring the biting chill of the rough surface. Uranus, with unexpected understanding, had lowered the man into her arms, his back to her front. Then, the three scouts had tried everything they could think off to get the door to open, but it just refused to budge. Sailor Moon tightened her embrace.
She could feel the wetness from his soaked shirt as she forced herself not to cry. His blood was seeping onto her hands, its warmth long since gone leaving only icy coldness, making her fingers feel numb. She felt so helpless. There was nothing she could do. Not that it mattered if they couldn't get out of here any way. They were probably all good as dead if they couldn't escape from the place. The princess was surprised they hadn't already been executed.
Sailor Moon sighed again as she looked down at the black-haired man in her embrace. There is so much I have to say to you.. So much that has yet been resolved.. you can't leave me now.. I-I love you.. The blonde closed her eyes as tears threatened to fall again.
"Serena?" The princess jerked up suddenly from the voice, unintentionally disturbing Darien's injury. The prince groaned in response. Sailor Moon stared, shocked as the man slowly opened his pain-filled eyes. She didn't know if she should laugh or cry, smile or frown. In the end, the choice was made for her as her eyes filled with more tears.
Smiling despite the pain, Darien reached up and wiped away the tears spilling onto his love's cheeks. They looked long and hard at each other, both trying to convey the emotions wrecking havoc in their systems.
Unconsciously, they had started to lean their faces closer to the other. There wasn't more than three inches separating them now. Bracing herself, Serena closed the remaining distance. Darien nearly gasped from the exquisite feeling of Serena's lips on his. It was undoubtedly the sweetest nectar on earth and he realized with stark clarity just how much he had missed it.
The kiss was short, but both pulled away breathing heavily. Serena could still feel her heart racing as she continued to stare into darkened blue orbs. A deep blush graced her cheeks. It had been so long since she had kissed him.
Lita watched as the sun set. She got up from the chair she had previously occupied, frustration evident on her features. She couldn't take it anymore. The wait had become unbearable. While Lita had determined to leave right around noon, Michiru had sat her down and somehow coaxed her into waiting till night. And so, as the hours passed, she only felt herself getting increasing anxious.
"It's time." Lita regarded the other woman. Michiru glanced up at the brunette. She then turned to look out the window. The sun was just setting. I thought I said night? Turning her attention back to the younger woman, Michiru shook her head in defeat. Impatience was written all over Lita's face. The older woman knew she wouldn't be able to hold the brunette back.
It wasn't as if she wasn't worried out of her mind at the minute either. She was worried, distressed even. However despite the unease, she was still trying to think with a clear mind. Haruka had taught her to never cloud her judgment, to never let her emotions get in the way, not even when the blonde was involved. In fact, especially not when the blonde was involved.
Her resolve had been strong until she had taken one look at Lita. One look, and her anxiety could no longer be kept in check. One look and she was standing up as well. Michiru nodded at the brunette. Wasting no time, Lita grabbed her communicator and strode to the door, Michiru hot on her heels.
Max squeezed his eyes shut, hoping it would block out some of the pain. He was dismayed to find the effort useless. In fact, the action only seemed to cause his arm to throb more painfully.
Arg.. Stop being such a baby! Look around you! This is nothing compared to the pain Darien is going through. Max mentally berated himself as he barely made out Serena and Darien's figures in the darkness.
The man sighed and shook his head. He was so useless. There was nothing he could do to help. Nothing. Gritting his teeth, he glanced at Sailor Venus. She appeared ready to collapse at any minute and yet she held herself steady as she aided Mars and Uranus in trying to blast the door open with magic.
She's so strong. How could I ever measure up to her? He shook his head furiously, cursing his weakness. He hated being so weak. While he was usually in no way a wimp, the current circumstances were making him feel much like one. He could no longer conjure up that feeling of confidence in his ability to defend himself, because he couldn't. Not against these inhuman things that he had been made aware of not a fortnight ago.
Under different circumstances, he would be more than capable of protecting his friends. All those years of Karate weren't for nothing after all. However, this was not under different circumstances. He had found himself ensnared in a world that he didn't know existed. Sure he had heard of the stories before. All the stories that had traveled the globe, all the stories with claims of supernatural activity in Japan. He definitely knew of them. He just never knew he would be faced with its reality.
"Venus!" The shout shook him out of his thoughts and he watched in panic as Sailor Venus crumbled to the ground. It took a minute before he realized he was already dashing towards her, his pain all but forgotten.
"Mina!" He got there just as she was about to hit the ground. The blonde fell violently into his arms, the sheer force of the impact knocking them both to the ground, her on top of him. Max didn't let go. The feeling of the petite blonde in his arms was too enjoyable. He didn't want to let the feeling go.
Sailor Venus didn't know what to do. On the one hand, she was ecstatic to be in the arms of the man that she had somehow grown fond despite the few number of days she had known him. While she wasn't certain of what it was that she felt for him, she was confident that it was more than friendship she felt for the man. After all, friends wouldn't have acted like she had when he had gotten hurt earlier. The memory of that incident returned and she found herself grinning at the dumbstruck expression that had covered Max's face as she had turned to walk away. Definitely something deeper than friendship. But what?
"Mina?" The blonde raised her head slightly, blushing hotly when she found herself face to face with Max. Concern was etched across his features. This trivial finding paled in comparison to the next little detail Venus noticed and the blonde suddenly felt short of breath. They were close enough for her to feel his breath on her face. If she only leaned in a little closer...
"Mina! Are you alright?" Venus jolted at Mars' worried voice, quickly pushing away from Max so that she now sat besides him and not on him. She stared at the ground, willing her face to return to its normal color.
"I'm fine!" she stammered, looking up at Mars and Uranus, both having rushed towards her when they had seen her falter. Anywhere but at him.
Max was confused. Is it just me or does it seem like she's avoiding me? He eyed the back of the blonde's head quizzically. Before he could voice his misgivings, the blonde was already struggling to stand up. With both hands flat on the ground beside her, she was attempting to push herself back up. She slowly stood up on shaky legs and would have fallen if it weren't for the Mars and Uranus coming to her rescue.
"You shouldn't force yourself. Rest a while," Uranus advised. Venus plastered on a smile in an attempt to hide the pain and weariness she really felt. She couldn't just sit and do nothing. She wasn't called the leader of the Senshi for nothing after all.
"No, really. I'm fine. I just felt a little tired earlier. Sorry to worry you."
"Mina.. I think you should sit for a while." Venus snapped her head towards the Fire Senshi, ready to rebuke her friend's suggestion. She was about to retort when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She froze. There could be only one person that hand belonged to.
"Mina. Just. Sit." Venus turned around slowly. She was slightly annoyed that he was ordering her around. Who did he think he was? However, at the sight of him, she suddenly felt weak. His eyes were stormy, clouded with many emotions, all fighting for dominance. She thought she had caught something in his eyes just then and then it had disappeared. It was something she couldn't quite decipher. Was it concern? Anger? Love? Dare she hope that it was the latter? Nonetheless, it had left her speechless.
"You know your right leg can't take anymore." The adamant tone of voice he used left no argument. Knowing she had lost, Mina nodded.
"So.. What should we do now?" Uranus spared a glance towards the raven-haired woman next to her before returning her attention to the seemingly invincible door. "We can't just sit here forever…" She heard the Mars sigh next to her.
"For once.. I have no idea..," the fiery miko replied. She turned her head slightly to the left, noting that they were now all just sitting against the wall in a cramped passageway. This was hopeless. How would they ever get out of this place?
"Uranus.. didn't you say you saw a youma enter through this door?" Sailor Uranus nodded. "Why hasn't another come through here again… And is it even possible for them to not have come to investigate? We were making a hell lot of noise with our attacks."
"Who knows?" Uranus shrugged. She rested the back of her head on the wall, too tired to even wonder about Mars' words.
"Do you think Neptune and Jupiter will come for us?" While they could barely see her, they could both distinguish that the voice belonged to Sailor Moon. Sailor Mars smiled. Just like their princess to always be such an optimist.
"I'm sure they will Serena.." They heard Darien's weak reply before either of them could rush to reassure the princess. They both smiled. And it was just like their prince to try to keep her spirits up.
"So.. Serena.. when's the wedding?" Sailor Venus teased. They all chuckled weakly as they each pictured the blush the princess now wore on her face. And as usual, Darien would be grinning, undoubtedly amused.
"W-What are you talking about Mina?!" It only made them laugh harder, glad that they could take their mind of their current predicament, if only for a few minutes.
Abruptly the laughter stopped. They could hear fighting on the other side of the door. It was unmistakable. They could hear Jupiter and Neptune shouting out the names of their attacks. Hope and anxiety revived, they all sprang into motion.
"Serena." Sailor Mars said before the blonde could attempt to stand up. "Just stay put." Sailor Moon was about to protest when she felt Darien squeeze her hand.
"Just do as she says for once." The princess huffed, but decided to obey the order.
"Alright.. since this door is supposed to be invisible.. We better make some noise," Sailor Uranus stated, one hand already on the door. Sounds of agreement. Sailor Uranus grinned. "Let's get out of here."
"Did you hear that?" Sailor Neptune whispered to the brunette standing back to back with her. She didn't dare look at the other woman as that would require her to take her eyes off of the youma that surrounded them in a circle.
"Yea." Jupiter looked at the she faced warily. There were too many of them. They needed help and they needed it fast.
"I think it's the others." Neptune heard an affirmative grunt coming from the brunette. "It's coming from your direction." Another affirmative from the brunette. "Alright, here's the plan. I'll distract them while you make a run for it." She felt the brunette tense and hurriedly stopped her before Jupiter could argue. "Don't. We won't get out of this alive if we can't find the others. It's our only chance."
Jupiter growled. She could see the logic behind the other woman's words clearly. It was obviously the reasonable thing to do. But could she just let Neptune make that sacrifice?
"On a count of 3. Please just do as I say Jupiter." The Senshi of Thunder sighed. She couldn't disobey that pleading tone. She gave a reluctant yes. Neptune nodded, satisfied.
"One.." Neptune took a deep breath.
"Two.." She braced herself and got ready to attack.
"Three!" The turquoise-haired woman turned in Sailor Jupiter's direction, dismissing the millions of signals her body was sending her to turn back around, to not let her opponents out of her sight.
"DEEP SUBMERGE!" The attack had cleared a path in the throng of youma. "GO!" Neptune pushed the brunette forward and after a second's hesitation and one last look over her shoulder, Jupiter was dashing away from her.
The door opened, granting some much needed light to the occupants on the other side. Despite the searing sensation in their eyes the light caused, the welcomed it whole-heartedly. It seemed like eons since they had last seen any light. It truly was the gift of the gods. And as their visions adjusted they found an even greater gift.
"Are you guys okay?" Sailor Jupiter stood in the center of the doorway, the light casting an angelic glow about her. Her response came in the form of six relieved smiles. However, she knew it was no time to celebrate. They still had to go free Neptune of her burden. It would be a long time before this was over.
A/N:
Yea.. slightly longer chapter.. took quite some time to write.. DAMN THIS WRITER'S BLOCK..
Anyhow.. please review and I will try to update soon despite the writer's block \