Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Absent Moon ❯ Mamoru & the True Enemy of Cephiro ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: All characters, places and quotes of Magic Knight Rayearth are copyright CLAMP, Kodansha, Dentsu, YTV, TMS-K & Anime Works. All Sailor Moon references and characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, TOEI, Kodansha & Pioneer. All references to "The Sleeper" or "The Sleeper has awakened" were subconsciously pulled out of my mind. At the time it was written, I didn't realize it was from Dune. Dune was written and is copywrited by Frank Herbert.

Shadow of the Absent Moon
- Mamoru & the True Enemy of Cephiro -

"Blood, blood everywhere and not a drop to drink."

Mamoru felt a shoe dig into his side. That was what woke him up.

"Wake up. Wake up, Sleepy One. The sun has gone away."

He opened his eyes. Well, eye. The other was encased in dried blood. The first thing he saw was a trail of blood in the dirt. Then, a foot came down in front of his face.

"The Sleeper awakens. Tell me, Sleeper. Who are you? Where did you come from?"

Who is he? Chiba Mamoru. Where did he come from? Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower...

The light...

Usagi lying in a puddle of blood...

Usagi's dead.

NO! I've failed her again. I didn't protect her. Usagi...

Usako...

"Usako, we'll get out of here. I promise."

No! Not again.

"Sleeper?" The face that invaded Mamoru's grief was that of a child. She couldn't have been more than twelve. The tone in her voice suggested she was much older. "Answer me."

"It doesn't matter," he said swallowing a sob. "Nothing matters anymore."

She smiled coldly. "You should meet my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Uh, huh. Mother Debonair. She will take care of you." The child moved as if to help him sit up.

Mamoru slapped her hands away, sitting up without help.

The girl sat on her heels, grinning. "Come with me!"

He didn't want to go anywhere. He wanted to lie back on the cold dirt and let death take him. It was only fair. A death for a death. "Where?"

"To see my mother, silly. You'll love her. She already loves you."

Dizziness washed over Mamoru for a second, causing him to sway. She loves me? Call me strange, but this doesn't sound entirely sane. "Why should I go with you?"

The question threw the girl. She frowned hard enough to split her face before smiling again. "Because you are alone like me. Mother Debonair has given me what I need to be happy. She can give you what you want, too. She loves you." In the middle of her speech, the girl jumped up and spun around hugging herself. "Hikaru! I'll see you soon and then we can play!"

She stopped, noticing Mamoru again. "You see? You see what Mother Debonair can give you?"

He so totally didn't, but he wasn't about to say that. The girl looked too... unstable.

"Come, come. She's waiting. Mother doesn't like to wait."

Mamoru stared at the small hand dangling in front of his face.

"What is it that you most desire?"

He didn't answer out loud. He knew that what he wanted he could never have.

Usagi.

The girl leaned in, lips almost touching his ear. "She can give you that too."