Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Ghosts of the Past ❯ Chapter 5

When Fiore had retreated from Shikyuu, he really didn't know where he was going. All he really cared was that he got away from the Dark Prince. Away from the burning possessive look in Shikyuu's green eyes. As he floated towards his destination, he felt dirty. Being near Shikyuu always made him feel like that. The way the prince touched him made him feel completely vile and it held him totally helpless. Fiore didn't want Shikyuu's touch, but he could do nothing to stop it. What scared him the most was he was giving in to the helplessness. He had almost let Shikyuu take him back there. Another second, and Fiore would have willing pressed himself against the taller man. The thought made him sick.

 

He kicked himself mentally when he looked at where he appeared. He was in a garden. In the background, a rather familiar palace stood against the sky. He was back in Crystal Tokyo. He was back in the home of his beloved Momaru. His heart must have led him there, because rationally, this was the last place he wanted to be. He didn't belong there. He didn't belong anyplace Mamoru was. Because Mamoru had made it perfectly clear that he didn't want Fiore.

 

And even more, Fiore felt like he was betraying Mamoru by being here. He had already betrayed the King once, when the flower had possessed him. Now, he had almost failed his love again. He had almost given in to Shikyuu. That's what scared him the most. The Dark Price would come for him and he would find him. If Shikyuu found the alien here, he would start to wonder. He would go searching the palace. He would find Mamoru. Fiore had no doubt in his mind what would happen when the Dark Price got his hands of the King.

 

He had to leave, but he was reluctant to do so. Fiore knew why. He loved Mamoru and he wasn't going to go until he could see the man one last time. The dark haired man wouldn't need to know the alien had ever been there. Fiore would just take one look, maybe sit beside Mamoru's bed and watch him sleep, like when they were children. Then he would leave. That was his original plan. It would have worked too. Except for one thing. Fiore's plans were notorious for going wrong.

 

His appearance in the garden hadn't gone unnoticed. He had been so caught up in his own worries that he had failed to notice a couple sitting under the trees watching the stars. The couple had noticed him. So had a pink haired girl picking flowers to make a mock crown. Fiore recognized the little girl immediately. She had been around when he had come to Earth under the possession of the Kisenian flower. She had turned out to be Mamoru's future daughter. It seemed that time hadn't dulled her memory either. “Haruka, Michiru, keep him here. I have to get mother.” She ordered before running into the palace screaming her little head off.

 

Fiore started out of his self pity. The couple from under the trees had started to move. Now that he saw them close up, he noticed that they were both female. Female and transforming. Fiore cursed his bad luck. He wanted to know why every time he tried to get close to Mamoru, the Sailor Scouts seemed to get in his way. He didn't remember these two. They called themselves Uranus and Neptune. Quickly dodging their attacks, he wondered how many of these scouts were out there. They were like roaches or something, every time he turned around, there were more coming out of the woodworks.

 

These scouts were not like the ones he had fought in the past. No, they were much better. They were faster and stronger. That thought alone made him take this fight very seriously. The pair fought as a team, making up for the fact that Fiore was still faster and better than them. The Uranus girl was especially tough. He highly doubted that sending her through a telephone booth would even phase her. The Neptune girl was no pushover either.

 

The trio seemed to dance over the court yard. Fiore dodging magical attacks as he went. Shouts of “World Shaking!“ and “Deep Submerge!“ echoed throughout the garden. Even with these powerful attacks coming straight for him, Fiore managed to dodge. Sometimes they hit a little too close for comfort. He made up for that. Every once in a while he got a good blow in. He managed to get the upper hand for a second. With a shove, fueled by his own power, he knocked the Neptune girl into a tree, rendering her unconscious. That's when he realized he had made a giant mistake. The Uranus girl was growling at him. There was a deadly light in her blue eyes. It was clear that he had hurt her girlfriend and he was going to be in a lot a pain because of it. “Space Sword!”

 

Fiore eyed the sword cautiously. She was challenging him with a sword. Him. He started to laugh low in his throat. Then he tried to recreate his own sword, like he had done so long ago. He couldn't make it appear. Fiore was starting to panic now. The space sword slashed dangerously close to him. Once it cut a few of the pink strands that splashed his bangs. He winced as the sword actually cut his face. All he could do was dodge the Uranus girl. She backed him up against a tree, still growling. Her sword bit into his neck, drawing a bead of blood on it`s edge. Suddenly, he felt a familiar weight in his hand. He had managed to produce his sword. It didn't do him much good, pinned to a tree.

 

The pressure eased off when the Neptune girl regained consciousness. It was all Fiore needed to act. He was pushing Uranus back. She looked at him in shock, as the alien man turned the tables. Fiore had to admit she was good, but there was only one person who could beat him in a sword fight. And that person fought with a black cane. The tide of the battle hadn't changed. The Neptune girl pulled out a mirror. Fiore swallowed his newly mounting fear as the couple started to surround him. He didn't like the look in their grim eyes.

 

That looked quickly changed to surprise. A steel tipped rose implanted itself into the ground at Neptune's feet. Both the scouts looked up, searching the most obvious places. Fiore just stared at the rose. The sword vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He knew that rose. “Mamoru.” he whispered. It was ironic. The man Fiore loved used the rose as a gift as well as a weapon. Sure enough, when Fiore bothered to look up from the rose, Mamoru was standing over head. The King was perched almost gracefully on the tallest, thinnest rose trellis in the garden. Fiore almost expected him to be dressed in that Tuxedo thing. The King was in the cloths Fiore had left him in. His shirt was even halfway unbuttoned.

 

“Enough!” He announced, hopping down from his position. Fiore looked away from the regal man. Mamoru was so beautiful in the moonlight, with the shadows playing on his features. He seemed mad though. Fiore tried to say something, but Mamoru passed him without a word. It was as if the alien standing there was invisible to the King.

 

“Mamoru.” Fiore begged quietly. “Please don't ignore me.” The dark haired man continued, without giving Fiore a glance. He was already talking to the two scouts. Actually, he was whispering. Fiore couldn't make out any of it. By the looks the Uranus girl shot him, Fiore doubted any of it was good. Then Neptune grabbed Uranus and started to haul her away. He finally caught the tail end of what they had been talking about. “It's love, Haruka. Just let it go.” Then the couple was gone, leaving Fiore alone with the thing he feared most. A Mamoru who refused to acknowledge he existed.

 

Momaru turned and stared at Fiore for a very long time. He didn't mean to glair at the long haired alien, but he did. Fiore was more trouble than he was worth. Uranus had been right about that. It also seemed that he was also the man Mamoru would do anything for. He saw Fiore flinch away from the cold stare. Slowly, he started to speak. “Fiore. What the Hell were you thinking? You attacked the Outers! Are you suicidal, or just plain stupid?” Then he winced at what he had just said. His emotions were in knots. He had been so worried about Fiore. He had wanted to go in a stop Haruka from trying to kill the alien. He was also annoyed. It seemed that every time Fiore showed up, he caused trouble. The King placed his fists on his sides and tapped his foot impatiently. It was obvious that he was waiting for an answer and it would have to be a very good one.

 

Fiore caught that anger quickly. He flared up. “It's not like I wanted to come back here. I'm not as dumb as I look you know. You've made it perfectly clear that you don't love me. Well, I...I don`t ....” Fiore couldn't bring himself to say what wasn't true. He felt tears rolling down his cheeks. It would be so easy to tell Mamoru that he didn't like him either. That would be a lie. Fiore hated lies. Up to now his whole life had been one really big lie. There was really no harm in one more. But he knew that if he said it, it would destroy him.

 

Mamoru stood there with his mouth agape. He had made Fiore cry. His Fiore was crying, and is was all his fault. He felt like he should be instantly put to death for doing such a terrible thing. He walked over to wrap his arms around the man. He felt the long aqua hair brushing against his uncovered skin. Silently, he started to wipe away the tears. “Don't... Oh Fiore. I`m sorry. You don`t know how very sorry. I love you.” He whispered. Then he leaned in to kiss Fiore. Instead of lips, he kissed air. Fiore was out of his arms. There were still tears in his eyes. There was something else there. Mamoru was looking at a man who's soul was shattering. In it's place sat the darkness of the world.

 

“You love me?” Fiore asked. He was shocked at the frankness of the statement. It wasn't true. Mamoru had tossed him aside for Sailor Moon. The two were destined to be together. The King was just saying it to make him confused. Fiore didn't need the confusion. He didn't need to have his heart broken once again. He was surprised at the coldness in his voice. He had only used that voice once before, when he had been describing his loneliness to the Sailor Scouts. “Don't lie to me anymore, Mamoru. You owe me that much.” Then Fiore was gone in a flurry of flower. Momaru stood watching him go. He wanted to yell after him, but it was too late. The King wasn't lying. He knew that Fiore knew the truth. Something had just made it a little harder for them both to accept.