Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Her Battle ❯ Homeward Bound ( Chapter 11 )

**Update** MediaMiner has apparently changed the number of genres you can use to describe your story, so I decided to drop the following genres from my story, `martial arts', `drama', and `hentai'. Yes, I did say hentai, which means no yuri scene in this story. I'm sorry if anyone was expecting it but I did say in the first chapter that I wasn't sure if I would include one or not. If it's any consolation, I do plan a sequel eventually that will almost defiantly include one or two. I've also dropped the rating accordingly.

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I hope I can capture Mamoru's personality well. I'm not a fan of him, but I won't make him into jerk like many Usagi/Rei fics do because he's not. Besides, it's too easy if he's a jerk and I think I already said nothing will be easy for Rei.

fan-rei - I understand your confusion with Pluto, but her actions and words will be explained eventually. An attack on the hospital? For that to happen, someone would have to betray the leader of the youma ; )

LightningStrikes - Thank you, I'm much better ^_^ It's very kind of you to wish me well. I'll do my best to update more frequently, but my school starts soon = \

To all my reviewers - Thank you so much, all of you make me so happy when I read that you guys and girls like this. I didn't realize how good it would make me feel to know people like this, but all of you are awesome.

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Chapter 11 - Homeward Bound

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Mamoru stepped out of his apartment and quickly locked the door behind him. He turned to his left and made his way to the elevator he had become familiar with over the last couple weeks. Once inside he selected the ground level on the elevator's control panel. *Ding* After a few short minutes the elevator doors slid open revealing a surprisingly busy lobby, for such an early hour. Mamoru swiftly maneuvered his way past the crowds of people and made his way to the glass double-doors and the doorman.

"Have a splendid day sir." The doorman said as he opened the doors for the taller, black-haired man.

Mamoru said nothing and continued outside. `A splendid day?' Mamoru thought as he turned down the street towards a small café he had been visiting frequently since he discovered it the previous week. `I don't think I've had a splendid day since I've left Tokyo. No…not Tokyo, since I left her.' Mamoru thought and dropped his head, but continued toward his destination down the street. He was so could up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice he was being trailed by a tall woman with long black hair with a green tint to it. `This was my choice, though. I know I broke her heart with my words, but it is for the best.'

Before he knew it he was in front of his destination, `Java Time'. Mamoru pushed open the door, causing a bell to ring and alerting any workers that they had a costumer. The place was near empty, save for two people dressed in business attire chatting over two cups of coffee; they had obviously stopped in for a caffeine fix before heading off to work. `I wish I had something like work to distract me.' Mamoru thought and turned away from the pair. Mamoru headed to his right and to a small booth, his usually spot.

Shortly after sitting down a young girl, she couldn't be any older than nineteen, walked up to Mamoru's booth. She was dressed all in black and had black hair that ended just above her shoulders. In her left hand she was carrying a round tray and in her right she had a notepad.

"What will it be today, Mamoru?" the girl said cheerfully.

Mamoru looked up with a somber face, "The usual."

Instead of writing down the order, she set down the items she was carrying and sat down across from a man she had become quite familiar with in the last week. "Why so glum?" she questioned.

"Shouldn't you be working instead of sitting down here with me? Won't your boss be upset?" Mamoru said apprehensively.

"Nah, he's a good guy. It's not like it's overflowing with customers, ya know?" the girl said dismissively. "What's got you so down today? What's on your mind, I'll listen."

Mamoru smiled despite himself, `She's got good heart, like…' "I'm just thinking about the past, the future, and a little bit about the present. About how much I miss Tokyo."

By saying `Tokyo' she knew he was talking more about a person than a place. "If you still love her why don't you go back to her?" the girl asked. In the week Mamoru had been coming into her work all she had learned was that his name was Mamoru and that he had left someone very important behind in Tokyo. She didn't usually take an interest in her costumers, but not everyone who came into her workplace looked so depressed. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, she couldn't stand seeing someone utterly miserable. So she set her mind on cheering this man up in any way she could, even if that was just listening to him.

"Because it's complicated…it's just complicated." Mamoru said once he found the right words.

"What do you mean `complicated'? Doesn't she love you?" the girl asked somewhat confused.

Mamoru smiled genuinely, "Oh yeah, by the grace of some benevolent being I have somehow been given her love." The dark haired girl looked even more confused by this statement, upon seeing the expression the girl was giving him he decided to precede his explanation further, though he didn't quite understand why. His smile dropped and he continued, "But that's not the problem. I think…no…I know she loves someone else too and I think she may love this person more than she loves me."

"Did you even ask her about it?" the girl questioned.

Mamoru shook his head, "No, but I didn't have to. I know, even if she doesn't herself." Mamoru said dejectedly.

The girl looked at him sadly, what could she say? She couldn't exactly tell the poor guy to get over it and cheer up. She reached across the table and took his hand in her own and squeezed it, "I'm sorry. I may not have any right to say this, but is it really better to have cut her out of your life entirely? Because, to me, that decision hasn't seemed to have made you happy."

Mamoru was openly shocked at the girl's words. `I did do the right thing, right?' Mamoru questioned himself.

The girl stood up and released Mamoru's hand and walked towards the counter to fill his order. Shortly after she left she returned with the man's black coffee. Setting it down on the table she said, "Here ya go."

"Th-thank you." Mamoru got out causing the girl to smile. She turned to walk away but Mamoru spoke up, stopping her. "I'm sorry I never asked before, but what's your name?"

The girl smiled brightly and pointed to her name tag proudly, "Serena, I'm Serena Anderson."

"Serena's a nice name, it suits you I think." Mamoru said.

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Setsuna watched from across the street as Mamoru enter the small coffee shop, `The prince looks really depressed.' Setsuna thought as she continued staring at the building Mamoru had just entered. It had been surprisingly easy for her to track him down, it appeared that Mamoru had made no effort to hide his location or maybe fate was giving her a helping hand. Being the Senshi of Time, her fellow senshi have come to assume that she is privy to infinite knowledge, and even though she has access to more information, she still has limits to her knowledge. The Gate of Time is a tricky thing and threads of time can be woven so thick that some things are almost indiscernible, even for her. This time happened to one of those points, she couldn't be certain she was making the correct decision.

`I've come too far to turn back now anyway. Besides, this is my decision and I will accept any repercussions because of this. I'm not just a tool of fate, am I? No, I came to this decision after weighing all the consequences and concluded this to be the best course of action, it wasn't chosen for me.' Setsuna took one more look at the small café before turning around and heading in the direction she had followed Mamoru from. `It's time I got started.'

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`It's boring being stuck in here.' Rei thought as she looked up at the ceiling. She had been told to get some sleep by Ami's mother, but she wasn't sleepy. So here she was lying in a hospital bed staring up at the ceiling counting the number of tiles for what seemed like the hundredth time, there were 32 no matter how many times she counted. `This is so frustrating, I have half a mind to just get the hell out of here…but I told Usagi I wouldn't' Rei thought.

"Chikusho!" Rei cursed and turn over on to her side, only to curse again, "Chikusho! I forgot got about my side, this really sucks." Rei grabbed her side and turned on to her back again. `I would rather be home and in my own room, I need to meditate. I'm sure Jii-chan will have a couple things to say to me'

Rei sighed and continued her inspection of the ceiling. `Morning can't come soon enough. Maybe I'll be allowed to go home tomorrow.' Rei thought optimistically. Her logical side told her that that was nearly impossible, but that didn't stop her from hoping. Rei began looking around the room to see if anything could amuse her for a little while, at least until she really did get tired, when she heard the door to her room creak open. Rei half expected it to be another doctor or nurse coming in to check up on her, `Don't doctors usually knock before entering, though?' Rei thought and then another thought crossed her mind, `Could it be youma coming to attack? I couldn't sense any evil aura, but I couldn't be sure.'

Rei readied herself in case she needed to defend herself. The tall figure walked into the room and approached Rei, "Who are you?" Rei demanded.

"Relax Rei, it's only me." Haruka said turning on a small light near the bed.

"Jeez Haruka, can't you announce yourself when you enter a room!" Rei said angrily.

"I thought you were asleep. I didn't mean to scare ya." Haruka said apologetically.

"I wasn't scared." Rei denied.

"Uh-huh…sure Rei." Haruka said sarcastically.

"Aren't visiting hours over? What did you come here for?" Rei asked the irritation evident in her voice.

"Well, I promised Bunny I would check up on you and I did want to see how you were doing for myself." Haruka said

"She didn't think I still had plans of escaping this place, did she?" Rei asked.

"No, but she was worried about you and I can't say I blame her, she was really upset when you passed out." Haruka said.

"Please don't remind me." Rei implored with a downcast expression.

"Alright I won't, but can you at least tell me how you're doing?" Haruka asked.

"I've defiantly felt better, but I could be worse. How Michiru doing?" Rei asked.

Haruka's face glowed in a way it only does when she talks about her lover, "She doing really good actually. The doctors are saying she could probably leave in couple days. She still doesn't really remember that night and I don't expect she will since the doctors said if she didn't remember by now she wasn't likely to remember at all. I don't think she'll be fighting too soon either, even though she's leaving the hospital, she still needs to rest." Haruka explained and paused for a few seconds, "Bunny and Ami told me what happened, thanks for handling the youma from the other night. I would have liked another shot at him, but as long as he's gone that's what matters." Haruka said.

"He didn't give me much of a choice, if I didn't kill him; he was going to kill me." Rei said calmly.

"So he knew who you were before you transformed, huh?" Haruka asked.

"Yeah, don't ask me how though, because I don't know. I'm hoping to get out of here soon so I can meditate on it." Rei said, still being a little irritated that she had to be stuck at the hospital.

"I'm sure they'll let you leave soon, just show them that attitude of yours and they won't be able to kick you out of here soon enough." Haruka said teasingly.

"Ha…ha…ha, very funny" Rei replied sarcastically and heard soft knocking on the door. "Haruka, go hide in the bathroom. If you're caught in here you'll be the one who is kicked out, I was already told no more visitors tonight." Rei instructed; Haruka nodded and ran into the restroom when the door began opening.

The door opened fully and visitor stepped inside, Rei fully expected her to check up on her. "Hello Mizuno-san." Rei said.

"I thought I told you to get some rest, Rei." Mizuno-san said.

"Yeah, but I'm really not tired." Rei replied.

`Ami wasn't kidding, she is one stubborn girl.' She thought and let out a sigh. "Well, since you're awake can you tell me how you're feeling, honestly?"

"I'm fine." Rei stated.

"What about your side, any pain?" Mizuno-san asked.

"Not really. It is sore, but it's bearable." Rei said truthfully.

"Alright, I'm putting my faith in you that you're not lying to me, but…" Mizuno-san glanced at her watch, "its one thirty in the morning and want you to promise you'll get some sleep." Mizuno-san said turning off the light.

"I promise." Rei said. Shortly after Rei heard the door to the room being shut again. "You can come out now!" Rei called to Haruka.

The sandy haired blond stepped out of the restroom and walked back over to Rei, "I should leave so you can rest, it'll do you good. I'm sure Ami told you that sleeping speeds up our healing even more, so get some sleep." Haruka said and started towards the door.

"Wait, can I ask you one thing before you go?" Rei asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Haruka said and turned back around.

"When I went back to the shrine, before I passed out, I didn't see Setsuna there. Was I already out of it and she really was there or was she absent?" Rei questioned.

"You weren't out of it, she wasn't there." Haruka answered.

"I see, do you know where she was by chance?" Rei asked.

"I can't say that I do, but don't worry about it. I'm sure wherever she was and whatever she was doing was of importance." Haruka said confidently.

"Alright thanks. I'll see you later then." Rei said.

"Yeah, sleep well tonight." Haruka said before quietly leaving the room.

`Why did Setsuna agree to speak with me and then never show up at all?' Rei thought then yawned. `I guess that thought will have to wait for another time. I'm finally getting tired, I guess.' Rei thought before yawning again. `It was a long day after all. Sleeping is not so bad, at least there I can dream. No one can take my dreams away from me; at least there I know Usagi loves me.' Rei thought before at last she gave in to exhaustion.

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Mamoru walked slowly into the building that he had become familiar with in the recent weeks. He didn't feel happy by any means but he felt relief as if after speaking with that girl, Serena, at the café had lifted a weight off his shoulders. Frankly he didn't know why he talked so openly with her, he didn't even really know her, but he didn't regret it, he hadn't really spoken to anyone since he had come to this city. Mamoru had made it to the elevator when he heard someone call his name.

"Mr. Chiba, Mamoru Chiba!"

Mamoru turned around to see the hotel desk clerk waving him over, `What would he want with me? I already paid the bill for a month in advance.' Mamoru thought as he proceeded to the clerk. "Yes, what is it?" Mamoru asked.

"Well sir, I have this letter for you." the man said and reached into the desk pulling out an envelope.

`A letter?' Mamoru thought to himself.

"It arrived a short time ago." he said handing the letter to Mamoru.

Mamoru took the offered envelope and opened it slowly, unsure of whom would send this because he had told no one what city he was in let alone where he was staying. Mamoru began reading the letter, after a few lines his eyes widened, "Who gave you this!?" Mamoru demanded loudly, slamming his, letter holding, hand into the desk, and drawing attention from everyone in the lobby, but Mamoru didn't care.

"I-I can't say. The per…person made me pro…promise not to say." the clerk stuttered.

"What?!" Mamoru yelled and felt a hand on his shoulder. Mamoru turned his head and saw a rather large security guard standing beside him.

"I have to ask you to calm down sir." the security guard said.

Mamoru brushed his hand off, "Don't touch me!" Mamoru said in a warning tone before turning back to the desk clerk, "I'm checking out! I'll go collect my stuff and leave." Mamoru said before walking briskly to the doors that lead to the stairs.

End Ch.11

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Wow, I never thought I would devote so much of this chapter to Mamoru. I guess it only makes sense since I've made no mention of what he's been doing; I had a lot of ground to cover. Did I portray Mamoru well? I hope so. I want him to be as true to his character as possible, I don't remember the anime or manga ever portraying him as depressed though, but it has been a while since I've watched or read either. Anybody like the name of the coffee shop girl : ) If Rei had a different last name in the dub I would have used that but since she didn't I went with Ami's dub last name, personally I think it sounds good. Anyone curious about what the letter said? Well I'm not telling : P, not yet at least or maybe ever /evil grin/.

I could have made this longer, but it ended in the right spot I think. I promise more characters will be in the next chapter, not three or four like the last couple chapters. That's about all I've got to say, so until next time, Ja ne!