Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Grey ❯ And Then There was.... ( Chapter 5 )

Title: Shades of Gray

Author: Moonlight Storm

E-mail: MoonlightStormSM@aol.com

Genre: Romance/Action/Adeventure

Season: 1st

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Usagi is changed into a vampire a year before becoming Sailor Moon. As her soulmate, Mamoru is changed too but doesn't know why or how it's happening.

AN's at the bottom....

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. If, by chance, I somehow manage to learn more than my current 30-odd words of Japanese and just HAPPEN to meet the ever illusive Takeuchi Naoko who just desperately wants me to become the new owner of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, I'll let you know.

Shades of Gray

Chapter 5

"I'll take care of it, don't worry. Now go to the youma attack. I'll be there shortly, it's at the new bank downtown."

Usagi nodded, "Hai, see you there," climbed out the window, and took off running down the street.

The black cat then crept gently through the window and padded silently through the deserted hallway, claws sheathed. Just when the poor cat thought the hallways might never end, an opening appeared in front of her. It looked to be the main office.

Hard-backed, stiff chairs lined the wall, with harsh lighting glaring from fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling. The receptionist's desk was in front of her, with the woman at work on the computer. Luna sidled innocently up to her, met her rising gaze, and locked onto it.

"Luna Mind Meld," (AN: I have no clue what she said or if she said anything in the original as I'm confined to the dub when she used it in that first SMR episode. I also don't know if she could do that, but it's a wicked trick so I'll use it anyway. :-P) she kept her eye on the woman, "Tsukino Usagi was pulled from school by her mother for a doctors appointment, she will need no note tomorrow for an admittance slip. You already checked it off but misplaced the note so it won't be on file. This is an excused absence."

The receptionist nodded mutely.

A few moments later the woman blinked and found a small black cat sitting patiently by the door.

"Kitty, how did you get in here?" she exclaimed while opening the door to let the trapped cat outside.

"Now what was I doing…" eyes went blank and glassy for a mere second, and then comprehension dawned. "Ah yes, Tsukino."

Usagi screeched to a halt in front of the youma site.

"Whoa, this one's doing some major damage."

The doorway had been smashed open, leaving debris scattered over the area. Ducking around to the side of the building, away from prying eyes, everything was surprisingly intact. After taking a cursory glance about her, she raised a delicate hand above her head, "Moon Prism Power, Make up!"

Only moments later the Senshi of the Moon stood there in full uniform.

Mamoru had been reading one of his textbooks while lounging on his luxurious couch, when the pain hit him. And then he was no longer Mamoru, but Tuxedo Kamen. Now there was nothing left to do besides follow the link to the battle.

"Oh, where's Luna," the girl sighed.

"Can't be helped, she'll be here soon. Since when have I been dependant on a cat anyway?"

Sailor Moon stepped into the opening at the front of the building, unknowingly casting an enchanting dark silhouette of herself against the contrast of the bright sun.

"Hold it right there! Ai to seigi no, serafuku bishoujo senshi, Sera Muun! Tsukini kawatte, oshikiyo!" (AN: Roughly translated: For love and justice, I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!) she declared while performing her hand gestures. Then she caught sight of the youma and barely held back a fit of laughter.

The youma had its head turned to the Senshi while hunched over the prone bodies of bank tellers and costumers. It was just above the height of an exceptionally tall man, and in the shape of a giant dollar bill; complete with arms, legs, and a plainly visible female form. Without a word spoken, the youma sent a barrage of flaming bills in Sailor Moon's direction.

She dove narrowly out of the way much to the happiness of a pair of watchful eyes from an outside window. "Sailor Moon!" Luna's voice resonated off the walls making the Senshi unable to pinpoint the guardian's location. In the moment when Sailor Moon wasn't looking at it, the youma chose to strike. Another set of dollar bills was sent the Senshi's way who remained oblivious to the danger. Which gave Tuxedo Kamen a chance for his debut.

A single rose whistled through the air immediately halting the youma's attack. Sailor Moon and Luna's heads whipped to the savior, "Sailor Moon, you must finish the youma," claimed the un-named masked superhero while stepping gingerly through the bits of shattered bricks to the Senshi's side.

But the youma wasn't finished yet. With Tuxedo Kamen as a distraction, she sent another attack at the pair. They both dove toward the vault, which had been blown open previously by one of the energy blasts. The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen landed gracefully within the confines of the vault.

It was then that a horrible cackling filled the air.

"So, we have people who will oppose us now, do we? Sailor Moon, isn't it? But just WHO is the masked savior?"

The Senshi of the Moon took a defiant step forward and tossed her head balefully, "Then who would that make you?" she scoffed.

He bowed mockingly from his safe perch in the air, "Jadeite, first General for my mistress, Queen Beryl."

He smiled charmingly, "Have fun!" was the proclamation he made while slamming the vault's door shut, locking the Moon Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and the youma in together.

"Jadeite!" the General snapped to attention at the ringing voice of his Queen.

"Put an energy seal around it, I want that youma to have enough time to kill them."

"Yes my Queen," this time there wasn't a hint of mockery in the bow, "Consider it done."

Waving his hand in an arc around the door entering into the vault, a string of energy followed his movements allowing nothing to escape its walls for a period of time. With that done, he opened a warp hole that would bring him back to the lair of the Dark Kingdom.

Luna had watched these events quietly behind a piece of scrap metal, which might have once been a part of the countertop. She had to trust Sailor Moon to destroy the youma right now, but she COULD go out searching for reinforcements.

Inside the vault, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen had devised a pattern. He would distract the youma with accurate hits from his roses while Sailor Moon would send her tiara out to do some damage. The youma was almost dusted, only a few more hits left to go.

`Just a little more…'

Sailor Moon sent out her questing tiara once more, and the youma was no more. One of the problems was solved, but that only let more come in to fill its place.

"Eh, arigato for helping me defeat that youma."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded.

"Um… What should I call you?" she continued.

The eyes behind the mask surveyed her before replying shortly, "Tuxedo Kamen."

He then strode over to the vault door, only to find it wouldn't budge.

"So we're stuck?" the Senshi of the Moon ventured.

"Hai, but I don't think its something physical holding the door closed. I don't know how long we'll be stranded here."

Sailor Moon mimicked his earlier movement by nodding her head, "Luna should communicate soon with me."

The dark man quirked an eyebrow, "Luna?"

She hurried to explain, "My guardian. She's what awakened me to my duties as Sailor Moon. Why do you help me?" she asked abruptly.

He shrugged.

"Why not?"

Her eyes narrowed imperceptibly, `Ok, so he doesn't like to talk about himself. I can work around that.'

Luna dashed hurriedly down the street in search of the Mizuno residence, which she had just checked for in a phone book in a deserted area. The cat skid to a halt in front of a large brick home, so large it could almost be considered a mansion. It was three stories tall, surrounded by a lush green landscape chocked full of slender trees and stout bushes.

Only one light was on from the cat's viewpoint, that light was on the second story, conveniently located next to a cherry tree just strong enough to hold the weight of the cat in its highest branches. And as there was no other way to tell whose window that was, Luna quickly scurried up the trunk of the tree until she reached the overhang of the window. Just inside sat a sapphire-haired girl.

The desk directly beneath the window was scattered lightly with various papers. A reading lamp sat off to the side gently illuminating the closer portion of the room. There was a twin-sized bed off to one side; the entire room was decorated in a wide range of blues from baby to cobalt and all the shades in-between.

"A letter from my father; I haven't seen him in ages," the girl spoke softly, hesitantly.

Luna's attention snapped back to the reason for this abrupt little visit. About to speak, Ami's rapt expression stopped her before she'd even fully opened her mouth. She sat with her chin resting in her hands, both elbows propped on the desk. A letter lay upright supported by both the wall and the table, return and mail-to address facing towards Ami.

"Nothing left to do but open it, I suppose. I had the outside memorized in the first five minutes."

Artistic fingers brushed lightly over the surface before quickly snatching it up. She all but tore it open and skimmed over it quickly, but then went back over and laboriously analyzed every paragraph, sentence, word, letter. She sighed gently, and put the letter back down on her oak desk.

Luna chose that moment to interrupt.

End Chapter 5

AN: Woo-hoo! Another chapter done! Sorry it took a while, I've been incredibly busy, and there won't be another chapter until at least the 25th of July because I am going on vacation! Um… forgive me for any mistakes, I did a quick spell check, but typed this up in about 15 minutes. Arigato for any feedback I've been getting, but I'd still love to get more! Drop me a line, it only takes a few seconds, and believe me, it honestly does put a smile on my face, even if it's just a one-liner. So please R/R me, or e-mail me at MoonlightStormSM@aol.com ok? Ja!