Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Watch Me Shine Chapter 15 ❯ Chapter 15

Well hello again! Here is the latest for Watch Me Shine which I hope isn't sucky crap as usual! Sorry it's been so long, but with work and vacation, well...just not much time. That and inspiration has been hard to come by these days. So without further ado...my next chapter! Standard disclaimers apply, I own nothing. I am a broke and defeated English teacher in Japan. Sue my company not me. (PS - don't work for AEON any potential english teachers!). Read and review but be kind and check out my websites ne? Enjoy! Oh and it was pointed out that in her last Trial the song was similar to one from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, I wouldn't know, I have never seen it, but no infrigement on Disney either if the words were the same!








Usagi skidded to a halt as a figure came out of the shadows. Her time was short and she had no time for cryptic gatekeepers. "You seek to leave?" the voice was melodious.




"I do." she replied shortly, burdened and weary for the Trial she had just completed. Would this never end?




"Then answer this question. If you tell me what I want to hear, you may pass and be free. You tell me a lie or any answer other than the truth and I attack."



"What if my honest answer isn't what you want to hear?"



"Then you are doomed." the voice replied curtly. "Make no mistake that in this place of life and death I reign supreme." the figure slowly started to become visible. "I am judge," a bit more of her was seen. "-jury-" closer....she could almost make out her features..."and executioner." she stood visible. Hotaru, in a dress of the deepest blood red stood before her, her hand clutched firmly around her Glaive.








Rei awoke at the kick to her ribs. Closing her eyes, she smiled blissfully. It worked! By the Goddess it worked! She had seduced Mamoru. "Rei you wanton whore." a cold voice said.



Rei opened her purple eyes slowly, angrily. She beheld the livid red gaze of Chibi Usa and the mangled, battered sight of Helios. "Oh it's you." she sighed.



"You fool." Chibi Usa snarled. "You were unsuccessful." she shook her head. "The plan was perfect! How could you fail to seduce him and conceive me?"



Rei placed a hand on her abdomen. "What ARE you talking about? There is life within me. I feel it."



Chibi Usa turned from her in anger. "The child you now carry is not me! You will spawn some other man's child!"



"Listen here you Tiny Toad," Rei breathed, fury lacing her words. "Do not cross me. I succeeded in our plan. I had Chiba Mamoru last night and it was good!"



"Oh you had some man last night but it wasn't Mamoru." Helios said weakly. "You both underestimated how devious Endymion can be and how devoted he is to the pale eyed demonette."



"He turned to me!" Rei protested. "I have it all - she has nothing!"



"So you think." Helios retorted. "My Maiden - beloved. I can direct you and this fool here in the proper plans to take and bring about the downfall of the false Queen, but you must do EXACTLY as I say - without question or hesitation."




"I follow no one Helios." Chibi Usa said in a cold voice. "I am a law unto myself, I am a Queen and I bend knee to no one!"



"Bravo my liege!" Luna cheered from where she had been sitting silently.



"Then let me advise you - strongly." Helios amended.



"THAT I can allow." Chibi Usa conceded.



"I am her Majesty's advisior! I am her ears and eyes!" Luna protested.



"You had best find out what Usagi has planned Luna or you will have no eyes." Rei threatened.



"I am most disappointed in you Rei." Chibi Usa sighed. "Unable to successfully reclaim my ginzuishou - it is being soiled in her hands, by her careless use of it. Unable to maintain your grip on my senshi - do you have any idea how hard I am going to have to work to get them back?" she shook her head in disgust. "And you SOMEHOW managed to lose Artemis."


"That was not my fault!" Rei protested.



"The best excuse is no excuse." Helios said coldly.



"The point Rei," Chibi Usa said sadly. "Is that you are a hindrance to us. Unless I get some success out of you - and soon - you will be disposed of."



Rei looked horrified at the thought. "How dare you?" she began, livid. "You'd never have gotten this far without me!"



"You are power hungry - you were, you are and you always will be. You betray those in power so your own can grow." Helios smirked. You have proven that you are not to be trusted."



Rei tried to get a word in edgewise. "And so the circle is complete." Chibi Usa said with satisfaction.



"I will NOT let you throw me out like trash!" Rei yelled. "We are all in this deep and if Usagi gets ahold of us - we're dead!"



"Never mind Usagi, beware that lunatic Haruka." Helios muttered.



"And I still have Ami and Makoto!" Rei protested. "They have their parts to play!"


"Yes they HAVE been underutilized." Chibi Usa pondered aloud. "Very well Rei - I give you one final chance..."



"I say the same to you." she sneered.



"Tsukino Usagi," Chibi Usa declared, ignoring all of them. "Deny me if you think you can, but I will corrupt you." her eyes lit up with the joy of a new plan as she smiled in a most malicious way.









Usagi eyed Hotaru with caution in her eyes. "What is this question, for time is running out."




"Time is running out yes." Hotaru agreed. "Very well. You have nothing left, no friends, no allies and no hope. Take of all that away and what is left?"




Usagi frowned as she pondered one of her most feared questions, a dark question. She had often wondered what she would do when there was nothing and no one left for her. "Take all of it away and what is left?" she repeated. Hotaru nodded grimly, determined to do her duty.




"Time grows short, and you must answer me now." Hotaru said grimly as she adjusted her grip on her Glaive. "What is your answer?"




"Me." Usagi replied.




Hotaru blinked at her and then smiled. "You are correct. When there is nothing and no one left, you have only yourself. Remember that, for the days ahead are dark and you will be tested far more than what I have done here."




Usagi nodded. "Thank you."



"Don't let me down." Hotaru stood aside. "The exit and your freedom."



Usagi sprinted towards the way out, the sands through the hourglass almost running out. She leapt towards the round circle of light that she saw as the world was engulfed in white light.









Whispers came through first. "Do you think we should wake her?"




"I'm not touching her, you do it."




"She DID just finish a Trial, perhaps we should leave her."




"Is she dead?"



"Do you really think that she would be returned to us dead?" scorn and disbelief were in a voice that was trying to whisper.



"Well you never know with these Guardian-testy types!" a voice protested softly.



"She needs her rest."



"Should we at least lift her off the floor?"



"Oh move over, I'll carry her to her bed."



"Just you hold one minute lover boy! You keep your groping paws to yourself!"



Usagi cracked open an eye, praying she wouldn't burst out laughing. Minako, Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, Hotaru and Mamoru stood before her. "Oh my head." she moaned softly.



Haruka smacked Mamoru on the back of his head. "Now see what you did Dingus! You woke her up!"



"I didn't wake her up, you did!" Mamoru protested.



"I most certainly did not!" Haruka retorted.



"Ouch, I'm wounded." Mamoru clutched his chest.



"Keep it up Mamoru, and you'll get what I gave to Helios." Haruka seethed.



"Enough!" Usagi raised her voice and broke off the arguement. Michiru and Setsuna looked at her gratefully. "I would most like a shower and then some sleep, if someone could please help me up."



Hotaru went to grasp one of Usagi's hands and check her health at the same time. "Haruka would you move so I can get to Usagi?"



"No problem." Haruka replied.



A pause. "As in now?" Hotaru arched an eyebrow.



"Oh, sorry." Haruka moved aside.



Usagi shut her eyes and let herself reflect on all that she had been through, on all that had been done. There was a hidden message behind each Trial, one that she had to figure out herself, but she was just so exhausted...just wanted to sleep...in some ways... Usagi abruptly stood and headed for her room. "I have to work tomorrow, assuming I still have a job, I am exhausted and I want rest. I am going to shower now, when I come out, don't be here." she said as she closed the door.



"Usagi!" Minako yelled.



"I want to be alone for awhile!" Usagi said through the door.



"Come on Usagi, let's talk about this!" Minako persisted. "You always talk to us!"



"Things change Minako!" Usagi replied hotly. "Please just let me be for a bit."



"Come on," Setsuna said softly. "She's been through alot these past few days. Let her rest."



"I will stay with her." Mamoru replied.



"Over my dead body." Haruka informed him. "Come on Lothario, you are leaving too."


"But..."



"No defiling of innocents today Mamoru." Michiru added.



"I just want to comfort her!" Mamoru protested. "Stop being so ecchi!"



"Us be ecchi?" Haruka raised an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me while I inform you that...." the voices were cut off as the door slammed shut behind them. Usagi sighed in the now quiet bedroom. Falling back on her bed, she went to sleep.







"Can there be any doubt of this?" Ami asked Artemis as he finished telling her what he knew.



"None." he shook his head. "I knew there was a force behind this making Rei and Chibi Usa act so wrong. Rei has always craved power, always been a close minded and cranky person.."



"You mean a power starved bitch?" Makoto interjected casually.



"That's the one." Artemis nodded. "But not even her will is this dark."



"Oh isn't it?" Makoto said darkly. "I don't know about that."



"Either way, Chibi Usa is the evil one, but there is one worse than her. What has been done is that tantilizing promises of their deepest and most desperate desires have been whispered into their ears, some of what they yearn for has been made possible and they want more. Chibi Usa never cared for her mother, it was always Mamoru she cared about. There is nothing good to say about that child for I know not what part of Usagi and Mamoru could have come together to create her."



"Join the club." Makoto added, staring out the window.



"What do we do about this?" Ami sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers and shut her eyes.



"That plan I haven't devised yet." Artemis admitted.



"Do you think Usagi knows what is going on?"




"I don't know." Artemis shook his head. "The one person you'd least suspect to do this is the one who is trying to kill her."



"A mystery indeed."





(A.N - I was going to finish this chapter here, but since it's been so long since I updated and I've gotten so many death threats...here's more!)





The next morning Usagi arose stiff and sore, moaning softly. Three Trials in such a short span of time had left her feeling as though she had gone several rounds with Chaos and lost badly. Hobbling over to her dresser she pulled out her uniform and began to dress, noticing that her body seemed thinner. Figuring it was because she hadn't had a proper meal in some time she went to the bathroom to wash her face and let out a small shriek. Her eyes which had once been deep blue like the ocean (according to Mamoru) were now a pale silver blue. Her irises had taken on the shape of stars and her lovely blonde hair had a silvery sheen to it and was at least a foot longer. These changes she thought were the result of her changing when she became Sailor Moon, she had never expected it to pour over into her daily life. She stared at the face in the mirror, not recognizing her own reflection. Her eyes were set in a face that seemed much older than what she was. "Scary isn't it?"



Usagi's eyes danced in her head as she whirled around to see where the voice came from. "What...who? Where are you?"



"Follow the cold shiver down your spine."



Usagi turned to see her reflection smirking at her. "Oh my Goddess." she breathed.




"Indeed."








Motoki dropped a cup when Usagi slunk through the door for her shift, her head wrapped in a scarf, dark glasses over her eyes. "Usagi this isn't a bad 80's movie. Are you going to tell me your name is Martha now?"



"Not funny Motoki." Usagi retorted.



"Hey come on, I deserve some credit considering you didn't show up at all yesterday! I covered for you big time and you owe me."



"what do you want?"



"First remove the disguise." Motoki ordered. His jaw dropped when Usagi sullenly removed her scarf and glasses and he was grateful he had already dropped the cup. "Holy shite Usagi!"




"I know, I know!" Usagi wailed. "Look at me! I'm a freak! What am I going to do?"



'Best friend's girlfriend, best friend's girlfriend...' Motoki kept repeating to himself. "Freak? Usagi damn girl, you're hot!"



"This is not a time to joke Motoki!" Usagi snapped giving him a death glare.



"Who's joking?"



Usagi sighed irritably and headed for the staff room to get an apron. It was going to be a long day.









Rei glanced at the Crown Parlour, wondering what all the ruckus was about. Seeing Minako hopping around outside, she figured she'd have to start trying to get her senshi back. "Minako," she said, attempting to be nice. Minako squeaked when she saw Rei and jumped back several feet.



"W..what do you want Rei? This is a public place! You can't hurt me here!" Minako said in a wavering voice, terror in her eyes.


"If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead." Rei said calmly. "I am giving you one last chance to change your mind and come back to me. If you do, your punishment won't be as severe as the one I am planning to dole out to the other traitors. I am the leader, I was born to be leader, I was meant to be leader. You cannot deny it. When I lead you into battle, you don't fear for your life."



"There have been no battles!" Minako snapped. "You took what wasn't yours to take!"



"And she took it back!" Rei snarled angrily. "She took what was mine!"



"It didn't belong to you!" Minako shouted.



"It should've. But for unhappy chance it should've been mine! It will be mine again!" Rei screamed at Minako. Visibly calming herself, she smiled. "I didn't come here to fight with you Minako. what is going on in there?" she gestured to the Parlour.



"I don't know, something to do with a waitress inside. Everyone wants to look at her." Minako went back to hopping up and down on her toes, trying to peer inside. "I want to see her. Usagi is working today and I wanted to ask her several things."



For a brief moment it was like old times, for a moment it was like this power struggle had never happened, until Rei's eyes darkened with hatred at the mention of Usagi's name, until Minako clapped her hand over her mouth cursing her loose tounge. Rei turned on her heel to leave. "Minako, you will return to the fold and to me. You will bend knee and grovel before me before I am done. Remember what spell I cast on all my senshi. I have not yet used the bond I forged, but I will now. See you tonight."


Minako's legs gave out as she collapsed amidst the throng of people onto the pavement, clutching her head in her hands and cursing herself for ever having gotten out of bed.







"You bonded my senshi!?"



"I am the leader." Rei said stubbornly. "I bonded them to me. I have had enough of this ridiculous garbage. I am taking back what is mine."



"MINE Rei!" Chibi Usa snarled. "They are mine, you are mine, all that you see is MINE! How dare you bond them to you!"



"Now can I kill her?" Helios asked eagerly.



"Zip it you overgrown horned canary." Rei snapped. "I had every right to do it, you have no say in how I treat my senshi."



Chibi Usa stood before Rei, though much shorter than she was, she loomed in a threatening manner that worried Rei. "I cannot condone this action Rei. You have lied and deceived me, you have failed me many time. You must be punished now."



"I will not!" Rei protested.



"Take her." Chibi Usa motioned to Helios. "But do not harm her greatly. The child she carries inside will be a valuable weapon to us."



"You will not harm my child and you will NOT do this to me! I am the leader of the senshi and I am a Miko! Don't make me call down the punishment of the Gods!"



"I will be a Goddess soon enough. I have been too lenient on you Rei, it is time you learned the price of failure." Chibi Usa smirked.



"A good idea my Queen." Luna said quietly, still chagrined from her own punishment. The Trio that had led the faction to destroy the senshi and destroy Usagi were now destroying themselves. "We have to rejoin forces if we ever want to have any hope of destroying the Usurper."



"Silence. I must think on this." Chibi Usa snapped. "How can I use this to my advantage?" she sat heavily in a thronelike chair and contemplated, as her eyes lit up with a vindictive joy.






Usagi was nearing the end of her shift and her patience. She was sick of people coming in and staring at her like she was some sort of circus freak, an attraction. She wanted to scream at all of them 'don't you have anything better to do?', but since it would be bad for business, she attempted to ignore them. Not an easy task. Sitting back in the staff room, she closed her eyes and glanced briefly in the mirror, remembering the disturbing conversation that had taken place that morning and how once again her life had changed.






And that is that, nice and long in an attempt to soothe the savage beasts who I think are hunting me and clamouring for my blood. I PROMISE to update again soon, as my writers block is gone! Yay! Any guesses on who is behind the faction to kill Usagi? Go ahead and guess! As I said, read and review but be kind. NO FLAMES!!! Thank you.

Ja!