Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Cold Love Twisted Love ❯ Chapter Nine ( Chapter 10 )

Pokahydee-Oneechan!: Hehe ^^ yep, the only OOC I'll admit blame to is if Ken was OOC ^^;; cause you said he might be… but I think I fixed that. I'm glad it brought emotion. I really wanted people to realize that Farfarello is *NOT* misunderstood or some kind guy behind all of his psycho'ness… he's deranged. And if I offended anyone with the symbolism, I apologize but considering that she has white angelic wings and we know how much Farf loves God… I felt it perfect, and the idea came entirely from D-chan. Of course you'll get to read this before anyone else! You're the reason I'm writing insanely so I can get more of yours! I'm glad to hear she wasn't OOC…I was worried about that… but yeah, she had been through a lot. Enough to constitute a change in her attitude upon hearing what was being done to her could befall someone else. And it's scary but Farf is easier for me to write than Crawford and Aya-kun…

Sapience: Actually this one was finished before I posted that other one. But I think it will address your concerns. I just wasn't posting it until the last one got as many reviews as it could (go 4 go!) and until it fell off the front page because people will just think it's one chapter -.- Well either write one or have someone do it for you. That works too you know. Well I've seen it *once* so I had to go bug all my friends for details. And what I remembered was right (yay) so expect a lot more plot from now on. As for that room... Well she didn't really look around well. If she would have she'd have noticed that in another door from that living room Schuldich was sitting on his bed and thinking. The only reason she wasn't caught was because when she's not transformed he can't read her mind. Guess I should have explained that better >.< mou Yep! As you can see from this chapter it's going to come together finally. And there should be even more plot in the next chapter if everything goes as I hope. Well even if she had tied him up I'm sure Artemis would have chewed through the rope... That or she thought the drugs she used were stronger. Ken didn't gulp it down like Aya-chan... but it affected him faster than her as well... . Well considering that I think I have two... maybe three chapters left your grades shouldn't be in danger for too long.

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Chapter Nine

The airport was busy that day. But the small group huddled against each other waited patiently in their chairs. Most were convinced that as soon as their future prince stepped off the plane and back onto Japanese soil that all of their problems would vanish. They so wanted to desperately believe that he'd be able to find their missing princess.

Motoki was with the girls and eyeing them in a new light. He had been friends with the Sailor Senshi… and had a feeling of some sort towards their leader; Sailormoon, he hadn't decided just what the feeling was yet and not sure he wanted to. He'd be betraying his best friend if he did anything like that. So for now the feeling would lie dormant in his chest. Besides it wasn't important right now, finding Usagi was. "Why isn't he here yet?" he demanded of the small black cat in the bag by his side.

Luna glanced nervously at the blonde. She hadn't really wanted to tell him any of the girls' secrets. But when they had screamed like that… She tried to forget it. Tried to erase what that could have meant. Her charge was missing, had been missing for days now. No one knew where she was and no one outside her friends seemed to care. It infuriated the young animal. What was she going to do? She was worried sick and the way the senshi had gotten ill like that… Something horrible had happened to Usagi.

Out of the group Rei was the strongest. The others were still weak from their encounter with whatever had happened to them the day before. She alone had the spirit power needed to claw her way back to health after being that trembling wreck. And though she wasn't sure what had caused it… she knew it had to do with Usagi. She unlike Luna accepted that it was something awful that had happened. She unlike Luna even accepted that what they felt might have been the death of her beloved princess. So she unlike everyone else had already grieved. For she was certain if they were reunited with their klutzy blonde, she wouldn't be the same person. Her intelligent soulful eyes snapped up as she heard a step she hadn't heard for a long time. Mamoru was back.

Mamoru strode with purpose to the group. His face was pale and he hadn't looked like he had slept much. "Something happened to Usako," he informed the group as he tried to remember the sheer pain and fear that had flooded their connection. Of course she couldn't feel him but he had always felt her.

"We know," Motoki answered as he got out of his chair. He looked like he had aged several years in the last few days and glanced wearily at his best friend. "That's when the girls got really sick. What's going on, Mamoru-kun? Do you know where Usagi-chan is?"

Mamoru shook his head his eyes almost lifeless. "No, it happened again…I didn't feel that one but I felt this one. When I was on the plane I felt her overcome by a rush of terror… and pain. She was in so much pain… His lips thinned as he clenched his fists helplessly. His Usako was somewhere in pain and in need of him and he couldn't find her. Something was interfering with his inner radar. He had been relying on it kicking in when he returned that he was almost heartbroken at the thought it wasn't working. "What are those bastards doing to her?" he demanded his voice making many glance over at the man startled before hurrying on their way.

"Mamoru-san," Ami attempted to calm the grieving man down. "We're doing all that we can to find her… We will find her. Usagi-chan will figure out a way to help us save her. She always has before." She paused as if looking undecided before pushing forward. "Do you want to come back to the shrine with us to try to figure it out or was there some place in particular you wanted to look?" her crystal clear blue eyes looked up at him with sheer hope that he would spout the location that their friend was.

Mamoru couldn't bear to look at her, to make eye contact with any of them. The only one that wasn't staring at him hopefully was Rei so he let his gaze rest there. He knew his next words were going to let everyone down. Their last hopes would crumble with what he had to say. But he didn't have a choice. "I can't feel her at all anymore."

The group started to whisper amongst themselves at this. If what he said was true… was their princess dead? Was the future they had all longed and fought for doomed from the start? And was their best friend really no more? Most of them shattered at such a thought and broke into tears grasping onto each other for support.

Ami and Rei were the only two not broken by the news. Both had calmly accepted it to the best of their ability. Rei was tending to the other girls in a gentle sweet fashion as she kept an eye on Mamoru. She believed him but she couldn't help but wonder if he was hiding something from them. She was suspicious but held it back for now. The girls needed her more as they held each other and sobbed.

Ami on the other hand was calmly questioning Mamoru. Grilling him on what the experience felt like, if it was specific to any area and when exactly it all had happened. She didn't seem satisfied with his answers but nodded as he told his tale. It wasn't anything new, nothing that she could use to find their friend.

A sharp shrill beep broke the silence and Ami froze. She knew that sound. Quickly she turned away from Mamoru and scoured through her bag. It didn't take long for her to pull up her mini computer and look through the results her programs had found. She was prepared for the worst but was confused at what was found.

"What is it, Ami-chan?" Rei questioned as she moved apart from the others. She remembered the young genius telling her of the traces she had out all over the net. Traces that even led to morgues around the country… Would Mamoru's suspicions be proved true by the girl's find? "Ami-chan?" the girl was too involved in reading the report to answer. "Ami-chan!" she tried once more a little louder and by her ear.

Ami looked up as she studied the group carefully. "It brought up Usagi's old school records of before she transferred to Juuban and her birth certificate… and an article on how esteemed Tsukino Kenji of the area's bank mysteriously vanished with his family before a big scandal erupted."

Mamoru quickly put the pieces together quicker than the others as he felt hope again. "We have to go searching for her. Do the records show where she used to live or anything like that? Maybe she went to visit an old friend and someone recognized her as Kenji's daughter… maybe they blame him for the scandal," Mamoru didn't care that theories were spilling from his lips. He only cared about finding Usagi. Dead or alive he wanted to bring her home.

An idea came to him and he shook his head slightly at his last words. It would be best if he stopped by her house. Maybe the others missed something. Surely there had to be some sign of where Usagi had gone. It had to be at her house, where else could it be? "Motoki-kun, can you drop me off at Usako's house? I want to look around there before we leave for this last town she lived in… Maybe we can find some sort of connection."

The others that weren't still crying nodded in agreement to this decision. It sounded plausible. If they could find anything connecting Usagi's disappearance to her old address they'd be a step closer finding her. Whatever monsters had their grips on her would soon regret it. They were going to save Usagi even if it meant their lives. She'd always do the same for them in a heartbeat and without a second thought.

Mamoru stood off a little ways from the girl as he let his thoughts flow. He hadn't told them everything. He hadn't told them that before the sheer pain and fear in his Usako he had felt something else. Something he had never expected to feel from his sweet fiancée. He had felt the insane urge to kill along with pure hatred. What had happened to his love that she had been twisted so much from her usual attitude? It was frightening. He had to find her and find her fast. He wouldn't believe she was dead. Couldn't believe it, how could he believe that his heart had been ripped from him? He didn't care if by the time they found her that she was a shell of her former self and only out for revenge. She was his life and he wasn't going to just let go of her that easily. He had failed in protecting her but he was going to find her and rectify all that. He only hoped it wasn't too late.

**

Ken stared blankly at the cat as the two searched the house. For the first fifteen minutes he had been positive it was a side-effect of the drug. Talking cats that complained about owners that thought they were stuffed animals just didn't really exist. But when the clock started to get closer to the hour mark he was beginning to wonder just how potent the drugs that had been forced into his system were. But if this wasn't a hallucination and was real… why couldn't he have had a talking cat when he was a kid?

Artemis paused in his rant about Minako and glanced over at the spaced out young man. He worried about what kind of drugs Ikuko had used but couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was something natural for him? Perhaps the kid was always so spacey… "Did you find anything yet?" he questioned as he examined his surroundings even closer.

Ken shook his head to break his trance and searched through the letter drawer some more. "No, it's not here… The only rooms we haven't searched is the master bedroom and that girl's room. What exactly are we looking for? You didn't tell me before…" it was weird talking to a cat… but he was ready to do anything for Aya-chan. Besides the fact that if he didn't find her soon her brother would probably slice him into many tiny pieces, he realized he had a soft spot for the girl. So if a talking cat that was probably a delusion was going to help him, he'd take its help.

The two started for the stair when they heard someone walking up the walkway towards the door. Both froze and glanced nervously at each other. They weren't sure if they were relieved or even more worried when the bell was rung, once, twice, and three times. When this failed to elicit a response they saw the knob turn before hearing a click and watching the door open.

It happened faster than Artemis could keep up. One moment his human partner had been tensely watching the door and the next he was pinned against the wall by a strange man with a sharp katana. With an angry yowl he leapt and managed to sink his teeth into the legs of the intruder. Unfortunately though he was kicked away and slammed into the wall and his bite didn't seem to have much of an effect. The door slammed shut as the man kicked at it and the three stared at each other for a long tense moment.

"Where's, Aya-chan?" Ran softly demanded as he held his teammate immobile against the wall. His amethyst eyes were hard and filled with promises of pain if Ken couldn't produce his little sister safe and sound. "Where is she?"

Ken swallowed hard as he tried to ease his way out of the grip. How had Aya managed to catch up to him so fast? How had he even known he was here? Forget Schwarz Aya was a much scarier person than any of them when he felt something was wrong with his imouto. "I'm not sure," he answered truthfully and prepared to wince. "We came here looking for Aya-chan's friend and the girl's mother drugged us. When I woke up Aya-chan was gone…" he would of said more but knew it would be pointless to tell his leader that the cat was sure he had proof of where the girl might be.

Ran's eyes narrowed into slits as he felt his fury reach new heights. She had been taken from him again. Taken from his nose because he made the mistake of trusting her precious life with any of his idiotic teammates, when he found her he was never going to let her out of his sight again. His grip tightened on his katana as he briefly considered killing the one who had failed to protect the one thing precious to him.

"We don't have time for this," Artemis snapped with a foul expression. He would normally have never spoken in front of this other stranger but there were more important things at hand. "We have to find that letter."

Ran paused and glanced over at the cat. He wasn't one to believe in the super natural or anything like that. So why had the cat…? He was going to say something about all of this but he noticed Ken nodding and obeying the animal. He regained his composure quickly though those present couldn't even see he had lost it. "What letter?" he would turn his attention to other matters first. The talking cat… He didn't even want to think about that.

Artemis stared at the new-comer in wariness and glanced at Ken who gave him a nod. "We're looking for a letter that Usagi-chan's mother received right after her disappearance. Maybe it will have some sign of her where-a-bouts."

Ran frowned. He knew where Tsukino Usagi was. But there was nothing he could do for her. Their price to return the girl was for him to trade his sister, something he would never consider doing. Old childhood bonds meant nothing to him now when it concerned the welfare of the only one he loved. "We don't have time for that. We have to find Aya-chan."

Artemis bristled at this. How dare this man say they didn't have time for the future queen of the world. "Usagi-chan is very important to not only her friends but to the world at large. Your Aya-chan might be with her." Artemis knew he was grasping at straws with such a comment but it was worth a shot. It was plausible that Ikuko had tried to trade the girl for Usagi, right? "Besides, there was something suspicious in that letter. We have to find it. I'm sure it will explain everything."

Ken was not sure how he felt about Aya-kun talking to the cat. It was surreal. If Aya-kun could talk to it and see it didn't that mean it wasn't just a figment of his drugged mind? That the animal was actually real? "Where is this letter, Artemis?" he had a deal to keep. He would help this cat and was sure the animal would help him.

"Maybe in the master bedroom… But maybe she hid it in Usagi-chan's. That girl never seems to clean up her room so it could be there. I'll check her room. You two check the master bedroom."

Ran nodded and headed off in that direction. He watched as the cat entered another room that from his viewpoint looked very pink. It was amazing how she had retained her favorite color since she was a kid… Ran scowled at the memory and hardened his heart. He had no time for sentiments for some brat that had been his sister's best friend. His sister was more important than anything and he was going to find her.

"I think I found it!" Artemis leapt out of the room and down the hallway to the two men. "This way, I can't move the things on them but I think I found where Ikuko keeps her stash of private letters she doesn't want anyone else seeing." He led the way back to the room tail erect in the air as he pulled the tightly sealed box out from beneath the bed with his teeth. He had to go through piles of old musty clothes to get to the thing. Ikuko had to have been perfectly confident her daughter would never clean her room but just sweep things under the bed.

Ken arrived first and unlatched the box as Ran approached. For a moment Ran was hit with a sense of familiarity as he took in the appearance of the room. Bunny rabbits everywhere, he could almost see the blonde hopping on the bed with a younger version of Aya-chan… He noticed the photograph that Ken had glanced at earlier and stared emotionlessly at the smiling blonde in the image. Aya-chan was depending on him, and no matter the cost he was going to get her back from whoever had her.

"Wait a second…" Ken scanned the letter confused and his eyes filling with concern. "Aya, it's from Estet."

Ken would have explained more, Artemis would have asked who Estet was, and Ran would have snatched the paper out of their hands but all three heard something. They each froze in their positions and listened to the voices rising from outside the open window. Someone was coming and they only had a matter of seconds to hide to keep from being discovered.