Continuing Tales

Fatal Exposure

A Sailor Moon Story
by Meara

Part 10 of 13

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Fatal Exposure

The fire was finally out. After Rei had performed what some in the crowd saw as a miracle, those agitating for a riot had become strangely quiet. There was the nagging thought that making someone who could control fire angry was a monumentally bad idea.

All but one of the buildings at the Hikawa Temple had been destroyed. The only structure still standing was the prayer house. It had housed the room that contained the ancient scrolls Rei's grandfather had risked his life to save and, ironically enough, the sacred fire.

Ami watched as Rei sat huddled with her grandfather on one side and Yuuichirou on the other. She'd never thought of Yuuichirou as a hero before, but after watching him run into the fire to save Rei's Grandfather, she was more than ready to reassess her opinion of him. Sometimes the worst of situations brought out the very best in people.

Makoto paced back and forth near the line where the crowd was being kept back. Ami noted that Jupiter was giving off static electricity, which usually meant she was quite agitated. Oddly enough it helped keep the less judicious people in the crowd away. Anyone who got too close would find their hair beginning to stand on end. Those who ignored that warning sign were quite literally going to get a very nasty shock.

"We've got to get going soon," came Mina's voice from behind her. Venus was taking her role as leader of the Inner Senshi seriously. She found out that worrying about others gave her no time to think about her own problems.

"It's not that Jupiter isn't doing a splendid job of crowd control, but we should hit the road before people who aren't as easily intimidated show up."

"I heard that!" shouted Jupiter as she continued to pace like a caged lion.

"Well, I'm just being practical," Venus replied in an even tone. "You know what they say, 'A stitch in time saves mimes'."

Artemis groaned from where he stood at her feet, "No, it's 'nine', Minako. 'A stitch in time saves nine.'"

"Really?" replied a puzzled Venus, "You know I was wondering why anyone would want to save mimes. It's not like they're an endangered species or something. In fact I've always found those snooty, oh-so-superior-method-art types to be a pain."

"But what has that got to do with anything?" Artemis all but shouted.

Ami muffled a giggle at the cat's tone of voice. The communicator on her wrist gave a discreet beep. She stepped to one side to open it. Luna's voice sounded very strained and anxious

"Ami can you hear me?"

"Hai, Luna."

"I need you to find your mother and get her and a medical bag over to Mamoru-san's apartment as soon as you can." The look on the cat's face was hard to read but she was certainly upset about something.

"There's been trouble," Luna said in a measured tone. "Usagi's been…hurt."

"Well?" asked Mamoru when Dr. Mizuno finished her examination. He stood across the room from where Usagi sat on the edge of the bed. Ami was beside him, a hand on his arm in silent support. She knew that this was almost as hard on Mamoru as it was on Usagi.

"I don't think you have to worry a about concussion. While those bruises are going to be beautiful, the orbital bones aren't fractured. I'd really like to see you get a couple of stitches to close that cut, Usagi but," she said cutting off what the young woman was about to say, "I understand that you can't go to an emergency room to have it done."

"Will a butterfly bandage do?" Mamoru asked.

Dr. Mizuno had started to look for just that in her bag, "It'll have to for now." She pulled one out, and glanced at Ami, who nodded.

"I'll let the others know," she said softly and she excused herself from the room.

Mamoru came to sit beside Usagi. He slipped an arm around her shoulders. He could feel her still trembling. Ami's mother put the bandage in place and Usagi gave a long, slow sigh.

"Why can't I stop shaking?" she finally asked the question that was running circles in her mind. There was so much more Usagi needed to say but the words would not come, not right now.

Dr. Mizuno gave her a small smile very much like the one that Ami used sometimes. "From what Luna said, it could be shock from the interrupted transformation. You were building a lot of power in your body that was never released."

Ami's mother paused and went down on one knee to look eye to eye with Usagi. "But I suspect it's at least partially because were attacked by a man who tried to force himself on you."

Usagi looked at the floor, her voice little more than a whisper, "But he didn't…he didn't…" she stumbled over the words, shame filling her heart and soul.

"He did enough, Usagi." Ami's mother had all too much experience dealing with this. She'd seen so many girls who been through the same type of experience that it broke her heart sometimes.

"Just because Mamoru stopped that man before he forced intercourse doesn't mean it wasn't traumatic. Your reaction is very normal."

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. "Can we come in?" Ami asked Usagi.

Before Usagi could answer, Ami was almost run over by the crush of bodies that pressed into the small bedroom. Rei was the first to reach Usagi. Although she'd been able to wash up, the smell of smoke still clung to her clothing. Makoto was right behind her, a distraught look on her face. Minako was there also, leaning around the much taller Mako to get a look. They all spoke at once in a nervous babble, voices running over each other.

"I can't leave you alone for a minute…"

"…rip off his arms and then…!"

"…quite a moose under your eye…"

Haruka, still in the doorway, stuck her fingers in her mouth and gave a piercing whistle. Minako, Rei and Mako all stopped talking and looked at the Senshi of Uranus. Haruka raised her hands in a motion of exasperation while a single eyebrow arched in wordless rebuke. The three blushed at each other, than turned back to look at Usagi.

"Hi guys," said Usagi to break the tension when no one else spoke up, "Been a hell a of a day, ne? I'm sorry about the temple Rei-chan. Ami told me what you did with the fire. Are you okay?"

"Just a headache," Rei replied before exploding. "Don't get all selfless on me now! Be angry, cry, wail, scream - anything so I have an excuse to go out, find Kashu Hikaru and flambé his butt!"

Makoto was trembling almost as much as Usagi. Ami put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Usagi-chan. I never should have left you alone. Oh God, this is all my fault…"

"You couldn't have known, Mako-chan," Usagi replied reaching for her friend's hand. "None of us could have known. And it's not your fault." As shaky as she felt, Usagi knew that she had to be strong for her friends. There would be time later, alone with Mamoru, to deal with the emotions that wanted to take control of her.

"There's only one person at fault here, Makoto," Mamoru said.

"Kashu Hikaru," said Michiru. The Senshi of Neptune spoke the name as if it was a curse.

Haruka stood in the door to the bedroom (and Michiru was at the window, Mamoru noticed, taking up defensive positions) and curtly nodded her agreement. "If this were the Moon Kingdom he'd be put to a slow death for what he tried to do. I, for one, would be there for every moment of it."

"The Moon Kingdom," Usagi sighed slowly. "I've been dreaming about it a lot lately."

Minako smiled, "That's funny, I was dreaming about it last night. I was in my old apartments within the palace. It was so real that I could swear I was there."

Ami looked at Minako now, "I had a dream about the Moon Kingdom, too. I was back in the library. All those books, cases and cases of them stacked from floor to ceilings…" she gave a rapturous sigh.

Mako raised a finger, "You're not going to believe this…"

Mamoru exchanged a glance with Usagi, "You too?" he asked Makoto.

"The gardens within the second gate," replied Mako.

"I dreamed of the sea of Serenity," Michiru put in softly. "I used to stand there and watch earthrise."

"I dreamed of the Sea of Serenity also," Haruka said. Everyone turned to look at her and she gave a sly smile to Michiru, "I used to watch you watching the earth rise."

This can't be a coincidence, Mamoru thought before speaking. "I'd like to have everyone meet in the control room tomorrow morning a little after sunrise. There are decisions to make that can't be put off any longer. Go home if you can," he said with a look to Rei, "but whatever happens, stay out of sight. The way things are going, I think it would be much better if we were difficult to find right now."

Usagi looked around the small and crowded room, "Where's Luna?"

Minako gave a shrug. "She and Artemis said they had something to take care of."

Kashu Hikaru came slowly back to consciousness. He noticed three things right away. One was that he felt as if his jaw had been broken by Chiba. The second was that there were voices; big, male official sounding voices coming from downstairs.

Lastly, that there were two cats, one black as midnight and the other whiter than snow, in front of him. They sat with perfect feline grace and simply stared at him.

The voices moved into the living room downstairs. Kashu began to sweat. He'd have a great deal of trouble explaining why he was in the house. He stumbled to his feet to head towards the back stairs only to hear voices coming from there, too.

Making an impulsive decision he slipped into a nearby bedroom and rolled under the bed. The cats followed him soundlessly, watching his every move. The bed was just long enough to cover him, but so low to the ground he found himself lying very uncomfortably on his stomach. From under the bed he could see feet walk by the open door to the bedroom.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the police searching the house didn't come in the room. Kashu had no sooner let himself relax than the white cat started to howl in that strangely piercing way only male cats can.

While he silently cursed the cat to all the gods he could think, one of the policemen came into the bedroom.

"What's the matter, kitty?" asked the officer, "Do you want to go out?"

Yes, thought Kashu, please get out!

The policeman gave Artemis a pat on the head and turned to find the other officers. Luna looked at Artemis then headed towards the bed where Kashu Hikaru hid. She walked gracefully under the edge of the bedspread and found herself face to face with him.

"Go away, cat!" he hissed quietly at Luna.

In a slow and deliberate manner, she rubbed her tail under Kashu's nose as she went by him. His face twitched and contorted in an attempt to keep from sneezing. Unable to use his hands to scratch his nose, he ground his face in the carpet, rubbing it back and forth.

Luna ignored his gyrations and headed to her target. She stopped to look at his khaki covered buttocks, trying to pick the perfect spot. An evil smile lit the lunar cat's face. She hopped onto the back of Kashu's legs. Two steps took her to the spot she was looking for.

Luna was small but her teeth and claws were very, very sharp. She took great pleasure in extending those claws, one by one. In a moment of sweet revenge she sank her teeth in Kashu Hikaru's blue-blooded butt and her claws into the vulnerable spot between his legs. He gave

an immensely satisfying screech that went from baritone to soprano in a heartbeat as he shot out from under the bed.

A few minutes later Luna and Artemis watched from the front stairs of the Tsukino house while Kashu was led off in custody. The way he walked indicated that the memory of Luna's attack would linger, and in more than just his mind, for days to come. When the policeman put him in the back seat of the car Kashu shrieked in pain once more.

Artemis turned to the midnight cat beside him. "Luna, that was vicious and cruel."

"Yes," replied Luna with a wicked purr, "it was wasn't it?"

Artemis wrapped his tail around Luna. "Baby, you're the greatest!"

The world was a fragmented, chaotic place for Setsuna lately. There was very little that made any sense to her. She dreamed of past and present, of people long gone and those yet to be born.

There were brief flashes of images that only confused her more. She saw a phoenix dancing in the fire and then a huge silver palace that rose out of the ground before her, and most disturbingly of all, Usagi standing before her. The Heir to the Silver Millennium was weeping in manner that broke Setsuna's heart to hear.

Before she could ask what was wrong, her Princess shattered into a million silver stars. The stars were caught by a figure in a tattered robe. There were only faintly gleaming points of light were visible in the shadows where his face should have been. He held the stars tightly in a mottled, skeleton thin hand.

The figure in the robe laughed soundlessly at his prize for only a moment. From behind Setsuna came an explosion of golden light. It slammed into the shadowy figure and caused it to drop the stars. The silver stars and the golden light joined together.

Setsuna watched in awe as the glittering wave came at her. It flowed gently over her and she floated within it. She felt so warm, so safe.

"She's waking up."

Since when did waves talk, Setsuna wondered? She blinked several times, her eyes adjusted to the light in the room. She saw the expected, Lorilei looking down at her.

Setsuna had felt her sister with her, pushing her own energy into her twin, sending her love and support, while Setsuna had lain so very ill. The unexpected, however, was the bright face of Hotaru leaning over her.

"Feeling better Setsuna-mama?" she asked with a wink.

"Hotaru-chan?" she replied, "You healed me? You're supposed to be in Scotland, how did you get here?"

A light of utter worship came to the teen's face as she glanced behind her. "He brought me."

From behind Hotaru came a voice Setsuna knew at once even though she hadn't heard it in fifteen years. "Hello Princess," Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod gave her a warm smile. "Still getting into trouble I see." He helped her to sit slowly up.

"Hello Barbarian," she replied with equal warmth, "And you're still showing up in the middle of it."

"Do you two know each other?" asked Lorilei, completely puzzled.

Setsuna gave her sister a look that spoke volumes. "Duncan and I are old friends."

Lorilei arched one eyebrow in unconscious, but nevertheless flawless, imitation of Setsuna. She burned with a million questions but only said, "Really?"

"Setsuna-mama?" Duncan asked, enjoying the discomfort that flickered across the Senshi of Pluto's face.

She gave him a look that started him laughing, "It's a long story."

"In case you've forgotten, I'm an immortal too. Take your time."

Lorilei stepped in to save her sister. "Unfortunately, there are other, more pressing concerns. Mamoru wants us at the control room a little before dawn tomorrow morning for an important meeting. It might have something to do with this."

She produced a copy of the evening newspaper. A color photo of Minako in the middle of her henshin graced the front page. Next to it was one of her giving her trademarked "V" with her fingers. The headline read, "Aino Minako is Sailor Venus! Meiou Setsuna uncovered as an extra-terrestrial!"

Duncan chuckled when he saw the picture of Sailor Venus. He'd known the golden haired solider of love since her days as Sailor "V" in England. "I see Minako's at it again. Wait a minute Setsuna, they think you're an alien?"

MacLeod's tone changed as the ramifications of that sunk in. "So, they've finally found a way to track us. Damn, does this mean they're going to think all we immortals are aliens?"

Setsuna and Lorilei exchanged a glance. Lorilei sent to her sister.

Setsuna cleared her throat in a delicate manner. It was going to be a very long night. "Duncan, there are some things I've never told you about myself."

Kashu Hikaru walked very carefully around the small cell he was being held in. His family's connections had, at least, assured him that he wouldn't be put in the "tank' with the common criminals.

The charges against him, breaking and entering, would be easily taken care of by the over priced lawyers in his family's employ. All he had to do was wait for his bail to be arranged and he would be free.

He had to plan his next move very carefully. If he could find out where Serenity's family truly was, perhaps he could use them to get her back. Or, he mused, one those wretched Senshi might do instead. If he could get Tuxedo Kamen….

His mind began to turn over rapidly. He would kill Chiba then next time he saw him, Kashu vowed to himself. The mask or perhaps a strategic piece of his worthless body would convince Serenity that she had no choice but to come to him.

So wrapped up in his plans was Kashu that he never noticed the man who came to stand by the cell's door until his name was called.

"Kashu-san."

"Yes," he replied brusquely, "Who are you?"

"That isn't important. What is important is that my employer wishes very much to talk to you about a debt you owe us."

The man stood in front of the door to the cell with his hands neatly folded in front of him. Kashu's blood ran suddenly cold as he noticed that the man was missing part of his pinkie finger on his right hand. Recognition of what and whom he represented, the Japanese mob also

known as the "Yakuza," exploded inside Kashu Hikaru like a bomb. He barely noticed what the man said to him.

"My employer requests that you come to see him as soon as you are released from here. He is most distressed by your current situation and would like to discuss your future."

The man in the cheap suit leaned towards Kashu. His eyes were cold and flat Kashu noticed, the eyes of a killer. "Or shall I say your lack of a future unless you contact him immediately."

Kashu Hikaru sat down hard as the man in the suit left and was rewarded by a sharp jolt of pain. He cursed the cat that had bitten him half-heartedly while his mind ran in terrified circles. What was he going to do? He was dead man unless he went to work for the Yakuza. But if he worked for the Yakuza, he'd never have the freedom to get Serenity and fulfill his dreams of power.

"It seems you have a problem."

Kashu's head snapped up that the sound of that voice. It was everywhere and nowhere all at once. A black fog slowly entered the room. Kashu jumped to his feet, ready to yell for help, but found himself unable to move. Frozen, he watched something slowly become visible in the black cloud before him.

The vague figure of a man was covered in a tattered cloak that obscured everything but his hands. Legs crossed, he impossibly hovered a few feet above the floor. The man in the cloak held a glowing crystal ball suspended between mottled hands so thin they might have been all together devoid of flesh.

"I know your heart, Kashu Hikaru. I know what it is you desire." The voice was enticing, yet deadly, like the hissing of a snake about to strike. "You want power…and you want her."

The hands worked the glowing ball around and around. From it came silver light that stopped before the frozen Kashu Hikaru. It danced and pulsed like an image from his dreams. The figure of Serenity slowly appeared. She was on her knees in a glowing white dress, pearls strung in a long, sloping line around her hands and neck. Serenity's eyes were closed, a hand half raised as if in supplication. Kashu was utterly entranced by the vision before him.

"I can give you what you need to achieve your desires." The man in the cloak held out a single, thin, hand to Kashu, "It would be simple thing for me to do. I sense greatness in you, Kashu Hikaru. You deserve to be the ruler of this world and other worlds as well. Take my hand and I will show you how to do it."

"Just what it is I would have to do?" Kashu looked skeptically at the proffered hand. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

The thin hand never moved, "You may call me, Wiseman."

After a moment's hesitation, Kashu Hikaru took the hand. As he did, black energy ran from the cloaked figure and into Kashu. He screamed and jerked, trying to free himself from the skeleton-like hand, but it held him in a death grip.

The dark power ran through Kashu's body, finally erupting from his eyes and mouth. It burned in him until he fell, dead, to the floor of the small cell, still smoking from the black fire that had consumed his life.

Wiseman gave a laugh as he began to fade away. "What do you have to do? Why, die of course, so that you may be reborn when I need you. You did well in this life my pawn, my diamond in the rough. You almost destroyed my enemies for me. The path you set them on may work to my advantage. The future may yet be mine."

"We repeat Warrants for the so-called Sailor Senshi have been issued tonight. In a statement release just hours ago, The Prime Minister says that he regrets this action, but in the interest of public safety he has no choice to but put Tsukino Serena, Chiba Mamoru, Meiou Setsuna, Mizuno Ami, Hino Rei, and Aino Minako into protective custody."

The Prime Minister of Japan, a thin, balding man, looked at the reporters around him while he read from the paper he held. Lights flashed as he spoke, "I, in no way, want people to think that we suspect these Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen of any crimes. But with the mounting public hysteria about them, it is for their safety that we are compelled to take this drastic step."

Mamoru hit the button on the remote control in his hand. The picture changed to another station. The young man smiled incongruously with what he was saying.

"…Aren't the only ones, you know. Many of the western nations have all ready started the screenings. There are more of these aliens out there. It only makes sense to find these people before they become a threat to normal humans."

Disgusted, Mamoru hit the remote again. He flipped through the channels rapidly, stopping when the familiar face Yamamotto Jiro appeared. The man looked older than he had a few days ago, Mamoru thought. There were dark circles under his eyes and his voice had the tone of a man tired down to his bones.

"…And I know that this will be my last broadcast for this station because of my views." He stopped and sighed for a moment. "I was a boy in Nagasaki when they dropped the atomic bomb. My mother, my grandparents and my sisters were all killed. Even though I lost everyone I loved, the thought that the world had learned a terrible lesson gave me some comfort. It allowed me to think that all those people, wiped out in a flash, had not died in vain. It allowed me to have pride in Japan as we showed the world that we could rise above such suffering with grace and honor; to show that we, above all other nations, are the most civilized people on the face of this earth."

Yamamotto seemed to reach out through the television, to be speaking to each viewer individually. "I watched a Shinto Temple more than a hundred years old go up in flames today. I saw people cheer as a piece of our history burned. The fire at the Hikawa Temple could very well be the beginning of the funeral pyre for humanity's honor. My conscience will not permit me to be one who starts that conflagration.I cannot and I will not sit here and mouth the words others wish me to say when I know that they are wrong. Even now, I can see that some men from the Government are here to remove me from in front of this camera. If you remember nothing else I have said remember that evil triumphs when good men do nothing! I am Yamamotto Jiro, long live honor and good…"

Even before Yamamotto finished the last word, the screen went blank. A small sign that read, "technical difficulties" popped up after a moment. Mamoru could well imagine just what kind of "difficulties" they might be having. He clicked the small TV off.

Usagi whimpered in her sleep. After talking for hours about their current situation and what options they had, he'd convinced her to take the sedative Ami's mother had left for her. Mamoru leaned over and stroked her forehead, whispered to her that it was all right, that he was with her. As always she responded to his voice, even in the middle of evil dreams. Usagi sighed and then settled back down.

He knew they'd have to leave his apartment before dawn. They'd been very careful and very lucky so far. But with the issuing of the warrants, the police would come here sooner or later. Mina, Rei, Yuuichirou and her grandfather were in the old central control room under the Crown arcade.

Haruka and Michiru along with Makoto had gone on a mysterious errand. Warrants hadn't been issued for them yet. They could still move about with a measure of safety. Ami and her mother were off getting medical supplies. She'd either guessed what this meeting was going to be about, or come to the same conclusions that he had, Mamoru thought. Of all the Senshi, he should have known that Ami would be a step ahead of him.

The time alone with his beloved had given the Prince of Earth an opportunity to think. Unable to sleep more than a couple of hours or so, he'd spent the time cruising the news channels and thinking about past errors.

When he was Endymion he'd refused to see what was happening even as it had unfolded before him. There had been plenty of warning, but the Crown Prince of Earth couldn't or wouldn't see just how serious things had become until it was too late. Beryl had used fear and envy to turn rational people into unthinking animals. If only he had stepped in before that witch was able to gather her misguided followers into an army, the slaughter that ended the Silver Millennium might have been avoided.

A thousand years may have passed, Mamoru reflected, but playing on the basest emotions man was capable of still seemed to work. Well, even if it appeared that humanity wasn't able to learn from its mistakes, he was. The Crown Prince of Earth may have waited too long to act, but Chiba Mamoru wouldn't make that mistake.

Tomorrow would bring the end of their old lives, but hopefully it would also be the beginning of their new ones.

Fatal Exposure

A Sailor Moon Story
by Meara

Part 10 of 13

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