| Usagi: Sailor Neomoon Writer's Note: The Sailormoon universe belongs to and is copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi and all the different distributors with rights. Sailor Neomoon and the NeoSenshi belong to me. If you want to use them in another fic, you may ONLY if you have permission from me first. That's not so hard to deal with, is it?
 by Eternal SailorSaturn
Endymion nodded as they rounded a corner. "Raimeiko's looked just as bad. It is a good thing Ami is taking care of them." He stopped in front of a window overlooking Crystal Tokyo and scanned the skyline.
"I am worried about Usagi," his wife said as she stopped beside him. "I do not want to see her and the girls get hurt." She rubbed a chill felt only to her from her slim arms.
"Serenity, love, has it been so long that you have already forgotten your heroics as Sailormoon?"
She reluctantly admitted, "No."
"The girls are learning a good lesson in strength. Usagi understands the importance of friendship already." He slid his arm around her bare shoulders and pulled her closer. "I think this is a good educational experience for her and the girls."
Serenity sighed softly as her only response.
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In the flying citadel...
"Where is Akui?!"
Nikushimi winced at the roar of King Akuma's voice. "She has not yet returned from her latest failure," he answered.
"That was days ago!"
"I am aware of that, my king."
King Akuma eyed his servant for several moments as he gathered his thoughts. "Then it is your job to go get her and bring her to me. Am I understood?"
"Of course, my king. She will remain at large no longer."
"For your sake, you had better complete this task promptly."
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"Usagi?"
Usagi blinked and looked up from her parfait. "Yes, what is it, Kasumi?"
"Do you think we should be here while Miya and Raimeiko are back at the palace?" Kasumi asked, looking concerned.
"Your mom thought it was best, Kasumi, and you know it. It isn't doing us any good to just sit there being depressed. Miya and Raimeiko need rest to recuperate," Hanami interjected before Usagi could respond. "Don't you think so, Toshiharu?"
Toshiharu nodded weakly. "I feel bad for them."
The four ate in silence for the remainders of their meals. When they finished, Kasumi and Usagi excused themselves to go to the washroom. Toshiharu looked up meekly at Hanami then spoke softly to her. "You are the NeoSenshi of Venus. Do you know a lot about love?"
Hanami tilted her head and gave him a funny glance then laughed. "Probably more than most girls my age. Do you need my advice?"
He nodded and blushed. "There is a girl who I like a lot, and I think she likes me too. But I fear that she only likes one side of me. I want her to like all of me. Does that make sense?"
"It sure does. The only thing I can tell you to do is try doing different activities when you are with her. Show her that you are more of a man than she thinks you are," she offered.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but quickly snapped it shut when he saw Usagi and Kasumi returning. He stood and smiled at them before helping Hanami out of the booth. "Shall we see what is playing at the cinema, Ladies?" He dropped the money for the tab on the table then lead them to the door of the diner and opened it.
As Usagi stepped out first, she ran smack into a woman who was entering. She realized her face was nuzzled in the lady's cleavage, and she turned bright red with embarrassment as she spun around. "Pardon me!"
"Do you mind getting out of the doorway?"
"Of - of course!" She turned back around and looked up at the woman. She wore a long gray trench coat with the collar turned up, and over most of her face was a pair of cats' eye sunglasses that had opaque lenses. Her wavy hair rested on her shoulder like a jade waterfall. "I am terribly sorry," Usagi said sheepishly as she stepped through the door.
The woman grabbed her wrist. "You are the Princess, aren't you?"
Usagi nodded and tried to pull her wrist free. "Wha - please let go of me."
The woman yanked her closer and hissed, "I have been looking for you."
Toshiharu stepped forward. "She asked you to let her go. It would be in your best interest to do so."
The woman scowled at Toshiharu. "Mind your business, boy. This is not about you."
Hanami and Kasumi moved to Usagi's sides. "Unhand our princess!" Hanami demanded as Kasumi tried to pry the woman's hand from Usagi's delicate wrist.
Suddenly, the woman let go and took her sunglasses off, focusing her hardened steel gray eyes on the group. "I grow weary of you people." She put her sunglasses in her coat pocket then tossed her trench coat off. Underneath she wore a black bodysuit. She unraveled the whip at her waist and snapped it against the ground. "I have been waiting for you, Princess," she cooed.
Everyone looked shocked as Akui continued. "I never thought that you would come to me. But now that you have fallen into my grasp, I can take you to my king and make him proud of me!"
"Not this time, Akui."
Everyone turned his or her attention towards the voice, and Akui growled. "What do you want?"
Nikushimi smiled wryly and moved out of the shadowy alley he stood in. "You have an appointment with the King. You have avoided him for several days now. Don't you think it is about time you showed some guts and faced him?" He laughed with delight.
Akui snapped her whip at his feet, making him dance away. "This is the Earth princess, you fool. The king will forget about my past failures if I bring her to him. You are not going to stop me and steal my glory, Nikushimi!"
The girls looked between themselves, surprised. "Is she the one who has been sending those monsters at us?" Kasumi whispered.
"That is certainly what it sounds like," Usagi agreed.
"Come on, Princess. Let's get you out of here so we can transform while these two continue arguing," Hanami whispered, jerking her thumb in the direction of Akui and Nikushimi.
They sneaked off and made it a good distance away when Usagi stopped and looked back. "Toshiharu is still there!" She started running back, not knowing that her enemies were aware of her disappearance.
There was a crack of a whip then a squeal. Kasumi and Hanami exclaimed, "Oh no!" in unison. Before Toshiharu could react, Akui reeled in her royal catch. Nikushimi grinned triumphantly and grabbed a hold of Usagi and Akui, then all three blinked out of Crystal Tokyo.
"USAGI!!" Hanami screamed.
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Back at the palace as these events transpired...
Rei gathered Ami, Minako, and Makoto in her shrine. "I am going to attempt a fire reading. Diana asked me to do this to get an idea of who these enemies are." She sat down in front of the fire and started to concentrate.
Makoto sat down on the floor and scowled. If only I could have done something! she angrily thought. Then my daughter would not be in this situation. Damn it!
Ami glanced at Makoto and sighed softly. Poor Mako. I know she and Rei are having a hard time dealing with this, but you would never know it by looking at Rei. She looked towards the fire and Rei. I hope you can give us something to work with. I would hate to see those girls get hurt again.
Should I wear the black dress or the cream one? Minako silently asked herself. Black is very slimming, but that cream number really brings out the blue in my eyes. Decisions, decisions. Hmm...
Rei jerked her head up. "The girls have a tough fight ahead of them," she murmured. She stood and shook her head. "We cannot intervene, but we should have faith in the NeoSenshi. This enemy... it has a long history with planet Earth. A mission of revenge," she softly added.
A feline came running into the room before any discussion could take place. "The Princess has been abducted!" Diana cried. "Toshiharu, Hanami, and Kasumi were with her, but they could not stop the enemies from taking her! What are we going to do?" The women stared at the cat in disbelief.
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Once more in the flying citadel...
Akui, Nikushimi, and Usagi reappeared in the throne room of King Akuma. With a sharp blow to the back of Usagi's head, Nikushimi knocked her unconscious. Akui unraveled her whip from the limp body and let the princess fall to the floor.
King Akuma shifted in his throne and peered at Usagi's body, which lay on the floor in front of him. "Well, well. I see you have been busy," he remarked. His servants bowed then he continued. "So the renegade returns. Well done, Nikushimi." Akui glanced at Nikushimi, who flashed her a gloating grin. King Akuma lazily pointed a finger at Usagi and asked, "Who is this?"
"This is the princess of Crystal Tokyo, my liege," Akui promptly answered. "I took it upon -"
"It was my pleasure to bring her and Akui to you, my king," Nikushimi interrupted.
"What?!" Akui seethed.
"Now, my pet, Akui. You are going to serve hard time for your failures and hiding from me like a coward!" King Akuma rose from his throne.
"No! Please, my liege. There has been a mistake! I was the one who -"
"SILENCE!" King Akuma narrowed his eyes, and Akui felt her body begin to stiffen as she was being petrified.
"So long, Akui," Nikushimi giggled as he wiggled his fingers as a wave.
"N-no!!" Akui was completely turned into stone within seconds. A look of terror was captured on her face.
King Akuma called for some servants, who appeared in a moment's notice. "Put her with the others," he said wearily as he sat back down and watched the servants take the statue of Akui away. "Nikushimi, it is up to you to actually accomplish the goals I set for Akui."
"Of course, my king."
"As for her," he pointed to Usagi, "stick her in the dungeon until I am ready to question her."
"As you wish, my king." Nikushimi gathered up Usagi's limp body and carried her down into the dungeon. He cuffed her wrists into the shackles hanging on the wall. He laughed diabolically as he turned and walked out, locking her in the cold, damp room...
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