#mars arrives on her flaming charot

[shnuggletea]

I already posted my ANs earlier today but I’m doing it again in case they got lost in the void that is Tumblr sometimes. Getting the word out is key to get what I need but if you read my earlier post, feel free to skip the ANs. They’re all at the bottom.

Fanfiction HERE

AO3 HERE

Chapter 19

She half expected him to be at the gate, waiting for her at the end of school. Partly disappointed to find him not there, she continued her way to the Crown, her shift starting soon. Makoto had her cooking club again and Ami was working on a Science fair project. Minako told her to wait for her to leave school, but she wasn't going to sit around for the blonde. Her tardiness was just as legendary as hers.

In the dark break room, she shoved her coat into her locker and pulled her neatly folded work uniform out of her book bag. The Crown had a simple uniform for its servers, black bottoms and a solid colored top. No print of any kind was allowed on the shirt and it couldn't be too bright. And shoes could be anything as long as they weren't sandals or flip-flops.

She liked to copy Rachel from "Friends", wearing a tight black skirt that stopped just above her knees and a long-sleeved shirt with a rounded neckline. Today, it was a light pink color. She had it tucked in as part of the dress code, but she would have anyway.

With deft fingers, she braided her tails and wrapped them around her buns, creating two loops that hung from their length. The last thing she ever wanted working here was for a tail to drop into some ketchup or a milkshake.

Pulling her tennis shoes on, she stood and straightened her apron, brushing away imaginary dust as she stepped out and into her shift.

It was still bright and sunny outside, a nice day. It was easy to forget the darkness that had been this morning and the night before. Not that she could. Even though her heart pounded at the thought of being in Mamoru's arms, it also hurt, remembering how he called out for Serenity while trying to make love to her.

Then she clamped down on herself, knowing it was far too late, only now remembering that Mamoru could once again feel and hear/see her every thought. Wherever he was or whatever he was doing, it wouldn't be long until he showed up. Looking around, no one near or in need of her attention, she shut her eyes and focused, trying to find him. It didn't take long, his warmth draping over her, and it startled her a bit. Their connection was so much more than it had been before.

The result of his energy inside her no doubt.

"Tsukino-chan!"

Lost in her thoughts yet again, she jumped at the hand that grabbed her shoulder. At the defensive, she had to calm herself quickly when she found Ginga-san's sister standing next to her. A smile was plastered on her face and it barely hid her disdain for Usagi.

If she dislikes me so much, then why is she talking to me?

"Have you seen Mamoru today?"

Well, there you go…

Not really sure if she should be honest or not, she shook her head at the girl. "No, not for a while now."

It had been a while since she had seen him this morning. "Oh. I guess I will wait then. He usually comes by this time of day right?"

She was asking her again. Expecting her to give her insight into Mamoru. "I guess so."

Ginga glared at her, "You know very well when he is or isn't here. I see you flirting with him shamelessly any time he's around!"

"Excuse me?" She was pretty sure she never flirted with Mamoru. Not in public anyway and the other stuff he initiated. There were a few times when they were here, but Ginga hadn't been here..had she?

"And the way you treated my brother?!"

She had almost forgotten the incident with her brother. Or that the two of them were related. She really didn't want to get back to all of that again so she went back to work, going around Ginga and making her way to a table that just sat down.

Ginga left or sat down somewhere, she really wasn't sure but she let the girl slip from her mind completely. Time passed and Mamoru still had yet to make an appearance. She could feel him but she wasn't sure how near or far he was from her. Something she would have to figure out with time. Either way, he must have been giving her the space that she never asked for but clearly needed. Her mind and heart were still a mess.

She was walking a tray of food over to a table and didn't see the bookbag strap in her way. It caught and wrapped around her foot and almost sent her flying. But hands caught her, stilling her and her tray of food. Looking up, fully prepared to thank her rescuer, her voice stopped in her throat, Ginga-san giving her a sad grin.

He released her quickly enough and she delivered the food, finding him still near her once she was done.

"Tsukino-chan, may we talk?"

Her tray still in her hands, she pulled it in tight to her chest. "Alright."

"In private?"

"No."

He didn't push, following her as she returned her tray to the kitchen window. "I am really sorry about the other day."

She softened, unable to hold any grudge. "I forgive you."

His face lit up, "Really?"

She shrugged easily, "Yeah, of course. I don't hold grudges Ginga-san."

He nodded, looking away from her to the floor in thought. "Yeah, I get that about you."

Silence grew between them and she was ready to move on. "Okay, so...no worries right?"

Planning on walking away and thinking no more on the subject, she was a bit surprised when he reached out and grabbed her elbow. It wasn't a hard grasp, she could break away from it easily. But for some reason, she couldn't all at the same time. That feeling she got from him before was back, a painful tingling up her arm having a slightly numbing effect on her mind. It wasn't as strong as the first time, allowing her to keep most of her wits about her. But she was curious, wanting to figure out what this was, what he was doing when he touched her.

"Will you go out with me, Usagi-chan?"

A fire flared in her at his use of her informal name yet again. "No Ginga-san, I will not."

He looked genuinely shocked as if he truly expected a different response from her. The fuzzy feeling in her mind grew a little and his grip tightened slightly. Neither hurt nor affected her ability to think clearly, but she felt it just the same.

"Why not?"

She shook her head, opening her mouth to speak, but did not get the chance. "Because she is already spoken for."

Mamoru appeared at her side, pulling her arm gently from Ginga's grasp and her closer to him. "Usagi-chan?"

Again she tried to speak but was cut off. "You really shouldn't be addressing her so informally."

There was malice in Mamoru's voice, but really he just sounded cocky. "And just what should I call her?"

Mamoru put a finger to his chin as if honestly thinking about it. "You could call her Tsukino. But to be honest, you really should call her Chiba."

Her mouth hung open, any and all words she could say getting lost as they fell to the floor from her gaping lips. Irritated, she pulled herself from Mamoru's touch, forgetting for a second that they no longer needed to touch. He was goading her through their connection with memories of their moment that morning in one another's arms.

Ginga-san had started to shake a little. "Tsukino-chan, who is this guy?"

Mamoru bested her again, sticking a hand out for Ginga-san to shake, blocking him from her as he had taken a small step towards her. "Chiba Mamoru, Usagi's husband."

No way Ginga was going to shake Mamoru's hand so she knocked it down, glaring up at him while he smirked. "He's my boyfriend."

She really didn't think of him as either but she knew that calling him her boyfriend would be two birds, one stone. It would put Ginga-san in his place and Mamoru would take a slight hit to his pride. She wished she could knock his pride more, use it as a hockey puck, but she was sure she was not that cruel of a person.

"He's your WHAT?!"

They all spun, finding Ginga-san's sister standing a few steps away, seething. She had never seen a girl look so crazed before. At least not over a boy.

Mamoru grabbed her and pulled her a little closer to him, the notion only making Ginga growl. Seijuro left the two of them, walking carefully over to his sister as if she were in fact the bomb she so closely resembled.

"Come now Natsumi, we should go home. Now!"

Natsumi pulled her arm out of his grasp roughly, still glaring at her. "This isn't over, Tsukino. Not by a long shot!"

Natsumi stormed out, her brother following after like a little puppy. "You and that girl in some kind of battle?"

She shrugged, "Not that I'm aware of." He tugged her, gaining her full attention and her irritation flared back up. "You! How could you!"

She swatted him but he just chuckled, grabbing her hands and holding them still. "What? I just told the truth."

Rolling her eyes, she released a rueful sigh. "Please do not go around telling people we're married, Mamoru. They will get the wrong impression."

"And what impression is that exactly?"

"That it's true!"

He pulled her in close, so close she feared he was about to kiss her in front of everyone. "But it is true. You're just letting this whole death and rebirth thing cloud your judgment." Feeling her nervousness, he pulled away quickly. "Relax Usako, no one is even paying attention to us."

He released her, putting her hands on her hips in full fuss mode. "What are you doing here anyway? Is this once again your version of space?"

"No, I had fully intended on waiting until you were off work."

"So...what are you doing here?"

He took a step back, sitting down on the nearby stool. "Did you really expect me to sit back and do nothing while some kid manhandles my wife?"

"I am not your…"

"My girlfriend then. He was working some weird magic on you, Usako. Did you not feel it? I did. Something is up with that guy."

Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him some more. "Of course, I did! Why do you think I allowed him to touch me in the first place? I was trying to figure out what he was and what he was doing!"

Her hands now missing from them, he grabbed her hips and pulled her to him, forcing her to put her hands out to keep him at a, albeit small, distance. "Yeah, letting him manhandle you."

"The only one manhandling me is you!"

He chuckled and her heart raced, internally cursing her deep attraction to him. "And that is how it should be." She shook her head at him but he just grinned. "You look beautiful by the way."

Glancing down at herself, as if she forgot what she was wearing, she looked back up at him incredulously. "It's the same thing I always wear here."

"Yeah, well now I'm smart enough to tell you, you look beautiful."

As if to prove his point, he tugged playfully on one of her braided rings, causing her to giggle and blush madly. Then he stole a kiss. It was a quick peck on the lips but it left a lingering impression nonetheless, pulling at her lips for a second as he pulled away. They watched one another for a second and then he leaned in, wanting to kiss her again but this time she stopped him.

"You're going to get me fired."

"You don't need this job anyway."

She shrugged out of his hold a bit. "Great, now my job is an issue? I'm not going to mooch off the boys any more than I already have."

"Then don't, mooch off of me."

"Mamo, I am not moving in with you!"

He pulled her back to him, smirking at the smile she was barely containing. "Why not?"

"Because I don't trust your intentions."

He froze, his mouth hanging wide open, but he couldn't deny it either. Shutting his mouth, he let out a sigh. "Fine, then go back to your parents."

Her heart stopped. "What?"

"Go back to your parents."

"That is not an option Mamo, they would be in danger and I can't risk it."

Continuing with their tug of war, he pulled her in again. "Then let me risk it. Move back home and I will protect them. All of you. They will be safe and you will be in their care."

She stared at him, slack-jawed. There was no doubt that he meant it and honestly believed he could keep them all safe. And even though she wasn't as confident as he was, the fact that he was willing to do so much to make her happy, to send her home was overwhelming. Even if it was a bit self-serving, getting her out of a house full of men, he didn't intend it that way. He offered for her, not himself.

Her fingers curled around his neck, pulling him to her so hard and fast, it surprised both of them. But he recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. Just as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, she felt it, pushing him away hard and fast. But not fast enough. He had just enough time to look at her with concern and confusion before half of the wall to the front of the arcade splintered apart, blasting inward on all those inside.

She was thrown to the floor, Mamoru's body covering hers. He rolled off of her in an instant, pulling her up with him as he got up off the floor. Taking his hand, she pulled him behind the counter, intending on going into the backroom to transform. But a large pile of cement and wood now blocked them from it. They could get through, but it would take time and they didn't have any.

A woman walked through the hole, or rather, she looked like a woman in many respects. Pale green skin peeked out of the dark red, skin-tight bodysuit. Pink hair that matched Usagi's shirt, spilled down her back while gold coiled around her arms and legs. She was very pretty for a Cardigan, as that voice called the one earlier.

Mamoru shoved her behind him and she let him, only so she could peek around the side of him.

"WHERE IS TSUKINO!"

Then he shoved her down behind the counter, falling to her knees hard. Fear made her heart race, but it was not her own. It was Mamoru's. The man who feared nothing, not even death, and here he was afraid for her?

"Mamoru! Where is she!"

"I don't know. Why don't you try the ladies' room?"

The fear he felt did not show in his voice in the slightest and she found herself craving to see what it looked like on his face. Not sure what she would find, she crept around the corner of the counter. Mamoru appeared in her sights, she drank him in. He looked the same, stoic and determined. He had stepped away from the counter and did all he could to not look her way.

"FINE! You don't want to tell me? I will just start killing EVERYONE in this room until she is handed over!"

Mamoru paled, that much she could see, and in her mind he was begging her to stay put. But as she heard the screams of someone else, her heart broke, or rather Mamoru's did knowing she was going to reveal herself.

She popped up and the Cardigan's eyes went straight to her, dropping the young boy she had in her grasp.

"I will come with you if you leave everyone else alone."

The creature laughed, "Oh you are hardly in any position to bargain!"

It shimmered and disappeared, popping up right beside her behind the counter. Grabbing her arm, she threw Usagi out and over, almost landing painfully on the other side, but Mamoru caught her. This only angered the creature more.

Shimmering again, she appeared between them, the force knocking them both backward. Her towards the door and Mamoru back deeper into the arcade.

Pain ripped through her skull, a scream coming from her while the womanoid cackled, pulling her by one of her braided loops. The same one Mamoru had just teased her with.

"I am going to suck you dry and leave your corpse high in the trees to rot. They won't find it till you are unrecognizable."

She tugged on her locks, stuck tight in the creature's grip. "Kami you're sick. Did your Masters make you like this?!"

It cackled again, pulling her in tighter, the strands screaming for release at her scalp. "Masters? I have no Master, I am my own!"

The creature's free hand went to her throat and started to squeeze. Then she was knocked away, both of them falling to the floor, Mamoru on top of the beast. He rolled off, grabbing Usagi off the floor and pulling her towards the hole. They were almost there when she appeared before them again.

It raised a hand at both of them. "Give her to me and you can live!" Mamoru shoved her behind him, giving it his answer. "Are you really going to let him die for you?"

She felt the energy Mamoru was pooling and she gripped his hand, stopping him from revealing himself with a shake of her head at him. "I am not going to let her have you."

"If you reveal yourself, they will never stop coming for either of us."

They whispered, not needing to be louder than a hush on their breaths, their connection carrying their words the rest of the way. She moved to go around him and he stopped her, grabbing her wrist in a death grip. Glaring at him, he squeezed his eyes shut at the onslaught of emotions and thoughts she sent his way.

"Stop! Just stop alright? I'm not losing you again!"

She ripped her hand away from his, "And I refuse to watch you die again."

"Are you two finished?!"

They both turned to glare at the creature, her hair standing on end in her fury. She had to hold back the giggle that wanted to release when Mamoru thought about the little troll dolls, comparing the creature to them. He disguised his chuckle as a cough when she thought about the jewel on the trolls in their belly buttons and wondered if they could make a wish.

Both their smiles fell when she was grabbed up again by her hair. "What is your problem with my hair?!"

Her free hand reached over and grabbed Usagi's wrist, deciding to go ahead and drain her now. She felt the pull and she wasn't sure if she should let her take it or resist? Would she have figured out that she was Sailor Moon if she was able to keep herself from getting drained?

Mamoru moved for her again, ignoring her looks and calls to him in her mind. He stopped when another figure shimmered next to the woman.

"An! Let her go now!"

Mamoru watched for a second, looking back at her and smirking. Then he changed directions, grabbing the blue-haired creature that matched the woman he stood next to.

"NO! You let him go!"

"Not as much fun to see the life of the one you love threatened is it?"

Mamoru held the guy in a chokehold, his forearm pressing against the creature's windpipe. He had taken a big risk, assuming they had similar bodily functions. But the creature was clearly struggling to breathe now.

"How about we make a trade?"

She glanced over at her capture, finding the woman struggling to make a decision. The look on the other creature's face was too cruel.

Mamoru shook his head at her. "Don't you feel sorry for them, Usako, they attacked first." She could feel the tears in her eyes, looking back at Mamoru who shook his head harder. "No, no way! Not until you are safe!"

She had distracted him, the creature he held elbowing him hard in the ribs, causing Mamoru to loosen his hold just enough for the creature to break free and blast Mamoru with a strange energy.

"Mamoru!"

The creature that held her screamed out at the exact same time as she had, something Usagi did not miss as she looked back up to stare at the woman. She glared back, fire in her eyes as if she could catch Usagi on fire with a look.

"This is all YOUR fault!"

Releasing her hair, the creature backhanded her, sending her flying across the room. In a flash, it was on her again, its hands around her neck, cutting off all oxygen. Black invaded her vision, spots that got larger and larger by the second.

She could feel Mamoru's power swelling, fully ready to blast this creature into oblivion and reveal himself to the enemy and the world. She begged him, through their link, not to. But he wasn't listening, taking blow after blow from the second creature that kept him from her. So focused on getting to her that he wasn't even fighting back save to get free of the beast.

Heat hit her face, a flame rushing past her, barely missing her as it funneled into the creature that held her down. The creature released a loud screech, the sound disappearing mid-scream as it shimmered away. Then the sound of glass crushing under feet rang out in the silence that now filled her ears, even Mamoru was silent. Red and purple fluttered above her, her vision still blurry while her throat burned.

"Geez... Pyro… you almost… singed me."

Mars' glare was the last thing she saw before slipping off into the darkness.

WOOO HOOO MARS IN THE HOUSE! Not gonna lie, she's my favorite return in this fic. Showing up all badass. One Senshi left!

On a more subdued note...

As much as it pains me to make this public because it just gives these people what they want which is attention, I'm at my wit's end and need help. I have mentioned that I've been a victim of bullying. This was all recently too I don't mean back in my school days. So recent, in fact, it's still going on. Currently, my work is posted on a page that doesn't have my permission to do so, the page called Elite Squad B. It's a page run by the very people who bullied me and all my friends in my other fandom.

Most might say, "take it as a compliment" but they don't have my name anywhere on the joint page and my old name next to my works. It’s plagiarism. And keep in mind, these are the same people that said I was bullying them to our entire fandom, slandering mine and my friends' names to the point that most of them left. All of you know what happened to my dear friend and beta, darkenedhrt101. My other friends are still in the fandom but aren't as active as they once were. The only reason they were ever attacked was because they were my friends and I supported their work. None of us ever did anything my bullies said we did, not even tell our readers what was going on. But they still blamed them as well, telling me it was one of my 'fans' accosting them. I'm 100% sure the troll they got famous from was all made up and then used to tear me and my friends down. If not, how could they ever think this person was on my side? I'm the one they threatened to throw out of the fandom.

I want to be done with these people and for the most part, I am. I've blocked them everywhere and think of them never. Except when it comes to my stories on their page. A collaborative page I helped create when they pretended to be my friend. And although I gave permission, I have asked them to take them off, taken the permission away. I know the 'collaborative' piece is a hard sell, even though the concept and first chapter are mine, I gave them the project under duress, and they have since changed the concept to something else and ruined the fic. I feel I have the right to ask them to remove my chapter. The other work is mine. A few unnecessary sentences were added so the other person could add their name to the fic. But it's my story and work.

I have reached out to the owners of the page and but about four months later, and nothing has been done. So I'm going public in hopes I can at least get it out there that wrong is still being done to me. These people accused me of spreading their personal business and pretending to be a troll. Why do they still want my name on anything of theirs? Because they are still using and abusing my name, that's why. And it needs to stop.

Words cannot express the changes this bullying has done to me. I'm no longer social, not on any social media, and I'm not as active in that fandom anymore. I wish I had saved the messages they sent me. Especially the one where one of them admitted to stealing my fic from me. But I didn't have the forethought and didn't want the reminder of their negativity even saved on my phone.

I owe them nothing and ignoring them didn't work. So even though I don't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing what they did to me, I want all of you to know more. They pushed my best friend out of the fandom, something we did for fun, all for their own selfish needs. They turn writers that I once respected and admired against us based on lies. And to this day, they still claim some kind of ownership to my work. I hope all of you can understand and sympathize. I don't expect much, I just want my stuff off their page. And if making a big stink, and stirring up my anxiety as I'm super non-confrontational, is what it takes then here goes.