Konnichiwa, minna! *g* Any comments or critz will be accepted and appreciated! goddess_avalon@hotmail.com I do not own Sailor Moon, the creator and all of the companies that dub and all that kind of thing do. Don't sue me, I'm just a wanna-be author *g* Now ONTO THE STORY! *g* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Aluminum Siren was talking with Seiya later that day. "So, just what is it you want me to do, Seiya-kun?" Siren asked, leaning back in her chair. "Talk to her, I guess... find out why she's so distant to me all of a sudden." Seiya said. Siren shrugged "Ok... I'll talk to her when she's done talking to Galaxia." Siren said, and stood up. She left the kitchen but Seiya stayed there watching the rain, which was still falling heavily and steadily. A few minutes later, Siren came back in and picked up her and Usagi's coats. "I'm going to talk to her now, ok, Seiya-kun?" She said; Seiya just nodded. "I'll let you know as soon as we get back." Siren said, and left. Usagi and Siren were walking by a river a few minutes later. "Usagi-sama, why have you been acting so distant to Seiya-kun lately?" It was a week after the last attack, and things had been relatively quiet, but the tension in the house was evident, especially when it came time for Seiya and Usagi's shift. Usagi explained what had happened when Seiya had started with the cream and how close they had come to kissing. "It was too close of a call, Siren." Usagi said, Siren looked over at Usagi. "Usagi-chan, let me see that locket." She said, and Usagi handed her the first locket that Usagi had used to save Mamoru the first time. "I don't think you're quite over Mamoru-kun... you've been holding on to this for too long." Siren finally said, and handed it back to Usagi. Usagi opened it and listened to the song that had kept her going so many times when Mamoru had gotten captured by the negaverse. "Well what do you suggest I do?" Usagi demanded, tears brimming in her eyes. "These things... the locket, the picture, everything, get rid of them. Keep maybe one thing to keep close to you so you won't forget him." Usagi nodded, "I only have this and the picture..." Usagi fingered the locket, then suddenly threw it into the river. "You're right. I've been holding on for too long." She said. "I'll talk to Seiya-kun when we get back." Usagi said, and turned back, "Let's go." she said. Suddenly, Siren shrieked. "Illsus-baka!" Usagi cried as she spotted him. Siren was slowly slipping into the river, clawing at the soil that was quickly crumbling beneath her hands. "You have my warning." Illsus said, and disappeared, Siren slid into the river, and was gone. Her body washed up on the shore a few days later, the locket wrapped around her right wrist. Usagi stood dazed long after Siren had disappeared down the river, then she turned back and walked slowly back to Hotaru's house. "Seiya-kun, gather the other's, will you?" She said when she reached the house, distractedly. Seiya nodded and moved off to find the rest of the scouts that were in the house. A few minutes later, Usagi and the whole group were gathered in Hotaru's living room. "Aluminum Siren is gone. Illsus made her slip and fall into the river." Galaxia's eyes flashed with anger. "All that's left for me is Papillon." She said. Cosmos stepped in, "Not true. You remember who I used to be?" Galaxia glanced up at Cosmos, and for an instant saw the innocent, child-like face of Chibi-chibi-chan, the holder of her glitter seed. "I'm sorry, Cosmos." Galaxia apologized. "I'll be on every shift except for the ones from nine at night until five in the morning." Usagi said, and stood up. "Go back to your positions." Usagi said. While everybody was leaving, Usagi put out a hand to stop Seiya, "Can I talk to you?" Seiya nodded, and he followed her back down to the shop that they had sat in just a week before. "Before Illsus-baka showed up, Siren had just told me that I needed to let go of Mamoru-chan's memory... I had just thrown that locket into the river when Illsus-baka blasted her." Seiya nodded, "I just wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to act so distant, I guess I was just still thinking that it was as it was when me and Mamoru-chan first met." Usagi smiled, slightly. "And then those times... well you know, it kindof made the memory even stronger, ntil I threw that locket away." 'This isn't it yet!' Usagi thought, "Now I can focus on finding out what Setsuna-chan was talking about." Seiya nodded, "I'm glad we're talking again." He said, finally. "For a while there I thought you were really mad at me." Usagi laughed, "No! There's just been this battle..." Usagi stopped, she had almost revealed that she had been battling her feelings for him. Thankfully, Seiya didn't seem to notice. "I know what that can do to a person." The way he said it made Usagi wonder if he had once gone through the very same thing with her. Usagi's communicator beeped suddenly. "Yes?" Usagi said, pulling it out of her purse. "Illsus-baka attacked again. Phobos and Ceres were actually on the balcony when he did, and it collapsed underneath them and buried them on the ground." Hotaru said, her voice fading in and out. "You're kidding!" Usagi gasped. "Seiya-kun, Phobos and Ceres got buried by the balcony." Usagi whispered across the table. "No, I'm not kidding. Well I've got to go. Don't feel like you need to come back earlier than nine... might be safer if you stayed away from here." Usagi nodded, slowly. "Thanks." She said, and switched the communicator off and put it back in her purse. She turned around and faced Seiya. "You want to go to the park?" Seiya asked, glancing out the window. "The rain seems to have stopped." Usagi nodded and stood up. "Yeah... I think there's an area that's always dry we can go to." Seiya walked to the park with Usagi and sure enough, there was the dry area. The HUGE dry area, actually. "Let's go sit over there." Usagi pointed to an area by some trees, and led Seiya over to them. They sat down on the ground and gazed at the park around them. "In just a few months this whole city could be gone..." Usagi said, sighing. Seiya nodded and twirled a piece of grass between his fingers. "Not so hard to believe, considering who we're up against." He moved his arm so he could get into a more comfortable position and his elbow caught Usagi in the side. "Oww..." Usagi groaned, and held her side. "What'd you do that for?" She asked, semi-jokingly. Seiya didn't seem to catch the joking part and took that seriously. "Sorry! It was an accident! Are you ok?" He asked, moving over to check to make sure she really WAS ok. "I'm fine, you doofus!" Usagi said, and shoved him playfully. Usagi greatly under-estimated her strength and she ended up sending Seiya tumbling backwards. "Oh, now you've asked for it!" Seiya said, teasingly, and went after her. Usagi stood up and ran, but Seiya chased after her and managed to catch her and start his attack... tickling her because he *knew* it was her weak spot. Usagi pulled free and dashed away again. She ran into the woods surrounding the park and Seiya chased after her. Usagi reached a clearing, thought she had lost him, stopped to rest. Seiya leaped out of the trees from behind her and knocked her to the ground. "Hey!" Usagi cried, and Seiya laughed, reaching a hand down to help her to her feet. Just like Usagi, though, he underestimated *his* strength, and ended up pulling Usagi close to him. Usagi had to grab onto Seiya's shoulders to steady herself. When she looked up, Seiya was just looking at her. Usagi felt herself become trapped in his eyes and they both moved towards one another and kissed. When they parted, Usagi pushed Seiya away, semi-angrily. "You hit me in the side on purpose! You knew I would push you back and that just gave you an excuse to chase me!" Seiya shook his head, "Honestly, Usagi-chan, this whole thing was an accident." Usagi picked up her purse and hurried back through the woods towards Hotaru's house. She came out of the woods right behind it and dashed inside and up to her room. Hotaru saw her rush past the kitchen entrance and wondered what had happened and where Seiya was. Seiya came in a few minutes later. "Seiya-kun," Hotaru started, peeling some carrots for a stew, "Is Usagi-chan okay? I saw her run through here just a few minutes ago..." Seiya sat down and picked up a peeler and a carrot. He explained to Hotaru what had happened in the park. "It was completely an accident." Seiya finished, and put down the finished carrot and picked up another. "Why is she like this, Hotaru?" He asked, finally. "One minute it's like she doesn't have a care in the world, the next, it's like she doesn't want anything in her way." "I don't know, Seiya-kun. Maybe she's just having a memory overload. Like things from the past are becoming more and more vivid too fast for her to take in all at once." Seiya nodded, "Sounds logical." He said. "Well, I've got to go talk to the other guys. Know where I might find them?" Hotaru pointed to the stairs, "Up in Taiki-kun's room." She said, and resumed peeling the carrots. "Thanks." He said, and took the stairs three at a time. "Hey, guys, I'm back." Yaten turned around from talking with Taiki about something and nodded, "How'd it go?" He asked. Seiya dropped onto Taiki's bed. "Not good." He explained once again what had happened. "Was it really a mistake, Seiya-kun? Maybe on your part, yes, but on her part? Is there any proof that she didn't shove you back on purpose?" Taiki said, entering the conversation. "Wouldn't surprise me." Yaten said, laughing shortly. "Stop it, Taiki-kun!" Seiya ordered, and Taiki shut up. Seiya rarely got mad at anybody. "Usagi-chan wouldn't do that. For goodness sakes her boyfriend just died hardly a month ago!" Taiki shrank back, "Sorry." He grumbled, and turned back to Yaten; resuming their discussion. "I'll see you guys at dinner." He aid, and walked up to the balcony to see just how much damage had been done. "Who's there?" He heard when he entered the room. He looked towards a corner and saw Usagi huddled there. "Oh, sorry, Usagi-chan. It's just me." Seiya said, and turned to leave. "Where are you going?" Usagi asked, and stood up. "I just thought you'd want to be alone... I mean, considering what happened in the park and all..." Usagi shook her head, "I'm sorry, Seiya-kun. This whole thing with Illsus-*baka* is just coming down too hard and too fast." She said, and turned to the window. "You see that window in the building over there?" She said, and pointed. "Remember that?" Seiya nodded. Usagi glanced towards the building. "In just five seconds, Illsus-baka is going to blast that building to bits. Five... four... three... two... one..." The building suddenly disappeared. "What?" Seiya exclaimed, and rushed to the window. "I don't believe it! Usagi-chan, Setsuna-sensei's helping you even though she's dead!" Usagi shook her head, "Remember what you told me, Seiya-kun? They're never really gone as long as you remember them? I'll never forget my friends." Usagi turned and sat down on a chair by a bookshelf. "Looks like I was right, huh?" Seiya said, "So was I." Usagi replied. Seiya nodded. Yaten came in then with Chibi-Usa on his shoulders. "It's amazing how well the sourpuss here can get along with such a little kid like Chibi-Usa-chan." Usagi joked. Yaten scowled at her. "Very funny." He retorted, and set Chibi-Usa down. "Usagi-mama, where'd that building go?" Chibi-Usa asked, pointing out across to where the building had once stood. "Illsus-baka blasted it. Usagi-chan predicted it because Setsuna-sensei's helping her." Seiya explained to Chibi-Usa when Usagi didn't answer. "Neat!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed, and ran over to Usagi. She was about halfway to her when a blast sent her across the room. "Chibi-Usa-chan!" Seiya exclaimed and ran to her. "What was that?" Chibi-Usa asked, dazed. "Illsus-baka." Usagi said, disgustedly, "Illsus-baka is trying to kill Chibi-Usa-chan!" Sailor Moon from the future appeared. "Let me take Chibi-Usa-chan back with me. She'll be safe in the future." She said, and Usagi quickly agreed. Chibi-Usa and future-moon disappeared just as Illsus fired another blast, this one directed at Yaten. He cried out in pain and dropped to the floor. "It's no use transforming," Seiya said, holding Usagi back, "We already know that by experience." Usagi agreed reluctantly and just shielded her ears and her eyes until Illsus was gone. Yaten faded. "He's with the princess now, Usagi-sama..." something told her. Just then, there was a shriek from downstairs. Usagi, Hotaru, and Seiya all ran down and saw that Seion had once again become Metallia. Taiki and Juno were fighting her, Taiki as his normal self, but it didn't do anything. "Usagi-sama, you have to destroy her! You promised!" Taiki yelled, then Metallia blasted him and he was gone. "Eternal MAKEUP!" Usagi yelled, and brought out her sword. "You made me promise to do this, Metallia, sorry." Usagi whispered, and struck out with her sword. Just at that moment, Juno disappeared and Usagi's sword sliced through Metallias shoulder. Metallia screamed in rage, but disappeared. "Arigato, Usagi-chan. I'm with my son, now." Usagi heard the voice of Seion say from somewhere, and then it was gone. Usagi started to cry and detransformed back into her normal self. "WHY?" Usagi cried, "Why does it always have to end in pain and death?" She demanded. She sat down on the floor and Seiya sat next to her and hugged her. She cried for a long time, not even noticing when Galaxia and Phi entered the room, battered, beaten, and bruised badly.