SPIN THE BOTTLE By Princess Destiny [princessdestiny@hotmail.com] Chapter Ten "What?" Usagi whispered, mouth open in shock. Everyone was staring at Ami as if she had grown another head. "Are you positive?" Rei exclaimed, rushing over to Ami to look at the Mercury computer. She blinked, crossed her eyes and tilted her head from side-to side in an effort to understand the weird gibberish on the screen. "Er-that's what this says?" she said tentatively, glancing sideways at her blue-haired friend. "I'm afraid so" Ami breathed, pointing the computer slowly over the Tsukino's and then Mamoru. She glanced up. "Hmm" she muttered, staring hard at the startled guy. "What?" Mamoru said, staring back cautiously. Ami was looking at him as if she'd just found a rare species of butterfly. "You-AREN'T human, Mamoru" Ami said, biting her lip and looking perplexed. "But you ARE of earth...whereas, we Senshi are NOT" "WHAT?!" the girls all shrieked. "But Usagi IS my daughter! She grew in me and-popped out of me!" Ikuko yelled, looking faint. "I was there!" Kenji added emphatically, glaring. He quickly reached out to grab Usagi and drag her to his side, but before he could move, Mamoru had-blurred. He suddenly appeared between Usagi and her father, eyes burning deeply blue. "Don't touch her" he growled at Kenji. "You MAN-" Kenji began, opening his mouth to blast Mamoru. Mamoru swiftly reached towards his hip, eyes burning a brilliant blue. He paused as he groped at the side of his trousers, eyes looking suddenly blank and bewildered. As if he had thought to find something there, at his side-but discovered it missing. Everyone was staring at him strangely, shocked. "Er-Mamoru? That's her father-not a Youma or Zoisite...and don't you HATE Usagi?" Rei said delicately, eyes penetrating. "Mamoru?" Usagi said tentatively, touching his shoulder. He spun around swiftly, eyes still bewildered, but filled with rage that had been aimed at her father. She flinched as his arm shot out and caught hers-but gently. "Sere-" uttered faintly, blinking. His eyes looked glazed. "I mean...Usagi" he corrected, eyes clearing. He looked around, unconsciously rubbing at the soft skin of Usagi's wrist. "What just happened" "You just went psycho on Usagi dad and then almost attacked Usagi" Makoto said, glaring accusingly. Mamoru's eyes iced over. "He tried to touch her-and I reacted. If none of you have forgotten, I am her protector!" he looked down at Usagi, eyes strangely filled with tenderness and something familiar. "And as for hurting Usagi-I would NEVER" he blinked, eyes hazing over slightly. "I...knew it was her, even as she touched me" "He's freaking me out, Mom" Shingo muttered, chewing at his thumb. "Well, you'd better get used to him really quickly" Makoto said, grinning evilly. "Because he's going to be here a while" "What?" Usagi and Mamoru said in shock, still staring into each other's eyes and he holding onto her wrist lightly. The world started to fade around them and they totally forgot the others in the room. "You look tired" Mamoru murmured to her eyes penetrating. He noted the bags under her eyes. "So do you" Usagi murmured back, blinking slowly, as she stared at him, she began to become more concerned. "Are you injured from the battle?" she inquired, reaching up to brush a stray lock of his dark hair from his eyes. "Hello?" Rei said, waving a hand wildly around near the pair. "They can't seem to hear us" Ikuko said, eyes perplexed. "Its like they're in a trance" Shingo said, crossing his arms and looking curiously at his sister and the tall guy. "Don't touch them" Ami warned, looking down at her computer. "They're radiating strange energy waves" Mamoru released Usagi's wrist, reaching out to cup her face between his hands and draw her closer to stare into her eyes. "I am fine. You worry too much" Everyone moved closer, staring at the strange intimate scene unfolding. It was like-the two were no longer aware that there was anyone else there! "What battle?" Kenji demanded, looking his little girl over for injury. Makoto shook her head. "There WAS no battle today-I have no idea what they're saying" Mamoru drew Usagi closer, their eyes closing-lips inches apart. "Do not leave me again" she cried softly, arms clinging to his shoulders. "The war-" Mamoru began. "You PROMISED ME!" Usagi cried out desperately. "You promised, End-" Then something soft began to play, in a hauntingly familiar melody. Everyone blinked as something shining fell from between Usagi and Mamoru to the floor. Everything shattered then. Usagi and Mamoru both blinked, stared at each others proximity in horror-and leapt away from each other as if they had the plague. "Oh my god!" Usagi said, pointing accusingly at Mamoru. "What did you DO to me, creep?" she screeched in horror. ["He was going to kiss me in front of my parents!"] "Me? You did something to ME, Odango" Mamoru said, frowning darkly. ["What just happened here? I almost kissed her in front of her parents!"] "The charts are off the scale!" Ami announced with stunned incredulity. "You two just linked again! And I can't even BEGIN to measure the power or psychic waves the Mercury computer just absorbed!" "What? Rei said, staring at Ami and then a dismayed Usagi and Mamoru- who currently were doing their best not to look at each other at all. "Are you sure" "What battle?" Kenji said, looking bewildered. "You said there was no battles today" "He said war. I specifically remember it" Ami corrected, looking at Mamoru strangely. "What war, Mamoru?" "I have no idea what you mean" Mamoru said, staring stonily at the wall. He turned his head slightly to glance at Usagi-who turned to look at him. They'd shared a memory again-and no doubt. Maybe something from the Moon Princess' memories, that they were acting out. "Then what did he promise you?" Ikuko urged her daughter. "Promise me?" Usagi said weakly, sinking to the floor. "I don't- remember" she lied, still looking up at Mamoru. ["He promised never to leave me"] she bit her lip. It had to have something to do with their connection to the Moon Princess. Somehow, they must be re-enacting her memories-with...whoever the man was. "Amnesia?" Rei surmised, not sure if she believed Usagi or Mamoru. "It's possible, I suppose" Ami sighed. "I need-to go to bed" Usagi muttered, getting shakily to her feet. She muttered a bleary goodnight and then started to head for the stairs. "Usagi! Stop!" Ami screamed, before Usagi could even pass the couches. "You can Mamoru CAN'T separate!" Kenji stared at Ami in horror. "You're NOT subjecting-" "Do you want her dead?" Rei put in harshly. "What?" Usagi said, bewildered. "Darling-Mamoru will have to sleep in your room with you" Ikuko put in delicately. Mamoru and Usagi's heads jerked around simultaneously, to stare at each other in acute shock and horror. "No way!" she shrieked. ["US? Together? In my ROOM? ALONE?!"] "No way" Mamoru said also, shaking his head. ["ME? In Odangos room- ALONE with her in nothing but her nightwear? NO WAY!"] he shook his head again and crossed his hands over his chest. "NO WAY" he said emphatically. "Of course, no way! Are you NUTS?!" Kenji almost screamed at Ami. "You want some GUY to stay in the room of my little girl-in her NIGHTWEAR?" "He can sleep on the floor dear" Ikuko said calmly. "No! No! Bad idea!" Usagi waved her arms around urgently, trying to dissuade everyone. "We HATE each other! We'll-KILL each other! You'll find our bloody corpses on the floor come dawn!" she said frantically. "You're never awake at dawn, dear" Ikuko said calmly. "Its Sunday tomorrow-you'll be lucky to be up by noon" "Moooom!" Usagi wailed. "Really?" Mamoru said evilly. "Anyone else care to tell me more about my-room mate?" "She has nightmares and snores loudly" a voice announced haughtily from the stairs. Everyone's heads swung that way, looking around for the woman who had spoken-then down at the innocent small cat sitting on the bottom step. "Who said that?" Ikuko demanded, still looking around. "Er-" the Senshi all muttered, having forgotten about Luna entirely. "I DID" Luna said. "Ugh!" Kenji said, fainting. "Cool!" Shingo yelped. Ikuko stared at Luna and then at her daughter-and finally at a pole- axed Mamoru. "You didn't know either?" she surmised dryly. "Nope" Mamoru said, gritting his teeth. "Hello kitty" "My name is Luna, Mamoru! I am the Senshi's trainer and guardian-and when we find the Princess, I am her royal adviser!" Luina announced cuttingly, leaping up onto the couch. "Yadda, yadda, yadda" Rei said dismissively. "I suppose you heard it all, Luna?" "Yes" the cat said, glaring at Mamoru. "Touch even her little toe, Romeo-and I'll rip you to shreds" she warned him, extending her sharp claws. The other girls and Ikuko all looked at each other. "Chaperone!" they all uttered together with relief. Mamoru and Usagi looked at each other, chagrined and relieved. Well, that fixed THAT problem. "You girls can sleep here for the night" Ikuko said, smiling around. "And then in the morning, you can tell me how you all became Senshi" she looked at Usagi and Mamoru. "This way, you two" she ordered, walking towards the stairs. Mamoru muttered something and followed Usagi's mom, while Usagi snatched up Luna and followed closely behind. "How did this link happen, Usagi?" Luna hissed at her charge as they headed down the hall towards Usagi's room. "I have NO idea. Other than the locket. He touched it-and boom" Usagi hissed back. Luna's eyes went wide in horror. "He TOUCHED the locket? GREAT SERENITY!" she screeched. Usagi and Mamoru both came to a complete stop where they were, standing like statues. Slowly, Mamoru turned around and looked down at Luna, while Usagi did the same. "What did you say?" Mamoru demanded. "I said-what? Oh great Serenity" Luna said, perplexed. Usagi and Mamoru looked up at each other, eyes wide. They both KNEW that name! "Who is Serenity?" Usagi said tentatively. "She was the Queen of the Moon of course" Luna said loftily. "Haven't I told you this before, Usagi?" "No, you haven't" Usagi said faintly, almost dropping the cat.