That Special Magic
-by: the Yarnspinner-
the_yarnspinner@yahoo.com
http://strands-of-moonlight.my3gb.com
-or- http://strands-of-moonlight.6te.net
A Sekkushiaru Roman
featuring characters from the anime "Sailor Moon"> Chapter 15 - Cherry Blossoms <
The Cherry Blossom Club was a Tokyo fixture, reflecting a largely by-gone era. Established in Tokyo soon after the arrival of the Emperor Meiji from Kyoto, it sat in an open park in the center of the city, and took its name from the manicured grove of cherry trees that surrounded it. For many years it had been a gathering place for the nobility and their prominent guests. The 1923 earthquake destroyed the large traditional structure, along with much of the rest of the city. The building was painstakingly rebuilt, but as the military's role grew more pronounced in the government and the ancient bushido code was given a renewed emphasis, places such as the Cherry Blossom Club fell out of favor. By 1944, the building had largely fallen into disrepair when it was again destroyed, this time by American incendiary bombs. After the war, the trees were replanted, and the building again reconstructed, now catering to the reemerging corporate leaders and their families.
Mamoru pulled his car into the driveway.
"It's lovely," Usagi exclaimed. "Why don't you come here more often?"
"It still focuses on catering to people of my grandfather's generation, I'm afraid," he said. "There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but it's not to my liking."
"What do they do?"
"They do the traditional observances of each of the festivals," he said.
She frowned. "How traditional?"
"Exactly traditional."
"I see," she said, nodding slowly. "I remember having to sit through a presentation on one of the festivals at school, and I nearly fell asleep."
They pulled up to the door, and a valet parking attendant came out to meet them, first opening Usagi's door for her. Mamoru stepped out of the car and received a claim ticket from the attendant. Usagi took his arm and they walked up the steps. At the main door, the doorman met them. Mamoru presented his invitation, which the doorman checked against his list.
"Good evening, Chiba-san," the doorman said with a bow. "The rest of your party has already arrived, sir."
"Thank you," Mamoru replied.
Mamoru and Usagi walked inside, and were shown into the main hall. Music was playing and several couples were dancing. Off to one side, they saw the other girls sitting at a table. Only Ami had a date, having brought Ryo with her.
"Hello, Usagi," Minako called with a wave.
Mamoru held Usagi's chair for her, then sat down himself.
"Usagi, you look great," Makoto said.
"Thanks," Usagi replied with a grin. She wore a strapless pink gown with gold trim, and a small but ornate diamond necklace with matching earrings.
Mamoru smiled at her lovingly, and took her hand in his own.
"Has anybody seen anything going on yet?" Usagi asked, keeping her voice low.
"Not yet," Ami said.
"Luna and Artemis are outside on the grounds, looking around," Minako said.
Rei gestured toward the front table. "It seems the graduating class of the Rose finishing school are the guests of honor tonight."
"Well, there's certainly nothing threatening about them," Minako said with a laugh.
"Uh oh," Makoto said softly. "Over in the far corner. Tell me that's not Kunzite."
Usagi casually glanced over in that direction, then turned back. "I think that's him."
"Well, we know they're up to something," Rei said quietly.
Minako nodded. "But we'll have to be careful with all these people here."
"Ryo, can you see anything that helps us?" Ami asked.
Ryo shook his head. "I'm afraid not. What I can see doesn't make much sense. It's just a confusing jumble. I'm sorry."
"That's alright," Ami said.
Usagi nodded. "Yes. We appreciate any help you can give. Don't feel too bad."
Mamoru placed his hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Would you like to dance, Usako?"
"I'd love to, Mamo-chan," she replied with a smile.
They stood up and moved out onto the dance floor. He took her in his arms and they moved together with the music. She smiled up at him happily. As they danced, she could sense something was on his mind.
"What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
"Kunzite," he said quietly. "I have this strange feeling that Prince Endymion knew him in the past, and not as an enemy."
She thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it..."
He nodded. "I just don't know what that means."
"Do you think he might be able to recognize us?" she asked.
"I honestly don't know," he said. "But I would doubt it. Surely if he could, the Dark Kingdom would have already made use of that."
She nodded, then kissed him softly as they continued to move with the music.
He held her close, again thoroughly enjoying the feel of her in his arms, and knowing just how much he loved her.
They remained out on the floor for about another ten minutes, before walking to the bar. Each ordered a soft drink.
"Mamo-chan," Usagi said softly. "Kunzite seems to be talking with the headmistress of the Rose finishing school. And I think he's been with her since we got here."
He nodded. "That means she could be a youma."
Usagi glanced around the room, seeing the finishing school students out on the dance floor with their escorts. "Are those girls part of it too? Or are they unaware of what's going on?"
"My guess is they're unaware," he said. "That seems to be the Dark Kingdom's 'modus operandi'."
"Their what?" she asked, confused.
"Sorry, my love. Their way of doing things," he explained.
"Oh, right," she said, nodding. "So, that means we have to keep the students safe... and based on our recent experiences their headmistress might only be under the influence of Dark Kingdom magic."
"Very true," he agreed.
They finished their drinks, placing the glasses back on the bar.
"May I have this dance, Usako?" he asked softly, taking her hand.
"Well... my dance card is full, I'm afraid," she said, a grin spreading across her face. "But by a strange coincidence, Mamo-chan, your name seems to be the only one on it."
He smiled at her. "I thought that might be the case, my love."
"You know there could never be anyone else," she said softly.
He kissed her, then led her back out onto the dance floor, taking her in his arms once again. As he looked deep into her large blue eyes, he felt the power of their love warming him from within. Leaning down, he kissed her again.
"I love you, Usako," he whispered.
She smiled up at him. "I love you," she replied.
As they moved together with the music, they found their awareness shrinking to just the two of them. With a force of effort, he made himself occasionally glance around the room, remembering what they were there for.
Usagi also looked around. Ami and Ryo had now made their way out onto the dance floor, while one of the escorts for the Rose school girls was now dancing with Makoto. As she and Mamoru continued to dance, Usagi suddenly felt slightly lightheaded.
"Are you alright, Usako?" he asked, as she leaned against him.
She nodded. "I think so."
He looked down at her with obvious concern. "It's a bit warm in here. Let's go outside for some fresh air," he suggested.
"OK," she agreed.
He held her arm and steered her toward the doors that led out onto the grounds. Outside, they found a bench beneath one of the trees which gave the club its name and sat down. He softly kissed her cheek.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked.
"A little," she said quietly. "I guess I was getting a little warm."
"That's alright," he said comfortingly. "It's a lovely night, and I'm perfectly happy to just sit here with such a lovely young woman."
She smiled, then leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh, Mamo-chan," she sighed.
He placed a hand on her thigh, and she placed her hand over his. They sat together quietly, enjoying the cool evening and the soft music from the club.
The peace was shattered by a scream, followed by a sudden flash of energy within the club's main hall. Instantly, all was silent.
"Something's happened!" Usagi declared, sitting up with a start.
Luna and Artemis appeared, running toward them as fast as they could.
"Thank the gods you were outside!" Luna exclaimed.
"What happened?" Mamoru asked.
"The headmistress has transformed into a youma, and trapped everyone inside in some type of magic crystal," Artemis explained. "There was no chance for anyone in there to really react."
"We have to get in there," Usagi said.
Mamoru nodded. Energy swirled around him, transforming him into Tuxedo Kamen.
Usagi raised her hand and cried out to initiate her transformation. Her brooch glowed and a field of energy surrounded her, pulsing faintly. She looked down in surprise and consternation. Though it took only a few seconds, it seemed to her like ages, as the energy field around her grew brighter and her transformation finally began.
"That's never happened before," she gasped. "It's like my transformation didn't want to start."
Luna looked just as confused. "I've never heard of anything even remotely like that, Usagi."
"Right now, however, we have a more immediate concern," Artemis declared.
Mamoru nodded. "Yes. We need to get in there. I'll be right beside you, Usako."
"No," she said. "It will be better if we split their attention."
He wanted to argue, but knew there wasn't time. "Alright," he agreed, fighting back the concern he felt for her.
Sailor Moon raced to the door, finding all the guests, including the other Senshi, encased in a thin layer of emerald crystal. She could find no sign of Kunzite, but the headmistress, now clearly a youma, stood at the center of the room. Throwing the door open, she burst inside.
The youma turned in surprise. "Sailor Moon?! But... You should be trapped among the other guests!"
"Sorry to disappoint you," Sailor Moon replied. "But parties are supposed to be for fun and relaxation. You have spoiled that... and in the name of the Moon..."
The youma cut her short, raising its hand and hurling small crystal spikes, sending Sailor Moon diving for cover. "You require a lesson in manners, Sailor Moon," the youma said, now sounding more like the headmistress. "Proper young ladies simply do not behave like this."
"Nor do they go around trapping people in magic crystal," Sailor Moon retorted.
A faint smile formed on the youma's face.
Sailor Moon jumped to her feet, only to find green energy swirling around her.
Just then, a rose struck the youma, which cried out in pain, and the energy around Sailor Moon faded. Even as Tuxedo Kamen jumped to the floor, ready to assist further, Sailor Moon produced her moon stick and the ginzuishou appeared above her chest, glowing brightly. Sailor Moon swung the moon stick, focusing the ginzuishou's energy through it toward the youma. The youma screamed again as the waves of energy washed over it. After a moment, the youma's energy was swept away, and the headmistress fell to the floor, unconscious. At the same time, the green crystal imprisoning the party guests began to fade away.
Tuxedo Kamen rushed to the headmistress. "She's breathing," he said.
Sailor Moon nodded. "Let's get out of here, before everybody starts to regain their senses."
They hurried outside, finding concealment among the cherry trees. He transformed back to normal. She took several slow breaths, then transformed herself. As the energy faded, she swayed a bit on her feet. He quickly took her in his arms.
"Usako, what's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said softly. "I'm just feeling really tired."
He swept his hands over her back. "Let's go inside and check on the others," he said. "And then I think we should head home early. I think you need some rest, my love. I don't want you to get sick."
"Alright," she agreed.
She took his arm and they walked back inside. The other girls quickly gathered around them.
"What happened?" Rei asked. "The headmistress turned into a youma, and then everything went black."
"We took care of the youma," Usagi said, keeping her voice low. "She'd trapped you all in some sort of green crystal. Once I healed the headmistress, the green crystal all vanished."
"But how did you escape the trap?" Minako asked.
"We were outside at the time," Usagi said.
Mamoru nodded. "She got a little warm in here and wasn't feeling well," he explained. "We're planning to go home early so she can get some rest."
"What about Kunzite?" Makoto asked.
"He left just before the youma appeared," Ryo said quietly.
"Probably to observe from a distance," Rei suggested. "And when his plan failed, I'll bet he just abandoned it rather than risk facing Sailor Moon's ginzuishou."
"Entirely possible," Minako agreed.
Mamoru kissed Usagi's cheek. "Do you want to head back, my love," he asked softly.
She nodded. "Mamo-chan and I are going home," she said to the others. "Good night."
"Good night, Usagi-chan," Ami said. "I hope you feel better."
The other girls said their good nights, and Mamoru walked Usagi out of the hall and toward the main door. He presented his claim ticket to the doorman, who passed it to the parking attendant.
"Leaving so soon? I trust nothing was wrong, Chiba-san," the doorman said.
"Nothing was wrong at all," he said.
"The club deeply regrets the unfortunate disturbance, sir," the doorman added. "I hope that didn't spoil your evening."
"No, that wasn't it," Mamoru replied. "Thank you."
Moments later, the parking attendant brought Mamoru's car around. A second attendant moved down and opened the door for Usagi, then stepped away as Mamoru helped her into the car.
"Good night, sir," the doorman called.
Mamoru nodded, and passed a tip to the attendant, then slipped behind the wheel.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her, as he pulled the car out into traffic.
"I'm a little better," she said. "Just tired."
He nodded, glancing over at her, concern still evident in his face. "Did you have any problem transforming back to normal, after the fight?"
"No," she said. "Only when I changed into Sailor Moon."
"Was there any pain with that?"
She shook her head. "No, it wasn't painful at all. It was... I don't know... I guess like trying to start a car with a weak battery."
He was silent, considering what she had said. "Maybe you've caught something... like maybe a cold," he suggested.
"I've considered that," she said. "But I haven't felt any other symptoms. In fact, before tonight, I had felt completely fine."
"I understand," he said softly.
They soon pulled into the parking garage beneath his building and he parked the car.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In his bedroom, Mamoru unzipped her dress and slipped it down. She stepped out of her dress, and removed her underwear, then sat down on the bed. He could see in her eyes that she was tired. Leaning closer, he kissed her lips, then crouched down in front of her and removed her stockings.
As she lay back on the bed, completely naked, he stood up and began removing his tuxedo. Once he had shed his clothes, he sat down beside her. She sat up and he unfastened her odangos, letting her hair fall loose down over her back. He swept his hand along her back, caressing her smooth creamy flesh.
"That feels nice," she sighed.
He kissed her cheek. "I'm going to run us a bath," he said. "I'll be back in a few minutes, and then we can take a nice soak."
"That'll be good," she said.
She lay back on the bed, and he pulled the blanket up over her, then walked into the bathroom to begin filling the tub. He returned the bedroom and turned her over, gently massaging her back. She sighed happily as his fingers pressed firmly yet tenderly into her flesh. He leaned down and kissed her.
"Ready for your bath, my beautiful princess?" he asked.
She nodded. "As long as it's with my gorgeous prince," she said softly.
"Of course," he said. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my love."
He helped her up, and lead her into the bathroom, where they settled into the tub together. Her hair spread out around them in the water.
"Ooohhh," she sighed, immersed in the warm water. "Now this feels just heavenly."
"I quite agree," he said, slipping his arms around her.
They lay there quietly for several minutes, just letting the warmth soak into them. Finally, he took the soap and began sweeping his hands slowly and gently over her arms and chest. He slid one hand up onto her breast, softly caressing it and running his finger over her nipple.
"Oh, Mamo-chan," she sighed.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked.
She nodded. "This is wonderful."
He poured out some more soap and continued running his hands over her.
"You have a week off from school coming up?" he asked.
"That's right," she said.
"Is your family going anywhere?"
"Daddy was hoping for that, but he and Mom weren't able to schedule their own trip any earlier, so it looks like they're going away, just the two of them," she said. "Why? Do you have something in mind?"
He hesitated. "Well, I was thinking we might go away for that week, but we have to be careful of how we present it to your parents."
She smiled and stroked her hand across his arm. "I may have an idea. Shingo has already arranged to spend the week with a friend. I can try it out first on Mom, and see what her response is," she said. "What did you have in mind?"
"My family estate owns a vacation house up in the mountains," he said. "It overlooks a quite picturesque lake, and is very near some hot springs."
"It sound lovely," she said.
"Yes. From what I remember of it, it really is. But the house was closed up after my parents died. Last year, Kobayashi-san had the house opened up again and brought in a caretaker to have it cleaned up. The caretaker says the restoration has been completed, and I need to go up and take a look to decide if the estate should keep the house or sell it... But I thought it would be much more fun if you could come with me, my love."
"I would love to," she said. "I'll bring the subject up with Mom. If she goes along with it, she and I should be able to convince Daddy."
"And if she doesn't go along with it?" he asked.
"Well... then we'll have to think of something else, I guess," she answered.
He embraced her. "If you think so," he said softly. "My trip up there can wait if it has to. It's certainly not worth causing trouble with your parents."
"I know," she said.
"But right now, we should think about getting out of the tub before we turn into a couple of prunes," he said.
She nodded, then carefully rose to her feet and stepped out of the tub. He then stood up, opened the drain, and followed her. She handed him a towel and they began drying themselves off. He reached for her hair brush and helped her with her hair.
He took her in his arms when they had finished with her hair, and kissed her. "Feeling better after the bath?"
"Oh, yes," she said. "Much better."
"That's good." He kissed her again.
They returned to the bedroom, switched off the light, and slipped into bed. She snuggled happily against him, resting her head on his chest. He slid a hand over her, enjoying the feel of her naked body against his own.
"I love you, Usako," he whispered.
"I love you, Mamo-chan," she sighed.
Her heart was filled with happiness as she lay there with the man she loved. Snuggling close to him, she quickly drifted off to sleep.
He heard her breathing grow slow and steady as he lay there, his eyes closed, soon joining her in sleep.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The morning sun lit the room. It was a Sunday, leaving them both free for most of the day. He lay there quietly, feeling her body still draped over his own as she slept.
She awoke slowly, filled with happiness and comfort from the beautiful warmth of sleeping beside him. With a soft, contented sigh, she stirred slightly.
"Good morning, my love," he said softly. "Sleep well?"
She nodded, beginning to stretch. "Very well," she sighed. "But I always sleep well with you."
"Feeling better after last night?"
"Yes. Much better," she said.
He rubbed a hand over her back. "I'm glad to hear that."
She rolled off of him, then stretched again. Slipping out of bed, she stood up.
"I'll be right back," she said, walking into the bathroom.
She returned several minutes later. He was already sitting up, then rose to his feet and took his turn in the bathroom. She slipped on her robe, and could hear the sound of his shaver. He soon emerged from the bathroom and put on a robe of his own. She was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. He stepped up behind her and kissed her cheek.
"What would you like to do today?" he asked her.
She shrugged. "I have to be home for dinner tonight."
"I know," he said, pausing for a moment. "The amusement park is open this weekend. I was thinking we could spend some time there, and have lunch out."
"That does sound like fun," she said. "But it doesn't seem to leave time for... play."
He grinned. "We both know there's more to our love than just that, and I thought it would be nice to spend the day just doing things together."
She smiled, then kissed him, holding him in her arms. "I love spending time with you, Mamo-chan, just being a couple. I love it like I love you, more than anything."
He kissed her in return. "I love you, Usako... more than anything.... And I want to be with you always."< To be continued >
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NOTE: Still more to come.Always remember, good gentles, that a yarnspinner works from and within existing legends and stories. The characters of "Sailor Moon" belong to others. In spinning my yarns, I do not seek to infringe on their rights of ownership, but merely to join with other fans to spread the legend still further. "The moonlight carries a message of love." Enjoy.
-09.06.2001