And also a couple of other people. Even if the only one really remembered now was the Princess.
And the evil witch, maybe.
She sighed. The stars were beautiful, tonight.
The rain poured down, endlessly.
"Knock knock."
Young, dark and handsome. As well as being kind, and good with small children. As well as organizing, and tutoring in general.
The fighting abilities weren't anything to sniff at, either, of course.
As well as the - the thing that glowed golden and bright and crystalline...
"... Who's there?"
"If your name isn't Chiba Mamoru, nobody that matters. If it is Chiba Mamoru, though..."
Mamoru blinked, and tried to peer into the bright red sports car, now the worse for wear with all the rain and mud piling on top of it.
"See this?"
On the woman's lap was an Orb, shining with slowly burning power. And floating in the Orb was a young pink-haired girl, eyes closed, with a stuffed pegasus held loosely in her arms...
Mamoru bit his lip. He hadn't seen his to-be daughter since she'd went back, right before the Galaxia mess had started in earnest.
" - Though maybe she's just a illusion, and you could afford to run away. Or call for help. - What do you think, Endymion?"
He took a good look at the image of Chibi-Usa. It felt real enough, though he couldn't be sure if she was really in a pocket-space inside or around the Orb or it was a projection from someplace else...
Chiba Mamoru sighed, then.
He couldn't risk it.
" - Would you release her if I follow you quietly?"
"If she's actually real? Sure. I'll even give you my word. - My word is - well, less worthless then it used to be, anyway. I'm not thralled by anything besides myself now, at least."
Mamoru took a good look at her. She didn't look nor feel quite the same as what he remembered, he did have to admit.
" - Good, then. Give me your word and your oath that she'll go free - if she's real, of course - and I'll follow you without attempting to escape. - I shall also appreciate it if you'd not do things like drain people right in front of me, by the way."
The woman chuckled, at that.
"Very well, Prince, by what I was and what I am, I give you my world that this girl will go free, if I actually have her in my nefarious clutches of course, as soon as you and I reach my - well, it's not exactly a secret base, but it'll have to do, I suppose - safely together. Good enough?"
Mamoru nodded.
"And I give my word that I shall not try to attempt to escape, till we both arrive at this "base" of yours."
"Good enough. Hop in, then - Oh, wait a minute. Give me that mobile phone of yours, if you please... You have one, don't you?"
Mamoru bit his lip, but nodded.
"Alright, now call your betrothed, and tell her that one of your Professors has suddenly become ill, and has left it up to you to ferry his guests all around Okayama, so you wouldn't be home for a week at least, maybe two. You can do that, can't you?"
It was even plausible. Mamoru called Usagi's phone up - and was disheartened to hear her answer phone.
"There is nobody to take your phone call at the moment, please give your message after the bell tone..."
At least the voice was Usagi's, though.
"And now be a dear and take that mobile and lock it up in that paid locker in back of you, please? Don't worry, they'd keep things up for 10 days. I checked."
He couldn't figure out which was more scary, that she'd check those things out or that she even managed to fantom she had too.
"And now, in the car, please..."
It was surprisingly warm in the car, he thought.
"There's a towel behind you, so wipe yourself off, alright? - It's going to be a long ride... Ah, Endy dearest?"
"Yes?"
"You do have a driving license, don't you?"
Chiba Mamoru stared. And laughed.
"I do."
He'd never been expected to drive the car in any of his kidnappings, before...
"It's been a long time - "
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(Posted Sun, 04 Jun 2006 07:41)
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