[ ] Act 7 - Chiba Mamoru / Tuxedo Mask Originally appeared in Nakayoshi, August 1992. Written by Takeuchi Naoko. Translated by Alex Glover. Version 2.0, 4.98. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Chiba... Mamoru? Why is he... here...!?" Usagi sits on the bed. "Where is this...?" "This is my room," says Mamoru. She looks around the apartment. "Chiba Mamoru's room...?" she thinks. "Why am I in this guy's room..." "Do you remember?" he says. Usagi's eyes widen. She sees a black cape, top hat, and mask lying on the couch. "You collapsed like that," he says, "falling asleep with great force." "I remember..." thinks Usagi. "That kind of low voice... That tuxedo tie..." She stands up and walks over to the couch. She picks up the mask. "Why... didn't I notice...?" She goes to him. "The deep color of his eyes, drawing me in..." She places the mask over Mamoru's eyes. "Tuxedo Kamen...? Why...? Why are you Tuxedo Kamen...?" "I am..." he says, "because I must have the Mystical Silver Crystal for my memory..." "Memory?" "Haha!" says the young boy. "Mom, Dad, hurry up! Hurry, let's go for a drive!" His parents smile. The car flies over a cliff, and plummets to the ground. "Unfortunately, the man and woman are..." says the doctor. "It's a miracle their one son, Mamoru-kun, was saved... However..." The boy sits up in bed, bandages around his head. "Who am I...? What am I doing here? I can't remember! Who am I!?" Usagi gasps. "On my sixth birthday, I lost my parents in an accident," says Mamoru. "All my memories were gone." "You are 'Chiba Mamoru.'" "I was told that when I woke up in the hospital, but... I can't remember. Am I really Chiba Mamoru? Or... Am I somebody else? I don't know... And after many years... I started having a dream over and over..." "The Mystical Silver Crystal, please..." "The Mystical Silver Crystal, that one thing... I repeat only that dream... Realizing that, I would prowl around the city at night, like I was sleepwalking. Wearing a tuxedo, just like a phantom thief... I search for the one single key to my memory... The Mystical Silver Crystal." He looks at Usagi. "And you?" "What?" "You're also searching for the Mystical Silver Crystal, right?" he says. "Why?" "Well... I... About that... I don't really understand it. Luna says to search for and protect it, so..." "I see." "This person..." thinks Usagi. "He had that kind of reason..." "I didn't want to think Tuxedo Kamen was an enemy," said Luna, "but..." "We will protect the Mystical Silver Crystal! It must not fall into enemy hands!" "Luna sounds a signal in my head..." thinks Usagi. "But now... It's too late. I revealed our secret... Can't I believe in him? Luna, what should I do... My heart is pounding... Right now, I think... I wish time would stop like this..." She looks at Mamoru. "Luna is waiting for me," she says. "I have to go..." As Usagi turns, Mamoru puts his arm around her. "Usako." Her heart pounds. "Your bag, Usako." He holds out her bookbag. She takes it and leaves. "Since I'm... Usako..." she thinks. "Then if he's Mamoru... I guess, Mamo-chan...?" She lifts the star-shaped watch from her skirt. "I brought it with me... The broken pocket watch." Mamoru stands by a dresser, holding the handkerchief Usagi dropped at the masked ball. "Soon the curtain of night will descend..." He kisses the handkerchief. Usagi kisses the pocket watch. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna stares into the monitor of the Sailor V game at the Crown Game Center. A shadowed figure appears on it, with long hair tied back by a bow. "Indeed," says the figure. "Everyone has awakened. However, their memories from when they were soldiers..." "They don't remember," says Luna. "Sailor Moon, particularly, is still only partially a soldier... It is still too early. We should wait." "But we have no more time, Luna," says the figure. "The enemies will come there soon. The people are in grave danger." Luna is silent. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wind blows outside the stone castle. The recent battle plays on a bank of monitors. "What is this incredible power released from Sailor Moon!?" thinks Zoisite. "Power enough to recover all the energy we absorbed..." "Is it the power of the Mystical Silver Crystal...?" says Kunzite. "Are you saying they have already gotten it?" says Queen Beryl. "Queen Beryl!" She scowls. She walks past them, down a long staircase. She enters a cave. Inside is a large stone door. Bright light shines out as it opens. "Our great ruler," says Queen Beryl. "Awaken, Queen Metallia." She kneels down and holds up her hands, releasing energy. "This blessed energy is for your momentary revival now." A dark form of swirling energy appears in front of her. "Ohhh...." it says. "Quickly... Quickly, the Mystical Silver Crystal...! Bring it to me...! Energy is not enough...! Ohh..." "Queen Metallia," says Queen Beryl. "As you said, we are searching all of Tokyo. Using our followers, the four generals, I have had the entire world searched. However, the only trace of it remaining... is in Tokyo." "I feel it," says Queen Metallia. "Even in the bottom of this deep land, I feel this power on the surface..." "It has not been found!" says Queen Beryl. "And those soldiers appear, interrupting us...! There is also the possibility they have already gotten the Mystical Silver Crystal...!" "Oh, soldiers, you say!? The ones of that ignoble kingdom who buried me in ancient times... Perhaps they have been resurrected. That must not happen. Do not let that ignoble Moon Kingdom, do not let its successor awaken! Crush them! Steal the Mystical Silver Crystal! I will have that stone, and be revived. Whatever it takes is necessary to revive me, and make the surface ours once more! This time... This planet... Everything in this world... Heh heh heh..." Queen Beryl leaves the large room. "Every time I see it," she thinks. "That being, growing huge and dark. If that being is truly awakened now, while it cannot yet move, this planet may be enveloped in darkness. But I can't turn back now. Ever since I broke that seal... At Point D of the Arctic Circle, I discovered it by chance that day. The cursed ruins of legend. That was this Dark Kingdom. To be able to draw near it, I opened the seal. Again, my hand set free that thing. This was fate. The Mystical Silver Crystal... My dearest wish... With that, this planet will be mine! I want it no matter what it takes. Before Queen Metallia, it will be me! I will have it, and I will rule this planet!" "So, the successor to the Moon Kingdom..." she says. "Zoisite, that Sailor Moon one... Maybe she knows the one who possesses the Mystical Silver Crystal. Or perhaps... She may have it hidden herself...!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naru enters a store. "Oh!" she says. "Yumiko! Kuri!" The two girls smile and wave. "Oh, did you come to rent a video too, Naru-chan?" says Yumiko. "Usagi seems really busy lately," says Naru. "I thought I'd go ahead and watch some videos on the weekend. When did they put up such a big video rental store?" "They're putting up stores in this chain all over the city now." "You can always rent what you want to see. Everyone's coming here!" There are several stores of the same chain nearby. All bear the same name: Rental Shop Dark. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Did you watch the new video?" "Of course! I got three videos from this place! I was up all night, and now I'm worn out." Rei walks behind the two people on the street. She hears two other people talking. "The Mystical Silver Crystal... I heard that Sailor Moon is hiding it!" "Sailor Moon..." says the other, as they enter the video store. Rei reads the sign on the door. "Rental Shop 'Dark'? I sense an evil spirit..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The school bell rings. "Lunchtime, lunchtime!" says Usagi. "So what do you have for lunch today, Mako-chan?" "Hehe," says Makoto. "Today it's a fruit sandwich." "Wow!" says Usagi. She looks at Ami typing on her laptop. "Sailor V data?" "Right," Ami says. "You said you were concerned about her, didn't you? I did a little checking." The monitor displays information, and a picture of Sailor V. She wears a sailor suit, slightly different from the ones the girls wear. A red mask covers her eyes. On her forehead is a crescent moon shape. With her is a white cat, who also has a moon mark. :Sailor V :Age, organization, identity unknown :Active in the heart of Tokyo since 199X :Self-proclaimed soldier of justice However, since around when Sailor Moon appeared, her activities have suddenly declined. If she truly was active is unknown at this time. None have seen her true form. "The phantom soldier of justice, Sailor V..." says Makoto. "Say," says Usagi. "V-chan has a crescent moon mark. Don't you think this could be related to the Moon Kingdom Luna was talking about?" "Does it concern you that much?" says Makoto. "Luna said she didn't sense anything from Sailor V." "Perhaps..." says Ami, "Usagi-chan may be sensing V-chan with her own abilities... Hey, Luna said that, right? That our awakening is not yet complete. Maybe you're awakening further, Usagi-chan. The stick Luna gave you, with the recovery ability... It has quite a lot of power. You're our leader, Usagi-chan. I wonder if you might somewhere have special abilities different from ours." "A lot of power?" thinks Usagi. "I have special abilities...? But it was thanks to the power of the stick that I was able to save everyone. And that time... Because Tuxedo Kamen was with me... I think that's why I was able to use that power. I can't talk to them about it. About Tuxedo Kamen being that guy... And that he found out... that I'm Sailor Moon... I can't keep such an important thing a secret... But if I tell them, they'll be shocked. I know Luna and the others will scold me. And then I might not be able to see him anymore... When I think about him, I wonder why... I always feel pain in my heart. I have to keep this inside me for a bit. Just a little longer..." "Hey everyone!" says Umino, jumping out from the bushes. "I was wondering what you were doing gathered in this place. Is it the Sailor V game?" "Umino..." says Usagi. He sits down at the computer and begins typing. "Sailor V data? Oh man... Now, instead of V-chan, you should investigate Sailor Moon! Right, Usagi-chan?" "Huh?" "But I'll find her before anyone," he says. "I'm going to be the first to meet Sailor Moon!" "Oh, that startled me," thinks Usagi. "It doesn't mean he's discovered me." She laughs nervously. "I- Isn't this Umino guy strange?" "What's with him?" says Luna. "That guy's awfully combative." "Luna!" says Usagi. "That Umino... His eyes were so set, and he blurted out extreme things..." "Luna," says Makoto. "Hasn't it been a while since you've come to school?" "You're right," says Luna. "I've been confined in the underground command center for a long time... Oh, where's Naru-chan? Aren't you eating lunch with her?" They go inside the classroom, and see Naru sitting alone at her desk. "Naru-chan," says Usagi. "Want to go eat..." "Usagi-chan!" says Luna. "Naru-chan looks strange! Can you tell? The atmosphere of the class is abnormal, too." Luna notices videotapes in all of the students' bags. She grabs one and opens it. "What're you doing!" says Usagi. A videotape flies out onto the floor. "Rental Shop 'Dark'!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usagi runs to the game center with Ami and Luna. "Furu-chan!" she says. "Hey, Usagi-chan, Ami-chan," says Motoki. "I have a ton of free time at the game center now. No customers are coming. I wonder if it's because of all those video stores that have opened." "Oh, that reminds me," says Usagi. "Maybe I should go..." "Usagi-chan!" says Ami. They walk over to the game machine. "Set the video on this V-chan game," says Luna. "On the game machine!?" "It's directly connected to the underground command center," says Luna. "What!? It is!?" She puts the tape on the machine, and a bright light flashes on the screen. The tape falls on the ground. "What, it threw it off!" says Ami. "This...!" says Luna. "It isn't an ordinary video! Could it be, the enemies...!?" "More importantly, Luna!" says Usagi. "What's happening to the V-chan game!?" The Sailor V game character appears on the screen. "What are you doing hesitating, Sailor Moon!?" it says. "This is the enemies' brainwashing video! They're spread all over the city! It's not just brainwashing, your lives are all in danger!" "Sailor V!?" thinks Usagi. "The game's V-chan talked!? No way!" "Usagi-chan! You go!!" says Ami. "I'll be in the underground command center!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ami plays the tape in the command center, and the monitor displays static. "Is this a subliminal tape!?" she says. The image of Zoisite appears faintly on the screen. "Find Sailor Moon..." he says. "Get the secret of the Mystical Silver Crystal. Capture Sailor Moon! Take her alive! Sacrifice Sailor Moon to the Dark Kingdom!!" "What?" says Ami says. "My power is being drained...!!" "Did he say the Dark Kingdom!?" says Luna. "Luna! What is that!? Using people left and right... Who are they!? What do they want!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A crowd of people gather in the city. "Capture Sailor Moon!!" They smash windows of the stores. "Find her!" "Where is she!? Where?" "Right here!" Usagi jumps to the ground, tossing her mask in the air. "I am the sailor-suited pretty soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon!!" She raises the moon stick above her head. "Moon Healing Escalation!!" She thrusts the glowing stick toward the crowd, spreading energy over them. They awaken from their trances. "So you came, Sailor Moon!!" says Zoisite. He jumps down toward her. "I will not allow you to take advantage of the mentality of people enjoying pleasure!" she says. "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" She touches her hand to her tiara. "Moon Twilight Flash!" Zoisite vanishes from the path of the attack. "He disappeared!?" He reappears behind Usagi and grabs her around the neck. "Now! Tell me!" he says. "The location of the Mystical Silver Crystal!" "I don't know!" she cries. Rei rushes toward them. "Evil spirit... Begone!!" She holds her arms out and fire shoots toward Zoisite. "I'll help you, Rei!" Makoto calls. "Supreme Thunder!!" A bolt of lightning strikes her tiara antenna and is channeled at Zoisite. A bright sphere encircles Zoisite and Usagi. The energy of the two attacks is absorbed by it, then is blasted back out at the girls, knocking them down. "Rei!? Mako!?" says Ami from the command center. The two girls moan as they lie on the ground. "Hmph!" says Zoisite. "Damn nuisances!" Usagi clutches her star-shaped watch. "I can't..." she thinks. "Tuxedo Kamen... Help me..." Tuxedo Kamen stands on a rooftop above her. "He's got that barrier up," he thinks. "I can't get close...! Usako...!!" Zoisite swings down at Usagi with a sharp blade. "Die!" "Noooo!!" Usagi cries. A streak shoots past Zoisite, breaking his blade in two. He sees a white cat holding the other half of it. "Sailor Moon!" calls a voice. "Hurry! Get away!" A sharp crescent boomerang flies at Usagi. She jumps out of the way, and it strikes Zoisite. It cuts through him and swings back, hitting him again and tearing his body apart. Usagi looks up. A girl with long blond hair and a sailor suit stands before her, holding the boomerang. Her figure is cast in shadow by the moonlight. "Who is that...!? It can't be..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original manga copyright © 1992 Takeuchi Naoko. English translation copyright © 1998 Alex Glover. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sailor Moon Translations | Sailor Moon Volume 2