Disclaimer: Getting gray holding out for that call from Naoko!

Summary: Usagi loses her eye sight during a particularly vicious battle against the Dark Kingdom, and to add insult to injury, she has now been placed under the tutelage of her least favorite person in the entire world. First season AU, set during the Zoisite/Rainbow Crystals arc. UxM. Slow burn... the very best kind!

Author's Note: This one hit me like a ton of bricks. The ideas just kept coming and coming... it was all I could do to keep up! Thank god I had a pencil handy! As you can tell by the summary, this is an AU, but in many respects I am trying to keep the story as close to canon as possible. Imagine the opening chapter takes place in-between episodes 27 (Ami/Urawa) and 28 (Yumemi the artist). But there will be some major exceptions... First of all, Rei never dated Mamoru. It just doesn't jibe with what I have planned. Second, Mamoru's work at the hospital is much more advanced than in the actual timeline, given what I need him to do later. Third, Usagi's moon wand operates a little differently. In my story, it also goes off when enemy activity is nearby, not just for Rainbow Crystals, and something else I can't tell you because *SpOiLeRs*! Lastly, I'm going to be mixing up the order (and sometimes manner) in which the Rainbow Crystals were stolen. That's really about it, but if I'm forgetting anything, or something relevant pops up, I'll mention it. I promise you won't get lost ;) Now... on with the story!

Blind Faith
By: AngelMoon Girl

"Oof!"

Stars exploded in front of her vision, but this was hardly a new occurrence, and she was able to shake herself from stupor with just as much speed as she had only seconds earlier been urging her legs into.

"Oi, Odango - you have eyes for a reason, you know? Do you ever watch where you're going, or do you just enjoy barreling headlong into things?"

Usagi blinked, gazing up at the figure that came looming into her sights. Even if she didn't recognize the crossed arms and miserly scowl, Usagi would have known that pretentious drawl anywhere. It was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now, at five minutes to eight.

"Leave me alone, Mamoru-baka! Can't you see I'm running late!?" The irate blonde exclaimed, jumping up from the sidewalk where she'd fallen most spectacularly onto her backside.

"I think every time I see you, you're running late," Mamoru pointed out, and none too kindly either. Usagi huffed loudly.

"Ugh. Do you just get off on being an ass to people? Is that your sole reason for existence? You know, I wish I never had to see you again!" she spat, then shoved past the stupid prat with his stupid lavender-gray pants and even stupider pea-green jacket. Someone really needed to chaperone the man when he went shopping, she thought, as she took off in the direction of the junior high school without a single glance back. What a jerk!

As Usagi placed some distance between them, she immediately began to cool down. It was crazy how one person could evoke such an intense reaction from her. She didn't think she'd ever disliked someone this much, except maybe Rei, but at least the fiery shrine priestess was slowly coming around. With Mamoru, there appeared to be no hope. Usagi sighed, skidding into Juuban Municipal with just a minute to spare (a new personal record, given how late she had left the house). Oh well. As long as they were able to keep out of each other's way, they'd be just fine. But that was the problem. Even without meaning to, she always seemed to run into the Raven-Headed Jerk. It was as if fate were playing a cruel joke at her expense.

Usagi tripped as she fairly fell into the classroom.

"I'm here, Haruna-sensei!"

The class erupted into stifled titters as Usagi stood there, breathing heavily and awaiting judgement. She watched as Haruna laid down her attendance book, glancing up at the clock.

"Well... in at the skin of your teeth, Tsukino-san, but I suppose you may sit down. Please do try to get here even just a few minutes earlier, if it's not too much of an imposition on your sleep schedule," the auburn-headed teacher declared, with heavy acerbity. The class giggled even harder, but Usagi ignored them as she sat down next to Naru. She snuck a quick smile over to the girl, glad to see Naru was finally beginning to look more like herself. The death of Nephrite had hit her old childhood friend hard, but thanks to that visit to the graveyard and Umino's tireless efforts, she was getting out and doing things again. Usagi was very happy, but only wished she could be more present for some of those outings. The Dark Kingdom had been very active lately, which meant Sailor Moon had never been more needed. It was exhausting, and a big part of the reason why she could never seem to wake up on time anymore. Usagi longed for the day they would find the Princess, and she would not need to fight anymore. Surely someone so all-powerful would be able to fend for themselves?

"Umino bring you lunch again today, Naru-chan?" Usagi whispered, suggestively waggling her brows. Naru turned bright as a beet as she hissed back,

"I don't know a thing about that, Usagi-chan, not a thing, and I don't appreciate your insinuations either!"

Usagi snickered, knowing perfectly well what was unfolding between those two, even if Naru refused to see it. They were adorable together, and one of these days Matchmaker Usagi was going to work a little bit of her magic.

"You know, there's this really neat, kinda romantic garden oasis I found-"

"TSUKINO-SAN! Don't make me regret my earlier leniency. Turn around and pay attention!"

"Yes, m'am."

oOo

The day flew by in uneventful fashion; a welcome relief to Usagi who just two days ago had needed to skive off her last lesson for an energy-sucking youma at the mall. She had thought those days were over, now that the enemy seemed to be focusing on these Rainbow Crystals - remnants of the legendary lost Silver Crystal, Luna had said, that were used to seal away the Seven Shadows - but apparently their foes were growing antsy at the lack of progress. They seemed to need human energy to sustain them, so on top of Zoisite's attacks, there were also these 'rogue youma' to contend with. It was frustrating, never knowing what to expect. But at least her new moon wand alerted them when danger was near, and even where that failed, they still had all the powers of Ami's super computer at their disposal. It was a good system... it just never allowed for much downtime.

"Ahhhh," Usagi whined, walking beside Makoto with her arms in the air, holding her bookbag atop her odango like a milkmaid would her bucket. "I can't believe how much homework Haruna-sensei gave us tonight. I have no idea how I'll be able to finish it all!"

She turned and pouted, looking behind Makoto to a poster of Sailor V, throwing her trademark sign over one eye with impish aplomb.

"I bet Sailor V never has to worry about homework!"

Makoto smirked, gazing up at this girl with her mysterious white mask and vibrant red bow, the image nudging loose some strange feeling of deja vu before it was gone. "Who says superheroes don't have homework? We certainly do!"

Usagi frowned, unable to argue with that. So, she changed tactics. "I hope Ami-chan gets out of cram soon. Maybe with her help I can at least get like, half of it done."

"You mean, so she can get half of it done, while you pretend to be catching on, when instead you're just reading Rei-chan's manga under the table?" Makoto countered, a big doofy grin stretched across her face as she tried and failed not to sound encouraging of such behavior. Usagi laughed and shrugged sheepishly as they both rounded the corner.

"Well maybe if math was made into manga, I would understand it better!"

"Very true."

Usagi stopped in her tracks as they were walking by Crown. She squealed and grabbed Makoto's arm, shaking it. "Look! Motoki-onii-san's working today! He must be back from his vacation!"

"Rei-chan's waiting for us," Makoto reminded the blonde, the reluctance in her voice made even more prominent when she coupled it with a lovesick gaze in at the sandy blonde who 'just looked so much like my old senpai'.

"Rei-chan can go stuff it!" Usagi said cheerfully, as she dragged Makoto without a fight into the gaming center. The two junior high schoolers pounced on the older boy with ravenous excitement.

"HI MOTOKI-ONII-SAAAAN!"

"HOW WAS YOUR TRIP?"

"How do you know he went on a trip-"

"I have my sources-"

"He never said he was going on a trip, he said he was doing university stuff!"

"He definitely went on a trip!"

"Ahhh, hi," Motoki interrupted, uncomfortably scratching at the side of his face. "I've missed you guys too. But what on earth is this all about?"

Usagi got right up in the arcade manager's space, somehow managing to be hurt, happy, demanding, angry, and adorable all at once. "Mako-chan says you went on a trip and you didn't tell me!?" she cried, not even attempting to keep herself within the confines of the decibel scale.

"Well, yes and no. I just went to Hakone. It was sort of spur of the moment," Motoki answered, chuckling at how flustered his normally vivacious friend was. Teenagers were funny creatures, he thought, thinking of how similar Usagi was to Unazuki. Maybe someday he should introduce them. "Reika wanted to try the Odakyu-"

"Odakyu as in the Odakyu Romance Car!?" Usagi shrieked, even as Makoto leapt in (quite literally - Usagi almost landed on her butt for the second time that day) with,

"WHO'S REIKA?"

"Um, what's that noise?"

"And why isn't he using honorifics..." Usagi mumbled to Makoto.

"Usagi-chan, is your bag beeping?"

"Don't change the subject!" Usagi snapped, sending her index finger inches away from Motoki's nose.

"Ah, Usagi-chan, I hate to say it but I think we have to go-"

"WE MUST SOLVE THIS MYSTERY!"

"We gotta go," Makoto growled, yanking Usagi bag and all from a completely befuddled Motoki, who just waved awkwardly at their departing figures.

"What- no, we don't! We have to find out who Reika is and why Motoki-onii-san is taking her on a romance car, unless you missed that part-"

"I think you're missing something, oh fearless leader," Makoto hissed, jiggling the bag she still held in her hand from the forcible eviction of her friend out of Crown and certain heartbreak. "We'll get to the bottom of this Reika thing, mark my words, but first - we have a city to save."

"Oh yeah," Usagi murmured, staring at her bookbag with something akin to disappointment married with shame. She could hear the telltale beeping now, signalling the Dark Kingdom was on the move. She hated that she could never have one day of peace anymore. Just one. But at the same time, she knew she couldn't let down the world either. Not when she was the only one with the power to bring back these innocent people from the monsters who had overtaken them. The fourteen-year-old sighed. "Let's go get that rainbow-loving creep."

oOo

It wasn't Zoisite and his black honing crystal when they arrived on the scene, dressed for war right in the middle of bustling downtown. It was another one of those rogue youma, but this one was unlike any they had ever encountered before. The thing towered at least forty feet into the sky, monstrous and horrifying to all who beheld it. The creature was a dusky violet, vaguely ram-like in its construction because it bore a set of antlers, but its skin was spongy and full of pores, and it seemed to be sporadically shooting ooze from these holes in its body. The ooze crackled and sizzled once it hit a target, slowly eating away at the item like acid until only charred remains were left. Sailor Moon felt her stomach lurch as she saw, it wasn't just inanimate objects that had been affected. Civilians were all around, running for their lives, some clutching half-rotted limbs as they screamed for salvation. It was awful.

"You! How dare you bring harm to the citizens of Tokyo," Sailor Moon shouted, her voice cracking on the words, unable to muster the same sort of facetiousness she normally would, given the gravity of this situation. "I will punish you severely for this... in the name of the moon!"

"And I in the name of Jupiter!" the thunder warrior cried, already beginning to prepare her attack.

"OCHI-ME!" the youma screeched, in a harsh and discordant voice. It jerked and the antlers moved along with it; growing and darting and grasping into the fleeing crowd below. The two Senshi gasped, one of them swearing quite vociferously, as they watched the antlers become tentacles that wrapped around numerous people at once, sapping them of energy. And even as this was happening, ooze exploded out of the monster called Ochi-Me and the girls were forced to dive out of the way. It was chaos, pure and simple.

"Shabon Spray!"

"Fire Soul!"

The street filled with dense white fog as streaking missiles of fire rained upon Ochi-Me's disfigured countenance. The creature howled in pain, flailing, sending more people to the ground.

"Good timing!" Jupiter said by way of greeting, curt nods of agreement from both Mercury and Mars. Luna was at their feet, looking out at the devastation before her with shock and sorrow.

"So much collateral..." she murmured, before shaking herself. The mission before all else. "We have to aim for its eyes! Mercury's computer says that's its only weakness. Hitting it anywhere else will only aggravate the beast further."

"Yeah, and try not to get hit by any of that," Sailor Moon added, watching as Ochi-Me geared up for another dousing. It couldn't see where they were, so apparently its plan of action was just to send acidic goop in every direction. Not exactly a bad plan, if you were a forty-foot youma with double the trajectory. "Look out!"

The Senshi ran for cover behind cars and poles, narrowly missing the dangerous streams by only seconds.

"This is hopeless," Sailor Moon sobbed, crouched behind a melting Suzuki. "These youma just keep getting stronger! When will it ever end?"

"When we destroy them," Luna spoke up sternly from under her charge's arm, having joined the Senshi leader when they sensed Ochi-Me's impending attack. "And we will, Usagi-chan. Be brave. We have to aim all our powers at the eyes!"

"Where's Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" Moon whined, apparently not finding courage in a single word Luna was saying. "We need his help!"

The cat released a quite aggrieved noise of frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you, we can't rely on that man? We don't even know if he's friend or foe- and don't try to argue with me about that right now, Usagi-chan, this is NOT the time!"

Sailor Moon huffed, noticing Mars and Jupiter were now trying to creep from out of hiding, and she bemoaned the fact that now she would have to do the same. They all met on hands and knees behind an empty, overturned bus.

"We separate, then fire from different angles," Jupiter said, cracking her knuckles as if just itching to beat this youma with her hands alone. "All at once and we aim for the sweet spot."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Mercury said, looking to Sailor Moon. "We basically just need to slow this thing down long enough for you to have the opportunity to use the wand without getting... you know..."

"Slimed," Sailor Moon replied, the ghost of a smile flashing across her frightened features.

"On three, then? Three... two... one... GO!"

The Senshi scattered like leaves to the wind, sailing over the streets and bounding onto different buildings in an effort to confuse the youma. It appeared to be working; Ochi-Me didn't know where to look and so it just started spraying at random. Sailor Moon managed to stay out of sight, waiting for the perfect moment. She gripped her crescent mood wand tightly. The monster raised its voice again in an enraged cacophony.

"OOOOCHIIII-MEEEEE!"

"Over here, you deranged dishrag! SUPREME THUNDER!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

"SHABON SPRAY!"

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars called, high up on an office balcony, motioning at the blonde while Ochi-Me's attention was diverted.

"Right," Moon murmured to herself, steeling her resolve, then bolting out into the center of the melee. She raised her wand with a confidence she still didn't quite feel, no matter how many times she said the words and watched her opponent dissolve into dust. In the end, she just wasn't cut out to be a fighter. Not like Mars and Jupiter. And she wasn't calculated like Mercury either. Which is perhaps why she faltered just at this most inopportune moment, when everything rested on her shoulders and she felt the weight so acutely, the seed of doubt taking root in her mind.

What good was she as a soldier, if not for this sparkly stick in her sweaty palm? What good was she compared to her fellow warriors, whose strength coursed through their minds and their veins when all she wanted to do was crawl home and cry?

That brief moment of hesitation was all that was needed to bring about her undoing.

Ochi-Me caught the glint of light as it reflected off the crescent wand, spinning to accost its newest adversary. Quicker than Sailor Moon could even blink, the creature struck, dispersing a deadly blast of its acidic innards right at her defenseless person. The breath caught in her throat and she froze like a deer in the headlights... the wand useless in her slack grip... so this is how it ends...

She felt a powerful impact and then her body was wrenched backward, undulating in the air, until she landed with a painful thud onto unyielding pavement.

But I'm alive...?

Sailor Moon groaned, aching in places she never knew existed. There was definitely road-burn on a good three quarters of her extremities, but it was a dull throb that paled in comparison to the sensation of her nerves going haywire; the sensation of a body - bigger and more masculine - pressed against hers. She couldn't breathe again, but this time it was for a whole other reason entirely.

He came!

The superheroine could hardly speak around the heart hammering in her throat, but she pushed through with sheer force of will. "Thank you," she stuttered, as he carefully rolled off. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama."

"Are you alright?" the masked crusader asked, in a low voice. Sailor Moon sat up, noticing that her rescuer had swept them away from the worst of the danger. And then she noticed his smoking shoulder; the way he had set his jaw into a gruesome clench. She gasped.

"I should be asking you the same question! It got you!"

"Just a flesh wound," Tuxedo Kamen grunted, waving her off.

"It doesn't look like just a flesh wound...!"

"I said I'm fine," he replied, quickly and tersely. She worried her lips but did not have a chance to press the issue; Ochi-Me realized it had been foiled and like most youma, it did not take to that fact with any measure of grace. The giant beast roared, an abject fury overtaking all of its inhuman features until it was fairly spitting ooze in every direction. The pair on the ground watched in horror as the acid hit a number of power lines, causing the wiring to go berserk. And then, the way the poles began to teeter and sway, in a motion that seemed to imply that the whole circuit was about to go down - directly onto a group of quivering civilians who had been unlucky enough to get stuck ducking behind some fallen debris. Tuxedo Kamen jumped into action.

"I'm going to help get these people to safety - can you girls handle the youma on your own?"

"Of course," Moon nodded, even as she doubted that they would ever be able to defeat this thing. But Kamen was right; the evacuation process was just as important, and at the moment, that group's lives were depending on his aid. So Sailor Moon swallowed whatever reservations she might have had and bid him silent prayers for good fortune as she watched him sprint away. Then she looked back to the raging beast with a determined expression. If Tuxedo Kamen could place his life on the line for her, then surely she could do the same for him. They just needed to get this youma away from here; somewhere where Ochi-Me would do less damage, thus eliminating much of the distractions currently keeping them from fulfilling their goal. And there was really only one way she could see that happening...

Sailor Moon would have to offer herself as bait.

"HEY! Leper Barney! Yeah, you! I'm over here! Why don't you come pick on someone closer to your own intelligence!"

"What is she doing?" Sailor Moon heard Mars holler, but she ignored the ornery priestess with practiced ease as Ochi-Me swiveled to lock its sights on her, and she waved the shiny crescent wand like one would an enticing carrot on a string.

"If you want me - come on and get me!"

Ochi-Me let out an unsettling war cry before it lunged angrily at the blonde and her weapon, barreling dumbly towards her. It was at that point with the enormous forty-foot creature bearing down on her that Sailor Moon realized maaaybe she hadn't thought this through quite as thoroughly as she should have. The girl "Eep!"ed before turning tail and running as fast as she could in the other direction - anything to draw it away from the heart of the city. Somewhere, she heard what sounded like Jupiter swear for the umpteenth time this afternoon.

Sorry, girls. But we have to do something!

And then Sailor Moon almost giggled, despite the outrageous inappropriateness, given the situation. But as she bolted and dodged and mostly just did her best to fumble her way out of this mess she'd brought down on herself, she realized -

This. This was her strength.

She may not have brains or cunning or brawn or really any sort of physical prowess in her favor (just walking without tripping was normally an ordeal for her)... but she was a damn good distraction when the going got tough. She was the monkey wrench in the system. The wild card. And so Sailor Moon utilized her skills to their fullest potential, noticing with a thrill of victory that her plan was succeeding. Ochi-Me followed her closely as she lured it out of downtown. She hoped to lead it somewhere where less innocent bystanders might be drawn into the fray; somewhere that was open, yet still offered protection should they need a place to shelter. Perhaps the junkyard or the nature park. But just as Sailor Moon was making the decision as to which, she felt something slimy brush against her leg. She jerked to the left and glanced back, only to have to sidestep to the right yet again when another tentacle reached out, swiped, and missed.

Shit.

She forgot it had that capability.

The fourteen-year-old felt sweat gathering on her brow. This was proving to be a lot trickier than she initially intended. She pushed her legs even harder, but it was a losing battle. Ochi-Me was simply too powerful. The youma's tentacles struck out again, and this time, they hit home. The superheroine yelped as she felt herself ripped into the air, struggling fiercely against the binds that surrounded her; squeezing the life out of her. Stars exploded in front of her vision for the second time that day.

"Help..." Moon gasped, quite helplessly indeed. She knew Tuxedo Kamen had his own troubles right now, and the girls, well, she sort of left them in the dust too, didn't she? She was alone, suffocating and suffering and draining of energy fast. Her only hope was that Mercury might be able to track her with the super computer, and even that seemed like asking for a miracle.

Kicking and squirming became a tasking chore as she felt herself growing sluggish. Soon she was no more useful than a rag doll. Her vision blurred. It was so, so hard to keep her head up.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama..." she murmured, with the last desperate dregs of her strength. Please. Help me.

"LET HER GO!"

Sailor Moon perked up, with what little cogencies she had left. Her heart gave another trill before she recognized the voice as female. But she could hardly feel let down -

The calvary was here!

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

The elements combined and twisted into one lethal attack that sent Ochi-Me screaming. Sailor Moon felt the tentacles loosen and then drop her entirely, and she fell like a limp marionette with strings cut straight to earth, landing in a painful heap. She could not even muster a single ounce of strength to move, her energy depleted, sucked bone dry by the beast still writhing and screeching above her. It must have been a direct hit, the girl thought, dimly. The ground began to rumble and shake beneath her face as Ochi-Me stumbled around, fighting the effects of the Senshi's assault. That was when it happened -

The Dark Kingdom monster suddenly stopped its lumbering around, a look of immense raw fury building on its manic countenance. It started to quiver, quiver like an arrow on its taut bowstring, just upon the precipice of release. Mars started yelling "Get her, get her!" with pure panic in her voice, but it was too late. Acid ooze began to rain in every direction, and even as Sailor Moon felt hands grabbing at her, yanking her away from peril, she felt the sudden explosion of agony that meant she hadn't been able to escape that easily.

She started to scream, scream as loudly as Ochi-Me had been, only moments earlier. She tore and clawed at her eyes, but it was futile, nothing staved off the sensation of fire ants eating their way through her very skin. She could just barely detect that there were other voices rising in a crescendo around hers, but she couldn't tell what they were saying, couldn't fathom anything except pain, so much pain.

Until there was nothing at all.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note: *wipes brow* Whew. That was brutal in more ways than one. It's like 100 degrees here, which in my cold little state is pretty much unheard of. And we're gonna be lingering around that temperature for a solid week or two... did I also mention we have no A/C!? *dies a little bit* I hope you guys enjoy this story, and that it brings some needed excitement to your weekend. I swear I haven't forgotten about my other WIPs, especially "Anomaly" which is next on my to-do list, but this one just wouldn't leave me alone. Stay tuned!