Love's Ordeal

By: Lady Anaira

Chapter One: Surprise Guest

Long blond hair fluttered behind her as she paced the apartment one last time, none of them had reported back to her as of yet, and Mamoru had yet to return. What could be taking so long? She was anxious but she couldn't understand why no one had tried to reach her. It wasn't like she didn't trust her Mamo-chan. She was just worried about him he had left so suddenly and he had an innate sense of getting into trouble one that almost rivaled her own, and that was saying something.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity the phone rang, she looked at the caller id, it was Ami-chan. "What's wrong, Ami?" she asked her tone saturated with worry that would only be satiated once she got the answers she was looking for.

"Absolutely nothing," Zoicite responded to ease her worries.

She deduced that she must be on speaker, if he responded instead of Ami. "Then why did he leave so suddenly and without giving me a reason.

"He was getting rid of a persistent flea that needed to be taught her place." Haruka intoned.

"A persistent flea?" Usagi asked confused.

"I'm going to tell her." Ami's voice broke through in a hushed voice.

"Tell me what Ami?" Usagi asked the concern in voice magnifying a thousand times over.

"It was Seiya-san, Usagi, Mamoru-san went to go meet with Seiya-san."

"Now why would he do that?" Usagi asked even more confused than necessary.

"Calm down, Odango," Haruka said firmly, "It was nothing to worry about, that insufferable Starlight Sailor Soldier was challenging the Prince's right to marry you."

"What?" Usagi stated as she sat down on the couch rubbing her left temple with her left hand.

"Seiya-san is under the impression that there was more to your relationship with her than there is between you and my Prince." Zoicite cut in.

"Then she is more of a fool than anyone I've ever met." Usagi said wearily. "I think I know why she got that impression; however, I hope that Mamoru set her straight without actually bringing her any harm."

"He was hard pressed not to for her insolence but he did nothing that you would not have approved of Usa." Ami reassured her.

"Very well, we'll speak tomorrow. Be safe my friends and be happy." With that she hung up the phone and decided to wait for her beloved Mamo-chan. If he told her whom it was he was meeting she would have gone with him to set Seiya straight. Perhaps though it was better this way after all she didn't like to hurt people that she thought of as friends. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the door open until she felt arms surround her. She stiffened immediately and sprang from her seat on the couch, her sailor soldier reflexes kicking in she turned ready to attack the intruder.

"Odango, it's only me, why are you so jumpy?"

"Seiya-san, what are you doing here?" Usagi asked as she stayed in her defensive position, the look in Seiya's eyes was a little too wild for her liking.

"Odango you may call me Kou." Seiya said as she stepped closer.

Usagi moved putting the couch between her and Seiya. "You haven't answered me Seiya-san, what are you doing here? Where is Mamo-chan?"

"Mamo-chan? Odango can't you see there is someone better than he standing before you. Don't you see how much I truly love you?" she kicked the couch as she finished her ranting.

Usagi jumped back this was not the Seiya Kou that she was accustomed to; she didn't know whom this woman was. "You don't understand do you Seiya-san, it was all a misunderstanding on both our parts. I thought Mamo-chan had abandoned me and there you were disguised as a guy and even though you didn't act like my Mamo-chan you certainly resembled him somewhat. There has never been another but my Mamo-chan, it will always be him."

"The future is not set in stone, Odango; I will make you love me if I have to."

"Stop this madness, Seiya-san. Stop it! You do not understand the implications of what you want to do."

"Because it would crumble your future kingdom if you weren't with Chiba Mamoru."

"No! Because it would break me, you don't understand the depths of our connection."

"No Usagi I don't think I do. I will make you mine."

"You can try as others have, but I swear to you that you will not succeed. I will never love anyone but my Mamo-chan!"

"You will love me!"

"Enough of this foolishness, I swore that if you hurt my Usako you would pay the price." Mamoru raged as he stood before Usagi, the room rippled with his power as the pipes in the apartment burst and the building shook with the magnitude of his rage. The roses that he had in vases throughout the apartment suddenly sprang to life, the stems elongating turning into vines that lashed out entangling Seiya and tightening as she fought to be free of them.

The windows exploded allowing a breeze to enter the room. A breeze that quickly became one with the water and it swirled into its own storm attacking Seiya in her now defenseless position. Mamoru's eyes were no longer blue the irises had turned golden. "I warned you what would happen should you persist in this." His voice was no longer a soothing baritone, it rumbled with the rage of a ravenous beast.

Usagi reached out a hand to lay in Mamoru's outstretched one, entangling her fingers with his, when suddenly she was twirled into the strength of Mamoru's arms and then she felt his mouth on hers ravenous demanding submission and she gave in willingly. If this was the way to show Seiya then so be it. The woman needed to understand that nothing would ever tear her away from Mamoru, her devotion was to her Prince.

Seiya was enraged as she watched Mamoru's lips touch the lips of the woman she loved. She struggled even more as she watched Mamoru's golden eyes watching her, she couldn't turn away as those same golden eyes turned back to blue, and she despised the way he smirked at her when his kiss with Odango was over. She decided then that she would change their future and ensure that Odango never loved Mamoru, especially when she saw the way her Odango clung to Mamoru after that disgusting display of dominance.

Usagi's hand wound up into her lover's hair loving the way he looked down at her if only they didn't have an audience she could have attended to other matters. She blushed as she realized where her thoughts were treading, "Let her go."

"Usako… you know if I do that she will persist."

"I am fully aware of what she will try, but I have always been yours and I will always be yours."

"Of that I am not doubtful but her insolence…"

"Yes her insolence deserves to be punished but not by your hands my prince. I will not have your hands or your conscious stained by this."

"Then what do we do?"

"Call in the Senshi as we have always done."

"Very well, only if that is your wish."

"All Senshi are to report to Mamoru's apartment immediately." Usagi spoke into her communicator.

Mamoru allowed the water and the wind to dissipate leaving Seiya tangled in the vines that his roses had now become. Usagi sent a reprimanding glance at Mamoru, "Just because you are willing to see the good in everyone doesn't mean that I do. And I am not willing to risk your safety."

"Oh Mamo-chan sometimes you are so overprotective."

"You mean overbearing…" Seiya began but never got the chance to finish because a stray leaf suddenly covered her mouth.

"Mamo-chan." Usagi admonished softly with a giggle, her reprimand however was cut short by the sudden appearance of twelve multicolored lights that surrounded them.

As one the 12 adults bowed, "You have summoned us..." Setsuna and Kunzite said solemnly.

Usagi giggled at the serious tone and faces of the Senshi and the Shitenno that kneeled before them. Mamoru smirked as Usagi dispelled the serious facades of their protectors with that single note of mirth. "Get up you guys. You know better than to do that."

Mamoru allowed Usagi to turn to face the semi-circle of adults but his arms never left from their position around her waist.

"What happened here?" Michiru asked as she glanced around the once pristine apartment.

Minako tsked as she caught the sight of Seiya Kou entangled in something that had sprouted from Mamoru's obvious display of power and dominance. She could still sense the tendrils of love, hate, and lust that still swirled in the air. Her hair swayed as she stomped her way towards the Starlight Senshi and to the surprise of all she backhanded the woman that held such twisted desires towards her princess.

Makoto grabbed the girl before she could do it once more and gently handed her towards Kunzite.

"Care to explain why you had such a harsh reaction to this particular woman?" Kunzite asked of the petite woman that he now held.

"I can feel her obsessiveness and her lust." Minako spat out, "Her desires are like tendrils of poison festering within her."

"So that is why he tapped into his power and unleashed his own rage." Nephrite said as he grabbed a charging Makoto to stop her from unleashing her own form of punishment. "Now is not the time to beat her to a pulp." He told her softly.

"So then we must decide what we are to do with her." Ami said softly as she looked at each person standing in the room. "We all remember what kind of punishment this behavior would have been treated with on the moon do we not?"

"Ami, you are not suggesting that we do that are you?"

"That is not an option. We would risk our alliance with Kinmoku if we executed her." Haruka stated as she watched the Shitenno restrain their women, it seemed the only one not really having trouble was Zoisite.

"When I get my hands on her…" Rei bit out as Jadeite wrapped his arms around her to keep her from charging.

"Silence." Mamoru commanded as he tightened his control on the bonds as Seiya squirmed to break loose. "Haruka has a point we cannot put our alliance with Kinmoku at risk because of one rogue Senshi."

"No return her to Princess Kakyuu and allow her to deal with her Senshi as she sees fit." Usagi said her face filled with her determination. "Let this be your lesson Sailor Star Fighter, should you persist in your folly we will take action accordingly our alliance with your princess be damned."

"How is she to be transported?" Rei asked as she cracked her knuckles.

Mamoru's smirk was full of contempt, "As she is, allow her to be displayed to her princess in the full regalia of her shame. We cannot risk that she will get free and decide to continue in her folly and I will not allow her to harm what is mine." They all heard the muffled outrage that Seiya tried to spew but no one paid attention to it.

"Who will take her?" Jadeite questioned as he pulled Rei closer. No one questioned Mamoru's possessiveness; it was a known fact that the Prince and Princess considered the other to be theirs in every sense of the word.

"We will." Hotaru said as she looked around the room, "The rest of you will be needed in case anything should happen."

The Outer Soldiers transformed and taking their positions they all touched Seiya and transported out of Mamoru's apartment.

Usagi turned pleading blue eyes to the remaining people, "Can you please help us clean up? I'm afraid Mamo-chan's rage got the better of him."

"That is the understatement of the century." Jadeite said as picked up a piece of sheetrock. "I think someone should turn off the water."

Mamoru blushed as he saw the results of his little temper tantrum, "I guess I kind of got carried away."

That comment earned him chuckles from his Shitenno , "Do not worry about it. I would have done the same if I had been forced into your position." Jadeite said as Rei elbowed him in the chest for that comment.

Mamoru felt Usagi release a sigh as she rolled up her sleeved to get to work and he smiled, his Usako was worth every penny of damage he had wreaked. He leaned down to whisper in her, "I love you, Usako."

She looked up at him her blue eyes filled with love and adoration. Happy to know that after all this time he still did not regret loving her. "I love you too, Mamo-chan." She stood on tiptoes ready to reward him for his sweetness when suddenly.

"Just because you two are the future King and Queen does not mean you get a free pass on cleaning this apartment." Rei broke in.

"Oh Rei, you're such a meanie." Usagi whined as she broke away from her fiancée.