SMX Chapter 13 - Phantom

Sailor Moon X - the Next Generation

Chapter 13 - Phantom

It was the night before Usagi's trip around the world, the tickets were bought and everyone was packed and ready to go. Suitcases lined the backside of the couch by the front door, each with their own name tags - Usagi Tsukino-Chiba, Mamoru Chiba and Luna Tsukino. The couple were already upstairs and sleeping in bed, Luna was about to go to bed herself. She entered the guest bedroom in her pyjamas late at night after a day of booking, packing, printing and organizing everything since Chibiusa, Nari and Chiyo are all joining them. Exhausted, Luna closed the door behind her and slowly walked up to and climbed into her bed. She let out a big sigh and stretched herself for a moment in bed before plugging her phone into the charger and relaxing herself, switching off the desk lamp beside her and drifting off to sleep. Her mind emptied; the energy of the day was spent on the computer and in the kitchen, tending to Usagi's needs and hunger, as she does every day. Today was especially busy with all the preparation and coordination needed to move six people constantly and all over the planet.

Luna was only just asleep, the warmth from her bed relaxed her totally. Then all of a sudden she thought she could feel something, the slightest sense of a hand stroking her hair, even her neck. Luna didn't bother with it, she was too tired to really care about sensations; as far as she was concerned she was alone and was just dreaming. Then the sensation changed into something much more noticeable, she felt her lips get much warmer - it felt like someone was trying to kiss her in her sleep. Luna stirred, she woke up to find that no one was there. Confused and a little frightened, Luna looked around. "Hello?" She decided to switch on her phone to light up the room. "Hello?" No one. No one else was here, just Luna. She became concerned, there may be an intruder in her own room, but with limited hiding space and her growing even more tired Luna simply slumped back down onto her pillow and fell asleep again. She was so tired that the thought of another person being in her bedroom slipped out of her mind instantly, once again she began to sleep. Not long after Luna again felt the same sensation on her lips, it wasn't a bad feeling so much as it was uncomfortable, Luna had never been kissed before and while she liked the sensation it was entirely unwanted. Again she woke up and this time Luna launched, sitting up in bed. "Who's there?" In the dark she looked around to once again seem to find no one else in the room. This time she switched on the bed lamp and checked again. "Is anyone here?" She stared around the room; the space was very small but open, apart from the bed and the side window all that was there was the wardrobe, and she could tell it was empty. Luna was now very confused. "If no one else is here," Then what exactly is happening to me? She continued her thought. Despite the fact that she knew the room was empty Luna felt very insecure. Looked down at her phone and hatched a plan, she turned the light off and pulled her phone from the charger, holding it in her right hand just in case. She fell back into bed and took a few minutes in the dark before she started to fall asleep again, clutching her phone, waiting for him to come back. Once again the same sensation returned, the same warmth on her lips and now what felt like hands holding her neck. This was the most distinct feeling yet of the presence of another person, Luna definitely felt a man kissing her in her sleep. The instant she woke up she launched her phone straight at the man's face with all the force she dared to land. She swung her phone across his face and - nothing, she didn't feel anything, no flesh, no bone, nothing. Her right hand simply flew over her face, but what was truly disturbing was that even though Luna's hand swung over her and hit nothing, she still felt the man's kiss - after her hand swung. Luna immediately opened her eyes to again find noone there, she waved her hand about, working out if she aimed correctly or not. "I definitely swung at the right place." She uttered. But I'm certain that I still felt it, she continued her thought. Luna knew for sure now that indeed noone was here physically, but the only remaining possibility frightened her - the very real chance that some sort of ghost is having its way with her. There wasn't much she could do, but Luna felt very insecure and couldn't fall asleep easily anymore. For minutes she looked around in the dark, waiting for the apparition to show itself to her, but after several minutes eventually she fell asleep once again. Once again the sensations returned, but this time Luna didn't wake up - if she did it would simply retreat again. Luna intended to let this play out and discover what was going on. After a moment of kissing the ghost revealed himself in Luna's mind, a man with long white hair appeared in her vision. Luna didn't recognize the man but for some strange reason he had a familiar face.
Finally the man spoke to her. "It has been such a long time Luna."
Without thinking Luna replied. "I've missed you Artemis."

As soon as she heard herself Luna woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily and distraught from her dream. "Artemis?!" She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe her feelings. She couldn't believe herself. "ARTEMIS?!" Entirely new thoughts started to flood her mind; what happened to Artemis fifteen years ago? Is it possible he could have turned into a human after all? Is what she is feeling real or not?
Is Artemis genuinely alive or truly dead?
Luna held her head, in the darkness she tried desperately to work out what exactly was happening to her. "No." She began to mutter. "No no no no, Artemis is dead. I killed him. I killed him by living." Luna paused to sink slowly back down onto her pillow. "The Silver Crystal could only turn one of us into a human. I survived." She began to cry. "I killed Artemis by living."
"Luna." He whispered into her ear. She opened her eyes and saw him - Artemis in human form. He was an astral spirit; only his face, chest and arms were visible in the vision but his hair gleamed in a white halo, shimmering in the light only Luna can see.
Eventually Luna asked. "Artemis?"
He nodded. "Yes." Luna gasped and for a moment she was happy, but then a thought struck her. "Wait. Are you alive?" Artemis chuckled, he reached out to brush her cheek. Luna felt the warmth of his skin and reacted, moving her head as he caressed her neck.
"Yes." Artemis finally replied. "I am alive." Luna started to cry again, the thought of Artemis being alive after all this time was too much for her to bare. "Don't cry." Artemis wiped the tears rolling down Luna's cheek.
"I thought you were dead." Luna cried back. "Have you been alive this whole time?"
Artemis smiled back at her. "Yes, I have. I've lived a wonderful life in E-." He was about to tell her where he was but he cut himself short, somehow he knew that Luna was going to travel with Usagi to activate the scouts and he didn't want to distract her from that.
"Eh?" Luna repeated him. "E-what? Where are you Artemis?"
He raised his hand. "Where I am is not important right now. Right now I just want to tell you that-" He stopped, Artemis could see Luna's face still full of sorrow and guilt. He smiled at Luna again. "That I have wanted to see you again, so much so that I have discovered a way for us to talk to each other through telepathy."
Luna gasped. "Telepathy? Is that what this is?"
Artemis chuckled again. "Yes, I can create an image of myself and send it to whoever I will it to. It takes a great deal of concentration for me to talk to you Luna. But seeing you again, your beautiful face and your long black hair-" He stared into her eyes and smiled again. "It was all worth the time and effort, just to see you." Artemis came right up to Luna and kissed her again, cradling her head in his hands. Shocked at first Luna eventually relaxed, she tried to reach out to Artemis but her hands and arms fell through the image. Startled Luna gasped and they stopped kissing. "What's wrong?" Artemis asked.
"I can't fell you!" She exclaimed. "I can feel your hands and your kiss, but I can't feel your arms. I don't understand this."
"Oh Luna." Artemis rubbed his fingers along her neck. "You need to learn telepathy yourself, otherwise you just can't feel my presence."
Slowly Luna nodded. "I understand."
Artemis slowly moved away, he was preparing to leave. "I need to leave now, but before I do I must tell you Luna, follow Usagi. Keep her safe."
As he moved away Luna climbed up from her bed. "Of course I will, but please tell me where you are."
"I can't yet Luna." Artemis shook his head as he continued. "You must trust me, please travel with Usagi and ensure she is safe."
"Please Artemis, where are you?" Luna pleaded but as she did Artemis' image dissolved and the light was gone.

Luna just sat at the end of her bed, frozen. She held a terrible guilt over Artemis' death for fifteen years, holding herself personally accountable for it. Now not only was he alive and well but he is trying to communicate with her. For a minute Luna was silent, in the twilight Luna was full of different emotions; delight, joy, fear, confusion, sorrow. She started to cry again but the intense emotions swelled her heart and she couldn't contain herself anymore. She slammed her fist straight onto the mattress and yelled. "ARTEMIS!" She was breathing so hard Luna was straining, wheezing even. Tears poured out of her as she was coming to grips with the idea that Artemis is alive. Everything she felt in the past fifteen years; guilt, heartache, regret - everything began to explode. Her very soul was raging against the sorrow. "ARTEMIS!" She was uncontrollable now. Luna's head was buried on top of the sheets, crying into them, choking now from all the built up emotion she had carried all her human life. She didn't kill Artemis; her choosing to live wasn't selfish, she didn't consign Artemis to his death - instead Luna wasted fifteen years of her life regretting over something that never happened. Luna felt like a complete idiot, she was pounding her bed and screaming in pain. Luna was unhinged.
"ARRRRRRTEEMIIIIIIIIIIS!"
A knocking came from outside her door, it opened to reveal Usagi having woken up from Luna's grief. "Luna?" Luna turned to see Usagi at the door, lit from behind by the light outside. She stared at Usagi for a few seconds, trying to control herself, breathing heavily. Then Luna quickly sprang from her bed and ran into Usagi's arms, desperate for some comfort, hugging her master tightly. As Usagi thought to do was hug her back. "Luna, what's wrong?"
Luna continued to cry, her head buried into Usagi's side, but composed herself enough to respond. "Usa-Usagi, h-he's alive! He's alive!"
"Who's alive?" Luna kept crying on Usagi's shoulder, Usagi decided to hold Luna's neck and compel her to look at Usagi. "Please Luna. Tell me who is alive?"
Tears streamed down Usagi's hand as Luna finally replied. "Artemis." Luna began to smile. "Artemis is alive!" Usagi was shocked, she knew that Artemis cannot possibly be alive. The miracle of human life went to Luna.
Usagi let go of Luna, immediately switched on the room light and turned to close the door. "Luna, tell me everything you know."

---

Later in the early morning, as the sun was only starting to rise Mamoru climbed down the stairs. He woke up to find Usagi wasn't in bed with him. He found Usagi on the couch, watching the news, the television was barely audible. Usagi didn't go back asleep after talking to Luna, she had no idea how to react. "Usagi?" She didn't hear Mamoru, Usagi kept watching the news. He walked right up to her. "Usako." Usagi lifted her head and turned to her husband. "Are you alright?"
Usagi patted the space beside her. "Sit down, we need to talk." He did so and Usagi began to explain herself. "I'm worry for Luna. She says that Artemis is alive and that her spoke to her in a vision." She paused to turn back to the TV. "I fear she may be losing her mind."
Mamoru stared at Usagi for a moment, he too had the same sense of shock Usagi had with Luna, but unlike his wife Mamoru was more open to the theory. "I suppose it may be possible." Usagi turned to him as soon as he said that. "If it's possible to transform Luna into a human then it possible that Artemis had undergone the same transformation."
"Of course it's possible Mamo!" Usagi snapped back at Mamoru. "But we could only save one of them. There was only enough power to turn Luna into a human." She fully turned to face her husband now. "We couldn't save them both," Usagi sighed. "Artemis is dead."
Mamoru began to shake his head. "We never saw him die." Usagi's jaw began to drop. "Luna transformed, Artemis walked off down the stairs, Minako ran to see him, he disappeared. Usako, we may not have seen him for years but even I have to admit there's a chance he's out there somewhere." He paused to hold his wife. "It's always possible." Mamoru looked at the TV, the news bulletin featured a story in London, something to do with Sailor V. "Maybe even Minako knows about him."
"Mm." Usagi simply replied with a grunt. She lent her head down onto Mamoru's shoulder as they both watched the news, thinking about Luna and Artemis the whole time.

Then a thought struck Mamoru, watching Sailor V on the television he flinched for a moment and looked at Usagi, she drifted off to sleep beside him. He looked back at the TV, he just worked out who stole Chibiusa's Silver Crystal.