Sailor Moon Dream

Sailor Moon Dream

Chapter Twelve: The Day After

By Delphine Pryde

Usagi

After making love, Vanyel's arms must have seemed strangely lonely,

for he could not sleep. My connection to his mind told me he was still

awake. I sat up, getting his attention. A quick glance at Chibi-Usa

told me that she was asleep and not likely to wake up anytime soon.

If she weren't awake she wouldn't notice my absence, I decided.

I stood up and walked over to where Vanyel was watching me intently

with those pretty silver eyes of his. Without a word, I laid beside

him and allowed him to draw me into his arms. We kissed goodnight

before settling down. I was soon asleep in his comforting arms.

Chibi-Usa was the first one awake, but amazingly she didn't say one

word about finding me cuddled up to a perfect stranger. She did give

me a look that clearly said, "We'll talk later."

I suppose that's better then her screaming and yelling bloody murder.

Sometimes she acts so much like my mother, it's scary. Why couldn't

Yfandes have kept the little rugrat asleep? : I only kept her from

seeing things she shouldn't, your embarrassment is not one of them,:

the Companion thought at me. I snorted lightly. Yfandes had a twisted

sense of humor.

Riding was somewhat awkward; I was still a little sore from last

night. I couldn't voice my complaints in front of Chibi-Usa but Vanyel

knew anyway. There was a distinctive male smugness in the way he

looked at me, knowing that he was the cause of my discomfort and just

how he had caused it. That smugness vanished as I whimpered slightly

from a flash of pain as I settled behind Chibi-Usa, on Yfandes' back.

When he mounted on Yfandes, he pressed his body up against me before

leaning close to my ear. "I'll be gentler next time," he whispered,

sending a shiver of delight up my spine at the thought of a repeat of

last night. A blush appeared on my face that lasted for at least an

hour.

Ansem was a small community with one inn, a small market, and a dozen

or so farms. Bandits had apparently found it easy pickings for they

had burned and pillaged their way through. A number of the village

girls were apparently abducted.

Vanyel, being the person he is, volunteered to find the kidnapped

girls. "We are grateful, Herald," said the village elder. "Until this

tragedy happened I believed there was little good left in this world,

but you are actually the second person to volunteer to help us."

"Who was the first?" wondered Vanyel.

"I am," said a familiar female voice.

I turned my head swiftly and felt my eyes widen in surprise as I saw

whom the speaker was. "Puu!" shouted Chibi-Usa, delighted.