Chapter 10: Captivity

Celeste woke up the night morning with the definite feeling that something was wrong. Unable to justify the feeling, she went through her morning routine. However, the nagging feeling persisted in the back of her mind.

She gathered her things and headed downstairs. She paused in the lobby to leave a message for Setsuna and walked out the door. Outside, on the busy street, she hailed a cab and headed to the hospital.

She walked quickly through the maze of hallways of the hospital, trying to banish her sense of fear. To her relief, Celeste arrived at Makoto’s room. With a wave to a nurse, she entered the room.

The room was dimmed, the blinds on the windows shut tight against the sunlight. Usagi and Mamoru were asleep in a corner, Usagi curled up in his lap. Watching the couple for a moment, Celeste smiled.

Dropping her things in the other vacant chair, she stepped to the edge of the hospital bed. More and more of Makoto’s bandages were being taken off everyday, she noticed. The doctor thought that the scarring would be minimal. However, he could answer the more important question of when Makoto would wake up.

Mamoru moaned, stretching cautiously in the chair. Usagi murmured and snuggled closer to his chest. Seeing Celeste, Mamoru was startled for a moment, but then looked down at Usagi. When he looked at Celeste again, he wore an amused smile.

“Good morning,” he whispered.

“Good morning to you,” she replied.

“What time is it?” He nodded at Usagi. “I would look at mine, but my arm is numb because of Usako here.”

“Usako?” Celeste asked playfully.

“It’s a nickname,” he replied, flushing slightly.

“It’s nine o’clock,” Celeste informed him. She studied the sleeping Usagi for a moment. “I hope she still doesn’t call you Mamoru-baka.”

Mamoru’s eyes widen slightly in surprise. “How did you know about that?”

“Mina-chan and the others have been filling me in on everybody,” Celeste answered, suppressing a giggle.

“It seems that you have an advantage over everyone,” he said, smiling. “Usagi-chan calls me Mamo-chan most of the time. It’s the nickname she has for me.”

He shifted cautiously in the chair again. “What brings to the hospital this early on a Sunday morning?”

“I thought that I would relieve you and Usagi-chan, Mamoru-san,” Celeste replied. “It would do the two of you some good to go eat breakfast and take a walk in the park. It’s not good for Usagi-chan or you to be up here all the time.”

“I know,” he said. “It’s just, well, that we feel that we have let Makoto down. Usa is taking it especially hard.” He stroked her hair. “She will be an excellent ruler someday.”

“Yes, she will, Mamoru-san,” Celeste agreed. She paused. “Well, I hate to wake Usagi-chan up, but you guys need to get out of here.”

Mamoru nodded. Murmuring softly in Japanese, he tried to wake Usagi. Then he progressed to shaking her until he just finally stood up, sending her tumbling into the floor.

“Aaaaa! Mamoru-baka . . .” The rest was so fast that Celeste couldn’t understand it.

Mamoru glanced over at Celeste and smiled. “Well, she does call me that sometimes.”

Celeste laughed as a confused Usagi looked up from the floor. “Nani?”

“Nothing, Usako,” he said gently in Japanese, helping her off the floor. “Celeste-san is going to stay with here while we go get something to eat.”

“Thank you, Celeste-chan,” Usagi said, bowing slightly. “We’ll try to be back soon.”

“Take your time, Usagi-chan. You and Mamoru-san could use a break. Luna gave me a communicator last night. If anything changes here, I’ll let you know. I promise.”

Usagi brightened slightly and the two left the room. Celeste surveyed the room before deciding to open the blinds. The room was not very soothing, but the sunshine did help.

Sitting down in a chair, she studied Makoto. She seemed to be improving everyday but not to the point of consciousness. Each day that passed without her waking up narrowed the chance that she ever would.

“You have to wake up,” she told Makoto. “You have to.”

* * * * *

“You have to wake up. You have to,” he told himself.

His eyes snapped open, trying to bring the dingy room into focus. The light was so dim, dim to the point that he couldn’t see all of it due to the lack of light. He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach.

Jonathan gingerly picked himself up off the cold stone floor, trying to make his mind work again. Swaying, he quickly leaned against the wall, ignoring the slime that oozed against his hands. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall why he was here, wherever here was.

Suddenly he remembered the two weirdos that had shown up at his door. He shivered as he remember the black light flooded his head, weakening him completely. The thought that he had been taken so easily, without one punch, overwhelmed him.

“Why me?” he muttered. ‘Why do they want me? What do I have that they want so badly?’

He was baffled. His thoughts turned to Celeste. He hoped that she wouldn’t take his lapse in replying as a gesture that he didn’t care. Now he realized just how deeply he cared for her. ‘If I get out of here, wherever here is,’ he vowed silently, ‘I will tell Celeste everything.’

He straightened suddenly as he detected the sound of protesting metal. At the opposite side of the room, a constant, purple-black light approached. As the light got closer, Jonathan realized that it was the white-haired weirdo that had attacked him.

As she stepped with the dim circle of torch light, the purple-black ball of energy in her hand disappeared. Noticing his shock, she smiled. Gypsum had every intention of enjoying this.

“Yes, Jonathan, this is not a dream,” she stated, her smile broadening with his further expression of surprise. “Reality is usually far more depressing. But the philosophical discussion aside, we need to have a little talk.”

“About?” Jonathan’s expression guarded.

“How much do you really know about Celeste Halley?”


Captivity Celeste woke up the night morning with the definite feeling that something was wrong. Unable to justify the feeling, she went through her morning routine. However, the nagging feeling persisted in the back of her mind. She gathered her things and headed downstairs. She paused in the lobby to leave a message for Setsuna and walked out the door. Outside, on the busy street, she hailed a cab and headed to the hospital. She walked quickly through the maze of hallways of the hospital, trying to banish her sense of fear. To her relief, Celeste arrived at Makoto’s room. With a wave to a nurse, she entered the room. The room was dimmed, the blinds on the windows shut tight against the sunlight. Usagi and Mamoru were asleep in a corner, Usagi curled up in his lap. Watching the couple for a moment, Celeste smiled. Dropping her things in the other vacant chair, she stepped to the edge of the hospital bed. More and more of Makoto’s bandages were being taken off everyday, she noticed. The doctor thought that the scarring would be minimal. However, he could answer the more important question of when Makoto would wake up. Mamoru moaned, stretching cautiously in the chair. Usagi murmured and snuggled closer to his chest. Seeing Celeste, Mamoru was startled for a moment, but then looked down at Usagi. When he looked at Celeste again, he wore an amused smile. “Good morning,” he whispered. “Good morning to you,” she replied. “What time is it?” He nodded at Usagi. “I would look at mine, but my arm is numb because of Usako here.” “Usako?” Celeste asked playfully. “It’s a nickname,” he replied, flushing slightly. “It’s nine o’clock,” Celeste informed him. She studied the sleeping Usagi for a moment. “I hope she still doesn’t call you Mamoru-baka.” Mamoru’s eyes widen slightly in surprise. “How did you know about that?” “Mina-chan and the others have been filling me in on everybody,” Celeste answered, suppressing a giggle. “It seems that you have an advantage over everyone,” he said, smiling. “Usagi-chan calls me Mamo-chan most of the time. It’s the nickname she has for me.” He shifted cautiously in the chair again. “What brings to the hospital this early on a Sunday morning?” “I thought that I would relieve you and Usagi-chan, Mamoru-san,” Celeste replied. “It would do the two of you some good to go eat breakfast and take a walk in the park. It’s not good for Usagi-chan or you to be up here all the time.” “I know,” he said. “It’s just, well, that we feel that we have let Makoto down. Usa is taking it especially hard.” He stroked her hair. “She will be an excellent ruler someday.” “Yes, she will, Mamoru-san,” Celeste agreed. She paused. “Well, I hate to wake Usagi-chan up, but you guys need to get out of here.” Mamoru nodded. Murmuring softly in Japanese, he tried to wake Usagi. Then he progressed to shaking her until he just finally stood up, sending her tumbling into the floor. “Aaaaa! Mamoru-baka . . .” The rest was so fast that Celeste couldn’t understand it. Mamoru glanced over at Celeste and smiled. “Well, she does call me that sometimes.” Celeste laughed as a confused Usagi looked up from the floor. “Nani?” “Nothing, Usako,” he said gently in Japanese, helping her off the floor. “Celeste-san is going to stay with here while we go get something to eat.” “Thank you, Celeste-chan,” Usagi said, bowing slightly. “We’ll try to be back soon.” “Take your time, Usagi-chan. You and Mamoru-san could use a break. Luna gave me a communicator last night. If anything changes here, I’ll let you know. I promise.” Usagi brightened slightly and the two left the room. Celeste surveyed the room before deciding to open the blinds. The room was not very soothing, but the sunshine did help. Sitting down in a chair, she studied Makoto. She seemed to be improving everyday but not to the point of consciousness. Each day that passed without her waking up narrowed the chance that she ever would. “You have to wake up,” she told Makoto. “You have to.” * * * * * “You have to wake up. You have to,” he told himself. His eyes snapped open, trying to bring the dingy room into focus. The light was so dim, dim to the point that he couldn’t see all of it due to the lack of light. He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. Jonathan gingerly picked himself up off the cold stone floor, trying to make his mind work again. Swaying, he quickly leaned against the wall, ignoring the slime that oozed against his hands. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall why he was here, wherever here was. Suddenly he remembered the two weirdos that had shown up at his door. He shivered as he remember the black light flooded his head, weakening him completely. The thought that he had been taken so easily, without one punch, overwhelmed him. “Why me?” he muttered. ‘Why do they want me? What do I have that they want so badly?’ He was baffled. His thoughts turned to Celeste. He hoped that she wouldn’t take his lapse in replying as a gesture that he didn’t care. Now he realized just how deeply he cared for her. ‘If I get out of here, wherever here is,’ he vowed silently, ‘I will tell Celeste everything.’ He straightened suddenly as he detected the sound of protesting metal. At the opposite side of the room, a constant, purple-black light approached. As the light got closer, Jonathan realized that it was the white-haired weirdo that had attacked him. As she stepped with the dim circle of torch light, the purple-black ball of energy in her hand disappeared. Noticing his shock, she smiled. Gypsum had every intention of enjoying this. “Yes, Jonathan, this is not a dream,” she stated, her smile broadening with his further expression of surprise. “Reality is usually far more depressing. But the philosophical discussion aside, we need to have a little talk.” “About?” Jonathan’s expression guarded. “How much do you really know about Celeste Halley?”


Chapter 11: So Close Resurrection: Sailor Sol Sarah's Sanctuary