Paint the Sky With Stars *part 02 up*

[pseudonym]

AUTHOR NAME: pseudonym
AUTHOR EMAIL: click
CATEGORY: Drama
SUB CATEGORY: Romance
KEY WORDS: Tsukino Usagi, Chiba Mamoru, song fic, moon kingdom, destiny
ARCHIVE(S): Fanfiction.net
ASMR
RATING: PG-13
SPOILERS: All seasons, just to be safe!
SUMMARY:
You never realize what you have, even if it is right under your nose, until it is gone. This is a story with five parts, each part a snapshot detailing Mamoru and Usgai's legendary relationship. U/M

DISCLAIMER:
This story is based upon characters and situations created and owned by Naoko Takeuchi. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
The titles and songs used within these works are taken from Enya’s album Paint the Sky with Stars. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

AUTHOR NOTES:
This is a series of five song-fics detailing the makings of the Usagi/Mamoru relationship. This story does NOT follow the series, though some events may be incorporated into it. There are five parts to this, beginning with Mamoru's PoV and then switching to Usagi’s for the second part, and alternating so on and so forth.

I’ve tried my darndest to keep the characters in character, so please leave me some constructive criticism if you think my skills need improvement. This is my first Sailor Moon related fic, but not my first fic ever. I began writing when I was ten years old (stories, I mean), and submit my first fic when I was twelve to some online archive. Six years later, I am still writing… and always trying to expand and broaden my experiences.

Lastly, please mind any spelling/grammar errors. I’m fairly competent, and am a stickler for grammar and spelling, but I am not perfect… and I don’t have a beta. Boohiss. So, if you see some huge error, please let me know! I hate it when I see stories, or even summaries that have improper spellings of names/places, and poor spelling/punctuation/grammar. To be quite honest, I will not even read a story if it’s like that. It pisses me off too much. If someone can’t take the time to hit ‘spell check/grammar check’, or define paragraphs and use proper punctuation… and literate, mature style, why should I bother wasting my time?
So, now that everything’s out of the way… sit back, relax, and enjoy!

PS- If anyone knows a popular site where Sailor Moon fan fic is archived (you know, like Harry Potter has Fiction Alley?), please let me know!

[pseudonym]

Storms in Africa
(1/5)


*How long is it since,
How long is it since…*[/i]

The sky was a deep royal blue tapestry, sprawled across the sky with a dazzling array of embroidered stars that twinkled merrily from their suspended viewpoint around the pale yellow glow of the aristocratic moon. A loud, ear-piercing wail of feigned anguish permeated the tranquil night air and resonated for several seconds before dying down into a graceful decrescendo.

‘Ooowwww!’ howled a young, adolescent girl, whose sunny, golden locks adorned her head in what remarkably resembled two dumpling shapes. Her unnaturally large, blue eyes welled up brightly with unshed tears as she clutched a tiny hand to her slender ankle.

‘Geez, odango atama! Could you lower it a decibel or two? You know, for the sake of everyone else, including me?’ I picked myself up off the payment, brushing bits of debris and dirt from my favourite green blazer, and turned to the source of the feline-like yowl. With an exasperated sigh, I shook my head and offered a hand to help the girl to her feet, tapping my foot impatiently.

I did not have the time for this right now! The Senshi were in trouble and I was already late enough as it was. Of course, it would only be my luck to bump into Usagi on the way; we always manage to run into each other at the most inappropriate times. In fact, I don’t think I can remember a day that has passed where I had not at least exchanged a few heated words with the short-tempered little brat, if not a loud argument. It really was too easy to get under her skin sometimes.

‘C’mon, odango atama…’ I coaxed as I slid my arms under Usagi’s in an attempt to help her to her feet. Unfortunately, she knocked my hand away and told me not to touch her… after calling me a baka. Really, the girl could be so childish sometimes… childish and incredibly stubborn.

‘Don’t touch me, Chiba!’ Usagi yelled again, squirming to get out of my grasp. ‘Just let me go!’
At this point, I began to contemplate whether she was worth all of the trouble. She was wasting my time just sitting there! However, I couldn’t just leave her, damn my courteous demeanour. The sun had long ago sunk to sleep beneath the horizon and people were in bed at this hour. More importantly, though, what was a fourteen year old girl doing out this late by herself anyway? Furthermore, what was she doing in the middle of the park?

At that moment, Usagi let out a small cry, startling me and consequently causing me to drop her back to the ground. ‘Perhaps you should lay off the higashi for a while, odango atama,’ I suggested lightly. It wasn’t like she weighed an enormous amount, as she was quite light. All I had done was run into her, accidentally of course, and she had gone flying! I hadn’t really been concentrating on where my feet were taking me as they automatically knew where to go. Instead, they had run right into Usagi who had been coming from the opposite direction. This resulted in my eating the pathway’s pavement and her letting out the loudest shriek of all time. She could not have been hurt that badly as we run into each other nearly every single day.

‘Sumimasen, alright? You just came out of nowhere! I’ve really got to go, so, why don’t you just let me help you up and we can both be on our way?’ Again, I extended a hand, trying my best to refrain from pulling a rose from my inside jacket pocket. If she did not hurry up, I would not have any choice but to leave her where she was.

‘You know what, Mamoru?’ Usagi sniffled, rubbing her dirty face across the sleeve of her… badly torn shirt. ‘Why don’t you just leave me alone, baka! Go, on! I don’t care… I just don’t care anymore.’
Her voice was small, very small and incredibly soft, especially that last murmur. The usual spark in her tone had vanished and was replaced with one of… defeat? What was going on here?

I let my hand drop momentarily and took a moment to thoroughly survey the mess sitting on the ground in front of me. The first thing that I noticed was that one of her infamous dumplings was beginning to unravel from its tight bun. Her long, usually shiny hair that bounced with a life of its own, hung limply down her back, streaked with dirt and tangled with twigs. The sleeves of her pink shirt were singed, torn, and stained a brownish-crimson. On her left leg, specifically around the ankle area, rivulets of blood trickled their way down her shoeless foot. The ankle itself was red and swollen, and with the abundance of sticky red liquid, it looked as though the injury was not minutes old; that meant, that Usagi did not receive this injury as a result of running into me. If that was so, then what caused it?

*Walk through the storm.*

Usagi’s shoulders sagged as she let out ragged breaths and she flinched as I once again attempted to bring her to her feet. ‘Can’t you take a clue, baka? I would have thought that someone at university would have enough brains to figure out that I. Want. To. Be. Left. Alone!’ Her voice wobbled as she spat out the last word, standing on her own, albeit not very well, and pushing my arm away.

‘What’s wrong, Usagi-san?’ I inquired softly, using my so-called lack of brains, and not calling her by the nickname she apparently loathed… even though, deep down, I figured she secretly liked it when I call her that. ‘What happened to you?’

‘Kaimu, Chiba. At least, nothing that concerns you.’ Usagi shuffled a foot forward, biting on her lips as she did so. Her arms were held out in front of her, undoubtedly to help her keep her balance, and she was trembling like a leaf.

‘Kaimu?’ I raised a brow questioningly as Usagi inched herself away from me; a mouse could walk faster than she could at the moment. ‘I hardly think that not being able to walk is called ‘nothing’.’

‘Look…’ Usagi ceased her shuffling and stood stock-still. ‘… the Dark… er, darkness, kinda gives me the… creeps, alright?’ She lifted her face up and gazed into the sky, letting the moonlight illuminate her tear-streaked cheeks. ‘No… no, that’s not right….’ She whispered quietly before turning her piercing gaze upon me

‘What’s not right?’ For a moment, I forgot all about the Senshi. Usagi’s expression was a wistful and deeply melancholy one; it was a total one-eighty from her usual bubbly, cheerful self. I watched as crystalline tears threatened to spill down her scraped up cheeks, and then reached out to brush the offending liquid away from her pale face as one daringly escaped.
‘I’m…’ she laughed a little, batting away my hand and again using her soiled sleeve to rid the tears from her eyes. ‘I’m a terrible liar.’

‘Well, that’s not a bad thing, is it?’ Of course it wasn’t, surely the odango atama knew that? She had never struck me as the type of person who would do that sort of thing. After all, she did have a nasty habit of yelling out the first thing that came to her mind. As a student in medicine, I would diagnose her with having chronic ‘insert-foot-in-mouth’ disease.

There was a pause before she blurted out ‘I’m tired, just so tired. I can’t take it anymore. It’s so hard to keep secrets from everyone, especially when you want… no, when you need the support. Mama and Papa are always worried, and Shingo doesn’t even talk to me anymore. He says I’ve changed and that I’m unrecognizable! My own brother said that!’ And with that, she slid down to the pavement and laid her cheek to the ground.

‘You don’t know what it’s like, Mamoru-san.’ Usagi began, closing her eyes and releasing a long, relatively stable breath. ‘My life is too complicated. I just want to be normal, that’s all I want.’

[pseudonym]

*Go through the storm.*[/i]

Well, that was just great, wasn’t it? Now what was I supposed to do? Was she going to sleep, or what? I fell to my knees and gingerly reached out a hand to finger the scruffy fabric of her school uniform. As I had suspected, the material was doused with blood. Whatever she had gotten into, it certainly had taken a piece out of her.

I froze in my thoughts. What if it was someone or something from the Dark Kingdom? They could still be lurking around somewhere… and where was I? Sitting here, of course, fawning over some cry-baby girl who harassed me to no end. But… I paused again, knowing that leaving Usagi here was highly unethical and against everything I was learning about and practicing in school. How about if I were to put her on a bench somewhere, give her my jacket, and then go check on the Senshi? Once the youma and I had no doubts to that it was a youma, was defeated, I could come back and take her home.

That sounded like an all right idea. It wasn’t the greatest plan, but it was better than nothing. In one swift motion, I scooped the small girl into my arms and set off looking for a park bench. There was one a few yards down the path, and I laid her prone form down before pulling off my blazer and using it as a blanket for her.

‘Don’t worry, Usagi,’ I whispered, swiftly depositing the rose to my pants pocket. ‘I will find out who did this to you and make sure no one else was hurt. Then I’ll be back and I’ll take you home, alright?’ I leaned down to her face, and thoughtlessly… instinctively, was about to place a reassuring kiss on her forehead when her eyes fluttered open.

‘You don’t have to worry, they’ve gotten it already.’ Usagi said in the most serious tone that I had ever heard her use. ‘W- I mean, they always get them.’
‘
Who’s ‘they’? I asked, quickly jerking myself away from her face. I didn’t know she had a light dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and her eyes… well, they were her most attractive feature. I quickly averted my gaze away from hers and concentrated on… yes, a nice tall tree blooming with rosy cherry blossoms across the pathway. Looking at Usagi right now was causing a weird twinge in the pit of my stomach.

‘The Sailor Senshi, of course!’ Odango atama exclaimed, a little of her old excitement bursting out, completely opposing her previous serious tone and manner. ‘Don’t tell me that you’ve never heard of them!’

Of course I had heard of them… they were my ‘partners’.
‘…Sailor Moon, of course. Isn’t she the best? She is definitely my favourite… she’s so smart, brave, and absolutely gorgeous…’ Usagi carried on while slowly repositioning herself to a semi-prone position.

With those last couple of comments, I barely suppressed a snort of disbelief. ‘Sailor Moon, brave? Are you sure you know who you’re talking about? She is always running away, and geez, you have to tell her what to do all the-’ I stopped in mid-comment, having realized what I was saying and because of the strange look Usagi had plastered upon her face.

‘And how, exactly, would you know all of this? Do you know Sailor Moon?’ Now it was her turn to raise a questioning eyebrow. ‘…because I don’t think that you would ever be cool enough for her to be friends with you.’

‘Uhh…’ Dammit! Now what was I supposed to say? I scolded myself mentally, cursing at my own odango atama’d behaviour: opening my big mouth. ‘Well, you know… that is what I’ve heard… about Sailor Moon, that is.’ Oh yes, that was real smooth there.

‘Anyways, not that it’s any of your business,’ I narrowed my eyes and turned away from the bench, ‘but Sailor Moon happens to think I’m ‘cool’, which of course, I am. Maybe you’re just jealous, odango atama, that someone as famous as her would rather be friends with me than with you.’ How old was I? Now I was acting like a hormonal teenager. I shouldn’t let her comments get under my skin like that. It could be very detrimental to my wellbeing in the long run.

‘Yeah, right!’ Usagi protested. ‘All of the Senshi would rather be friends with me than with you! Who likes anyone with an over-inflated ego anyway? You are so conceited sometimes! No, make that all the time!’

*How long is it since,
The start of the storm.*

Fortunately, I had long since trained myself to tune out Usagi’s threats, and instead focused on thing about what she had said earlier on. If the Senshi had destroyed the youma, then why was Usagi looking the way she was? Had she been attacked? I knew that some sort of trouble had occurred… that is what had woken me up. The danger was not present anymore, as the anxiety to rush to the scene had faded, something that had happened while I was with the odango atama.

How irresponsible of me! Now I was irritated for letting myself become carried away with Usagi. I had a promise to the moon princess to find the ginzuishou. The princess and my past memories were somehow connected together; I knew that much, and now, I had let an opportunity to possibly gain another nijizuishou, slip through my hands!

‘How about we get you home, odango atama?’ It was best to do this and then dwell on tonight once I was at home and not at risk of blurting out something stupid in front of Usagi. ‘…odango atama?’ There was not an answer.



#nosmileys

[pseudonym]

Oh, this was great! I whipped around to find an empty bench.
‘Hey, odango atama! Give me my jacket back!’ I yelled while tearing down the path to catch up. I was rather surprised at how far she had managed to travel in such a short period of time. ‘You just can’t take things that don’t belong to you!’

Usagi didn’t say anything in reply to my comment, but instead gave me a cold glare before sliding the fabric off of her shoulders and holding it out to me.

‘No… keep it on,’ I insisted, taking the jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders once again. ‘You will catch a cold or something if you are not covered up. Your clothing isn’t doing anything to help you.’
‘
Why…’ she sniffled, ‘…are you being so nice to me?’ she asked tearfully, pulling the blazer tighter around herself.

Why was I being nice to her? That was a good question, wasn’t it? She was so rude and I chased after her… again. ‘Well…’ I began, scratching my head in thought, ‘… you’re hurt, for one thing. I can’t just leave you out here by yourself, can I?”

‘You could have, you know. I gave you plenty of chances to leave. But, you have to be stubborn, don’t you?’

I leant in closer to her face and grinned, ‘I learned from the Master. Besides, I wouldn’t feel well knowing you were out here by yourself… walking slower than a snail in the park.’

‘Hmmph! Why do you have to insult me, Mamoru-baka? Can’t you just say something nice for once without tacking ‘odango atama’ or something else on to the end?’ Usagi tried to give me a steely gaze, but it really was hard to take it seriously when she had fresh tear tracks running down her face. It was a pitiful sight.

Begrudgingly, I kept my mouth shut. It hardly seemed appropriate to mention that I was barely able to keep from flustering up what I wanted to say when I was around her.

Instead, it was much easier to let insults and teasing comments bleed from my lips. Usagi confused me, and I did not want to be anymore confused than I already was. I had a mission, a very important one, and I should not let distractions keep me from obtaining the truth… even a girl as beautiful and magnanimous… and as young as the one standing before me. Shaking my head in an attempt to rid my mind of traveling down a path I did not wish to go at the moment, I pressed my hand to the small of her back to let her know that it was time to get her home. Surprisingly, she didn’t say anything, and instead pressed herself against my side and wrapped her arm around my waist to support herself.

We hadn’t made it more than a block out of the park, when Usagi spoke up. ‘I’m supposed to be staying the night at Rei’s.’ I was not sure if she had meant to say it aloud, or not.
I didn’t say anything, hoping that she would continue talking.

The silence that had draped upon us on the way home was rather uncomfortable; it was weird for her mouth to stay shut for more than a minute, eating, of course, excluded.

‘How will I explain that to Mama?’

‘Explain what?’ I wondered aloud, looking down upon the blonde girl’s head. ‘Just say that plans changed.’

I could feel her tense up as I spoke. Apparently, she had not meant to talk aloud. ‘That wouldn’t work. Why would I be coming home this late if plans had changed? Besides, she would ask questions, for sure, if I said that and was looking like this. Perhaps I could sneak in somehow… through my bedroom window.’ Usagi abruptly stopped before letting out a groan. ‘But, my room’s on the second floor….’

‘Do you have a tree in your yard? You could get in that way.’ I suggested lightly, letting a smile dance across my face as one of the (very few) fond memories of the orphanage flickered in my mind. Myself and another kid, Fiore, shared a room. It wasn’t the biggest room, by far, but it was our own; something we had earned after years of (seemingly) exemplatory behaviour. Every Friday night, Fiore and I would sneak out through the window and down the ancient tree that was so conveniently situated outside, scampering off into the night, only to return hours before dawn. We had gotten away with it for quite a while, that is until Fiore decided to jump off of the branch instead of sliding down the trunk as we usually did. He landed on his ankle the wrong way and the snap of his bone resounded into the quiet night, followed by a yelp of pain that was loud enough to disturb the matron on the ground floor. Needless to say, that was the end of our nightly escapades.

So caught up I was in reminiscing, that I didn’t even realize that Usagi was leaving until she shoved my jacket into my hands and breathed a soft ‘goodnight’. Then, she had disappeared through the row of hedges that lined the corner of the street. She was not in any condition to run, I thought, listening to the pitter of her tiny feet as she ran down the sidewalk. Well, at least she didn’t look it. What if she had been faking it? She certainly was a great actress if she was.


*How long is it,
From beginning to end*[/i]

Before I knew it, I was running after the blonde teenager. Why, I could not really say. On one hand, my head was ordering me to turn around and go home. I was tired, and running around in the middle of the night after some girl was not the most productive activity I could be doing at the moment. However, then there was my heart, and it was commanding me to run after her and make sure that she was all right. She had dodged so many of my questions, that it wasn’t really difficult to see that she was hiding something. She was an awful liar, indeed.

It did not take very long for me to catch up to where she had stopped beside a lamppost. As soon as I came around the corner, I quickly drew to a halt. Usagi was standing there, looking around cautiously; for what, I did not know, and I didn’t have very much time to ponder her actions for she threw her hand into the air, calling out ‘Moon, Prism, Power, Make-Up!’

*Lift your heart.
Walk through the storms*[/i]

Usagi floated into the air in a flash of light while ribbons wrapped around her… very… naked… body. My jaw hit the ground. I let out a strangled gasp as a very familiar fuku, and then tiara, formed. Then, she threw her hands into her characteristic pose. Odango atama… Usagi… she was Sailor Moon! Suddenly, my life just became a whole lot more complicated.

I attempted to swallow the large lump that had formed in my throat while my brain processed what had just happened… unsuccessfully. There was no way that the queen klutz herself was the very girl I had been rescuing for the past few months. A strangled gasp escaped my throat and I understood now why her delicate frame was so mangled and bruised. Her annoyance at my opinions of Sailor Moon were now justified, and the reasoning’s behind her being out so late… sleeping through classes… and most likely failing her tests, were all very clear.

Should I turn around and pretend this never occurred, or should I confront Usagi about what I saw? A million questions were running through my mind, but those were the ones that were the most important. However, I didn’t have the chance to think about what I was going to say before she had let out a small whimper, ran into the yard, and jumped on to the roof of a house. By the time I had made it to the end of the driveway, she was gone.

*Lift your heart!
Go through the storms*[/i]

After I had drained the very last drop of coffee from the starch-white, porcelain mug that Motoki had filled not even a half an hour ago, I pushed it to the centre of the booth table. That had been my fifth cup this morning… and it was barely eleven o’clock! I had a little trouble falling asleep the previous night, to say the very least. Every time I had shut my eyes the image of Usagi’s sorrow-filled gaze, of which her eyes had glittered beautifully in the moonlight, imprinted itself on to the backs of my eyelids. It was an eerie image in that, until I had turned from the spot where I had last seen Sailor Moon, I hadn’t realized how much she had looked like the girl from my dreams, the princess.

‘Hello? Earth to Mamoru!’

Motoki’s cheerful tone startled me from my distracting thoughts as I looked up to find him waving his close to tattered dishrag in front of my face. Oh, great. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like Motoki. In fact, he is one of my closest friends, and we get along pretty well. The only problem is that my blond headed pal is too nosy.

‘What’s going on? You’re pretty quiet today… and spacey too, actually,’ Motoki noted, letting the worn blue rag fall to the tabletop as he slid into the booth, opposite Mamoru.

He should not be allowed to have conversations with people who are withholding information. With an innocent question like that, unsuspecting individuals could find themselves digging themselves a hole, and a deep one at that. Let it be known that Furuhata Motoki is not as innocent as he comes across to be. This guy, although he claims to do it for the ‘good’ of everyone else, has the worst time keeping his lips sealed when it comes to other people’s business. Therefore, when my good friend asks me such a question, I am always careful as to how I respond.

‘I’m just tired, that’s all. I was up late studying last night…’ An automatic, forced smile widened on my face as I nodded my head reassuringly. ‘Could I have another cup?’ I grabbed said mug and held it out, hoping to signal that I really did not feel like talking now.

[pseudonym]

‘Yeah, sure… I’ll be back in a second,’ Motoki replied apprehensively, sliding out of the booth. I was lucky this time, though I knew that he knew that I was not telling the whole truth.

While I waited for Motoki to return with my refill, I thought about Usagi. Well, I continued thinking about Usagi. My mind really had not been able to process much of anything else since last night. There were many unanswered questions hanging in the air, some were definitely regarding things Usagi had said, and some things she hadn’t mentioned, yet were blaringly obvious as well.

A deep sigh escaped my throat as I leaned back against the plush, bright red upholstered seat. Why was life so complicated and tormenting? It was hard enough to be a teenager, let alone a teenaged superhero… to some extent. Sailor Moon was always a bit more popular. Damn, there I go again. Honestly, every little thing reminds me of Usagi.

‘Are you sure you are all right?’ Motoki’s voice asked again, setting my cup down in front of me. ‘You don’t have to take it out on the table, you know.’

I did not respond to my friend’s comment as the jingling of the front door caught my attention. A bobbing head with long golden pigtails bounced into the arcade, flung a shopping bag onto an empty stool, and jumped on to the one beside it.

‘Motoki!’ Usagi’s voice rang out, spinning herself around on the cushioned stool, and swinging her feet around like a child. “A double chocolate strawberry ‘shake with extra whipped cream for yours truly!”

‘Hai, coming right up!’ Motoki gave me a ‘we’ll talk about this later’ look before heading back to the counter.

Well, I guess this was a good of time as any to interrogate the odango atama. My inability to sleep last night gave me ample time to ponder over the events of the previous night and now I had some questions that needed answering. A rather loud and obnoxious squeal of laughter erupted from Usagi’s direction, and I wondered what had put her in such a good mood.

‘…and I slept right through my alarm clock. Even Luna didn’t bother to wake me up! She is so annoying in the mornings, meowing right in my face and pulling the covers off. Oh, and Mama didn’t even scold when she came in to make sure I was up! She took one look at me, tucked a thermometer under my tongue, and told me to rest… said I looked awful. Do I really look that awful, Motoki?’

‘Er, you look… just as you always do….’ Motoki dropped a cherry on top of the mound of whipped cream before pushing Usagi’s sickeningly sweet concoction in front of her.

‘Mmm… so good….’ The blonde chirped happily, taking a huge slurp and wiping whipped cream off of the tip of her nose and then returning to her treat.

‘Careful, odango atama, don’t choke yourself by inhaling too much at once.’ I found myself leaning nonchalantly against the counter, somehow having migrated over from my booth. I honestly did not remember having gotten up, but then again, I had been… and still was, focused entirely too much on the girl sitting before me.

At my words, a frown immediately creased Usagi’s forehead. ‘I should have known that going a whole day without running into you was too good to be true.’

‘Ahh, but you didn’t run into me… for once, odango.’
Usagi’s face flushed a deep crimson and let out a snort. ‘You know what I meant and stop calling me ‘odango’, BAKA!’ And with that screamed endearment, she grabbed her milkshake and dumped the remnants of the sticky brown goo over my head.

Yuck. Luckily, I had enough sense to close my eyes, though apparently not enough to jump out of the way. That little fiasco was not something I would have expected from Usagi, but then again, nothing really could surprise me now. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to remove as much of the gooey mess as I could. In the background, Motoki’s audible (and attempted) suppression of laughter bubbled through the air before erupting into obnoxiously loud gasps that echoed throughout the Crown.

After I had wiped my face clean with my clean hand, I cautiously cracked an eye open. Usagi was gone, though I could see the last of her hair pass by the arcade window. In a rush, I threw some yen on to the counter to pay for my coffee and Usagi’s milkshake and took off after the valiant bunny.

*Great Journey.
Heavy, through the storms*[/i]

‘You know, that wasn’t a very nice thing to do.’ There wasn’t a response, not that I expected one really. Usagi was quite angry indeed. It did not take me long to catch up with the odango atama. As swift as she was, my legs were much longer than hers were.

‘But, seeing as how I’m such a nice guy… I think I can forgive you for being such a baka…’ Oh boy, what was wrong with me? Quick, someone tape my mouth shut. You would think that I had a penchant for being yelled at with the way my mouth was running off on me.

There still wasn’t any response from Usagi as she slid onto the park bench that was beside her and buried her increasingly reddening face into her hands. With a sigh I reluctantly sat down beside the petite girl.

‘Look, I-’
‘Don’t,’ Usagi interrupted me, ‘just go away.’ She removed her hands from her face and turned to stare at me with tear-brimmed eyes.

The smile on my face faded away at the very controlled and quiet tone, however, I did not move.

‘Are you deaf?’ Usagi jumped to her feet suddenly and whirled around, her arm bent out and her palm flexed. I stared at her uncertainly. Not because of her outstretched hand, that was definitely non-threatening… she was just too tiny, but because of her mood swing. First yesterday night and now today, something was definitely going on with Usagi.

With a roll of her eyes, Usagi propelled her hand towards my face, and in a blink of my eye, I had deftly captured her wrist in my grasp.

‘No, I am not deaf,’ I stated calmly as her beautiful blue eyes widened before narrowing into slits. She struggled to remove her hand, but I refused to let her go. ‘However, before I let you go, we are going to discuss some things.’

‘Nani?! You are such a creep! You let me go this instant! I’ll scream… someone will surely come.…’ Usagi’s voice crescendoed and became quite shrill. If she had another minute, her voice would begin to wail. Fortunately, she was not going to get to that point.

‘Who will come for you, Usagi, Sailor Moon?’

‘That’s right! The champion of love and justice will not allow such cruelty against anyone, let alone a defenceless girl!’ Usagi halted her struggle and instead resorted to glaring at me once again.

‘I don’t think she’ll be coming any time soon, then.’ Releasing her wrist, I leaned back on the bench and rested my hands behind my head.

[pseudonym]

‘And what makes you think that?’ Her hand fell to her waist and she cradled her hand in her opposite arm. My gaze fell to her caresses and tentative palpations to the hand I had once held, though I didn’t think my grip was harsh enough to warrant any type of trauma.

‘Because you’re standing here, that’s why.’ I answered slowly.

There was a moment of silence before Usagi said, ‘I don’t know what you’re implying, baka….’

‘You know what I mean, Usagi.’ I guess now was the time to do it. Leaning forward, I tapped the golden crescent moon pendant she had hanging from her neck. Dropping my voice to barely a whisper, I traced the outline of the satellite and murmured, ‘I saw you last night after you brushed me off.’

Again, Usagi did not say anything for a while. I didn’t know what to say as I looked up to watch an array of emotions flicker across her very pale face. At first I thought she was going to start laughing and deny what I had just said, but instead her chin fell to her chest and a droplet of water fell to the ground.

‘You can’t tell anyone, Mamoru, you have to swear it.’ Her voice was quiet again, and her breaths had become shallow. There was a sniffle as Usagi lowered herself back down to the bench and then the dam burst. For once, there were not any impertinent wails or shrieks. Usagi’s small frame shuddered as… I do not know what emotion, grief, hopelessness, embarrassment…, wracked through her body.

Wet, messy rivulet tearstains bled their way down Usagi’s colourless, taut face as she glanced up. Her eyes were shiny with emotion, just as they were last night, and the image of the princess flashed in my mind once again. ‘Onegaishimasu, onegaishimasu, Mamoru. Onegaishimasu, you have to promise that you won’t say anything!’

Reaching my hand up to brush away the fresh tears that were beginning to escape, I nodded my head. I would do anything for her; she was Sailor Moon. Usagi was Sailor Moon… and, and… something more beyond that. I don’t think I could even put into words as to how she was more than Sailor Moon, but I was certain that there was a bigger picture than what was before us at this moment.

All of the questions about last night had faded away as I observed the young girl who was meekly pressing her cheek into my palm. Her frustrations and her pent up feelings of loneliness were none too clear on her face now. Now I understood what she had meant about it being hard to keep secrets and about how everyone had thought she had changed. It was different for me because I grew up with only myself to rely on. It was not so hard to keep a secret to myself, as I did not ever have anyone to confide in up until I met Motoki a few years back. But, for a girl such as Usagi: bright, bubbly, gossipy, always honest about everything, and naively so trusting of everyone, keeping a secret of such magnitude from her family and friends must have been a great burden.

‘You can trust me, Usagi,’ I said earnestly. ‘I understand what it’s like to not have anyone to discuss things with.’ I could not bring myself to tell her that I was her beloved Tuxedo Kamen. I don’t think that it would go over too well at the moment, and I wasn’t ready for the mortification that I knew would occur once Usagi knew. No, it was best to just let her get to know Chiba Mamoru first and then break the news to her.

Usagi did not say anything, but she did not turn away from me either. That was a good thing. Taking my hand in hers, she threatened our fingers together so that we were palm-to-palm, fingers intertwined with each other’s. Slowly the corners of her mouth turned upwards into a small smile and she let out a soft breath of air. ‘Arigatou, Mamoru-san.’

With those last words, she stood, wiped her face with her hands and smoothed out her dress. ‘Arigatou,’ she whispered once again before turning away. While the confrontation did not go quite as I had hoped, I could not help but feel strangely satisfied. She thanked me and did not call me ‘baka’ when she left.

Looking down into my palm, I let my thumb trace the edge of the golden crescent moon. The curved inner edge of the satellite glittered as the afternoon sun caught it, and I smiled. I was looking forward to tomorrow and every day after that… when I could see my little odango atama, my Usagi, my… Usako.

*Long Journey
Look through the storms*[/i]

---

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Well, that's it for the first part. Loved it? hated it? PLMK by leaving some feedback or a review here: FEEDBACK.
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Please return for Part 02: Marble Halls when it is released. When that'll be, I do not know. However, I hope to have it out sooner than it I did for this first part. I was just really busy with school.

I have had a start on it already... and hope to use the next month of vacation to get some seruous writing done!

I know there are a few unanswered questions and plot details in this part... which was intentional. They will be explained or resolved in later parts.

Thanks!

Until then, here is a snippet for 'Marble Halls':

---

The vast, grand ballroom was crowded with mingling citizens of the Moon. Silver marbled columns stretched into the heavens as the enchanted vaulted ceiling displayed a picturesque palette with stars merrily glittering from their scattered places across the velvety night sky. The Moon was as it should have been: peaceful and ethereal. The Moon was Utopia, the envy of the Milky Way and every other solar system in the boundless universe. There was no other berth where the grass grew silver and the leaves had silvery-gilded edges. There was no other abode where the very ground you tread on glowed nacreous from the natural pale light. There was no other place where the ruling statuesque Queen and her elegant and graceful heir to the throne were the most alluring and the most coveted celestial beings desired.

---

[pseudonym]

Marble Halls[/u]
(2/5)

* I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls
with vassals and serfs at my side.*[/i]

The melodious phrases of a slow waltz and the low murmurs of mingling conversations filled the Grand Ballroom, spilling out into the vacant corridors. It seemed as though every citizen of the Moon had gathered within the magnificent marbled walls of the Palace that night, save for one.

She was late. Where her steps normally would have been slow, deliberate and graceful, they were now quick and clumsy. The soft click of her shoes reverberated off of the walls of the corridor as she headed towards the grand staircase. She paused, a few steps from the top of the landing, taking a moment to compose herself. She drew in a few slow and deep breaths to calm her accelerated heart beat. Slender and delicate hands tidied the few stray wisps of lengthy silvery hair that had sprung loose from their streaming pigtails, before moving downwards to smooth out non-existent wrinkles in her dress. There, now she was at least presentable.

With one last deep breath, she poised her right hand over the banister of the marbled staircase, and began her descent. Her free hand fluttered to her side where she drew up the hem of her dress a little. Her enormous blue eyes darkened as she drew closer to the foot of the stairs, and she drew her mouth taut. She did not want to be here right now. She did not belong here.

~

‘Excuse me,’ a charming voice broke into her thoughts, and she felt warmth envelop her hand. Her heart skipped a beat as she turned to focus on the man who was now pressing his lips to her palm. His dark hair and handsome eyes were recognizable, even behind a domino mask and top hat.

‘Princess…’ he began, continuing to grasp her hand as she practically ran down the last few steps of the staircase. ‘Serenity…’ he breathed, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her forehead underneath his defined chin.

‘Shh…’ she whispered, entwining her long fingers within his. ‘Please, let us only spend these moments away from prying eyes and whispering tongues.’ Serenity pulled away to gaze up into his eyes, searching for any hesitation or any reluctance. She found nothing except adoration and devotion and love within his stare. She had thought that he would not come. It was too dangerous.

At this thought, a crystalline tear slid down her pale face. Why was her life like this? All she wanted was to be loved. All she wanted was to be normal.

*And of all who assembled within those walls,
that I was the hope and the pride.*[/i]



“Usako!” A soft whisper permeated my dream.

“Hmm…? Oh, please, just one more minute, Mama!” Honestly, how rude was it to interrupt someone while they’re catching up on sleep? I was up almost all night due to this crazy dream that I keep having. Because of my lack of rest, I fell asleep in class, which was not my fault, and then Haruna-sensei gave me a detention… wait a second!

“Odango atama?”

Ouch! There was a rather sharp jab in my side. To this intrusion of my personal space, I jumped up from my… seat at the… arcade. It wasn’t hard to figure out how I landed myself here… apparently I did not get enough sleep in class either and had taken a nap at the arcade. It was a good thing I didn’t order anything otherwise it would have been wasted. After stifling a large yawn with my hand (I was really checking to see if I had any dried remnants of my nap around my mouth), I lazily brought my attention upwards to frown at the only person who called me by that loathsome nickname.

“What do you want?’ I snipped coolly, not at all pleased at having a: been woken up, and b: been woken up by the Baka. Languidly, I stretched my arms and removed the crick in my neck from having fallen asleep on a table at a booth… not a most comfortable thing to have done.

The pretentious baka slid into the seat beside me and oh-so-casually snaked an arm around my shoulders. “Well…,” he paused to give me a soft, yet cheeky grin, “you are just too adorable when you are sleeping.”

Oh, thank you very much. And how would he know what I looked like when I was sleeping? This was the first time I had fallen asleep at the arcade; I usually caught up with a catnap while at school, which he obviously didn’t attend, Mr. I’m-so-smart-I’m-in-high-school. Come to think of it, the last time I remember falling asleep, my house and the girl’s houses and school excluded, was in Tuxedo Kamen’s arms. And, well, that was a while ago. In fact, I hadn’t seen him much of late. I bet he’s still recovering from that one battle where I had vanquished that youma all by myself, without his, or the other senshi’s help. Honestly, I don’t need to be babied; I can handle situations myself… if people would just let me.

Speaking of handling situations… the current situation with Mamoru was a little bit alarming. Ever since that afternoon nearly a year ago, the guy has been almost… amicable toward me. Of course, he still calls me by that stupid name, but it has taken on a more endearing tone of late. In addition to the nickname, the physical contact (the nearly daily run-in’s excluded) has gone from non-existent to… bothersome, like the arm around me just now, for instance. The scary thing is, and probably what makes me uncomfortable about it, is the fact that I have not the slightest clue as to whether he’s kidding or not.

“Yeah, whatever, Mamoru-baka.” With a shrug of my shoulders, I freed myself from his am and then slid out of the booth via the other side. “I’ve got to be going now, so I’ll see you around.”

With that, I grabbed my book bag and flew out the door before he could even open his mouth. Whatever it was that he wanted to say, I did not want to hear. However, as I passed by the window, I could still feel his eyes on me. It was really beginning to creep me out.

The relationship between Mamoru and I had drastically changed over the past eight months… practically a one-eighty on his part. Long gone were the mischievous and sly grins, mocking stare, and loud, rambunctious laughter. Those traits, which I have grown to miss, have been replaced by soft smiles, twinkling eyes, gentlemanly behaviour, manners, and… gentle touches, so full of an unidentifiable emotion that they toe the line of sweet caresses.

On top of all of this, Mamoru-san seems to know whenever there has been a youma attack. His ‘mothering’ is worse than, well, Mama and her antics. Every single day after a battle, like clockwork, he finds me and checks up on how I am doing and how the other girls are.

It was only a matter of time, days really, before he figured out who the other senshi were. About a week after I gave him my favourite necklace, as a symbol of his vow of secrecy to me, Mamoru had pulled me aside while in the arcade and confessed that he had determined who the other senshi were. All I could do was nod my head to confirm his suspicions as there was no use in lying about it, or attempting to… I am a pretty shotty liar. As annoying as the man was and despite what I regularly say, Chiba Mamoru was not a stupid man.

In addition to this, the fact that someone had discovered my other identity had left me very jittery, to say the least. The girls and Luna especially, would have my head if they knew that Mamoru-san knew. In other words, I still have not informed them that I had been extremely careless in finding a secluded place to henshin. In addition to my fear of the girl’s retribution and a severe scolding from Luna, I’ve had Chiba hovering around me every since. The past months have been very difficult in that wherever I go, the baka always seems to be around, making strange comments; doing gentlemanly things such as opening doors for me and occasionally picking up my tab. This sudden change in behaviour is smothering me.

And, all the while Mamoru is doing these things for me, I can’t help but feel that there is something else motivating his behaviour. It’s more than my being Sailormoon. I have come to an almost sickening conclusion as to why he’s acting this way, but I have not gotten up the nerve to inquire about it. It is more like the less that I know, the easier it will be to keep our relationship, whatever it is now, where it is, at least from my point of view: purely platonic.

Sometimes Mamoru-san gets this strange, almost… wistful look about him, especially if I avoid talking to him or brush him off. To be rude is not in my nature, but he just makes me so uncomfortable sometimes, that I do not know what to do and I have to get out of the situation. I’m too afraid to delve deeper into this already unfamiliar territory that I’m in.

*I had riches all too great to count
and a high ancestral name.*[/i]

As I rounded the hedge at the foot of my driveway, the unmistakeable roar of a motorcycle sounded as a beautiful red bike flew down the street. The very miniscule part of me that was sensible screamed at me to just ignore it and continue on into the house. Unfortunately, the rest of me, despite having seen that sleek vehicle before, persuaded my feet to venture out to the curb where the rather good looking, but incredibly aggravating owner of the bike was now removing his helmet.

“Are you stalking me?” I inquired rudely, trying my hardest not to stare at Mamoru-san or his bike. It was difficult to keep an annoyed glare on my face when inside, I was dying to hop on the bike for a ride; it wasn’t like he hadn’t offered before.

[pseudonym]

Of course I have had to politely decline his invitations before. There was no way I’d ever get on to that bike while Mamoru was driving. It was not that I feared for my life, as I wasn’t afraid of anything… except maybe thunderstorms and the occasional youma, but I knew that sitting behind Mamoru with my arms around his waist and the wind through my hair would lead me down a path that I did not want to explore right now. Riding with Chiba Mamoru would push the boundaries of our already fragile relationship. It was not just the physical contact or the exhilaration of riding on a sexy bike with my arms around a very good looking guy; I think my reluctance has to do with my not totally trusting Mamoru.

A gloved hand waved itself in front of my face. There was a tinge of concern masked in his voice. “Did you even listen to a word I just said?”

I shook my head. “No, and I don’t care what you said because I’m going inside now!” Yes, now would be a good time to leave before I jumped the poor guy and made him take me for a spin on the bike. There was something about motorcycles and shiny black helmets and a black leather jacket (thankfully that horrendous green piece of fabric was not to be seen), that did something to a girl, or me at least.

“Well, aren’t you going?” Mamoru asked, leaving a hot breath on his helmet and rubbing the spot until it shone in the afternoon sun.

“Uh, yes…” I answered slowly as I looked down to where my feet were firmly placed on the ground. My eyebrows furrowed into a frown when I found that my feet had absolutely no intention of taking me anywhere at the moment.

As I looked up, I could see the last of a smirk fall from Mamoru’s face. “I…” Oh, it was now or never! Even though I was perfectly aware of my lack of sanity to actually consider what I was about to do, I knew that I was going to have to say it eventually, because heaven knows, the baka wasn’t going to initiate something; and as much as I wanted to avoid a confrontation, letting the tension between us build up could prove disastrous if left unresolved. Things were just not adding up and Mr. Chiba had some explaining to do.

With a deep breath, I brushed my bangs out of my eyes, slowly exhaled, and looked up to meet Mamoru’s expectant face.

“We need to talk.” Mamoru opened his mouth, but I put my hand up to silence him and continued on before he could get a word out. He was not going to have any say in this matter.

“No. Don’t even say anything, baka! Now, you’re going to meet me here at exactly seven o’clock and we are then going to talk about your recent behaviour!” My, my, I was beginning to sound like Haruna-sensei! However, before I could berate myself over how I sounded, Mamoru did it for me.

I gave him a cool stare. “And what are you laughing at?”

Mamoru looked as though he were about to fall off of his bike. The black shiny helmet fell from his hands and hit the ground with a clatter as he hunched over, holding his stomach, howling with laughter.

Oh, he was so rude! Fine, if he wanted to play that way, I could too. Picking up the helmet, I shoved it into his hands. “Here,” I sniffed and forced my feet to retreat into the house. Once I was safely inside, I slammed the door shut and leaned against it. So much for trying to be mature about it… I could still hear his laughter even from the house.

*But I also dreamt which pleased me most
that you loved me still the same.*[/i]

“Do you think I should put my hair up?” At the moment, it was just tumbling down my back in waves. Sometimes I really hate my hair! Why couldn’t my hair be long and sleek like Minako-chan’s, or even Rei-chan’s? Or, why couldn’t my hair go up into a wild ponytail such as Mako-chan’s? And, as pretty as Ami’s hair is, I knew that I would just look like a baka with such a short hairstyle.

Here I was, standing in front of my mirror, trying out different hairstyles and outfits. Actually, I have been standing here for the better part of an hour already. I think Luna’s begun to think that I’ve gone insane as she keeps giving me these weird looks.

With a very feline stretch and a quick lick to her paw, Luna abandoned her duties as a (lazy) domestic house cat and switched into ‘interrogation-mode’ as I like to call it.

“Usagi-chan, why are you fussing over yourself so much for Mamoru-san?” This statement was followed by a very direct and intense scrutiny, via the mirror, with her violently scarlet eyes. She had been nestled within my blankets when I came in after dinner – and she calls me lazy! – and I had woken her up to ask for her opinion. Apparently, my efforts were wasted as she has not given me a single answer to any question I have asked. Instead, she’s repeatedly inquired about why I’m making such a big deal out of this.

Why am I making such a big deal out of this? With this question, I paused, one hand holding one half of my hair up. Within a few seconds I could feel my cheeks begin to burn slightly with… a sickening realization! Nope! There was no way that I wanted to look nice for this little excursion? Nope! With a hard swallow, I pushed the weird feeling that had spread over my body and left me with goose bumps and a small shiver. Luna was definitely wrong on that one!

“Luna, every time Mamoru-baka sees me, I’m in my school uniform with these… ‘odangos’ on my head!” I let my hair fall from my fingers to lie against my back once again. “I just want to show him that I am not some clumsy, childish little girl!” Okay, so the pink hair bows had to go.

Oh, why couldn’t I look like Rei? She was absolutely beautiful. My lips pursed themselves into a pout and I glared at my reflection. “You wouldn’t understand Luna, you’re just a cat! You don’t have to worry about having perky breasts, stylish hair, trendy clothes, and flawless sk…”

My voice died out as I peered closer into the mirror. Was that… a zit! No, no, I’m just imagining things! Yes, yes, there’s nothing wrong with my face… I’ve always had perfect skin, thank you Gods, and the words ‘pimple’ and ‘zit’ were not familiar in my vocabulary!

Smartly, I poked a finger at my forehead and then let out a shriek when I palpated a slightly inflamed, hard bump. As well, upon closer inspection, that patch of reddish skin had a bit of shine to it. Oh no!

”Luuuunnnaaa!” Another wail escaped my mouth and I turned my back to the stupid mirror to face my feline friend. “What am I going to do?”

I could have sworn I saw a smirk dance upon my cat’s lips! Humph! Here I was, in the middle of a catastrophe, and she had the gall to smirk at me? “Luna!” I gave her a warning before pouncing on to my bed and pinning her down.

[pseudonym]

“You don’t seem to understand how major this is! I never get pimples!”

“They… can result… from… stress, Usa-chan.” Luna pointed out while attempting to struggle out of my grasp.

I opened my mouth to protest, but then I realized that the blasted cat was probably right. I had been stressed out lately. Not only did I have the normal stresses of a teenaged girl’s life, such as school, parents, and boys, but I also had been worrying a lot about the Dark Kingdom of late. The attacks had really slowed down in frequency, and were averaging less than one attack per month. This lack of activity had put me on guard… they could be planning something big, and we wouldn’t have a clue!

On top of this, I’ve been having these really weird dreams lately. Just this afternoon I had one, while at the arcade. I had no clue as to what they meant, and I had not mentioned them to anyone. I knew that they already worry about me… being a tad clumsy and running behind schedule, and I do not want to add to that. I can figure them out on my own. I’m not the leader for nothing!

My grasp on Luna had lessened and she removed herself from my hands. My distress over the pimple was long forgotten as I began to think about the dreams and what they could possibly mean.

Luna’s slight weight settled on my lap and I looked down to my now solemn kitty.

“Usagi, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone with Mamoru-san.” She tilted her head a little when I did not respond. “He absolutely cannot be trusted,” she pressed on, “Usagi-chan, you should just stay away from him altogether.”

My grip on my sheets tightened as I listened. What was she going on about? She’s never had a problem with him before. Why would she say something now?

“Why can’t he be trusted, Luna?” I asked, perhaps a little too harshly, as she took a step backward. My grip on the sheets was now leaving my knuckles colourless, they were so tightly clenched. A sudden annoyance and a little anger surged through my veins as I narrowed my eyes.

“Why are you telling me this, out of the blue? Actually, forget it; I don’t want to know why you’d think that Mamoru-san cannot be trusted! He’s a baka, not someone from the Dark Kingdom!” I bit out, jumping off the bed and returning to my mirror. I would be damned if Luna was going to boss me around regarding matters of my personal life. Yes, she could be as authoritative as she wanted when it came to senshi business and with our search for the princess, but not now, not ever, when it came to Tsukino Usagi’s personal life!

“There,” a hat could fix almost anything, including bad hair days and pimples. I pulled the brim of the pale pink fabric down a little further so that it was half way between my eyebrows and my hairline. Nope, you couldn’t see anything! Wasn’t I a genius! With a small smile at my reflection and a rub of my finger over my pink, glossy lips, I was ready to go.
Luna hadn’t said anything for a little while and I had thought she had stalked out of the room as she usually does when we have a disagreement. However, as I bent down to pick up my purse, I came face to face with furry purple face that had a bald mark on the forehead.

“Hiding from me now, are we? I didn’t think that you would be one to sulk in a closet!” Instead of slamming the door shut on Luna, as I was sorely tempted to do, the sound of my Mama’s voice floated up from downstairs and signalled to me that the poor guy was now in the living room, undoubtedly being interrogated with a thousand questions. Didn’t I tell him to meet me at the end of the drive way?

I abandoned the closet door and slipped the purse over my shoulder. “Typical, baka… he never listens to me!”

“Usagi!” Luna’s voice called out as I placed my hand on the door handle. “Please think about what you are doing!”

Not even bothering to turn around, I responded with a whisper. “Just because you are jealous, doesn’t give you the right to accuse Mamoru-san of being dishonest! You don’t even know the guy! Why don’t you butt out of my personal life for once, and go harass Ami or Rei? I don’t see why you’re making such a fuss now as you couldn’t have been bothered before tonight to talk to me about my personal life!”

“No, Usagi-chan! You have this all wrong! I’m worried about you! You don’t know Mamoru all that well and-”

“And, I’m not listening to you anymore, Luna! You can boss me around when it comes to Senshi matters, but for anything other than that, please, just leave… me… alone!”

I slammed my door shut before bounding down the stairs.

*that you loved me
you loved me still the same.*[/i]

“Mama,” I groaned as I came down the stairs, attempting to toss my mass of hair over my shoulder without disturbing my strategically placed hat.

Mama came straight over, grabbed my hand, and then dragged me into the living room. “Usagi, you did not tell me you had a gentleman friend! Isn’t he absolutely handsome! You certainly know how to pick them!” Her dark eyes twinkled as she offered Mamoru a drink, who was stationed on the couch, quite comfortably I might add.

At these comments, I watched as Mamoru-baka’s face went from slightly pink to a full, blown-out blush that probably matched the colour of my own pair of flaming cheeks. Why couldn’t I have been born to a normal mother? One that wasn’t so forward when it came to my mortal enemy, after the Dark Kingdom, of course. We had to immediately vacate the premises before she would baby him some more, or worse, my father came in… which might lead to bloodshed. And… as much as the guy was a pain in the butt, I did not want to see him shot by a rifle.

In a quick rush I had grabbed my jacket from the front closet and then raced over to the couch, grabbed Mamoru’s hand, and dragged him out the door, tossing a quick “Don’t worry Mama, I won’t be out too late! Don’t wait up!” over my shoulder on our way out.

Whew, that was close! I let go of Mamoru’s hand and let out a sigh of relief before catching the rustle of curtains out of the corner of my eye. A few seconds later, Mama’s face peered out the window, which was my cue to push Mamoru down to the end of the driveway and around the corner, out of sight due to the shrubs.

“I told you to wait here!” I hissed while slipping my jacket on and adjusting my hat, which had thankfully stayed in place.

[pseudonym]

“I did,” Mamoru ran a hand through his hair, “I was here, early in fact. I should have figured you would be late, in your typical fashion!”

“Well-” I stopped with my mouth open and ready to yell at him for being rude, when I realized a few things. One, I was the one who had snapped at him first; two, I was the one who was late; three, I had asked him to meet me here without considering whether he had plans, and finally, if I was going to get anywhere with Mamoru, I was going to have to be… nice.

Okay, I can be nice; I am nice… just not to him. What can I say? He brings out the worst in me! So, I slapped a smile on my face and linked my arm through his. Then, as sweetly as I could muster, I apologized for being late. “Now, where would you like to go to talk?”

My apology must have startled him as Mamoru did not even make a peep in response. An uncharacteristic and highly uncomfortable silence fell between us until I withdrew my arm from his and cleared my throat.

“So, Mamoru-san, where’s your bike?” Oh, that was a good thing to say! I mentally berated myself for mentioning that, even if I was practically salivating at the mental image of Mamoru, leather clothing, and a very sexy pose with the motorcycle.

“It’s at home; I walked over,” he answered with a smirk.
“So much for putting my hair down…” and don’t you even dare say anything else, Mr. Chiba, I tacked on silently to the end.

“Why do you say that? Now that I’ve seen what it looks like down, I don’t think I want you to put them back up in odangos, as much as I loved those.” He looked down at me and gave me a to-die-for smile.

“No reason…” I answered quickly, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks for the umpteenth time that day. Was that a compliment that he just gave me? “I just thought you’d have ridden it over as you were on it this afternoon.”

I briefly wondered how my voice stayed seemingly innocent, despite the rather naughty images in my mind, until I felt Mamoru’s hand move from my elbow to position itself on my hip. He let out a chuckle as he wrapped that arm tightly around my waist and pressed me into his side.

*I dreamt that suitors sought my hand,
that knights upon bended knee,*[/i]

A soft ‘eep’ escaped my very dry mouth. I kept facing straight forward; I didn’t even want to know what expression had accompanied that bit of laughter. Just breathe I chanted silently to myself, trying not to focus on how warm his body was against mine or how natural it felt to have his arm around me… it was almost a… familiar feeling.

“What’s the matter, Usagi-chan?” Mamoru asked as we came to a halt on the top of the bridge that enabled a breathtaking view of the Tokyo skyline. It was early yet, but in an hour or so, once the sun had set, the sky would be filled with beautiful, twinkling stars, and, my favourite, a large white moon; it was supposed to be a full moon tonight. Perhaps it should have been a sign of my destiny, as I’ve been captivated by the galaxy since a very young age.

Looking at the stars and studying the solar system had provided me with an odd sense of comfort and peacefulness. If I was having a particularly rotten day, knowing that I was only a very tiny, miniscule, speck in the vastness of the universe made my problems seem not as troublesome.

“Are you alright,” Mamoru asked, “It’s like I’m holding a piece of wood! You’ve got to relax…” he then gave me another to-die-for smile. This couldn’t be the same guy who had teased me just this afternoon?

“I’m fine,” with a nod of my head, I pulled away from Mamoru to take off my jacket. It was by no means a warm evening, but I just needed to move away from the proximity of Mamoru, he was making me awfully uncomfortable.

In all actuality, I was not really ‘fine’; I was frustrated, nervous, and extremely confused… all at the same time!

The railing was cool under my fingers as I grasped it tightly. Bending over the side of the railing, I felt goose bumps prickle up along the bare of my arms. Why had I decided to wear a sleeveless shirt? As quickly as I had become hot, I was now cold. An evening breeze had picked up since we had left the house, though there was no way I could put that jacket back on now.

“Mamoru,” I began, peering down into the bubbling river than ran below. “…we really need to talk.” Now that the time had come, I was afraid of being hurt or being rejected, or both; but most of all, I was afraid that I would end of hurting Mamoru.

After a brief moment of silence, I felt as he moved to stand beside me. “You’re said that twice already today!” The smile was evident in his voice as he nudged me with his shoulder. “Are you sure that’s all that you want to do… talk?”

Oh, leave it to him to try and make it into something
more. “Yes!” I cried out, wrenching my gaze from the water and moving it to meet Mamoru’s. “This has got to stop!”

”What?” The poor boy looked thoroughly puzzled. “What has got to stop, Usagi?”

“This,” I waved a hand between the two of us, “…you, me, your calling me Usagi, your flirting with me and your pretending to like me! All of that has to stop!”

Mamoru blinked and it was then that I noticed that his smile had faded away. His gorgeous blue eyes now reflected a deep sadness, a deep loneliness, and were beginning to take on an suspicious looking shine. “But, I do like you, Usagi… Usako…” he finished softly, clenching his fist at his side and then releasing it to wipe his palm on his pant leg.

Usako? Why did that sound familiar? “Have you called me that before?” I asked, tearing my eyes from his and looking to the ground. “What’s going on with you?” I then asked, grinding my toe into a small dip in the pavement.

”I’ve called you that for a long time,” he admitted, reaching out for my hand and grasping it within his much larger one. “You are a very special girl, Usagi. I don’t think you realize that.”

”What?” I looked up immediately. I knew I was missing something. “You… you… insensitive creep!” I yelled out, freeing myself from his grasp and glaring at him. “I knew it! You only like me because you know that I’m… Sailormoon!” I finished with a whisper.

The look on Mamoru’s face was that of shock and horrification. “No, it’s not like that,” he protested, reaching out for me once again, but I stepped out of the way, my hands flying to my hips after knocking that stupid hat that I had put on, to the ground. How much of a baka was I? Didn’t Luna warn me about his intentions? Sure, she was off a little… as he wasn’t working for the Dark Kingdom that I knew of… however, anything was possible now.

“What sort of sick game are you playing, Chiba?” I ground out angrily. I was on the verge of tears, but for the love of the Gods, I would never let him see me cry over this! Falling down was one thing and failed test papers were another, but for a while there, I actually… liked him! “Did you go and tell all of your friends about me? About my secret? You promised, baka! You promised me that you wouldn’t tell and that I could trust you! And you pull something like this?!”

I didn’t feel well. My stomach was beginning to twist itself in knots and the tears that I was desperately attempting to hold back were about to burst out. I should have told Luna and the girl’s right from day one. If they found out that I had let the secret slip by anyone other than me, I was toast for sure.

[pseudonym]

Mamoru gave me a wounded look, which took my guard down for just a moment. I knew I was going to end up hurting him… but he brought it upon himself! “I didn’t tell anyone, Usagi…”

“Don’t. Touch. Me,” I bit out and I ignored what he had said and slapped at his outstretched arm, “…and stop calling me by my name!” By this time, I had backed myself up against the railing and my hair was stuck to my face because of the tears that had begun to spill out. What had I gotten myself into here?

“Us- what do you want me to call you then?” he asked with a shaky voice, seemingly oblivious to my hands which were repeatedly slapping at him. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around me and tucked my head under his chin.

“I would never lie to you. I may have my secrets, but I would never lie to you, do you understand me?”

I nodded dumbly, too intoxicated by the warmth that surrounded me. I was confused. I was very, very confused. I thought Luna had been right… which she usually is, but he sounded so very sincere. When I thought about it, Mamoru had never given me a reason not to trust him. With this realization, I turned my face into his chest and let myself cry.

*And with vows no maidens heart could
withstand, they pledged their faith to me.*[/i]

”Shh…” Mamoru soothed softly, running his hand through my hair and rubbing the other up and down my back. It was a good few minutes before I was able to gain control of my emotions and embarrassedly touched the wet stains that were blotched all over his nice navy shirt.

”Sorry for ruining your shirt,” I mumbled, reaching up to wipe my face with my hands and remove the hair that was nearly plastered on my cheeks. I was a mess.

Mamoru leaned back a little to look down on me and then let out a laugh. “Don’t worry about it; I have plenty to spare.” He then leaned forward again and I could feel his breath against my forehead.

I was very still as I felt his lips briefly touch my skin and then leave a soft trail down my face with hot, feathery kisses… until he reached my mouth and then stopped.

He was close, so very close. I could smell a hint of cologne on him; his arms were still wrapped around me, and the railing pressed into my back, and there were still goose bumps on my arms. However, instead of being a result from the wind, the bumps were accompanied by a small shiver of anticipation and hesitation.

“We can’t do this, Mamoru…” I whispered softly as I watched his mouth draw closer to mine and then halt once more. His lips were so close now that I could smell a hint of mint on his breath. Only an inch or so and I could press my own mouth against his. I briefly wondered how that would feel… my first, real kiss… before reality delivered me a reality check.

“Stop,” I said, pushing his chest away from me. “…this won’t work.”

“Why not?” Mamoru breathed quietly, releasing his hold on my body to cup my face in his hands.

“You know why…” a lump formed in my throat. Was this my destiny? To be a senshi meant that I had to be totally devoted to my mission, the princess. This was life that I was meant to lead… one that did not involve Mamoru. He would just end up getting in the way, or worse, being used against me if the enemy ever got their hands on him. Yes, I attempted to convince myself, it would be better in the long run.

“This won’t work…” I struggled to keep my voice even, “because I am Sailormoon. I have a mission, a very important mission, and you could end up getting hurt, or worse, taken by the Dark Kingdom.” I let out a shaky breath. “I wouldn’t be able to stand seeing you hurt or taken away from me, Mamoru.”

My vision began to blur with tears and I pulled my face away to clear them. “And… I care about you, Mamoru, I care about you too much for you to be involved with my life. We are different people and it would just be better if we just stayed… friends.”

*And I dreamt that one of that noble host
came forth my hand to claim.*[/i]

”I don’t think I can do that, Usako…” Mamoru crushed me to his chest once again, “You and I have more in common than you think.”

”What?”

“Have you never wondered about a few things?” There was a mischievous demeanour to him now as he dragged his hands down my sides, pausing ever so slightly around my breasts before continuing downward to the soft flesh of my stomach. “Like… how I…” he paused to kiss the last remnants of a bruise on my upper left shoulder, “…knew exactly when…” this time he pulled the neck of my tank top down a little to press his lips to my clavicle where I had badly injured myself a few months ago after a vicious youma, “…you had a battle?” Mamoru finished by pulling my knuckles to his face and kissing the tops of them and then he stared back up at me.

I didn’t say anything. The gears were working overtime in my head, not that they were doing any good at the moment. I returned his stare with a blank one.

“Alright,” he grinned, swiftly grabbing me under the knees and holding me within his grasp. With a startled cry I latched out and hung my arms around his neck; he was awfully tall and the ground was a ways down there.

“How about…” he continued, “…you think of a certain birthday party you attended a few weeks ago where you fell off the balcony.”

“Yeah,” I retorted, squirming until he set my feet back on the ground. “… I don’t remember that much of it. I drank some bitter punch or something. Are you going somewhere with this?” Of course I had drunk punch, but not so much that I didn’t remember what had happened. I remembered that night all too clearly, from a sweeping waltz with Tuxedo Kamen to a beautiful dream that eerily resembled a dream that I had.

Mamoru looked a little hurt at this question. “Do you not remember that kiss?”

“N-no…” It was finally beginning to sink in. “No!” I repeated myself once more. It couldn’t be true! I shook my head and took a step back. “You can’t be him! You’re nothing like him!” Ooh, this wasn’t good… was it? Finding out that someone, who you once thought of as your mortal enemy, is really the guy you’ve been swooning over for the past year?

My heart thudded loudly as I watched him pull two items from his pants pocket. One of them was a very red rose, and the other… he held out to me.

With shaking fingers I grasped the domino mask and held it up to Mamoru’s face. It was true… he wasn’t lying; those deep blue eyes were unmistakable. Mamoru really was… Tuxedo Kamen-sama?

The last thing I remember is letting out a soft sigh before my knees buckled and my vision went dark.

~

When I finally came to, the first thing I noticed was that my head was resting in a comfortable pillow. Then, I looked up to see Mamoru’s face. It wasn’t a dream… he really was my beloved Tuxedo Kamen!

”You took that better than I expected you to!” Mamoru exclaimed as I gave him a soft smile. Somehow, knowing that my hero and my baka were one and the same was not as distressing as I thought it would have been… once I got past the initial shock factor, that is.

“Why? How did you expect me to take it?” With help from Mamoru, I pulled myself up and on to my feet.
“Oh, I don’t know… I was expecting to come away with cuts and bruises… and maybe a chocolate milkshake on top of my head?”
Ooh, I winced slightly, squeezing his hand. “Did I ever apologize for that?”

“No,” Mamoru gave me hand a squeeze in return, “but that’s alright. Just… please don’t do it again! By the time I got home, my hair was stuck together in clumps. It was disgusting!”

*But I also dreamt which charmed me most
that you loved me still the same.*[/i]

[pseudonym]

The sun had long ago set and I was nestled comfortably on Mamoru’s lap on top of the roof of his apartment building. He had mentioned that there was a spectacular view from up there, better than the one from the bridge. So, of course I had to go and see for myself.
It was a clear and cool night. Mamoru had stopped by his apartment to grab a blanket before we went up.

”What’s the matter? You’ve been quiet for a while now.”

I leaned back into Mamoru and let a small smile flicker across my mouth. This had certainly been an interesting night.

”Don’t you think this is a little too… weird?” I asked quietly. “Don’t get me wrong, I like how it is at the moment… but don’t you wonder how all of this fits together? Doesn’t it seem like some huge coincidence that you are Tuxedo Kamen and I am Sailormoon?”

There was a pause and my heart began to beat a little faster. What if I was the only one who felt like this?

”No…” Mamoru answered finally, “I don’t think that it was a coincidence; I think it was fate. I should have caught on earlier that you were Sailormoon; the similarities between the two of you are now very obvious. It makes me wonder whether the princess is right under my nose and I just haven’t figured it out yet.”

This last comment made me ponder for a moment. The subject of the princess had always been a sore subject between Sailormoon and Tuxedo Kamen. It seemed like finding the girl from the moon had always meant more to him than it did to me. For me, finding the princess meant that I would no longer be leader. And, as much as I was a horrible leader at times, just knowing that the others counted on me and needed me made me feel… stronger, more confident. There couldn’t be two people representing the moon, could there? If the princess was found, then I would be pushed to the side.

“I am so selfish…” I muttered out loud, letting out a sigh. “I don’t think I want to find the princess.”

”Why not?”

”Well, there can’t be two people from the moon, can there? She would take precedence as she’s royalty. Me, I’m just stumbling, whiney, cry-baby… Usagi; I’m nothing important, nothing special.”

“You’re special to me.” Mamoru pointed out. This made me feel a little better until I realized that….

“Only until you find the princess, Mamoru. I remember what you said after a battle one day… she’s the key to figuring out who you really are. She has to be important to you, Mamoru, I understand that. The princess has to be someone very special to have a whole team of senshi to protect her.”

“Don’t worry; we have to find the ginzuishou first before we can find the princess.” He said that all a little too unconvincingly.

Ha, right. And then I know what will happen. I will be tossed aside once we find the princess. It wasn’t fair.

“You can trust me, you know, Usagi. You are something special to me.” Mamoru said finally after another lapse of silence. There was that word again, trust. Mamoru said it, Luna said it… did it really mean something then? Perhaps I was a little too naïve in thinking that everyone could be trusted, well, nearly everyone, the Dark Kingdom does not count.

“You know, Mamoru, what you say is one thing, but what Luna says is another. She does not trust you. The other senshi don’t trust you, and I’ve been told more than once not to trust you, but I do it anyways. How do you know that you just won’t run off with her once we find her? The senshi need her too!”

Mamoru did not say anything, so I continued on. “You know, I’ll bet she’s the most beautiful person in the world. She’s a princess; she has you looking for her. If I were you, I wouldn’t want to stay with pathetic Usagi either after finding a beautiful creature.”

”She is very beautiful,” Mamoru whispered softly. He hands had long ago stopped wrapping my hair around his fingers. In fact, he hadn’t even touched me at all since we began talking about the princess.

“How do you know that?”

”I’ve… dreamt about her,” Mamoru breathed softly, distractedly. “I’ve dreamt about her since I was a little boy and she asked me to find the ginzuishou for her. I would, do anything to just find her so that I could see her in the flesh. I’ve only caught a glimpse of her face once, huge blue eyes that glittered with tears, and long, beautiful blonde hair. Her skin is…”

I tuned Mamoru out after that. I had heard all that I needed to hear. That girl from my dream… she had to be the moon princess. Granted, I have never been able to really make out her face, but I knew that she had blonde hair that was long and beautiful. I knew that she had large blue eyes. The man in the dream had commented on these attributes many times.

“I think I should go now.” I announced out loud. Why was it that anything really good that went on in my life had to spoil? I had Mamoru, that made me happy, but to know that he didn’t really like me… that I was a substitute until his princess was found, really hurt. He probably only really liked me because I had blonde hair and blue eyes.

“Yeah, it’s getting late…” Mamoru nudged me to get up so that he could stand up. He didn’t even want me to stay! “So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

A large lump had formed in my throat once again, and I didn’t want to open my mouth for fear that I would cry. So, I nodded instead and held the blanket out to him, pushing it into his outstretched hands, and making a dash for the propped open door.

”Usako, wait!” Mamoru cried out as I pulled the door open. I paused, a tiny part of me hoping that he would reassure me and tell me that I was the one who was really special. I jumped when I felt his cold hands rest on my shoulders and turned me around to face him.

“Don’t worry, Usagi. As much as the princess is important to me, you will always be the one for me. You’re here now, and the princess… I know that she has something to do with my past. I want to move forward with you, Usako, not backward.”

My hormones kicked into gear as he bent down towards my mouth again. One kiss couldn’t hurt, right? Even if he did run off with the princess, I would always have this moment where I was the one he wanted.

My arms crept upwards to reach behind his neck, helping me to pull myself towards him. This was it, my first kiss with Mamoru. The one with Tuxedo Kamen didn’t count, as I was Sailormoon then. But now… now it was just me and him.

When our lips touched, I actually thought I had died and gone to heaven. I pressed against him harder, running my tongue over his bottom lip. I could feel the blood rushing to my head, as a sudden roar filled my ears. I closed my eyes and just let myself savour the feel of his lips against mine.

*that you loved me
you loved me still the same.*[/b]

[pseudonym]

Then, as suddenly as the kiss had come on, it was finished. Not because we had decided to end it, but because Mamoru had slumped against me. The ground was sharp under my knees as they buckled under the weight of Mamoru. What the heck was going on?

A piercing, maniacal laughter filled my ears and I looked to the sound to find Zoicite and Kunzite standing a few feet away. My head began to spin as Kunzite threw his head back to join in the laughter. What was so funny?

It was then I realized that I was warm and wet at the same time. I moved my gaze downward, slowly, afraid of what I was going to see.

The back of Mamoru’s shirt was stained crimson and I gingerly pressed a finger to it only to have it come away sticky. It was blood. They had hurt Mamoru!

Quickly, I pushed the man off of my shoulder and he slid down into my lap.

”Mamoru?” I asked tearfully, my shaky hands brushing the hair out of his pain stricken face. “Mamoru!” I said a little more urgently, shaking him until his eyes fluttered open.

”Are you okay?” I nodded to reassure him, and myself, that he was going to be fine. Why didn’t I hear him cry out? Why had I let my guard down for a second? I knew something was going to happen… the Dark Kingdom had been quiet for far too long. Why didn’t I DO something?

“What do you want, Zoicite!” I snarled, cupping Mamoru’s cheek in my palm. His skin had become cooler to the touch and he was beginning to look quite pale. I had to do something before he bled to death!

Zoicite brushed his hair from his shoulder and took a step forward, a sick grin spread across his face. “I came for your Tuxedo Kamen. Queen Beryl-sama wants him, so you are going to hand him over!”

”I don’t think so!” I cried out, grabbing my communicator and holding down the ‘talk button’. If I couldn’t call out to them, without having my identity revealed, then they were smart enough to just listen to what was going on.

”It’ll be alright, Mamoru… just hang on!” I whispered to him. “Just let me call the others for help and I’ll get you to the hospital!”

Mamoru shook his head. “Just, don’t worry… about me” he rasped out, wincing a little. He grabbed my hand, which felt so hot under his cool skin, and pressed his lips to it. “I think that… I should tell you that I love-“

No, no, no! I shook my head, letting the tears fall down my face. This wasn’t happening! This couldn’t be happening! “Shut up, baka! You don’t know what you’re saying…” I tried to say lightly, but I could only watch as his eyes fluttered closed for the last time.

“Mamoru!” I cried out, bending down to kiss his forehead. I knew that Kunzite and Zoicite were quickly approaching me, but I couldn’t do anything except sit there and hold Mamoru.
My life wasn’t fair! Not only was I destined to be a senshi, but the only person who had ever made me feel both happy and sad and angry at the same time, was gone! He would never have a chance to find his princess! He would never be able to hold her in his arms, as I was doing now, and tell her that he loved her. I sniffled a little and then let out a heart-wrenching howl of anguish… despair… and sorrow.

“Usagi…” four voices cried out simultaneously, and I knew that the senshi were here. But, it was too late, wasn’t it? I looked up to the faces of my four friends and tried to smile through my tears, but it was too difficult.

”Mamoru…” I whispered brokenly, grasping his cool hand and staring down at him. I wished that I had one more day with him… for him to tease me, for him to call me ‘odango atama’, for me to yell at him, and for me to tell him… “Ashiteru, Mamo-chan….” I whispered endearingly, letting my eyes close as a burning sensation throbbed at my forehead.

Memories flew through my mind, some of them of Mamoru and me, some of the senshi and I, and some… of the princess and the moon. It wasn’t until one final memory flickered that I realized why I had loved Mamo-chan and Tuxedo Kamen-sama so much….

”Endymion!” I breathed, opening my eyes once the pain had subsided.

*that you loved me
you loved me still the same.*[/i]







AN: Ugh, I really hate these things, but apparently a few people were confused over the first chapter (imagine that). I thought the song fit appropriately to what unfolded over the chapter. First, I think I need to explain that when I write songfics, I do not write the story to reiterate the lyrics. It really annoys me when I see songfics like that. I think they are unoriginal and slightly painful to read. In my opinion, the purpose of putting a song to a piece of work is to back up the emotions, characterization, or the movement of the plot with lyrics. Occasionally, some of my story may run alongside the lyrics, but it is never word for word all the way through.
Right, so the main idea or theme to ‘Storms in Africa’ is perseverance through life. The weather in Africa has its ups and its down and when it is up, it is up: sunny and hot, and when it is down, it is down: harsh winds, thunder, lightening, and violent rain. So if the story does not take place in Africa, the point of it is? The point is that no matter where you are, who you are, or what you do, your life has its ups and its down. The journey of life is about perseverance through these difficulties and being able to lift your chin up (having determination) while doing so.
In relation to this first part of the fic, Mamoru faces a ‘storm cloud’ when he runs into Usagi. On one hand, he has his calling to the Senshi, his life as the hero, Tuxedo Kamen. On the other hand, he is Mamoru Chiba, an average, everyday chap who struggles through day-to-day life as everyone else does. Mamoru’s conflict arises when he sees that Usagi is wounded, and he knows that he should take care of her… it is in his nature, but his sense of duty is also being pressured.
Mamoru’s journey through the storm is expressed through his conversation with Usagi. When he finally breaks through the storm, at the end of the chapter, he finds that as bad as the storm was, the new day and days to come are going to be as bright as it was dark.
This is probably some obscure symbolism, but you can thank my nit-picky English teachers from high school for that.

As for this part, Marble Halls is used as a second ‘story’ within this story. I think that the lyrics to this song portray a version of the Selenity/Endymion love epic quite well. I say ‘a version’ because there’s no real definition to the background of their history. It has been left up to the imagination.
You’ll also notice that this part is a bit longer… double the number of words longer and nearly double the pages longer, than the last part. Once I hit the climatic tension point with Usagi and Mamoru on the bridge, everything came pouring out. It was a bit of an emotional scene to write and I hope that it came across as such. I attempted to capture how Usagi would be feeling… at fourteen, with an older guy, mixed feelings, and another identity or two to boot.



Marble Halls
Alfred Bunn

I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls
with vassals and serfs at my side,
and of all who assembled within those walls
that I was the hope and the pride.
I had riches all too great to count
and a high ancestral name.
But I also dreamt which pleased me most
that you loved me still the same,
that you loved me
you loved me still the same,
that you loved me
you loved me still the same.
I dreamt that suitors sought my hand,
that knights upon bended knee
and with vows no maidens heart could
withstand,
they pledged their faith to me.
And I dreamt that one of that noble host
came forth my hand to claim.
But I also dreamt which charmed me most
that you loved me still the same
that you loved me
you loved me still the same,
that you loved me
you loved me still the same.