Prologue - Meatballs and Modems

~*~*~
Author's note:

Italics denote thought and/or dreams

~*~ around a character's name denotes their point of view. I change P.O.V a lot in this fic. For example, ~*~Mamoru~*~ is from his point of view.

******

~*~Mamoru~*~

I was sitting at the bar of the Crown Arcade. I was thinking about the strange dreams that I've been having lately about the Moon princess and the silver crystal. As I daydreamed, I absentmindedly swirled my swizzle stick in my near empty cup of cappuccino. (AN: Do cappuccinos even come with swizzle sticks?)Motoki stood nearby, wiping the counter.

Motoki interrupted my solemn reverie. "So, you'll never guess what next Tuesday is."

I smiled. Motoki's banter was a welcome interruption to my confusing thoughts. "I don't know."

"Come on, guess!" pestered Motoki.

"Yom Kippur?"

"Nope."

"The beginning of Ramaddan?"

"Nope."

"The Chinese New Year?"

"Nope."

"I give up. What is it?" I asked.

"My one year anniversary with Reika."

I snorted derisively. "Oh, that."

"What was that for?"

"Sorry. I'm happy for you two, really." I said, forcing a smile.

"Come on, Mamoru, haven't you ever been totally sprung about a girl?" asked Motoki.

"Nope," I replied. 'Except in my dreams'

Motoki blinked. "Come on, with all of your female admirers at Azabu you must have someone in mind."

I rolled my eyes. As if I really needed to be reminded about the gaggle of swooning women that greeted me every time I set foot in the prestigious high school known as Azabu. "Not me. I guess....nobody's really caught my eye yet."

In the background, we heard Usagi pounding at the latest Sailor V game. "NO FAIR, DAMMIT! I JUMPED! THIS MACHINE IS RIGGED!" she declared, then marched from the abused machine to the bar, taking the seat next to mine.

"Ooh, that stupid game makes me so mad!" Usagi fumed.

"Calm down, Meatball Head. Don't have a coronary!" I cracked, waiting for her face to crinkle up the way it usually does when she's angry at me.

"Oooh! How dare you! I don't know what a coronary is, but I'm sure I wouldn't want one from you! And my name is Usagi, not Meatball Head! U-S-A-" she started

"M-E-A-T-B" I continued.

"Oooh! You JERK! I don't need this from YOU! I'm out of here!"

Motoki and I watched as she stormed out of the arcade, Motoki shaking his head, me chuckling softly.

"Well," said Motoki, "Now I know why you aren't having much luck with the ladies. They think you look real good, all right. Then it's open mouth, insert foot!"

"Hmmph." I said, finishing my cappuccino. "Well, I've got to get going myself. I'll see you later."

"Bye."

~*~Usagi~*~

I marched right out of the Crown Center arcade. Oooh, the NERVE of that creep, Mamoru! Why does he always torment me! What have I ever done to him?

I continued fuming all the way to the Cherry Hill temple, where Ami, Rei, Minako and Makoto had gathered to study. Even though Rei doesn't go to the same school as the rest of us, she figures she can still benefit from Ami's smarts. I swear, Ami's IQ must be in the 3000's or something.

I hastily opened the door. Everyone was huddled around a box of chocolate chip cookies. I smiled. Food had always managed to brighten my mood.

"Hi Usagi," said Rei. "What took you so long?"

"I just stopped at the arcade for a quick Sailor V game," I said, making my way towards the food.

"Oh. Well, hurry up and get ready to study for the French test," said Ami. 'That's Ami for you. Strictly business.' I thought, as I sat down next to Makoto.

"Mmmmm, these cookies are delicious, Mako-chan."

"Thanks! I made them yesterday." Makoto beamed.

"So, did you see you-know-who at the arcade?" Mina asked.

"Huh?" I asked.

"You know, Mamoru." she said.

"Oh, THAT guy." I said, setting into a sulk.

"Oh, come off it, Usagi," said Makoto, elbowing me in the ribs. 'Ouch' I thought. 'That girl doesn't know her own strength.' "You know he has the hots for you."

"WHAAAAAAT?" I yelled, spewing out my mouthful of cookie. Rei, Ami and Mina busied themselves wiping cookie pieces off their faces.

"Whatever," I said, recovering. "You know I can't stand that jerk."

"Riiiiiiiight." Rei said. "You know, when a guy picks on you like that, it only means one thing."

"That he's an absolute jackass?" I asked.

"I'm with Rei," said Mina. "It means he likes you! How romantic," finished Mina, sighing.

"That can't be," I said. "He's so mean to me."

"OK then. Let's get back to studying, shall we?" said Ami.

I readily agreed. I didn't like where that conversation was headed, anyway.

"Oh," said Ami, "Usagi, are we still on for our Internet tutoring session at 7:00 tonight?"

"Yeah," I said. Evil Ms. Haruna and her stupid homework assignments. I swear she's from the Negaverse, or something.

* * * * *
It was the last period of the school day. I was staring at the clock, daydreaming about how I was going to spend my weekend. I'll start off with a trip to the arcade. Gotta check out that new Sailor V game. 'Too bad that creep Mamoru is always there' I thought.

Sure, he was cute. Gorgeous, actually. I'll admit that he has nice, silky black hair and the body of a Greek god. It's too bad that gorgeous bod came with such a repulsive personality. Ever since that day I threw that test paper at him, I've suspected that he actually gets some sick kind of enjoyment out of watching me suffer.

I've seen him wearing the school uniform of Azabu, a couple of times, with three pins on the lapel of the blazer, indicating that he was in his senior year. Azabu is this ultra preppy school that only the smartest of the rich kids go to. When I get stuck in detention, which I often do, Ms. Haruna's always going on about how SHE should have been teaching at Azabu, not "catering to a bunch of nitwits" but she was passed over for someone else. The principal, Mr. Iyamoto, decided to post a list of Azabu's test scores in front of the main entrance, supposedly "to inspire our students to greatness." Next to the test scores is a poster with a picture of Mamoru in uniform smiling, and the text below it says "You too can go to Azabu." Mamoru's test scores are always on top of the list. Even when he's not around, he's rubbing his superiority in my face. What a creep.

"Usagi. USAGI!"

My thoughts on Mamoru were interrupted by Ms. Haruna's angry voice and a class full of giggling students.

"Can I get your attention back to Earth, please?"

"Hai, Haruna-sensei" I said.

"Anyway, as I was saying, any new method of communication greatly influences the culture. The Internet allows people to communicate from all over the world. Your assignment is to go to this link as practice, then reach out to a kind of person you would never talk to in real life. Then write a ten page paper, double spaced..."

I groaned. 'Ten pages? There goes my weekend.'

Ms. Haruna glared at me and continued. "....about how the Internet has affected the way you communicate."

'The Internet? As in computers?' I thought. 'I HATE computers!'

As Ms. Haruna finished speaking, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day.

"Normally, I'd keep you in detention for daydreaming AGAIN in my class, Usagi," started Ms. Haruna, looking straight at me, "But I have a date tonight." she finished, fluffing her hair.

I sighed with relief.

"But that doesn't let you off the hook," she said. "I want you to try extra hard on this assignment. You have 12 pages to write."

"Yes, Haruna-sensei," I said, walking to the door.

Ami, who was waiting at the door, said "I heard about that assignment. I think I could help you with it. What kind of modem do you have?"

"Modem? What's a modem?"

Ami sighed. "Never mind. If you want to come over to my house at 7:00 tonight, I could help you get started."

* * * * *

Mom dropped me off at Ami's house at 7:00. No sense in being late, I had thought. My jaw dropped as I saw the huge mansion known as the Mizuno residence. Still in awe, I rang the doorbell.

"Hi Usagi." Ami greeted me in sweats instead of her school uniform.

"Hey Ames."

"I have some snacks for you in the computer room. Come with me," said Ami.

"'Kay" I said.

After being guided through a long hallway, we arrived at the study. Inside the room, a large tray greeted me. On it was celery, carrots, broccoli, and a bowl of dip in the middle.

I sat in the chair in front of the computer, frowning. "All healthy stuff."

"Yes, of course," said Ami. "A healthy body equals a healthy mind."

"I'm plenty healthy," I muttered.

"Okay. Let's start our session, shall we, Usagi?" asked Ami.

"Sure," I said unenthusiastically.

"Double click on that icon at the top of your screen."

I moved the mouse over and did what she said. A box opened up on the screen.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Type in the password. It's 'bubbles'"

"Bubbles? Seriously, Ames," I said, looking for the "b" key.

"I know, it's cheesy. But it works. My mom doesn't use the computer much, because she's always on call."

"On call? Is she a doctor?"

"Yes. I hope to be a doctor someday myself." Ami said, smiling wistfully.

Immediately, the computer let out a strange series of beeps.

"Aagh! What the heck is that?" I screeched, jumping out of my chair.

"Relax, Usagi. It's just the modem. It uses the phone line to call another computer and hook us up to the Internet."

"Oh," I said, calming down. A few minutes later, another box popped up.

"That's the home page," said Ami. "What's the link to where Ms. Haruna wanted you to go to?"

I handed Ami a sheet of paper with what looked to me like gibberish written on it.

Noticing my difficulty typing, Ami typed in the link and hit return. Ami then directed me to an email account, then into a chatroom, then asked "What do you want your screen name to be?"

"Huh?"

"A screen name is how people know you on the Internet."

"Oh. Moon bunny," I said.

Ami typed in what I said, then stepped aside. "Congratulations, you're ready to surf the web."
********
Chapter One - Strangers in the Night

Konnichi-wa, minna-chan! Here's the first chapter to YGM. I know I made poor Usagi a little ditzy, being scared of Ami's modem and all, but, hey, we were all computer illiterate at one point or another, ne? I didn't picture Usagi as the sort who would spend her time in front of a monitor. When I think of Usagi, I see her playing video games, drinking chocolate milkshakes, talking to her friends, strolling through the mall......and dreaming of her Mamo-chan. Basically being her bubbly self.

I'm not all that familiar with the manga, having owned only one Pocket Mixx and 4 SM manga, - is Azabu supposed to be a prestigious high school? Gomen, minna-chan. I'm more familiar with the anime. So don't be too surprised if Usagi is a little more ditzy and Mamo-chan a bit more rude.

Besides, aren't fanfics basically the author's interpretation of the original work? I did make one change from the anime: Mamoru is a high school student, not a college guy. I know standards are different in Japan(the legal age of consent is 12, for God's sake) but over here in the US a 14 year old going out with a 19 year old is kind of fishy, and if they ever *ahem* consummated their relationship before Usagi turned 18, in many states it's considered statutory rape, consensual or not.

Ironically, poor Usagi's assignment is similar to something I had to do for a college project.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the fic. I use a sprinkling of Japanese in this fic, so go here if you're having problems understanding what the characters are saying. Don't worry about any Japanese I use here not being there, all the Japanese I know is on that site(and trust me, it's not much.)

Send all comments to lady_aisheteru@hotmail.com, but no flames, please. This little spitfire flames right back! And she's got a kick-ass flame-thrower! WHOOOOSH!

Disclaimer: Gomen, do I HAVE to do this again? *sees the Copyright Police coming and sweatdrops* Very well. I don't own Sailor Moon, nor did I write the original manga. Don't sue me; I am poor.

~*~Usagi~*~

"Well, what do I do now, Ames?" I said after typing in Ms. Haruna's practice link, which went to her own personal website.

"Hmmm....let's see what the handout says." Ami took the sheet of paper Ms. Haruna had given Usagi and speed-read through it. "According to this, you have to make contact with someone you would probably never meet in real life."

I thought real hard about this. The Azabu posters that tormented my under-achieving self came to mind. "Azabu," I said. "I'd never speak to one of THOSE creeps. Not for a million years." I finished, making a face.

"Wait, doesn't Mamoru-san go to Azabu?" inquired Ami.

"That baka?" I asked, chuckling nervously. "I'll bet his folks bribed the school board or something."

"Actually, he's the top student."

"Hmph," I said.

"Anyways, Azabu has a website where some of their students help tutor other students who need help with things. All of the Honor Society members volunteer there."

"How would you know about a tutoring site? You're so smart, Ames."

Ami blushed modestly. "Well, it never hurts to get a fresh perspective on things."

"I guess," I said. "How do I get in there?"

"Well," said Ami, "all you have to do is send an email to this address," Ami said, writing some more gibberish on my sheet of paper. "Write a short note explaining why you need their help."

I did what she said. "Okay, now what?"

"Type your name in and click the 'send' button."

"My NAME? I don't think so. What if that baka Mamoru sees this? You said he was the top student, right?"

Ami nodded.

"Then he's probably the head of the Honor Society or something. If he found out about this, there's no WAY I could ever live this down!"

Ami shook her head, smiling slightly. "OK, just use your screen name. That's a perfectly acceptable way to sign emails."

So I signed the letter, "Moon_bunny" and clicked the "Send" button.

~*~Mamoru~*~
I was sitting in front of my computer inside my apartment. As head of the Azabu honor society, I oversaw the online tutoring program. I loved my job as a tutor. I loved helping students to excel and reach their best. We help people all over Japan, from all grade levels up to college. All of the Honor Society members had to report each case to me, so I could make sure that they were making the students feel good about themselves and not like some baka who was incapable of lucid thought, and to make sure that the "clients" were benefiting from the tutors. Online, we only use our screen names, for privacy's sake. There ARE a lot of ecchis out there.

I was just about to sign off for the night, when one of the other tutors sent me an instant message.

Wing_Zero: I just received a case from Moon_bunny. She said she needed help on an Internet assignment. I'm sending you her email now.
Earth_protector:Thanks, Wing_Zero. I'll give you further instructions after I've read the email.
Wing_Zero: Thanks. I'll wait.

In a few seconds, my computer alerted me that I had mail. (I'm blessed with a very speedy modem.) I opened my mailbox and read the email:

Hello,
I'm an eighth grade student, and my evil teacher gave me a 12 page paper to do on the Internet, due in a week. I'm supposed to write about how the Internet, as a new form of communication, has changed the way I communicate. I know basically nothing about the Internet. I jumped at the sound of the modem. Please help!

=:) Moon_Bunny

I smiled. Something told me that I should take this assignment myself. I relished the challenge of teaching the poor, Internet illiterate student who was cursed with a sadist of a teacher and a monster of a project.

Earth_protector: I'll take this one on myself, Wing_Zero.
Wing_Zero: Are you sure? It sounds like she needs some serious help.
Earth_protector: Positive.
Wing_Zero:OK, I leave it in your hands. I'll give her your screen name so she can IM you. Ja ne!

With that, Wing_Zero signed off. I smiled and typed a response to Moon_bunny;

Moon_bunny,
12 pages, huh? Ouch. I think I can help you with this assignment.
-----}@ Earth_protector

Soon, I got a reply on my IM:

Moon_bunny: Really? Well, part of the assignment is to contact someone who I would never contact in real life, and you Azabu people were at the top of my
list. No offense. I hate school, and you Azabu kids live and breathe it.

I chuckled. She must think us Azabu kids are a bunch of stuffed shirts. We get that a lot, actually. Mainly from Juuban kids.

Earth_protector: Well, that's not *entirely* true. You can't judge a book by its cover, Bunny.
Moon_bunny: *sigh* I guess you're right, Prot. There's this guy I know from Azabu. He's a total jerk! Every time I see him, he torments me for no reason. I think he gets some kind of sick pleasure out of it. Tell me all Azabu kids aren't like him.
Earth_protector: No, not all of us are like that. I'm guessing that this guy simply doesn't know how to talk to people.
Moon_bunny: My friend said the same thing. She really believes in this old wives' tale, that if a guy teases you, it means he likes you.
Earth_protector: She may not be too far off. Some guys are more closed off than others, and they don't know how to convey their feelings. So those guys push people away, secretly hoping that they'll feel the same way about him that he does about them.

I winced a bit. This was coming a bit too close to home. There's this girl I know, Tsukino Usagi. She's petite, beautiful and full of energy. She manages to make friends with everyone she meets because she has a way of making each person she comes into contact with feel special. Even though we did nothing but argue, she always made a loner like me feel special, who grew up in an orphanage, never learning how to communicate, the other children being as cold and distant towards me as I was towards them.

The only person I could actually communicate with was Furuhata Motoki, my best friend since I moved out of the orphanage. And even he doesn't know the secret to why I'm so introverted, and why I choose to spend most of my time behind the walls of my apartment.

There was one girl that I could relate to. The princess in my dreams. By the look in her sad, blue eyes, I could tell that she knew about the real me, the me behind the walls I built to keep other people out. She could stare into my very soul, making me feel safe and vulnerable at the same time. We would dance under the moonlight, her face against my chest, her platinum blonde hair blowing in the wind, never revealing the face to me fully. It was like we had known each other a long time ago, and had danced like that often, as secret lovers in the night. The dreams felt that real.

Moon_bunny: Prot, r u there?
Earth_protector: Yes, I'm here.
Moon_bunny: What does that mean, exactly?
Earth_protector: He probably has a crush on you, but he doesn't know how to tell you.
Moon_bunny: That actually makes sense. Thanks, prot. Will you be here tomorrow?
Earth_protector: Yes. I'll be here from 7pm on, when I get home from work.
Moon_bunny: Work? What do you do for a living?
Earth_protector: I'm a model. I got into Azabu on an academic scholarship, but I save up for my college tuition and pay the rent by modeling.
Moon_bunny: Wow, that is so cool! Well, I'll see you tomorrow!

Moon_bunny signed off and I smiled, signing off myself.

~*~Usagi~*~
"You see? There might be a good reason why Mamoru acts the way he does towards you," said Ami, who had been looking over my shoulder the whole time.

"Yeah," I said. "I never thought about it that way before."

"Even when Minako said it?"

"Well, she IS the Senshi of Love. Of course she would see things that way. She thinks that Cupid's Arrows belong to her," I said.

Ami laughed. "Yes, she is *quite* the matchmaker."

"Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match," I sang.

Ami joined in, smiling. "Fish me a fish! Catch me a catch!"

We both doubled over laughing. "Well, I'll see what Motoki has to say about this tomorrow." I said after recovering.


* * * * *
I walked into the Crown Arcade at noon smiling. "Hi, Motoki!" I said cheerfully.

"Hi, Usagi," Motoki said from behind the counter. "What can I get you today?"

I smiled. What can I say, I love food! "I'll have a double cheeseburger, a chocolate milkshake and a double order of fries!"

Motoki smiled. "I'll have Unazuki make that for you ASAP."

"Ooh!" I clapped my hands. Besides being the most friendly waitress at the Crown Arcade, she was also an excellent cook.

"Motoki-chan, can I ask you something?" I said.

"Sure, Usagi. Ask away."

"My friends think that if a guy teases you a lot, that means he likes you." I said.

"Hmmm. This wouldn't have anything to do with Mamoru, now would it?" he asked.

I grinned sheepishly. Boy, he was pretty smart for an arcade guy. "Hai."

"Well," Motoki began, "Mamoru's a special case."

"How so?" asked Usagi.

"Well, I can't say why, exactly. You know, after all the years I've known him, I've never met his parents. I don't think he even knows them."

"Wow," said Usagi. "That's so sad."

"Don't tell Mamoru I said anything. He's a very proud person, Usagi-chan. He wouldn't want your pity."

I nodded, understanding completely. At that moment, Unazuki came to the counter with my food. "Here you go, Usagi. That'll be ** yen" (AN: I know nothing about Japanese economics, or how much things really cost. Gomen!)

I reached into my wallet and forked over what was left of last week's allowance. Then I happily dug into my meal.

The bells rang that were attached to the double doors of the Crown Arcade, indicating that someone was coming in. I was too interested in my lunch, and I didn't know who it was until I heard, "Whoa, slow down, Meatball head. Are you storing fat for the winter?"

I paused between bites just long enough to stick my tongue out at him. "Ie, Mamoru-baka," I said, determined not to treat him any differently.

"Motoki, the usual please," said Mamoru.

"Right. One cappuccino coming up," said Motoki, winking at me.

"What was that about, Meatball Head?" Mamoru asked.

"Nothing to concern your snooty self with," I said. Past or no past, this guy still gets on my nerves.

"Snooty? Why do you think I'm snooty?" he asked, his eyebrow arched.

"Because you go to Azabu," I said. "Isn't that the school where the children of the ultra-rich go?" I asked.

Mamoru looked as if I'd slapped him. "You know nothing about my parents. For all you know, I might not even have any."

So it was true what Motoki said.

"Gomen, Mamoru." I muttered, looking at my empty plate.

"That's okay." he said. Finishing his cappuccino, he stood up and wiped my face with a napkin. Electricity shot from his hand. 'Whoa' I thought. 'Did he feel that too?'

"Well, it was either that or you were saving some of that hamburger for later," he said, smiling. "See you around, Meatball Head."

I weakly nodded, too stupefied to make a witty retort.

~*~Mamoru~*~
I walked out of the Crown Arcade center, still holding the napkin I had used to wipe Usagi's face. 'What compelled me to do that?' I wondered. I recalled the moment my hand touched her soft, albeit ketchup stained, cheek. The moment I touched her face, I felt this jolt, not at all unpleasant, and this feeling that I had touched her like that before, a long time ago.

I was still reeling by the time I had driven to my apartment, and even though I'm obsessively neat, I didn't throw the napkin away, even after I had arrived home.

* * * * *
Lady Aisheteru: So, did you like that? I hope so. I have no clue what I'm going to write for the second chapter, but rest assured that as soon as it is completed and proofread, I'll post it. Email me with all of your comments. Email email email! I love email!