Title: Love So Sweet
Author: Namae-Wa-Nanashi
Summary: After witnessing something horrible, Usagi and her family are packed up an moved to a different life. Now she is shoved into the world of elite millionaires, high society, and the prejudices of being middle class. And all without her senshi too.
Timeline: Beginning of Hana Yori Dango drama. Right after Stars.
Warning: This is not a Usagi/Mamoru story. This is a Usagi/Doumyoji story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story. Personally, I don't care if you steal it. I have the proof that I put it up first. ^.^
Usagi Tsukino had been an ordinary girl. She had fun with friends, went to school, got detention, even argued with her little brother like any other 14 year old.
Then she met Luna, a black talking cat with a crescent bald spot on her forehead. Suddenly, Usagi Tsukino wasn't so normal anymore. Being Sailor Moon, she found out that her life was far from normal. Unless you count being a reincarnated princess and future queen normal. It seemed she would never have the normal life she wanted.
Not to be misunderstood, she loved her friends and fellow senshi. She loved Mamoru and Chibi-Usa as well. But for some reason, it felt as if the feelings for everyone weren't entirely her own. Sure she loved the Senshi, but it felt as if most of the time, she could only depend on them, whereas she so desperately wants to turn to her other friends. As for Mamoru, she believed most of her love for him came from either her past life as Princess Serenity, or the future love of a queen for her king.
Chibi-usa, the spore that she was, was about the only person she felt her feelings were most hers. However, even that was tainted as the feelings of a mother for her daughter were bleeding over from the future. It seemed to Usagi that she was trapped in a world where she could not truly have her own feelings.
And thus, our story starts on an overcast day, in which Usagi is contemplating her confusing feelings, staring blankly outside her window. A knock on her door startled the blond rabbit out of her musings. She turned to the door as it opened, revealing Shingo. His troubled face instantly drew her attention.
"Shingo? What is it?"
She got up from her window seat and took a quick glance around the room. She was happy to see that Luna was gone. She loved the feline counsil, but if her brother's face was any indication, he was going to ask her advice for a problem. It was one of the few constants she could rely on for normalcy. Despite how much they fought, Shingo would always seek her out in times of trouble. And as was her sisterly duty, she promised to not tell a soul, including the furry companioned that shared her past.
" Usagi. Mika-chan is moving…" His head was bowed as silent tears made their way down his face, falling on her pink rabbit rug.
"Oh Shingo, I'm so sorry."
Moving over to envelope her brother in a hug, she could tell this was tearing him up inside. His first love, Mika, had been the one thing that got her brother up in the mornings. Everytime they were around each other, a warmth would fill Usagi's heart. As her arms came around her brother, she gently pushed him to have a seat on the window bench she had previously been occupying. When they sat down, Shingo looked at his sister.
" What am I going to do Usagi?" His clear blue green eyes seemed to shine with a desperate hope.
" Shingo, I'm afraid there isn't much you can do. The most you can do is try to keep in touch. It's hard, trust me I know…" she thought back to when Mamoru went to America for studies ," But if you try hard, I'm sure you both will be able to remain close. And when you get older, I'm sure mom and dad would let you two visit."
Shingo absently nodded his head, turning to look out her window. Suddenly, his eyes got big, and his mouth hung open. Usagi looked at him questioningly. She turned her head to see what he was staring at. What she saw made her stomach lurch.
There, in the neighbor's back yard, was a girl, struggling to get away from a dark shadow. The girl was covered in blood, and she clutched her throat. Usagi stood up while Shingo ran to get the phone and call the police. She heard Shingo come into the room, explaining the situation to the police operator.
Just as Shingo had said the address, both watched horrified as the man in the shadows took a shining object, Usagi later found out it was a cleaver, and proceeded to stab the girl multiple times. After he had his fun, he stood back up, now drenched in the slain woman's blood. He shifted and turned around. His face was horrible. Crazed green eyes stared…right at her.
As a devilish smile graced the scarred, tan face of the murderer, Usagi's heart clenched. Shingo clung to her as the man started to move. With a start, both realized at the same time that the devil was moving towards their house. Acting quickly, Usagi turned to Shingo.
"Shingo, take the phone and run to mom and dad's room. Call the police again. Then I want you to start barricading the door. When I knock twice, I want you the open the door and let me in, just a crack though. Go!"
As Shingo went to go do as Usagi ordered, she went to go lock the doors. Just as she got to the front door and secured the lock, she saw the shadowed form of the murderer through the frosted glass pane on the door. Her heart skipped a few beats as she raced up the stairs, listening intently to the pounding at the front door. Just as she grabbed her brooch and reached her parents door, knocking twice, she heard glass shatter from the front of the house.
As Shingo opened the door, heavy boots echo from the base of the stairs. After entering the room quickly, she and Shingo started to push every bit of furniture they could up against the door. Suddenly, the heavy footsteps stop. Both children held their breath, not even daring to breathe. Usagi motioned towards the closet. Shingo nodded and opened the door to their parents' closet as quietly as he could, while Usagi opened the window and took a sheet, tying one end to the post of their parents' bed, and throwing the rest out the window.
She quickly joined Shingo in the closet as a hammering thud came from the other side of the door. She quietly closed the closet door as the door to their mom and dad's room started to give way. Usagi clutched her brooch to her chest, as Shingo squeezed his eyes shut. Usagi looked at her brother, a fierce determination to protect him overwhelming her.
However, the tables turned when, as the killer was moving towards the closet, sirens were heard in the background. Apparently, this was enough to spook the killer, as he took Usagi's diversion as an escape, climbing down the sheets and towards freedom. The two Tsukino siblings sat in stunned silence, watching the window, afraid that the man would peek out as soon as they came out from hiding.
It wasn't until the policemen came into the room and opened the closet before they felt any sense of safety.
And that is how Ikuko and Kenji found their house when they returned from the grocery store. Policemen were everywhere as reporters and curious neighbors clambered towards the barricade. Usagi and Shingo had never been so relieved to see their mom and dad before. As the family sat together with a cup of hot tea, the lead investigator came into the family room, sitting in a chair beside the T.V. and Usagi.
"Well, it seems your children are very lucky, Mr. Tsukino. The man they saw was a serial killer by the name of Kreaver. Whenever he strikes, no witnesses are left alive. It was thanks to the quick thinking of your children that we now have a description and a lead to capture this madman with."
The middle-aged detective threw a wayward smile at Shingo and Usagi, as Ikuko clutched to Kenji. She was terrified to learn her babies had almost been murdered. However, Kenji looked at the detecive, knowing there was more he needed to say.
"However, he knows your identities, and where you spend you days and evenings. Unfortunately, Kreaver is very intellegent. I'm afraid if protective measures aren't placed, he will come back to tie up his loose ends."
Ikuko gave a sob as Kenji held her close, looking protectively between his daughter and son. They both had looks of utter fear on their faces.
'What can I do? My sailor powers won't work against a human. I'm defenseless. My family is defenseless.' Usagi's thoughts coninued like this for a good minute until a rough cough cleared her mind. Turning to the detective, she listened intently to what he was saying.
"It seems the best thing to do is have you move, and take on alternate identities. We've only had to do this once before, but the family was safe. I think it is our only option at the point, considering who we are dealing with."
The detective glanced at Kenji and Ikuko.
"This would mean a change of jobs, and school for the children. No contact with anyone you have ties with under the Tsukino name. However, when we catch Kreaver, everything can go back to the way it was before. We will move you tomorrow."
At this, Detective Korona tossed 4 envelopes on the coffee table.
" Those have the names, cover story, and all other information for your new life. Also, for tonight, we will have half the task force surrounding your house under strict watch. Good night."
Usagi plopped down on her bed, unshed tears in her eyes. In her opinion, this sucked! She had just gotten into the third month of her first year at high school. And considering her first 2 months were spent dealing with Chaos and the Starlights, it seemed as if she would never have a normal life.
She looked back at the opened envelope on her table. She had gone over the information and practically memorized her new life. She turned over as a knock came from her door. For the second time that day, Shingo walked into her room, a dejected look on her face.
She felt pity for her brother. She was used to things not being wasn't.
Her brother sat soundlessly at her table. She could tell from his rumpled pajamas that sleep was not coming to him easily. With what all happened today, she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case for the next few months. She sat across from Shingo as he placed his own envelope on the table.
"Usagi, I don't think I can do this. I can't live as if nothing is wrong. I will be scared everywhere I go. I don't want to be this scared."
He looked at her with such sorrowful eyes that Usagi's heart wrenched at the sight of them. She placed her hand over his, giving a gentle sqeeze.
"I promise Shingo, I will protect you with everything I have." She felt depressed when his eyes didn't change. She needed him to feel safe. It was the only thing that would help her sleep for the next few days. She needed him to know that she would always be there for him. To protect him. And to punish those who….that's it! She nodded her head slightly, making up her mind to tell her brother the biggest secret she had. She knew she had to. Smiling gently, she leaned over.
"Don't worry Shingo, " she cleared her thoat in preparation of the familiar words about to spill from her dehenshined lips, "In the name of the moon, I will protect you. After all, that should be one of the perks for Sailor Moon's little brother."
She gave him a wink as his eyes went wide. He probably wouldn't have believed her if she hadn't let her crescent mark shine through a little. His eyes were stuck to her forehead for a minute before the table was pushed away from him and he launched himself into his sister, crying desperately.
She held him until he had cried himself to sleep. Tucking him into her bed, she sat on her window seat, looking up at the moon. She herself was in a predicament. Luna wouldn't be back for a couple more days, having gone with Ami on a trip to the lake for a weekend to relax. And she couldn't leave a note with her whereabouts.
Sighing, Usagi placed her head on her wrists, her chin resting on her communicator. Blinking stupidly, Usagi could have hit herself. She was a sailor scout after all, she should have thought about that before. Opening up the communicator, she pressed the little button to summon one of her senshi. Rei's tired face appeared on the screen. It seemed she had woken the firey priestess up.
"Usagi, what is it? A youma?"
She could tell Rei was trying to muster the energy to crawl out of bed. Usagi smiled sadly.
"No, nothing like that Rei-chan. However, this is the last time I can speak to you for a while, and I don't have much time at that."
Suddenly, Rei was fully awake.
"What are you talking about Meatball Head?"
Usagi smile faultered. She would miss that annoying nickname. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she told Rei all that had happened, which somehow led to her spilling her entire heart out to Rei, including her confused feelings about everyone.
Rei, surprisingly, didn't get mad. In fact, it seemed Rei understood exactly what Usagi was saying. Looking at the clock, she said goodbye to Rei after making the Mars senshi promise to tell the others what had happened. However, since she was forbidden to give out details, she wouldn't get to see them for who knew how long.
Shutting off the communicator, Usagi did one last thing before she went to bed. Looking at the dusty Luna pen, she held it up into the air and put an image in her mind of how she wanted to look for her new life.
The Luna pen, sensing her thoughts, instantly transformed her into a girl with chocolate brown eyes and dark, shoulder length black hair. As Usagi tucked herself in bed next to her brother at 4 am, she made a wish to the crystal.
"Please, let my life as Makino Tsukushi be normal."
She smiled as her crystal brooch glowed faintly in response to her wish. Closing her eyes, Usagi Tsukino went to bed for the last time. When she awoke, she would be Makino Tsukushi, a new student at Eitoku Academy.
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End 1st chapter.