Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, the original storyline, or the canon characters. Any non-canon characters, as well as the changed storyline, however, are mine to use. I will not receive any monetary gain from this work.
Author's Notes: This story starts off mostly anime, but very quickly I am going to be throwing manga in there. For instance, the Dark Generals… manga all the way. However, the way the other girls act, especially Rei, is going to be very like the anime in the beginning (though a bit worse). You'll notice some of my own characters, or slightly altered characters appearing (see my profile for information). Again, a more angst-ridden piece than some of my other stories. But this one is near and dear to my heart, so please be kind.
Also… This is a first for me… a chaptered fic told entirely from Usagi's POV. Please tell me what you think.
Updated: 4/27/19
On Her Own
Prologue
Hints of Heartache
Tsukino Usagi ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her chest as the sound of her footfalls echoed the heavy thumping she could almost hear. 'Stupid dreams,' she thought wildly, wishing she understood what was happening to her. She was running late for the second time that week, and she was sure Haruna-sensei would blow a gasket.
Ever since she had become Sailor Moon her night life had become a mess of Youma battles, nightmares, patrols… and the other Senshi.
In the beginning it hadn't been so bad, except for a pessimistic cat who was no help in telling her how to fight the terrifying monsters that sucked energy out of everyone and tried to kill her on a regular basis. Okay, maybe it sucked, but at least she'd had a caped hero swooping in to save her, and her best friend Naru to remind her every day what she was fighting for. The girl drew the Dark Kingdom like flowers drew bees, and fighting for her was enough for Usagi.
But after Mercury had come along things had changed. She wasn't so bad really. But Luna seemed to think that Usagi should have straight A's because Ami did. And that was ridiculous. Mizuno Ami was an actual blue-haired blue-eyed genius… and Usagi, well, even before becoming Sailor Moon she hadn't been the best student.
That thought gave her a mental laugh. No, she was late for school on average once a week even before she transformed into a superhero. And tests… they were the bane of her existence. Usagi did not test well. It wasn't that she was unintelligent… she just got distracted so easily.
Then came Mars. Hino Rei. A miko; a shrine maiden with beautiful raven hair and gorgeous amethyst eyes. And she had powers even before she became Sailor Mars. She was intelligent, poised, wise… Everything Usagi couldn't seem to be. She also wanted to be the leader, and had a crush on the one guy who teased Usagi.
Rei and Mars. Both aspects of her friend seemed to be changing in front of her eyes. She didn't understand why the playful teasing had turned into outright hostility and meanness. But it had. And Luna made her feel even worse about it because she teased that Usagi could never be as wise and wonderful as Rei.
Jupiter had come next. Her friend Kino Makoto. She was a tall, striking, gorgeous girl with cinnamon hair and emerald green eyes. She was strong as anything, in human form or henshin, and she could bake and sew and take care of plants. Not to mention knowing several forms of martial arts. She was funny too.
Usagi wished she could be like her friend. But there was nothing strong about her, and she was clumsy and pathetic besides. Luna said she didn't even try, but Usagi knew it wasn't true. She did try. All the time. It just wasn't enough.
And then there were the fights against the Dark Kingdom.
The night before had been awful. When Sailor Moon had arrived to the scene she had immediately launched into battle. She had only gotten hit once before she had taken out the Youma and it had been a good shot, but that wasn't good enough for Mars. She'd yelled and screamed at her, telling her she wasn't there fast enough. And people had been watching. A lot of people. Not just the other Senshi, but the people they were there to save. And her masked hero, Tuxedo Kamen. She wondered if he would hate her now.
There wasn't even any way to defend herself. The moment she'd tried to explain, Mercury and Jupiter had jumped in and said she wasn't trying hard enough. It wasn't that she wasn't trying. She just hadn't been able to escape the moment the communicator beeped. She'd been in the middle of a family dinner, at the table, and when she'd asked to be excused her parents had told her no because they needed to explain the rules to Usagi and Shingo for when they would be out of town.
Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted as she ran full force into something very hard. And warm. And muscular. Damn… not him again. Even as she fell to the ground she mentally screamed, 'not Mamoru-baka.'
Chiba Mamoru. Her arch-nemesis and an all around jerk… that she just happened to be half in love with. It made insulting him difficult but Usagi loved a challenge. He'd been picking on her since the moment they met, and while most of his insults weren't that bad, sometimes he hit a nerve that had just been chewed on by her friends.
"Odango Atama," he yelled, staring down at her, a frown marring his features. "Why can't you look where you're going?" he asked.
She glared up at him. "Thanks for the hand up," she muttered sarcastically. "No, no… Don't fuss yourself. I'm perfectly happy hitting the concrete while you stand there not harmed in the slightest."
She rolled over onto her hands and knees and pushed herself off the ground before picking up her satchel. With a sigh she dusted herself off and tried to edge around him. She was in no mood for their daily argument. Not after the night she'd had.
Mamoru didn't seem inclined to let her go. He grabbed her arm and spun her back to face him. "I am harmed," he said. "I have a permanent indent from your nose in my chest."
Usagi wanted to laugh. It was actually rather humorous. He could be pretty funny at times, but she would never let him know. She jerked her arm to break free, but for all the good it did she might has well just stood still.
"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly.
"Nani?"
There was a brief pause as he stared at her for a moment in complete silence before he spoke. "You look upset Odango," he said quietly. "What's wrong?" He let her go, but stayed close, as though afraid she would bolt.
Shocked at his concern, she felt her jaw drop. She stared at him for a long minute, unsure what to make of his sudden interest in her wellbeing.
"It's not my secret to share," she said when she finally remembered how to speak.
It really wasn't. She couldn't really tell him that Sailor Mars, who happened to also have a crush on him, had screamed at her for ten minutes in front of not only Mercury, Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen, but also in front of nearly a dozen bystanders and Youma victims.
"Well," Mamoru said after a moment, "just remember, if you need help there are people around who are willing to listen. Even old Mamoru-baka."
Usagi couldn't help herself. She giggled. And then, throwing every ounce of self control out the window, she wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug before dashing away at top speed toward her school.
"Thanks Mamoru!" she shouted as she ran.
'That was strange,' she thought, 'but nice.'
She made it into her classroom just as the bell rang. Quickly glancing over at her teacher, she backed toward her seat, hoping not to be noticed as the other students shuffled papers and sat down. The Sensei turned however and caught sight of her. She sucked in a breath, waiting for the inevitable fireworks.
"Usagi-chan!" Haruna-sensei yelled, sounding shocked rather than angry. Usagi looked up at her, startled, wondering what was wrong. Did she have something on her clothing? She thought she'd brushed it all away, but she could have missed something. She peeked down at her skirt, but nothing seemed out of place.
"Yes Sensei?" she asked, still panting. She bowed slightly. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had a bit of a... "
Usagi never got to finish her sentence. Haruna-sensei had rushed over to her and took her gently by the chin, tilting her face carefully.
"What happened Usagi-chan?" she asked, her tone one of barely restrained fury. "Who hit you?"
A flash of the Youma she'd fought the night before crossed her mind and she flinched. She hadn't realized she had a bruise. Luna had been out searching for the Princess, and with her parents out of town there was no one to point it out since Shingo had left for school early.
She tried to think of a lie quickly, but nothing came to mind. So she went with the old standby. "I ran into a wall," she said, trying to keep a straight face. She couldn't show an ounce of emotion or her teacher would know.
"Go to the nurse Usagi," Haruna said quietly. "Please, just go."
"Hie," Usagi said, a feeling of dread overwhelming her. Ami and Makoto were in her class. They would not keep silent about her forgetfulness she was sure. She would hear about it at the meeting, and then probably again from Luna, who hadn't been attending the meetings lately as she focused on her search for the missing princess.
Nurse Ikeda Akemi was used to Usagi's frequent visits. She'd nursed more wounds on Usagi than probably any ten other students, as she hissed to Usagi while holding an ice pack to her face.
"I don't think this was from a wall, Usagi-chan," she added quietly. "And neither does your teacher."
Usagi frowned. "Did I say wall? I meant the cupboard door."
"Is someone hurting you at home?" she asked.
Shocked, Usagi gaped at her. "Of course not!" she said, feeling angry and defensive. "My parents love me."
"I'm sure they do Usagi," the nurse said quietly. "Is it a boyfriend then?"
"I'm not old enough to date," Usagi replied, frowning again.
The nurse laughed. "Of course you are Usagi. You're almost fifteen."
"Oh," was the only response Usagi could find.
"Is there a student bullying you?" she asked. "Someone who makes you feel bad about yourself, or who doesn't treat you nicely?"
An image of the other Senshi flashed in her mind. The way Rei yelled at her, and Ami frowned at her, and Makoto loomed over her. She shuddered and banished the thought. "No," she whispered.
"Listen Usagi, I don't know who it is that's hurting you, but it has to stop. If you won't tell us who it is, then at least avoid the person if you can. Get them out of your life if possible. You deserve to be treated kindly. You deserve to be happy."
"Okay," Usagi nodded.
She would do her best to avoid the other Senshi until she got better. When they had nothing to complain about then they wouldn't have to yell at her anymore. She would study harder, train longer, and work better than ever before. She would improve her skills and then maybe things could go back to the way they had been.
She could almost feel Naru's intent gaze on her back throughout the morning. When the bell rang for lunch Usagi hurried toward her locker, wanting to get out of the room before her best friend ambushed her.
"Usagi, what happened?" Naru asked, racing to her side.
She looked over at her red-haired friend. They had been close since their first day of school more than seven years before, and though there was a bit of distance outside of school, she would rather hang out with Naru than anyone else at school.
"I had another klutz attack," Usagi lied.
Naru gave her 'the look,' and Usagi knew her friend saw right through her, but Luna had stressed from day one that anyone she told would be in danger. So she kept her silence, even though the occasional hurt look in Naru's eyes tore at her.
"I promise I'm fine," she said. "Come on, let's go outside."
Naru grabbed her bento box and the two girls changed into their shoes before heading out into the bright sunshine. It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing and small animals were about, searching for food. She saw squirrels chasing each other up and down the trunks of the trees and giggled.
"Is Umino taking you out this weekend?" Usagi asked.
She had more than one reason to find out. Naru was an absolute magnet for Negaverse activity. If her friend got excited about something new, Usagi always tried to get there first so she could take out whatever Youma was parading around looking human and stealing energy.
"We're staying in to have a movie marathon," Naru confessed. "All the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies. Fully dubbed," she said excitedly. "I've never seen them and Umino is borrowing them from Yukio.
"That sounds like fun," Usagi said enthusiastically.
She could feel eyes on her and turned to see Ami and Makoto staring from a bench across the grassy area. She averted her gaze, not ready to face them yet. She knew they had a right to be angry with her, but she didn't want to be yelled at while she was still at school. Her heart clenched at the thought.
"Are you really okay Usagi?" Naru asked in a quiet voice.
Usagi nodded her head. "I am. I just had a rough couple of days and I didn't get much sleep so I walked into a cupboard door."
Naru frowned and opened her bento box. "Fried shrimp again," she muttered. "I really have to stop letting Umino make me food.
Usagi's stomach revolted. They smelled awful. Naru shrugged and closed her lunch back over. "Don't you have anything today?"
"No, I forgot it. My parents aren't home this weekend, and I didn't get up early enough to make lunch."
"Sorry Usagi-chan," Naru said, patting her on the shoulder.
"Usagi, please stay behind for a moment," Haruna-sensei called. The bell was just about to ring, and Usagi was worried she would be late to the Senshi meeting. She didn't need to be yelled at for three things in one day.
"Yes Sensei," she said with her head bowed respectfully.
"Usagi-chan," her teacher said in a quiet voice a few minutes later. "I know you're lying to me." The classroom doors were both closed, and Haruna seemed determined. And angry.
Usagi looked up in shock.
"You aren't that clumsy Usagi," Haruna-sensei continued. "You forget, I've been your teacher twice now. I had you in seventh grade English as well. I know you didn't have as many 'falls' last year."
Usagi wasn't sure what to say, so she didn't say anything at all.
"And your grades have gotten so bad in the past few weeks that I'm really concerned you might not pass the class. Not just English, but math as well."
Usagi gulped. She didn't realize she was doing that horribly.
"I have a feeling someone is hurting you. I'm not going to pressure you to tell me, but I want you to know that when you are ready to talk, I'm here."
Tears stung her eyes as she lifted her head to look at her teacher gratefully. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Now, I want you to find someone who can help you study. Try to learn the information a different way and maybe it will stick. I have a packet for you that you can use to work through what we've learned and what we are going to learn. I don't want you to fail Usagi. I'd really like to have you in ninth grade English with your friends next year."
"Arigato," Usagi said, bowing her head.
"Your math teacher also has a packet, and he's given it to me to give to you. When will your parents be back?"
"Next Monday," Usagi said, trying not to sniffle. She really didn't want her teacher talking to her parents. It was hard enough keeping her secret as it was.
"Until then, if you need someplace safe to go, you can come to me," Haruna said, and slid a piece of paper across the desk. "I mean it Usagi-chan. I don't know who is hurting you, but you don't deserve it."
"Thank you," Usagi whispered, a lump in her throat. Haruna dismissed her and she quickly walked out of the classroom, keeping her head down as she headed to the shrine. She paused and unfolded the paper. On it was a phone number and address. Underneath it said, 'Just in case.' Grateful tears sprang to her eyes.
"How could you be so careless?"
"Don't you care at all?"
"Why don't you take your responsibilities seriously?"
"What's wrong with you?"
"No sense of duty."
"A real joke."
"You're a real baka."
"Learn some responsibility."
The words echoed in Usagi's head as she walked, her head bowed even lower than before. She hadn't meant to make the mistake, but nevertheless, it was done. More than forty minutes had passed while the other girls berated her not just about the fight, but about her forgetting to cover up the evidence.
Her friends might have considered that she was running on two hours of sleep a night, that her parents weren't home and she hadn't so much as eaten that day. She wished they'd thought about what it was like to be the only one to have to get close to every Youma. How easy it was to forget she was hurt, because she was always hurt.
With a sigh she looked at the arcade, sparkling like a beacon of hope in the distance. Her Motoki-onii-san, and her Mamoru-baka would be there. They didn't know she was a Senshi. They wouldn't berate her for that at least. And Motoki was always nice anyway.
She thought about how Mamoru had acted that morning. He'd been nice. Said she could come to him. She wondered if maybe he would be willing to help her study. It was worth a shot.
Usagi was determined to get better. Not just at school work. She was going to become a better Senshi. She was going to do everything she could to protect the people of Tokyo. And she was going to make the other Senshi proud. Resolved, she hurried toward the arcade.
She wished Shingo wasn't spending the night at a friend's house. She would have to eat dinner at the arcade. The food was good, but she would have to use part of her allowance. At least she wouldn't have to cook, which was probably the very reason Shingo chose to go away for the night.
"Mamoru?" Usagi said tentatively, sitting on the stool beside him. She didn't meet his gaze, or look over at Motoki. Either one of them might say something about her face.
"Hey Odango," he said, not in his normal teasing manner, but with a gentle tone, as though speaking to a wounded animal. Usagi sighed. Now that she knew about the bruise on her face, she understood exactly why he had acted so differently that morning.
Motoki hurried over as soon as her bottom hit the stool. "Usagi-chan," he greeted warmly. "Chocolate shake?"
Usagi nodded. "And a cheeseburger please. My parents are gone for the weekend and I really don't want to try cooking again."
Motoki chuckled. "Took a week to get the smell out," he said, delighted to remember one of her funnier failures. His face took on a serious tone as he 'casually' checked out the bruise on her face. Obviously Mamoru had tattled. She sighed again.
"It's fine nii-san," she said. "I walked into a cupboard door."
Mamoru snorted under his breath, but otherwise kept silent. Motoki slipped the order into the kitchen window before turning to make her milkshake. Usagi leaned her elbows on the counter and turned to Mamoru.
"Mamoru?" she asked again. "Can I ask you a favor?"
He turned his full attention on her, staring at her for several long seconds. She felt lost in his eyes. The deep blue pulled her in and she wouldn't have minded drowning.
"What is it Odango?" he asked gently.
"My teacher…" Usagi sighed, unsure she should really be asking him for help.
"Do you need help with school?" he asked.
Usagi nodded. "Just math and English," she whispered. "I haven't been doing well lately. I know a lot, but when it comes time to do the tests I just get lost." Making the admission to the boy who had teased her so often was difficult, but this time he didn't comment.
"I'll help you on one condition," he said quietly.
"What is it?" she asked, cautiously.
"I want your promise that if you're ever in real trouble, you'll come to me."
Usagi bit her lip, thinking through the possible ramifications of a promise like that. Some types of trouble she wouldn't be able to turn to him for. But if she separated her life as a Senshi from that of a normal girl and only promised for the Usagi part of her life, she could keep the promise.
With a small smile she stuck out her hand. "Deal," she said.
A few minutes later she was sneaking bites of her cheeseburger between problems on the worksheet, Mamoru leaning over her, helping her work through them. She couldn't help enjoying the mixed scents of coffee and roses.
Sailor Moon struggled to rise after the third hit. The Youma, which had ten long tentacles covered in spikes, continued to swing at her again and again. She held up the moon wand, hoping to keep it at bay, but there was nothing more she could do except roll from one side to the other avoiding attacks. More landed than missed her, and she knew her legs would be covered in bruises and welts.
"Where the heck are they?" she muttered.
A bright red rose pierced one of the long tentacles, making the Youma scream in pain. Strong arms pulled her from the damp grass and a warm body held her close.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she said breathlessly. "Thank you for saving me."
"Of course," he said in a quiet, calm voice. "Where are the other Senshi?" he asked.
"I don't know," she whispered. "I called them, but there might be another Youma."
Tuxedo Kamen frowned as he leapt to a tree branch. "Do you know where the weakness is?" he asked.
"I'm pretty sure it's the star on its forehead," she said. "It has ten parts like the leg things…"
"Okay, can you hit it from here with your tiara?" he asked.
Sailor Moon nodded. Her tiara was the one real skill she had.
Suddenly the other Senshi appeared on the edge of the grassy area and Sailor Moon frowned when she realized they were walking. None of them appeared out of breath or injured. They just hadn't come when she called.
"Moon!" screamed Mars. "Get your butt out of that tree and do your job!"
Sailor Moon ignored the fire Senshi and threw her tiara as planned. It took a moment to realize the attack had worked. The Youma slowly disintegrated, collapsing in on itself before becoming a pile of dust.
Tuxedo Kamen stayed on the branch when Sailor Moon jumped down to meet the others. She stumbled again and realized her ankle was swollen. She would probably need to keep it elevated the rest of the night. She could already feel the bruises forming over her legs and hips.
With a sigh, she moved forward slowly, limping carefully across the grass toward the girls. "Where were you?" she asked.
"We thought we'd show you what it was like when people don't arrive to a battle on time," Mars said angrily.
Sailor Moon gasped. "You did this on purpose?" she asked.
"What? Couldn't you handle it?" Mars asked.
"The Youma is dusted," she said finally, "but if Tuxedo Kamen hadn't shown up when he did I might not be here to speak to you right now."
"See," Mercury said. "That's the problem. You always rely on the rest of us to save you. You can't handle this by yourself. One day you're going to get yourself, or one of us, killed."
"You need to work harder," Jupiter said. "You don't take this seriously enough."
Sailor Moon didn't speak. Her heart ached. She had tried telling them the night before, and then again at the shrine that afternoon. It wasn't her choice to be late. She couldn't very well run out on her parents in the middle of a conversation, especially after she had been told no. And it wasn't fair to judge her for needing help when they couldn't take out Youma on their own either. Unfortunately, they hadn't listened.
She sighed and turned away, not willing to say anything more.
"Don't walk away," Mars said angrily. "You're supposed to be the leader."
She turned back and stared at Mars. The other girl's eyes glittered with anger. There was no friendship left in them.
"If you had bothered to let me speak," Sailor Moon said, a hint of her frustration showing through, "you would have known I couldn't have gotten to the battle yesterday any sooner than I did because my parents wouldn't let me leave until they finished talking to my brother and I. You also would have known I ran the entire way, praying that none of you got hurt in my absence. You would have known how horrible I felt about it, and how worried I was. But you didn't let me talk. And how can you talk about me not taking out a Youma alone, when you don't either? We're supposed to be a team. For tonight, I'm done listening to you. We need a break before one of us says something we might regret."
Again she turned away, ignoring the muttered, "bitch," that came from her 'friend' Mars. Head hung low, she began the long walk home. She was too heartbroken to run. Her ankle throbbed painfully, and she was exhausted.
The others ran off before she'd even crossed the field. She sank down onto the nearest bench, put her head in her hands, and cried.
A few minutes passed, her sobs the only sound that broke the silence of the night. And then the bench creaked as someone sat next to her. She gasped and looked over to see Tuxedo Kamen sitting beside her. His eyes were visible, but half his face was covered with the white domino mask. Mouth turned down in a frown, he turned to face her and rested his hand on her leg gently.
"It's been a rough couple of days for you hasn't it?" he asked.
Sailor Moon could only nod.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
"I wouldn't even know what to say," she admitted. "I'm a total failure as a Senshi. I have klutz attacks, cry, get hurt all the time, and can't even get to the battles when I need to. They all hate me, and I don't even blame them."
Tuxedo Kamen gave a harsh laugh. "Don't!" he ordered.
"Nani?" she asked, unsure how she had angered him.
"You haven't cried, screamed, or run away from a battle in months," he started, putting up one finger as though to tick off points. "You get hurt because you have to get closer to the Youma sometimes, and because you have taken hits that by rights your friends should have taken." A second finger stood up. "You don't have klutz attacks nearly as often as you used to, and as for getting to battles, from what I heard, you had no choice yesterday." The last two fingers marked his arguments.
Sailor Moon shook her head. "But I'm still not good enough," she whispered. "For them it's like breathing. For me it's work. I didn't know any attacks when I started, and I have to practice all the time, and none of them want to help me."
"It isn't instinctive for me either," he admitted. "I actually started taking classes to learn martial arts and basic gymnastics to duck and dodge and roll so I wouldn't be a burden in a fight."
"You take classes?" she asked, surprised.
"I do," he admitted. "And I practice my other skills as much as I can without drawing attention to myself. I can make more than just roses now. I can make vines too, and I can actually bring just about any plant back to life."
"Wow."
"I feel like there's something more inside me. Just under the surface," he continued. "Perhaps an attack more like yours or the other Senshi's. But I haven't gotten there yet. I've had no one to teach me."
Sailor Moon smiled. "I at least had Luna tell me to use my tiara. It must be hard without help."
"It is. How about you and I help each other. Once or twice a week we can meet and train. What do you think?"
"You would really do that for me?" she asked.
"For both of us," he corrected. "I think you can help me with my attacks, and I can help you with your combat skills."
Sailor Moon held out her hand. "Then it's a deal. We help each other."
"Thank you," he whispered. "Do you need me to carry you somewhere?" he asked, pointing to her ankle.
"Maybe, if you could get me close to home I could go the last bit myself." She didn't mistrust him as Luna and the other Senshi did.
He stood and bent to pick her up, wrapping his cloak around her. A moment later she was pointing him in the right direction. She settled in, comfortable and warm, enjoying the smell of roses and coffee.
Luna was waiting when Usagi finally trudged up the stairs. She opened her bedroom door and limped to her closet, pulling out the first aid kit she kept hidden there. The little black cat stared hard at her, not speaking while Usagi took off her sock and looked at her ankle.
She popped a few ibuprofen and snapped one of the ice packs before shaking it for a minute. Once a single layer of the ace bandage was over her ankle she put the ice pack over it and wrapped the bandage around it, sighing in relief.
Moving to the bed, she propped her foot up on a stuffed animal and leaned back against the pillow. Luna continued to follow her with her eyes. Usagi met her gaze for only a second before looking at her own hands, which were clasped tightly together in her lap.
"You are the most irresponsible…" Usagi tuned out. She'd heard the speech before. Obviously Luna had heard Rei's version of events. She waited until the cat ran down and then sighed.
"Let me tell you what really happened," Usagi started.
"What really happened? Are you calling Rei a liar? I knew you were irresponsible but this is a new low, even for you!" Luna screamed.
"Luna!" Usagi yelled. "How about actually listening to me for once!" Usagi was panting with the effort of speaking out, but it didn't matter.
"If you can't take responsibility for your own actions then you don't even deserve to be Sailor Moon!" Luna shrieked. "I don't know why I bothered to make you the leader."
"Luna listen!" Usagi shouted, angry now. "You obviously don't know the whole story. You weren't here last night when…"
Again she was cut off. "When it's three against one, I don't need your version!" she shouted.
"My parents wouldn't let me leave!" Usagi finally screamed.
"What?" Luna stopped and looked at Usagi.
"When the communicator went off, I asked to be excused, but my parents said no. They wanted to go over the rules for me and Shingo until they get back. I tried to tell the girls that last night, and then again today, but they wouldn't listen. And to 'teach me a lesson,' they purposely didn't come running to the battle. If Tuxedo Kamen hadn't been there I would have been hurt much worse."
Luna frowned. "That still doesn't change the fact that you went to school with a bruise on your face," Luna said. "And you didn't come straight home after the meeting."
"I did forget the bruise. I'll try not to in the future. But as for not coming home, I went to the arcade to eat dinner and do my homework. Or would you rather I tried to cook again?" The comment broke the tension between them as Luna snorted in a very unladylike manner.
They talked for a few minutes, and then Luna left. "I need to continue my search for the Princess," she said quietly.
"Okay. Goodnight Luna."
"Goodnight Usagi."
The little feline leapt out the bedroom window and Usagi stared up at her ceiling. She was thankful Luna had finally listened, but the cat was becoming more and more obsessed with the princess and was forgetting she was a guardian to the girls.
Usagi knew she was no leader, and was a poor excuse for a Senshi. But it would be nice to be given the benefit of the doubt. She sighed heavily, her heart nearly breaking for the friendships that now seemed destined for failure.
"Usagi?" Shingo's timid voice came from her doorway and Usagi turned her head, surprised.
"Shingo! I thought you were spending the night with your friend. Did you at least eat?"
Shingo nodded and came into the room. Moving closer and closer shyly, he made his way to the bed and sat beside her.
"Usagi, I heard everything," he whispered. "I won't tell, I promise. But I couldn't help hearing her when she yelled at you." He bowed his head, whether in shame, respect, or sadness, or some mixture of the them she did not know.
"Shingo," she whispered. "I'm sorry."
"Nani?" he asked, his head coming up quickly as he stared at her. "Why are you sorry?" he asked.
"I know you thought Sailor Moon was cool. And I'm… not."
"You have got to be kidding me," he said, sounding excited now. "This is even better. My sister is a superhero! I think you're just as cool as Sailor V!"
Usagi giggled, feeling much better than she had a few minutes before. "You really think so? I wish I could meet Sailor V. Sometimes I think she must be the Princess Luna has us looking for."
Shingo looked at her legs. Bruises and welts had already begun to form across them and there was more black and blue than healthy skin. "You got hurt pretty bad," he whispered.
"I'm okay," she promised. "I heal really fast, and we have the whole weekend. By Monday I'll be right as rain."
"Do you need anything?" he asked.
"Nope. But I wouldn't mind hanging out with you," she added, not wanting to be alone with her thoughts.
Shingo wiggled his bottom further onto the bed and crossed his legs. "Tell me everything," he said excitedly.
Author's Note: Japanese schools run six days a week, but for this story it will be five.
