AN: Hey all. Here's another one of my collections, but for Sailor Moon this time (my other's for Buffy: the Vampire Slayer). Same gist: ones over a page long first, smaller ones bundled together after. If I continue a story in here, a note will be made, and it will be posted seperately. I recently found a lot of my old notebooks, so here you go. Another window into my world. Most, if not all, contain shoujo ai, so you have been warned.

4/06/03

Daughter of the Moon

AN: Usagi/Ami shoujo ai.

*

Usagi glanced at herself in the mirror, smiling sadly as she turned away to get ready for school. Running a hand through her bangs to keep them away from her face, she paused and then looked down at her hands and at the claws that sprouted from her fingernails. Grabbing her nail file from where she always kept it on the top of her dresser, she started to file them down, using the technique that she had learned. Once done, she blew breath onto her nails, blowing away the remnants of her claws and then started putting her contacts in, hiding her silver eyes.

There was no wonder that she kept Luna away in the mornings after she woke her charge up. Just because Usagi was the Daughter of the Moon, she hated putting up with everything that the title pertained. In this day and age, it wouldn't look right to go around sprouting claws and fangs, pointed ears and silver eyes. Ever since she had blossomed into the spirit of Princess Serenity, these things had been happening to her, but she really wasn't all that surprised. Daughter of the Moon, werewolf. It made sense, right?

But she didn't like it. She was starting to regret ever asking her mother – the old one, Queen Serenity – how she had dealt with it. "Why, glamour and plain luck, my dear," she had laughed once, running a brush through her daughter's silvery hair. "It also helps when you find someone you can confide in and shelter you when it is the Full Moon."

Speaking of Full Moons, Usagi glanced at the calendar on her wall and swore. The Full Moon was in two days. No wonder she could feel her senses begin to sharpen and the wakefulness when she wanted to sleep. Sighing, she told herself to call Ami later and ask her if she could stay over again.

Ah yes. Ami. The first one to notice anything wrong with Usagi after the Beryl incident, and had even been the object of Usagi's anger and attack when she had followed the blonde one night even before they had regained their memories, seemingly at the wrong place at the wrong time. Ami had somehow managed to calm the moon-touched Usagi down enough to get her to stop attacking, finally able to gasp out, "Need place…to cover…" and led her to the basement under her house.

She had accepted everything with only the fewest of questions and offered her house as a haven when the Full Moons came, sheltering Usagi from herself and the blood lust. "Sailor Moon afraid of the moon," Usagi had whispered to her blue-haired friend after they had regained their memories, shaking her head.

Taking one last look at her appearance, deciding that no one would really notice her ears, her blonde hair dye good for another couple of weeks, and knowing that no one really looked at her teeth anyway, she started down the stairs. That was another reason why she was deathly afraid of dentists. They always filed her fangs down – which hurt, terribly– and always asked about the fast growth, joking about vampires and such. The fangs grew back, though, just as her claws did, each night, seemingly growing with the advent of the moon, and she always woke up with aching gums in the morning.

Grabbing her toast, she kissed her mother goodbye, ruffled her brother's hair in the way that annoyed him greatly, and started off to school. Ever since she had realized that her morning ritual would have to occur every morning, she had made it a habit to get up a half-n-hour earlier than usual, telling her cat that it was because she needed extra time in the shower to wash her hair – which was true but not important.

Skirting around the Crown Arcade hoping that she didn't see Motoki so early in the morning, she reflected about the first time that she had encountered him. However, her plans of a Motoki-less morning weren't to be. She could see him up ahead.

Holding her bookbag distractedly as she studied her fingers of her other hand, noting that the follicles of her nails were oddly moon shaped – no pun intended – she felt just plain bummed out about her situation. Motoki stopped sweeping, staring at her in shock as she approached. Looking up and noticing his expression, she stopped, hid her hands behind her back and smiled happily.

"What's up, 'Toki-kun?" she asked.

"Well, you're up early. What's the occasion?" the tall sandy-blond college student asked, leaning on his broom.

"Oh, nothing. Luna just happened to be having a nightmare so she jumped on my face and scratched me, waking me up." In truth, Usagi, in her sleep, had caused the deep scratches on her face herself, and she had woken up, hurrying to cover herself with band-aids, safe in the knowledge that they would heal during the day. "I just decided to take the time and be early for once."

"Well," Motoki checked his watch, "You're early enough to be there a half-hour before your class starts. Want to join me for a cup of tea or something inside?"

Stopping to think for a second, the small blonde nodded, smiling again, graciously accepting the invitation.

When she had stepped into the arcade, motion had stopped and Unazuki, Motoki's sister, gasped, clutching her heart and dropping to the ground as if she had fainted. "What's this?" she demanded after crawling back up behind the counter, "Has the world stopped? Usagi's up early!"

"Hardy-har-har," Usagi joked back but accepted the hug the slightly older teen offered her.

"Welcome to the morning life, girl! What's the occasion? And what's with the band-aids?"

Rolling her eyes, the blonde reflectively hid her hands behind her back again, curling her fingers together, hiding her nails in fists, "Luna happened."

Unazuki winced, "Grouchy cat, huh? What do you want? Coffee? Tea? Soda?"

"Hey, I was supposed to get it for her," Motoki teased his sister, coming up behind her, still slipping the apron back around his neck and securing it behind his back. Unazuki pouted back at him, but moved away, saying over her shoulder, "Talk to you later, Usagi-chan!" winking, and went back into the kitchen to get someone his breakfast.

Taking a seat down at the counter, Usagi smiled, happy to see that someone else could be as teasing to younger siblings. Shaking her head, she had just asked for some green tea when she could hear someone approaching to her right. Looking up, she smiled when she saw Mamoru coming in for his early morning coffee ritual.

"Mamo-chan!" She waved happily.

Ever since she had started changing, Usagi didn't like kissing him anymore. His kisses were great, but used to be greater, as if they lacked something. But that wasn't the reason why she had stopped. One: she had fangs. Two: she had sharp fangs. Three: Mamoru had a soft tongue. Four: it would be easy to either hurt or nick him when they were frenching. And five: he would find her fangs and ask about them, and Usagi wasn't ready to deal with that just yet.

His smile widening, the handsome young man sat down next to her. His deep blue eyes twinkling, he accepted the cup of steaming joe that Motoki set down in front of him, taking a sip before saying, "Usako! What brings you here this early? Did the world end?"

"Unazuki said the same thing," Usagi grumbled, but smiled at him. "And, before you ask, Luna scratched me."

"That explains the band-aids then," Mamoru nodded, "Want me to look at them?" Mamoru was studying to be a doctor, and even helped out at the hospital, so he wanted to make sure that they weren't getting infected. Who knew what Luna got into as a cat?

Usagi quickly shook her head, her hair flying with the motion. "No. No, that's alright. They're not very deep." In actuality they were, Usagi's claws being akin to a mountain lion's, but they didn't hurt her much – another part of being werewolf that she actually enjoyed having when her reflexes betrayed her and she slid into walls when she was running and unable to stop properly or quickly enough. She just hoped that he would buy it.

"If you're sure about that…" Mamoru said uncertainly, eyeing his girlfriend. She had been acting weirdly lately, but chalked it up to puberty, being four years younger than he was, of course.

Looking at her watch, Usagi's eyes widened, and she quickly stood up, reaching into her pocket to pull out the few yen she had left from her allowance the Friday before. Tossing it onto the counter, she gulped down her tea, waved to Motoki and Unazuki, kissed Mamoru goodbye on the cheek and high-tailed it out of there. For all her work in being early to school, she was probably going to be late.

Mamoru smiled, sipped his coffee, relishing the taste, and counted, "One…Two…Three…"

The arcade door slid open and a rushing bundle of blonde and blue ran in, grabbed her bookbag and ran back out, yelling that she had already been halfway to school before she had remembered.

"She must have run pretty fast to be that close," Motoki remarked, hearing her statement.

"Oh, that's nothing. She's pretty fast when she's really trying," Mamoru remarked, feeling pride for his Usako. "I just wish it wouldn't have to take being late for school for her to run. Hey." He glanced at the clock on the wall, "She still has twenty minutes. Why is she running?"

He and Motoki exchanged puzzled looks.

In actuality, Usagi had run hoping to dodge all of the awkward questions that she could sense Mamoru was about to ask, not ready to confront him yet.

Making her way to school, she wondered if anything eventful would happen that day, and decided to ask Ami later if she could use her basement in two days time.

But Ami beat her to it. Even earlier than Usagi was, the shy blue-haired girl looked up when Usagi entered the homeroom and smiled, shutting the book she had been reading. Glancing over at Ms. Haruna who sat behind her desk, the headphones she always wore before class blasting from her ears, she rose from her seat and approached, stopping a foot away and asked, "How was your morning ritual?" tilting her head to one side.

Usagi smiled wryly, letting her lips pull fully back as she knew Ms. Haruna never looked up before class started, and then leaned in, whispering, "Full Moon. Two days. Can I…?"

"Of course." Ami nodded.

"And let me pay this time for the food? I saved up the money, and I really don't want you having to pay that expense!" Usagi said pleadingly, the fact that Ami usually had to buy the fifty pounds of raw meat that Usagi ate in her werewolf body really made her feel guilty. She shivered. Before she had met Ami, entrusting her with her secret, the Daughter of the Moon had hunted. She had caught anything she could find, and had eaten things she really regretted afterwards. But still, she had had some sense left, and had never killed a human, something she had always been glad of later when she returned to her senses. Her diet had consisted of fish, raccoons, and even the odd rat or cat.

Ami looked at her, nodded, and before she could say something, a group of classmates walked in, gossiping and laughing, dispelling any idea of talking about Usagi's condition. Laying her hand on Ami's arm, Usagi smiled thankfully, and then opened her bookbag. "Now… Can we go over the homework?"

***

Her ears twitching, Usagi snuffled, wishing that she could jump out of the window she was looking out of, hearing all of the birds chirping in the trees and seeing a lone cat sunning itself on the roof of the neighboring building. She could feel her mind cutting off the droning of Ms. Haruna as she taught English, instead, focusing everything on the outside world. Oh, how she wanted to roam…

"Miss Tsukino!"

With a jerk that hurt her neck, Usagi faced her teacher, a hot blush settling on her face. Putting a hand behind her head, she laughed nervously.

Not buying the act, Ms. Haruna said sternly, "I would appreciate you paying attention in my class, Miss Tsukino. Now please read the next paragraph and stop looking outside the window!"

She nodded shamefully, picking up her book, and quickly glanced at her neighbor to see the page, and began to read.

But the outside still called to her…

Glancing over her shoulder, out of the corners of her eyes at the window furtively, she couldn't help reading choppily, mentally hating the urges that always ruled her when it was close to her change. It wasn't her fault that the outside called to her. Not really. Looking up to see Ms. Haruna glaring at her to continue reading, she swallowed and stuttered over the sentence that stared up at her.

"Ah…I we-went to the stoa-store today to get the milk…I went at six in the mo-morning…Humn?"

Lowering the book from her face, Usagi glanced at the cat on the roof who stood up and stretched, rolling back over into the sun. Tearing her eyes away from the sight, she smiled nervously at her teacher and gratefully sat down.

The bell rang and she bolted. Leaving Makoto and Ami behind her, she flew through the halls, dodging students and teachers, her chest barely beginning to burn before she escaped the school's doors. Seeing still a sea of teenagers surrounding her, she made her way to the front where she usually waited for Naru, Makoto, and Ami. But today she could barely stand still, jumping up and down, swiveling her head whenever she heard the disembodied sounds of the birds tucked safely away in the trees. A dog barked down the street, and she started to sneer, only relaxing her lips when a boy shot her a strange look. Curling her hands into fists, she stuffed the handle of her bookbag into her mouth and prepared to wait, shutting her eyes as tightly as she could.

"'Sagi-chan, what's up?" Naru's voice piped up curiously from behind her.

Turning to look at her, Usagi tried to smile, finally reaching up to remove the bookbag from in-between her teeth, mentally regretting the fact that she tended to secrete a lot of spittle when it got closer to her change as it almost slipped from her grasp. Wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve, she missed the grimace Naru had on her face but heard, "God, you're strange, Usagi-chan. Why did you have your bag in your mouth?"

Saving her from answering the question Usagi didn't really know how to answer without seeming even odder, Ami and Makoto approached.