Just a real quick one-shot for Valentine's Day. I decided when writing this that I was going to do it NaNiWriMo style, that is, just write to my goal (of 3000 words, in this case) and not edit/revise in anyway to see how it was. Hope you enjoy!
Valentine's Day Debacle
Setting: Season 1
Words: 3,174
She was putting the finishing touches on, a little glitter here, and lip print there and viola! A perfect Valentine card.
Holding it away from herself she admired her handiwork, but her smile slowly faded and she sighed. That was the easy part, she thought to herself, now I actually had to give it to him. But she never saw Tuxedo Kamen as Usagi, only as Sailor Moon... and for Sailor Moon to see him, there had to be a youma attacking, which there hadn't been for a few days now.
A bit frustrated, she slipped the card and small box of chocolates that went with it into her bag (there may have been a few more chocolates in the box last night than there were today, but she figured Tuxedo Kamen wouldn't mind sharing) and headed to the arcade to meet her friends. Surely they would have an idea as to how to get Tuxedo Kamen to appear without a youma!
"Usagi!" Rei called over from a booth as soon as she entered the arcade. The table was covered in Valentine's Cards, all different shapes and sizes and designs and...
"Minako-chan," Usagi started, glaring at the blonde, "did you make all of these?"
"Of course not, Usagi-chan," she dismissed the question waving her hand, "these over here are Rei's" and she pointed to a small pile on the left.
Rei's face instantly went red, blushing, as she started on the defensive, "well there are so many boys at school and I didn't want to make them feel bad by only giving one a card so..."
Makoto, Ami and Usagi all exchanged a knowing look. "Rei-chan," Usagi interrupted, giving her the same glare only moments ago she'd given Minako, "you go to an all girls' school."
"Ah yes, I mean, did I say school? I meant the arcade, how silly of me," she blushed even redder, waving her hand dismissively.
Usagi slid into the booth next to Makoto then, pushing aside a few of the cards to make room for her own. She then slid it out of her bag gently and laid it on the table before her friends.
"Wow, you went all out, Usagi," Makoto praised, leaning closer to admire the tiny glitter hearts that were painstakingly glued in intricate lines around the card. "How long did it take to do all that gluing?" she asked, then noticing even more glitter detail in the lettering, "Did you do them one at a time?"
"Yes, and it took a really, really long time, and," her voice started to raise, and Makoto instantly pulled away fearing the oncoming wail, "it might all be for nothing! I never see Tuxedo Kamen-sama unless a youma attacks and I don't want a youma to attack and and and..."
"Usagi!" Rei's stern voice silenced her wails temporarily as Usagi blinked away the tears to look at her friend. "Do you honestly think Tuxedo Kamen-sama would accept a Valentine's from regular girl Usagi anyway?"
"Well no, that's why I said youma..." she started, then trailed off as the gears in her head began to move. Her eyes slowly widened, and her friends could only watch in horror as they realized Usagi was generating an insane scheme to draw out Tuxedo Kamen and that they would undoubtedly be dragged into it.
"That's it!" Usagi exclaimed, confirming their fears as she pounded her fist into her hand, "I know how to get Tuxedo Kamen to appear!"
Usagi's friends seemed to sigh in unison as they all thought together; this is going to be a long day.
It was a beautiful afternoon in the park. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and birds were in the trees chirping merrily. "No, fiercer," Usagi scolded, running up to Makoto, "like this: GRRRRRRRRRRR!" she growled, leaning forward and baring her teeth to emphasize the anger of the growl.
"Usagi, I don't think..." Makoto started, but gave up shortly after she began. Usagi had already run off to where the other girls were to give her more instructions.
Makoto sighed and took off the giant monster mask she'd been wearing to take a drink of water. It was hot inside the mask and her throat was dry from growling. She held it out in front of her to look at what would be her face. It had one eye, one horn, and purple hair all over it. The body was likewise covered in purple hair, but on the back were tiny sparkly wings-much too small to really make a creature like this fly-and the creature hardly seemed scary at all, being bright purple and fuzzy, but it was the only one they could find on such short notice.
After drinking her fill, she sighed in resignation and hoisted the mask back onto her head, heading over to where Usagi was instructing the other girls.
"You two need to act like you're scared, really scared. Just putting your arms up isn't believable enough! You need to look like you're really going to be eaten by Makoto!"
"Usagi, you do realize this plan will never work, don't you?" Rei smirked, crossing her arms and looking up at Usagi smugly.
"Oh yes it will, Tuxedo Kamen always comes to help!" she assured confidently. Of course her plan would work, she thought, how could it not? "Ok, Rei, Minako and Ami all sit around the picnic basket pretending to have a good time, then Makoto you come running from behind that tree and try to eat them-"
"Don't the youma usually try to steal energy?" Ami interrupted.
"Er-ok, Makoto you come running from behind that tree and try to steal their energy and-"
"How do I steal their energy? I'm not really a youma, Usagi, I don't have that kind of ability," Makoto interrupted, smiling.
"Then pretend to steal their energy!" Usagi exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air in agitation. "Just wave your arms and say 'I'm stealing your energy' or whatever! Tuxedo Kamen won't know if you're actually doing it or not!" she finished, breathing audibly in frustration.
Makoto wrapped a big, hairy purple arm around her friend then, smiling. "I was just teasing, Usagi. Cheer up, I'm sure it'll work," she said, squeezing a little before letting go and stepping back a few paces. "Now, does this sound scary enough?" she asked, and growled a loud "RAAAWR!" holding her arms out in front of her and waving them around.
Minako and Ami then screamed in unison, Minako pressing her hand to her forehead and pretending to faint while Ami waved her arms in the air in fear. Rei just held her hand over her mouth, eyes wide in a fearful stare.
Usagi smiled, "Thank you, guys!" Feeling confident, she eyed the picnic basket they were going to use as a prop and her stomach rumbled. "Now let's have a lunch break before we try for real, ok?"
After lunch Usagi was running around like a madwoman again, checking Makoto's costume, adjusting the items on the picnic blanket, giving last-minute advice to her friends until finally Rei lost her patience and yelled, "Let's get this over with Usagi! I still want to give out my Valentine's you know!"
Usagi cringed in defeat, "Alright, alright. Let's start for real," she agreed, starting to walk away towards a tree a few yards away, "I'll transform and be waiting for your cue—the screaming—to come out and attempt to save you. Wait a good 5-10 minutes first, though, so it doesn't look suspicious. Then when I arrive, you, Makoto, start attacking me instead, and I'll trip and fall. You then try to hit me and that's when Tuxedo Kamen will appear," she finished, nodding and sounding way too confident in what her friends considered a harebrained scheme.
"Yeah, yeah," Rei called to her friend's back as she walked away. Pausing for a moment, she then added, "This will never work."
"I heard that!" Usagi screamed, "and yes it will!" She finished the rest of her short journey in a frustrated half-stomp until she was situated behind a large tree. Rei-chan can be so mean sometimes! she thought, eyes moistening. Blinking away the forming tears, she pulled out her Valentine's card to admire it once more. I will give it to him, she thought, imagining Tuxedo Kamen accepting the card with a loving gaze as he then handed her one in return. "I've always loved you, Sailor Moon…" he would say, before leaning in closer, his lips nearing her own until-
A high-pitched scream interrupted her thoughts. It was her cue, but it was coming from the other direction. Did they change locations? Why wouldn't they tell her? She thought, as she grasped her brooch and called, "Moon Prism Power! Make up!"
Lights and ribbons surrounded Usagi as her skirt and T-shirt were replaced with her battle fuku before she took off running towards the sound of the scream.
"Get away from me!" a girl screamed, running away from a creature that looked like it was part lobster and part woman. It had giant claw hands and antennae-type feelers coming out of its face, but its body was human in form. It was chasing the girl across the park. "Someone, please, help me!" she called but she tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground and fell hard. The youma was soon on top of her, and she screamed again.
A bright glowing disc floated across the park, slicing between the small space that separated the girl and the youma. Agitated, the youma looked up to where the disc had come from.
"How dare you interrupt a romantic Valentine's Day in the park! Soldier of love and justice, I am a pretty suited sailor soldier, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Moon posed, then holding two fingers spread before her eye, she finished, "and in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
The girl forgotten, the youma clacked its claws together before charging at Sailor Moon. Realizing she was now in danger of being crab food, she dove to the right just seconds before the youma's claw sliced through the air where she was previously standing.
She tried to scramble to her feet quickly, but the youma charged again before she could get up. Realizing she wouldn't escape in time, Sailor Moon braced herself for impact, squeezing her eyes shut tight.
But instead of the cold hard claw she saw coming towards her, she felt something warm and soft embrace her. Opening her eyes, she found herself in the arms of Tuxedo Kamen, leaping away from the frustrated youma.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she exclaimed, practically drooling. "You saved me again."
"We're not out of danger yet, Sailor Moon," he stated flatly, setting her down before drawing a rose.
"Yes," Sailor Moon agreed, taking a battle stance behind him. The youma had been looking around confused for its prey before finally spotting them. It roared came at them again, sharp claws held out before itself.
Tuxedo Kamen threw a sharpened rose at it, but the youma blocked the attack with a swipe of its hard claw, knocking the rose away. Cursing, Tuxedo Kamen drew his cane and leapt to join the youma in close combat, extending the cane a few feet to catch it in the middle of its claws and pushing it back.
Just then a fireball crashed into the side of the youma, knocking it off of Tuxedo Kamen and onto the ground.
"Sailor Mars!" Sailor Moon called upon seeing her friend.
"I came to check on you," she said, running up to her fellow soldier, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus right behind her. Glancing at the youma she shook her head, "Who would've thought one would actually attack today?"
"The odds are quite slim," Sailor Mercury chimed in, taking the scene around them in.
The youma grunted as it started to stand, and the Sailor Soldiers readied themselves for another attack.
"Shabon Spray!" Sailor Mercury called, filling the area with a dense fog, clouding the beast's vision.
Searching frantically for it's target, the youma never saw Tuxedo Kamen coming. He lunged his cane at the youma's midsection, sending it backwards a few feet and slamming it into a tree, dazing it.
"Now, Sailor Moon!" he called back to her.
Grasping her tiara between her fingers, she bent her knees and readied her attack. "Moon Tiara Action!" she called, letting her tiara form itself into the disc once more before throwing it at the youma. It was a direct hit, slicing through the creature and incinerating it.
Happy with herself she jumped up and down giddily before realizing Tuxedo Kamen was about to leave. "Wait!" she called, running up to him.
"I wanted to give you this…" she said, pulling out her Valentine's Card. When she did, she realized that during the battle it had somehow gotten smashed, wrinkling the paper and knocking off many of the sequins and glitter. "Oh no…" she breathed as her smile faded and her eyes began to water, "My card…"
"You made this for me?" he asked, taking the card out of her hands.
"Y-yes, well, it is Valentine's Day and I didn't know if you already had a Valentine or anything so I thought I'd make you a card and" she mumbled, pressing her fingers together and blushing a bright red, "but it got destroyed during the battle…" she trailed off, watching him examine the card.
But before he could respond, a loud "RAWWWWWRRRRRR!" burst out as a giant one eyed, one horned purple monster came running at Sailor Moon. "I'm going to eat youuuu~!" it called, arms outstretched as it came at her.
"Uhhh, er, Ma—I mean," Sailor Moon stammered, looking from the costumed Makoto to Tuxedo Kamen and back again.
Tuxedo Kamen's eyes went wide at the sight of the thing. "Is that the Purple People Eater?" he asked, pointing at Makoto in the costume.
"It's, um, uh," Sailor Moon looked to her friends for help, giving them a pleading look.
"RAAAWR!" the purple monster roared again, getting closer to the dumbfounded Sailor Moon.
"Shabon Spray!" Sailor Mercury called, catching Sailor Moon's hint and filling their area yet again with a dense fog. Once concealed in fog, Sailor Venus tackled Makoto to the ground.
"Ugh! What the-?" Makoto grumbled, but with Minako on top of her and being in such a large suit, she couldn't move.
"Shhhh!" Venus hissed, pulling the mask off of Makoto's head. "Tuxedo Kamen's already here! You need to hide!" she whispered to the brunette.
Understanding, Makoto wiggled out of the costume and sprinted away as quickly as she could, leaving the costume and the mask behind.
When the fog cleared, Sailor Venus sat straddling a now empty Purple People Eater costume.
"Um, I got him…" she said, looking down at how she was sitting, a blush creeping into her cheeks.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon shouted, and the girls turned to look. Sailor Moon now stood alone, Tuxedo Kamen had vanished.
"Sorry, Sailor Moon," Sailor Mercury apologized, trying to comfort her friend.
"Yeah, we didn't realize it was a real youma until we got here and we didn't have time to tell Makoto," Sailor Mars added.
"It's ok," Sailor Moon said, looking to a bird that sat in the tree they were standing in front of, chirping happily. "I gave him the card."
Later that evening, the girls were back at the arcade. Minako and Rei's Valentine's card piles were significantly smaller, having given out most of them to any cute guy that walked in.
"What a tiring day," Rei sighed, laying her head down on her arms across the table.
"Tel me about it," Minako agreed, also laying her head down.
"Maybe the next guy will ask you out?" Ami suggested, trying to cheer them up.
"The chocolates!" Usagi shouted, interrupting the conversation.
"The what?" her friends asked in unison, giving the girl a confused look.
"The chocolates, I forgot to give Tuxedo Kamen-sama the chocolates I made with the card!" she exclaimed hurriedly. "How could I forget?" she asked herself as she rummaged through her bag, pulling out a small box of chocolates.
"Usagi, if you think we're going to do all of that all over again…" Rei started.
"…and get me into that purple people eater costume again…" Makoto added.
"…and Valentine's Day is almost over. At least he got the card, right?" Ami suggested, steering the conversation to a more positive note.
"Someone gave you chocolates, Odango?" a voice interrupted from behind. All of the girls turned to look at Mamoru, green jacket covering a black T-shirt, smiling teasingly at the blonde in question.
"Not that it's any of your business, no." Usagi replied, lifting her chin to look at the taller man. An expression crossed his eyes—was it relief? His dark bangs were longer today, almost reaching his eyes. He would need a haircut soon, he wouldn't want to hide those beautiful blue—Usagi mentally slapped herself to get her mind back on track. He was Mamoru. He hated her. It didn't matter how hot he was. "What's it to you anyway?" she asked, turning her head to stop from looking at him. "Doesn't look like you have any Valentine's either!" she stated confidently.
"I refused them, actually," he stated, not sounding insulting or teasing, but genuine in his tone. "I don't like the idea of accepting Valentine's from someone you don't like."
A bit confused, Usagi inquired further, "So you didn't accept any?"
"Well, I did keep one," he said with a far off look in his eyes, patting the pocket of his jacket as if showing them that's where he kept it. "But it wasn't like that, I don't think," he said more to himself than anyone.
After a moment of silence and realizing everyone was looking at him, he reached over and took Usagi's chocolates. "Are these caramel filled?" he asked, and before she could reply or protest, he opened the box, took one chocolate out and placed it into his mouth. "Mmm, thank you, Odango," he said as he turned and walked away.
"What just happened?" Usagi asked as she watched him go. Then she caught a glimpse of the jacket pocket he had patted before, the one he hinted the Valentine he had kept was in. She saw a familiar red paper, sequins and glitter on the corner. It was even a little wrinkled. Could it really be…? "No." she said aloud, shaking her head.
"What's wrong, Usagi?" Minako asked, concern in her voice.
"Nothing," she assured her friend as they went back to talking about their day today. Usagi's mind kept wandering to the card, however. What if it really was him?
A smile crept across her face as she thought of the possibility of Mamoru being Tuxedo Kamen… and her Valentine.