A very fluffy, slightly lame idea I wanted to get out of my head. I was inspired to write an Usagi/Mamoru fic and this was what I came up with… I hope you enjoy it, despite the lame-factor… I'll try again sometime…

Category – Sailor Moon

Title – Fairy Tale Beginning

Author – Satori Blackthorn

Flashback – eight years ago

"And with one thrust of his mighty sword, the handsome Prince slayed the dragon. He ran up the stairs to the tower where the dragon held the Princess captive. He threw open the door and found the beautiful Princess asleep – still under the dragon's spell. The Prince, devastated that his Princess was still under the spell, walked up to her and kissed her – hoping his kiss would break the spell and awaken her."

"Did it work Mama?"

"Well, the Prince kissed the sleeping Princess and the spell was broken! The Princess opened her eyes to see her rescuer was none other than the handsome Prince! The two escaped from the dragon's castle and returned home, to the Princess' kingdom, where they were married and lived happily ever after."

"Do you think I'll find a Prince to save me Mama?" the little girl said sleepily, her little eyes drooping tiredly.

"Save you from what Usagi?" her mother said, tucking her in underneath her blankets.

"From dragons, Mama…" she answered, "and evil sorcerers..."

"One day you'll find him Usagi," her mom reassured her, but the little Usagi didn't hear her words, as she had already fallen fast asleep.

End Flashback

"Usagi! Wake up! I will not have you sleeping through any more of my classes!" Miss Haruna yelled, slamming a hand down on the sleeping teen's desk. "Wake up!"

The aforementioned, sleeping girl lifted her head and looked blearily at her teacher for a moment before realizing where she was and what was happening.

"Umm… Miss Haruna! I wasn't sleeping! I was… I…"

"That's it! First you didn't do your homework, then you fell asleep during my lecture and now you lie about it to my face! Get out!"

"But-"

"We'll talk about this after school in your detention on Monday! Get out!"

The pig-tailed girl sighed and bit back a comment relating her teacher's bad mood this morning to the rumour that she had been stood up by her dinner date last night. She slowly gathered up her things and made her way to the door, aware that the eyes of everyone in the class was watching her departure. Too tired to care, she ignored them and thought instead of one good thing about the whole ordeal, as it was the last class on Friday afternoon, she could leave early and hit the arcade before all the booths were full up.

Hanging her head, she shuffled down the street, heading to her one place of salvation, thinking dreamily about the chocolate milkshake she would order that would definitely wake her up.

Not watching where she was going, it was inevitable that she would bump into something; Usagi was never known for being graceful. Mamoru and Ray made sure she knew that. As it was, Usagi was sure it must have been Mamoru that she had bumped into – he had a strange habit of being around whenever she was making a spectacle of herself. Strange thing, seeing as how he hated her so much… He somehow made sure he was there to laugh at her patented Klutz-attacks. Today would be no different… Usagi prepared herself for another bout of raucous laughter from the older teen, as if Miss Haruna waking her up with a screaming fit wasn't enough to ruin her day, now it was his turn to embarrass her in public…

Expecting a scathing retort from Mamoru about her clumsiness, she was startled when instead of a teasing comment she was roughly pulled to her feet and pushed against a nearby brick wall.

"Mamoru? What're you…" a confused Usagi looked up to see, not Mamoru's teasing face but a dingy, bleary-eyed man standing in front of her, one hand still holding the fabric of her school uniform and the other hand pointing a knobbly finger scant inches away from her nose.

"Who do you think you are, girly?" his deep voice said angrily, "watch the hell where you're going!"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Sorry are you, I'll show ya sorry!" he slurred, barely able to focus on the girl he held before him.

Realizing this man was far from in his right mind, as the air around him literally reeked of alcohol, Usagi cringed. She wanted to scream, to attract the attention of some passer-by around her, but she couldn't do anything more than stammer semi-coherently.

"Leave me alone! Please sir, I-"

Usagi didn't get the chance to say anything more, because the drunk raised his hand and was about to drive it across the teen's face. She closed her eyes and lifted her hands to her eyes, attempting to ward off the blow she was sure was coming, but nothing connected.

She heard the impact of fist smacking a face, but it wasn't her face. Nor was it the man's fist that was doing the impacting.

Within seconds, the man was floored by her rescuer, and Usagi was grateful to get away from him and his stench. When she looked away from his prone form she was surprised to see a familiar figure looking down at her anxiously.

"Mamoru?" Usagi blurted out, "What're you doing here?"

"Usagi! Are you all right?" Mamoru's blue eyes were wide with concern as he checked Usagi over for any injuries that the drunken man might have caused. "He didn't do anything to you did he? If he did I swear I'll…"

"Mamoru? No I'm fine… He didn't even touch me…" Usagi was confused at the concern laced so deeply in his voice. "You didn't answer my question – what are you doing here?"

"Saving you, it looks like," he retorted, her question not the grateful thanks he had imagined, "unless you wanted to be smacked across the face and mauled by the drunkard over there…"

"It's not like I asked to be attacked by him!" she shot back at him, "I just asked you a question!"

"And saying 'thanks' is too difficult of a concept for you then?"

Usagi opened her mouth to throw another insult at him but paused in mid-breath. Mamoru stood a few feet away with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for her to speak. His eyes warily wandered back and forth from her to the figure lying on the ground that was now starting to stir.

He did have a point… He did deserve a thank you… If he hadn't have stepped in when he did… Usagi might have all the magical powers of Sailor Moon, but that was only when she was transformed, and who knows what other things the man might have done to her before she would have been able to escape? She regarded the teen in front of her in a new light. What was with him? He always seemed to be around when she was klutzing out, he made fun of her, he embarrassed her in front of Motoki, he called her names… She thought he hated her…

But then, she thought she hated him too… And she couldn't rightfully say that now could she? After he went and put himself in harm's way for her…

Usagi sighed, knowing there was no alternative.

"I'm sorry, Mamoru…" she said, softly. "Thank you for saving me."

A strange look crossed Mamoru's face and then his scowl melted away to reveal a small grin.

"Any time Usagi, now come on, Motoki's probably expecting the two of us at the arcade. I'll treat you to a milkshake, how does that sound?"

"Really?"

"Sure, you deserve a pick-me-up. Buy only one."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't have enough money to buy you all you can eat, Odango Atama!" he said, but Usago could see he was teasing when she looked up at him to smack him on the arm.

"I'll ignore that this time…"

They reached the arcade after a few more minutes of friendly banter, a first for the two of them, Usagi realized as they came to the familiar frosted doors of the Crown Game Center.

"After you milady," Mamoru teased, holding the door open for her.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"Isn't the knight in shining armour supposed to hold doors open for the fair lady? You know, after rescuing them and earning her favour?"

Usagi laughed, and rolled her eyes at the daring, hero pose Mamoru had adopted in the doorway. Realizing he was trying to cheer her up and keep her mind off what had happened in the alleyway, she allowed herself a genuine smile for him – another first. "Why thank you," she remarked, "Though I don't think you're cut out for the knight in shining armour deal."

"Really? I think I'd look quite dashing on a white steed," Mamoru answered, hurt apparent in his tone. He shrugged after a moment of pouting, Usagi simply stood outside the doors with an eyebrow raised. "But you're right… I'm better suited to… the handsome Prince!"

"I don't think so, Mamoru…" Usagi said, pushing him into the arcade, "now come on, you owe me a milkshake…"

"Come on Odango Atama, someone needs to save you from the dragons and evil wizards…"

"Sorcerers…" she corrected absentmindedly as she sipped from her straw.

"Sorcerers then…"

"In your dreams mister."

End. More or less.