Chapter 1: A Foreign Life
"Oh no!" Usagi yelled throwing her rabbit comforter off of her bed, "Luna, why didn't you wake me up?"
A black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead crawled out from under Usagi's purple pillows and made an angry face, "Usagi-chan, if you didn't bury me under your pillows every night..."
Usagi ignored her little mentor as she threw on her white blouse with a red bow and her blue pleated skirt.
"Why don't you try out that new alarm clock your mother got you for your birthday?"
"Would you believe that alarm clocks are against my religion?" she asked placing her blond hair in an odango style.
"No," Luna said jumping onto the dresser.
Usagi walked over toward her and made a look of pain, "Luna, Haruna-san said if I were late to Summer School again I'd get double detention."
"It's your responsibility to get to school on time, not mine. Don't forget your locket."
"Oh, yeah," Usagi said placing her pink locket on her bow, "Sorry."
"Usagi-chan, you need to take being Sailor Moon more serious. After all ..."
"Oops! Look at the time! Gotta go!" Usagi yelled running out the door.
"Usagi! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" Shingo, Usagi's little brother yelled as she ran down the stairs.
"I don't have time to argue with you, Squirt! I'm going to be late to school!"
"So what else is new?! You're always late!" he yelled as she zoomed into the kitchen.
"Usagi-chan," her mother said standing at the sink, "don't forget something to eat."
Usagi already had a piece of toast in her mouth.
"Dear, doesn't the first bell ring about now?"
"Yikes!" Usagi yelled looking at her bunny watch, "It's so late!"
She quickly grabbed her books and pink lunch bag then ran out the door.
Outside, the clouds were turning dark gray. Usagi pulled her jacket around her arms as a cold wind pierced through her. She looked up and started to run hard toward the school, "I don't like the look of that."
Suddenly a large bolt of lightning flashed a couple of blocks away from her. Screaming she fell onto the street. Monstrous drops of cold rain fell on her. As she tried to stand up someone tripped into her making a sound of pain.
"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're walking? she asked tears in her eyes.
"Me?!" a girl with a heavy accent asked getting off of Usagi's back, "You're the one lying in the middle of the street!"
Usagi turned around to find a very pretty girl with red hair staring angrily at her. She sniffled for a moment then started, "If you..."
"Listen!" the girl yelled, "I can't argue with you! I'm very late!"
Usagi focused on the girl's clothes as she sprinted down the street in the heavy rain. She was wearing a white blouse and blue skirt school uniform from Juuban Junior High School. Her school!
"You must be new," she mumbled then yelled after her, " You won't make friends if you act like that again!"
"Usagi!" an auburn haired woman yelled as she slid into her seat, "What did I tell you would happen if you were late to class again?!"
"I know. I know. Double detention," she said grimacing, "Sorry Haruna-san."
"Your punishment during detention is translating the story on page 25 in your Latin book!" her teacher yelled.
Suddenly the door at the back of the room slammed shut. Usagi and the rest of her class turned to see who else was late. It was the girl who ran into her outside.
"Well, Usagi it looks like you won't be alone in detention today. Isn't that right Robbins-san?"
"Gomen nasi," the girl said bowing making water drip from her hair, "But it is my first day here."
"That's no excuse for being late to class! Now sit down behind Usagi!" Haruna said then turned to Usagi, " You will tell her the punishment during detention."
"Yes ma'am," she said as the new girl sat behind her.
"Now everyone turn to page 128 in your Algebra books and work on exercises one through fifty-six! I want these problems done by the end of the day!" Haruna yelled writing on the blackboard.
Usagi swallowed what seemed to be the biggest lump she had ever had in her throat. She hated algebra and knew it hated her too. As everyone opened their books Haruna sat down at her desk and started to read one of her cheap love novels. Soon everyone began to work on his or her assignments including the new girl.
"Wow," Usagi whispered as the girl started on number twenty-two.
She looked up at her, "Yes? Do you want something?"
"How can you do that?" she asked holding her last test up, "On all my tests and homework I get ten percent or less!"
"That does it!" Haruna yelled slamming her book on the desk, "You two out in the hall now!"
The redheaded girl made an angry face, "Why should I have to go?! I wasn't talking to this dumpling head!"
"Your lying is only digging your grave deeper! Now get out there!"
Usagi sat down at her "reserved" desk next to the drinking fountain. The new girl threw her Latin and Algebra books onto the desk behind her then sat down. Usagi turned around to face her and smiled. She didn't want her to know that she was the one lying in the street.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Tsukino Usagi!"
The girl didn't look up at her but started on her algebra assignment again.
"Sorry about my getting you out here," she said shrugging, "Haruna-san hates me."
She still didn't look up.
Usagi made an angry face, "Well you don't have to be so rude!"
The girl looked at her in the eyes then frowned, "Gomen. I'm not used to working out equations in Japanese. Okay?"
Usagi settled down and smiled, "Its okay. It must be hard to move to a new country."
"Thank you for understanding. Sorry about not introducing myself. I'm Anne Robbins," she said trying to smile, "And it is hard. My home in..."
"Oh! Let me guess!" Usagi said clapping her hands quietly so Haruna wouldn't hear her, "You're from...the North Pole!"
Anne made a questioning face then replied, "Um...no. I'm from London, England."
Usagi smiled then frowned, "Where's that?"
Anne stared at her, "You don't know where England is?"
Usagi shook her head as Anne opened her Latin book and turned to the back. After a few seconds she went, "Aha!"
She placed her finger on an island above Spain, "This is England."
"Wow! What's it like?" Usagi asked smiling.
"Well, we have a monarchy and Parliament for our government."
"What's a monarchy?"
"That's when a system of government uses a king or queen to help make decisions. Our government uses a queen to..."
"You have a queen?!" Usagi squealed, "Have you ever seen her?"
"I've had tea with her a couple of times..." she said trailing off waiting for Usagi to interrupt her.
"Neat! How did you meet her?"
"Through my... family," Anne said downcast.
"Wow! You must have the coolest parents in the world!"
"I wouldn't describe them as 'cool'," Anne said sadly, "My parents don't care if I'm at home or in another country for a year or so."
Usagi had tears in her eyes, "How can they be so cruel like that? If my parents acted that way I'd die!"
Anne put a hand over her mouth, "Be quiet Usagi-chan! If Haruna-san hears you we'll get triple detention."
Usagi made a scared face, "Is there such a thing as triple detention?"
"Yes, My sister had it five times."
"Tell me about them."
"Who?"
"Your family."
Anne made a sour face then sighed, "Fine. My family is very stuck up and, I'm not trying to brag, very rich. Everyone in the upper class of England loves them, but I think they're the worst people in the world.
"They adopted me when I was three. My real parents supposedly died. I don't believe that for an instant! I have this dream every once in awhile that they came back and took me to my real home. My adopted parents told me to forget my dream... but I can't Usagi-chan!
"That dream is so real! It's so real my heart feels it. I may not know my real parents, but I love them. And I know someday they'll come back and take me to my home far away from the Robbins family."
Usagi smiled, "Would you please tell me more about your family?"
Anne pulled an aqua colored "Hello Kitty" pouch out of her bag. Usagi watched as she thumbed through some pictures. She placed a professional photograph on her desk.
"This is Elisabeth, my brat of a brat sister!" Anne said pointing at a girl with long black hair.
Usagi studied the picture for a moment then pointed to a couple behind her and Elisabeth, "Are they your parents?"
"Yes. Mister and Misses Robbins, the two worst people in this world," she stuck her tongue out. "Oh! I can't stand them!"
Usagi looked at the picture some more as Anne dug around in her bag again.
Anne suddenly sighed. Usagi looked up at her, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Anne said smiling, "I'm just glad I can finally wear this."
She pulled out an aqua colored locket with a blue wave on it and showed it to her.
"It's beautiful," she said as Anne put it on her red bow.
"The orphanage said I was wearing this when they found me on their doorstep. My 'parents' wouldn't let me wear it... until now." She grinned, "Every time I wear this locket I feel brand new with a great..."
"Yeah?" Usagi asked smiling.
"...A great power!" Anne suddenly put a hand to her mouth. "Oops."
Suddenly the classroom door flew open and Haruna stuck her head out the door, "BE QUIET!"
As soon as she slammed the door shut Usagi and Anne looked at each and giggled.
Once again the door flew open, "Get started on that Latin assignment!"
The door slammed shut again. Quickly they opened their books and began translating the story "Ceres et Prosphinam"*. Anne zoomed through the first paragraph as Usagi started the second word.
* Ceres and Prosphina
"Oh no!" Usagi yelled throwing her rabbit comforter off of her bed, "Luna, why didn't you wake me up?"
A black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead crawled out from under Usagi's purple pillows and made an angry face, "Usagi-chan, if you didn't bury me under your pillows every night..."
Usagi ignored her little mentor as she threw on her white blouse with a red bow and her blue pleated skirt.
"Why don't you try out that new alarm clock your mother got you for your birthday?"
"Would you believe that alarm clocks are against my religion?" she asked placing her blond hair in an odango style.
"No," Luna said jumping onto the dresser.
Usagi walked over toward her and made a look of pain, "Luna, Haruna-san said if I were late to Summer School again I'd get double detention."
"It's your responsibility to get to school on time, not mine. Don't forget your locket."
"Oh, yeah," Usagi said placing her pink locket on her bow, "Sorry."
"Usagi-chan, you need to take being Sailor Moon more serious. After all ..."
"Oops! Look at the time! Gotta go!" Usagi yelled running out the door.
"Usagi! Why don't you watch where you're going?!" Shingo, Usagi's little brother yelled as she ran down the stairs.
"I don't have time to argue with you, Squirt! I'm going to be late to school!"
"So what else is new?! You're always late!" he yelled as she zoomed into the kitchen.
"Usagi-chan," her mother said standing at the sink, "don't forget something to eat."
Usagi already had a piece of toast in her mouth.
"Dear, doesn't the first bell ring about now?"
"Yikes!" Usagi yelled looking at her bunny watch, "It's so late!"
She quickly grabbed her books and pink lunch bag then ran out the door.
Outside, the clouds were turning dark gray. Usagi pulled her jacket around her arms as a cold wind pierced through her. She looked up and started to run hard toward the school, "I don't like the look of that."
Suddenly a large bolt of lightning flashed a couple of blocks away from her. Screaming she fell onto the street. Monstrous drops of cold rain fell on her. As she tried to stand up someone tripped into her making a sound of pain.
"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're walking? she asked tears in her eyes.
"Me?!" a girl with a heavy accent asked getting off of Usagi's back, "You're the one lying in the middle of the street!"
Usagi turned around to find a very pretty girl with red hair staring angrily at her. She sniffled for a moment then started, "If you..."
"Listen!" the girl yelled, "I can't argue with you! I'm very late!"
Usagi focused on the girl's clothes as she sprinted down the street in the heavy rain. She was wearing a white blouse and blue skirt school uniform from Juuban Junior High School. Her school!
"You must be new," she mumbled then yelled after her, " You won't make friends if you act like that again!"
"Usagi!" an auburn haired woman yelled as she slid into her seat, "What did I tell you would happen if you were late to class again?!"
"I know. I know. Double detention," she said grimacing, "Sorry Haruna-san."
"Your punishment during detention is translating the story on page 25 in your Latin book!" her teacher yelled.
Suddenly the door at the back of the room slammed shut. Usagi and the rest of her class turned to see who else was late. It was the girl who ran into her outside.
"Well, Usagi it looks like you won't be alone in detention today. Isn't that right Robbins-san?"
"Gomen nasi," the girl said bowing making water drip from her hair, "But it is my first day here."
"That's no excuse for being late to class! Now sit down behind Usagi!" Haruna said then turned to Usagi, " You will tell her the punishment during detention."
"Yes ma'am," she said as the new girl sat behind her.
"Now everyone turn to page 128 in your Algebra books and work on exercises one through fifty-six! I want these problems done by the end of the day!" Haruna yelled writing on the blackboard.
Usagi swallowed what seemed to be the biggest lump she had ever had in her throat. She hated algebra and knew it hated her too. As everyone opened their books Haruna sat down at her desk and started to read one of her cheap love novels. Soon everyone began to work on his or her assignments including the new girl.
"Wow," Usagi whispered as the girl started on number twenty-two.
She looked up at her, "Yes? Do you want something?"
"How can you do that?" she asked holding her last test up, "On all my tests and homework I get ten percent or less!"
"That does it!" Haruna yelled slamming her book on the desk, "You two out in the hall now!"
The redheaded girl made an angry face, "Why should I have to go?! I wasn't talking to this dumpling head!"
"Your lying is only digging your grave deeper! Now get out there!"
Usagi sat down at her "reserved" desk next to the drinking fountain. The new girl threw her Latin and Algebra books onto the desk behind her then sat down. Usagi turned around to face her and smiled. She didn't want her to know that she was the one lying in the street.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Tsukino Usagi!"
The girl didn't look up at her but started on her algebra assignment again.
"Sorry about my getting you out here," she said shrugging, "Haruna-san hates me."
She still didn't look up.
Usagi made an angry face, "Well you don't have to be so rude!"
The girl looked at her in the eyes then frowned, "Gomen. I'm not used to working out equations in Japanese. Okay?"
Usagi settled down and smiled, "Its okay. It must be hard to move to a new country."
"Thank you for understanding. Sorry about not introducing myself. I'm Anne Robbins," she said trying to smile, "And it is hard. My home in..."
"Oh! Let me guess!" Usagi said clapping her hands quietly so Haruna wouldn't hear her, "You're from...the North Pole!"
Anne made a questioning face then replied, "Um...no. I'm from London, England."
Usagi smiled then frowned, "Where's that?"
Anne stared at her, "You don't know where England is?"
Usagi shook her head as Anne opened her Latin book and turned to the back. After a few seconds she went, "Aha!"
She placed her finger on an island above Spain, "This is England."
"Wow! What's it like?" Usagi asked smiling.
"Well, we have a monarchy and Parliament for our government."
"What's a monarchy?"
"That's when a system of government uses a king or queen to help make decisions. Our government uses a queen to..."
"You have a queen?!" Usagi squealed, "Have you ever seen her?"
"I've had tea with her a couple of times..." she said trailing off waiting for Usagi to interrupt her.
"Neat! How did you meet her?"
"Through my... family," Anne said downcast.
"Wow! You must have the coolest parents in the world!"
"I wouldn't describe them as 'cool'," Anne said sadly, "My parents don't care if I'm at home or in another country for a year or so."
Usagi had tears in her eyes, "How can they be so cruel like that? If my parents acted that way I'd die!"
Anne put a hand over her mouth, "Be quiet Usagi-chan! If Haruna-san hears you we'll get triple detention."
Usagi made a scared face, "Is there such a thing as triple detention?"
"Yes, My sister had it five times."
"Tell me about them."
"Who?"
"Your family."
Anne made a sour face then sighed, "Fine. My family is very stuck up and, I'm not trying to brag, very rich. Everyone in the upper class of England loves them, but I think they're the worst people in the world.
"They adopted me when I was three. My real parents supposedly died. I don't believe that for an instant! I have this dream every once in awhile that they came back and took me to my real home. My adopted parents told me to forget my dream... but I can't Usagi-chan!
"That dream is so real! It's so real my heart feels it. I may not know my real parents, but I love them. And I know someday they'll come back and take me to my home far away from the Robbins family."
Usagi smiled, "Would you please tell me more about your family?"
Anne pulled an aqua colored "Hello Kitty" pouch out of her bag. Usagi watched as she thumbed through some pictures. She placed a professional photograph on her desk.
"This is Elisabeth, my brat of a brat sister!" Anne said pointing at a girl with long black hair.
Usagi studied the picture for a moment then pointed to a couple behind her and Elisabeth, "Are they your parents?"
"Yes. Mister and Misses Robbins, the two worst people in this world," she stuck her tongue out. "Oh! I can't stand them!"
Usagi looked at the picture some more as Anne dug around in her bag again.
Anne suddenly sighed. Usagi looked up at her, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Anne said smiling, "I'm just glad I can finally wear this."
She pulled out an aqua colored locket with a blue wave on it and showed it to her.
"It's beautiful," she said as Anne put it on her red bow.
"The orphanage said I was wearing this when they found me on their doorstep. My 'parents' wouldn't let me wear it... until now." She grinned, "Every time I wear this locket I feel brand new with a great..."
"Yeah?" Usagi asked smiling.
"...A great power!" Anne suddenly put a hand to her mouth. "Oops."
Suddenly the classroom door flew open and Haruna stuck her head out the door, "BE QUIET!"
As soon as she slammed the door shut Usagi and Anne looked at each and giggled.
Once again the door flew open, "Get started on that Latin assignment!"
The door slammed shut again. Quickly they opened their books and began translating the story "Ceres et Prosphinam"*. Anne zoomed through the first paragraph as Usagi started the second word.
* Ceres and Prosphina