Not a Crybaby Ch. 4
"Could she be Sailor Moon?"
. . .
Usagi, now tired as hell, walks back into the deserted streets of the Juuban Shopping Center. She cannot believe how bad her day has gotten. A failed test, getting kicked out of her house, and being scared to death by a bipolar cat. In her eyes, things can't get any worse. She jinxes it. A scream from a nearby jewelry shop proves her oh, so wrong. She stops abruptly in front of the store and peers in through the window and her heart jumps almost right out of her body. Naru is suspended from her mother's hand, struggling to breathe. "S-Someone help me, my mother's g-gone insane," she chokes out.
Her mother grins wickedly, "I'm not your mother!" She throws Naru across the room so she lands in an unconscious heap. That said, the woman not Naru's mother stretches out and her body transforms into a hideous monster, wrinkled all over with hollow, empty eyes.
Usagi gasps and steps away from the glass. "What am I going to do? I can't just show up in there! I'll die!" she whispers to herself. "But if I don't do anything, Naru might die!" She faces inner turmoil, trying to come up with a liable plan. The police won't dare to take the girl seriously and she can't go home and tell her parents. She's on the brink of tears from being overwhelmed to the extreme, something that doesn't come often to her.
"Do you want to help your friend?" a female voice asks from the shadows—causing the blode to jump and hastily wipe at her eyes.
"Who's there?" Usagi demands, whipping her pigtails rapidly as she looks around her surroundings. The talking cat from earlier steps from the shadows. "Kitty-san?" She asks, confused. "What are you doing here?" She crouches down to be face-to-face with the small creature. "Do you happen to know how to save my friend?" Usagi stands up and lets out a small laugh. "Of course you don't, you're just a kitty."
The cat looks up at the blonde, her eyes shining. "I asked if you wanted to help your friend, Usagi-chan."
Usagi flies backward and she covers her mouth, "H-How can you talk? A-And how do you know my name?"
. . .
A blue haired woman—Usagi's mother—sits across from her husband, a brunette man with glasses and in his mid-forties. Her eyes are hard and cold as she speaks. "I expected so much more from Usagi! The night before the damned test, she went out with her 'friends.' Real friends wouldn't jeopardize their friend's grades. Sure she studied when she got home…but she was distracted!" She takes a breath for air. "She can't go out with friends again!" She screeches, breathing heavily, emotion seeping from her veins. In her mind, what Usagi did is unacceptable.
The man arches his eyebrow, "Ikuko, itoshi, don't you think you're overreacting?" He thinks is wife is going a little crazy. Usagi is only human, after all. Kicking their daughter out of the house, on a Wednesday none the less, is pretty much unacceptable. His daughter can be assaulted for all he knows!
"I'm not overreacting! Usagi is supposed to be a scientist! Shingo's already ruined my dream of him being a doctor!" Ikuko puts her head in her hands, "My children are going to be failures!"
The man stands up and takes a few steps to be next to his wife. He grasps her by the shoulders and forces her to look up at him. "If she doesn't come home—we won't have a daughter to worry about her future!"
. . .
The cat steps closer to Usagi, "You see, I've been watching you. I have reason to believe you are among the chosen protectors of this planet. You are Sailor Moon, Usagi, you are Champion of Justice." The cat looks up to ensure Usagi is still paying attention. When it spies her actually enthralled, she nods in appreciation. "Are you ready for your life to change, Usagi?"
Usagi bites her lip and glances back to the window and nods at the cat eagerly. "What do I have to do?"
The cat smiles and jumps into the air, somersaulting in the process. A brooch encrusted with gems and engraved with a star appears and it falls at Usagi's feet. "Just use this brooch and call out 'Moon Prism Power—Make Up!'"
The blonde nods and picks up the brooch. "Moon Prism Power—Make Up!"
. . .
In his apartment, Mamoru paces, constantly chastising himself. "I've absolutely freaked her out. Looking at the school paper she dropped. Practically stalking her. I don't know why I'm so drawn to her. Like a moth to a flame." He pauses and slaps his forehead, "Get your mind out of the Mamoru, she's only fifteen!
In the middle of his complaints, a bright light shines through the room and something pulsates through. Mamoru stumbles and clutches his head in pain. Protect Her, a voice echoes, the room shaking.
"Protect who?" He cries, stumbling across the apartment.
Protect the girl. The one you are drawn to. She is the key to the Silver Crystal.
The light fades and Mamoru looks around, searching for the source of the light. Then down. He's now clad in a tuxedo—the tuxedo he typically bears during his voyage of jewelry stores for the crystal. With the glimmer of his tie, his head shoots up. "Usagi must be in trouble!" With the realization of his lifetime, Mamoru heads out to his balcony in search of a girl.
. . .
Usagi, now wearing a blue and white sailor type dress, her skirt considerably short, steps into the jewelry store and takes action, just like the cat told her to. "Hey, you! I won't allow you to continue taking the energy of the innocent through the sale of jewelry!" Usagi's voice fills the room, a new confidence shining through her. The red casings on her buns shine in the moonlight, causing the blonde to look more-or-less intimidating. The used-to-be-woman turns, obviously annoyed with the disturbance.
It raises a non-existent eyebrow at the blonde, "Who the hell are you?"
Usagi closes her bright blue eyes. You're Sailor Moon, not Usagi anymore. You don't have to be shy or follow the morals of your mother. You're a leader. The cat's words echo in her mind and her eyes fly open. "I'm Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice. And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" On the inside, the sailor-outfitted soldier is searching her mind for anything to win the battle. She doesn't know how to fight…properly. While the she-monster stands in confuse-ment, Usagi takes a deep breath and races toward it. "Sailor Kick! Her pink boot makes painful contact and the monster flies backward across the room. Usagi smiles.
The monster, however, is much less amused and pushes itself up from the ground with a growl. It glares at the blonde, "You bitch," it murmurs before her hands fly up in anger. The fallen girls and women who purchased the cursed jewelry slowly come to their feet and inch toward Usagi in a daze.
The blonde squeals and holds up her arms for defense against the flying fists and fixture parts. She has no intention on hurting the innocent. Not knowing what else to do, she pushes to the front of the crowd and stares the thing down. Sh e closes her eyes again and looks deep within herself. Sudden realization occurs and she opens her eyes, ready to fight. She her hand flies to her tiara and aims it toward it, "Moon Tiara Boomerang!" The gold object glitters as it soars and hits it spot on. It disintegrates upon impact and Usagi smiles with excitement.
"Did you see that, kitty-san? I did it!" She calls, looking for the cat with the crescent moon on its forehead.
"Great job, Sailor Moon! I'll be sure to take note of you," a voice booms from the shadows.
Usagi's head whips up and she searches the room. Voices from shadows don't typically mean good things. "Who's there?" she demands, any trace of her timid-ness of her normal life completely dissipated. The figure—Mamoru—steps out still in his tuxedo, but with a mask upon his face to protect his identity. Usagi's heart flutters and she lets out a small gasp, "Who are you?"
The man hesitates before smiling at the blonde warmly. "My name is Tuxedo Mask—let's say I'm here to protect you." His smile broadens as he surveys the scene, "Even though it's obvious you don't need much help." He winks and leaves with his cape fluttering behind him.
. . .
A/N: Yes, at the moment, Usagi is still homeless. No, I still have no idea how to solve it. Well I have one, but it sucks. Any suggestions welcomed with open arms! :D Oh, the wonders of non-existent pre-planning! Anyway, Please Review!