Chapter One
"Let's go, Usako," Mamoru said, leaning against the doorway of his bathroom, watching the young woman's hands, which seemed to move on autopilot, twist and turn and pin her blonde hair up into her trademark odangoes with ease. "If we do not leave now, we won't have time to stop for breakfast before you have to meet the girls." He rolled up his sleeve and glanced at his watch. "We have approximately an hour before they expect you."
"We have longer than that, Mamo-chan," was her muffled reply; a single bobby-pin between her teeth while one of her hands held her hair in place. She concentrated on her reflection and grabbed the pin with her free hand, then cautiously placed the pin in her hair. She gave herself a small, satisfied smile seeing her hair secured and in place. "Because," she continued, leaning down and rummaging through a pink duffel bag that was on the floor by her feet, retrieving a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. "They know by now that I am never on time." She held up the t-shirt and tilted her head to the side as she looked at it. "Should I wear this or a sweater?"
"Reassuring yourself that they know you're hardly on time isn't the point…" He crossed his arms across his chest and shook his head. "And whatever you want to wear is fine—"
"Should I wear boots or sneakers?"
"Whatever you want to wear is fine—"
"You are no help," she pouted, turning to face him. "You're supposed to tell me which looks better."
"Usako," he sighed, pushing himself away from the doorway and taking a few steps into the room. "It is just breakfast and spending time with your friends—"
"But I want to look good for you…"
He smiled a little as he placed one of his hands on her cheek, then caressed it with his thumb. "You always look good to me."
Her lips curved into a smile and she rested her hand on top of his. "You are the best, Mamo-chan."
"I know." His smiled formed into a slight smirk and when he felt her hand tap his, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Now hurry up so we can get going. I would advise you wear a jacket, too. It's a bit nippy out there and the last thing you need is a cold."
With a nod she placed her arm back down by her side and turned her back on him. "Where are we going for breakfast, anyway?" Her hands gripped the hem of her pajama top and she lifted it over her head. "All I know is that I am starving!" She dropped the shirt on the bag.
Another chuckle escaped his lips. "I cannot recall a time when I have not heard that word come out of your mouth."
"Which word? I…? Am…?"
"You know exactly which word I'm talking about."
"Actually, I don't say that I am starving when I have the flu. The last thing I think about doing is eating."
"Alright, I will give you that. However, can you recall the last time you had the flu?"
She slipped the new, clean shirt over her head, put her arms through the sleeves, and pulled the bottom down over her breasts and stomach. "I think the last time was back in October." She pulled her hair out of the collar of her shirt, letting it fall against her body naturally. "And, if I remember correctly, I passed it onto you…"
"Mmm," he replied, watching as she was now wiggling her way out of her pajama bottoms. "To answer your other question, I was thinking we could go to Suji's…"
"Mamo-ch—whoa!" The girl exclaimed as she spun around, tripping on the pants around her ankles. She felt his hands wrap around her waist and she let out a nervous giggle. "Thank you." She blushed as he straightened her up.
"Be careful, Usako. I would rather take you out to eat, not wind up sitting with you in the emergency room."
"Hospital food is icky." She stepped out of the bottoms and turned her back to him once more. Her thumbs slipped under the elastic top of her underwear and she looked at him from over her shoulder. "Close your eyes, and do not open them until I say so."
He obliged, closing his eyes tightly. "What are your plans with the girls?"
"I am not exactly sure. I think Minako-chan bought some bridal magazines that she wants me to look through…"
"Of course. You would think that she was the one engaged and not us."
"Mako-chan has some food ideas…"
"I hope you have reminded them that the wedding date has not been set yet. You are still—"
"—living at my parents' house and a senior in high school. I know, I know, and I have told them many times."
"Plus, I need to finish—"
"—medical school, so you can start your residency. We have this discussion once a month, Mamo-chan."
"I just want to be settled, secure, and positive that there is no enemy lurking around the corner that could interrupt our plans."
"Things have been quiet as of late. I highly doubt anything is going to happen now."
"I hope you are right, Usako."
"I know I'm right… Now open your eyes…"
"I don't know if I'll ever get used to you being able to tell me the weather more accurately than the weatherman on television." The young woman shivered as she stepped up onto the sidewalk while zipping up her pale pink jacket.
He chuckled a bit, sliding his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close in an effort to warm her up. "Perhaps I should become a meteorologist rather than a doctor," he joked.
"I think you'd make a better doctor. Doctor and Misses Mamoru Chiba," she smiled; her steps in sync with his as they made their way down the sidewalk. "I like the way that sounds."
"As do I." He smiled back, affectionately rubbing her arm. "I still have quite a bit of studying and schooling to go through before I will hold the title of doctor, though."
"It will fly by." She looked up at him while she took his hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. "I'm sure of it."
He lightly squeezed her hand in return, looking down at her with a smile. The smile was rather short-lived, however, as he watched her look away to glance down at her right thigh. "You forgot to take your phone off of vibrate, didn't you?"
She stopped her footsteps and released his hand so she could retrieve the vibrating object out of her pocket. "Yeah… Oh, it's Minako…" She flipped the light pink cellphone open and pressed the green 'talk' button. "Hey!"
The man shook his head, removed his arm from around her shoulders, and placed his hands into his pockets. He knew when it came to his fiancée on the phone - no matter who was on the other line - that it was best to drown out as much of the conversation as possible because she'd tell him about it anyway, and she hated when he informed her that he already knew what she was going to say.
When he realized that Usagi had already begun walking again while still conversing, he sighed and followed her steps.
"…No, I know but it's… It's not anytime soon… No, I don't know when… Can I talk… Hold on…" She held on to the phone tightly as she sidestepped around a person walking in the opposite direction. "…No, I'm not at Mamo-chan's. We are actually out right now; heading to Suji's for breakfast. …No, I didn't just almost crash into someone, but someone almost bumped into me…"
The sidewalk is big enough for two people to walk on, Usako. You didn't have to move out-of-the-way… Mamoru thought as he watched the other person approach him. Although I really do not think a person should walk down the street while reading something… And as the person walked past him, his breath caught in his throat and a dull ache formed against his temples. He slowly turned around, observing the person continue their way down the sidewalk, until they made a turn that was out of his line of vision. He looked back toward Usagi, who was still making her way to the restaurant, and he inhaled deeply, bringing his fingers up to his temples to massage them. Sorry, Usako… He thought as he followed the stranger down an alley.
The man's steps turned into tiptoes as he kept his back as close to the brick wall, and keeping to the shadows, as much as possible. There is something about that person… He looked around and took in his surroundings. Why would anyone want to come down here?
Big, black trash bags lined the building's walls, and it appeared that some of the bags had been ripped open, possibly by an animal of some kind, for trash littered the ground. The walls themselves had random, illegible graffiti spray painted on - though there was one thing that kind of, sort of, maybe resembled Sailor Moon… if Mamoru had been extremely intoxicated and was squinting because, if he did not, he would be seeing double.
A squeak took his attention off of the walls and he stood still, quickly looking down to where the noise had come from. Underneath the corner of his shoe was a pink string. The pink string seemed to be attached to a grey ball. A grey ball that was, in reality, fuzz and fur that had claws, legs, a body, and a face and eyes; and those eyes were small, beady, and so focused on him. He lifted his foot and watched the mouse make its escape down the alley, then he exhaled softly as he spotted the person who had past him earlier. Thinking quickly, he noticed a dumpster a short distance away from him and he swiftly walked up to it, then ducked behind it.
He watched the person; a woman, whose black hair reached down to her shoulders, who was wearing a lacy white blouse and a knee-length black skirt, paired with black high heels. Her cheeks had a slight touch of blush on them and her lips glossed a shade of dark red. He couldn't see the color of her eyes because they were closed, but he noticed her hand rose up to her lips to take a drag out of a cigarette she was holding between her index and middle fingers.
He closed his eyes as the dull ache flared up once again and he rubbed his temples. His mind's eye conjured up the scene from his dream last night - where he, as Endymion, snuck down into the holding cells below the Palace to speak to a young woman who had apparently been scheduled for execution. Is it possible that she could have been reincarnated into that young woman? But… why? How? Who on Earth is she—
Suddenly, the dumpsters' lid flew open and slammed against the wall behind it, which shocked the man out of his thoughts. He jumped at the sound and crawled away a bit to escape the noise. When he glanced back to where the woman had stood, he was rather surprised to see that she had disappeared. Cautiously, he pushed himself up into a standing position and dusted the dirt off of his hands and his pants, then turned around to take a step forward to inspect the dumpster.
What he didn't expect to see inside was a freshly smoked cigarette lying on top of a trash bag.
"Mamo-chan? Are you down here?"
The man turned his head toward the familiar voice and took a step away from the dumpster. "Oh, Usako—"
She walked up to him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the street. "We are heading to Suji's, remember?"
"Yes, I know—"
"What were you doing down there anyway?" She asked, stepping back onto the sidewalk, holding one of his hands as she picked up her pace.
"I thought I saw… something." He replied, his steps matching hers so his arm wouldn't feel as though it would detach from its socket.
"All I saw down there was trash," her nose wrinkled in disgust. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were rats, too. I can't believe there's a place down there where people work."
"There is? Do you happen to know the name of it?"
She paused a moment, deep in thought, and then shook her head. "No, sorry." She resumed her steps. "Why? Are you interested in applying? I hope not! I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with—"
He exhaled softly as they rounded a corner. "I was just inquiring. It just seems a little out-of-place, that's all. There are plenty of other vacant buildings around, especially on the main road, so to hear that there's a workplace hidden away in a dumpy alley slightly baffles me."
Their movements slowed, and then came to a complete stop as they faced the restaurant. "Finally!" The girl smiled and placed her hand on the doorknob. "Let's go eat!" She opened the door and bounced into the restaurant.
Mamoru smiled softly and shook his head, grabbing the door before she let go of it, and walked inside behind her.