Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.
Edited: 3/19/15
Anger and Recovery
Sunday: Day Seven continued…
Mamoru sat frozen in his seat in a panic as he listened to Mr. Tsukino's voice. What was he going to do? Wasn't it too soon for this? He looked around the kitchen as if looking for an exit.
Maybe I should treat him like a youma. He considered wildly as his eyes settled on the door. He had almost reached for one of his deadly roses before he caught himself.
You need to calm down Chiba. He told himself as he took a deep breath. You just need to think about Usagi and remember Mrs. Tsukino's advice. He reassured himself. You can do this. Just remain calm. You need a clear head to talk to him and get him to at least accept you in his house. He told himself with an internal nod.
What am I going to say?! He thought, his mental voice going wild again before he forced himself to calm down. I'll just pretend that I'm talking to a particularly nasty professor, and I need a good grade in his class in order to take the next class I would need to continue towards becoming a doctor. He coached himself.
And when he thought about it that way it was kind of true. Mrs. Tsukino was the easy professor and he had been able to do well on her assignment- answering her questions, taking care of her daughter, having strong feelings for her daughter- and now he was about to face the hard professor. One where he couldn't do just reasonable to pass. He needed to do excellent. He had to be superior than any other student. Achieving that level meant moving on to the next level, which was being approved to date Usagi.
Just as Mamoru looked back to Mrs. Tsukino and gave her a calm smile Mr. Tsukino came walking into the kitchen. He paused in front of the door and looked at Mamoru for a long moment before greeting his wife and asking who Mamoru was.
"Good evening Mr. Tsukino. I'm Chiba Mamoru. I'm a friend of Usagi's." He said respectfully after getting to his feet and looking the older man straight in the eye.
"A friend?" Mr. Tsukino asked with narrowed eyes.
Mrs. Tsukino said to be honest. Have to be honest. Well, as honest as I can be with our situation. He reminded himself. Think of Usagi. He coached himself as he glanced to Mrs. Tsukino. She gave him an encouraging smile and it gave him the confidence boost he needed.
"Yes, a friend. But I hope to be more." He said as honestly as he could. He was already more but he hoped that she would come to love him as he loved her.
"More? MORE?!" Mr. Tsukino nearly shouted the last word. "You want to be more then friends with my daughter? I didn't even know you existed until this very moment! I know nothing about you. I don't even know if my daughter likes you. I don't care if my daughter likes you! You're not going to date my daughter! You're not going to go anywhere near her as long as I can help it!" Mr. Tsukino spat angrily.
Mamoru blinked and took a breath when Mr. Tsukino was finished.
Okay. So a particularly nasty professor who has been infused with negative energy by the enemy. He thought as he continued to look Usagi's father in the eye.
Mamoru was grateful that Mr. Tsukino had quieted down. Especially since he was aware that Usagi's friends were down the hall instead of in her room like he thought they were. The last thing he and Usagi needed was for them to know that he wanted to date her. They especially didn't need Rei knowing.
How do I get him to accept my presence at least? He considered as he forced himself to remain still. Just stay calm and try to reason with him. Be respectful and honest. He reminded himself.
"Please Mr. Tsukino." He began. "There wasn't a reason for you to know of my existence until recently. I'm just now realizing that I have feelings for your daughter. Literally days ago. I'm visiting her to see how she's doing, if she's feeling better, and to get to know her better. And for her to get to know me better." He said.
"How long have you known my daughter?" Mr. Tsukino asked, his eyes still narrowed.
"A few months now." Mamoru answered.
"You've known my daughter for months and you two are still getting to know each other?" Mr. Tsukino asked skeptically. "How do I know you haven't been stalking her and have just now found a way to get close to her without scaring her?" He asked as he crossed his arms against his chest.
Mamoru blanched at the accusation. He understood that the man was just trying to protect his daughter, and fishing for information but it still stung. He had never been accused of doing such a thing or anything close to it and he was highly offended.
Stay calm and respectful. He reminded himself.
"Our friendship is different than what she has with her other friends. We see each other almost every day and spend a few minutes talking but we haven't actually spent any time together getting to know each other. Not until a few days before she became ill." He explained.
They stood in complete silence for a while. He wasn't sure how long but it was long enough for him to go over what Mr. Tsukino had said, and he realized that the older man had said that he wouldn't let him anywhere near Usagi. He couldn't allow that. He needed to be with his girlfriend, especially now since they were still getting to know each other. He needed to say something!
Mamoru sighed wearily.
"Please, I understand that you don't like me, most likely don't want me in your house, and obviously nowhere near Usagi, but we're friends." He began. "She's going through a hard time with her other friends, and right now I'm the only one she feels comfortable being around and talking to. So at least let me be around to be her friend and her mine."
"I'm not much of a people person and Usagi is one of the few people I call friend." He practically begged. He would do it if it allowed him to be around his girlfriend without having to sneak around. "And if you allow me to visit her here then you could get to know me at the same time." He added. "Just…please don't dismiss me without learning anything about me." He continued.
"I'm trying to do the right thing here. Usagi and the two of you and my best friend are the only ones who know about my feelings for her. I didn't want anyone else to know until I had your approval to try and start a relationship with her." He said desperately, hoping to sway the man's opinion of him and keep him from revealing their secret to her friends.
Just then they heard muted yelling coming from upstairs, and they all knew that it was Usagi.
Mamoru didn't understand though. He thought her friends weren't in her room anymore, so who was she angry with? He said as much out loud to her parents as he frowned thoughtfully.
Mr. Tsukino grudgingly informed him that one of her friends was up there with her because they were speaking with her one at a time.
Mamoru asked who wasn't up there with Usagi and the older man said it was the tall girl and the quiet one.
Makoto and Ami…Jupiter and Mercury. That means… His thought trailed off, his confused frown turning worried.
"Oh my god. She's up there with Rei. Alone." He finished his thought out loud before hurrying out of the kitchen.
He was just in time to see Rei reach the front door and leave out, but that was all he saw before he hurried up the stairs and to Usagi's room. When he reached her open doorway he saw her sitting up in her bed with a hand against her throat.
"Usagi?" He said in a quiet worried tone.
Usagi's POV
Usagi pulled the page out of her notebook that she had used, balled it up and placed it on her right nightstand, then leaned back against her pillow and sighed.
Two down, two to go. She thought as she stretched and considered if she wanted to try and walk around her room.
She wondered how the next two talks would go, or even if there would be two. She wouldn't put it past Rei to not come apologize, and she honestly wasn't sure how she felt about that.
Usagi wanted to fix their friendship, but at the same time she didn't want to be around her. She kind of hoped that Rei wouldn't come up and Mamoru would walk through the door instead. She was still hoping to talk to him before he had to leave. About her insecurities and why he wanted her to continue being Sailor Moon.
Just as she was about to wonder yet again about what he was doing, Rei came walking into her room as if she had every right to be there and closed the door.
Usagi closed her eyes and hoped this wouldn't go the way their last conversation had gone.
The room was quiet. Rei stood next to the balcony doors looking out, probably to buy herself some time. Usagi lay in her bed watching her and waiting to see what she would say.
Rei finally walked over to her side and stared down at her with an angry frown.
"Did Mamoru really give you that rose?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Didn't we already establish this? Usagi asked herself as she looked at Rei. I guess that means she hasn't talked to Mamoru.
Yes. He did. She wrote and held out the notebook for her to take.
Instead of taking it the violet eyed girl leaned over slightly and read her response. Was she really refusing to touch her notebook?! Was she afraid of getting sick? Or was she just refusing to touch anything that was hers?
"Why did he give it to you? You aren't even friends." Rei said with a frown.
We are friends. If we weren't we wouldn't even bother speaking to each other!
Rei didn't like that at all. She frowned and angrily growled that Mamoru was only using her to better his medical understanding with hands on experience.
Usagi's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She honestly didn't believe a word of it but she wondered just how jealous and angry Rei was with her for her to say something like that.
She decided immediately not to tell Mamoru that particular detail. She didn't know how he would react to that but it couldn't be good and she knew that he would need to work with the girls, and that included Rei, if he was going to find his princess and his identity.
"I really have to find out what Mamoru was thinking, but that wasn't the reason I came back up here." Rei said with a huff and continued on, not pausing to give Usagi a chance to write anything. Not that she would have read it if she had.
"I've been thinking about your role as a senshi since it's become clear that you would be needed to change those who had a rainbow crystal back into a human." She said as she began to pace around the room.
"We'll just call you for those until we find someone else to pick up your slack. We've already had a meeting to discuss who the new leader will be and once that is decided we'll search for someone else to be Sailor Moon full time." Rei finished, her voice sounding superior, as if she had scored a victory over Usagi and was bragging about it.
Usagi was stunned at what she was hearing. Rei wanted to use her for the major work and at the same time replace her with someone else, someone who was probably better. She didn't mind them choosing another leader or replacing her, but to think that they could use her in the meantime until they found someone else after the way they treated her?! That made her angry.
She wasn't good enough of a leader or senshi in Rei's standards but was good enough to do the work no one else could while they searched for her replacement.
Usagi didn't even know if this was a group decision or just what Rei thought should happen, and honestly didn't care! She wasn't going to do it or put up with that kind of talk.
She had quit. Period. She didn't want to know what they were doing or going to do. She wanted no part of it! She certainly hadn't expected Rei to come up to her room talking Senshi business instead of saying she was sorry. The raven haired girl probably didn't think she needed to say it because she most likely didn't think she did anything wrong.
In fact, she wanted nothing to do with anything that Rei was saying and was almost certain that she didn't want anything to do with Rei at the moment.
She wanted her gone. She was just plain tired of dealing with her attitude and wasn't sure if their friendship could be fixed after this meeting or if she even wanted it fixed.
"Get out." Usagi said, her voice a hoarse whisper as she spoke, forgetting in her anger that she had lost her voice.
"Get out." She repeated, voice raspy and angry.
"GET OUT!" She yelled, her voice coming out stronger.
Usagi repeated her demand again and again. Her words coming out loud yet broken as her voice struggled to work the way it was supposed to.
Coughing soon accompanied her screaming broken demand but she didn't stop.
She was frowning angrily as she breathed quickly, grimacing in pain as she held her throat with a hand and watched Rei storm out of her room. She didn't know if the girl was shocked or angry, and quickly found that she didn't care.
"Usagi?" She heard the quiet worried tone of her boyfriend and looked over to see him stepping toward her.
As Mamoru knelt on the floor next to her bed Usagi looked back to the doorway to see her parents come rushing in with the girl's right behind them.
"Are you okay?" Mamoru asked as he searched her eyes, seeing the anger and pain.
"What happened?" Mr. Tsukino demanded as he stood next to Mamoru's kneeling form, almost threateningly close.
"How's your throat dear?" Mrs. Tsukino asked from the other side of her bed as she gently rubbed her back.
Makoto, Ami, and Luna stood at the door wondering if they were intruding and should go or if they should stay and find out what happened.
"I'm fine." Usagi whispered as she shook her head. "I had a disagreement with Rei and got so angry that I forgot that had lost my voice. I just wanted her gone." She explained to everyone present.
"Is there anything I can take for my throat because it really hurts?" She asked her mom.
"I'll make you some hot lemon tea. That should sooth it." Mrs. Tsukino said before heading down to the kitchen.
"You should go." Usagi whispered to her friends standing by the door. "After what I just went through with Rei I'm not really in the mood to talk to all of you. You can find out what happened from her."
Ami and Makoto nodded and said their goodbyes, not even fighting it since they knew that their friendship was still on rocky ground despite the apologies.
That left Usagi alone with her secret boyfriend and her father. She hoped her father wasn't going to make Mamoru leave because she really needed his comfort right now.
She wondered if they had spoken yet and if they had if they had come to some sort of understanding or if it was only her situation with Rei that had delayed Mamoru's exit from the house. She hoped her father hadn't decided to make him leave yet, and even more that he wouldn't make him leave at all.
"Usagi what happened? I need more details than what you just said. I need to know what could have possibly happened to make you raise your voice like that." Mr. Tsukino said.
Usagi sighed painfully and opened her mouth to speak when she felt Mamoru take her notebook. She watched him turn to an empty page and place it back on her lap and hand her her pen.
"You shouldn't speak anymore right now. It'll only make your throat hurt worse. At least wait until you've had some of that tea." Mamoru said as he tried to ignore the feeling of her father staring at him.
Usagi nodded, thinking that was for the best since her throat really hurt and she really didn't want to risk the sudden reappearance of her voice.
The girls were here to see how I was doing since they learned yesterday that I was sick, and they also came to apologize to me. I wasn't getting along with them and wasn't speaking to them until they gave me an apology that I could accept. Ami and Makoto did but Rei didn't. She started talking about something else and I wasn't happy with the subject. I got so angry that I just wanted her gone. She wrote and handed the notebook to her father.
Usagi looked to Mamoru and glanced questioningly at her father and back to Mamoru. He shrugged and looked uncertain. That told her that her father hadn't made a decision on whether he could stay or not. She also realized that she had no idea what was said between them if they did get the chance to talk. She hoped she could talk to Mamoru alone before speaking to her father.
"Okay Usagi." She heard her father say and looked up and accepted the notebook back. "What are you going to do about her? I don't want that happening again, especially not when you're sick."
She sighed lightly as she picked up her pen and looked to Mamoru for inspiration since she didn't know what to do about Rei. All she knew was that at that time she didn't want to see or speak to her for at least a few weeks.
Mamoru just smiled encouragingly and gave her a look she had seen him give her as Tuxedo Kamen often. One where his eyes gave her the courage to do what needed to be done even when she didn't know what to do.
I'm going to stay away from her and not talk to her for now. I'll ask mom not to let her in if she comes again with the others. I honestly don't know if I want to continue our friendship or not. I think I need time to think about it before I decide. She wrote and handed her father the notebook once again.
Just then her mother returned with a steaming mug. Mamoru quickly got up and moved out of the way so she wouldn't have to walk around the bed.
"Be careful. It's really hot. It will work best if you can drink it like that. It will hurt the first few swallows but the lemon will help." Mrs. Tsukino said.
Usagi nodded and carefully sipped at the tea, taking in small amounts of the hot liquid and grimacing at the pain in her throat but not stopping.
"I think this is a good idea and you should definitely take your time thinking about the quality of your friendship and if it's really worth continuing." Mr. Tsukino said.
Her mother frowned in confusion and her father explained what she had written and decided.
Usagi nodded along with what her father was saying as she kept glancing at Mamoru who was already looking at her. She wanted to talk to him, needed to talk to him, but didn't know how to make it happen.
"Now, for this friend of yours." Mr. Tsukino said sarcastically as he turned to look at Mamoru.
As soon as he spoke the word 'friend' both Mamoru and Usagi froze, unsure of what was going to happen.
"Kenji, honey, let's talk while we give Usagi some time to calm down after the confrontation she just had." Mrs. Tsukino said as she lay a hand on his arm.
"But I need to deal with him." Mr. Tsukino said with a frown.
"I know but I need to speak to you privately." She said calmly. "Don't worry, the door will remain open while we talk." She assured him.
The assurance worked. Her father placed her notebook on her bed, glared warningly at Mamoru, and left the room with his wife.
Usagi and Mamoru listened as their footsteps faded away and they both sighed. Mamoru moved back to his spot on the floor next to her bed and settled there as he gently removed the rose from her hair and placed it on her nightstand. He was sure, even though he loved the sight of it in her hair, that it had done him no favors.
"Did you talk to my dad before you guys heard me?" Usagi asked in a whisper, trying not to hurt her throat.
"Yes." Mamoru answered with a weary sigh and began to explain what was said and how he didn't get a chance to get an answer.
Usagi sighed when he finished and took a sip of her tea.
"I hope mom is trying to talk some sense into him right now." She said.
"Me too." He agreed before launching into what had been said between him and her mother. "She also invited me to stay for dinner. Would you like me to stay if your father allows it?" He asked.
"Yes. I would like that very much." She answered. Not only would it give her more time with him but she had never seen him eat. She wondered if she might get the chance to learn what he liked tonight.
"Do you think it might be a good idea to tell my mom about us being together and my situation with the girls?" Usagi asked uncertainly. "It's just since there's a lot I can't tell her I want to be as honest as I can with what I can say." She explained quietly.
"I agree. If you want to tell her then you should. Especially after the things I revealed to her, but do you think she would keep it a secret from your father?" He asked just as quietly.
"I think she would if I asked her after I explained my feelings." Usagi said.
Just as she finished speaking Mrs. Tsukino came walking into the room.
"I've convinced my husband to get to know you," She said to Mamoru. "and being in his presence would help that. So you can start by staying for dinner." She finished and looked between the two youths waiting for an answer.
"Thank you. I'll be happy to stay." Mamoru answered gratefully.
"Thanks mom." Usagi said with a bright smile.
"Great. Now Mamoru can stay in here but the door needs to stay open, and one of us will come check on you every now and then." Mrs. Tsukino informed them.
They both readily agreed as that was much better then him not being allowed to stay in her room or the both of them having to move to the living room.
"What happened with your talk with Rei? What was said?" Mamoru asked quietly once Mrs. Tsukino left.
Usagi put her tea down and began to write, not wanting to take the chance of her parents overhearing her.
First she complained about you giving me the rose. She wanted to know why you would give me a flower when we weren't even friends. She said some other things but I would rather not repeat them. Once she had calmed down from being angry over that she then proceeded to tell me that she had been thinking about my role as a senshi since it was apparently clear that I would be needed to change those who had a rainbow crystal back into a human. They would just call me to deal with those until they found someone to take over as Sailor Moon.
Mamoru closed his eyes after he finished reading and took a deep calming breath. He was getting more than irritated at Rei's behavior in regards to him. He decided then and there that the next time he saw her he was going to set her straight so that there was no doubt of how he felt about her.
"How did it go with the others?" He asked, wanting to know and needing a distraction from his irritation about Rei.
"It went very well." Usagi whispered. "They both thought through the problem and their behavior, and their apologies were very heartfelt and real." She explained, her whispery voice pleased as she thought that at least those two friendships were on the mend.
"Despite Rei's delusional plans," He began quietly, because he was sure that Usagi could not be replaced as Sailor Moon. His link to her would not just switch to a random girl. "did the apologies help in any way towards reconsidering being Sailor Moon?"
Usagi was frustrated. She still didn't understand why he wanted her to be Sailor Moon again.
"Why? Why do you want me to continue? If I'm not there you won't have to worry about me getting hurt or being in the way or someone being hurt or killed if I made a mistake. You could focus on the rainbow crystals and finding your identity and your princess." She whispered with a frustrated huff.
"Why are you worried about the princess?" Mamoru asked, immediately picking up on her concern.
Do you ever wonder what your connection to the princess is? The Senshi were her guardians, so what does that make you? You said she seemed familiar. What if you two were in some kind of relationship? What happens when you find her? What does that mean for us? She wrote, not wanting to take the chance that her parents would hear this discussion either.
Mamoru grabbed her pen and began his reply, also realizing that her parents didn't need to hear what they were talking about.
"The same could be said for you and the guy you've been dreaming about. You have actual feelings to go along with your dreams, and there could be some kind of connection there." He pointed out.
You said it was reincarnation! She wrote quickly.
"I could be wrong, and I also said that there was some kind of connection between your dreams and your identity as Sailor Moon since they started when you first assumed that identity." He replied and watched her frown and sigh as she read. He took the notebook back and tried to reassure her.
"I'm not going to give you up if I do find out that I have some kind of romantic connection with the princess. It clearly had to have happened in a different life, and I am currently unavailable in this one so the princess will just have to deal. You're the first girl I've had a real interest in and I'm not going to let you go for a chance at a relationship that happened in another life with no guarantee that it would work in this one."
After reading his reassurance Usagi smiled and tried to reassure him as well.
Well you're right about the feelings I experience with the guy in my dreams, but I'm still hoping the reincarnation theory is why since he looks like you. She wrote. There was no way she could deny what the dream guy made her feel so she really was hoping for reincarnation.
"If it is reincarnation" He began jokingly to try and lighten the mood. "then it's possible that you're my princess since the dress you described sounds like the one I've seen her wearing and your hair is almost as long."
They both paused and looked at each other in surprise as they considered if that could be true.
"You did say that the princess might not know that she is a princess, and that the Senshi didn't know what she looked like." He said quietly as he looked at her and wondered if she really could be the princess from his dreams.
Usagi didn't know what to think. If it turned out to be true she wasn't sure she would like it, especially with how the girls treated her when she was just Sailor Moon. She imagined if she turned out to be the Moon Princess then they would expect even more from her. Not to mention the pressure of being a princess. What would that all entail? Would the princess have to live differently, act differently, speak differently?
"It's only a possibility, speculation nothing more. There's no use worrying and stressing over it without proof." He said as he saw Usagi getting upset. "Tell me the story of how you became Sailor Moon." He said quietly, hoping to distract her from her thoughts.
Usagi lay down on her bed in such a way so he could read while she wrote and began her tale.
Mamoru laughed at her reaction to her first transformation, picturing her shock and surprise that it had actually worked, and how she thought she was hallucinating when the cat first spoke to her.
"I'll admit that it's funny now but at the time I had been scared and confused." She said as she remembered that day.
"I can understand that. It's not every day that you have a cat talk to you and then are given this power and told you have a destiny to fulfill." He said understandably, thinking that at least she had had someone to explain to her what was going on. He hadn't had that luxury.
Usagi went on to describe that first fight, how scared she had been, especially since Luna was no help. She had given her the power and then didn't tell her how to use it. And even after that first fight she had been so scared sometimes that she hadn't wanted to transform and fight. She had been all for running away and hiding, how Luna would give little speeches of encouragement but that they never worked. It was mostly the guilt of doing nothing while people were getting hurt, and she had the power to help that got to her and made her face the enemy.
She went on to say that it hadn't helped that she wasn't good at fighting. She always worried about what would happen if she got seriously injured. What would she tell people? Her family? She worried that when she had still been the only senshi what would happen to the people if she were too injured the next time the enemy attacked.
Even after the other girls showed up her stress was still there because it seemed that with each senshi that was found the less able she was to fight. How she used to be able to use her tiara to dust them all by herself but when the girls showed up it was like she suddenly needed them to weaken them first. She felt like her already limited power had been diminishing with the arrival of each senshi, and that one day she wouldn't have been able to do anything.
As Usagi continued to write it seemed all the issues she had about being Sailor Moon were coming out. How she didn't like having to lie to her family, how hard it was to sneak in and out of her house at night, having to run all around the city in what she happened to be wearing at the time to get where she was needed, and the secret fear that she would be attacked and assaulted by some random man on her way there or going back home from a fight.
How because of the late nights she was always waking up late and then too tired to stay awake in class and getting into trouble for that. Sometimes she was too tired or in too much pain to worry about doing homework, especially when it seemed the attacks were coming one after the other.
She never knew how the girls put up with it until she realized that they weren't getting hurt as much and they didn't need to sneak in and out of their homes. She use to complain about it but stopped when they all just said she was being lazy and a crybaby.
It had gotten so bad that the day I quit being Sailor Moon my teacher had asked if I was having problems at home because of the drastic changes she was seeing in me.
"What did you tell her?" Mamoru asked before she could write more.
I told her that I was tired. That I wasn't sleeping much, and she suggested having hot tea before bed. I tried it and it worked, but then again I haven't actually been to anymore fights or had to sneak around so I have no real way to know if it would have really worked in those situations.
Usagi also complained that she didn't like how she had to give up her best friend, Naru, because she was afraid of her getting hurt being around her, and because she knew that she would eventually have to start lying to her too to make excuses for why she had to leave her company so suddenly. She continued with how she missed her. Her and her easy friendship and nonjudgmental ways. That they had been best friends for years, and she couldn't even tell her why she was giving up their friendship.
Before she could write more Mrs. Tsukino came in and let them know that dinner was ready and that they should come down.
Mamoru stood up as Usagi placed her notebook and pen on her nightstand, and then helped her out of bed, taking her hands in his and helping her to stand. They looked at each other as they once again felt the electric tingles racing along their connected hands.
"Are you cold?" He asked, trying to distract them from the electric sensation.
Usagi nodded and told him her robe was in her closet. After getting it he helped her into it and greatly enjoyed pulling her hair free. Once that exciting activity was done he linked his arm with hers and helped her walk down the stairs, to the dining room, and into her seat.
"Where's Shingo?" He heard Usagi ask rasply as he settled into the seat next to her.
"He's spending the night at a friend's house and will be going to school from there." Mrs. Tsukino informed her lightly.
They quietly started eating and Mamoru thought it was going well until Mr. Tsukino began talking to him.
"My wife has told me all that you talked of before I got here." Mr. Tsukino said and Mamoru hoped that she hadn't gone into detail about his feelings for their daughter.
"I have some questions. First I would like to know how you feel about living alone." Mr. Tsukino said.
"I like it just fine. I like the quiet for my studies, but sometimes I wish it wasn't so quiet. Not that I want noisy neighbors but just some company I guess." Mamoru answered honestly.
"When did you decide that you wanted to be a doctor?" Mr. Tsukino questioned.
"I decided when I was young. Soon after my parent's death." He answered.
"Are you working right now?" The older man asked.
"No. I'm focusing on school right now." Mamoru replied. It would be a nightmare if I had to work on top of going to school and being Tuxedo Kamen. He thought with a frown.
"How are you supporting yourself if you're not working? How do you pay for your apartment and school?" Mr. Tsukino asked with narrowed eyes.
I suppose now is where I mention that large inheritance. He thought wearily.
"I have a large inheritance that I've used sparingly. I've only used it to get my apartment, car, and to pay for college so far." He explained. "I worked in junior high and high school, and saved most of that for the everyday things I would need." He added, hoping the man wouldn't think he was a 'trust fund baby'.
"Why is it that you don't like to talk about your parents or their passing?" Mr. Tsukino asked.
Usagi looked up at her father sharply. She was shocked at him and how insensitive he was being because he was trying to protect her. In fact, she was beginning to think that he was trying to drive Mamoru away.
"Don't answer that. It's none of my father's business." She said to Mamoru as she put her hand on his arm, speaking up for the first time since the questions began.
Mamoru smiled a small smile at Usagi and nodded his head. He had to remind himself that this man was Usagi's father and had the power to keep him from seeing her. At least seeing her in her home, but he really didn't want to wait until she was well. They had too much to talk about to wait. So he needed to remain calm and push his offended nerves to the back of his mind so they wouldn't make him say anything that he would regret.
"Alright. How about this: why are you interested in my fourteen year old daughter?" Mr. Tsukino asked with a firm superior tone.
Mamoru wanted to grimace and sigh wearily but held it back so as not to give a bad impression. Still, he did not want to answer that, but it seemed that he didn't have to since his secret girlfriend who was having confidence issues was doing it for him.
"Maybe you should ask me why I'm interested in an eighteen year old young man." Usagi snapped in a raspy tone in annoyance. "Maybe you should ask yourself if you're really trying to protect me or if you're trying to drive him away!" She stated in anger. It wasn't like she had guys after her or was bringing a different guy home every week. She hadn't been bothered by this aspect of her father and never needed to question it until now.
"I like him. I really like him and you should be proud that I'm interested in a guy like him. Especially with all that you know of him so far." She finished angrily and immediately started coughing.
She got up and hurried out of the dining room and reached the bottom of the stairs before she was joined by Mamoru.
"Are you done with dinner?" He asked after her coughing stopped.
"Yes." Usagi answered as she pushed some hair out of her face.
"Do you want me to bring you back to your room?" He asked and watched as she nodded.
Mamoru picked her up as he had been doing for months in their secret identities and carried her up the stairs and sat her on her feet in her room. He then helped her out of her robe and placed it on the end of the bed as she got under her covers.
"Thanks for standing up for me like that. No one has ever done that for me before." Mamoru said with a smile as he once again settled in his spot on the floor.
"You definitely deserved it." Usagi said with a tired smile. "And my dad was doing too much. I don't know what his problem is but I'm not going to let him come between us. We have enough outside forces doing that. We don't need anymore." She finished.
Mamoru had to agree as the list of potential obstacles crossed his mind.
"I should probably go. You need to be rested for your talk with Luna and it's late anyway." He said reluctantly.
"You're right." She said with a sigh. "But I don't want you to leave."
"I don't want to leave either but I promise to come for dinner tomorrow night." He said, hoping the assurance that she would see him again the next day would help. He was going to tell her about the letter he planned to write but decided to leave it as a surprise.
"I'm looking forward to it. I hope you sleep well." She replied with a smile.
"Thanks." He said before kissing her on the cheek. "I'm really glad your voice is back." He whispered in her ear and smiled when he felt her shiver. "Good luck with Luna. I'll see you tomorrow." He said quietly before leaving.
Usagi's POV
Usagi sighed, still feeling the electric tingle on her cheek, as she listened to her boyfriend's footsteps fade. She picked up her cup of tea and took a sip of the still warm liquid. She listened to muffled voices as she took a larger sip of her tea. Then the sound of the door closing reached her and she sighed yet again at the final proof that Mamoru had left.
She nibbled on one of Makoto's peace offering cookies while she ripped out all the used sheets in her notebook. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to read what she had written to Mamoru. Once she finished she put the notebook on her nightstand and drank some more of her tea before ripping up the pages.
Finishing off her tea she gathered the shreds of paper and other used pages that she had torn out earlier, and slowly made her way to the bathroom where she dumped them in the trash. She decided in that moment to brush her teeth and wash her face and hands while she was there since she was sure she needed to.
After Usagi finished she made her way back to her room and removed the dark cover from her balcony doors and folded it up. She then grabbed the school work Mamoru had brought her and settled back in her bed to look over the material.
Do I have the energy to do any of this while I wait for Luna? She asked herself as she looked through the pages.
She had told the feline to come back at night but she wondered if she really would come and how long it would take her to come if she was. She didn't want to be up half the night waiting since she was tired.
I'll take a nap. That way I'll be somewhat rested before Luna arrives. She thought with a satisfied nod before getting up and putting her school work back on her desk.
Usagi covered up her cookies, put her rose away, set her alarm, and turned the lights off. She quickly settled under her covers and closed her eyes, hoping to drop off to sleep.
Unfortunately, she had a coughing fit that delayed her progress, so she popped a cough drop into her mouth and wondered how her talk with Luna would go as she worked to dissolve the mint flavored drop.
As the cough drop slowly disappeared she slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Two hours later…
Beeeeep, beeeeep, beeeeep.
Usagi jumped slightly, her heart pounding as her alarm startled her out of her sleep. She quickly turned it off and stretched before she ran her hands over her eyes and face. She looked around her room with droopy eyes and noticed her door was closed. Clearly one of her parents had checked on her and closed it.
She looked at the time again and realized that it was late enough that her parents were probably already in bed.
The weary girl sighed and placed a cough drop in her mouth to try and prevent any coughing and took her tea mug down to the kitchen, confirming her guess that her parents had gone to bed.
She made her way back up to her room, closed her door and checked her balcony for Luna. Not finding the black cat there she moved to her desk and grabbed her school work and books and placed them all on her bed. After she made herself comfortable she started on the math work she had been given.
Only a few problems had been solved when she heard slight tapping at her balcony door. Glancing over she saw Luna sitting in front of the glass, so she got up slowly and opened the door for her. Once the cat was inside she closed the door and went and sat back on her bed.
Usagi calmly put her work away before depositing it as well as her books on her desk, promising herself to come back to it the next day. Once back in her bed she gave Luna her full attention.
"No matter what happens I don't want you to stay. I'm uncomfortable with your presence just as I am with the girls." She said, wanting that to be clear to the cat. She didn't care if that made her sound mean. Luna had lost her trust and she didn't feel comfortable with her staying with her.
Luna was sad but not at all surprised.
"I'm sorry Usagi." Luna began as she sat at the end of the blonde's bed. "I haven't been much of a guardian to you. I had assumed after all the months of living with you that I knew everything about you. I let what I did know blind me to what was going on with you and the girls." She said.
"I misjudged your character and because of that the situation escalated into what it is today. I'm now very aware that my attitude made it so that you stopped coming to me with your problems and issues, and I realize that when you did come to me I never believed anything you said. I thought it was nothing more than excuses."
"I'm also aware that my attitude seems to have allowed the girls to lie to me and treat you the way they did. Makoto and Ami told me what really happened at the fight at the temple and how Tuxedo Kamen informed them that he saw the events play out. Because of that I now know that I have been lied to and I'm wondering how many other times I've been lied to."
Luna paused in her speech, wondering if Usagi would say anything but she kept quiet. She didn't want to say anything until the feline was done just as she had with the others.
"In the days since you quit I've noticed behavior in Rei that makes me wonder if the problems between all of us have something to do with her. Her anger, jealousy, annoyance, and irritation when it comes to you. I'm wondering if instead of being solitary soldiers working in a team and thinking for themselves, if Ami and Makoto instead became followers of Rei, and if Rei took advantage of that in order to treat you however she wanted. I also fell into that trap, listening to everyone complain about you all the time, and began to add my own issues and complaints." Luna said with a sigh, her tail twitching in agitation.
"I just thought you should be like the other girls. More studious, responsible, calm, and serious. I admit that I had forgotten that you must have been acting the way you were before we met you, and that it was wrong of me to try and change you into something you were not." She explained morosely.
"I'm sorry about that and I'm also sorry about dismissing your concerns and complaints as a senshi, especially after what I've learned these past few days. As I said before I now know that I was being lied to and my own blindness to what was going on with you surely made the situation worse and helped toward your decision to quit." Luna finished.
Usagi sat there looking at Luna as she thought about everything that the cat had said, trying to determine if it was a good enough apology for her to accept.
"I accept your apology Luna," She began in a low voice, trying not to hurt her throat. "but you need to understand how your attitude toward me made me feel and how your blindness toward my situation made my life all the harder." She said firmly, her low voice making her tone sound grave.
"You lived with me for all those months and yet you didn't seem to be aware of just how hard it was to sneak in and out of my house. The girls didn't have that problem, but for me it made answering their late night summons difficult. Not to mention my fear of having to run all over the city in whatever I happened to be wearing when I got the call and being assaulted by some random man." She explained with a frown.
"Did you know that most of the time since becoming Sailor Moon I've been tired and in pain, and how much it hurt for all of you to blow me off and say I was being lazy and a crybaby." She said in a hurt tone.
"It had gotten so bad that my teacher had asked me, the day I had quit, if I was having problems at home. I don't even have to explain to you the problems that would have caused if she had decided to call my house and speak to my parents instead of talking to me." She added in frustration.
"It hurt that my teacher noticed that there was something wrong when the people closest to me didn't." She finished quietly.
"I'm so sorry Usagi. It will never happen again. I'll make sure of it." Luna promised solemnly.
Of course it won't happen again. I'm not a senshi anymore and won't be in a situation where it could happen. Usagi thought bitterly, irritated that Luna's concern was coming too late, after the damage had been done.
They were quiet again after that. Each lost in their own thoughts, trying to figure out if they should mention or ask about the rose and letter from Tuxedo Kamen.
"Are there any problems between you and Rei that I'm not aware of because of the lies and my blindness?" Luna asked, deciding to put off the questions about Tuxedo Kamen for a little longer.
"None that I know of. I had only noticed that she seemed to suddenly become angry with me all the time. Verbally abusing me and twisting situations to make it seem like I was at fault. The fight near the temple was only one of many times she had twisted a situation to fit her purpose." Usagi explained with a frown.
"Makoto mentioned when she talked to me earlier that she had pinpointed when it started to when you named me leader." She added thoughtfully.
Luna blinked in shock. She was shocked that it had been going on for so long. Since the beginning of the rainbow crystal fiasco and she hadn't noticed anything at all. She was beginning to realize that she was not being the best of guardians to the girls and Usagi specifically.
They were silent again and Luna decided to just be honest about the Tuxedo Kamen issue and see where it got her.
"I came a couple of days ago hoping to wait out a sign that I could speak to you, when I noticed a rose and letter on your pillow." Luna said hesitantly, wondering if Usagi would tell her it was none of her business.
Usagi already knew where this was going. It was clear that Luna thought she was lying about who gave her the rose she wore earlier.
I'll just tell her a small truth to cover up the real truth. She thought as she leaned over to her nightstand and pulled two roses from the drawer.
"I wasn't lying when I said the rose I wore came from Mamoru." She said as she showed the black cat the flowers in her hand. "Even though it's none of your business the letter pretty much stated in detail how Tuxedo Kamen felt about me." She said as she put the roses back in her nightstand. There was no need for her to elaborate on his feelings. That was for her alone to know.
Luna wasn't sure how she felt about that. She had already decided that it wasn't fair to think of Tuxedo Kamen as the enemy because he was gathering the rainbow crystals, but she would still like to know what his motive was for collecting them. She also didn't like that he knew Usagi's true identity and where she lived or that he had been able to get in and out of her bedroom undetected since she highly doubted anyone in her family would have placed the letter and rose there.
Still, she wasn't positive that he had actually been in her room. She also still wondered what he planned on doing with the information he had on Usagi. Would he not say anything? Would he tell her his true identity? Had he already done so in the letter? Would he begin to work closely with them?
He might have done that if Usagi hadn't quit and if he didn't know how she had been treated at the last fight she had participated in. Now he might distance himself if she doesn't come back to the Senshi. Luna considered.
With that thought she wondered if now that all but one of them had apologized if she would come back, and if not would they be able to convince her to. She knew they needed Usagi back, it was imperative, but that didn't mean it would be easy. Although she hoped it would be.
Usagi watched Luna and hoped she wouldn't ask anything else about Tuxedo Kamen. Not that it would matter if she did. She was under no obligation to tell the cat anything. She just wanted to go to sleep and get rested up and hoped she felt better when she woke up.
"Okay. I'm going to go so you can get some sleep." Luna said, deciding that she had asked enough for the time being. "Thank you for hearing me out. Is it okay if me and the girls visit you?" She asked.
"Yes, as long as Rei is not with you." Usagi answered. "Goodnight." She added as she let Luna out.
"Goodnight Usagi. I hope you feel better in the morning." Luna said before leaping into the tree and making her way to the ground.
Usagi closed the balcony door and the curtains before turning her light off and getting back in bed. She took some of her medicine, wanting to continue getting better, and drifted off to sleep.
Her heels clicked on the marble floor, her white silk dress flowed behind her, and twin streams of silver gold hair trailed on the ground as Serenity stepped gracefully down the stairs in the ballroom.
The room was filled with numerous people in masks and costumes as was required at a masquerade ball. The only exceptions were her, her mother, and her Senshi.
A tall man in a black tuxedo, white mask, and black cape with red lining approached her as she reached the bottom.
"May I have this dance my Princess?" The man asked as he held out a white gloved hand in invitation.
"You may." Serenity accepted softly with a smile as she placed her hand in his. She knew immediately from the tone of his voice and the deep blue eyes who he was.
"Serenity." He spoke softly, her name a caress as he pulled her close.
"Endymion." She breathed as she gazed up into his face. "How are you here?" She asked.
"The Queen." He answered. "Only she knows who I am and that I am here."
"Very wise." She stated since she knew that her Senshi would try and separate them and keep them apart if they knew.
Princess Serenity and the disguised Endymion spent the dance enjoying each other's company, the feel of each other's body, and exchanging small smiles.
"Our time is almost up." Serenity said sadly as she recognized the ending rhythm of the music.
"But not for long Princess. Meet me out in the maze garden." Endymion said as he guided her with the music.
"How will you find me?" She asked in concern, not wanting to waste any of their precious time together looking for each other in the maze.
"Do not worry. I will find you." He assured her with complete confidence.
Serenity smiled and enjoyed what was left of their dance. When it came to an end they separated and she searched out her mother and informed her quietly of where she was going and who she would be with before heading out to the maze.
All four of her Senshi followed her but she asked them for privacy once she entered the maze so that the guardian females wouldn't follow her and find her with Endymion.
She gracefully walked the peaceful pathways and just as he said he would Endymion found her. She was immediately swept into his arms and her lips eagerly sought his, needing more of a connection with him.
For a time the couple shared hugs and kisses before they decided to get some talking done while they could.
"Will your Senshi come?" Endymion asked as he looked around as if expecting them to suddenly show up.
"No. I asked them for privacy before I entered." She assured him calmly.
"Why is it that they do not like me? Do they believe that I am a danger to you? Do they not approve of me?" He asked, his handsome face marred with a frown.
"They do not trust you because of the conflict between our planets. I sometimes get the impression that they are afraid of what may happen if we are allowed to be together. Perhaps they feel the struggles will worsen." She explained.
Endymion closed his eyes at the unfairness and held his princess closer. As far as he was concerned if the Queen trusted him then her Senshi should as well. It was not his fault that the people of their planets had issues with each other. It had been that way before he was even born. They should at least give him the chance to show that he did not have the same thoughts and opinions as his people.
"What of your guard? How do they feel about me?" Serenity asked, curious to know if they would have to deal with both of their guards or just hers.
"My Generals do not yet know about you. I have been trying to find a way to tell them since I honestly do not believe they would have a problem. Still, I cannot be completely sure, so I am trying to find the best way to tell them." Endymion explained as he gently rubbed her back.
xXx:Scene Shift:xXx
Endymion stood in front of her with his arms wrapped around her, and she felt the shock of the blast as it hit Endymion in the back. She cried out at the same time he did and watched as he collapsed to the ground.
"No." She whispered in horror as blood started to pool around him. She immediately went to his side and dropped to her knees. "Endymion! Endymion!" She called to him as she gripped his left hand in both hers.
He opened his eyes slowly and looked at her. "You need to get to safety Serenity. Find your Senshi." He said weakly.
"I want to stay with you." She said as tears began to stream down her face.
"You can't." He said as his eyes began to close.
"No…don't go." Her voice was filled with pain, and she watched as he struggled to open his eyes. "Please…please don't leave me." She begged.
Endymion looked at her sadly, his breathing shallow.
"I can't…I can't live without you." She choked out through her sobs.
"I'm sorry." He said, squeezing her hands with the last of his energy as his eyes closed.
"No! No!" She screamed, her heart breaking. She felt his hand go limp in her hands and her heart skipped a beat. "Endymion!" She screamed as the pain of her broken heart took over.
She leaned over him, tears falling on his lifeless face as she gazed at him. "Come back. Please come back." She whispered as her tears continued to bathe his face. 'If you cannot come back to me then I will come to you.' She thought after a few moments of crying. She then grabbed the hilt of his sword and pulled it from its sheath at his waist.
She laid it on her lap and caressed his face. "I love you Endymion." She said quietly. She then took a deep breath as she lifted the sword and plunged it into her chest as hard as she could.
Monday: Day Eight
Usagi shifted in her sleep, undisturbed by the scattered streaks of silver-white that began to appear in her golden hair.
Mamoru's POV
Sunday Evening
When Mamoru reached the bottom of the stairs he moved to the living room and saw both of Usagi's parents there.
"I'm leaving now." He said and watched as Mrs. Tsukino smiled and got up to see him out while Mr. Tsukino didn't even acknowledge him.
"I'm glad you stayed for dinner even though it wasn't the best experience. I apologize for my husband's horrible behavior. I don't know what he could have been thinking." Mrs. Tsukino said.
"It's okay. I'm not upset and I'm glad I stayed since I got to spend more time with Usagi." He assured the older woman. He was offended but that wasn't going to stop him from trying to get on the man's good side. "Is it okay if I come for dinner tomorrow night?" He asked.
"Of course you can, and I'm sure Usagi would like that." Mrs. Tsukino said cheerfully.
"Thank you." He said as she opened the door. "Goodnight." He added with a wave as he stepped outside.
"Goodnight Mamoru. Stay safe." He heard Mrs. Tsukino say before the door closed.
Mamoru continued on to the sidewalk and began to make his way home. As he walked he thought about all that had happened since he arrived at his girlfriend's house earlier that day. He was glad that Usagi had gotten apologies that she could accept, and hoped that the cat would give her a good one as well.
Although one apology will be lacking if the cat pulls through, which reminds me that I need to do something about Rei the very next time I see her. I'm done trying to spare her feelings; not with the way she's been treating Usagi. He thought with an aggravated frown.
He couldn't believe that she was freaking out because he had given Usagi a flower! He wondered if she really would try and question him about it. As if she had the right to know why he did the things he did. He also couldn't believe that she wanted to replace Usagi as Sailor Moon.
He didn't know if that was possible but he definitely hoped it wasn't. Not only did the girl want to replace Usagi but she wanted to try and use her until a replacement was found. That made him infuriated! He could just imagine the hot-tempered girl treating Usagi the same even though she wouldn't be a full time senshi.
She would probably be treated worse! Mamoru thought darkly, then sighed and ran his hands through his hair as he walked. He decided to turn his thoughts elsewhere before he became too angry at Rei. He would most likely end up calling her and dealing with her that night, which was the last thing he wanted to do.
He wanted to give her time to cool off after her argument with Usagi. Not to mention he didn't want to talk to her any sooner than he had to. The way she acted was a perfect example of why he didn't really date and wasn't interested in the girls around him. Most of them were quick to get jealous and possessive. Most people would think only guys acted that way but they would be wrong. That type of behavior wasn't gender specific, and often led to fatal encounter type situations. In his case Rei would be the one having a fatal encounter if she didn't come to her senses!
Well I'm glad I got to talk to Usagi's mom about my feelings. She's a really nice woman and from the advice she gave me and her actions, it looks like she's rooting for me. He thought with a small smile.
That was a good thing. He was going to need all the help he could get with Usagi's father. At least he hadn't been banned from the house. A small victory but a victory none-the-less.
Mamoru then turned his thoughts to what his girl had written about. All the issues she seemed to have about being Sailor Moon had come flowing out with the ink. He had to admit that there had been a lot and he was understanding more and more why she had quit and didn't want the job back.
A lot of the issues she had were very valid for someone her age and for any female. Her fear of being assaulted while out at night was serious. Even he had that concern. He always wondered if this was the night he got mugged, too busy trying to get to Sailor Moon to pay attention to his surroundings.
He also understood that the other senshi didn't have the problems that came with having a family that Usagi did.
Mamoru knew from all the rambling Rei did that she lived with her grandfather, and from bits and pieces here and there that Makoto lived alone while Ami lived with her mother.
Ami's mother worked long hours and was hardly at home, and while he was sure that Ami wished her mother would spend more time with her, it had to make her life easier since she wouldn't have to explain where she was at any given time or why she was coming home in the middle of the night. The same went for Makoto. She was like him, since they lived alone they answered to no one. He was sure that also like him she wished she had her parents, but it had to make her senshi life easier in the long run.
With Rei her grandfather didn't keep a close eye on her like parents would. He seemed happy with her good grades, having friends, and doing her work at the shrine. His Usagi on the other hand had to constantly lie to her parents and sneak around to do her job as Sailor Moon. It had to be stressful and tiring, and even more so when the team you're working with didn't care and made things harder.
Another thing she had written that concerned him was her seemingly diminishing power. He hadn't noticed it before but now that she had mentioned it he did see how the other senshi weakened the enemy before she finished it. Even he had helped to do so on occasion. He didn't know why that was happening but he would put some serious thought into it to see if he could come up with some kind of explanation.
The other concerns Usagi had were confidence issues. Those too he was not surprised about after hearing what the Senshi put her through. He would have to help her with that. He was sure he could since his encouragement as Tuxedo Kamen always worked.
He would start tonight. In the letter he planned to write he would work some encouragement in along with some other things he wanted to say to her.
Twenty minutes later…
Once Mamoru got home he changed his clothes and made himself comfortable, then grabbed his books and a snack and settled down in his living room.
He immediately took out some paper and a pen and began his letter to Usagi before he forgot what he wanted to say. When he finished he folded the sheets of paper and slipped them into an envelope and wrote her name on the front. He would make sure to drop it off before he went to school.
The quiet young man ended his night by studying and only went to bed when he could no longer keep his eyes open.
Mamoru was happy. He and Usagi had left a casual restaurant not too long ago and now they were walking hand in hand enjoying the quiet evening.
Suddenly the Sailor Senshi appeared in front of them, coming out of various hiding spots.
"Get away from him Usagi." Sailor Mercury said worriedly.
"He's Tuxedo Kamen! You can't trust him!" Sailor Mars said angrily.
"He's the enemy!" Sailor Jupiter said with a frown.
"I already know who he is and you all are wrong." He heard Usagi say as she tightened her hold on his hand as if afraid they would try and snatch her away.
They kept trying but his girl wouldn't listen.
"Go away! Leave us alone. I'm not one of you anymore. I can be with him if I want to!" He listened to Usagi shout and part of him worried she would lose her voice again. He didn't want that since it had only just come back.
The Senshi ignored her and tried to take her away and attack him, but both of them transformed into Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen within the blink of an eye and held them off.
He idly wondered, as he tossed his deadly roses, how she had transformed since he knew that she had given back all that made her Sailor Moon.
They tried attacking him again while Sailor Moon was distracted. Sailor Jupiter sent a lightning strike straight at him, but Sailor Moon appeared out of nowhere, jumping in front of the attack to protect him.
Sailor Moon fell back into his arms with a pained scream, blood spreading across her chest where the attack had hit. He was shocked, horrified, and sad, but was lucid enough to know that he needed to get her to the hospital.
Tuxedo Kamen picked up his little heroine and ran in the direction of the hospital with the Sailor Senshi chasing after him, shouting at him and still trying to get her away from him despite what they had just done to her.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be okay as long as you find your princess." He heard her say softly and he glanced down at her in confusion. "We are still lost. The only way to find and protect me is to find your princess, which means finding the silver crystal." She said just as softly as before.
Suddenly the buildings around them began to fade and disappear and a white marble pathway formed in front of him.
"Find her…Find us." He heard Sailor Moon whisper before she closed her eyes and faded from his arms.
Mamoru stopped and thought his heart did as well. Where did she go? Why did she disappear? How was he going to find her?!
He took a deep breath and remembered her words. He decided to do as she said even though a part of him realized that her message was for when he woke up.
He hurried down the fog covered path, knowing that he no longer had to worry about the Senshi, and came to the familiar balcony which was occupied by the princess he still could not see clearly.
"Please, help me find Usagi. She's hurt really bad." He begged the royal female, trying to see her through the fog.
"You will find her once you find the silver crystal. Everything comes back to the crystal. The only way to help us both is to find the silver crystal." The Princess said, her soft voice floating to him.
"Who are you?" He asked in a loud voice, completely frustrated by the situation.
"You know me. The crystal will help you remember." Her soft voice revealed.
"What happens if I can't find it?" Mamoru asked, since she seemed to be in a mood to answer his questions.
"We will all be lost since the enemy would then have it if you do not." Her soft voice pitched to him sadly.
"Is there any way to find out who you are without the crystal?" He asked desperately. "If I find you then maybe you can help find the crystal." He explained.
"I do not know. I only know that the crystal will help you remember who I am and find me."
"Please find the silver crystal."
The Princess' last words echoed as the fog thickened until he could no longer see her.
Monday Early Morning
Mamoru woke gasping for air and disoriented before the details of his dream returned. He realized instantly that the dream was different than the others he had had over the months. The Princess had never answered his questions.
He lay back down and looked at the time only to see that he had woken up early. He decided to take this extra time and think about his dream and what he had learned.
The fight with the Senshi made it clear that he was worried about what would happen when they found out he was Tuxedo Kamen. Although he seriously hoped Usagi wouldn't get caught in the crossfire like she did in his dream.
That thought led him to his usual, yet different, meeting with the Princess. It was not lost on him that both she and his dream Usagi thought the silver crystal would help them. He knew that it would help find the Princess, but how was it supposed to help in Usagi's case? Would finding the crystal and in turn finding the Princess help Usagi if she were Sailor Moon again? Would it make things easier for her? Would it help them when the Senshi found out he was Tuxedo Kamen?
But how could that he? He wondered. If Usagi is right and I have some kind of romantic connection to the princess then why would she want to help smooth things over for us? He asked himself as he shifted under his covers.
Then again, if I'm right about it being reincarnation then it makes a lot more sense. We're supposed to be together and the Senshi wouldn't be able to stop us. Usagi would be the princess I've been dreaming about since I was a child. A part of her would have been reaching out to me to help awaken her. And I would be the guy she's been dreaming about, the one she's been having feelings so strong for that they make her cry even though she can't remember. He considered optimistically.
The fact that the Princess had a connection to him to be able to come to him in his dreams, and he had a connection to Usagi to come to her as Sailor Moon gave a great deal of credibility to them being reincarnations.
Still, it wasn't proof so he wasn't going to get his hopes up. He would simply keep it in mind.
That brought up something else he wanted to keep in mind. The Princess didn't know if there was a way for him to remember her or find out who she was without the silver crystal, but that didn't mean that there wasn't a way.
If he could remember her and find her without the crystal then that would be great. He would just have to help her remember who she was. That's not to say they wouldn't need to find the crystal anymore because they would since it belonged to her, but surely she would know where it was or what exactly it looked like.
I'll talk to Usagi about all of this. She might have some ideas and maybe a dream of her own to share. If she remembers it anyway. Mamoru thought as he turned his alarm off before it could go off needlessly.
He took a quick shower, got dressed, and ate a quick breakfast. He then made sure he had everything he would need for the day, including his letter to Usagi, and left his apartment. It only took him a few minutes to get to his girlfriend's house and knock on the door.
"Good morning Mamoru." Mrs. Tsukino said after answering the door.
"Good morning. I just wanted to leave this for Usagi." Mamoru said as he handed her the envelope containing his letter.
"I'll make sure she gets it as soon as she wakes up." Mrs. Tsukino promised. "Will you still be coming for dinner?" She asked.
"Yes. I'll be back some time this afternoon to spend some time with Usagi before dinner." He assured the older woman.
"Okay. I'll see you then. Have a good day." Mrs. Tsukino said with a smile.
"Thanks. Bye." Mamoru said as he walked back to his idling car and headed for his college campus.
Girl's POV
Monday Afternoon
Ami and Makoto sat underneath their usual tree with Luna, who had met them there as soon as the lunch hour began, settled on Ami's lap so as not to draw attention.
None of them had spoken about what had happened at Usagi's house the day before because they each had wanted time to let it all settle and think everything through.
They had each given a brief summary of their conversation with Usagi, and Luna had even told them about her suspicions about Tuxedo Kamen knowing Usagi's identity and about the letter and rose. She explained that she hadn't said anything before because she wanted conformation. It wouldn't have done any good to make a big deal out of it only for it to turn out to only be from Mamoru.
Besides that, she didn't want to keep things from them. Secrets, lies, and half-truths were part of the reason they were in the mess they were in.
Currently Luna was telling the girls what she found out about Rei's conversation with Usagi. She had gone to Rei's temple after they left Usagi's house because she wanted and needed to know what had happened. She needed to know if it would have any effect on getting Usagi back on the team.
It had been clear right away that it would have an effect and the two girls agreed once they understood what had happened.
It was clear that Rei either didn't believe or didn't care what Ami had said, and Luna confirmed, about their DNA having changed and that they could not be replaced as their planets senshi.
I don't like the fact that Rei made it seem like we're really looking for a new leader amongst ourselves, or that it was a group decision to replace Usagi as Sailor Moon while making her only fight when we call her to until the replacement is found. Makoto thought with a frown.
It reminded her of her thoughts the previous day about Rei's jealousy of Usagi being about more than her friendship with Mamoru, and how it may have crossed over into their Senshi life.
Makoto told Ami and Luna her thoughts concerning that to get their opinion since she decided she didn't want to wait to tell Luna after Ami.
"I hadn't thought of that before, but it does seem it may be the case." Ami commented thoughtfully. "It's possible that Rei could be jealous of Usagi for a number of reasons." She continued. "Being the first senshi, for the manner in which they became friends- Rei could think that Usagi was only doing it out of pity, for being the only one who can destroy youma alone, for being made leader, for being friends with the only guy she likes, maybe even for being the one that Tuxedo Kamen always focuses on." Ami reasoned.
"Her jealousy could have led to anger and hostility and led her to do and say things that would make Usagi look bad to us while making herself look good." She finished her analysis.
Luna agreed that that could very well be the case. Especially with learning just how much Rei had lied to her and understanding how much of a toll it had taken in Usagi's life.
"It may also be because Rei might have low self-esteem, and she's using Usagi to make her feel better about herself." Luna considered.
"That reminds me of bullies." Ami said with a frown. "We need to do something about this situation before it gets worse, because from what I know of bullies they get violent sooner or later. I'm also worried that if Rei is acting this way with Usagi, how will she behave toward the Moon Princess when we find her."
"Will she be jealous of the girl for being the princess? For having the silver crystal? Would she blame the princess for all the things we've been through to find her? What if the princess takes a liking to Mamoru? If she could be angry at Usagi for just being his friend, what will she do to the princess for wanting to be more then friends?" Ami questioned in concern.
Makoto grimaced at that. She did not like what her quiet friend was getting at, but then something disturbing came to her then.
"What if Rei secretly thinks she may be the princess?" She asked with wide eyes.
"I hope she's not." Ami replied instantly. She didn't care if that made her sound bad. Rei was already demanding and somewhat controlling. Adding a sense of royalty to that would make her even worse.
Luna didn't comment. Although she secretly hoped Rei was not the Moon Princess they were looking for, they couldn't know for sure if she was or wasn't. Rei may turn out to be the princess for all they know and she didn't want the girls to be influenced by anything she said, especially since they were influenced enough by their own opinions and feelings for the hot-tempered girl.
"What are we going to do about Rei's attitude and temper toward Usagi and getting Usagi back on the team?" Ami questioned. "Do you know how she feels about Rei?" She asked Luna, hoping their sick friend had voiced her opinion when they spoke.
"No. All I know is that Rei is not allowed to come with us when we visit her. I'm not sure if that is permanent or temporary." Luna said quietly.
"I'm fine with that. As long as we can visit her, that's what matters. And we should do that today." Makoto said. "Maybe we can find out how she feels about Rei, and if she's willing to come back to the team now that we've apologized."
"I think we should visit her as well." Ami said and Luna nodded her agreement. "But I'm wondering if we should tell her about our DNA changing and how she can't be replaced and will always be Sailor Moon." She said.
"I don't think we should." Makoto began. "Not because I want it to be a secret but because I want Usagi to come back because she wants to. Not because she thinks she has to and doesn't have a choice."
"I agree but we might have to if the situation doesn't change. Before the Negaverse realizes we are having problems amongst ourselves." Luna said in a serious tone.
Ami and Makoto had no problem agreeing to that. Neither of them wanted to find out what Zoisite would do if he found out.
From that agreement their conversation ended and they were able to finish their lunches before the hour ended and head back to class. After school was finished the duo met up with Luna and headed to Usagi's house.
Usagi's POV
Monday Morning
Usagi woke with a gasp, tears streaming down the sides of her face. She clutched her chest and grimaced at the phantom pain that was already fading. She couldn't remember the end of her dream, the part that caused her pain. Just the man's name and the feelings it brought her, but she did remember the beginning of it.
There were two things that really stood out. First, there were four senshi. She couldn't remember their faces but none of their uniforms looked like what she had worn as Sailor Moon. The blue, green, and red that three of the females wore was familiar.
The orange was not.
Did that mean that there was another senshi that would be joining the girls? One that would take her place? Because there had been no senshi of the Moon in her dream, which made her quitting the Senshi all the more justified.
Second, the Endymion guy had been dressed just like Tuxedo Kamen. Exactly like him. Down to the last detail except for the hat, and apparently he and the older girl that looked like her were from two planets that were having issues. Neither one of them was from Mercury since she remembered him saying he and his mother had been there visiting the Queen from her last dream.
Usagi sighed as she sat up. She would mention all of this to Mamoru when he came later.
She glanced at her nightstand to check the time and saw an envelope with her name written on it. She opened it and pulled what was obviously a letter from it.
He wrote it! She thought happily, knowing from the opening that it was from her secret boyfriend. She wiggled around to make herself comfortable and began to read.
My Usagi,
I told you you would have another letter soon and here it is. I thought a lot about what you said tonight on my way home. About all the issues you've been having as Sailor Moon. I understand and you have very valid reasons to be concerned. Running around the city at night, most likely in your pajamas, can be dangerous. No forget that. It is dangerous. I don't know how the Senshi transformations work but I imagine you would be too tired or in too much pain to keep it in place. That or you just don't want to be seen going home as Sailor Moon. Either way you would be left in whatever you were wearing, and there are a lot of unsavory people out at night.
I don't have the same fear of sexual assault as you but I worry about something similar. I worry about being mugged when I'm not paying attention. I always wonder what would happen if they find that I don't have anything on me since I would be in my night clothes. It's not like with the youmas where you can fight and destroy them. I can't go tossing my roses at them. They may look nice and even smell good but they are lethal. Can't go around killing humans.
So again, I understand. I also understand that the other Senshi don't have to worry about sneaking around like you. They either don't have family or their family isn't as involved in their lives as yours is.
As for your powers. That's something I hadn't noticed until you said something, and I worry about it. I remember you being able to fight and defeat youmas on your own. Your power shouldn't be decreasing. If anything it should have increased as time passed. I want to ask if you told the others but I don't think you did, and by now I can imagine what their response would have been if you had. Nothing constructive.
I can definitely relate to a lot of the issues you have. I'll tell you what life has been like for me as Tuxedo Kamen. I know that most people might say we are focusing on the negative side of this hero business but it's kind of hard not to.
Being Tuxedo Kamen has made my life stressful, tiring, and painful to name a few. It has made me lie to my best friend, someone who, until you came along was my only friend. I worry about getting so hurt that I would have to miss class or end up in the hospital. How would I explain how I got hurt? Or worse, if I'm killed. If that happened who would know? Would my body be found? Would anyone care if I suddenly disappeared one day? I don't even want to go into my fear of what would happen if I were captured by the enemy.
Let's not forget that in the beginning I had no idea I was Tuxedo Kamen. The missing chunks of time, blank spaces in my memory, and ending up in random places and not knowing how I got there were beyond stressful. There were more than a few times where I thought I was going crazy, but what was I going to do about it? There was nothing I could do.
Then there's something that you most likely don't know about. I can always feel it when you transform. I don't know why. There must be some kind of link between us that allows it. I get this sudden pain in my head that lets me know that I need to get to you, and when I transform I can always tell where you are. I can also feel your emotions when you're transformed. It lets me know when you're in danger, when you're hurt, when you're sad, when you're confused. I've gotten pretty good at being able to tell how you feel before it comes through the link. You might wonder how I can do that since I would have to be watching you and the enemy but I've managed. I didn't want to rely on the link in case something happened to it.
I know you still want to know why I want you to be Sailor Moon again, that you're still trying to understand. It's difficult to explain, I can't even explain it to myself. I just know that I want you out there with me. That I need you out there with me. I could always say that it's for the good of the city- and it is, but I'm going to be selfish here. I need you to continue being Sailor Moon. It feels like there's something we need to do. I don't know what but the feeling is there.
Anyway, just think about it. Please? For me? You're a great senshi Usagi. You always have been. You always take your duty seriously. You're always at fights even when you're tired or in pain. Even when you felt that the other Senshi had turned on you, you were still there fighting the enemy and protecting people. And there's something else I want to point out. You may be afraid that someone will be hurt or killed because of you, but let me remind you that no one actually has been. I think this fear of yours, while very valid, is a combination of your fears and worries and the Senshi's repeated negative words getting to you. You can only hear something and think something so much before you start to believe it.
You know, I don't like the tone of this letter. I think in my next one I'll write more about myself. We are supposed to be getting to know each other after all. I can't wait to see you again. I'll definitely have a rose ready for when I do.
Your baka,
Mamoru
Usagi sighed as she lay the letter on her lap. Mamoru had said so much. A lot of it was shocking to her and the rest of it was soothing to her self-esteem and conscious. It was really nice to know that someone understood her fears and worries, and the fact that he had some of the same fears and worries she did helped her feel like she wasn't alone.
It's nice to know that I'm not the only one having a hard time with this secret identity life. I wonder how he deals with it, especially since he didn't have others to talk to like I did. At least I did before they started criticizing everything I did. She thought curiously.
She decided then to think about being Sailor Moon again. Only because Mamoru asked and only because of the way he asked. He wanted her back out there to fight with him, at his side, not because he suddenly realized that her power was needed.
I'm curious about this feeling he has about us needing to do something. Maybe I need to help him find his princess and he needs to help me figure out who that Endymion guy is to me. She considered thoughtfully. Although I'm still hoping its reincarnation, and if that's the case then we would still need to help each other remember or the dreams won't stop. She thought with a sigh.
Usagi looked the letter over once more and decided that she had done enough thinking on those topics.
I'll come back to this later. The dream as well. She thought as she refolded the letter and placed it in the envelope and stored it in her nightstand with her other letter and roses.
After putting her robe on Usagi made her way down to the kitchen where she found her mother cleaning up the remains of breakfast.
"Good morning mom." Usagi said quietly, not wanting to agitate her throat. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about a few things?" She asked as she sat down.
"Of course you can." Mrs. Tsukino said as she finished cleaning. "You start while I make breakfast, but first tell me how you're feeling." She said as she began to move around the kitchen and prepare to heat some water for tea.
Usagi told her mother that she was feeling better, that all her aches and weariness were less than they had been the day before but were still there. As she explained her condition she reminded herself to be as honest as she could about her feelings for her boyfriend.
"I like Mamoru. I really really like him." She began to tell her mom as she thought about the raven-haired young man. "I know that my feelings seem to have come on quick. They felt that way at first, until I actually thought about how I really felt about Mamoru. I think they seemed to have come on quick because they had already been there." She tried to explain.
"We were usually arguing, teasing, and insulting each other whenever we saw one another, and I think that's the reason I hadn't noticed any feelings toward him at the beginning. Or why I might have ignored them since at the time I thought he was irritating, annoying, mean, cold, and distant. But now…" She trailed off with a light sigh as she thought of the roses and the kisses on her cheek.
"Now I'm seeing a different side of him that I really like. It's also helped that I now know that he's liked me before these past few days even if he hadn't realized it at the time, and it also helps that he's not afraid to show me how he feels." She explained with a smile.
Usagi went on to shyly explain how Mamoru had asked her to be his girlfriend and how she had said yes, but that they had decided to keep it secret because of her dad and because one of her friends liked him. However, they both had agreed that her mom should know about their dating status.
Mrs. Tsukino nodded along with her daughter's tale and noted how very similar it sounded to what young Mamoru had revealed to her the night before. It was also very clear that despite already deciding to date one another, the young man wanted their approval before making it public.
She already approved of him because of what she knew of him so far, as well as for his prompt actions in taking care of her daughter and seeing her safely home. Now she could add his wanting her to know about their decision to begin dating to the list. Not only that but his willingness to stand up to her husband the way he had.
His feelings for Usagi must be strong, especially for him to put up with Kenji's attitude. The older woman thought as she set a hot cup of lemon tea in front of her daughter, and then voiced something that had bothered her about what her daughter said.
"Which one of your friends likes him, and why did you emphasize the word that way?" Mrs. Tsukino asked with a slight frown.
Usagi sighed and took a sip of the hot liquid as she thought about Rei.
"Rei, the one that left last night, is the one that likes him." She said quietly. "Mamoru went on a few dates with her in the hopes that she would see that they had nothing in common and lose interest instead of him outright rejecting her and hurting her feelings." She explained.
"As a result of those dates she seems to be under the impression that he's her boyfriend, and she doesn't like the fact that I could be anything other than an enemy to him since that's what we've appeared to be since I've known her." She continued as her mother placed a bowl of hot cinnamon oatmeal in front of her.
"She even got jealous of the rose he gave me yesterday. She was angry with me for having it and angry with him for giving it to me. I told her we were friends otherwise we wouldn't bother speaking to each other but she didn't believe it." She finished and took a cautious bite of the hot oatmeal.
Mrs. Tsukino shook her head at that, understanding more about why the young man had been so cautious in speaking the night before and not wanting Usagi's friends to know. This Rei girl would have thought he was seeing another girl, her friend, while he was dating her, and he couldn't be sure that the other girls wouldn't tell her if they found out.
"I hadn't been getting along with any of the girls recently," Usagi began after a few bites of her oatmeal. "but Rei most of all and yesterday they had each apologized to me, hoping to start mending our friendship. Rei didn't though. She had come in complaining and being jealous about the rose because Mamoru had never given her one."
"It was her saying things like that and a lack of an apology that had made me so angry. That and the fact that I just knew that she didn't think she had done anything wrong." She continued. "Right now I'm not sure if I even want to fix things between us or if I even care if she finds out about me and Mamoru at this point." She finished as she stirred her oatmeal.
"While I'm glad things are on the mend with the other girls I'm glad that you are going to be spending time away from Rei for a while. It's good that you're taking the time to see if you really want anything to do with her." Mrs. Tsukino said. "I also think Mamoru needs to talk to her and set her straight." She added with a slight frown.
"Me too." Usagi agreed. "He'll most likely do it the next time he sees her because I know he doesn't appreciate how she's been acting when it comes to him." She said before taking a sip of her tea.
"Mom?" She said after a few moments of silence. "Will you keep our relationship a secret from dad?" She asked hesitantly, afraid her mother would refuse.
"Of course I will dear." Mrs. Tsukino agreed with a smile. "After all, it's not every day that my daughter brings a boy home…so-to-speak." She said, remembering how the young man had actually brought her daughter home. "Oh! Did you get the envelope I left on your nightstand? Your young man came by and left it this morning." She added in a conspiratorial tone.
"I did. Thanks for making sure I would see it right away." Usagi said with a bright smile.
Usagi smiled contently as she sat eating and drinking her tea while her mother went on and on about how much she liked Mamoru, how she thought he was good for her, and her for him. How she thought he was so sweet to bring her flowers and brave to stand up to her father the way he had. She would definitely have to remember to tell him how much her mother liked him.
After Usagi finished her breakfast and tea she went back upstairs and took a bath to get herself cleaned up and refreshed for Mamoru's visit since she needed to anyway, and because she wanted to eat with him and her family again and didn't want to smell bad.
When she was finished she dressed in a clean pair of cream colored pajamas with pink flowers on them and her robe. She straightened her bed, opened the curtains to her balcony, then got her school work and text books and began to work where she left off the night before from the comfort of her bed.
She spent the next few hours focused entirely on her school work. She had even brought out her star locket to listen to its soothing melody as she worked. Not even the coughing fit she had could interrupt her focus, but she was thankful for the tea her mother brought her after she heard her.
Usagi was down to the one-page handouts and had just popped a cough drop into her mouth when she heard a knock on the front door through her open door. She hoped it was Mamoru but there were multiple voices so it couldn't be him.
It's probably Luna, Ami, and Makoto coming for a visit. She guessed and quickly shut her locket and placed it in her nightstand with Mamoru's letters and roses. There was no way she wanted them to see it. It hadn't been any of their business when she was Sailor Moon and it was even less now that she no longer was.
Moments later Makoto, Ami, and Luna were knocking on her open door and greeting her. She calmly returned their greetings and answered questions about how she was feeling.
As she was putting her school work away she noticed Makoto closing her door and groaned inwardly, aware that they wanted to talk about something that was probably Senshi related and none of her business.
"I found out what Rei said that had made you so angry and I informed Ami and Makoto earlier." Luna began as she sat on the side of Usagi's bed. "None of us knew that Rei wanted to try and use you until a replacement could be found." She said sincerely.
"Rei had called a meeting wanting to pick a new leader and find someone to replace you on the team, but we hadn't agreed to any of it." Ami continued where Luna left off.
"That was nice of you but I don't care if you pick a new leader or replace me." Usagi said calmly as she dissolved her cough drop. "When I quit I had fully expected you to do just that. And you really shouldn't be discussing anything Senshi related with me." She finished.
"Does that mean you're not going to come back? Even though we apologized?" Makoto asked quietly.
"No I'm not." Usagi answered bluntly. "My feelings and concerns about how I was as a senshi haven't changed. Rei also clearly hasn't changed and I don't want or need to put up with her attitude and behavior." She stated firmly. It didn't matter that she was considering going back for Mamoru. She hadn't made a decision yet and they certainly didn't need to know that.
"So how are things going for all of you? How's school?" She asked, changing the subject.
They answered that everything was going well for each of them, and that they assumed everything was going well with Rei. They had even tried to tell Rei about Usagi's changes in school, but she refused to listen and claimed she was cheating or had memorized the answers.
Usagi just shook her head. This was another reason why she wanted to stay away from Rei. She was a negative influence in her life and if the girl didn't change she didn't think she wanted anything to do with her.
"What do you think about Rei? How do you feel about her?" Luna asked.
"I'm considering ending what's left of our friendship." Usagi answered honestly. "Rei is mean, demanding, controlling, demeaning, and an all-around negative influence in my life. She is no longer allowed in my home, and I'm going to do everything I can to stay away from her until I make a decision on our friendship." She said.
"I hope you all don't let her influence you anymore. Also, since I'm distancing myself from her she might turn on one of you. I hope she doesn't but it's possible." She cautioned them. "It might have only been me that she acts this way with or any mention of me so keep that in mind." She added.
Luna frowned at that. It wasn't something she had considered. It also brought back thoughts of what would happen when they found the Moon Princess. Would Rei turn on the royal girl the way she had with Usagi? And what of before that? Would she turn on Ami or Makoto to fill in for what she could no longer do to Usagi? Or would it only happen when she was jealous or angry with one of them?
This situation seemed to be getting worse. She now knew the problems and the cause, but she was no closer on how to get Usagi back as Sailor Moon. She was almost positive Usagi wouldn't even consider coming back if Rei didn't change.
She needed to report to Central Control. Maybe they would have an idea of what to do.
Makoto and Ami hadn't thought of that either. Ami knew that she should have, considering she would be the most likely target. Makoto knew she wouldn't be a target because she was a fighter. She could give it back as good as she got it.
Still, they would need to do something about Rei. She needed a serious wakeup call. Something that would finally convince her that she needed to change.
"I think we should go now. We did interrupt you, and we need to do our homework as well." Ami said as she stood up, and Makoto and Luna agreed. They wanted to stay and do their homework with her, but their friendship was still too fragile to invite themselves to hang out when it was only supposed to be a visit.
They said their goodbyes and the trio left. Usagi didn't even think about their visit once they were gone. All it did was let her know that they wanted her back on the team, and that she was right to stay away from Rei. She hoped that Rei didn't turn on them but there was nothing she could do.
Now she was going to get back to her makeup work. She hoped she could finish it all before Mamoru came. She wanted to hang out with him before dinner, especially since she wanted to share her latest dream. She also hoped that if she finished her work she could go to school the next day since she was doing much better and was sure she would be even better in the morning.
Two hours later…
Usagi was just finishing the last one-page handout when there was a knock on the front door. She knew it had to be Mamoru. They weren't expecting anyone else and her little brother was already home.
She heard voices, moments later she heard footsteps on the stairs, and then there he was. Her boyfriend walking through her bedroom doorway. She knew she had a big smile on her face and the only thing that kept her from blushing was the fact that he was smiling just as hard.
Usagi watched as he settled on the floor next to her bed and pulled a perfect red rose out of nowhere. He silently handed it to her and gave her a kiss on her cheek, both of them shivering at the electric feeling accompanying the contact.
"Hi." Mamoru said softly with a smile.
"Hi." Usagi replied in a whisper, suddenly shy as she placed the rose in her hair behind her ear.
"It's very bright in here and you're not under your covers. Does that mean you're feeling better?" He asked.
"Yes it does. My throat still hurts but not too bad, and I'm still feeling weak but not as weak as yesterday." She answered.
"And feeling well enough to do homework." He noticed as he looked at the books and paper scattered around her bed.
"Yeah. I started last night after I took a nap and started again this morning. This is all I have left." She said as she showed him the thick five page or so handout. "I was hoping that if I finished today then I could go to school tomorrow." She finished.
"Walking to school might take up all your energy if you're still feeling weak in the morning." Mamoru said with a concerned frown. "How about I give you a ride to school and pick you up after and bring you home? That way you don't waste any energy and you can get home quick so you can continue to rest and get even better for the next day." He suggested.
"I love it and I'm sure mom will appreciate that I won't have to exert myself to get to and from school." Usagi said, happy about the possibility of spending time alone with Mamoru away from her bedroom.
"I'll go tell your mom and see if she's okay with the idea." He said as he got up. It only took him a few minutes and he was back with her mom's agreement.
Usagi was happy, but an uncertain sigh escaped her.
"I had wanted to finish before you got here but now that you're here I want to talk, especially since I want to share what I remember of my dream." She said with a slight frown.
"I want to share my dream too." Mamoru said with a frown of concentration as he tried to think up a solution that would work for her. "How about you finish one or two pages and then we can talk. You can finish the rest later." He suggested helpfully and watched as his girl nodded and got back to her work.
As Mamoru sat there quietly so as to not distract Usagi he kept eyeing her long hair. He couldn't help it. It was spilling over the side of her bed and pooling on the floor next to him. He wanted to touch it, run his fingers through the long length. He finally decided to stop torturing himself and if she minded she would tell him.
He reached over and ran his fingers through the thick silky length that spilled over the side and through the length pooled on the floor, pulling it into his lap for better access.
Mamoru peeked over at Usagi and saw her watching him with a smile.
"I'll find times to leave it down since you seem to like it." She said softly and Mamoru rewarded her with a happy grin and a blush.
As Mamoru got his fill of running his fingers through her hair he finally noticed something that had been catching his eye but that he had been too busy luxuriating in the feel of her silky tresses to really pay attention to. White, almost silver strands were mixed in with the gold. He almost immediately thought it was stress, but then discounted it because it wasn't gray strands.
Now that he was really looking at it they seemed to be streaked throughout her hair. He looked up to her head as she was bent over, writing, and narrowed his eyes as he realized it started at her roots and went all the way to her ends. It wasn't noticeable if you weren't examining her hair but they were there.
These weren't there last night. He suddenly realized with slightly wide eyes. I'll wait until she's finished with her work before I say anything. He thought as he continued to run his fingers through her hair and gaze at the new silver white strands. He wondered why the new color was there and if it meant anything as he waited patiently for his girlfriend to finish her school work.
It wasn't too long before Usagi finished two pages of her packet and began to gather her scattered papers and store them and her books on her desk. Once she was settled back on her bed she noticed that Mamoru looked a bit troubled as he went back to touching her hair.
"What's wrong Mamoru?" She asked quietly.
"You have white almost silver like strands streaked throughout your hair and they weren't there last night." He explained.
Usagi was shocked and when she looked at her hair she saw them too and was surprised she hadn't noticed them when she took her bath.
"Can I hear your dream? Since this color seems to have come in overnight your dream might have something to do with it." Mamoru said as he looked at her.
Usagi explained what she remembered in detail- blushing at some points, what she couldn't remember, and what she had taken note of.
"You know…now that I'm thinking about it the girl's hair was a cross between silver and gold. It's that color in each dream that I remember." She added thoughtfully.
Mamoru frowned in thought as he played with the ends of Usagi's hair. This really was starting to look like reincarnation. What were the odds that she would dream about an older looking version of herself with the color hair hers was starting to turn as well as the Endymion guy dressed like he did when he was Tuxedo Kamen?
He said as much to Usagi and reminded her that the Princess he was looking for had the same color hair.
"I don't think your dreams are dreams at all but memories." Mamoru said quietly as he looked her in the eye. "Maybe Sailor Moon wasn't there because she hadn't existed in that life because she was busy being the Princess, and the senshi that wore orange is the last of the guardians that hasn't shown up yet." He finished just as quietly.
"If that's the case and I turn out to really be the Moon Princess, why was I made Sailor Moon if such a senshi never existed?" She asked quietly, neither one of them wanting her family to overhear their conversation.
Mamoru thought about that as his fingers weaved through her hair in his distraction.
"Maybe since you were the first senshi found whatever it was that caused Luna to know who a senshi was recognized who you really were but knew that it was too soon for you to be revealed, and until then you would be unknowingly protected by being a part of the Senshi." He reasoned.
Usagi sighed and wanted to deny everything that had just come out of his mouth, but it was all very logical and made sense.
"It would explain the dreams." Usagi said slowly as she looked down at her hands. "Maybe some part of my mind is trying to prepare me so it wouldn't come as a total shock. And it would also explain my lack of skills as a senshi. The girls were warriors in the other life whereas if I'm really the Moon Princess then this warrior business is a first for me." She finished thoughtfully as she looked back to him.
"I agree. It does make sense." Mamoru said and decided it was time to share his dream since it might offer up more clues.
He explained everything that he remembered from start to finish, and the thoughts and conclusions he had come to.
Usagi sighed yet again. More things were adding up to this being reincarnation. She remembered in his letter Mamoru mentioned his connection to her that let him know she had transformed and might need his help. It would stand to reason that her connection to him could be the dreams he had been having.
The part about everything being lost if the enemy found the silver crystal also fell into place since the enemy was currently collecting the rainbow crystals, presumably to find the silver crystal, and anything the enemy did was bad news.
"I think it's a good idea to find a way to remember without the crystal." Usagi said after telling him her thoughts.
"I agree because even with the dreams, our feelings involved because of them, and your hair changing color- it isn't enough. We need solid proof and we can only get that if we remember." Mamoru concluded.
"True. I…" She began but paused as something he said registered. She knew that she had feelings involved because of the dreams, but what feelings did he have involved?
"I thought you said you didn't have feelings when it came to your dreams, so what could you be feeling?" She asked.
"It's not my dreams that I get feelings from. It's yours." Mamoru revealed slowly, hesitantly. "I get a weird spacey feeling when I think of the name Endymion. The first time I heard you say it in your sleep my mind went kind of blank, and the first thing I thought of was my dreams about the Princess." He said as he nervously played with her hair, and wondered if this was how she felt when she explained how the man's name made her feel.
"The other things you said in your sleep caused me pain, so some part of me must have understood and known what you had been saying and dreaming." He finished.
"Endymion." She said deliberately and tried to ignore the feelings that rose within her as she watched Mamoru's eyes go blank, then his eyelids flutter before he blinked and seemed to come back to himself.
"It's just more evidence to the reincarnation theory." She said with a nod. "I wonder if I would have the same kind of reaction to the Princess' name, but what I really want to know is how I'm supposed to remember."
They were both quiet for a time as they thought about what to do to try and help her remember her memories if she was the princess.
"Your dreams might be the key since you're starting to remember them when you wake up. Perhaps if you remembered more and thought about them a lot you might remember something on your own while you're awake." Mamoru suggested.
"I'll let you know in the morning if I remember what I dream tonight." She agreed with a nod.
"Let's talk about something else and give our minds time to adjust to what we've learned." He suggested and Usagi quickly agreed.
"At the end of your letter you said you would write more about yourself." Usagi reminded him. "You could start now and continue in your next letter." She suggested and he agreed with a smile.
Mamoru began to talk about himself, giving details of his childhood both good and bad, the places he had worked in middle school and high school- including his modeling stint, and how he and Motoki became friends.
During that time Mr. Tsukino came home and Mamoru paused in his narration to greet the older man, and by the time he finished his story about him and his best friend dinner was ready. He happily helped his Usagi down to the dining room where her family waited.
Meanwhile…
A black feline waited in the cold across the street from the arcade. She waited to make sure all employees were gone and waited for the foot and car traffic on the street to die down before making her way to the front of the business.
Once out front she used her moonbeam to open the entrance and close it before making her way to the Sailor V game.
When the game started up she went through the routine of giving a voice analysis and password before the game screen went fuzzy and the computer generated voice spoke.
It was time to report her findings to Central Control.
