A few things are in order here.

One, I haven't disclaimed in a while. Yeah, yeah, not mine. Except the song excerpt is but whatever.

Two, we passed 12,000 hits on this story! You guys deserve a huge, ginormous, reverberating THAAANK YOUU! You're seriously the best readers and reviewers EVER! You've been so patient with me and I'm glad you're enjoying this story as much as I am! (:

Three, regarding this chapter: Yeah, it's short. No dialogue. It works better that way, I think. I just love Mamoru, okay, gosh... *hides in the corner*

Four, have a recap that is irrelevant to the chapter to come:

Episode 114: Mimet-centric. Ugh. Not a ton happens, really. She and Minako go out for the same contest to be a heroine in pop star Araki-kun's upcoming movie and, uh, no one wins, so Mimet takes his heart. But then the Senshi show up and – weirdly enough – give the heart back.

Shocker, I know. But seriously, Mimet needs to stop having alternate fantasies between every celebrity ever and the Professor, simultaneously. It's creeping me out.

I'm riding on Cloud Nine

So stars, come at me

I swear I'm doing fine

So earth, forget me

And when the fire rains above, I'll know the world is over

~ an original song

Curled, catlike, she slept in his lap.

"Battles always tire me out," she'd said through a yawn, over the phone. "I should – s-stay home." Another yawn, even louder.

"Please?" he'd begged softly. "I'd just… I'd like you to come. If you can."

"Well…" He'd heard her hesitate, heard her temptation. "I guess I could ask Mama if I can stay at… at…"

"I think it's Ami's turn, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Ami's. Ami's house."

Twenty minutes later, she'd arrived at his door, odangos drooping. "I almost fell asleep on the bus," she'd announced dolefully. "I mean, I did. I think. I'm actually not even sure."

He'd laughed and scooped her over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, and deposited her on the couch. She was asleep in minutes.

In the midst of a dream, she twitched and sighed, murmuring something that sounded vaguely akin to "Mamoru".

He smiled.

He would never tell her why he needed her so badly. He could never really describe the way the hollow in his chest stopped aching whenever she was near; how his mind could clear again in her presence; how the fog lifted, how the stupor vanished, and how he felt invigorated, revitalized, energized, restored. How the constant edge of creeping destruction that hovered nebulously around him seemed to dissipate at her touch. How deeply, madly, horrifically in love he was.

No, he wouldn't tell her, because he was a proud sort of boy with a vanity that led to standoffishness. He wasn't used to opening up and spilling his guts and this particular subject didn't exactly his image of his own masculinity. Being a man and being head-over-heels for some beautiful girl – that meant he was either profoundly lucky or profoundly whipped, depending on what sort of male you asked. Not that he really cared, much; his closest acquaintances were men many years his senior or very sensible, studious young women, and how could he, Mamoru-kun, a very dedicated, very reserved, very down-to-earth sort of fellow, skip into class one day and start singing about love, of all things? He chuckled at the thought of his professors' faces when they saw Chiba-kun dancing around the desks and clicking his heels together. They'd think he lost it for sure.

But he was far from going crazy; he'd never felt more sane. It was a simple thing, love, coursing with hormones and instinct and evolution. Things were made to work this way. He was meant to feel this happy. It all pushed toward procreation, of course, and that was light years away, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the ride. And it made him feel better to know that this wasn't an accident; science was backing him up, and science he'd always trusted. There was no danger of being swept out of control by untamable emotion if this was the way things were supposed to be. And they were. He knew so. He'd seen the future.

Grinning widely to himself, he leaned his head back on interlaced fingers. He'd traveled time. He, Chiba Mamoru, was the only male ever to transcend the barriers of time and space. Damn, was that cool, or what?

Cool, his science-fiction-loving side assured him. Way cool. Unbelievably cool. He still wondered about the alternate universes bit, but he'd take the challenges as they came, and worry about where he would end up when he ended up there. He had a feeling – just a feeling – that when he reached that place, he'd be alright.

Because it was like there was some driving force behind Usagi, something that was her and was far too alien to be in any way affiliated with her, all at once. Some pulsating network of love and justice was driving her forward to cleanse the earth, and if Mamoru had ever found anything of God in the world, it was that presence. And that presence would not exist without her, and so neither would his God, neither would his salvation, neither would his happiness or sanity or purpose.

She was his essence. She was his life.

Usagi nuzzled into his stomach and he stroked her slightly tangled, sun-bleached hair.

He never could have believed that things could be so… so… alright. So precarious and so deadly and so alright. The destruction was hovering around the world, crowding at the edge of his dreams, but he was through the clouds, transcending the atmosphere, riding the stars.

The earth was his planet, his fortress, his responsibility, but for right now, he was fine. He was more than fine. He was…

He glanced down at his hand and smiled softly.

He was glowing.

Oddly enough, I meant the 'glowing' literally. Just 'cause I've been having so much fun with the magical side of these two lately. Heh.

I think this season is going to pick up speed pretty soon, so stick around for some action! (Hopefully.) Lord knows I've nothing better to do with myself, so frequent updates should be ahead!

(And there was much rejoicing.)

Love, SB