The afternoon was filled up with an intensive learning session since the first exams would start by beginning of the upcoming week.

It had been a very strange time for Mamoru since he met Usagi for the first time. Sometimes he had asked himself how boring and meaningless his life had been before this sweet hurricane had messed up everything behind his before so solid and impregnable walls.

However, he had reached a point with dream-Usagi where he didn't have a clue where this should end up to. The big situation gap between those two relationships had become too complicated and he felt so torn between feeling that actually it made total sense to be with Usagi like that and his rational mind telling him that this was a girl he just had started developing a certain sort of a friendship with in reality.

He didn't know if the princess of his dreams was still fused with dream-Usagi or if she had turned back into the 14-year-old school girl version she was in their real life. It was really more than complicated this whole situation.

So he had been lying awake in his bed and found no way to fall asleep. Whenever he tried to close his eyes, tiny noises or his thoughts had kept him from falling into the land of dreams he desperately wanted to drift into. As if there was a barrier trying to keep him away from his dreams.

It must have been when the morning sun touched his window. The last time he checked his alarm clock it was almost six o'clock in the morning. The next time he rubbed his eyes and immediately glanced at the table next to his bed. It was three o'clock in the afternoon. Mamoru was startled. Nothing had happened at all. No dream. Neither from the princess nor from dream-Usagi. Absolutely nothing

"No, this cannot be true."

Mamoru was really disappointed. He had expected to talk to Usagi, or to do it again with her. Everything...but he never thought that nothing would happen. It was a frustrating situation and as he had missed all classes of today already, he got up, took a shower and headed over to the arcade in order to get some coffee and something to eat.

It got even more frustrating.

No sight of an Odango Atama, even Motoki wasn't there. Today everything seemed to be against Mamoru. He stayed in the arcade for a while but finally left, being more upset than he had been when he woke up this afternoon.

When the evening came, he decided to stay awake longer on purpose and switched on his television. A while had passed when he became utterly bored and randomly zapped through the tv channels.

'Something entertaining perhaps? Or an action thriller? Mhmm.'

At the beginning it was something like a vague feeling but the headache hit him when he was about to switch off the television. Mamoru hardly could breathe, his throat was narrowed while the incredibly pain took place in his head. After a few seconds the pain was gone and he felt like before.

Apart from one tiny fact.

Something urged him to storm out of his apartment. Something called out for him when he almost flew since he was running and jumping in an abnormal speed. It felt the same when he had put on the white mask the strange woman had given him in the costume rental.

Only some moments had passed until he approached a street which was supposed to be his target. Something told him to look out for an appropriate hiding. Mamoru jumped onto a tree as if it would be nothing. He had an appropriate overview of the happening of this rather quiet little street.

Suddenly his attention was caught by a very strange but somehow familiar silhouette. He saw the bad guy Usagi had told him about back in the Fruit Parlor. He was the same guy he'd met at the embassy masquerade ball who'd danced so closely and intimately with Usagi's friend Naru. Except for the mask, which this time didn't hide his eyes.

He seemed to be quite upset with something. Or better someone. He turned his gaze from him to a certain pigtailed Sailor warrior who was obviously involved in this situation.

By seeing the disguised Super hero, Mamoru realized that he seemed to be transformed as well. He was wearing again this tuxedo costume and his eyes were covered with a mask again. Unconsciously he put his hand into the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket and pulled out a single red rose.

'Is this my dream or is this reality?'

It looked like a normal rose, no magical golden glow, no golden crystal in sight. He fumbled in his pockets but couldn't find any little rose shaped charm in it.

Mamoru was now really worried, but couldn't stay much longer in this special status since the Sailor Scout seemed to be in trouble and obviously needed someone to rescue her.

This was his chance and without any hesitation, he threw the rose to the ground and distracted the bad bloke who gave him a quite upset look back in return while the blonde Sailor heroine seemed to be more than happy to see Mamoru in his disguise.

"How dare you, Tuxedo Kamen?!"

He growled at him but then turned his attention back to the girl in the fuku. Something seemed to distract him for a single second and his face changed into challenging expression "This can wait!" He uttered and declared to the girl "Sailor Moon, since I know your true identity, I'll be able to find and finish you off whenever I like to!"

By saying this, he dissolved into the darkness.

Left behind were a highly worried Sailor Moon and a even more highly worried Mamoru.

"What shall I do now? He knows who I really am!!!" The blonde heroine gave Mamoru an anxious glance. There was nothing else he could do than calming her down.

"Don't worry, Sailor Moon! There is nothing to be afraid of. I will protect you, regardless what will come up." By saying this, Mamoru decided to leave this funny situation without any further interaction.

'Why did I say this to her and why do I wear this costume and WHY DO I HAVE A STRONG FEELING that I did this every time when I had a migraine attack?!!!'

While Mamoru was running and jumping through the night of the still busy metropolitan, this time not in his running outfit and also not at daylight, he gradually came to the realization that he was part of something very big.

Something hidden, nothing that the rest of the world was meant to know about. He had been aware of the superheroes in the Sailor suits, he was even close to owning a Tuxedo Kamen doll, but so far it was more the idea that everything would belong to one huge show. It was certainly not a reality, especially his.

'Perhaps it is a dream and I'm going to wake up any moment?'

While he landed on his balcony with a gigantic but also frightening elegant jump, he dismissed the idea of another dream immediately. He stepped through the doors and stood in his living room.

"Right, how do I change back into my civilian appearance?"

He turned and patted off his tuxedo jacket when he suddenly felt something in one of his inside pockets. He pulled it out and eyed the red rose in his hand in amazement. Suddenly it started to glow. The light grew stronger and began to magically surround him. After a few moments the intensity decreased and Mamoru was dressed in his normal outfit again, the transformation rose was still in his hand.

"Okay, that is...um...quite impressive."

He admitted thoughtfully. Frankly speaking, he had to cope with this. He didn't have any other choice than accepting that he was able to transform into an alter ego and back. By using a rose apparently.

He gazed at the rose for a very long time, without thinking anything in particular. The flower didn't seem to be artificial, neither its petals were about to wither within the next days. Slowly he stepped out of this trance when another thought came into his mind. He headed into his bedroom and opened a drawer of his bedside table.

The little gem was here. It was the only memory he had left. Everything he had left of his parents. It's this sad music that always reminds him of something good. It always told him to hesitate and think twice. He had always assumed that there was some kind of message hidden in every tone, but Mamoru couldn't quite understand it. As if something was missing to reveal. Something like a key.

With slightly trembling fingers he opened the golden star shaped locket and set free its beautiful melody until it filled up the entire room.

"Regardless what time, date or situation might come. I will always and forever recall this melody since it touches my heart so deeply". He made this admission to the void but somehow he was addressing his own heart and mind with this oath.