A New Life

by Serena530

The war is over. Voldemort has finally been defeated, but Harry has lost something precious. Following the words of a lost loved one he makes a major discovery about himself, and sets off on a new path.

6. Combat & Socializing

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Sailor Moon or any of their characters, and have no right to them except as a long time fan.

A New Life
Chapter Six: Combat & Socializing

It had been a few days since Usagi met Mamoru and they had come to their little agreement.

They met up after school outside the arcade, and moved up the stairs to the cafe where Mamoru would help her with her English for a while then they would leave, and she would take him to a place he had never been before.

The first day was an ice cream parlor that served the best ice cream she had ever tasted, and she was proud that he agreed with her after getting a taste.

The next day was the same, going to the cafe and working on her English then leaving. That day she took him to a bookstore that sold nothing but manga and comic books from around the world. She had introduced him to manga and some of her particular favorites.

Today they had skipped meeting outside the arcade and just met up inside the cafe before greeting each other and getting to work on her English. After an hour of working on it and their own homework they decided to call it quits.

Much to Usagi's relief. Oh she found herself enjoying doing her homework for the first time, but that was because of the time she got to spend with Mamoru. She didn't want her time with him to end, but she did want to show him the next place she was going to introduce him to and she wanted them to have the time to enjoy it properly.

"Eager aren't we?" Mamoru asked as they started packing up, seeing her hurrying.

"Yeah!" Usagi said as she glanced to him but continued to pack up her things. "There's a place I want to take you and I want you to have time to enjoy it. At least I'm hoping you'll enjoy it." She explained.

"I guess we'll see." He said as he finished placing his books and papers into his bag.

Mamoru could admit that he was curious to see where she would take him this time. After all, he had enjoyed the ice cream parlor, and planned to revisit the bookstore at some point soon.

They finished packing up and she grabbed her school bag in her hand and he slung his messenger style bag over his head so it hung across his chest before they left the cafe.

The pair walked along the sidewalks until they reached the bus stop for the bus they needed and waited. Mamoru tried to ask her where they were going as he leaned against a pole, but Usagi just shook her head with a grin as she rocked back and forth on her feet and refused to tell.

The bus came a few minutes later and they got on and paid their fare before they found a place to sit. There were two empty single seats and Mamoru sat in one, facing sideways, and Usagi sat in the one right behind it facing him.

As the bus began to drive they began to talk about random things. They spoke in more detail about their school day, Usagi talked about her friends, one of which was her best friend Naru, and Mamoru talked about how he didn't have friends at school, but that it was because he hadn't tried since he was so focused on his studies.

Usagi rang the bell when she noticed their stop approaching, and Mamoru started looking out the windows intently trying to guess at where she was taking him.

"You won't be able to tell yet." Usagi said with a light giggle.

"Hey it was worth a try." Mamoru said with a shrug.

"True." She agreed. "You can get back to it after we start walking." She said as she stood up from her seat.

Mamoru joined her and they walked toward the back door of the bus and stepped off when the bus stopped and the doors opened.

Just as Usagi said Mamoru started pointing out different places on both sides of the street they walked on, and she shook her head and said no and even laughed at some of the ridiculous suggestions such as a furniture store.

They turned a corner and walked down a block, and that's when Usagi pointed out their destination.

Mamoru blinked his eyes slightly wide as he took in the large building. It was white with green accents and a large white round sign over the door that read Juban Rōrākingudamu in green lettering.

Juban Roller Kingdom. He silently translated for himself as he looked at the area around the building.

There was a small parking lot and lots of trees, bushes, and flower lots decorating the parking lot and front of the building. As they drew closer he could see walking paths leading off along the sides of the rectangle building, benches dotted the front here and there along the walls to the sides of the entrance.

Sukētorinku. He read as they got closer to the entrance and he could read the lettering beneath the main sign.

Mamoru silently let out a breath as he pulled open the glass door for them to go inside. They walked in and walked down a short hallway, following the signs and decorations, and eventually stepped into the large area that housed the main area.

He could immediately see an area where the skates could be rented, and he could see both kinds of skates available: regular and in-line. Aside from that were little lockers that he guessed were to leave your shoes and personal belongings, and an area where people could sit and eat while still wearing their skates.

Beyond all that was the skating rink itself. A large long shiny wooden floor with a low wall on the side facing them, and on the other side was floor to ceiling glass windows that curved around the rink to the left and right. Beyond the glass was a large garden where people could clearly walk and sit.

"So what do you think?" Usagi asked nervously, hoping and wondering if he would actually like the place since it was an activity place and not like the ice cream parlor and bookstore.

Mamoru glanced to Usagi before looking back toward the rink. The place was clearly popular since there were a good number of people of all ages skating and sitting around with music playing.

He was unsure about going ahead and trying this. He had never been skating before, but this is what he had asked for. He had wanted to see new places in the city. He would do it. It looked like fun, and he knew the only reason he wanted to hesitate was because he didn't want to look foolish if he fell.

"I'm unsure, but I want to try this." He said as he looked back to Usagi, and watched her face brighten.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Usagi exclaimed with a grin, and began to lead the way over to the rental counter where the skates were.

They requested skates in their size, both of them getting in-lines without even thinking about it, as well as one large locker that they could share to put their things.

"No no. I'll pay." Mamoru said as he saw Usagi digging through her school bag.

"No. I can do it." Usagi said as she looked to him, and watched him shake his head.

"I insist. Let me do this. You save your money for something else." He said as he pulled out his wallet.

"Alright." She said as she watched him take out some money and hand it over.

They grabbed their skates and the key to the locker they had been assigned and sat on a bench near that locker. Mamoru opened the locker and they put their bags inside as well as their shoes, and he closed the door and pocketed the key.

Then they both pulled on their skates and tied the laces tight so they were secure and wouldn't be loose on their feet.

"Are you ready?" Usagi said as she popped up excitedly and moved to stand in front of him.

"You'll help me right?" Mamoru asked as he looked up to her, and watched her face soften.

"Of course." Usagi said before she held out her hands to him. It had gone over her head earlier when he said he had been willing to try, but now she realized he had never been skating before.

Mamoru grabbed Usagi's hands and he stood up slowly as she pulled on his arms and skated back. Once he was standing they slowly made their way toward the entrance to the rink with Mamoru so far maintaining his balance.

"Ready?" Usagi asked as they reached the entrance, and watched him take a deep breath and let it out.

"Yes." Mamoru said with a firm nod.

Usagi nodded and stepped onto the rink first and turned to face him, still holding one of his hands, and held out her free hand encouragingly.

Mamoru grabbed it and pulled on his Gryffindor courage, and stepped onto the shiny wood one skate at a time. Once there he wobbled slightly as one skate rolled forward slightly while the other drifted back.

"Don't worry I've got you." Usagi said as she tightened her grip on his hands. "And if you go down we both go down."

Mamoru looked at her determined expression as she watched his feet, and couldn't help smiling.

"All the more reason to stay upright. Wouldn't want to drag you down with me." He said as he focused and moved his skate covered feet back together.

"Okay. If you angle your skates away from each other slightly to the sides it should stop you from rolling all over the place and stay in one place. At least that's what works for me." Usagi suggested, and watched him do just that while holding his hands.

His hands were large, slightly calloused, very warm, and did she say large? They were distracting, but she forced herself to concentrate on helping him.

I can think about his large warm hands when I get home. She thought as she watched his feet.

"This is better." Mamoru said as his skates stopped rolling back and forth. "Much more stable." He added. He liked stability; stability in its many different forms.

That was something else he'd found in Japan. Stability in his apartment, in his friendship with Motoki, in his education and all his senseis, in his therapist, and lastly the stable goal of being a healer to work toward in his life.

"Now to get moving all you have to do is angle one skate forward and push off with the other skate and then with the other and onward from there." Usagi explained before she let his hands go. "Watch. Like this."

Mamoru released her hands and watched as she moved to his side and then watched closely as she demonstrated her words. She moved forward smoothly and without hesitation for a few feet before she turned and sailed back toward him and stopped at his side.

"Okay." He said as he nodded, and then looked down at his feet as he angled his left skate forward. He looked back up to make sure his path was clear, and then pushed off with his right skate.

Instantly he moved forward and, remembering her instructions, moved his right skate in front and pushed off with his left as he had seen her do and continued on repeating the action. He almost lost his balance once but instinctively righted himself and kept going.

"You're doing good." He heard Usagi say and looked to his left to see her roll to his side.

"Thanks." He said with a light grin before he looked back forward and then down at his feet.

"So, I'm curious." Usagi said, wanting to take his mind off what his feet were doing. "Do you have any plans for after you finish with your classes and tutoring?" She asked.

"I plan on going into the medical field. To be a type of a doctor." Mamoru said as truthfully as he could.

"Wow. How long have you been working toward that?" Usagi asked, impressed by his ambition.

"It's a recent career choice." He answered. "Before that I had been considering doing something in law enforcement, but I decided I wanted to help people in a different way."

Mamoru glanced over at Usagi as they skated, rolling by the floor to ceiling windows, and found himself wanting to give her a nickname even if only in his own mind. Maybe something to do with her hair or how helpful she had been in teaching him to skate, but in the next moment he decided against it.

He didn't particularly like the things he had been called outside his name, and he didn't want to put her through the same things he had felt if he slipped and said it out loud. Plus, he liked her name.

Usagi. Rabbit. He thought with a light smile.

"That's nice." Usagi said as they skated. "I have no idea what I want to do. I've barely even thought about it."

"That's okay. You have time." Mamoru said reassuringly. "I had considered going into law enforcement when I was fifteen, but decided against it when I was seventeen and only a couple of months ago decided on the medical field."

"I guess I can start thinking about it now. Although, I have no idea what I would do." She said.

"Just think about the things you're good at, and the things you like." He said. "You seem to really like manga. Maybe you can become an artist and create your own manga someday."

"Hmm…that's a good idea." She said thoughtfully. "I've never tried drawing before, but I can see if I have any natural skill and if not I can try learning and see how I like it as time passes."

"I'll definitely try that, and see what else catches my interest from now on." She added as she looked his way.

"Good." He said with an approving nod. He liked that she would start to consider what she would do with her life in the future.

He'd wished he had a friend, an older friend, that would've given him guidance and advice when he was trying to pick his electives in his third year since they had been so important toward careers.

In fact, he wished he had someone who could have given him career advice before the session with Professor McGonagall in his fifth year. She was the one who put being an Auror in his mind based on his Defense Against the Dark Arts grades. He hadn't even questioned it because he hadn't known what questions to ask, because he hadn't known about any other careers.

He remembered they had pamphlets in the common room, but skimming through them was not the same as getting advice and guidance from an actual person.

What they should have done, in addition to having the pamphlets, was have people from those careers come in and speak about them. He thought. Then again they likely would have had to go through the Ministry for that, and considering what was happening at the time it's doubtful it would have happened.

Still, with Usagi he was glad he could give her what little advice he could. He didn't know if they would be friends or still know each other when it was time for her to go to a University or get a job, but hopefully his words would help and follow her down the years to that point in time.

"You're still doing good." Usagi said as they began to circle the rink again.

"Thanks. It's easier the longer I skate." Mamoru said as he continued to move his feet. "Is ice skating like this?" He asked curiously.

"Yes." She answered, realizing with his question that he had never been ice skating before. "Only it's more slippery because of the ice."

"I learned roller skating first and when I tried ice skating I only had to make slight adjustments to my technique to avoid falling." She added.

"So making adjustments and practicing is the key." He said, and she nodded. "Then I'll remember that for whenever I get the chance to try ice skating."

Usagi smiled and decided then and there that she would take him ice skating.

The new friends continued to skate and talk while casually circling the rink. Usagi did most of the talking and Mamoru listened and occasionally commented or asked a question as she talked about her family and her likes and dislikes.

He wasn't ready to open up to her in terms of talking about family since that would mean speaking about the Weasley's which would lead to, at the very least, thoughts of Ginny, and then there was his Potter and Chiba parents.

I'll wait and see if this budding friendship progresses and lasts before I even consider opening up to her. He thought as he glanced her way.

And it would just be him considering it because he hadn't even told Motoki about any of his family yet.

~xXx~

Usagi walked down the sidewalk after parting ways from Mamoru on her way home with a smile on her face. She had had a good time at the skating rink with him.

It had been a while since she had done anything like that. The only one of her friends that would join her was Naru, and she usually didn't have the time for it since she helped her mom at her jewelry store. It took less time to go window shopping than doing something as time consuming as roller skating.

Still, she was curious about why he had never been roller skating before or ice skating for that matter. Maybe he had never had the opportunity or couldn't get anyone to go with him and didn't want to go by himself. She didn't know, but she wanted to.

What she did know was that she had had fun and Mamoru had looked like he had fun too. She also liked that he had trusted her to help him learn. She wondered where else she could take him that might be a first time experience or at least a place to have fun.

Whatever place I take him to will hopefully give us the chance to talk and continue to get to know each other. She thought quietly.

Beyond learning that he had never been roller skating or ice skating, she learned that he planned to become a doctor and had at one time considered law enforcement as a career.

She thought both options were good choices, but what she really liked was that he had given her an idea of what she could be when she was older.

It would be pretty cool to make manga. She thought as she imagined herself drawing the images that would make up a story that she had thought up.

"Usagi!" A feminine voice broke through her thoughts. "I've been looking all over for you!" She heard the voice add, and paused and looked behind her to see Luna running toward her.

"What's going on?" Usagi asked quietly as she looked around and knelt down.

"I believe I've found a youma!" Luna said as she stopped in front of her young charge. "I saw some of your classmates acting strangely, mischievous and beyond disrespectful, and followed them to a new fortune telling shop."

"There were a lot of other people there, people from all walks of life, lined up waiting to see the fortune teller, and when they came back out they began to act as I saw your classmates act." She explained.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice their behavior. You need to pay better attention to such things, and then figure out the cause." Luna said seriously.

Usagi frowned. She hadn't noticed because she wasn't paying attention to them. She didn't make it her business to be in other people's business. She knew her friends hadn't acted strangely, so she hadn't noticed a thing wrong.

Besides her mind had been on her meeting with Mamoru. She had been looking forward to it just like she had all their other meetings since they met, but she had been particularly excited about today with her plan to take him roller skating.

Now Luna was telling her that she needed to notice unusual behavior in the people around her, and investigate why they were behaving as they were. She hadn't known that was part of being a senshi.

And I'm not particularly sure I like that. I've never tried to see strange or unusual behavior in people. I'm not even sure I would recognize it. She thought as she held in a sigh.

"I need to find a place to transform so you can show me where this youma is." Usagi said quietly.

"Follow me. I know just the place." Luna said before she turned around and began to run back the way she came.

Usagi stood up and ran after her, following her as she turned a corner and ran down an entire block and across a street before they entered a windowless alleyway. Clearly Luna had come across it in her search for her.

"This is a good place." Luna said as she turned to Usagi.

"Alright." Usagi said as she reached up and grasped her brooch. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" She said, wondering if it would work like before.

Instantly it started to sparkle and glow. She blinked and then closed her eyes as pink light began to surround her, and she felt herself being transformed just like last time. When it finished she opened her eyes, and saw that she was once again in the sailor outfit that strongly reminded her of Sailor V.

She blinked as she realized her school bag was gone. She hummed quietly and didn't say anything, but she made a mental note to ask Luna where it went when she transformed since she knew she hadn't dropped it and it clearly wasn't on the ground.

"Come on!" Luna said urgently before she began to run out of the alleyway.

Usagi followed, her red boots clicking as her feet pounded along the sidewalk, and wondered what people thought of a person who looked similar to Sailor V running after a black cat.

She pushed the idle thought aside and continued to run feeling like she wanted to run faster, to pass up Luna and hurry ahead, since she knew she could run faster. She knew this not just from experience, racing to school when she was late did that, but from something inside her.

She didn't know what it was but she was sure of it. She was also sure that she couldn't run ahead since she didn't know where the possible youma was.

Usagi sighed and shook her head and focused on trying to sure up her courage in order to be ready to face a youma in her second fight ever.

More like building my courage. She thought with a worried frown.

How was she going to fight? It was clear after confronting that woman creature that she had no idea how to fight let alone how to fight youma. Apparently her tiara was a weapon but what if her aim was off when she threw it? What if the youma knocked it aside?

I'll have nothing to use to fight or protect myself. She thought unhappily.

Almost ten minutes later Luna slowed to a stop and she stopped as well as she looked at the building Luna was looking at. It was gray and when the light hit it just right it had a lavender tint. There was a gold pillar on each side of the glass entrance with carved designs up and down the length of it, and above the entrance was a large red sign.

House of Fortune. She read quietly.

"It's in here right?" Usagi asked as she looked at the doorway.

"Yes." Luna confirmed as she looked up at her charge.

"Alright. Here I go." Usagi said before she stepped forward, watching the glass door open on its own, and took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she walked inside the building.

Luna watched her, hesitating since she wasn't sure if she should go in with her or wait out here. She had already told her how to use her weapon, so there was nothing else she could tell her.

And I need to allow her to deal with these beings alone since I will not always be there to offer any help or advice. She thought as she moved off to the side and sat down, her eyes watching her charge disappear around a corner.

Meanwhile, Usagi walked slowly, her eyes flickering all over the place, as she took in the lavender walls and white tile floors. At first she walked normally even if she was going slowly, but as she turned corner after corner and came across no one she began to step cautiously.

She peeked into open doorways and released a relieved breath when she found empty rooms.

She was glad not to suddenly find herself face to face with the youma, but she didn't like the silence or the fact that she had seen not one person since she entered the building.

I also don't like that this building seems to be bigger than it looks from the outside. She thought as she came upon a set of stairs leading up. Could that be because of the youma's power? She wondered as she began to head up the stairs.

Usagi hurried up them since she didn't want to be caught by the youma while she was on the stairs. There was nowhere she would be able to dodge regardless of which direction it came from.

Once she reached the top she found an empty hallway, and after looking left and right she turned toward the right and headed cautiously down the hallway.

Eventually she heard voices coming from an open doorway up ahead of her and she paused to listen. They sounded masculine as far as she could tell but she wasn't completely sure.

She continued forward and slowly peeked through the doorway, and saw a woman standing with a group of school boys around her age standing in front of her. The woman had long black hair, dark narrow eyes with red lining the corners, red lips, and wore a billowy lavender dress.

She looks like I imagine a fortune teller to look. At least one using this building. Usagi thought as she watched the group.

Still, she didn't know if the woman was a youma since Luna didn't actually see the woman or a youma. All she had seen was unusual behavior in some people.

How am I going to figure out if she's a youma or not? She wondered as she bit her bottom lip. Maybe that group of boys surrounding her is enough to prove that she's the youma. She considered.

Oh! If she's not the youma then where in here is it? She suddenly wondered as her eyes widened.

She didn't know, but what she did know was that there definitely was a youma in the building judging by her quiet and deserted walk through the hallways.

"It seems we have a guest boys." The woman suddenly said clearly as she looked her way. "How about we greet her." She added as she gestured with a hand toward her.

Usagi's eyes widened as she saw the group of boys turn toward her. She gasped quietly and forced herself not to step back as she saw their eyes glowing yellow.

Her heart began to race as they began to step toward her. She knew she couldn't leave. It was clear from what she was seeing that the woman was actually the youma Luna believed was there.

But how do I fight these boys? She thought as she stepped into the groom, putting on a brave face even though she felt nothing of the sort. This is like with the last youma when I had to fight the costumers at the jewelry shop.

That fact worried her as she continued to step further inside the large room. She hadn't known how to fight them then and she still didn't. Luna was no help, and she wasn't going to be any help this time since it hadn't escaped her that the feline hadn't joined her inside the building.

The boys continued to step toward her their hands and arms raised threateningly, and she stared in horror as their skin turned green between one step and the next. Her eyes flickered to each of their faces, and she blinked in surprise as she realized one of them was her classmate and friend Umino.

What do I do? What do I do? She wondered as she backed up, trying to keep some distance between her and the group of boys.

I can't use my tiara. I don't know if it would seriously hurt anyone who isn't a youma, and I can't use it well enough or fast enough to get them all anyway. She thought worriedly as she watched them moving closer and closer.

Usagi glanced beyond them and looked to the woman only to see her smirking at her, still standing in the same position as before. She returned her eyes to the boys, her mind racing for a solution, but was surprised to feel her back hitting a wall.

Oh no! She thought as she glanced to the wall and back to the boys.

Before she could even move to her left or right the boys moved to block her path. Their mouths were open in mockeries of smiles and their hands were stretching out toward her, and she couldn't help being scared at what would happen when they reached her.

"No! Stay away!" She said as she put her hands up to try and block them.

~xXx~

Mamoru appeared in front of the door inside his apartment after having parted ways from Usagi.

"Hey Helios." He greeted his golden familiar, who was sitting on his perch, with a wave before he began to walk toward his hallway.

He paused at his study and dropped off his messenger style bag before he went to his bedroom to hang up his jacket. He returned to his study and sat at his regular sized desk with a sigh, and watched with a smile as Helios flew through the doorway and over to his perch.

He grabbed his bag with a sigh and began to take out his papers and books to continue his homework and studies, and as he did this he thought about his time with Usagi.

Mamoru was still surprised she had taken him to a roller skating rink, but he had had fun and gotten to know her better in the process. He liked that she had been sensitive to the fact that he had never been skating and determined to help him; even willing to fall down with him if he did.

Beyond the determination she showed he saw shades of loyalty in her personality. The same loyalty he saw in himself, Neville, and his Ginny; the unconditional kind that grew stronger and solid the longer you knew someone.

He'd seen some of that type of loyalty in Ron and Hermione, but not the way it should have been as far as he was concerned. Ron's jealousy and insecurities had always gotten in the way, and Hermione seemed to equate trying to always have the right answer and knowing all your business as being loyal.

He had also seen that Usagi liked to talk, but she didn't seem to have a problem with him not talking as much as she did. She also didn't mind taking advice since she seemed to take his words about how to figure out what she wanted to do once she was finished with school to heart.

That was nice. Not just that she had accepted his words, but that she had been willing to listen to them in the first place. He had gotten so used to Ron ignoring his words and Hermione dismissing them that when it wasn't something serious he had stopped trying to voice his thoughts and opinions.

Only with Ginny had he started again, and after she died he only did it a little with Bill and Fleur. He had voiced his thoughts with Motoki, but hadn't gotten the chance to speak his opinion about anything really important.

Maybe I'll be able to do it more with Usagi now that I know she'll really take in my words. He considered thoughtfully as he flipped through one of his textbooks. At least he thought he could if their budding friendship lasted.

If she keeps taking me to fun places it's bound to last. He thought as he turned his mind back to their time at the skating rink.

He'd had fun skating and wondered if he could do it outside of a rink. Maybe he could suggest it after a week or two if she didn't before him. Of course that meant he would have to go out and buy some skates, but he didn't mind since he thought he might like skating enough to try doing it regularly.

Suddenly a piercing ache echoed through his head and he squinted his eyes as he brought his hands up to the sides of his head. As he pressed his fingers through his hair and tried to massage the pain away a single thought flashed through the pain.

Get to Usagi!

Mamoru blinked at the thought and suddenly he understood why he was in pain. This was just like last time except the pain wasn't as severe and he wasn't suddenly losing his identity and wearing a tuxedo and mask.

This means Usagi must currently be Sailor Moon, which means she'll likely be fighting one of those creatures soon if she's not already. He thought as he stood up and moved around his desk.

Now how do I get myself into that tuxedo and mask? He wondered as he forced himself to think around the pain and the urge to get to Usagi as quickly as he could.

Obviously he wasn't about to go racing to her location dressed as he was. He didn't want to be recognized by anyone or have his appearance noticed to the point where he could be described so he could be recognized.

No. He didn't want to be recognized by random people, by the creature, by those who might be responsible for the creature, or by that strange talking black cat that hung around Usagi.

The only one I want to recognize me is Usagi, so I can talk to her about this strange business. He told himself, but reminded himself that she couldn't see beyond his masked persona for some reason.

But back to the matter at hand. Getting into that tuxedo since it's what I wore last time. He told himself as he continued to rub his head, trying to soothe the ache and ignore the urgent pull to get going that he was sensing.

He had simply willed it away in order to get out of it and back into his regular clothes, so maybe doing the same, willing himself into the tuxedo, would work.

Mamoru looked over as he heard Helios hoot at him quietly, and saw him looking at him with a strangely curious yet worried look.

"I'm okay, but this is what I told you about before. Usagi becoming that Sailor Moon warrior and me having the strong urge to get to her." He told his familiar.

With that small explanation out of the way he closed his eyes and focused his mind on what he wanted.

I want, need, to become the masked man from before, Tuxedo Kamen, so that I can go to Usagi and help her without being recognized by anyone. He thought as he visualized the masquerade looking outfit he had worn before.

Almost immediately he felt warmth surrounding him, and when he opened his eyes he found himself surrounded in the same red gold-tinted light that enveloped him when he managed to get himself out of the tuxedo.

He squinted his eyes and when the light cleared he looked down at himself to see the same full black tuxedo he had worn before. The white dress shirt, vest, and bow tie were there, the black and red cape hung from his shoulders, black dress shoes covered his feet, white gloves snugly covered his hands, the white mask framed his eyes, and he could feel the same black top hat on his head.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Mamoru said as he shook his head slightly.

Still, despite his disbelief he was going to go, because he was listening to his instincts. He said he would always listen to his instincts after the war ended, and he meant to do just that. Beyond that he wasn't going to leave Usagi to face one of those creatures without any help, and he still wanted answers to his questions.

"I'll let you know what happens Helios." He said before he quickly walked out of his study and down the hallway.

He paused next to his dining table and looked at his front door. He couldn't go that way for the same reason he was dressed as he was. He didn't want to be recognized. Just as he didn't want anyone recognizing him as Mamoru, he also didn't want anyone to see his masked person coming out of his apartment and put two and two together.

Although, it's a bit early in this situation for that. He admitted, but he didn't know how long he was going to have his masked persona or if it would become recognizable in time.

Mamoru narrowed his eyes. He could Apparate but he didn't know where Usagi was. He supposed he could try using just her image to Apparate to, but even if he could, and he wasn't sure that was possible, he didn't want to appear in front of her or next to her.

So out the balcony then. He thought with a wary sigh. He knew he was going to have to rely on the new instincts this masked persona had given him in order to do it, and he could admit he was scared at the thought considering how high his up apartment was.

However, he knew he had to do it, his senses were urging him to get moving, so he summoned up his Gryffindor courage and hurried toward his balcony. He opened the sliding door and stepped out before he closed it, and narrowed his eyes as he focused on his senses.

They were pulling him to his left so he looked left and quickly spotted a smaller building. He narrowed his eyes further as he concentrated, and within a moment he disappeared only to reappear on the roof of that smaller building.

His focused on his senses again and took off running forward in the direction he was being pulled.

For long minutes Mamoru ran jumping and leaping from rooftop to rooftop as he moved closer and closer to wherever Usagi was. Occasionally, without really thinking about it, he skipped along the top of telephone and light poles to help propel himself forward.

Eventually he slowed on the top of a building and walked forward only to stop at the edge as he looked at the view in front of him. The building right across the street from him was his destination. His senses were telling him Usagi was in there.

House of Fortune. He read the sign as his eyes shifted downward, and then paused as he spotted a black cat. Further proof that she's in there. He thought as he looked down to the sidewalk below him.

It was clear so he listened to his instincts and leapt off the rooftop. Part of him was scared and yet the other part was confident as he fell three stories through the air. Quickly he landed, on his feet and lighter than he thought, and glanced left and right before he ran across the street.

Mamoru ignored the feline and watched as the glass doors opened at his proximity and continued running without pause. As he ran the pulling sensation was coming from above him, so he knew Usagi was somewhere above him so he searched for some stairs.

Thankfully he found them rather quickly and raced up them to the second floor. He followed the pulling sensation down a hallway and slowed to a stop in front of an open doorway.

His eyes shifted around as he watched, taking the chance to observe the situation while he could since experience had taught him that running into a situation blindly was dangerous.

There was a woman in a lavender dress standing calmly near the far end of the room with a smirk on her face, and directly across from him was Usagi back almost against the wall to his left with a group of green skinned boys crowded threateningly around her.

As he had the first time he found himself gesturing with his hand and glanced down to see a perfect red rose appear.

This is not going to work. There's more than one of them, and piercing them will only distract them, and she needs a more lasting remedy than that. He thought as he continued to watch and try to come up with something else.

What would I do if this was a magical fight or at least a fight with witches and wizards? He asked himself. I'd use a stunner. He told himself a second later.

However, he couldn't very well pull out his wand and launch a Stunning Spell and he wasn't willing to do it wandlessly either, but maybe he could still use his rose. He could attach or infuse the spell with the flower.

It should be possible. Portkeys are done like that. The Portkey on my uniform robe is like that. The magic is imbedded in the object and takes the user to the predetermined destination. He thought before he looked down to the rose in his hand, and focused on his magic and gathered the right amount for a Stunning Spell.

Stupefy. He thought as he silently willed the magic into the rose. The flower glowed red and he quickly threw it at one of the boys. It hit him in the back and the boy instantly dropped to the ground.

---

Sailor Moon blinked as some of the boys began to collapse, and then looked on in surprise as the rest of the boys surrounding her collapsed moments later. She looked down at them and saw glowing roses sticking in their backs and chests before the glow faded.

She looked around, still seeing the youma standing there only this time she was frowning, and saw Tuxedo Kamen stepping through the doorway toward her. She carefully stepped over the downed boys and moved toward the masked man.

"Are you alright?" Tuxedo Kamen asked her quietly.

"Yes." Sailor Moon answered as she flashed him a smile. "Thanks for the help. Are they going to be okay?" She asked as she glanced to the boys.

"Yes. They're just unconscious." He said, inferring from her concern that they must not truly be with the woman that was likely some kind of creature like the last one.

He glanced to the boys, unconcerned about their unconsciousness even though he knew he wouldn't be around to revive them from the spell. He knew it would wear off in a couple of hours.

"Is that woman like the last one?" He asked as he returned his eyes to the woman in lavender.

"Yes. Although, I doubt that's its true appearance." Sailor Moon said as she looked at the woman as well.

"Yeah." He agreed as he recalled how the last creature woman looked.

"Another guest. And you hurt my boys." The dark haired woman said as she looked at the masked man. "I suppose I will have to greet you myself. As is only proper." She added as her eyes began to glow yellow.

Tuxedo Kamen narrowed his eyes as his instincts flared sharply for him to protect Sailor Moon; protect Usagi.

"Run! To your left!" He told her urgently, instinct and experience telling him an attack was coming, and watched her do so before he dashed off to his right.

They were both just in time as a group of tarot sized cards flew in the direction they had been standing. They passed through the air and imbedded into the wall as if they were throwing knives.

Luna stood in the doorway watching the scene in front of her. She had followed Tuxedo Kamen when she saw him arrive and head into the building. It was one thing to leave her charge to deal with the youma inside by herself, but she wasn't about to leave her alone with that unknown man.

She watched, catching her breath after her mad dash, as he threw glowing roses that somehow rendered the teenage boys unconscious before he moved toward her charge. Her heart picked up speed as Sailor Moon moved toward him, and she hoped that he didn't do anything to her.

Despite her fear all the masked man did was exchange a few words with her, and Luna wished she could hear what they were saying. Then she gasped as they suddenly ran away from each other, and before she could think the worse she saw a bunch of cards go flying through the air.

They slammed into the wall and she gasped again as she saw them sink into the surface and stick there as if they weren't made of paper plastic-like material.

Tuxedo Kamen narrowed his eyes as he realized that the cards were somehow sharp, and his instincts had been right. Sailor Moon, for her part, gasped at the sight of the cards sticking out of the wall when she chanced looking.

That could have been us! We could have been cut at the least, or had something cut off at the most! She thought with frightened wide eyes.

Sailor Moon looked back to the woman and cried out in fear before she ran at the sight of more cards flying in her direction. She ran at an angle since she had started like that with her initial run from the first cards, and slammed into the side wall with her hands to stop herself.

Before she could breathe a sigh of relief at avoiding them she saw more coming and took off running back behind her. As she ran she managed to see that Tuxedo Kamen was also being attacked with the cards, but there was nothing she could do to help him. She couldn't even do anything to help herself!

The only thing I can do is stay away from him so he doesn't have unexpected cards coming his way. She thought as she turned to run to her left.

However, she gasped sharply and allowed herself to fall back as she saw a different group of cards nearly on her. She watched wide eyed as they passed over where her head had been and slam into the wall.

Tuxedo Kamen dodged the cards and ran toward the wall at his side as more headed his way. As he reached the wall he ducked down, hearing the last cards slice into the wall as he looked toward Usagi's disguised figure.

She was clearly scared, running to avoid the cards, and he decided he wasn't going to sit back and do nothing. He needed to get to her and help her; not only because she clearly needed it, but because his senses were nearly screaming at him to protect her.

He dashed forward only to leap back quickly as a group of cards quickly headed his way. He narrowed his eyes at the woman and once again dodged a group of fast sharp cards.

She's trying to keep me away from Usagi; keep us separated. He realized almost instantly. I have to stop this. I have to stop her from attacking Usagi. He told himself, and tried to think of a solution as he continued to dodge and kept an eye on how Usagi was doing.

I found a way to use my magic and my roses on those boys. Maybe I can do that again, but what spell can I use? He considered, and then it came to him.

Tuxedo Kamen gestured with his hand and a single rose appeared between his fingers. He focused on gathering the right amount of magic for the spell he wanted and tightened his grip on the flower.

Confringo. He thought as he willed the magic of a Blasting Curse into the flower. It glowed a fiery orange, and he ducked down into a crouch beneath a group of cards before he threw the rose sharply at the woman's chest.

He gestured for another rose and quickly repeated the process before he threw another fiery orange rose at the woman. He then twisted as he gestured with both hands and quickly threw two handfuls of roses at the cards flying toward Usagi.

The woman threw a card at the flower, and cried out in surprise as it exploded when her card made contact. Then cried out in pain as she was suddenly blasted back as a flower she didn't see hit her.

She fell hard onto her back, her head hitting the floor, and slid across the tile before she came to a stop. She sat up and scowled in pain as she brought her hand up to her chest, her eyes glowing a brighter yellow as her face began to shift and change color.

Sailor Moon looked away from the cards that missed her and back to the woman only to see more cards headed for her downed figure. She quickly skittered back before she twisted onto her stomach and practically crawled out of the way until she reached the wall.

She climbed to her feet only for her eyes to widen as even more cards came her way. She quickly tried to run back the way she came only to trip on her own feet in her haste and fall to the floor.

She turned her eyes back to the cards, either they had changed direction toward her or they were a new batch, but she could do nothing other than cross her arms in front of her face and brace for the pain she knew was coming.

She heard the sound of a blast and then another as well as a scream, and when she didn't feel any pain she lowered her arms cautiously and looked up. The cards were littering the floor, pierced with roses, the woman was sitting up with a black mark on her chest, and Tuxedo Kamen was rushing toward her.

"Are you alright?" He asked as she watched him kneel next to her.

"Yes. Thanks for the help." Sailor Moon said gratefully.

"No problem. Come on." Tuxedo Kamen said as he grasped her hand and began to help her up. "I saw you dodging. You were doing good."

"Yeah; until I tripped over my feet." She said, disgruntled as she looked down at her boots.

"It happens to the best of us." He said as they stood up.

"It didn't happen to you." She countered.

"Not this time, but it has before." He replied as he looked to the woman. "And I was dodging something just as dangerous as these cards, so don't let this get you down. Look at it as experience for the next time."

"You're right. I'll try to see it that way from now on." Sailor Moon said as she too looked at the woman.

The woman no longer looked like one the longer they stared at her. As she stood up her hair started to flow around her as if it was alive, her skin turned as green as the boys skin was, her ears became pointed, her teeth became fangs, and her fingers became clawed.

"I want to take my tiara off, but at the same time I don't considering what just happened to me moments ago." Sailor Moon said quietly, her eyes on the youma. The last thing she wanted was to hurt herself.

"Take it off and have it prepared." Tuxedo Kamen said seriously. "There's no guarantee that you'll trip and fall again, but there is a guarantee that you will be using your tiara against that..creature."

"Youma." She corrected idly as she reached up and pulled her tiara off.

"Is that what that woman creature is?" He asked.

"Yes." She confirmed as her tiara began to glow before it turned into a white disk hovering above her fingertips.

"Then that's what I'll call it, them, from now on." He replied. "Just remember to breath and try not to panic. It will help you think of what to do next when you're under attack."

"Okay." Sailor Moon said nervously.

They watched as the youma glared at them and cards appeared in the air in front of her. Suddenly they came speeding toward them and a moment later she began to run toward them, but only a few seconds into her movements her feet left the floor and she was flying toward them.

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen once again dashed away, moving away from each other, to avoid the cards and the youma. They avoided the cards but while the youma headed for Tuxedo Kamen more cards came streaking toward Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon's heart nearly skipped a beat at the sight of cards headed in her direction before speeding up against her rib cage. She ran faster and began to panic as she realized the cards were moving faster than before and she worried she would not be able to dodge them.

Breathe. She told herself as she repeated her masked companion's advice, and tried to think.

She couldn't slow and stop, she was going too fast, and she was already running as fast as she could. She didn't want to try some kind of acrobatic move she had seen on TV, like trying to run up the wall and jump over them, because that might backfire. The last thing she wanted was to get sliced up.

There's one thing I can try. She thought, trying not to panic as she spotted the cards closing in on her.

She allowed herself to fall back and ended up sliding forward in her momentum, but thankfully the cards sailed over her and missed her completely. She skidded to a stop and quickly got to her feet, thankful her tiara was still with her and charged up, and looked toward the youma.

Tuxedo Kamen watched the youma rapidly approaching him as he ran. It was extremely disconcerting but it wasn't scary. The creature woman was nothing to fighting off Death Eaters intent on torturing, maiming, and killing him, and she was definitely nothing to facing down Voldemort. Period.

Still, he clearly needed to do something about the youma, and preferably before she reached him. His first instinct was to start launching curses, jinxes, and hexes, but he couldn't very well start letting spells fly.

He didn't want magic associated with this identity, so if he was going to use it he would have to conceal it like he did before with his roses. If everyone thought his roses had those powers then so be it.

Now, what to do? He asked himself, his mind working rapidly as the youma grew closer. I can do the same thing as before, but I need to slow her down a bit first. He thought before he quickly gestured with his hand and a handful of roses appeared.

Impedimenta. Tuxedo Kamen thought as he willed the magic for the jinx into one of the flowers.

The rose glowed a vibrant turquoise and he quickly threw it at the youma before he focused on the next rose. The blue green glowing rose slammed into the youma before she could try to counter or avoid it, and she slowed dramatically; her glaring face shifting into confusion.

Confringo. He thought as he willed the magic of the curse into the flower. It glowed a fiery orange, and he threw it at the youma before he quickly repeated the action with the rest of the roses in his hand.

The roses flew rapidly through the air toward the youma and she managed to use her hair to block one, but all that did was cause the flower to explode which left her open to the remaining flowers. They connected and she went flying back with a cry of pain before she landed on her back.

Tuxedo Kamen took advantage of the youma's distraction and quickly moved away and toward the middle of the room. He looked to find Usagi moving in his direction as well but her eyes were on the youma.

Sailor Moon watched the youma and Tuxedo Kamen anxiously trying to see a way to attack the youma without risking hitting her masked companion. She watched in fear as the youma got closer to him, and then blinked in surprise when the youma slowed down so much that it looked deliberate.

She wondered if it happened because of the blue green glowing rose Tuxedo Kamen threw. She watched as he followed that up with roses that glowed a reddish orange like he had earlier and blew the youma back.

Now! She told herself as she threw her tiara at the youma as soon as she hit the floor. She hoped she didn't notice until it was too late to react. She didn't want this fight to go on longer because she feared they would get hurt or it would get away or both.

The youma opened her eyes with a groan, but then screamed as she caught a glimpse of a glowing white disk streaking toward her. It hit her in the side and she screamed louder in pain, and moved her hands and hair to try to stop the disk.

Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon listened to the youma scream, and watched her struggle before she stopped moving and screaming. Her body and even the lavender dress she was wearing began to break down and crumble until there was nothing but a pile of gray dust.

"Are you okay?" Tuxedo Kamen asked as he hurried over to Usagi, watching her catch her returning tiara.

"Yes. Are you?" Sailor Moon asked as she put her tiara back on.

"Yes." He answered. "Good job with your tiara at the end."

"Thanks." She said with a light blush. "I wanted to do something before, but I didn't want to risk hitting you."

"Thanks for that," He said, having been nearly hit by friendly fire in the past. Only his dodging skills saved him. "and it was good that you waited until you had a clear shot. That way there was no risk of missing, and ending up weaponless if the youma decided to come at you."

"That makes sense." She said thoughtfully as she nodded. "I'll make sure to remember that."

"Sailor Moon!" Came a female voice and they looked toward the sound, and saw a black cat running over.

"I guess I should take that as my cue to go." Tuxedo Kamen said as he looked back to Usagi. "Until next time Sailor Moon."

"Bye." Sailor Moon said, and watched as the masked man began to jog toward the door.

"Are you alright?" Luna asked as she stopped next to her.

"Yeah." She answered. "Let's get out of here. I still have to finish my homework."

Without waiting for a reply she ran for the doorway, glancing at the boys, and hurried out of the room with Luna following closely.

~HPxXxMC~

Harry groaned quietly into Ginny's mouth as she pressed her warm soft body against his. He enjoyed the feel of her arms around his neck and her hands in his hair as he allowed his to drift along the skin of her back beneath her shirt.

It had been the last day of classes before the weekend started, and they had been waiting all day to get each other alone. They had already eaten dinner, and had left the Great Hall while Ron and Hermione were still eating to avoid them trying to leave with them and tag along.

Now they were in a broom closet, having locked themselves in to avoid being disturbed and caught, and thoroughly kissing each other and touching as much skin as they could get to.

Harry broke the kiss as he slowly guided her backward, and moved his lips along her cheek until he found the length of her neck. When her back touched the wall he pressed his body against hers, making sure she could feel what she was doing to him, and latched his lips onto her neck.

He suckled the skin, flicking his tongue like a serpent to taste her, before he slowly pressed open mouthed kisses up and down her neck.

Ginny moaned and he shivered at the sound before he rolled his hips slightly against her, his hardness pressing against her belly, and felt her slid a leg up the outside of his in response.

He instantly wrapped his fingers around the back of her knee and pulled it up. The move didn't help him since he was taller than her, but he could and did imagine the feel of the heat between her thighs and what it would feel like against him as he rolled his hips once again.

His hand slid up along the length of her thigh, slipping beneath the skirt of her uniform, until his hand cupped her bottom. He brought his lips back to hers in an open mouthed kiss, slipping his tongue into her moist heated mouth, as he squeezed the soft yet firm flesh in his hand.

A moan traveled from her chest up her throat and into his mouth just as her hips jerked against him. He swallowed the sound and again squeezed the flesh of her bottom as he rolled his hips, pressing his hardness against her stomach.

"Let's go somewhere more comfortable Harry." Ginny breathed out as she pulled her lips from his.

"The Room of Requirement?" He suggested as he kissed her cheek and rocked hips against her.

"Yes. That would be perfect. We would be more comfortable, and still be left undisturbed." She replied softly.

"Then let's go." He said as he reluctantly released her and pulled away.

Harry opened his eyes to the darkness of the broom closet and pulled his wand. He lit it so the tip cast a light and pulled out the Marauders Map. He activated it and checked to make sure they were clear, and that they would also have a clear path to the seventh floor.

"We're clear. If we hurry we won't risk running into anyone the entire way." He said as he cleared the map and put it away.

"Then let's hurry." Ginny said before she pulled out her own wand and unlocked the door.

She eased the door open and peeked out, looking both ways, before she grinned at him and grabbed his free hand.

Harry quickly stepped out with her and closed the door before they hurried down the corridors and up stairways, practically running in their rush to get to the seventh floor without being seen.

Thankfully they came across no one and once they reached the familiar stretch of stone wall Ginny paced back and forth in order to call up the room. The door appeared after her third pass, and she opened it to reveal a bedroom that looked like it belonged in the castle with a fireplace, a crackling fire already in it.

They stepped inside and closed the door, and Harry silently asked the room to make it so they couldn't be found and watched the door disappear.

They moved further into the room and pulled off their robes and dropped them and their wands to the floor before they made themselves comfortable on the bed. Instantly their lips found each other again and their hands roamed beneath each other's shirt as they lay on their sides facing each other.

Minutes passed as they kissed and gradually helped each other out of their clothes until Harry lay in nothing but his boxers and Ginny in her bra and knickers. Then they rolled until she was straddling him with her hands on his chest as she rocked against him.

Harry groaned as he closed his eyes, feeling himself grow harder as the heat between her thighs seeped through her knickers and his boxers and mixed with the pressure she was putting on him.

He gripped her hips and thrust his hips up into her rocking motion, and they both moaned in pleasure. Again and again he thrust up, repeating the motion as she continued to rock against him, before he sat up and pressed his lips to hers in an intense passionate kiss.

Their arms wrapped around each other as she continued to rock her hips, and he moved his hands and undid her bra and slipped it off her before tossing it to join the rest of their clothes on the floor.

Ginny moaned as she pressed her bare chest to his, and Harry returned the sound absolutely loving the feel. He rolled them until he lay between her legs covering her, and ground his hips against hers.

She moaned into his mouth and he groaned into hers as their tongues slid and swirled around each other, his hips never stopping their grinding and rocking, thoroughly enjoying the escalating pleasure and mimicking what he dearly wanted to do without their underwear in the way.

Harry broke their kiss and kissed his way down her chest and lavished attention on the soft orbs like he'd wanted to do for weeks.

"Please Harry." Ginny eventually began to beg some time later. "I want to feel you inside me."

Harry silently agreed by moving back up and pressing his lips to hers in a hot and heavy kiss. He then pulled back and pulled her knickers down and off her legs before he pulled off his boxers and returned to her.

He didn't bother thinking about protection, it was the furthest thing from his mind with the girl he loved naked beneath him.

Instead of worrying about such things he focused on kissing his girl, and savoring the feel of her soft naked body and the intense heat bathing his hardness as he rocked against her.

After listening to his girl's escalating whimpers he shifted his hips, took himself in hand, and entered her body. Instantly they both gasped and moaned in pleasure, surprised at how much better it felt than the rocking and grinding they had been doing.

Together they moved, slowly at first, and gradually picked up speed as he rocked into her and she rocked against him. They ground against each other as they shared kiss after kiss and stroked their hands along skin.

Harry moaned in pleasure loving that he was experiencing more pleasure than he ever had before. He loved even more that he was getting to experience this with the woman he loved.

His Ginny broke their kiss and he moved his lips to kiss along her cheek and down to her neck while he moved his hand to caress her soft breast.

"Mamoru." She sighed softly, and he pulled his face from her neck to look at her without stopping the rocking motion of his hips.

He found that instead of his red haired brown eyed witch lying beneath him it was the golden haired blue eyed sailor warrior he was attracted to.

Harry smiled, not minding the strange unexpected switch, and leaned back in and kissed her with a passion as if she was the witch he loved, and continued to move his hips thrusting his hardness back and forth within her.

He thoroughly enjoyed the feel of her arms wrapped around him and one of her legs sliding against his as her fingers plowed through his hair.

Their passion built higher and higher with his every thrust, their lips parted and he moved his face to press into the side of her neck as she wrapped her legs around him.

Moans, sighs, groans, whimpers, and grunts were the only sounds to be heard beyond the crackling fire as they moved more frantically against each other desperate for the explosion of pleasure they could sense just out of reach.

---

Mamoru's eyes snapped open and he gasped as his body shuddered from the remembered pleasure. He bit his lip and held in a groan, not wanting Helios to think something was wrong with him, as he could tell he was hard beneath his covers.

He hadn't woken up in such a way since the Horcrux hunt when he dreamed about being with Ginny when the war was over.

Beyond that acknowledgment he was shocked at what he had just dreamed. It was a nice dream of Ginny, certainly better than the nightmares he used to have so frequently, but halfway through that brilliant encounter she had somehow morphed into Usagi!

And he hadn't seemed to care one bit!

This girl he had known for only almost two weeks, and his mind was putting her in his dreams. And in such a dream! An intimate dream!

He closed his eyes and couldn't help remembering the feel of warm skin and a soft delicate body beneath him, cushioning him as he moved within her. He ignored the fact that he wasn't considering which 'her' he was recalling.

Mamoru held in another groan as his wayward anatomy pulsed in demand. He wasn't sure what to do. The last time he had touched himself in such a way, or even felt the need to, was back in his sixth year before he started dating Ginny.

He'd willingly fantasized in bed and in the shower about her and what he would do to her if she was his girl, but once they got together he hadn't needed to do such a thing.

That isn't to say he hadn't fantasize about her after they got together, he did, but after he did he could just go kiss her whenever he wanted, and having her in his arms, her body pressed against his, helped ease his arousal as well as gave him pleasure.

Since the war ended and with Ginny's death he had definitely not felt such a need, hadn't felt any arousal of any kind, so he hadn't had to worry about it. Now not even the thought of her death was making this issue go away.

Mamoru gritted his teeth and pushed his covers away before he rolled out of bed and headed to his bathroom.

Maybe a cold shower will do the trick. He thought as he flicked on the light and closed the door.

He was of course the only one there, but habits were habits. It felt weird to be in the bathroom with the door open when he intended to be naked in there.

He turned on the cold water and stripped down, taking off his wand holster and his Mokeskin pouch as well, and stepped under the freezing water droplets. He shivered violently at the temperature change, but forced himself to stay in the spray and allow it to cover the front of his body to help get himself in check.

Thankfully it worked and he finally allowed himself to turn on the hot water so he could shower in a more comfortable temperature.

As he went about cleaning himself he thought about what he was going to do for the day. It was Saturday so he had tutoring with Motoki in a few hours. Thankfully he wouldn't be seeing Usagi with it being the weekend. He didn't think he would have been able to look her in the eyes after the dream he had.

He didn't know what he would do after his tutoring session finished. He would have to think about it. Maybe he would just study some more or head out and try looking for the silver crystal the mystery princess from his dreams was begging him to find.

Mystery princess. He thought as he shook his head lightly. I finally get all the answers to the questions I had surrounding my life back in England, even discovering that I was adopted, and finish with all the mystery only to come over here and have it start all over again.

I find peace, get mental help, and even find a purpose for my life, but now I'm suddenly mixed up in another mystery. I meet a girl and the same day, I somehow become this masked man, find out that said girl is a sailor warrior and that I have a connection to her somehow.

Then there's the mystery princess to factor in. He considered. I suppose she could be considered a continuing mystery from my life back in England since I've been dreaming of her for years. Still, my instincts give me the feeling that she's connected to the current mysteries surrounding me.

Mamoru sighed and finished his shower before he turned off the water, dried off, and put his wand holster and Mokeskin pouch back on before he left the bathroom to get dressed.

He was going to figure out something to eat and then slip beyond his Occlumency shield and organize his memories and the thoughts he'd had since waking up, including the unexpected intimate dream, so they weren't a distraction throughout the day.

~xXx~

Mamoru sat at his low floor desk in his study a half hour after Motoki had left after his tutoring session had finished.

He had changed the floor to the room somewhat after he had created it and furnished it, so it still had the light wooden floor that matched the rest of the apartment but he now had a large square of similar colored tatami mats to the left of the door to the room with the wood continuing around it.

The floor desk was a dark brown that matched the normal sized desk that sat to the right of the room right across from the door, and he had two black round floor pillows arranged on two sides of the desk.

Currently he was sitting on the pillow facing the door to the room with his back to a bookcase, and next to his regular desk near the window on his stand was Helios keeping him company.

He had added the stand when he realized Helios liked to be with him in whatever room he happened to be spending time in if it was going to be lengthy. It looked just like the one in his bedroom and in the living room; a small light wood leafless tree as if it had grown up out of the floor just for the golden owl to perch on.

At the moment Mamoru was reading intently from a book he had brought with him from England. It had been a week since the last creature he had helped Usagi fight, the second since he had become Tuxedo Kamen, and he had gotten the idea while studying earlier that having a Portkey would be a good thing.

He thought it would be useful to have a quick means of escape considering he was dealing with a dangerous enemy for the second time in his life.

It worked for the Death Eaters, so why not? He thought as he studied the book in front of him.

As he read he understood that making a Portkey was similar to Apparating. You needed to know where you wanted the destination to be, and you needed to know what the destination looked like. It involved intense concentration and the ability to picture the destination clearly.

Not to mention the power to actually move a person or people long distances. He thought idly.

He read how Portkeys could be time delayed so they activated at a specific time and took all who were touching it to a destination, touch activated so as soon as it was touched it took the one touching it to a destination, and permanent ones where the one using it needed to be keyed into it and intending to use it in order for it to activate.

Continuing to read he understood how touch activated Portkeys could be touched again to bring the user back to their original location, and enchanted so it could return to the original location to be re-activated and used again by others going to the same destination.

The information said nothing about how long or short a distance a Portkey could travel, which he interpreted as meaning it could travel as short as a few inches away from the original location or as far as a different country. It seemed to him it was a matter of being strong enough to power it to travel long distances.

I wonder if the power level of the one making the Portkey determines how smooth or rough the journey and landing will be. He thought as he recalled the different times he had used a Portkey.

The only time it had been pleasant was when he used the permanent Portkey to his family manor. However, he wondered if constant usage or becoming familiar with the hooking sensation made it so a person could control their landing since he recalled Mr. Weasley being able to land perfectly fine when he used a Portkey.

I guess I'll find out. He thought as he memorized the incantation for the spell.

Mamoru pulled his Holly wand from his holster as he finished reading the Portkey section of the book. He closed the book when he finished and pushed it aside as he wondered what to make to use as his test Portkeys.

The book didn't say conjured items couldn't be used. Maybe it was because most couldn't do permanent or at least long lasting conjurations. He didn't know. What he did know was that he could make permanent items, and so that was what he would do.

And since I'm going to make permanent items they need to be something nice since I'm going to keep them. He told himself as he looked around his study hoping for inspiration.

His eyes landed on Helios and he paused in his search and hummed quietly. After a few moments he decided on figurines, small crystal figurines that could fit in his hand.

I'm going to use both wands and try it wandless to cast the charm, so three figurines in total. He thought as he took in the details of Helios' figure. One of Helios, one of Hedwig, and a stag.

Mamoru nodded and looked away from his familiar as he raised his wand slightly. He focused on the image of Helios in his mind; from the look in his eyes, his face, the shape of his feathers, down to his talons.

As he conjured the first figurine he began to think about why he was even doing this. He was doing it because he found himself fighting a new enemy.

He still couldn't believe that he was the masked man Tuxedo Kamen. This person that went around in a full black tuxedo, gloves, mask, top hat, and a cape. He still had no answers as to why he now had this identity or why it had happened now.

Well, he knew that he had become the masked man when Usagi had become Sailor Moon, and since he had the strong instinct to help her and keep her safe during the fights it wasn't a stretch to say that was why.

However, those were small things. He still didn't know why it had happened when it did or why it had really happened at all. It couldn't just be because Usagi needed help. There had to be more to it.

Especially since I had only met her hours before. You would think someone she knew would make a better option for this masked persona than me. He thought as he started on his next figurine. That's why there has to be more to me being this helper/rescuer that I've become.

Like why Usagi became Sailor Moon in the first place; especially when she isn't a good fighter. He thought.

He didn't know if she was forced into the position or if she had accepted it willingly and just wasn't a good fighter. He had wanted to asked many times, but he knew he couldn't.

It had been clear after that first fight, and even more clear since then, that she didn't know he was the masked man helping her. She couldn't see beyond the mask he wore for some reason.

Mamoru wished she was able to see and tell that it was him. He had so many questions he wanted to ask her.

Questions like why she had become Sailor Moon, why he seemed to be connected to her in some magical way, why were the creatures, youma, attacking people, where did they come from, and what was up with the talking cat that was hanging around her?

He didn't know if Usagi had the answers, but it would still be nice to be able to ask them of the one person he knew was involved in the situation he found himself in.

At least I know that that cat that follows her around isn't an animagus. He thought as he began to conjure his third figurine.

It couldn't be. After thinking about it he recalled the cat had talked to her during that first fight and the last one. Animagi couldn't talk. People could transfigure themselves into an animal, but once they actually were in animal form they couldn't speak.

On that note, however, he wanted to know what part that talking feline played in this whole situation. Maybe it had something to do with Usagi becoming Sailor Moon since it had told her how to use her tiara.

Maybe it's a strange type of familiar. He considered as he finished the figurine.

He lined them up and looked them over carefully. At the moment the crystal figurines of Helios, Hedwig, and a stag were clear. Still, they looked just as he wanted them to; he just needed to add color now to personalize them.

He lightly tapped the figurine of Helios and it turned golden, he tapped the figurine of Hedwig and it turned white, and then he tapped the stag figurine and it turned a sky blue color that made it look like his patronus.

Mamoru nodded at the way the figurines looked and carefully picked up the blue stag figurine. It was light and yet had some weight to it, so he knew he would have to be careful and not drop it during his landing so it wouldn't shatter.

In fact, I'll just add an unbreakable charm to it. To all of them. He thought as he sat the figurine back down. He focused on what he wanted and tapped each figurine lightly, and watched them glow a soft white letting him know it worked.

He moved his wand back to the stag and decided he would start off first with making a touch activated Portkey, and then a time delayed activated Portkey after he tested the touch activated one. He also decided to start small with locations within his apartment.

In the next moment he realized he could only do that because he didn't have anti-Portkey wards up, but considering what he was doing he wondered if he should put some up after he was done.

He didn't want anyone else Portkeying into his home, but he also needed to be able to Portkey in if it was necessary.

Portus. He thought as he touched the figurine with the tip of his wand, focusing on the space on the other side of his regular desk away from Helios.

The stag glowed a bright blue, letting him know that the incantation worked, and after a few seconds the glow faded.

Mamoru nodded and stood up before he grabbed the figurine. Immediately he felt a hook and a pulling sensation in his stomach behind his navel and the room blurred around him.

In the next moment his feet slammed into the floor and he stumbled before he fell to his knees. The stag figurine clattered on the wooden floor but thankfully the unbreakable charm kept it whole and intact.

He looked over as he heard Helios hoot at him, the sound somehow sounding concerned.

"I'm okay." He assured him before he grabbed the stag and got to his feet. "I'm just practicing making Portkeys. I'm hoping the more I practice the easier this will get."

He placed the stag on his desk and looked to his other hand, thankful that he had kept a grip on his wand. He focused again on where he wanted to go and touched the tip of his wand to the figurine, and watched it glow a bright blue before it faded.

Here goes. He thought before he once again grabbed the stag.

Again he felt a hook and a pulling sensation in his stomach behind his navel and the room blurred around him. A moment later his feet slammed into the floor next to Helios and his stand, and he stumbled but this time he managed to say on his feet.

"Well, that went a bit better." He told Helios who looked at him with a tilted head.

Mamoru placed the stag figurine back on his regular sized desk and focused on the next destination before he touched the tip of his wand to the figure and cast the charm. The stag glowed a bright blue before it cleared and he grabbed the figurine.

The hook and pulling sensation greeted him and the room blurred around him. A few moments later his feet slammed onto the floor but again he managed to stay upright. He looked around and nodded to see that he was standing next to his balcony in his bedroom.

From there he cast the charm again and again on the stag each time with a different location in his apartment, and thankfully each time the hooking and pulling sensation became less and less and his landing became easier.

Over and over again he did it until the ride and landing was nearly as smooth and instant as the Portkey to his family manor. After he was satisfied with his progress he began to cast the charm so the Portkey would be time delayed.

Twenty seconds after he cast the charm it activated and thankfully the ride was nearly as instantaneous and smooth as it had been becoming as it took him from his bedroom to just in front of his front door in his designated Apparition point.

Again and again he cast the charm so the Portkey would be time delayed and he appeared all over his apartment; in his bedroom, in his study, in his potions lab, in his kitchen, in both his bathrooms, and in his spell practice room.

Thankfully each activation made the ride and landing smoother and easier to the point that the hooking sensation was gone and the pulling could barely be felt.

He then cast the charm to make the figurine a time delayed Portkey that would take him to the Apparition point in Kototama Market Place. Looking around the market from his position he nodded before he made the figurine a touch activated Portkey to take him back home.

As soon as Mamoru appeared back in his study he placed his stag figurine on his regular sized desk and put his Holly wand back in his holster. He then pulled his Mokeskin pouch over his head and opened it, enlarging it at the same time, before he reached in and searched briefly.

After a few moments his fingers wrapped around a slender item, and he pulled his hand out and looked at the Elder Wand. He closed the Mokeskin pouch and replaced it around his neck before he went and stood next his floor desk.

He focused on where he wanted to appear and what type of Portkey he wanted before he touched the tip of the wand to the golden crystal figurine of Helios.

Portus. He thought, and watched the figurine glow a bright blue. A few seconds later it cleared to leave the gold color of the crystal visible, and he nodded before he reached down and grabbed it.

A moment later he appeared in his bedroom next to his balcony and he blinked as he looked around. He wanted to be surprised since the ride had been as smooth and instant as the permanent Portkey to his family manor, but he wasn't because he had expected it since he was using the Elder Wand.

Since he was using the powerful wand he decided he only needed to do one more test. He touched the tip of the wand to the figurine and cast the charm as he focused on making it a time delayed Portkey to take him to the Apparition point in Kototama Market Place.

Twenty seconds after the golden figurine stopped glowing he disappeared from his bedroom and reappeared outside in the market place.

Mamoru nodded and touched the tip of the Elder Wand to the figurine of Helios again and turned it into a touch activated Portkey to take him to his study. He disappeared and reappeared in his study, and he placed the figurine on his regular sized desk next to the stag.

He went about putting the Elder Wand away back in his Mokeskin pouch as he wondered when he would start thinking of it as his wand. After all, he was its master, he had decided to keep it, and he was using it. Not as frequently as his Holly wand, but he was still using it.

It will probably happen one day when I'm not even thinking about it. He thought as he put his Mokeskin pouch back around his neck and concealed it under his shirt.

He then went and sat back down at his floor desk, and pulled the white crystal figurine of Hedwig closer and took a deep breath, and focused his mind on what he wanted before he attempted to try making a Portkey wandlessly.

Portus. He thought as he slowly waved his hand directly over the figurine.

Unfortunately, nothing happened. There was no bright blue glow around the figurine, which wasn't really a surprise since he was still working his way through the spells that were intermediate in level and was only just reaching the advanced stuff in his practicing.

And the Portkey charm is advanced. He thought with a slight shrug before he turned his mind to what he wanted to do with the figurines.

Of course he was going to keep them since he had made them detailed permanent conjurations, but he needed to decide on where exactly he was going to put them.

But maybe I need to add one more first. He considered as he gazed at the three figurines. He had one to represent each of his familiars, Helios and Hedwig, and one to represent his patronus and his connection to his dad.

Mamoru pulled out his Holly wand and decided to make a ruby red crystal lion to represent that he was a Gryffindor since the stag could also represent that he was from house Seiran.

He remembered how the Gryffindor lion looked and went about conjuring the crystal figurine in its image. A couple of minutes later the sitting figurine of a clear lion sat on his desk next to the figurine of Hedwig, and he tapped it once and watched it turn ruby red.

Now where to put you. He thought as he gazed at the new figurine.

The red lion represented his time at Hogwarts and the blue stag represented the same as well as his current time at Mahoutokoro, so he thought he could leave those two here in his study. The two white and gold owls respectively represented his familiars, so he could place them in his bedroom.

But then they wouldn't be on display for anyone else to see. He thought with a light sigh.

The stag and lion also wouldn't be on display unless he allowed someone to know about his study, but he thought it was coming. He was coming to trust Motoki more and more, so time would tell how soon it would be before he knew.

If he placed the owl figurines in his bedroom he was the only one that would see them since he didn't have any plans to have anyone in his bedroom. However, if he put them in his living room then Motoki would see them, and in the off chance he had someone else come over then they could admire them.

So, the stag and lion in here, and the owls in the living room. He decided before he picked up the lion and stood up.

As he walked around placing his now decorative crystal figurines he turned his mind to the reason he had been practicing making Portkeys in the first place. He wanted to make an escape Portkey for when he was in his masked persona and needed to get away quick to save his life.

Yeah. No more being stuck in a situation surrounded by enemies, dangerous enemies, and unable to leave. He thought as he arranged the figurines near the far corners on his regular sized desk, so they would be visible when he sat down to study.

However, the issue was he didn't know what he could make to act as his permanent Portkey. He didn't want it to stand out, so it would have to look like it belonged with the tuxedo outfit.

Mamoru pictured his masked persona, and tried to imagine what could go with it and not look out of place. Something that could be in the open and not hidden in a pocket since that would take precious time to get to when he needed to be quick in getting away.

As he was arranging his owl figurines in the living room his eyes widened as an idea came to him. He pulled out his Holly wand and sat down on the couch as he began to conjure up what he had in mind.

He made sure it was the right size, color, and that it had all the details on it before he moved on to turning it into a Portkey. He paused and focused his mind on exactly what he wanted: a permanent Portkey to his home, right here in the living room, where his magical signature was keyed into it, and where it would only activate if he intended to use it specifically.

Portus. He thought as he tapped his wand to the new object in his hand.

~xXx~

Meanwhile, Usagi walked through a park sipping on a drink after having had enough of window shopping.

It was a somewhat nice day so she was dressed in a pair of overall pink denim shorts, a white quarter sleeve shirt, and white tennis shoes. Luna was with her having insisted on keeping her company even though she wasn't doing anything but walking around and looking at things she wanted or thought looked nice.

Normally she would have just bought what she wanted, spending all of her allowance and what little she may have left over from her last allowance, but she was holding back.

She was saving whatever money she got because she wanted to use it when she took Mamoru to different places to try out.

Like the skating rink. She thought as she lifted her drink and sipped from the straw. They had gone to other places since then like the movies, the zoo, and to a different arcade than the Crown, but nothing like the skating rink.

She still had ideas on other places to take him, and she needed all of her money in order to be able to afford to go, which meant no spending her money on frivolous things that she really didn't need.

He said to save it for something else, and that's what I'm going to do. She told herself as her mind drifted to the guy she had been spending time with on a daily basis since she met him.

Of course, that also brought to mind what else happened on the day she had met Mamoru. She had strangely become Sailor Moon and met Tuxedo Kamen.

Usagi still could hardly believe that she was a senshi like Sailor V. She had been in two fights since she had agreed to take on that role, and she was still in disbelief over it.

She wasn't sure what to think of it. So far it was turning out to be as exciting as she thought it must be for Sailor V, but she was also seeing that it was more dangerous and frightening than she thought it would be.

On top of that she was fast discovering that she wasn't a fighter, and that only having her tiara to throw around as a type of weapon wasn't helping her that much. It was scary not knowing what to do when she was faced with those creatures.

Obviously she was supposed to fight it, but she didn't know how. After all, what was she supposed to do when the creature, youma, avoided her tiara?

Usually run away as fast as I can. And if I can't then scream for all I'm worth, which also usually means Tuxedo Kamen appears and helps me. She thought as she took another sip of her drink as she walked.

This turned her thoughts to Tuxedo Kamen. He was a cutie. Tall, dark, handsome, and full of mystery with his tuxedo and mask. He had a nice voice too.

Usagi almost couldn't believe that she had somehow found herself drawn to both Tuxedo Kamen and Mamoru, but after facing the last two youma with the masked man she decided to focus her attention on Mamoru. She had met him first, and actually knew who he was unlike with Tuxedo Kamen.

Mamoru too was a cutie. He was very good looking with his short black slightly messy hair and his deep blue eyes. Plus, he was tall, and had a nice voice. She couldn't help being attracted to him. It definitely trumped the old crush she had had on Motoki.

She liked him; really liked him.

She liked that he was confident and independent. He was living alone in a foreign country, clearly taking care of himself, and even bettering his education while he was at it. He was bettering himself, and appeared to be thriving. For some reason those traits really appealed to her.

"Do you think he's boyfriend material?" She recalled Naru's excited words.

He is. Usagi thought with a light blush. She hadn't known then when her best friend first asked, but after almost two weeks of getting to know him some she thought he definitely was. At least to her anyway.

Will he go for it with the difference in our ages? She wondered curiously as she paused and sat down on a bench in the shade of a tall tree.

Mamoru is eighteen but I'll be fifteen soon, and that's better than fourteen. She considered. She didn't mind the age gap, but she acknowledged that it could be an issue if he did. Not to mention her parents, but she would worry about them when there was something to worry about.

Beyond that she needed to find out if he even liked her in that way, and if he didn't then if she could do anything to turn his mind in that direction.

He seemed to like the time we spend together; even the studying part. She thought as she nibbled on her bottom lip. I like that time too, so maybe that's a sign that he might like me too. She considered optimistically.

I liked that time at the skating rink, and the other things we've done, and I like talking to him. He's so quiet, even when he talks, but he has interesting things to say. And he's so nice! She thought with a smile.

He agreed to essentially tutor a stranger, not even someone he knew from school, and he's good at it. Even my teacher noticed that my understanding of the English language has improved. She thought.

He's…he's good for me when it comes to my education. Doing my homework in his presence when he's finished tutoring me has even helped me, and I like that. She thought surprisingly.

She even liked that he had given her advice toward what she would do when she was older.

This is more than a crush, definitely more, and I need to try and find out if he likes me or can like me. I also need to start showing that I like him. She thought determinedly.

Usagi nodded to herself, ignoring Luna's curious look, and took a sip of her drink. She would use any excuse to spend more time with him, and start to sit, stand, and walk closer to him.

And hope her still fairly new role as Sailor Moon didn't get in the way.

~HPxXxMC~

A week had passed since Mamoru had first begun to practice making Portkeys and had woken up from his intimate dream where Usagi had made an appearance.

It had been extremely difficult for him to look her in the eye when he was with her, and only after nearly a week had his embarrassment faded enough for him to be comfortable looking into her eyes without a blush threatening to appear.

That was a good thing as far as he was concerned since he liked her eyes, and thankfully she had never noticed his struggle. Or if she had she had never said anything.

However, even though she hadn't said anything, and despite his own embarrassment, he had still noticed a subtle change in her behavior. She had begun to stand a bit closer to him whenever they walked somewhere or stopped to look at something. She had also started to sit closer to him occasionally.

He wouldn't have thought anything of her changed behavior, subtle as it was, but for the fact that it was different, and noticing such things in the past had saved his life or put him on the right path to where he needed to go or to something he needed to find.

Mamoru wasn't sure what that was all about, but it didn't make him uncomfortable so he chose not say anything and continue to observe for further differences.

It was the end of the week, Friday, and he had just gotten home after parting ways from Usagi. Just like during the rest of the week she had stood close to him and walked at his side close enough to almost touch him. He wasn't entirely sure but he also thought she was smiling at him a bit more.

He had a suspicion of what she was about, but he didn't want to think about it today. Despite her changed behavior he had still had a good time with her. School had also gone well, and he intended to fully enjoy the evening to come.

Motoki had invited him to a professional Quidditch game so he could experience how the Japanese played and he was thoroughly looking forward to it.

By now he had found out about the house Quidditch teams at Mahoutokoro and where the school Quidditch pitch was. He hadn't seen the house teams yet or watched any of their games, but he had learned that they played against each other like they did at Hogwarts. The only difference was that there was no bitter rivalry that made the game more dangerous than it already was.

Now he only had to wait for the time when Motoki would come and pick him up which wasn't for another hour. Until then he would just try to relax and occupy his time.

Mamoru walked into his kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Kyohowine from the refrigerator and opened it on his way to the living room. He grabbed the remote and sat down on the couch, glancing at the empty perch near the balcony, and turned on the TV.

I guess Helios is out hunting or stretching his wings. He thought as he took a sip of the cold drink, and began to flip through the channels.

Nothing was interesting enough to catch his eye as he did, and his mind began to wander and drift to his friends and surrogate family back in England. He wondered how they were doing since it had been a while since he had heard from them.

Had Neville become a full Auror since he didn't know how long that would take once the training started? How was George adjusting to the loss of his other half, and how was the shop doing? How were Bill and Fleur doing with their jobs? How were Molly and Arthur doing without any kids in the house; assuming Ron wasn't living there anymore?

I think it's time for me to write some letters, and get some of my questions answered. He thought as he took a sip of his drink. I wonder if Ron's still angry. He thought curiously.

Mamoru knew it had been his way of expressing his grief, but it had been directed at him instead of just being generally expressed. He was still upset about that. Ron hadn't been snapping at Hermione and accusing her unreasonably, but then again he was dating her and likely had at least some sense not to drive her away.

Of course even if Ron wasn't angry and feeling the need to direct it at him it wouldn't change anything. He was still going to keep distance between them. He was still going to be living in Tokyo.

The only thing that might change is me sending him letters like I do everyone else I've been writing to. He told himself, and he knew what kind of correspondent Ron was, so it would hardly be different than it was now.

With his thoughts on Ron they naturally drifted to Hermione as well considering the three of them had been close friends for so many years.

Regardless of if things were to change with Ron and his anger he was still going to keep distance between himself and Hermione. He had in no way forgotten that she seemed to like to treat him like a child; trampling all over his right to privacy, trying to tell him what he should do with his life, and how he should act.

And all according to her beliefs and ideals. He thought unhappily. It reminded him uncomfortably of the way Dumbledore had treated him.

She had always had a dependable and yet strict and bossy attitude and personality. And he wouldn't deny that some of those aspects helped for the most part with doing school work and when trying to solve mysteries; even if it was annoying and grated on his nerves.

However, he had never fooled himself into forgetting that she was a know-it-all. Had been since before they even became friends; since day one of their first year at Hogwarts. Spouting facts and trying to correct everybody like she had grown up in the Wizarding World instead of having taken advantage of the wealth of books Flourish and Blotts offered.

That part of her had never gone away or eased up. She had simply focused it on him and Ron because they were her friends, and now she seemed to be focusing all of her personality traits on him. Or at least she had been before he left England.

Maybe her behavior is her way of dealing with her grief and feelings from everything that happened during the war. He considered thoughtfully.

That could very well be the case since he knew he had been feeling all kinds of things. But he had chosen to focus on short term goals, dealing with his responsibilities, and being around the people that didn't judge or nag him.

And I definitely kept my feelings and the majority of my thoughts to myself instead of flinging them like weapons at those closest to me. He thought as he took a sip of his Kyohowine.

The familiar popping noise of Apparition sounded, interrupting his thoughts, and he turned his head to look over to his right and saw Motoki standing in front of his apartment door. He was wearing black jeans and a black pullover sweater with a green dragon on the chest.

"Hey Mamoru. You ready?" Motoki asked as he lifted his eyebrows.

"Yeah." Mamoru said as he clicked the TV off with the remote control. He hadn't realized how much time had passed while he was lost in his thoughts. "So how are we getting to wherever the game is?" He asked as he stood and walked toward the kitchen.

"We're taking a Portkey." Motoki answered as he held up the tickets. "They'll drop us off in the main area of the location, and then we'll have to walk the rest of the way. You'll understand when we get there."

"The tickets are the Portkeys? Or is it just one ticket that works?" Mamoru asked as he put the remains of his drink in the refrigerator.

"Both tickets are Portkeys." Motoki answered. "I bought them together, so they'll both go to the exact same location."

Mamoru nodded as he lightly patted his pockets, making sure he had his wallet and keys, his wand and Mokeskin pouch were already in place as they always were, and walked toward Motoki.

"Here you go." Motoki said, handing his friend a ticket as he reached him.

"Thanks." Mamoru said as he held the ticket and looked it over, seeing that the match was between the Okinawa Tanukis and the Tokyo Winders.

"They'll activate when we touch our wands to them." Motoki explained as he pulled out his wand.

Mamoru nodded and reached slightly beneath his sleeve and pulled out his Holly wand. Together they pressed the tip of their wands to the tickets, and felt the familiar hook pulling sensation inside and they were being whisked away through space.

A few long moments later they landed on their feet and Mamoru looked around wide eyed at the beautiful peaceful view around them. Beyond the view was nothing but blue sky and blue water in every direction, so he knew they must be on a rather large island.

There was lush green grass, vibrant green bushes, bright colorful flowers, and tall trees arranged beautifully. Beyond that was a white path leading up to a massive white building with five floors with a further three on top of the fifth floor on the center of the building that he could see from their distance and numerous windows stretched along the building.

"Welcome to Hachijō-jima island." Motoki said with a smile at Mamoru before he gestured toward the building. "And that is Hachijo Royal Hotel." He added.

"This place looks amazing." Mamoru said as they began to walk along the path with other people who were appearing and heading toward the hotel.

"This place is magical right? How do they keep it secret from the non-magicals?" He asked curiously as he looked around.

"You're right. It is magical." Motoki confirmed. "We're currently south of Tokyo and when non-magicals see the island they think it's abandoned. They see overgrown grass, plants, and trees growing wildly, and a completely dilapidated building."

"I see." Mamoru said as he nodded. "So what is this beyond the hotel, and I'm assuming the Quidditch stadium?"

"This is a resort island." Motoki reveal as they walked. "The hotel staff live as well as work in the hotel, and Quidditch teams stay there as well as fans coming from far away to watch the games. And of course witches and wizards on vacation stay there."

"Over there is a large swimming pool." He continued as he gestured off to their left. "As well as a large stage for different types of concerts. The Quidditch stadium is of course professional league, and it's a distance behind the hotel."

"Beyond those things there's a large spa on the island as well as a more recreational Quidditch pitch for nonprofessional visitors to use, a theater for movies and plays, restaurants, and a nightclub." He listed the available entertainments and establishments.

"Wow. I've never been to a resort before." Mamoru said. "It's nice to know all that's available in case I feel the need for a vacation."

"I've only come here for the Quidditch games, but I think vacationing here would be nice too." Motoki commented as they walked.

Mamoru nodded as they continued to move up the path and eventually made it to the large hotel. Apparently they needed to go through to get to the other side instead of walking all the way around the massive building.

He followed Motoki inside and looked around at the large lobby seeing the bright and yet soothing colors, and the decorations that littered the space. There were even a few fireplaces but he could tell they were too small for floo travel.

I'm sure they still have at least one floo sized one somewhere in here for emergencies at the least. He thought as they reached the doors leading to the back of the hotel.

As they stepped outside Mamoru's eyes widened to see green and black, and turquoise blue and gray everywhere. There were stands selling merchandise of the teams' memorabilia all along the wide path ahead of them, and pass them looming large was a massive stadium that immediately reminded him of the one he had seen at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Wow." Mamoru breathed as he looked at it, impressed with the size just as he had been at the World Cup.

"I felt the same way the first time I saw the stadium." Motoki said with a grin as they walked.

The friends moved along the path and Mamoru gazed around at the various things available. There were shirts, different types of sweaters, hats, scarfs, pants, and gloves. There were throw blankets, pillows, pin buttons, different sized flags, and so much more.

He wanted to get something, but he didn't know if he should get something for one team or both. He guessed he would have to wait until after the game. Maybe by then he would have made a decision or become a fan of one of the teams.

As they grew closer to the stadium he spotted a stand selling Omnioculars, and saw that they didn't look any different from the one he had gotten at the World Cup. The magical binoculars would let him record the coming game, but he didn't particularly want to buy another pair.

Maybe I'll pick them up the next time I go back to England to visit. He considered since besides recording Quidditch games he could see other uses for it.

The stadium was white and marble-looking, almost giving a feel that could have been a sibling to the Roman colosseum, and had flags the color of the teams up on the turret-looking posts.

Mamoru followed Motoki inside after they had presented their tickets, and through large hallways and up stairways until they reached the section indicated on their tickets. Then they moved through the rows until they found their seats, which Mamoru was pleased to find were in the first row right up against the railing.

"Good seats, and good view." He told his friend as he looked around as they sat down, seeing the three goal posts at each end of the stadium. They were sitting almost in the middle of the stadium.

"I'm glad you think so." Motoki said as he nodded in agreement.

Mamoru noted the stadium looked to be as large as the one at the World Cup and he knew that one was capable of holding one hundred thousand people. In addition to the number of seats there was a giant blackboard that he knew would show the score, advertisements, and live footage of the game for close ups and replays.

Gradually as the minutes passed the seats around them and around the stadium began to fill up, and in no time lights started flashing and people started cheering.

"Welcome witches, wizards, sorcerers, and sorceresses to Hachijo Royal Stadium, and another match of high speed action packed Quidditch!" The announcer's voice sounded loudly throughout the stadium causing the fans to cheer just as loudly.

"This a division match between the Okinawa Tanukis," The announcer stated and the crowd cheered as the seven man team dressed in turquoise, blue, and gray sped through the air and circle the stadium in unison, passing close to the audience as they went by.

"And the Tokyo Winders!" The announcer continued and the crowd went wild again as the team came speeding out, their jade green and black uniforms creating an interesting blur of colors as they took their turn circling the stadium in formation over the crowd of cheering fans.

"I guess this is the team I should be cheering for, living in Tokyo as I am." Mamoru said as he leaned his head toward his friend so he could be heard.

"Probably, but I'm biased as you can see." Motoki replied as he laughed, gesturing to his black sweater with a green dragon on the chest.

Mamoru laughed as well, already excited, being affected by the cheering crowd and seeing the teams flying through the air. He looked down to the grassy ground and saw the mascots of the teams, a jade green Japanese Winder dragon and a gray Japanese raccoon dog, flying and running respectively around looking like large dense versions of Patronuses.

I wonder what brooms they're using. He thought as he looked back up to the players. He was reminded in that moment that he needed a new broom since his had been destroyed when he was leaving the Dursley's house for the last time.

But as exciting as this is I'm not in any hurry to replace it. He thought as he watched the two teams shift into formation in the middle of the field in the air.

Mamoru looked down to the field and watched the referee let the Bludgers and the Snitch loose, all three flying up and whizzing around, the Snitch quickly disappearing, as the announcer narrated the actions.

"The Winders are in possession of the Quaffle!" The announcer's voice rang out loudly after the referee tossed the Quaffle up high. "The game begins!"

The stadium practically boomed with the sounds of cheers and cries of joy and excitement from the fans as they supported their favorite team. Names of the most popular players were chanted in mass when they were in possession of the Quaffle or smashed a Bludger toward the other team.

Chasers sped through the air, their robes waving crazily behind them, expertly weaving around the other Chasers and dodging Bludgers as they passed the Quaffle back and forth with precision.

Keepers blocked the Quaffle with their hands, their feet, and sometimes with the brooms; expertly using the space where the wood and bristles meet so the bristles wouldn't be damaged.

Meanwhile, the Seekers circled high above the game like hungry sharks just waiting for a glimpse of gold to appear. No doubt also keeping their ears open for the score and the sound of approaching Bludgers.

The Chasers swerved around the other teams Chasers tossing the Quaffle while shifting into strategic formations, all the while expertly dodging and sometimes unluckily not dodging Bludgers, and scoring against the other teams Keeper.

Nearly three hours had passed and the score was now two hundred and forty for the Okinawa Tanukis and three hundred for the Tokyo Winders.

The score being what it was, and with how much time had passed, Mamoru was keeping his eye on the Seekers and looking for the Snitch himself. Suddenly he spotted the Snitch and judging by the suddenly roaring cheers coming from the fans in green and black the Winders Seeker had spotted it as well.

And is likely closer to it. He thought, which was confirmed moments later when said Seeker entered his line of sight speeding like a bullet.

The Tanukis Seeker was quickly catching up as the Winders Seeker dropped into a dive before suddenly turning right and rolling before he began to speed back the way he came. The Tanukis Seeker unfortunately couldn't make the adjustment quick enough and by the time he did the Winders Seeker's fingers were wrapping around the flapping Snitch.

"The Winders Seeker has caught the Snitch for an additional one and fifty points!" The announcer's loud voice boomed throughout the stadium. "The Tokyo Winders win! The Tokyo Winders win! Four hundred and fifty to two hundred and forty!"

Motoki instantly rose to his feet and Mamoru was a second behind him both of them cheering excitedly and loudly at the win.

Minutes passed as the fans of the winning team cheered, and during that time the dragon mascot made an appearance and flew over the field and around the stadium; its pattern random and excited.

Gradually things quieted down, though people were still excited, and the hundreds and hundreds of fans began to leave the stadium.

"I've decided that I'm a Winders fan now, so I'm going to buy a few things." Mamoru said as they finally made it outside, and he saw that the stands were still set up and full of merchandise.

"Alright!" Motoki cheered slightly. "Another one for the Winders!"

Mamoru laughed as he moved toward the stands that had jade green and black items. It only took him a few moments to decide he wanted practical things so he grabbed a t-shirt, a pullover hooded sweater, a scarf, and a hat.

He paid for them and moved over so he wasn't in the way and began to look at the scarf he had chosen. It was black with the words Tokyo Winders in jade green and further along the length was the dragon mascot also in jade green.

"Nice choices." Motoki commented as he watched his friend wrap the scarf loosely around his neck.

"Thanks." Mamoru said as he shrunk the rest of his items and placed them in his pocket then returned his wand to its holster. "So how do we leave the island?" He asked as they began to walk in the direction of the hotel.

"The same way we came." Motoki answered. "There are a couple of areas we can leave from, the area just outside the hotel is the closest to us. We just have to touch our wands to the tickets and they'll take us back to your place."

"That sounds easy enough." Mamoru said as he nodded.

They continued to walk, swerving around people who were walking and also buy items from the stands, both of them thinking back to the exciting game. After a few minutes they reached the hotel, and Motoki gestured to the area off to the side of the entrance.

"This is the spot." He said as he pulled out his wand and ticket.

Mamoru nodded and did the same, and they both touched the tip of their wand to the ticket in their hand. Instantly they felt the familiar hook pulling sensation and were being whisked away through space until they felt their feet touch the floor and were inside his dark apartment.

"Thanks for the invite to the game." Mamoru said as he waved his wand, the lights turning on. "It was great. I hadn't seen any Quidditch in two years, so this was a treat."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, and became a fellow fan." Motoki said with a grin as he gestured to the scarf, and sighed. "I better go so I can prepare to deal with my family."

"Alright. I hope everything goes okay with them." Mamoru replied.

"Me too. I'll be seeing you." Motoki said with a wave.

"Bye." Mamoru said, and watched his friend disappear with a pop.

He turned and not seeing Helios he headed down the hallway and into his bedroom. He flicked on the light and saw his golden familiar there perched on his stand looking at him.

"Hello Helios." He said as he walked around the bed and over to him. Helios hooted quietly at him and closed his eyes as he stroked his warm feathers.

"I went to a professional Quidditch game with Motoki, and it was great." He said before he grabbed his scarf and displayed it so Helios could see it clearly.

"I've become a Tokyo Winders fan." He announced with a smile. "I even got a few other things." He said before he reached into his pocket and pulled out the shrunken items.

Mamoru enlarged them and showed Helios the shirt, sweater, and hat, and listened as he hooted and looked at each item in interest. He then went and put the items away; the shirt he folded and place in his dresser, the sweater he hung up in his closet and wrapped the scarf around the rack, and placed the hat on a shelf.

"I'm going to make myself something to eat." He told Helios as he came out of the closet, and watched him leap off his perch and fly toward him only to settle on his shoulder.

He walked out of the room and down the hallway until he reached the kitchen, and watched briefly as Helios launched off his shoulder and landed on the back of one of the chairs at the table.

"So the game was great." He said as he began to look through the refrigerator to see what he could find. "Well, maybe I should start sooner than that. The Quidditch stadium was on a large resort island, and it was huge; like the one I saw during the Quidditch World Cup back in England a few years ago."

Mamoru began to detail to Helios what the outside and inside of the stadium looked like, how big it was, how many people it looked like were there, and what it was like when the teams first made an appearance.

As he began to make himself some pancakes, since he was in a pancakes mood, he described the team colors, the mascots, and the brooms. Then he began to describe the game with its high speed, action, maneuvers, tactics, and the sheer skill involved.

"The Winders were in the lead when their Seeker caught the Snitch, and they won the game with four hundred and fifty points to the Tanukis two hundred and forty points." Mamoru said as he sat at the table with his plate of hot pancakes.

"You know watching that game reminded me of how much a like Quidditch, and made me realize how much I miss flying." He added as he poured syrup over his small stack of pancakes.

"Speeding around on a broom was so freeing." He said with a longing sigh, remembering his days flying at Hogwarts, before he took a bite of his pancakes.

"It would be nice if we could go flying together some day." He added after he swallowed his food. That was something he had never gotten the chance to do with Hedwig.

Helios hooted quietly at him, and he recognized the agreement in the sound.

I forgot my drink. Mamoru thought suddenly as he was lifting his fork full of pancake to his mouth, but paused and flinched, one of his eyes squinting as a piercing ache pulsed through his head.

Usagi. The name instantly came to mind. Get to Usagi!

Mamoru blinked and put his fork down on his plate, immediately understanding what was happening. He focused through the pain and waved his hand over his plate putting a preservation charm on it so his food would still be hot when he returned or at least be warm.

"I have to go." He told Helios as he quickly stood up. "Usagi needs me." He added before he began to focus around the pain.

I need to become the masked man Tuxedo Kamen, so I can get to Usagi and help her like I did before. He thought, visualizing the black tuxedo and white mask of the masquerade-like outfit he had worn before.

And just like last time he felt warmth and saw red gold-tinted light surrounding him. He squinted his eyes in the bright light, and when it cleared he saw that he was dressed like he needed to be.

The full black tuxedo and matching dress shoes, white dress shirt, vest, bow tie, and gloves covered him along with the black and red cape hanging from his shoulders, the white mask framing his eyes, and the black top hat sitting on his head.

"I'll see you when I get back, and let you know what happened." Mamoru told Helios as he moved away from the table and toward the area in front of his apartment door.

He wasn't at all concerned about the references to Usagi, and him seeing him become Tuxedo Kamen. He had revealed everything about himself to his familiar, and beyond that he had told him about his new identity and Usagi the day it had happened.

It was good that he had Helios to talk to about it even if his familiar couldn't talk back. He had been able to talk about everything with his mind healer, but he knew his identity as Tuxedo Kamen was not a subject he would be able to reveal even with the confidentiality contract they had drawn up to allow him to speak about his life as Harry Potter.

It was for the same reason that he had never revealed the dreams he had had for years of the mystery princess, because they had definitely gotten to that point and beyond during their sessions of going through his life almost year by year.

Mamoru paused his thoughts and focused on his senses; senses that were urging him to get to Usagi now and head to his left.

He wanted to Apparate to her as he had considered before, since that would be the fasted way to get to her, but he knew that would be dangerous if he could even manage it. She could be in the middle of running; could be in the middle of jumping over an open space high between buildings, and he could appear and fall to the ground.

Instead he focused on the roof of a building to his left that he recalled seeing the last time he had to run to Usagi's aid, and willed himself there; disappearing from his apartment only to appear on the target rooftop in the cool night air.

Immediately he took off running in the direction he was being pulled in, following his senses even as he allowed his thoughts to drift back to his golden familiar.

Helios was the only one in his life at the moment that he could be completely honest with. He had told him about his adoption, his life as Harry Potter, his life as Chiba Mamoru since coming to Japan, his nightmares, his dreams of the mysterious princess, meeting Usagi, and his new identity as Tuxedo Kamen.

Of course telling him everything brought them closer together and ensured they had a strong bond, but he hadn't forgotten there was something mysterious about his golden familiar.

He was so different from Hedwig and even other owls he had dealt with. He could easily put that down to being a male owl and having a different personality, but he felt there was more to it.

He and Hedwig had been very close, but she hadn't seemed to feel the need to be in his presence so much. Helios seemed to always want to be with him when they were both home together.

If he was in the living room watching TV then Helios was either on his perch or sitting on his leg allowing him to stoke his warm feathers. If he was in his study doing homework or just studying then Helios was on his perch keeping him company. If he was in his bedroom sleeping then Helios was there watching over him and making sure he was there if he had a nightmare.

None of which he had a problem with. It was just different.

Beyond that Helios was unique. He had never seen or heard of an owl that was gold, and Helios was all golden. Gold feathers, gold eyes, gold talons. The only thing that wasn't gold was his beak.

And it couldn't have been a coincidence that Helios had been in the very back of the shop hidden from everyone. It didn't take anything to know that Helios had allowed him to see him when they first met, and he also doubted it was a coincidence that the shop keeper didn't know where Helios came from and couldn't really remember him.

Mamoru shook himself internally and pushed aside thoughts of his familiar. Just like he had revealed knowledge about himself when he was ready he knew that Helios would reveal the mystery of himself when he was ready.

Right now he needed to focus on getting to Usagi, and helping her with whatever youma she was facing. And hopefully getting some answers to this particular mystery in his life, because he still very much wanted and needed to know why they were connected as they were and why he had been given this masked persona.

And there she is. He thought as he spotted Usagi in her Sailor Moon persona running along a rooftop ahead of him.

He picked up his speed to catch up to her since it was clear she had yet to reach whatever youma was causing trouble, and he wanted them to be able to arrive together.

"Hey." He said as he pulled up at her side and matched his speed to hers.

---

Sailor Moon jumped slightly at the sound of Tuxedo Kamen's voice, and stumbled in her run before she righted herself.

"You scared me!" She said as she looked over at him. "I didn't hear you coming at all."

"I'm sorry." Tuxedo Kamen said apologetically. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want to call out and interrupt your running."

"That's okay." She said with a light smile as they ran.

"So where are you headed?" He asked, trying to get information into what he was running into before they arrived.

"I got a tip that there was possibly a youma at the nearby radio station, so I'm headed there to see if it's true, and if it is to try and deal with it." Sailor Moon answered.

"Ah. Well, it looks like I arrived just in time to help." Tuxedo Kamen said as he glanced to her while carefully following her as they ran.

"There it is." She said after a while as she pointed to a building across the street as they slowed to a stop.

The building looked like any other it just wasn't as tall and it had multiple antennas on it and the number of the studio.

"Do you know which floor the youma might be on?" He asked as he gazed at the building.

"Unfortunately no." Sailor Moon answered. "Although I guess it might be on the floor the program would be airing from; the particular radio station I mean."

She knew the show was called 'Midnight Zero', but despite its name it didn't actually air at midnight. It had actually come on right before she left home, and with any luck it would still be airing when they got inside.

She wanted to get rid of this youma tonight. Those flowers they were sending out were dangerous, and from what she had heard from the show last night they only gave them to people who sent in a love letter that was read during the show.

I may be distracted with getting to know Mamoru and getting closer to him, but not so much that I didn't hear Naru talking about writing a letter to get one of those flowers. She thought. She didn't want her best friend affected by a youma a second time.

"Do you think there's a security guard?" She asked thoughtfully. "If not we would have an easy time getting in, but if there is one do you think they might…I don't know…associate us with Sailor V and let us through?"

"It does look like the type of place that might have a security guard." Tuxedo Kamen replied realistically as he looked toward the entrance. "And Sailor V is popular right, so it's possible if they know what Sailor V does then they'll be smart enough not to get in our way on the chance that we're there for a serious reason."

"But in either situation we risk alerting the youma to our presence if we go through the front entrance." He added, knowing from experience that it would be better to avoid the main entrance.

"Even with going in a different way it won't do us much good if we don't know where the youma is." Sailor Moon said. "I can go in and figure out what floor we need."

"But won't you still have the problem of the security guard?" He asked as he looked to her, and watched her shake her head.

"No. I can disguise myself to look completely different from how I look now." She replied. "Or at least I'm supposed to."

"Oh?" He said, curious and concerned. If she couldn't disguise herself or if her method of disguise could fail once she was inside he would rather they just search the building floor by floor.

Sailor Moon gestured with her hand and a bright pink pen appeared out of thin air.

Tuxedo Kamen held in a grimace at the color of the item, but was still able to note that it had a gold ring around its middle and at the top of the pen was a gold piece that looked like a crown with a large red gem seated in it.

"This is supposed to change me so I appear to look like I belong in the place I'm going." Sailor Moon said.

"Okay." Tuxedo Kamen said as he nodded, wondering if the black cat that had told her about the weapon that her tiara was had given it to her. "So what are you going to become? Or rather who will you become?"

"A news reporter." She answered. "I think that would be a good choice since I can say I'm getting a look at the directory so I know where to go when I come back for an interview."

"Smart idea." He replied as he nodded. "Are you going to change right here?"

"Mm…I think I should do it on the ground since I don't know if I'll be able to get down from here, if the change will be more than just appearance." She said.

Tuxedo Kamen raised an eyebrow even as he nodded. It would definitely be a good idea to wait until they reached the ground if there was a chance she wouldn't be able to use the abilities she had as Sailor Moon.

They left the rooftop they had been standing on and carefully made their way down to the ground and stopped in the narrow space between buildings that was at an angle from the radio station across the street.

"Moon Power, turn me into a news reporter!" Sailor Moon said as she held the pen up at face level.

Tuxedo Kamen kept watch at the opening they were in as he heard Usagi's words, and blinked as he saw bright pinkish white light flare behind him. The light lasted for a few long moments before it disappeared and he heard the sound of heels clicking along the ground.

He looked to his left and saw Usagi completely changed. She wore a dark pink long sleeve button up fitted blouse, a short dark red skirt, white shoes, and a necklace. Her bangs and buns were gone and her hair was now chin length, and she looked older and more mature.

"Wow. You look totally different." He said, slightly impressed.

"That's good right?" Sailor Moon said as she nervously smoothed her hands over her skirt.

"Definitely." He answered. "That's the whole purpose of the disguise pen right?"

"Right." She replied with a firm nod. "Alright. Here I go." She added.

"While you're doing that I'm going to circle the building to see if there's a back entrance." He said.

"Okay. Good luck." She said.

"You too." He replied.

With that the two slipped out of the narrow space and separated as they went in two different directions.

As Tuxedo Kamen walked he glanced back to Usagi and saw that she was headed for the crosswalk, and he looked around before he waved his hand over his ridiculous top hat and disillusioned himself. Instantly the sensation of liquid spreading from the top of his head and down his body was felt, and he knew the charm had taken hold to camouflage him.

He dashed across the street, sticking to the shadows to better help his disillusionment, and began to move along the side of the building and around to the back.

His eyes flickered along the building and found a door almost instantly. He moved closer and saw that it was mostly glass and, after a little more inspection, there was a camera directly above it.

And that is why I disillusioned myself. He thought as he stared at the camera.

He was in disguise and had likely been seen while running across the city toward Usagi whenever she transformed, but deliberately putting himself in sight of a camera rubbed him the wrong way entirely. Likely because he was used to living a life of secrecy for the most part. Or at least having a lot of secrets and lying.

Tuxedo Kamen shook his head lightly and moved forward to get a better look through the door inside the building, and saw the lobby and Usagi inside. With that he moved away and continued around to the other side of the building and out front before he dashed back across the street and to the narrow ally-like space they had started at.

He released the charm around himself, becoming visible, and watched the entrance to the building as he waited for Usagi to come out.

He watched the entrance like a very intent hawk to make sure she was safe coming out. He had only had a glimpse of her inside, but she had looked fine and not in any distress. He wanted it to remain that way. He wanted her to not get hurt and be at her best before they faced the youma.

It's always harder to fight your enemy when you're hurt. He thought quietly as he stared at the front entrance to the building.

Finally she came out and calmly walked across the street through the crosswalk and down the sidewalk before she joined him.

"So the floor we want is the second one from the top." Sailor Moon said, and he nodded as he looked up at the building.

"Well, there is a back entrance, but it leads into the lobby." Tuxedo Kamen said as he looked back to her.

"And there's a security guard there, so I guess we'll be going in through the roof." She said with a light sigh.

"Yes." He agreed.

Sailor Moon nodded and released her disguise, so she was once again dressed in her sailor uniform and boots.

The two shared a nod before they carefully made their way up to the roof to the building next to the radio station before they jumped up to the roof of their target building. They moved around large vents until they spotted a door, and Tuxedo Kamen went over to it and tried it.

Of course it was locked.

Not for long. He thought. Alohomora. He said in his mind as he subtly waved his free hand over the doorknob.

He turned the knob again and pulled the door open, and held it open for Usagi and watched her walk through before he joined her and silently closed the door behind them.

They walked down the flights of stairs to the floor they needed and Sailor Moon tried the door and found it unlocked. She slowly pulled the door open and peeked inside. No one was in sight, so she pulled the door open wider and walked into the hallway with Tuxedo Kamen right behind her.

They walked down the hallway in silence coming across not a single person, but when they reached the end and turned a corner Sailor Moon gasped to see people lying on the floor.

Tuxedo Kamen frowned at the sight. He thought this was proof that a youma was there, which also meant that these people were likely only unconscious. Still, he wanted to check for himself.

He had watched Madam Pomfrey use the diagnostic charm on him enough times to know how to use it, but of course he couldn't use it in front of Usagi. But he did know how to check manually.

He stepped forward and knelt down next to the closest person and felt at their neck. The man was still warm and breathing, so he moved on to the next and next until he had checked them all.

"They're all just unconscious." He informed Usagi, who had silently kept pace with him.

"At least they're not dead." Sailor Moon replied with a sigh. "They've just had their energy stolen."

"Is that what these creatures are about? Stealing people's energy?" Tuxedo Kamen asked as he stood up and moved away from the women he had been kneeling by.

"Yeah." She answered quietly. "They take the energy and leave them unconscious, and I guess it lets them control the people if they have that ability."

Well, that's one more answer to understanding this mystery. He told himself. These creature are called youma, and they're stealing the life energy from people. Now if I can just figure out why, and more importantly why Usagi became Sailor Moon, and why it caused me to become Tuxedo Kamen.

"Alright. Let's keep going." He said, and she nodded.

The companions continued on walking forward, and found more and more people, clearly employees, unconscious on the floor or in seats at desks throughout the floor. Finally they came across a sectioned off area with glass walls where it was clear programs streamed over the air. They could see switchboards, headphones, and microphones but no people.

Suddenly they saw a woman walking by behind one of the glass walls across from them.

She had on a short black skirt, a light blue blouse with a large decorative bow, and a green blazer. Her short hair was red, she had on pink lipstick, and wore round light blue earrings.

"Someone's conscious!" Sailor Moon gasped, and went to move forward but a strong hand grabbed her forearm firmly.

"She's not normal!" Tuxedo Kamen cautioned in a low tone. "She seems to be the only one conscious on the floor." He added as he released Usagi's arm, not liking the look of the woman. Something about her face was off putting, and he wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be the youma.

Sailor Moon looked back to the woman and stepped back to stand next to Tuxedo Kamen. Now that she was really looking at her she could see that even though she looked like a normal professionally dressed woman she had a sinister look to her face.

"I'm so glad you're here!" She told her companion in a hushed tone. "Who knows what would've happened if I had gone running toward her."

Before Tuxedo Kamen could reply the woman paused and looked their way before she took them by surprise and ran toward the glass. She jumped toward it and burst through the glass to get to them.

They covered their faces and moved off to the sides to avoid the shattered glass spraying at them, but quickly recovered and turned and looked at the woman.

Tuxedo Kamen didn't chance looking at Usagi and taking his eyes off the youma. He knew he was going to have to be the one to attack first, because Usagi taking off her tiara and charging it was too slow and obvious with how close they were to the youma.

However, he also knew that he was going to need more than just his plain roses. He needed to do something to keep the youma away from them and distracted so it couldn't attack.

I'll just do what I did before, and add some magic to it. He thought firmly as he subtly gestured with his hand.

A single red rose appeared between his fingers, and he focused on gathering the right amount of magic for the spell he wanted and tightened his grip on the flower.

Confringo. He thought as he willed the magic of a Blasting Curse into the flower. The rose glowed a fiery orange, and he threw it sharply at the youma's chest.

Thankfully he was quick enough that the rose hit the youma in the chest, and exploded forcefully sending the female flying back with a cry through the hole she had created when she burst through the glass.

Before Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon could do more than look at each other the youma stood up with an enraged yell as her eyes flickered and turned red and started to glow. Within moments she herself started to glow with a purple light that brightened until she was blocked from their view.

When it cleared the woman was gone but in her place was a female with pale purple skin, red eyes, fangs, and pointed ears. She wore a long turquoise toga, black wristbands and had unruly brown hair, bare feet, blue lipstick, and a black star on her forehead.

The youma opened its mouth unnaturally wide, and a beam of misty pink energy came shooting first at Sailor Moon and then at Tuxedo Kamen.

Sailor Moon cried out and dove to the side and almost belly flopped onto the floor. She quickly turned onto her back and saw Tuxedo Kamen do the same. Well, he actually dove and rolled into a crouch and somehow already had a rose in his hand.

As he threw it she reached up for her tiara and pulled it off as she tried to shift into a kneeling position. Her boots tangled as she tried to move as fast as she could, and she almost dropped her tiara before it finished becoming a weapon.

Breathe. She told herself as she remembered Tuxedo Kamen's advice from a previous fight.

She shifted into a kneeling position as the white disk that was her tiara hovered above her fingertips. She watched the youma shoot another beam of misty dark energy at Tuxedo Kamen, and she steadied herself before she threw her tiara as hard as she could at the youma.

Tuxedo Kamen dodged the beam coming at him before he pulled out another rose and willed the magic of the Blasting Curse into it before he threw it at the youma. As he stood up he saw that his fiery orange rose and Usagi's white tiara were both quickly headed for the youma, but unfortunately it managed to dodge both.

Her tiara hit the wall, causing a dent, and bounced off and shot in a different direction while his rose hit a window and exploded; sending glass flying everywhere.

He grimaced as he ducked and Sailor Moon winced as she stepped around the side of a wall. Neither one of them had meant to cause any damage, but as they heard the youma scream they thought the shattered glass was worth it if it had caused that creature damage.

Tuxedo Kamen pulled out a rose as he stood straight, and threw it at the youma that was distracted by its pain. Then he quickly pulled out another one and focused on his magic.

Confringo. He thought as he willed the magic of the Blasting Curse into a flower yet again. The rose glowed a fiery orange, and he waited for the right moment to launch it.

Sailor Moon cautiously moved back into view of the youma as well as Tuxedo Kamen, and was thankful the youma was distracted and that her tiara was returning to her. She caught it and immediately threw it at the youma as she cried out from the impact of Tuxedo's rose hitting it.

She huffed in frustration as she watched the youma notice her tiara at the last second and dodge out of the way. Then she ducked as the youma sent a blast of misty pink energy her way.

Tuxedo Kamen dodged to the side as the youma sent a beam of misty energy his way as it jumped through the open window space it had blasted through earlier. He quickly recovered and threw his fiery orange red rose at her back as she went running down the hallway they had originally come from.

The curse-containing flower hit the youma in the back and sent her flying forward with a loud cry as it exploded.

"Sailor Moon!" He called out as he looked in her direction to see her looking at her returning tiara.

"I'm coming!" Sailor Moon replied as she grabbed her tiara and dashed toward him, grateful that he hadn't left without her.

They took off running after the youma since it had managed to get back to its feet and run off.

They raced down the hallways, cautiously yet quickly turning corners, until they saw the youma blast the door to the stairwell off the hinges with its energy beam. They picked up speed not wanting the youma to get out of their sight and away.

Tuxedo Kamen pulled out a single red rose and focused on spell he wanted to use.

Impedimenta. He thought as he willed the magic for the jinx into the flower.

The rose glowed a vibrant turquoise and he quickly threw it at the youma's back. The blue green glowing rose slammed into the youma, and she instantly slowed as she rushed up the stairs.

As Sailor Moon ran she saw what Tuxedo Kamen did, and wondered again about his color changing roses; glowing roses actually since the flowers themselves didn't change color. She thought they were cool, and much better than her tiara.

Focus Usagi! She told herself as she raced up the stairs with Tuxedo Kamen.

They reached the top of the stairs, the door to the roof having been blasted off its hinges as well, Tuxedo Kamen ahead of her. He stopped abruptly in the doorway before he suddenly spun around and practically tackled her into the wall away from the door.

Her back hit the wall and she grimaced as the hand rail dug into her lower back, but before she could ask what was wrong she saw a thick beam of misty pink energy shoot through the doorway.

That could have been me! She thought, her face paling as she stared at the dark energy.

If Tuxedo Kamen hadn't thought to get her out of the way as he dodged she would have been a goner or at least severely injured. Not just from being hit, but from falling down the stairs!

"Are you okay?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, his heart racing at how close that attack had been.

"Yeah. Thanks for the save." Sailor Moon said in a shaky voice.

"No problem." He said as he moved away from her, and then carefully looked out of the doorway.

Sailor Moon made her sure her tiara was still at hand, seeing the white disk in her hand, and looked to see Tuxedo Kamen make a red rose appear in his hand before it began to glow a fiery orange.

He crouched down and moved further out of the doorway as he lifted the glowing rose. She wanted to take a look herself to see where the youma was, but she didn't want to ruin whatever he was trying to do.

Suddenly he threw the rose to his right and dashed out onto the roof. She hurried after him, immediately looking to where he threw his rose, and saw it hit the youma blasting it back into a vent.

She took the chance to throw her tiara at it, hoping to hit it and destroy it while it was distracted, but it shifted and her tiara ended up slice through its arm. She gasped and winced as the youma screamed as its arm fell to the floor.

I didn't know it could do that. She thought in surprise as she looked to her returning tiara.

The youma continued to scream and sent a streaming beam of its misty pink energy blasting at the two fighters facing her, hoping to buy herself some time.

Tuxedo Kamen ducked under the attack and gestured with his hand causing a red rose to appear. As he watched Usagi dodge the attack he willed the magic for the Blasting Curse into the flower.

Once the rose was glowing a fiery orange he threw it at the youma, and then immediately pulled out another rose.

Incarcerous. He thought as he carefully contained the magic within the rose before he threw it at the youma; hoping it worked the way he wanted it to.

The youma managed to dodge the first rose, but was thankfully distracted enough by the explosion that it didn't see the second rose. Thick ropes immediately wrapped around it as soon as the rose hit, trapping its remaining arm to its side and making it so it couldn't run.

"Now Sailor Moon!" He called to Usagi. He would just finish it himself, knew the perfect way, but he also knew he couldn't do it in front of Usagi.

Maybe I should practice to see if my roses can contain that particular curse. He considered, because if it could that would give him something else to work with without risking revealing his magic use.

Sailor Moon blinked out of her surprise at seeing one of Tuxedo Kamen's non-glowing roses suddenly produce ropes around the youma, and quickly threw her tiara at the female before it managed to free itself.

The white disk sailed through the air and slammed into the youma's stomach. The female screamed, louder and louder, as the glowing disk completely sliced through it. The screams trailed off as the two half's of the youma fell to the floor, and began to crumble until there was nothing but two small piles of gray dust.

"Are you okay?" Tuxedo Kamen asked Usagi as he walked toward her, knowing it couldn't have been easy to watch her weapon take the creature's arm off.

"Yeah." Sailor Moon said as she reached up and grabbed her returning weapon. "I was pretty fine until my tiara cut off the youma's arm. I didn't know it could do that."

"I'm sure you found that pretty shocking." He said sympathetically, remembering when he'd nearly killed Draco Malfoy with an untested curse. He'd wanted to hurt him, but he hadn't expected it to nearly kill him.

"Try to push aside the fact that it was your weapon, and you throwing it that produced that result. Instead, focus on the fact that you discovered another way to use your weapon against these youma." He advised, something he himself had done against the Death Eaters.

"You'll be that much safer." He added.

Sailor Moon nodded, knowing he was right. She now knew that she could use her tiara to do more than just finish off the youmas. That meant she could do more in a fight than just stand back or off to the side while Tuxedo Kamen caused all the damage.

"Thanks. I'll try to focus on that." She said as she placed her tiara back on her forehead.

"Good." Tuxedo Kamen said with a nod. "Let's get out of here."

Sailor Moon nodded and they left the roof the same way they had originally arrived, and got some distance away before they parted ways and returned to their homes.

~HPxXxMC~

Early Saturday afternoon found Usagi sitting on a train next to Mamoru as they headed to a destination only known to her. They had met up outside the Crown arcade and headed to the train station from there.

She held in a sigh and glanced to Mamoru as she idly smoothed her hands over her skirt. She was wearing a strap powder purple sundress that stopped just above her knees, a white cardigan sweater over it, white ankle socks, and black shoes.

Looking over to her friend she once again noted that he was wearing cream colored pants, black shoes, and a navy blue hooded pullover sweater.

He looks nice. She thought, holding in a sigh as she idly stroked her fingers along her black purse. I hope he likes what I have planned for us. I wonder if he's ever been to one considering he's never roller skated or ice skated before.

What if he doesn't like it? I'm sure there are people who don't like places like where we're going. I haven't met one yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't any or that Mamoru won't be one. She thought worriedly.

Usagi stopped herself from shaking her head, not wanting to look strange to Mamoru, and forced her thoughts away from her worry and to something else.

She was glad that she was able to get away from the house without Luna trying to follow her. She'd just told her that she was going to hang out with a friend, and that she couldn't come since she wouldn't be able to explain her presence.

She had noticed that Luna seemed to like following her around or at least trying to follow her around. She hadn't asked why yet, but she knew that she didn't particularly like it; especially when she was trying to spend time with Mamoru.

It was hard trying to get to know a guy she liked while having to worry about Luna overhearing and mentioning something later.

Luckily so far Luna was only able to follow her and be there when she was with Mamoru when they were at the cafe and he was tutoring her in English and helping her with her homework. So far that was all Luna thought he was; a tutor to help her with her school work.

And that's all she'll know until I'm ready for her to know more. She thought as she gazed out the window.

Luna was not her mother or guardian. She was just a talking feline that made her a senshi, and had no authority over her whatsoever. However, that didn't mean she wanted to have to listen to her trying to act like she had any kind of authority.

Mamoru sat looking out the window as the train sped along on the tracks and wondered what Usagi was taking them to do this time. She hadn't said yet, and surprisingly he hadn't asked yet.

That didn't mean he didn't want to know. He did, and he would ask soon, but he was content to take in the scenery; confident after the weeks of getting to know her that Usagi wasn't taking him anywhere dangerous.

Besides, this, regardless of what it turns out to be, is better than what I could have been doing. He thought quietly.

With it being the first day of the weekend he would usually be studying and learning from Motoki, but his friend had sent him an owl the day before while he was at school letting him know that he had to cancel since he had a family thing he had to handle.

They had already had plans to go to the Quidditch game so Motoki could have let him know then, but he was glad Motoki had informed him earlier since that left him able to accept Usagi's suggestion that they do something fun Saturday.

Mamoru glanced to Usagi, seeing her toying with her purse, before he looked back out the window. He hadn't been willing to think more on it yesterday but today was a new day and her behavior since they had met up left little doubt in his mind.

She likes me. He told himself. There was no other explanation for her subtle changed behavior. The smiles and the standing and walking close to him were all signs.

Not to mention the sitting close. He thought as he once again glanced to her. She's also been blushing sometimes when I catch her eyes or when she doesn't think I'm paying attention when she's looking at me.

I don't know what to do about this. He thought as he held in a sigh. I like being her friend, and I don't want to hurt her feelings by telling her I'm not interested. Plus, that would be a lie anyway. I am interested, but I don't want to be. She's not Ginny.

She's not Ginny, but she has her own unique appeal. He thought considerately. She's so brave as Sailor Moon even though she has a hard time fighting. She's clearly scared during the fights, but she never gives up. If she had been born a witch back in England she would have been a Gryffindor.

Mamoru blinked as he imagined that. The black pleated skirt, the white button up shirt, the Gryffindor tie, the knee high socks, and the black and red robe. All that in combination with her long hair, her personality, and a wand.

Wow. He thought on a whisper at the image in his mind, surprised at how much he liked it. I wish I could see that for real. He thought before he mentally shook himself and refocused his thoughts.

Usagi may like him but she was focused on the fight when they were faced with a youma instead of trying to be close to him, and he liked that about her. She took the situation seriously instead of using it as an opportunity to try to gain his affections or draw attention to herself.

He'd experienced both sides of that Galleon with Ginny and Cho. The distracting attention seeking with Cho, and the serious focus with his Ginny.

Of course Usagi didn't know he was Tuxedo Kamen, so he wasn't entirely sure if she would or not once she did know. He was betting that she wouldn't since she was focused when they were studying and doing their homework together.

Usagi was similar to Ginny. When it came down to it, when faced with danger, both girls were focused, serious, and brave. Ginny had also been powerful. He didn't know if Usagi was powerful since he was still trying to figure out this Tuxedo Kamen/Sailor Moon/youma business, but he wouldn't be surprised if she was.

Once Usagi gains some experience and becomes confident in her ability to fight she'll become even more appealing to me than she already is. He realized, which brought him back to the fact that he didn't know what to do about her feelings for him or his attraction to her.

It had been many long months since he lost Ginny, but that didn't mean he was no longer in love with her or over the fact that she was beyond his reach. He could see her and speak to her through the aid of the Resurrection Stone, but he could not touch her or have her back in his life.

There's nothing I can do about it now, and I don't want this worry to ruin this outing. I just need to stop thinking about it, and focus on the here and now. He told himself before he looked to Usagi.

"So do you plan on telling me where we're going?" Mamoru asked curiously.

"Nope!" Usagi said instantly, popping the 'p' as she looked to him. "I want you to spot the place for yourself."

"Ah, you're going to be mysterious about it then." He said with a slight smile, clearly seeing that she wanted to start the fun before they arrived.

"Yeah." She replied with a mysterious smile. "Although, really it shouldn't be too hard to spot."

"I guess I'll just have to wait and see for myself." He said as he glanced out the window, trying to see if they might be close enough to wherever they were going for him to see anything.

"Anything out there inspiring any guesses so far?" Usagi asked as she leaned against him slightly, trying mightily to suppress a blush as her chest brushed his arm, as if she wanted to get a better look out the window beyond him.

"Not yet." Mamoru said after a few moments, having had to blink his mind away from the feel of Usagi pressed against him; even if it was just a light touch.

I wonder how long it will be before she's confident enough to put more pressure into that move. He thought as he raised a mental eyebrow, silently acknowledging that it was the boldest she had been since they had met.

He focused his gaze outside to keep from looking at Usagi with how close she was, and looked at the view beyond the window. So far all he was seeing was office buildings and businesses that couldn't possibly have anything to do with where she was taking him.

Not to mention we're passing them by. He thought as his eyes flickered at the passing scenery.

"I think I won't be able to make any good guesses until we actually get off the train." Mamoru commented thoughtfully.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Usagi said as she glanced to him, her eyes roving over the side of his face and taking in his dark hair.

She sighed and sat back. She wanted to let him know she liked him by being close, but she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. She honestly didn't know if being that close made him uncomfortable, but she didn't want to take any chances.

They quietly rode the rest of the way, nearly half an hour more passing, until Usagi suddenly stood up and squinted out the window.

"This is our stop." She said with a nod as she looked to Mamoru, who nodded and stood up and joined her as they stepped toward the closest door.

They held on to the hand poles as the train came to a stop and walked off onto the station platform. The pair walked off the platform with a few other people, and were soon on their way down a sidewalk.

Mamoru kept his eyes peeled for a location that looked like it would be fun and interesting enough for Usagi to take him to. A place that she would want to spend her Saturday at.

They walked on with Usagi looking at him every few seconds, a little smile on her face, looking like she would start bouncing at his side in excitement at any moment. In fact, he fully expected her to actually start bouncing soon.

Still, he did his best to focus on looking around, but so far all he was seeing was tall office type buildings. Eventually they turned a corner and the buildings got shorter, and more of the sky could be seen; and more of the view beyond.

"An amusement park." Mamoru said with a quiet gasp as he looked at the attractions that clearly stood out against the view in the slight distance.

"Yup!" Usagi said, pleased with the clear surprise in his voice. "And it's my treat." She insisted.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he looked to her with a slight crease in his brow.

"Yes." She said as she nodded firmly. "I've been saving up for this, so you just go ahead and have a good time."

"Okay." He said with acceptance as he looked back to the park. He could see the tracks of a couple of rides and a giant Ferris wheel, but it was also clear that it was a small amusement park.

"Thank you for this. This is a first for me. I've never been to an amusement park before." He said as he looked back to her.

"I'm glad I can help you experience something new." Usagi said happily.

They reached the park and walked under the large red and blue sign that read: Yokohama Cosmo World, and Usagi explained that it was free and that it was the individual rides and games that you had to pay for.

Usagi and Mamoru walked further into the waterside amusement park and began to look around, Usagi pointing out different rides and games since she had been there before. They immediately decided on starting with the rides, so they headed for the closest one and quickly moved into the short line.

They went from ride to ride with Usagi screaming on the fast ones, and Mamoru laughing at her and the rushing speed. Finally they walked out the building of one of the last ones, a virtual reality one, excited and laughing at the unique experience since that was a new one from the last time Usagi had been at the park.

"Can we do the Ferris wheel next?" Usagi asked when they calmed down as she glanced from the giant wheel she had begun to eye to Mamoru and back again.

"Sure." Mamoru said with a smile and laughed as she hurried him along toward the ride.

When they arrived there was only a short line with three small groups and pairs of people waiting to get on. Thankfully it only took a few minutes to get the group and them onto separate cars.

"Do they have Ferris wheels in England?" Usagi asked as she looked away from the view to Mamoru as they gradually moved higher in their yellow car.

"I know of only one, but I've never ridden it." Mamoru answered. "It's supposed to be really popular and very big; maybe even bigger than this one. If I had had the chance to ride it I'm not sure I would have since I wouldn't have wanted to ride it by myself."

"Well, if I ever have the chance to be in England at the same time as you I'll ride it with you." Usagi promised.

"Thanks." He replied. He doubted they would ever be in that situation considering her age, but he wouldn't say it could never happen.

Mamoru looked back out the window and gazed out at the view. Being the flyer that he was he wasn't at all afraid of heights, and his experiences as Tuxedo Kamen only emphasized that so he had no problem with what he was seeing.

He was enjoying this, and trying hard not to let his thoughts drift. Not to drift to his Ginny and how this could have been a fun romantic date if she were with him.

If she wasn't dead. He thought sadly, and then quickly pushed the thought aside. He was here with Usagi. This wasn't a date and there was no romance of any kind, but he was enjoying himself and he wanted Usagi to continue to enjoy herself. He would not ruin her day with his grief.

Usagi hummed quietly as she gazed out the window from her seat across from Mamoru. She would have just sat next to him, to be closer to him, but she wanted to see the same view as him and be right up against the glass.

It was a really nice view and she looked over to Mamoru to see if he thought the same only to catch sadness flash across his face before it disappeared. She looked back out the window as she wondered about that.

Maybe he had a sad thought. She considered, and wondered naturally what it could be about. Maybe he's remembering the people he left behind back in England, and missing them.

She decided against saying anything and to leave him to his thoughts, and just enjoy the silence and quiet time with him.

But I will try to distract him when we get off this wheel. She thought before she began to think of what they could do next.

But then her thoughts were distracted by the silence around her before she could get too far. Usually she wanted to talk and liked to hear people talk, she liked things happening around her, but she had noticed that since meeting Mamoru she didn't mind the quiet.

It gave her the chance to calm down and think; usually about her feelings for him and the effect he was having on her. Motoki didn't have that effect on her, but then again that might be because she didn't spend time with him.

He was more of a cute guy she saw on the regular but didn't know much about, a crush, but she knew Mamoru was more than a crush. She was putting a lot of thought into him and how she felt about him and the time she spent with him.

Yeah, I think if this had been a crush I would have tried to distract him from whatever was making him sad instead of giving him his space and quiet to think. She thought as she looked over to him.

Nearly thirty minutes passed before their ride came to an end. Mamoru had managed to push his rising grief aside and began to question Usagi on what she wanted them to do once they got off the giant wheel.

They had decided on a general plan, but left room for spontaneity, and as they stepped out of the car they headed for one of the slower kiddie rides. They were determined to experience the entire park.

The first ride was more fun than they thought it would be, mostly because they made it fun with their amusement at how slow it was in comparison to the faster rides. Then they went and grabbed some cotton candy and made their way to the Merry-Go-Round.

It was two levels but they stuck to the bottom level, and climbed onto horses that were side by side and ate their cotton candy. By the time the ride ended their sugary snack was gone and they had their next destination decided.

They continued to ride the slow kiddie rides, paused to play at the game stands and eat snacks, and even walked through a funhouse. They had fun with the wavy mirrors and the maze that were inside, and then the last fast rides were ridden and the last game stands were played before they began to walk around.

"I think we've seen and done everything they have to offer here." Usagi said as she looked around as if trying to spot anything they may have missed.

"In that case, are you hungry?" Mamoru asked. They had snacked on some things, but he was becoming hungry for some real food.

"Yeah." She said as she nodded and looked back to him. Maybe he wants to go find a restaurant to eat at. She thought idly.

"Well, since you treated me to a fun day how about I treat you in return." Mamoru suggested, and continued before he could second guess himself. "I'll cook you a meal at my place."

"You can cook?!" Usagi said as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes." He answered in amusement. "I imagine if I didn't I would've had to learn since I know I would get tired of eating out all the time."

"Wow." She said in awe at learning another skill he had. "I'd love to try whatever you want to make." She said with a smile.

"Okay. Then let's get out of here." Mamoru said.

Usagi stuck close to Mamoru's side as they moved through the crowds of people and left the amusement park to head back to the train station. She wanted to grab his arm or hold his hand, which would be even better, but she didn't have the courage to do that yet; especially since she still didn't know if he liked her as more than a friend or not.

So far he hadn't reacted negatively or really at all to her sitting, standing, and walking close to him. Nor had he really reacted to her embarrassed blush when she knew he had seen it.

It would have been enough to make her sad or even to lose her encouragement to continue had he been another guy, but with it being him she wasn't willing to give up so quickly. He was mature, serious, responsible, and focused, so she thought he might not show his emotions so freely.

Beyond that was the fact that even though he hadn't reacted he also hadn't stopped spending time with her.

Someone might say he felt obligated because he was tutoring her, but after those sessions were over he didn't have to keep going to different places with her and talking to her.

Hey, if anything his willingness to cook for me might mean that he likes me. Heck, even the fact that he's willing to take me to where he lives in the first place could be a sign. She told herself optimistically.

Mamoru kept glancing to Usagi as they walked to make sure she was still with him. The park had grown more and more crowded as the day progress, and the last thing he wanted was to lose her among so many people.

Within minutes they had managed to exit the park and were skirting around people as they made their way along the sidewalks to the train station. When they arrived at the platform they were lucky to find the train they needed just arriving.

"Come on!" He said as he glanced to Usagi before he hurried onto one of the middle cars.

Glancing around for a few moments he made his way to a spot with side by side seats and sat in the one next to the window. Then he watched as Usagi sat in the open seat right next to him just as the car doors were sliding closed.

"So..did you have fun?" He heard Usagi ask, and he looked to her and saw that she was watching him with hesitant expectancy.

"I did." Mamoru said with a light smile, and watched her face brighten and her eyes practically shine with happiness.

This further proved that she had feelings for him or it was just that she liked that he had fun. Maybe it was both. He had noticed that she seemed to have a better time if he was visibly having a good time.

Ginny was like that too. He thought quietly.

She had thought that couples should do things they both enjoyed instead of just what one of them liked, so the other had to just endure or tolerate it. He had thoroughly agreed with that, and had been all the more happy that they had many things in common.

With Usagi the situation was different. She was taking him to places he had never been and doing things he had never experienced before, so it was trial and error because she had no way of knowing what he would like.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Mamoru asked, moving away from his current thoughts before he slipped into thoughts he didn't want to fall into.

"Oh yeah. Definitely." Usagi said with a smile, happy that he had enjoyed himself and wanted to make sure she did as well.

"And I definitely like this little guy." She added as she looked down to the stuffed white and lavender rabbit in her arms. Mamoru had won him for her and picked that particular rabbit to match her outfit.

"I'm glad. That means he'll have a good home." Mamoru said in amusement. "I liked the roller coasters, and that ride that went back and forth and spun around. The Disk-O." He said as he gestured the motions with his hand.

"Oh I liked that one too." Usagi agreed. "I was really dizzy at first but after a while I guess I started to get use to it, and the dizziness went away completely; despite all the spinning."

"Yeah that happened for me too." He said with a slightly confused shrug. He didn't know why it had happened, especially now that he knew it happened for her as well, but if he had to guess he would say it was because of their roles as Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon.

If he could run faster than he ever had in his life, jump over large spaces and heights, than being able to handle rapid spinning wasn't much of a surprise.

"Oh! I liked the Super Planet ride too." Usagi said as she remembered the ride. It had allowed them to sit in the same car, but strapped into different seats; one sitting in front of the other.

That would have been so much better if we had been able to sit together. She thought with a sigh as she imagined Mamoru's arms around her, holding her to his chest, as the momentum from the ride spinning pressed her back against him.

"Me too. I just like fast rides all around." Mamoru said with a shrug. They reminded him of the thrill of speeding through the air on his broom.

"I haven't been on too many roller coasters before, but I think I like the fast ones too." Usagi agreed. "Despite all the screaming I did." She added, and listened as he chuckled.

"Sometimes you can enjoy something even when you're scared." Mamoru said, recalling all the harrowing experiences he had been in over the years.

He hadn't enjoyed the danger of them, but more the thrill he felt while running around and using his magic. It was nearly the same thrill he felt when he was flying during a Quidditch match.

That applies to more than just dangerous situations. He told himself as he thought of his Ginny. Dating her and falling in love was just as thrilling and scary but in a different way.

After long weeks of longing for her he finally got her, allowing himself to drop his guard enough to forget himself and kiss her in front of the entire Gryffindor house, and then started to date her. That time was blissful, but scary since he had to take a risk, to open himself up, and show her a side of him he hadn't shown anyone else.

She made it easy though. He thought sadly.

"Thanks. I'll remember that." Usagi said. "You know we should go to a bigger amusement park." She said thoughtfully as she idly played with her stuffed rabbit's ear.

"You think so?" Mamoru said as he blinked at her.

"Yeah!" She said, her eyes bright. "It would be a new equal experience since neither of us has been to one before. We can go to like…Tokyo Disneyland. That's the biggest one I can think of."

"If we do that we couldn't do it on a weekday. There wouldn't be enough time. It would have to be when we had a break from school; unless the weekend would be enough time." He replied thoughtfully.

"I think we could manage it on like a Saturday or Sunday. We would just have to get an earlier start then we did today." She said as she considered it.

"I guess." Mamoru said as he nodded. "We would also have to factor in travel time, and if the park is as big as I'm imagining we would have to decide before we go if we were going try to visit every attraction or only some of them."

"I guess this is why people usually take a few days to visit the park, so they have enough time to see and do everything." Usagi said with a sigh. "I doubt my parents would let me stay overnight without them or some adult they trust."

That was not how she wanted to see Tokyo Disneyland. She wanted it to be just her and Mamoru enjoying the park. Not to mention she very much doubted he would be comfortable staying with or going around with people he didn't know personally.

And even if he did know them personally there's no guarantee that he would want to spend time with them; especially if he has ideas about how he wants to spend his time. She thought with another sigh.

"Hey it's okay." He said reassuringly. "We don't have to go right away. We can take our time picking out the right day or days to go."

Usagi nodded and tried to be optimistic about it.

Maybe a solution will come, and these concerns will be pointless. She considered. She couldn't see how that would happen, but it was still possible.

The pair continued to talk throughout the train ride, much more than they had on the way to the amusement park, and eventually their stop came. They got up and walked off the train with some other passengers, and Mamoru guided them out and away from the station to the bus stop that had the bus-line they needed.

The wait for the bus was less than ten minutes and they were soon on the large vehicle and seated together watching the scenery pass by.

Usagi looked out the window curiously as she hugged her stuffed rabbit to her chest. She was anxious to see and note everything, not to mention to remember the exact directions so she would know how to get to where Mamoru lived in the future.

Does he live in an apartment or a house? She wondered. She couldn't honestly see him living in a house since he had moved to this country by himself.

She pictured her family's house and tried to imagine living there by herself. It was hard since she hadn't even had the chance to stay at home alone for any reason, but she thought she would be lonely and uncomfortable with all those empty rooms.

But I'm still getting to know him, so maybe he does live in a house. Maybe he wouldn't be uncomfortable. She considered thoughtfully.

Almost half an hour passed before Mamoru rang the bell to signal the driver that someone wanted to get off at the next stop. As the bus slowed to a stop he and Usagi stood up and walked off the bus, and began to head down the sidewalk as the bus pulled off.

I wonder what she'll think of my place. He wondered as he watched the bus turn the corner and disappear. I like the way I've decorated. Although, recently I've been considering putting up some artwork. I'm not ready for pictures yet. Plus, all the photos I have move.

Mamoru wondered if he should do non-magical artwork or magical artwork. He supposed it would depend on where he wanted to put the artwork.

Hmm..maybe I can do both. Non-magical artwork in the living room and hallway, and magical in my study, bedroom, and maybe the potions room. He considered. I'll have to go to Kototama Market Place, and see if they have an art store since I don't really remember if they do or not.

A few minutes passed as they walked along a few sidewalks and crossed a couple of streets before Mamoru slowed as they reached his apartment building.

Usagi's eyes widened as she took in the high rise building. It looked like it was at least twenty stories tall.

She followed Mamoru inside and gazed around at the large spacious bright lobby. They walked toward the end before turning a corner where there was an elevator and two clear glass doors. She curiously peeked into them, and saw that one was a laundry room and the other was a room with mailboxes.

She walked back to Mamoru and saw that he had already pressed the up button to call the elevator. A few moments later the elevator dinged quietly and the door slid open. They stepped inside and she watched him press the button for the nineteenth floor. The building was actually twenty floors, including the lobby, and he was just one floor below the top floor.

The ride didn't take long and the door was soon sliding open to reveal a quiet carpeted hallway.

Usagi stepped out and followed Mamoru down the hallway to one of the four doors that she could see. He pulled out some keys and quickly had the door open and was gesturing her inside.

She stepped inside and took a few more steps before she paused and looked back to Mamoru.

"Well, this is it. This is home." Mamoru said after he closed the door. "Feel free to look around. I'm going to wash my hands and get started on cooking."

"Okay." Usagi said as she nodded and began to step forward.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to the large tall windows with dark tan curtains, and the glass paneled balcony beyond. The white walls and light wood floors were next, and then the furniture. The couch, side tables, coffee table, and arm chairs were all dark brown and black.

She couldn't help feeling that the combination of colors gave off a warm cozy feeling.

As she was turning around her eyes took in the TV before they landed on two crystal figurines. She moved closer and saw that they were two different owls, one white and the other gold.

Beautiful. She whispered as she took in the detail of each figurine.

Usagi turned and looked around taking it all in again until her eyes landed on a strange stick or what looked like a leafless tree beach sticking out of the floor next to the balcony.

She walked over to it and gazed at it curiously wondering what exactly it was. After a few long moments of staring she realized it was a perch of some kind for a bird.

Does he have a pet bird? She wondered curiously before she glanced back to the crystal figurines. Maybe he likes birds like some people like cats and dogs. If nothing else the fact that he might have a pet is another thing I've learned about him.

Usagi turned and walked toward the kitchen seeing Mamoru in the kitchen pulling things out of the light wood cabinets. She took in the white counter tops and the fact that the wood floor continued into the kitchen before she looked down the hallway.

She bit her lip in indecision squeezing the stuffed rabbit she was still holding. Mamoru had said to feel free to look around, but she didn't want to overstep. That would put her back in whatever progress she had made toward him having feelings for her.

But I'm curious. She thought with a barely there sigh.

"Good ahead." Mamoru said as he opened the refrigerator.

He had seen her taking in the view out the window, looking around his living room, noticing the crystal figurines of Helios and Hedwig, and looking curiously at Helios' perch.

His golden familiar was either in his bedroom or he was out hunting and stretching his wings. He didn't know what he would have done or said if Helios had been sitting on his perch when they had arrived. He was sure the golden owl would have been the first thing Usagi saw.

Now she was eyeing the hallway that lead to the bedrooms, bathroom, and the closet; as well as his other hidden rooms. He didn't mind her looking; especially since his most curious rooms were hidden. Although, Helios might be in his bedroom, and then he would have to worry.

"I said to feel free to look around, and I meant it." Mamoru said with a small reassuring smile.

Usagi nodded and slowly stepped down the hallway. She took in the light wood doors that matched the floors, the black doorknobs, and the blank white walls. She peeked through the first door that was open and found the bathroom, and then walked down to the end of the hallway and peek into that open door and found a bedroom.

It had dark blue curtains hanging in front of the windows, which she noticed also had a balcony, dark blue and gray bedding, and white sheets on the large bed. She was only able to see that because the bed wasn't made, which made her blush as she realized this was Mamoru's bedroom.

This looks warm and cozy too. She admitted despite her slight embarrassment as she turned her attention to the perch that looked almost identical to the one in the living room.

That confirmed that he must have a pet bird, but now she was wondering where it was. Or maybe it was as simple as he didn't have it yet, and was only prepared for it.

Usagi shrugged and walked back down the hallway and paused to crack open the door to one of the closed doors. She found another bedroom with a slightly smaller bed than in Mamoru's room with cream and dark teal bedding and matching curtains hanging over the small window.

Guest bedroom. She thought as she closed the door and continued to walk down the hallway before she paused and opened the last closed door.

She hummed lightly at the closet she found before she closed the door and walked out of the hallway. She paused and looked around before she sat at the kitchen table to watch Mamoru.

She was still surprised he knew how to cook, but she thought she shouldn't be since he needed to eat. He had been right earlier that eating out would get old fast; not to mention expensive.

Mamoru glanced over to Usagi as she sat at the table before he focused back on what he was doing. He had very much enjoyed his time with her, as he had every time he was with her, but he had also realized that his attraction to her was growing; growing with the more time he spent with her and the more he learned about her.

Adding in their 'working relationship' while she was Sailor Moon and he was Tuxedo Kamen only enhanced that attraction.

Beyond that he was feeling drawn to her, and he didn't know how to feel about that. It was like he was being steadily pulled toward her, connecting more with her, and he didn't know why. Usagi wasn't responsible, that much he knew, and that only made him more wary of what was happening.

He didn't want to be attracted to her, didn't want to be drawn to her, and didn't want to notice that she might be, highly likely was, feeling the same.

He still loved Ginny, more importantly he was still in love with her, and he didn't think that would ever change. He didn't want it to change. He didn't want to get over her.

And he was still grieving over her. He was trying not to think about it but he knew it was coming up on one year since he lost her. He hated it, hated that time was passing, moving on, and she was not in his life. Not even out in the world living her own life. She was gone, and he hated it!

Mamoru held in a sad frustrated sigh, and knew he needed to let Usagi know something of what he was thinking, because even though he hadn't really acknowledged it he had seen the signs of her attraction to him.

He didn't know what to do about this or what would become of it, but he knew that she needed to know about his Ginny if she was going to continue letting him know without words that she liked him.

"So, since we're holding off on going to Tokyo Disneyland is there any other place you want to go to?" Usagi asked as she stood up, deciding to move a little closer to him. "I think I've taken you to all the places I think are vital for you to know about, but I have some other ideas of places we could go to."

One of them is a place I've definitely never been before, courtesy of my age, and I'm not even sure I would actually like it. She thought as she leaned against the counter, idly imagining a nightclub scene.

Mamoru closed his eyes briefly as he listened to Usagi. This was it! He had to say something. He could not in good conscious keep spending time with her without letting her know about Ginny. Especially when he knew that the more time she spent with him the more her feelings grew.

"Usagi?" He said quietly as he looked to her.

"Yes Mamoru?" Usagi answered as she looked at him curiously, expecting him to tell her whatever idea he might have about another place they could go to and have fun.

"I need to tell you something before we talk about going to any more places." He said seriously as he looked back to what he was doing.

"Okay." She said quietly as she watched him.

"I lost my last girlfriend." Mamoru stated bluntly, not wanting to drag it out with hesitation. "She was murdered." He said as he looked to her.

Yes she was murdered. He thought as held back a grimace. It had happened during the war, at the final battle, but that ultimately was what had happened to her.

And it was the truth, and as much of the truth as he could tell her without lying. After all they may have this supernatural connection as Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon, but Usagi wasn't a witch and the Statute of Secrecy couldn't be broken at this point.

Usagi gasped, her stuffed rabbit slipping from her hold, completely shocked by this piece of news Mamoru had sprung on her.

Murdered?! She thought in shocked horror as she stared at him. He lost his girlfriend in such a way?! How horrible! She thought, sad for him, but not quite sure how else to react.

To have lost his girlfriend in such a way must have been horrible, and she was incredibly sorry he had to experience such a tragic and painful event.

Then Usagi blushed deeply in embarrassment as she looked away from him. As horrible as this fact was it didn't change the way she felt about him, but even she could see that he was still grieving. At least now that he had said it she could see the signs or at least understand what she had been seeing.

This explained so much that she had noticed but had never mentioned. How careful he was around her. He was polite and the perfect gentleman, but even though he spent time with her he seemed to keep a bit of distance between them and only touched her when the situation called for it.

This even explains the brief flash of sadness I saw earlier back at the amusement park. He obviously still cares about his lost girlfriend, and is hurting over her death. She thought in sad understanding.

Oh no. Mamoru thought in dismay as he saw Usagi blush and quickly look away. He walked to her and leaned down and picked up the rabbit off the floor.

"It's okay." He quickly assured her as he handed the rabbit back to her. He almost reached out to touch her arm, but quickly aborted the move.

"I'm still dealing with her loss, but it's getting better every day. I just…I don't know, but don't let what I'm going through change the way you are around me." He said quickly, not really thinking about what he was saying; just saying what felt right.

"I didn't tell you to make you feel bad or warn you off. I just thought you should know." He added with a helpless shrug as she finally looked at him.

"I understand." Usagi said with a soft smile after a few long moments as she once again held the stuffed rabbit he had won for her.

And she truly did; maybe more than he realized. He wanted her to know what happened to his last girlfriend, that he was still grieving for her, but didn't want to stop seeing her and spending time with her.

Which means he's interested in me too. She thought quietly as she squeezed her rabbit.

Usagi's eyes softened as she looked at him. This had to be hard for him; to still care for his lost girlfriend and dealing with the tragic loss of her, but finding himself interested in another girl at the same time. His emotions were probably tugging him all over the place.

If Usagi's friends knew what was going on they would be shocked at her insight, and wonder who she was and what she had done with herself. But she was grateful for her insight as it was being a big help now. She would go slow and keep doing what she had been doing. Spending time with him and letting him know in little ways that she liked him.

Beyond sitting, standing, and walking close to him she would start touching his arms, holding his hands, hugging him, and give him soft and happy smiles and soft meaningful looks.

"Can I ask about her?" She asked hesitantly as she placed a hand on his arm, and listened as his breath caught but watched him nod positively.

Mamoru looked away and then stepped back and tried to get back to cooking, and saw Usagi out of the corner of his eye moving to sit back at the table.

He was in disbelief that she wanted to know about Ginny. He hadn't really thought about it but if he had he wouldn't have thought she would want to know about her; especially with her developing feelings for him.

"What was her name?" She asked quietly. "When did you meet her, when did you two start dating, and how if that isn't too intrusive?"

"You really want to know about her?" Mamoru half asked half stated in wonder as he looked to her.

"Yes." Usagi said sincerely. "The fact that you even told me about her tells me that she must have had a big impact on your life. She must have been really great if you wanted her as your girlfriend."

"Yes to both." He said as he nodded with a sad smile and turned his attention back to cooking.

"Her name was Weasley Ginevra, but she hated her name and went by Ginny instead." He said. "We met when I was eleven. We went to the same boarding school but she was a year behind me, so we actually met at the transportation place that would take me to start my first year there." He explained.

"She'd had a crush on me for years, but we didn't start dating until I was sixteen. It wasn't until then that I started to notice her in that way." He added.

"I've never heard of boarding schools." Usagi said thoughtfully.

"Imagine it like universities with dorm rooms. College students live on campus. Boarding schools are similar to that." Mamoru explained.

"At the school I went to we lived there for the entire school term and only went back home for the summer." He continued. "We had the option of going home for holidays, and there was a village near the school that we had been able to visit on certain weekends to shop and get away from the school for a few hours without having to go all the way home."

"Personally I thoroughly enjoyed being away from the house I lived in, and had wished I could live at the school year round." He revealed as he remembered his time at Hogwarts.

"The only adult supervision were the teachers, but of course they couldn't be everywhere, and there were prefects, older students who were picked to help supervise the rest of the student body, but of course they were students too and there were ways around them anyway." He explained.

"Did the girls and boys live together?" Usagi asked curiously, and watched him nod.

"The student body was split into four fraternity/sorority-like houses, and in each house the girls and boys had their own dorms, but the house had a common area to mingle in." Mamoru explained.

"We didn't get our own rooms though. We shared a single large room with those in our year." He continued. "The school was seven years long so we lived with the same group of people, boys for the boys and girls for the girls, for all seven years."

"Were you and Ginny in the same house at that school?" Usagi asked.

"Yeah." He answered. "Her whole family was in that house."

"Family?" She said questioningly.

"Ginny had a large family." Mamoru said as he began to plate their food. "Her mother and father and six older brothers."

Usagi's eyes popped open wide at the number.

"Yeah. I was surprised at first too." He said as he nodded in response. "I was best friends with her youngest older brother all throughout school."

"Was?" She said hesitantly.

"We grew distant before I traveled here." Mamoru said as he brought their plates to the table. "I actually put that distance in place because he was taking his grief out on me whenever I was around. To be fair he wasn't just grieving for his sister but also for a brother who was murdered at the same time." He explained as he sat down across from her.

Usagi gasped in shock and surprise, dismayed that the large family had lost two people at the same time.

"Were you close to that brother?" She asked gently.

"We were friends." He answered. "I had managed to land myself on the house sports team in my first year, and he had already been on the team so he looked out for me."

"I'm close to the oldest brother of the family and his wife. They're like the older brother and sister I never had; and he was Ginny's favorite brother." He added before he shook his head.

"Anyway, as for how Ginny and I started dating..well, I said we started dating when I was sixteen, which would have been my sixth year at the boarding school and her fifth year, but I had started to realize I had feelings for her during the summer before the school year started. My feelings gradually grew, but she had been dating one of my roommates so I kept my feelings to myself." Mamoru explained.

"I should also mention that Ginny had been on our house sports team that year; she had been on the team the year before but she had earned her position back." He said, and Usagi nodded.

"The day it happened our house had a game against another house, the final game to see who would win the house cup, and I'd gotten myself in trouble and had to serve detention, so I couldn't play in the game, which sucked especially with me being the team captain." He explained, and she gasped in surprise.

"Yeah." He said as he nodded. "So she was playing my position instead of her usual one since she was the only one who could do it right. My position was important because if I did my job right then it meant we were guaranteed to win, so it was a big deal that she was playing my position and had a lot of pressure on her."

Usagi nodded in understanding.

"So when I made it back to the common room, before I even entered, I could hear people cheering and laughing so I knew they must have won." Mamoru said.

"When I entered everyone started cheering louder, and I automatically started looking for Ginny. When I spotted her she was headed my way smiling and looking so happy and pleased with herself." He continued.

"She spotted me and started to rush toward me, and next thing I knew she had jumped into my arms and wrapped her arms and legs around me, and I kissed her." He revealed as he remembered that glorious moment.

Usagi gasped. "Just like that?" She asked in surprise.

"Yeah." He answered as he shrugged. "There she was in my arms, she had obviously been instrumental in winning the game and was pleased that she had succeeded at my usual position on the team, and there was the girl I had spent nearly half the school year crushing on."

"It just happened. It wasn't something I thought about. Her face was right there and she looked so beautiful and pleased with herself, and I just reacted to my feelings." He explained.

"How did she react to you kissing her like that?" Usagi asked curiously.

"She was obviously surprised. She had tensed up for a few seconds but then she kissed me back." Mamoru answered. "Mind you, we were surrounded by our entire house, which included her youngest older brother and my friend, and her very recent ex-boyfriend."

"Wow." Usagi breathed in awe. So romantic! She thought. It sounded like one of those moments she had seen in movies where the music was playing in the background to emphasize the moment.

"What was she like?" She asked curiously, and watched him close his eyes.

"She was a beautiful tomboy." He said quietly. "She was courageous, passionate, independent, energetic, and lively. She was athletic, tough, and strong. She was quick-witted, funny, and could make people laugh. And she didn't get intimidated or frightened easily."

As Usagi listened to Mamoru she took a bite of the food he had made, and closed her eye briefly at how delicious it was. She had never met a guy who could cook, but then again the only guy she knew aside from Mamoru who was old enough to do their own cooking was Motoki.

As she chewed she took in his description of his lost girlfriend and couldn't help comparing herself to the girl. She wasn't a tomboy, or athletic, she didn't see herself as strong or tough in any way, and she knew she wasn't really independent.

She didn't know if she was passionate or funny, but she was energetic and lively and liked to laugh. She was also a girly girl. She liked to wear skirts and dresses, use a bit of makeup, wear jewelry, and go shopping.

Would Mamoru like those things about me? She wondered. She knew that he did like her, at least some, but she didn't think he was aware of how girly she was.

Did he only like the tomboy type of girl or was he willing to like another type of girl?

Of course she was sure that there was more of Ginny's personality that he didn't say, which was probably good since she didn't need more to compare herself to. She knew she shouldn't be comparing herself to her at all, but she couldn't help it with how much he clearly cared about the deceased girl.

Maybe it's just for the moment and once time passes I won't do it anymore. She thought.

After all, he hadn't mentioned Ginny before, and he was only doing it now because he wanted her to know and because she had asked for details after the fact.

"What did she look like?" Usagi asked and bit her lip as she prepared to have a mental image of the girl he was mourning.

"She had long fiery red hair, brown eyes, freckles, and was small." Mamoru said as he opened his eyes. "Shorter than me with a petite figure." He elaborated slightly.

"She sounds pretty." She said quietly as the image of Ginny that she was picturing formed in her mind.

"She was beautiful." He replied with a sigh as he looked down.

Mamoru's eyes landed on his food but as his eyes flickered over the table he realized he had forgotten to get them something to drink in his distraction with talking about Ginny.

He got up silently and moved to the refrigerator and opened it. After a quick look he grabbed two bottles of water since aside from that all he had was magical beverages.

Got to go pick up some non-magical drinks if Usagi is going to be coming over. He thought as he moved back to the table.

"You asked earlier if there was anywhere I wanted to go to since we're holding off on Tokyo Disneyland." He said as he sat back at the table and placed the cold bottles of water in front of each of them.

"Yeah." Usagi said as she nodded.

"I actually don't have any ideas in mind." Mamoru admitted. "I like all the places you've taken me and I've had fun, so I'll leave it in your hands until something does come to me."

"Okay." She said before she took a bite of her meal. "This is really good."

"Thanks." He replied before he took a bite himself.

From there they began to discuss Usagi's curiosity about his cooking skills, and he told her that he had learned at a young age and had been cooking ever since. How he hadn't exactly liked when he learned and how much he had to cook, but once he was living on his own he was glad he at least knew how.

~HPxXxMC~

Usagi yawned as she walked up the stairs of the main building toward her classroom with a few of her fellow students.

She was pleased to be arriving to school on time; something she had been doing more and more since meeting Mamoru. She couldn't imagine him being late for anything let alone school; especially since he was working toward being a doctor.

She didn't want him to think she was lazy or careless, so she was doing her best to make sure she got up when her alarm went off. She didn't care how long it had taken her to get to sleep or what time she had fallen asleep; she was making sure she got to school on time!

She wanted to be able to tell him if it ever came up that she was on time to school, and she definitely didn't want to get detention because she arrived late. That would mean cutting into her time with Mamoru, and worse is that she wouldn't be able to let him know what was happening.

It's not like they would let me leave school before serving me detention. She thought as she swerved around a girl wearing the same uniform. She was walking slowly in the same direction she was going while talking to her friend; also in the same uniform.

Usagi reached her open classroom door and stepped inside, and made her way toward her desk as she looked around. She spotted her best friend and saw a couple of clusters of her classmates standing around desks.

"Good morning." She said as her best friend walked toward her as she reached her desk.

"Good morning." Naru said as she leaned against the desk next to Usagi's.

"How was your weekend?" Usagi asked as she put her school bag down.

"The same as usual." Naru said with a shrug. "I did my homework and helped my mom at the store. How was yours?"

"It was revealing." Usagi said. "I spent Saturday with Mamoru."

"The whole day?" Naru asked wide eyed. "What happened? How was it revealing?"

"I'll tell you later; at lunch." Usagi said as she looked around, uninterested in being overheard. "What's with them?" She asked, changing the subject, as she gestured with her head toward the groups around the desks.

One of the girls in the group closest to them shifted to the side and Usagi got a look at what they seemed to be so focused on. It looked like a fluffy hairy cross between a guinea pig and a rabbit, and to make it even stranger it was yellow.

"Apparently a new pet shop opened, and they're selling those things." Naru said as she looked over herself. "They call them Chanela's. They smell like perfume, and as you can see they come in different bright colors. Apparently they had to bring them to school, because they couldn't bring themselves to leave them at home."

"It's somewhat cute, but I don't see why they felt the need to bring their pet with them." Usagi said as she glanced to her friend and back to the groups. "Can you imagine everyone bringing their pets to school?"

"Yeah. It would be a complete zoo!" Naru said.

"Yeah." Usagi agreed as she gazed at them holding back a frown. This was beyond strange. This was suspicious. Who brings their pet to school with them? Why would they feel the need? And did they think their teacher would let them keep them in the classroom?!

Especially if they're a distraction like they are now? She thought. Could this have something to do with the youma attacks? Maybe they're being influenced like with the flowers. Could they be feeling compelled to bring their little pets with them wherever they go?

Usagi didn't know, but she would keep her eyes open. She had been learning to be more observant of what was going on around her; especially if she saw something that didn't look right.

Naru and Usagi continued to talk about their classmates' behavior until their teacher, Ms. Haruna, came through the door into the classroom. They all moved to their seats and began to pull out their homework as she took attendance.

Usagi noted that her classmates that had brought their pets had put them away, but given their earlier behavior she wondered how long that would last.

Everyone passed up their homework and after it was all collected Ms. Haruna began to lecture. After half an hour she suddenly stopped what she was doing and began to walk down one of the rows and stopped at one particular desk.

Usagi looked back and blinked in slight surprise to see that her classmates had brought their pets out and were staring at them as if they were in a trance.

This has to have something to do with a youma. She thought as she watched her teacher confront one of them.

The girl refused to put the animal away and when Ms. Haruna tried to take it she got pushed, which caused her to fall hard and take a couple of desks and chairs down with her.

Usagi gasped in shock and stood up and watched as the girl picked up her pet and turned and headed for the door. Then a few others, the ones that had the pets, also picked up their pet and headed for the door.

I'm going to have to figure out where that pet shop is. She thought as she watched the girls; their shocking behavior completely unnatural from their usual behavior.

Usagi shared a concerned look with Naru before they went to help pick up the desks and chairs and straighten them while others helped their teacher.

~xXx~

When lunch time arrived Usagi and Naru headed up to the roof of the main building, so they could eat and talk where it was quiet.

"So tell me about spending the whole day with Mamoru." Naru said as they settled in their spot in a corner of the roof on a bench beneath the fence lining the roof.

"Well, on Friday while we were hanging out I asked him if he wanted to hang out on Saturday since we had never spent any time together on the weekends." Usagi said.

"Makes sense since you guys hang out after tutoring and homework." Naru said since she knew all about her friend getting tutoring in English from the cute guy she had met weeks ago.

"Thankfully he agreed and I took him to an amusement park." Usagi said. "We had so much fun and he won me a stuffed rabbit to match my outfit. Then afterward he said since I treated him to the park he would cook for me, so he took me back to his place."

"Really?" Naru said wide eyed. "He took you to where he lived? And he can cook?!"

"Yes to both." Usagi said as she nodded.

"What's his place like?" Naru asked curiously before she took a bite of her lunch.

"He lives in a high rise apartment building, on one of the top floors, so his view is amazing." Usagi said. "His place is warm with white, black, and shades of brown, and glass. There's a large balcony off the living room and his bedroom. Hard wood floors and large windows."

"Wow." Naru said, and then grinned slyly. "How do you know his bedroom has a balcony?" She asked and watched her friend blush.

"Not the way you're thinking!" Usagi said quickly. "He said I could look around the whole apartment so I did. He had it decorated in dark blue and gray with dark furniture."

"That's nice." Naru said as she nodded. "So things are moving along, I mean you're making progress if he was cool with letting you know where he lives and actually bringing you inside."

"Yeah. That's exactly what I thought, and I cannot tell you how happy I am about that." Usagi said happily, and then sighed heavily. "But that's not what was revealing."

"Is it something bad?" Naru asked hesitantly.

"Not like what you're probably thinking." Usagi answered. "So right when he was almost done cooking I asked if there was any other place he wanted to go since I had taken him to all the places I thought he should know about, and he said that he needed to tell me something before we talked about going to any more places."

"That sounds more than a bit serious." Naru said with a frown.

"Yeah, and he sounded serious too." Usagi said as she shook her head. "He told me that his last girlfriend was murdered." She revealed.

"What?!" Naru gasped in shock. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." Usagi said as she nodded sadly. "He didn't say how long ago it happened, but it must not have been too long ago if he felt the need to tell me about her. Beyond that I can tell he's still grieving."

"Oh my gosh. That's so sad!" Naru said sadly.

"Yeah." Usagi agreed. "He told me a little about her and she sounds like she was a really nice girl. I wonder if he was in love with her from the way he described her." She said thoughtfully before she took a bite of her lunch.

"Did he say how long they had been together?" Naru asked.

"No." Usagi said as she shook her head. "I didn't ask. And now that the question is in my mind it wouldn't be right to ask, because that would cause him to think about her death."

"Yeah. You wouldn't want to bring up a pain like that." Naru said sadly. "Did he say how old she was?" She asked a little curiously.

"No, but he did say she was a year younger than him." Usagi said, and reminded herself in that moment not to go into detail. She wanted to keep her best friend informed about her progress with her friendship with Mamoru, but she also wanted to respect his privacy.

"As shocking and sad as his revelation was it did let me know that he has feelings for me." She said, moving the conversation away from the deceased girl.

"Really? How?" Naru asked.

"He said he didn't want the knowledge to change the way I am around him, and that he didn't tell me to warm me away from him." She explained. "He just wanted me to know."

"Ah, and he wanted you to know before you went anywhere else with him, which means he probably knows that you like him." Naru said perceptively.

"I think so too." Usagi agreed. "Can you imagine it? He's grieving his lost girlfriend, still clearly cares for her, but is also feeling something for me. It must be so hard for him."

"I can only imagine." Naru said. "So where does that leave you? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to continue doing what I have been." Usagi said right away. "I'm going to continue to be his friend while letting him know how I feel, and wait for him. I don't know how long that's going to be, but I really like him so I'm going to wait."

"Even if it takes months?" Naru asked.

"Yes." Usagi confirmed firmly. Even if it takes years. She thought quietly, knowing her feelings were growing that strong, and knowing from what she knew of him so far that he was worth it.

~xXx~

Usagi walked through the front door of her house in the early evening after hanging out with Mamoru. After her tutoring and doing their homework in the cafe they had actually spent the past two hours playing in the Crown arcade below.

It had been a lot of fun, especially since playing arcade games was something else Mamoru had never done back in England. It made her wonder what his life had been like over there that he had never done so much.

He had said he went to a boarding school, but he wasn't there during the summers so what did he do during those months? She wanted to ask, but she also didn't want to pry.

It would be just my luck to ask and it have something to do with his lost girlfriend. She thought with a sigh.

That was definitely not something she wanted to do. He didn't seem to mind talking about the girl, but it clearly caused him pain and she didn't want him hurting more than he already was.

Usagi waved at her dad where he was in the living room before she headed up the stairs to her bedroom. As she walked down the hallway she passed her little brother's open door and paused.

Was that…? She asked herself as she took a step back and looked into the room.

Shingo was sitting at his desk with his back to the door with his head resting on his arms on the desk. On the desk in front of him was one of those Chanela's from the new pet shop.

Oh no! She thought as she stared at her little brother staring at the white Chanela. She knew her brother was scared of Luna, something that had been discovered shortly after she had gotten permission to keep her as a pet, but she hadn't thought he would go out and get a pet of his own so quickly.

And definitely not one of those things. She thought, wondering why no one was questioning the fact that those things were not just from a new shop but a new species of animal.

"Shingo?" Usagi called, but her little brother completely ignored her or didn't even hear her with his focus on that animal.

She sighed and left the room and went to her own to find Luna sitting on her bed.

"Hi Luna." She said as she closed the door and flipped on the light. "Did you see Shingo's new pet?" She asked.

"Yes." Luna answered. "He came home from school with it."

"Yes well some of my classmates came to school with them, and one of them assault my teacher when she tried to take it away." Usagi said as she sat on her bed.

"Are you serious?" Luna asked wide eyed.

"Yes." Usagi said as she nodded seriously. "After that the girl left the classroom, and the others that had one of those animals left as well. It was really shocking and very unusual behavior for them."

"And now Shingo is in his room staring at that animal like it's the only thing important to him." She added.

"That sounds like those animals are connected to a youma." Luna said seriously.

"That's exactly what I was thinking at school, and Shingo's behavior is only cementing it." Usagi said with a sigh.

"Good job on being observant and making that connection." Luna said.

"Thanks." Usagi said with a light smile. "I'll go see what I can find out about the youma involved after dinner." She added.

Luna nodded and Usagi got up and placed her school bag on her desk and went to pullout a pair of pajamas. Her parents would expect her to not be going anywhere now that she was home, and it would likely be after they went to bed that she would be going back out anyway so she would need them to see her in pajamas.

She changed swiftly and hung up her uniform, with her brooch attached, before she went and grabbed her English textbook and settled on her bed.

She was sure her parents would be surprised to find her studying, but she was determined to learn the language as quickly and as thoroughly as she could. She wanted to be able to speak to Mamoru in English and completely understand everything he was saying.

"You've been studying English a great deal." Luna commented as she recognized the textbook. She hadn't seen her studying anything else for a while now, and when she asked about her homework Usagi always said she had already did it.

"Yeah. It's hard and I want to learn it, so I have to study extra." Usagi said as she reviewed the sections they had already gone over in class; reading the English words only to test if she remembered their meanings.

"Is that why you're getting tutoring from that boy?" Luna asked. Young man really. She corrected herself since she remembered him telling Usagi that he was eighteen.

"Yup." Usagi said simply as she slowly began to read a short sample paragraph in English. There was no reason for Luna to know she had feelings for Mamoru, and was studying so hard so she could speak to him in English.

I hope I can impress him. She thought as she began to whisper the words; knowing from her studying with Mamoru that hearing herself saying the words helped cement them into her mind, so she wouldn't forget them.

~xXx~

Almost an hour later there was a knock on her door, interrupting her studying, and before Usagi could speak or get up the door opened to reveal her mother.

"Usagi? Have you seen your brother?" She asked.

"No." Usagi said as she shook her head. "The last time I saw him was right after I got home. I saw him sitting at his desk when I passed his room."

"Well, he's not there." Her mother said with a worried frown. "I went to get him for dinner, and his room is empty."

"Is his new pet gone as well?" Usagi asked with a frown, instantly suspicious.

"I didn't see it anywhere." Her mother said.

"Hmm…maybe he went out for a walk with it." Usagi suggested as she stood up and headed for her closet. "I'll go look for him, and bring him home." She added as she grabbed a coat, and began to pull it on.

"Alright. Come back quickly if you think it's taking too long, so we can…go from there." Her mother said worriedly.

"Okay." Usagi said as she went to put on her shoes.

"I should come with you?" Luna said as she watched her after her mother left.

"No." Usagi said as she tied her shoe laces. "Shingo is scared of you, and besides that I'm likely going to be fighting a youma. I'll let you know what happened when I get back." She said before she grabbed her brooch and left her room.

She hurried down the stairs, stuffing her brooch in her coat pocket so her parents wouldn't see it, and headed for the door.

"I'm leaving!" She called before she opened the door and hurried outside before closing it behind her.

Usagi ran down the sidewalk heading away from her house. She wanted to put a little distance between her and her parents in case they decided to go out looking for Shingo as well. She didn't need them seeing her transform.

She honestly didn't know if she wanted them to know her secret, especially since Luna made it seem like absolutely no one could know aside from her fellow senshi when she found them, but she was realistic enough to know that it could become an issue at some point.

I might need to tell them then. She thought as she ran.

Of course that brought up thoughts of Mamoru. Considering how much she liked him she might need to tell him as well. The last thing she wanted was to finally manage to get him only to lose him because she was constantly lying to him.

But that's much further down the line. Think about that when he's actually more than a friend and someone I really really like. She told herself as she ducked into an alley and pulled out her brooch.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" Usagi called out, and watched as her brooch began to sparkle and glow before pink light began to spill out. She was instantly surrounded and blocked from view as she lifted off the ground.

The light cleared away after a few long moments and she stood as Sailor Moon.

She took a deep breath and let it out before she took off running again. She was grateful she had already learned where the new pet shop was since she was sure it and the pet Shingo bought had something to do with his disappearance from the house.

She sprinted along sidewalks and across streets before she made her way up a fire escape and to the roof of a building. From there she raced across rooftops, leaping and jumping when necessary, until she found herself on the roof of a building directly across the street from the pet shop in question.

It was night time, dark out, and the building appeared to be closed for the day. Lights were out in the windows and all was quiet; aside from the steady stream of children carrying one of those Chanela's filing through the front door.

Shingo. She thought as she spotted her brother in the line, looking dazed with the furry animal in his arms; its eyes glowing.

"Sailor Moon." She heard a deep masculine voice call quietly, and she looked over to see Tuxedo Kamen jogging toward her along the roof.

---

"Hey." She said as he reached her side and looked back down to the parading children.

"What's going on?" Tuxedo Kamen asked as he gazed down at the strange sight.

"A new pet shop with a new animal that's able to alter their owner's personality." Sailor Moon explained in a quiet voice.

"Seen it for yourself?" He asked since that sounded too precise for something she just overheard or learned about.

"Yes unfortunately." She said as she thought about her little brother and her classmates.

"I suppose a youma is behind this. Do you think it will use the children against us?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

"Probably considering what past youma have done." Sailor Moon answered unhappily, not at all pleased at the thought of fighting children.

"That's what I thought." He said with a sigh, not at all interested in fighting children in any way whatsoever. He also assumed there were other animals in there that he didn't want to hurt either.

"We are going to have to lure the youma outside the building." He said seriously.

"Why?" She asked as she looked at him.

"So we don't risk the children any more than we have to, and so we don't injure the animals." He answered.

"Ah. Okay." She said as she nodded in understanding.

"Are you ready?" He asked as he watched the last child enter the building.

"Yes." She said firmly, knowing this was more important than ever since her little brother was in danger.

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen carefully made their way down to the ground before they dashed across the street to the shop. Sailor Moon tried the door handle, and finding it unlocked they quickly and quietly slipped inside.

The pet shop was dark and appeared completely empty aside from the animals in their cages.

"Is this the animal?" Tuxedo Kamen asked quietly as he looked into the closest cage, which held a furry little animal that reminded him of a rabbit.

"Yeah." Sailor Moon said as she came and looked at the animal as well.

The pale blue animal's eyes began to glow as they stared at it, and Tuxedo Kamen immediately felt the beginnings of something trying to manipulate his mind. He narrowed his eyes, so very tired of any sensation that could even be remotely similar to the Imperious Curse, and blinked as he abruptly looked away from the animal.

He looked to Usagi and saw that she was still gazing at the creature and starting to look enthralled with it. He quickly slipped his gloved hand over her eyes and began to pull her back and away from the cage.

"Come on Sailor Moon. We don't need you falling under that animal's influence." He said quietly.

Sailor Moon blinked rapidly in the dark shop as Tuxedo Kamen's gloved hand moved from her eyes. She was surprised that had almost happened, and at how quickly it nearly happened.

"I..I guess that's how they're affecting people." She said as she remembered her brother and classmates staring at the animals.

"Yeah." He agreed. "We should stay away from those animals while we're moving through this shop." He suggested, and watched her nod.

"Definitely." She agreed, glad that he was there or she might have found herself under the mystery youma's influence like her little brother.

The two fighters continued on their way through the shop, cautiously moving down the dark aisles. They turned at the end of the aisle they were currently walking on, reaching the middle of the shop, and stopped abruptly as they came face to face with the children they had seen walking into the pet shop.

"Intruders. Thieves perhaps?" Came a feminine voice from behind the children, and they shifted their gaze to see a woman walk out of an aisle. She had short wavy red hair, pale skin, and wore a light blue long sleeve dress down to her knees and blue high heel shoes.

"No matter. They are uninvited and should not be here. Take care of them!" She ordered the children.

The children, almost two dozen, stepped forward their eyes beginning to glow white before they turned lime green and narrowed. Between one step and the next their skin shifted until it was blue and scaly, their teeth grew pointed and jagged, and their fingernails grew into claws.

Animalistic growls sounded from their throats as they continued to step forward.

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen shared a brief bewildered look. They had reluctantly expected the children to be controlled and used against them, but they had not expected them to morph into humanoid creatures themselves.

"I don't know what to do." Sailor Moon admitted quietly. "They're still children. We can't fight them."

"True." Tuxedo Kamen agreed as he tried to quickly think of a solution while keeping his eyes on the woman that he strongly suspected was the youma.

"Maybe..can you use those glowing roses you used on the boys at the fortune house?" Sailor Moon asked quietly as she watched the children steadily getting closer, her brother included.

Tuxedo Kamen blinked. She's right. I'll stun them. He thought as he gestured with his hand and watched a red rose appear.

He looked back to the group of children and the woman, and knew this wouldn't be as easy as the other times he used his magic in his roses. None of them were distracted, and even if they were he was still going to have to be quick.

"Can you distract the woman?" He asked Usagi quietly.

"Yeah." Sailor Moon said as she pulled her eyes away from her little brother and looked at the smirking woman.

"Be careful since she's likely the youma." He added as he gestured with his hand for another rose.

"I will." She said as she looked around quickly to see how she could get to the woman while avoiding the children, but also keep the children from going after her.

Sailor Moon looked up at the space above her and back toward the woman and the long aisle they all were standing in before an idea came to her. She began to back up, knowing she was going to need running room, and reached up for her tiara.

You can do this. She told herself.

Tuxedo Kamen, meanwhile, forced himself not to look back at Usagi as he willed the magic of a Stunning Spell into the roses he had gathered in his hand. He needed to be quick and he would do it quick, because he needed to be free to help Usagi and make sure she didn't get hurt.

He threw all the roses at the group of children before he pulled out more, and watched five of the kids collapse as soon as the red glowing flowers hit them.

Stupefy. He thought as he silently willed the magic into the roses. The flowers glowed red and he quickly threw them before pulling out more roses to repeat the process as fast as he could.

His eyes flickered to the woman and watched her eyes widen. In the next moment he heard rapidly footsteps and looked up as he sensed movement above him. To his surprise he watched Usagi sailing through the air over him, the children, and the youma disguised as a woman.

She landed gracefully before she spun around, her long streams of hair swirling around her, and revealed the glowing disk that was her tiara in her hand. She threw it hard, sending it sailing through the air toward the woman.

Tuxedo Kamen blinked away and focused back on subduing the children, and trusted Usagi to keep the youma distracted if not outright destroy her.

Sailor Moon watched her tiara fly toward the woman, but she managed to jump out of the way and right on top of a shelf, knocking over empty cages, and proving that she was not a normal human woman.

She caught her tiara as it returned to her and yet continued to keep her eyes on the woman. She had thankfully jumped away from Tuxedo Kamen and the children, and now she watched as her appearance began to change.

Her eyes narrowed and her face stretched and scrunched as her mouth shifted into a grimacing snarl. Her pale skin and short wavy hair shifted to a blue skin tone and wild long red hair. The blue dress and shoes she wore seemed to melt into her skin and become part of the scales along her body.

It all shifted and melded until a tall blue lizard-like scaly humanoid female with a long tail, long wavy red hair, and narrow lime green eyes stood on the shelf.

The youma growled down at her and Sailor Moon took a steadying breath and threw her tiara at the female. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the youma leapt back and away out of reach of her tiara.

Sailor Moon turned to keep the female in her line of sight where she stood on yet another shelf, and again grabbed her tiara as it returned to her. She took a few steps forward and threw her tiara at the youma again to keep it away from Tuxedo Kamen and distracted from what was happening with the children.

The youma jumped away to the floor back in the aisle where Sailor Moon was. Unfortunately for her the youma landed close to her and twisted sharply and swung its tail at her. The thick appendage struck her in the stomach and she cried out as she was sent flying up and backward.

Tuxedo Kamen finished with the last child. Irritated with how long it had taken. Some had moved closer to him, forcing him back, and others had tried to go for Usagi which he had to take care of before the ones closest to him.

Now he looked up at the sound of her pained cry, and his eyes widened to see her flying through the air in his direction. Furthermore he could also see the, now very obvious, youma blasting through the wall with its tail at the back of the shop.

Usagi first. He told himself as his eyes flickered back to her falling figure.

She was coming at him so fast that he couldn't think of a magical way quick enough, which would have been ideal since she wasn't looking and wouldn't see him use any magic.

So he did the only thing he could do and held out his arms. She fell into his arms, against him, and he held her without a problem.

Tuxedo Kamen was thoroughly surprised. He didn't think he was capable of that; didn't think he had the arm and upper body strength to catch a person falling out of the air like they weighed nothing.

I'll just add it to being able to run fast, jump high, jump from heights, produce roses, and any other new abilities this persona gives me. He thought as he gazed at Usagi, trying not to think about the feel of having her in his arms.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." Sailor Moon said, a blush heating her face at her unexpected position. "Thanks for saving me." She said as he put her on her feet.

"No problem." Tuxedo Kamen said as he moved his arms away from her. "Let's get that youma."

"Right!" Sailor Moon said before she reached up and grabbed her tiara.

The pair carefully moved over and around the unconscious children before running through the shop and out the hole at the back wall. They stopped abruptly as they saw the youma standing in what looked like a large back alley seemingly waiting for them.

They stared at the youma taking in the female's blue scaly appearance, and looking to see if they could tell what dangerous ability she might have. Aside from the tail that was swaying behind her.

The scaly youma growled at them before she shifted her body and swung her tail through the air at them.

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen dashed away, separating as they ran in opposite directions to avoid the tail and keep the youma's attention divided between them.

Sailor Moon threw her tiara at the youma's chest, but the female ducked out of the way and flicked her tail at her. She quickly jumped over it, having no time to do anything else, and moved out of range as she looked toward her returning tiara.

Tuxedo Kamen gestured with his hand causing a red rose to appear as he watched Usagi's actions against the youma. He looked to his rose and gathered his magic to use the Blasting Curse.

That is becoming my go to curse with these youma. He thought as he shook his head slightly. Confringo. He thought as he willed the magic of the curse into the flower.

The rose glowed a fiery orange, and he threw it at the youma as she was busy looking at Usagi. It hit and blasted the youma back into the wooden fence that lined a portion of the alley.

He pulled out another rose and willed the magic for the Blasting Curse into the flower as he watched the youma pushing aside broken wood planks. The rose glowed a fiery orange and he looked to Usagi to see her getting ready to launch her tiara.

He nodded to himself in approval and watched as she threw her glowing tiara at the youma as the female gained her feet. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, it bounced off her chest, and only caused the female to growl.

Tuxedo Kamen quickly threw his glowing rose at the youma, and blasted it back through the hole it had pulled itself from to turn her attention away from Usagi.

The youma recovered quicker this time as she quickly got to her feet and swung her tail at him, but he jumped over it and then leapt away and toward Usagi.

"Are you okay?" Sailor Moon asked as he reached her side.

"Yeah. You?" Tuxedo Kamen asked as he glanced to her before returning his eyes to the youma.

"Yeah. I'm just surprised my tiara didn't work." She said as she looked down worriedly to the glowing tiara in her hand. It was the only weapon she had.

"Don't worry. It will." He reassured her. "This youma likely has tougher skin considering she's some type of lizard. We just have to find a weak spot."

"Like..the eyes?" She guessed hesitantly as she looked at the youma.

"Yes. Good thinking." He said encouragingly. "The eyes, the neck, maybe somewhere on the tail; like the base of the tail."

"I saw a spot on the base of the tail that's glowing." She said as she remembered the spot she had seen while the youma's attention was on Tuxedo Kamen.

"Then that's the part you focus on. I'll make sure it can't attack you." He said seriously.

"Right." She replied and watched as he made a perfect red rose appear out of thin air.

Lumos Duo. Tuxedo Kamen thought as he willed the magic of a Wand Lighting Charm into the rose, focusing on his intent so it would do what he wanted when he wanted.

The flower glowed white and he pulled out two more roses and threw them at the youma as he dashed away to draw the female's attention from Usagi. It dodged them and while the youma was dodging he threw the glowing rose at her head and quickly pulled out another.

Incarcerous. He thought as he carefully contained the magic within the rose.

He watched as the glowing rose suddenly grew brighter before a beam of white light shot into the youma's face. She cried out in surprise before her clawed hands came up to her face, and he took that chance and threw the rose at the youma's legs.

Sailor Moon watched in surprise as the rose glowing white suddenly created a beam of white light that clearly surprised and blinded the youma. Then she watched as Tuxedo Kamen threw another rose, and the seemingly plain red rose produced thick ropes that wrapped around the youma's legs as soon as it hit.

This is it! She thought as she realized he'd made it so the youma couldn't see or dodge.

"Moon Tiara Action!" She called out firmly as she threw her tiara at the youma, aiming for the base of her tail where it was glowing.

The glowing white disk hit the exact spot she aimed for and the youma screamed in obvious pain as she began to fall from trying to move her feet despite being tied tightly.

Rapidly her body began to turn a gray white, and when the color reached her head the screaming stopped. Within moments her body hit the ground and it almost shattered sending small pieces scattering across the ground before they turned to dust.

Sailor Moon caught her tiara, and she and Tuxedo Kamen walked toward each other.

"Those roses of yours are really handy." She said as she placed her tiara back on her forehead.

"I completely agree." He said as he looked to the hole in the building the youma had created. "We should check on the children." He said as he looked back to her.

"Yes." She agreed, thinking of her little brother.

They walked over to the building and stepped through the hole, and immediately saw that the children were gone. They quickly walked through the shop toward the front, seeing that the Chanela's that had occupied the cages were gone and all that remained were tiny piles of gray dust, and found the door wide open.

"They must have run when they regained consciousness." Tuxedo Kamen said, knowing that he hadn't intended for them to be out for long considering they were children.

"I suppose that's a good thing. They'll have headed home." Sailor Moon said, hoping that her little brother really was headed home.

"I guess we should do the same before anyone decides to get curious about the noise we made during the fight." He said as they walked through the doorway.

"Yeah." She agreed as they stood on the sidewalk. "I'll see you next time."

"Count on it." He replied seriously.

Sailor Moon nodded, and the two of them took off running in opposite directions as they began to make their way home.

---

*Juban Rōrākingudamu: Juban Roller Kingdom
*Sukētorinku: Skating Rink