Usagi was having a terrible day today. Firstly, she had to deal with those stupid evil generals and their stupid monsters or youmas or whatever they were last night so she ended up sleeping in until her mom had to force her awake, and then she was late to school where she fell asleep, and then she found out Ami-chan was sick and Mako-chan was going to be at cooking club for the rest of the day and Rei-chan was helping out her grandfather at the shrine and those traitors Naru-chan and Umino were on a date, and then when she needed a chocolate milkshake from Motoki onii-san to make herself feel better she saw the only empty seat was the one right next to HIM!

Who was HIM you may ask? Well, he was Chiba Mamoru-baka! The most annoying, heinous, obnoxious, handsome person she ever met. Wait, handsome. She quickly blushed before shaking her head. Nononononono! She didn't think that about HIM!

Anyways, she managed to get her chocolate milkshake and some fries and a cheeseburger. Sure, it did help but it meant she sat next to Chiba-baka the whole time who barely gave her a side eye. Like what the heck? He had been too engrossed in his stupid notebook to even notice her! Was she really just so worthless in his eyes that she wasn't even worth a glance!? Was he just so high and mighty that a little odango atama shouldn't be graced with his divine presence?

…

Was she really so repulsive to him?

…

Well…Good. He wasn't worth the time anyway! She was Usagi Tsukino! She was the secret superheroine Sailor Moon! The pretty guardian in a sailor suit! Defender of love and of justice! Champion of the local 25-kilogram ice cream contest!

She didn't need Chiba or his stupid insults to make her day. Sure it was nice to have someone who she didn't have to be perfect, perky, happy 24/7 Usagi and could let off some steam with without getting in trouble. And sure, maybe he wasn't always the world's biggest jerk. And sure he might be great with kids. And sure he might be one of the most intelligent people she knows second only to Ami. And sure, he might have beautiful blue eyes. And sure his hair was the perfect mix between midnight blue and jet black and was neat and messy in all the right places. And sure he had a wonderful body that was just the right amount of lean and muscles that would probably feel great around her. And he was always well-groomed. And he smells like roses and chocolate whenever you get close enough to him…SHUT UP!

Usagi shook her head of the thoughts about stupid Chiba-baka as she opened her schoolbag and searched around for the sketchbook she had gotten for her 13th birthday. It was a really nice one with this really fancy brown leather with this beautiful floral design and a latch that was decorated with a silver buckle. Not only that it gave her a chance to show off her artistic ability. All in all, but it was also one of her favorite birthday gifts!

Undoing the latch, she was shocked, horrified, and maybe even slightly scarred by what she saw. Instead of the amazing sketches she's done for over a year of rose gardens and castles and handsome princes and beautiful queens, she saw…kanji! And she knew for a fact she didn't write kanji! Especially not in her sketchbook!

Where was her sketchbook?! And whose book was this?

She flipped through the book until she came across some symbols that when put together meant Chiba and Mamoru.

Wait.

…

This was Chiba-baka's!

Now, that she thinks back to the day he had been pretty engrossed in whatever he had been doing, and now that she thinks further about it, he did look like he was writing before he briefly went off to the bathroom and she had been so infuriated by his lack of acknowledgment she left with her sketchbook or at least she thought she did.
She must've grabbed the wrong one by accident!
Oh no!
That must also mean that Chiba-baka as hers!

What if he looks inside?

She could practically hear the taunting about her sketches already!

Usagi was on the brink of going beserk and marching to the Crown and demanding that Chiba-baka unhand her precious sketchbook before he could see what's inside.
No…That would just make a scene and get her in trouble with Motoki onii-san so can't do that.
She was still going to make sure she had just as much ammo for their next round as he did. She refused to fail! Though there was still a question of how she was going to do so.
She looked down at the identical-looking kanji-filled book in her hands before a devious smile formed on her pink lips. Well…If Chiba will look through her sketches, then she had every right to look through his…diary? Journal? Study book? Now, you might be asking why was doing this deliberate invasion of privacy and whether this was ethical especially since she had no way of knowing if Chiba-baka would look into her own sketchbook or even if he had it at all, and to that she would like you to know that she needs somethign against him! She would not lose to him! Ethics be damned!

With an overly devious smile on her face, she flipped to their first page and using her (minor) knowledge of kanji managed to read whatever Chiba thought was more important than arguing with her.

And by that, she obviously meant get blackmail.
Yeah.
That was it.
Oh, you know what she means.
Anyway, this was what she read:

The prince had a problem.

He had never been in love and his father was expecting him to wed now that he was eighteen years of age and despite numerous noble and peasant women alike being not-at-all subtle about their intentions towards him, he was not in love with any of them. His friends insisted that love was unneeded as long as she was beautiful and his father tried to tell him that he will come to love the woman he marries, but he didn't believe this was right. He wanted love.

That was probably why the prince was alone in his garden today. His father had insisted he meet with the daughter of a duke and while the prince had tried to be nice to the girl, however, she was absolutely terrible. She was haughty and demanding towards everyone including his friends as if she was queen and glared at any woman who dared look at him. He continued to try and be polite but the moment she smashed a plate over his manservant's head he was completely done with her and ordered his personal guardians to throw her out. He did know that this would anger their fathers but he didn't care.
It was his father who expected him to marry such a heartless shrew just because her father was a man of wealth and nobility. Frankly, he would never love or marry a woman like that. A woman who felt like she could walk over everyone else just because they weren't of the same rank. People like that disgusted him and he already met far too many of them.
He took a deep breath of the clean, fresh air as he stared at his reflection in the water of the golden fountain that had been beautifully overgrown with crimson red and moon white roses and sighed.
Why did he have to endure people like that? He knew he was born a prince but did being a prince means he had to be trapped, giving undue pleasantries to people who didn't deserve them? Would his father soon get fed up with his defiance and force him to marry and make a cruel woman the queen? Why couldn't he just find a woman he loved? Someone kind and gentle. Someone who saw the good in everything and everyone. Someone who can smile in the face of danger. Someone who loved him for him.
As these thoughts consumed the prince, he felt someone else's presence. Strange. No one else was allowed in his rose garden except with his express permission. So who could be here?
Turning towards the presence, he saw someone peeking out from behind one of the cream-colored marble columns. "I saw you, so there's no point in hiding!" he called out as he grabbed the handle of his sword. Of course, it could be a misunderstanding but the prince knew better to be safe than sorry as he carefully made his way over to the column when he stopped in his tracks.
Peeking out from behind the column was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Long hair that shone and sparkled like moonlight. Skin so beautifully pale that freshly fallen snow would turn away in shame. Her cheeks reminded him of one of his pink roses in spring.

He felt something stir in his chest. It was strange. Was he simply attracted to unknown beauty? Or was this love?
He had to know.
Who was she?
How romantic, Usagi thought with a dreamy gaze before another thought struck her like one of Mako-chan's lightning bolts. Chiba-baka was writing a love story? Chiba-baka. The man who turned down every girl who has ever dared to try and break his cold exterior. Chiba-baka. The man for as long as she's known him was as romantic as a saltine cracker. That Chiba-baka wrote a romance story!
It was unbelievable.
And weirdly enough…It was good. And not only that, Usagi got this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was like she knew this story. But that was ridiculous. Why would she know about a love story written by Chiba of all people?
She must know more.

For research purposes.

Obviously.

They kept running through the field of blood or corpses as hundreds of his people fought with his princess's soldiers. How could this have happened? How could craftsmen, farmers, merchants, and even his own friends be so cruel? How could normal people be flung into such a rage that they were slaughtering everyone they could find?!
Another man with a blade flew out them trying to pierce the metal through his princess's beautiful breast, but the prince was quicker and sliced the man through as his blood stained his armor. One more of his people fell by his hands. He was shaking. Why? Why did this to have to happen? He was barely holding back his tears.
"I'm so sorry," he heard from behind him. "This all my fault," he looked behind him to see his princess was sobbing.
The prince stopped running and embraced his princess has he slowly wiped away the tears staining his princess's beautiful face. "You have nothing to apologize for," he said as her petted her silvery locks as his eyes closed as he squeezed her tighter as few tears escaped his own eyes. "It's my people who are doing this." He paused as he felt her warm hand caress his cheek. He stared at her. She was so kind and understanding. Even now, as his people murdered their way through her kingdom, she still loved and tried to comfort him despite her own fear and terror. How had he ever been so lucky? "But my love, I won't let them hurt you. We will survive this and we'll run away together to a place at the edge of the universe where no one could ever tear us apart again."
Usagi shoved some more potato chips into her mouth as she continued reading Mamoru's strangely romantic, strangely familiar story and even she had to admit she might be slightly obsessed. For…honestly she had no idea how long but she was pretty sure she missed dinner (which was a first) because she was reading about the romance between the unnamed prince and princess who were being torn apart by their warring countries. Not only, that but she also ready how they went on dates by the sea, how he taught her to grow roses, how they would avoid others prying eyes, how they would…Usagi blushed hard at the last thought.

Anyways, she had gotten to the part where their relationship had been revealed and the prince's father, the King had died, and his people were blaming the princess and her people and decided to exact vengeance except for the prince. Usagi felt her stomach twist in sadness as she read and she felt something prick her eyes. She touched them and saw something she didn't expect to see, a tear of her own. But…why? It was just a story.

And they'll be okay.

They'll get find a way to escape from the prince's people and live happily ever after since all romance stories like this live happily ever after?

Something inside told her they won't.

Something inside told her to put down the book and never pick it up again.

She continued to read anyway.

She had to know.

The prince and the princess finally made it to the castle's steps where they could hopefully find a way out of this hell. Unfortunately, this was not to be. "The prince! He's betrayed us for that harlot! She's corrupted his mind!" yelled a female voice. The prince pulled his princess behind her and stood directly between her and his own people.

"The only corrupted minds here are yours!" he cried it in a tone befitting a prince. "I am still your prince and I order you to seize this madness before everyone here meets their graves!"

"Still going against the wishes of your own people!" that same female voice continued to cry. "My people, our prince is too brainwashed by the witch! We must end her before she continues to manipulate his mind any further!"

Cheers and cries of agreement filled the crowd as they led by that evil woman advanced on his princess who was frozen with fear as she couldn't do anything but stare at the people who were filled with such hatred toward her with that woman aiming a sword at his princess. He had to do something! He wouldn't let his princess, his angel die for such a petty and pathetic reason.

Without another thought, he shielded his princess's body with his own. He felt metal pierce through his body as his own blood began to drip out and cover the floor. "NO!" he heard his princess cry out. Even the hatred that permeated the air became still as his people stared in shock at his form. It didn't matter though. He didn't care about them. Not anymore. All that mattered was that his princess was unharmed.

He knew he wasn't going to survive this, he could already feel his life slip away, but that didn't matter to him. Not anymore. His father was dead. His people were killers. His kingdom was destroyed. His friends were traitors. In the end, she was all he had left and if his death meant her living, he would give a thousand times over if he could. Slowly, he fell to his knees as his princess held his head to her bosom begging him not to die, to not leave her alone. He barely had the strength to talk as he reached and caressed her cheek one last time as his vision slowly went black as his last thought was for her to live.

But the princess couldn't. Taking his sword in her own hand, she pierced her own breast, for if life kept them apart then perhaps death would be more merciful.

THEY DIED! Usagi was sobbing now from reading this as she felt an uncomfortable stab to the heart and an emptiness throughout her chest. THEY DIED! WHY?! WHY DID THEY HAVE TO END LIKE THAT!? She rubbed her eyes which were full of tears as she rapidly, even obsessively flipped through the pages that were all horrifying blank. She curled up into a ball as she threw the book on the bed, sobbing. WHY?! Why did they have to die!? They loved each other!? Why did others tear them apart!?

Usagi stayed like that for a while crying like a little kid over the couple until she thought of something. Where did Chiba even get a horrible story like that? Why would he want them to die in the end?

She knew she would have some choice words for him the next time they met!