Disclaimer : I don't own Sailormoon. You think I'd be
writing a fanfic if I did? Heh -_-;
In case you forgot or skipped part 1:
Usagi felt so angry, but at the same time sad.
And she felt so embarrassed after what had
happened with Mamoru. Hadn't she acted like
a fool? She would never have kissed Tetsu
like that, but somehow... She had thought Mamoru
was Tetsu in her half sleepy state and her
emotions had taken over her. Usagi felt so
messed up. She gazed across the grey cityscape,
wondering where Tetsu was now and what he was doing.
"Tetsu..." she whispered. "Is it fair to say that
you don't love me any more?"
----
And To Change, Is It Good?
By Artemis
----
Part 2 - If It Had Been Myself
Mamoru woke up from the sound of his alarm clock. The light
chirping sound almost gave him a headache. He thrust his arm
out and clicked it off. The silence made him sigh in relief.
The room was dim and grey, with slits of light trying to
wriggle through the blinds. Mamoru glanced at his clock. Six.
He felt a little drowsy, although usually he didn't feel so
tired in the morning. He could wake up, almost effortlessly,
and be ready in ten minutes. But for some reason, this morning
his body felt a little lazy. He lay there for a while, staring
at the ceiling. A sudden knock on the door broke the cool
silence. Mamoru bolted up, half his sheets falling off the bed.
"Mamoru san?" he heard a quiet voice from the door.
"Yes?" he called out, unsure whether he was supposed to call
her by her first name or her married name.
"May I use the shower?"
"Of course."
Mamoru quickly jumped out of bed and threw on a shirt. He tidied
up his bed and strode over to the door. He opened the door to
see a fragile looking girl. Mamoru had to keep reminding himself
every time he had seen her before, that Usagi was old enough to
be a woman, but she always looked like a young girl to him.
She smiled a little when she saw him. Her long golden hair
fell straight down her back and she was hugging a small bundle
of clothes and a towel.
"Sorry there's only a shower in my room," Mamoru apologised.
"No, it's all right. I'm the guest here," Usagi smiled.
They stood there for a short while, then he slid back to let
her in.
"Did you want to change first?" Usagi asked. "I can wait."
"Actually, I'll only be a minute," he considered.
Usagi nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door
behind her.
Mamoru quickly changed into a pair of black trousers and
a crisp white shirt. He grabbed a tie from the rack and
looked around for a belt. He held the tie in his mouth
as he pulled on his socks and shoes. Then he hurried into
the bathroom and made sure his hair was neat. Mamoru opened
up the door in a sudden movement, making Usagi jump outside.
He took his tie out of his mouth.
"There you go," he smiled.
"Thank you," Usagi nodded, a little embarrassed. "You didn't
have to rush."
She shuffled into his room and he heard the click of the lock.
Mamoru flung his tie around his neck, then buttoned up his
shirt. He wondered if he should have buttoned up his shirt
first, but he shrugged. Mamoru made some coffee and he was
tempted to take a bite out of some mocha ice cream that was
in the freezer. He decided against it, since it was a bit early.
Usagi stood in the shower, feeling the drops of water sliding
down her body. Her hair stuck to her back and to the sides of
her face. She looked around the shower and saw bottles of
shampoo, cakes of soap, gel and other things. The bathroom
had grey tiles with black strips of tile near the top. It was
all very simple. Usagi took her own bottle of body wash, scented
with sweet apple, and poured the green liquid onto a sponge.
In the TV room, Mamoru sat down on the couch and remembered
Usagi crying the night before. He took the newspaper from the
coffee table and tried not to think about it. It hadn't been
the first time that Mamoru had met her. Tetsu had once introduced
them at a dinner, about a year ago. She had still looked small
and fragile, but obviously a little cheerier. She had clung to
Tetsu and, to Mamoru, she just seemed like a frightened deer who
only had Tetsu to guide her. He didn't really understand why
she would have married Tetsu, but then he wasn't an expert on
marriage or love for that matter. His thoughts were broken when
the familiar sound of the water running, stopped abruptly.
Usagi stepped out of the shower and hugged her towel. She shivered
as her feet touched the cold tiled floor. She wrapped her towel
around her hair and dried it a little to prevent it from dripping
water everywhere. She slipped into her bathrobe and poked her head
out of the door. The bedroom door was locked so Mamoru couldn't
be in there, but she checked anyway. She noticed that the whole
room was pretty much empty, except for the messily made bed
(with a bedside table on the side closest to her) and a wardrobe
and a bookshelf against the wall. There was a flat wardrobe
inbetween two bookshelves. They were made out of a deep, rich
brown wood. Usagi felt intrigued. Each shelf was full from top
to bottom, end to end, with books. Her small feet curiously
wandered around the shelves. She outstretched her arm and
slid her finger along the spines.
Mamoru stared blankly at the words on the page he was holding.
He was deep in thought and the words stared back at him in a blur.
Often, he had wondered why and how people could "fall out of love".
Love wasn't his forte, but then again, maybe it was because he was
afraid of it. He had heard and seen so many of his colleagues and
friends experience it and he just didn't really understand. Mamoru
himself had nobody in his life since he was young and he didn't
really mind it either. He shook his head clear of those thoughts.
Whenever he thought about it, he started to get a little depressed.
He glanced at his watch. He had an hour to get to work. It had been
a while since the water had stopped running. Had Usagi finished her
shower? Mamoru looked at the grey door which teased him. He didn't
want to disturb her, but he did need to get his stuff.
A cloud of dust fell on Usagi's face as she slipped out a book from
the rigid position between two thick books. She sneezed. Then, she
ran her fingers across the cover to remove the thin film of dust.
"Dreamscapes...?" Usagi read the title on the crimson cover.
Curious, she flipped the cover and at that instant, several sheets
of paper flew out and fell to the floor. Usagi quickly shut the
book, then knelt down to pick up the sheets. As she picked up the
sheets, she saw rough pencil sketches on one of them. The paper
looked old, smelling stale and had tinges of aging yellow. There
were several sketches of a girl in a flower bed or a garden and
some of the same girl with the moon in the background or a large
palace of some sort. Usagi wondered who the girl was and if it
was Mamoru who had drawn them. They were beautiful, even though
they were only sketches, and for some strange reason she felt
extremely intrigued by the sketches. After picking up the sheets,
Usagi took a few step backwards and sat down on the edge of the
bed. There, she opened the book once more to see a short passage
on the inside cover.
"For Chiba Mamoru, with love," Usagi read quietly, her heart
nervously beating. "May your dreams be sweet, filled with
beautiful and fascinating places to satisfy your curious mind."
Usagi wondered if she was reading something personal of Mamoru's
and whether it was right for her to keep on reading. Her fingers
trembled as they refused her will to close the book. She placed
the sheets back inside the cover, preparing to return the book
to its rightful place on the shelf. Usagi stood up and walked up
to the shelf, slotting the book back into the vacant spot between
two books. But as she tried to tap the book back in, it fell
backwards. The book fell noisly to the floor as Usagi toppled back,
her arms out to catch it.
Mamoru sat up, wondering if he had just imagined the sound. He slowly
and quietly walked up to the door and leaned against it. He didn't
want to seem nosy, so he didn't press his ear too hard against the door,
but he didn't try to prevent it either. He held his hand to the door,
his knuckles ready to knock. He listened and heard the rustling of paper.
Or was he just hearing things? Usagi could just be browsing through his
books, but he suddenly felt panicky. He didn't know why, but he didn't
want Usagi to look through his books. Mamoru wanted to knock, his hand
steadied at the door, but he wasn't sure if he should. Afterall, there
was nothing in the room that was personal to him. He had no reason to
accuse her of snooping around his room. Did he? There was a strange
murky feeling inside his chest making him feel queasy and nervous.
The book had fallen on the floor with the pages open. Usagi crawled
over to the book and saw small, soft, smooth writing on the aging
paper. What was this book about? She flicked back a few pages and
also saw the same writing. The cursive letters beckoned her to read,
so she gave in to her temptation and read the words.
"... and a knight in shining armour, so to speak... handsome enough
to suit the princess, her shy elegance and naivety filling his eyes
with fascination, intrigue..." she whispered, the words making her
speechless with awe. "She smiles and speaks to him softly.. the words
making him laugh, not at her, but because what she said was so typical
of her questioning character..."
Usagi wondered what it was about. Dreamscapes, the book had been titled.
What did that mean? Were these somebody's dreams? If so, Usagi suddenly
felt incredibly guilty and regretful. Who's dreams were they then....?
She suddenly heard a sharp rap on the door, snapping her out of her
thoughts. Usagi's eyes flickered sharply to the grey door. Her fingers
gripped the book.
"Ma.. Mamoru san..?" her wavering voice called out.
"Yes," his firm voice replied. "Are you done? Do you think I could
get my things? I have to go to work soon.."
"Of course! Sorry!" Usagi quickly answered, scolding herself for
being so selfish. "I'll open the door now."
Usagi grabbed the book and hugged it in her arms. She unlocked the
door and it swung open immediately, almost surprising her. Mamoru
strode into the room and consequently, walked straight into her.
Usagi stumbled back, but Mamoru caught her before she fell. The book
slipped out from her arms and fell hard on the carpet. It bounced
a little, the loose sheets flying aimlessly about. Mamoru turned
his attention to the book, his eyes focusing on the cover. He still
held Usagi, one arm around her back and one hand holding her wrist.
"Dreamscapes..." he murmured.
Usagi's eyes watched his face for a reaction. He had none. After a
pause, he turned to her and asked if she was all right. She nodded
nervously. He let her go and picked up the book.
"I.. I found it on your shelf," Usagi stammered, her trembling fingers
gripping the bottom of her bathrobe. The fuzzy texture comforted her.
"Did you read it?" he asked, looking at her with no expression but a
blank, empty stare.
She shook her head quickly. He simply nodded, then returned the book
to its place. Usagi suddenly felt hot, her face burning.
"I.. I.. was.. going to ask you..." she stammered as he walked over
to get his things. "If.. I could read it... I.. I was about.. to..."
He didn't reply, but paused in front of the door as he was about to
leave. He seemed to be thinking about something and half turned to
her, but then turned back and left. Usagi heard the front door closing
quietly.
----
END OF PART 2
----
A.N. Oops, this went on for a bit too long -_-; I'm kind of repetitive
with my reference to dreams and such, but don't be turned off! It won't
be the same as my other stories! I promise! ^_^;
Teaser:
Part 3 - Ignorance Can Be A Source Of Happiness
Usagi rolled over and glanced at her clock, which
read 8:00. Next to her clock was a photo frame with
a photo of her and Tetsu. She reached out and grabbed
the photo frame, hugging it tight. She closed her eyes,
letting her mind fill with thoughts about Tetsu. Would
he write to her? Tell her what he was doing and where
he was? She doubted it, which made her feel so sad.
Usagi loved him, but she didn't like feeling this doubt.
Tetsu had changed and she would have to change to either
suit him, or.... not.
writing a fanfic if I did? Heh -_-;
In case you forgot or skipped part 1:
Usagi felt so angry, but at the same time sad.
And she felt so embarrassed after what had
happened with Mamoru. Hadn't she acted like
a fool? She would never have kissed Tetsu
like that, but somehow... She had thought Mamoru
was Tetsu in her half sleepy state and her
emotions had taken over her. Usagi felt so
messed up. She gazed across the grey cityscape,
wondering where Tetsu was now and what he was doing.
"Tetsu..." she whispered. "Is it fair to say that
you don't love me any more?"
----
And To Change, Is It Good?
By Artemis
----
Part 2 - If It Had Been Myself
Mamoru woke up from the sound of his alarm clock. The light
chirping sound almost gave him a headache. He thrust his arm
out and clicked it off. The silence made him sigh in relief.
The room was dim and grey, with slits of light trying to
wriggle through the blinds. Mamoru glanced at his clock. Six.
He felt a little drowsy, although usually he didn't feel so
tired in the morning. He could wake up, almost effortlessly,
and be ready in ten minutes. But for some reason, this morning
his body felt a little lazy. He lay there for a while, staring
at the ceiling. A sudden knock on the door broke the cool
silence. Mamoru bolted up, half his sheets falling off the bed.
"Mamoru san?" he heard a quiet voice from the door.
"Yes?" he called out, unsure whether he was supposed to call
her by her first name or her married name.
"May I use the shower?"
"Of course."
Mamoru quickly jumped out of bed and threw on a shirt. He tidied
up his bed and strode over to the door. He opened the door to
see a fragile looking girl. Mamoru had to keep reminding himself
every time he had seen her before, that Usagi was old enough to
be a woman, but she always looked like a young girl to him.
She smiled a little when she saw him. Her long golden hair
fell straight down her back and she was hugging a small bundle
of clothes and a towel.
"Sorry there's only a shower in my room," Mamoru apologised.
"No, it's all right. I'm the guest here," Usagi smiled.
They stood there for a short while, then he slid back to let
her in.
"Did you want to change first?" Usagi asked. "I can wait."
"Actually, I'll only be a minute," he considered.
Usagi nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door
behind her.
Mamoru quickly changed into a pair of black trousers and
a crisp white shirt. He grabbed a tie from the rack and
looked around for a belt. He held the tie in his mouth
as he pulled on his socks and shoes. Then he hurried into
the bathroom and made sure his hair was neat. Mamoru opened
up the door in a sudden movement, making Usagi jump outside.
He took his tie out of his mouth.
"There you go," he smiled.
"Thank you," Usagi nodded, a little embarrassed. "You didn't
have to rush."
She shuffled into his room and he heard the click of the lock.
Mamoru flung his tie around his neck, then buttoned up his
shirt. He wondered if he should have buttoned up his shirt
first, but he shrugged. Mamoru made some coffee and he was
tempted to take a bite out of some mocha ice cream that was
in the freezer. He decided against it, since it was a bit early.
Usagi stood in the shower, feeling the drops of water sliding
down her body. Her hair stuck to her back and to the sides of
her face. She looked around the shower and saw bottles of
shampoo, cakes of soap, gel and other things. The bathroom
had grey tiles with black strips of tile near the top. It was
all very simple. Usagi took her own bottle of body wash, scented
with sweet apple, and poured the green liquid onto a sponge.
In the TV room, Mamoru sat down on the couch and remembered
Usagi crying the night before. He took the newspaper from the
coffee table and tried not to think about it. It hadn't been
the first time that Mamoru had met her. Tetsu had once introduced
them at a dinner, about a year ago. She had still looked small
and fragile, but obviously a little cheerier. She had clung to
Tetsu and, to Mamoru, she just seemed like a frightened deer who
only had Tetsu to guide her. He didn't really understand why
she would have married Tetsu, but then he wasn't an expert on
marriage or love for that matter. His thoughts were broken when
the familiar sound of the water running, stopped abruptly.
Usagi stepped out of the shower and hugged her towel. She shivered
as her feet touched the cold tiled floor. She wrapped her towel
around her hair and dried it a little to prevent it from dripping
water everywhere. She slipped into her bathrobe and poked her head
out of the door. The bedroom door was locked so Mamoru couldn't
be in there, but she checked anyway. She noticed that the whole
room was pretty much empty, except for the messily made bed
(with a bedside table on the side closest to her) and a wardrobe
and a bookshelf against the wall. There was a flat wardrobe
inbetween two bookshelves. They were made out of a deep, rich
brown wood. Usagi felt intrigued. Each shelf was full from top
to bottom, end to end, with books. Her small feet curiously
wandered around the shelves. She outstretched her arm and
slid her finger along the spines.
Mamoru stared blankly at the words on the page he was holding.
He was deep in thought and the words stared back at him in a blur.
Often, he had wondered why and how people could "fall out of love".
Love wasn't his forte, but then again, maybe it was because he was
afraid of it. He had heard and seen so many of his colleagues and
friends experience it and he just didn't really understand. Mamoru
himself had nobody in his life since he was young and he didn't
really mind it either. He shook his head clear of those thoughts.
Whenever he thought about it, he started to get a little depressed.
He glanced at his watch. He had an hour to get to work. It had been
a while since the water had stopped running. Had Usagi finished her
shower? Mamoru looked at the grey door which teased him. He didn't
want to disturb her, but he did need to get his stuff.
A cloud of dust fell on Usagi's face as she slipped out a book from
the rigid position between two thick books. She sneezed. Then, she
ran her fingers across the cover to remove the thin film of dust.
"Dreamscapes...?" Usagi read the title on the crimson cover.
Curious, she flipped the cover and at that instant, several sheets
of paper flew out and fell to the floor. Usagi quickly shut the
book, then knelt down to pick up the sheets. As she picked up the
sheets, she saw rough pencil sketches on one of them. The paper
looked old, smelling stale and had tinges of aging yellow. There
were several sketches of a girl in a flower bed or a garden and
some of the same girl with the moon in the background or a large
palace of some sort. Usagi wondered who the girl was and if it
was Mamoru who had drawn them. They were beautiful, even though
they were only sketches, and for some strange reason she felt
extremely intrigued by the sketches. After picking up the sheets,
Usagi took a few step backwards and sat down on the edge of the
bed. There, she opened the book once more to see a short passage
on the inside cover.
"For Chiba Mamoru, with love," Usagi read quietly, her heart
nervously beating. "May your dreams be sweet, filled with
beautiful and fascinating places to satisfy your curious mind."
Usagi wondered if she was reading something personal of Mamoru's
and whether it was right for her to keep on reading. Her fingers
trembled as they refused her will to close the book. She placed
the sheets back inside the cover, preparing to return the book
to its rightful place on the shelf. Usagi stood up and walked up
to the shelf, slotting the book back into the vacant spot between
two books. But as she tried to tap the book back in, it fell
backwards. The book fell noisly to the floor as Usagi toppled back,
her arms out to catch it.
Mamoru sat up, wondering if he had just imagined the sound. He slowly
and quietly walked up to the door and leaned against it. He didn't
want to seem nosy, so he didn't press his ear too hard against the door,
but he didn't try to prevent it either. He held his hand to the door,
his knuckles ready to knock. He listened and heard the rustling of paper.
Or was he just hearing things? Usagi could just be browsing through his
books, but he suddenly felt panicky. He didn't know why, but he didn't
want Usagi to look through his books. Mamoru wanted to knock, his hand
steadied at the door, but he wasn't sure if he should. Afterall, there
was nothing in the room that was personal to him. He had no reason to
accuse her of snooping around his room. Did he? There was a strange
murky feeling inside his chest making him feel queasy and nervous.
The book had fallen on the floor with the pages open. Usagi crawled
over to the book and saw small, soft, smooth writing on the aging
paper. What was this book about? She flicked back a few pages and
also saw the same writing. The cursive letters beckoned her to read,
so she gave in to her temptation and read the words.
"... and a knight in shining armour, so to speak... handsome enough
to suit the princess, her shy elegance and naivety filling his eyes
with fascination, intrigue..." she whispered, the words making her
speechless with awe. "She smiles and speaks to him softly.. the words
making him laugh, not at her, but because what she said was so typical
of her questioning character..."
Usagi wondered what it was about. Dreamscapes, the book had been titled.
What did that mean? Were these somebody's dreams? If so, Usagi suddenly
felt incredibly guilty and regretful. Who's dreams were they then....?
She suddenly heard a sharp rap on the door, snapping her out of her
thoughts. Usagi's eyes flickered sharply to the grey door. Her fingers
gripped the book.
"Ma.. Mamoru san..?" her wavering voice called out.
"Yes," his firm voice replied. "Are you done? Do you think I could
get my things? I have to go to work soon.."
"Of course! Sorry!" Usagi quickly answered, scolding herself for
being so selfish. "I'll open the door now."
Usagi grabbed the book and hugged it in her arms. She unlocked the
door and it swung open immediately, almost surprising her. Mamoru
strode into the room and consequently, walked straight into her.
Usagi stumbled back, but Mamoru caught her before she fell. The book
slipped out from her arms and fell hard on the carpet. It bounced
a little, the loose sheets flying aimlessly about. Mamoru turned
his attention to the book, his eyes focusing on the cover. He still
held Usagi, one arm around her back and one hand holding her wrist.
"Dreamscapes..." he murmured.
Usagi's eyes watched his face for a reaction. He had none. After a
pause, he turned to her and asked if she was all right. She nodded
nervously. He let her go and picked up the book.
"I.. I found it on your shelf," Usagi stammered, her trembling fingers
gripping the bottom of her bathrobe. The fuzzy texture comforted her.
"Did you read it?" he asked, looking at her with no expression but a
blank, empty stare.
She shook her head quickly. He simply nodded, then returned the book
to its place. Usagi suddenly felt hot, her face burning.
"I.. I.. was.. going to ask you..." she stammered as he walked over
to get his things. "If.. I could read it... I.. I was about.. to..."
He didn't reply, but paused in front of the door as he was about to
leave. He seemed to be thinking about something and half turned to
her, but then turned back and left. Usagi heard the front door closing
quietly.
----
END OF PART 2
----
A.N. Oops, this went on for a bit too long -_-; I'm kind of repetitive
with my reference to dreams and such, but don't be turned off! It won't
be the same as my other stories! I promise! ^_^;
Teaser:
Part 3 - Ignorance Can Be A Source Of Happiness
Usagi rolled over and glanced at her clock, which
read 8:00. Next to her clock was a photo frame with
a photo of her and Tetsu. She reached out and grabbed
the photo frame, hugging it tight. She closed her eyes,
letting her mind fill with thoughts about Tetsu. Would
he write to her? Tell her what he was doing and where
he was? She doubted it, which made her feel so sad.
Usagi loved him, but she didn't like feeling this doubt.
Tetsu had changed and she would have to change to either
suit him, or.... not.
