Held By the Wings of an Angel
The Cherry Project-Part Two
By Bonnie-Chan
Email: hunniebunny@aol.com
Web page: http://www.geocities.com/sailor_moon_rose/
Today is February 11, 2002
Welcome back! Here's part four...now we're getting somewhere!
Welcome to Day Four of the 2002 Winter Olympics! I've always loved the Olympics, haven't you? Anyways, to memorialize this historic event, I am releasing a chapter of this story every single day for the next 13 days. By the Closing Ceremonies on February 24th, this story will be ending as well.
Special thanks to Sailor Eeyore…..she's my new beta reader!! You're doing a wonderful job, thanks soooooo much!
Also thanks to my wonderful aim buddy Steph! You've been a wonderful help, and I treasure you as a friend! Never lose those silly smiles! ^_^
Well, on with the story!
___________________________
Held By the Wings of an Angel
The Cherry Project: Part Two
By Bonnie-Chan
___________________________
"So, what do you say, Chieri?" Yuni smiled reassuringly at her best friend, a girl with pale blond hair. "It sounds like it will be fun."
Chieri's shocked expression faded, and a grin appeared on her face as she turned from her friend to the boy with white-blond hair standing before her. "You really want me to skate at the school festival?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Okay, I'm in!"
Kouichi grinned enthusiastically and heartily shook Chieri's hand. "Wonderful! Leave the planning to me, I'll make this the best show ever!"
Yuni grinned at Chieri. "I'll make your skating dress, Chieri! It will be the cutest dress ever!"
Miss Haruna looked sharply at her students and her smile melted into a frown. "Wait a minute…an actual skating exhibition? I thought you just meant a presentation about skating! We don't even have a place where you can skate here! Besides, you're transfer students, you can't just—"
Tsuzuki turned his head and smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Haruna-sensei. It's not just us planning this. President Chieri is involved now, too. As for the rink? Leave it to us."
Hiroshi nodded. "You can trust us, honest." He smiled in amusement. "We won't even have to worry about music copyrights—I'll make a bunch of original pieces just for the exhibition!"
The class began to murmur excitedly and started calling out their encouragements and enthusiasm for a skating exhibition.
"Well, then, how can I say no? The whole class is behind you. Go ahead and begin preparations, you have my blessing."
Usagi grinned from her seat at the front of the room and squealed, "This is such a cool idea! This will be the greatest project ever!"
Tsuzuki's head swiveled to where Usagi sat and his eyes widened. He gave her a puzzled glance before turning to face Kouichi and nodding in agreement as his friend proclaimed, "We begin The Cherry Project!"
***********************
Tsuzuki sat atop a small wall outside the school with Hiroshi and Kouichi.
Hiroshi jotted a few notes down on a small notepad before proclaiming, "The first stage is clear now, Tsuzuki! We only have to make her skate like a pro now. As soon as the exhibition is over, you can become a pair!"
"No, Hiroshi, we shouldn't rush this. The exhibition will show her what a competition will be like-without the pressure. You saw her the other day. She has so much raw talent. After she skates in the exhibition, the skating bug will get to her, and she'll want more. It's already in her blood! Let's focus on now instead of later."
"Tsuzuki, what the hell are you doing at my school?"
He looked up to see a livid blond, her odangoed head bobbing as she came to a stop in front of the wall.
"Usagi, hi!"
"Don't "hi" me, Tsuzuki. Why are you here—and why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, I didn't know I would wind up in your class…it was as much a shock for me as it was for you, honest."
"That doesn't answer why you're here…coordinating an ice skating exhibition no less!"
"Well, I—"
"We ran into Asuka Chieri at an ice skating rink on Sunday, and decided that she was the one who could be Tsuzuki's partner."
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm. So we decided to be as close to her as possible and slowly mold her to be Tsuzuki's partner. The festival seemed like a perfect time to test her abilities."
"Kouichi, lower your voice! Do you want the whole school to know?"
"Wow. Well…congratulations, Tsuzuki. Didn't I tell you that you would find her?"
"Yes, but—"
"No buts." She smiled innocently and quickly changed the subject. "The whole school is talking about the exhibition already. If something goes wrong, we're going to look like fools!"
"Nothing will go wrong, I promise." He grinned lopsidedly before cocking his head at her. "So, how does it feel to be a normal girl?"
"Wonderful! I'm loving every minute of it! I even hung out at the arcade yesterday afternoon! Today I get to hang out with my best friend Naru at her mother's jewelry store!" She grinned excitedly. "Speaking of which, I bet she's looking for me right now! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" She flashed another smile and sped off, hurrying away to meet her friend.
***********************
Usagi tossed and turned in her bed, mumbling incoherently in her sleep. A pain in her arm caused her to groggily wake up, and she drowsily looked down to see her new cat using her arm as a scratching post. "Kitty, that isn't nice…let me sleep, I'm tired. You should sleep too, it is bedtime after all…"
"Wake up, Usagi! I've never met a lazier girl in my life!"
Hr eyes widened and she eyed the small, violet-black cat before a light dawned in her eyes. "Oh, I get it, I'm still asleep! But why do I feel so tired?"
"Because this isn't a dream."
"You ditz! Now, get out of bed, you have a job to do!"
"What kind of job?"
"You have to save the world!"
"If I had known you would turn out to be a psycho kitty, I wouldn't have convinced mom to let you stay here! How can I save the world?"
"You're a superhero!"
"Yeah, right. And Shingo's Batman."
"It's true!" The cat leaped indignantly into the air and did a back flip, producing a golden brooch.
"Wow, I didn't know you were a gymnast! So am I…well, I was. Maybe I'll train you for the Kitty Olympics, at least one of us can still do what we love…"
"Take this brooch."
"A gift? Wow, I was eying up the jewelry at Naru's all afternoon? How did you know I wanted something new? What a nice kitty!"
"My name is Luna."
"Luna…what a pretty name."
"Take this brooch and yell, Moon Prism Power, Makeup!"
Usagi took the brooch and turned it over in her hands before looking down at the small cat by her feet. "Moon Prism Power Makeup? What does that—oh!"
A shocked look crossed her face as a burst of rosy pink light enveloped her, stripping her of her pajamas. Glittery pink ribbons appeared, dancing tantalizingly around her nude body and molding a crisp new uniform to her torso.
As Usagi's feet touched the ground, she looked into the mirror in amazement. Her balls of hair were adorned with two red, gem-like circles. A golden tiara lay perched on her forehead. A red choker hung around her neck, and a pair of prim white gloves graced her arms. A white bodysuit hugged her body, and a short blue skirt flared out well above her knees. To cap it all off, her feet were enclosed in a pair of tall, flexible red boots.
As Usagi turned towards the cat, she absently noted that her ears, neck and feet were all adorned with golden crescent moons. "Wow, I look just like Sailor V! This is so cool!"
"Stop playing around, Usagi!"
A high-pitched scream filled the room, and a girl screamed, "Help, my mother is trying to kill me!"
"That was Naru!"
"The red jewels in your hair are supersonic tracking devices. It's kind of like the bat symbol, it lets you know when someone is in trouble."
"Way cool!"
"Don't just stand there talking about how cool your new identity is, go save her!"
"Because I'm a superhero!"
"Right!"
"If my dad catches me in such a short skirt, I'll be grounded for at least a year!" She giggled giddily. "Thank goodness this is only a dream!"
"That's why you're going to go out the window!"
"The window!?"
"That's right! Now hurry!"
Usagi reluctantly peered out of her window before jumping after the cat, heading to the OSA-P Jewelry Store.
Once there, she saw a hideous youma trying to kill her best friend.
"Let Naru go!"
The youma turned her ugly head and glared at Usagi. "Who are you?"
"Who am I? Well, I uh…" she looked outside, where a full moon illuminated the sky, and the answer came to her from deep within."
"I am Sailor Moon! The champion of love and justice!"
"And I should care because…?"
"Because…I will punish you?"
"A little girl like you? Highly doubtful!"
"I will!"
The youma clapped her hands, and a hoard of zombie people rose to their feet, heading towards Usagi. "Ah! Don't come near me!" She banged into a counter and fell to her knees. "I don't like this dream anymo-or-ore!!!" She began to wail, causing the people to fall back to the floor.
"Stop that insipid wailing!"
"Sailor Moon! Finish her off with your tiara!"
Usagi looked up to see a tall man in a black tuxedo, his face hidden by a white mask, his hair hidden by a black top hat.
"Who are you?"
"You may call me…Tuxedo Kamen."
"Tuxedo Kamen?" She sighed dreamily, hearts and visions of infatuation dancing in her sapphire eyes.
"Finish her off, now!"
"Ri-Right!" She raised her hand to her forehead, but the tiara wouldn't budge. "How do I…oh! Moon Tiara Magic!" The tiara sprang to life in her hand, and she threw it like a frisbee, sending it hurling towards the youma.
The tiara sliced through her, causing her to scream in agony and dissipate into dust.
Usagi fell to her knees, breathing heavily. "What a weird dream!" She looked down at the cat that now sat at her heels. "Can I go home now?"
"Yes, you did a good job tonight, Sailor Moon."
"I did, didn't I? And that guy sure was cute…too bad he's only a figment of my imagination!" She wearily headed back to her bedroom, where she detransformed and crawled into bed. "Goodnight, Kitty."
"The name's Luna!"
"Right…Luna." She yawned and was overtaken once more by the world of dreams, still believing the night to be merely a figment of her overblown imagination.
***********************
Chieri rolled over in her bed as loud voices called to her from outside.
"Cherry, wake up! You're going to be late!"
She slowly got out of bed and walked to her bedroom window. "Tsuzuki, Yuni…? What are you doing here? I'm so tired, let me sleep some more, it's six a.m.!"
Kouichi shook his head teasingly. "Sorry, Cherry, from now on, we're going to go jogging every morning at six."
"Surely not every day!"
"Why not? It's a normal time for exercise. Guess you're not into any extracurriculars…"
"I am! I just do them after school, like any sane person."
"That reminds me…we have your sports data test."
"My…what?"
He grinned and waved an official-looking piece of paper in front of the window. "Apart from flexibility, your muscle strength and cardiorespiratory function are weak. They must have approved your level of fitness thinking it was merely for the festival. That's no good for our president. We're being thorough in what we do. Now, the foundation is running."
"You're such a tyrant!"
"Hurry up and get down here! You're awake now!"
Chieri hurriedly got ready, and within minutes was downstairs with the others.
Hiroshi skated by her, grabbing her arm, and pulling her along with him.
"Hiroshi, you're cheating! Why are you the only one allowed to roller skate?"
"Because I'm special, of course."
Tsuzuki pulled up beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Keep trying, Cherry, you're doing fine. Just follow me, okay?"
"Okay…"
"We're in the middle of the park now, right?"
"Right…"
"That means we'll be back to your house in a mere three kilometers!"
"That's too far!"
"We've only just begun." He handed her a pair of roller skates. "Put these on."
"These are roller skates? Why do they look so weird?"
"They're what speed skaters use. They're all the rage in America. They give you the feel of skating, so you don't need to be on the ice to skate! This will help you practice and get better."
"Oh…well, I'll try them, Tsuzuki…but only because you said so."
"I'm glad you trust me enough to listen to my advice."
"Well, you are an expert at skating…of course I should trust you!"
"Of course."
***********************
Usagi groggily opened her eyes and glared at her blaring alarm clock, rolling back over into bed and squeezing her eyes shut.
"Usagi, it's time to get up!"
"Just five more minutes, mom…I'm so tired…"
"Usagi, please, you're used to getting up much earlier than this, what's the problem?"
"I dunno…I'm just so tired…..I'll be up in five minutes, promise."
"Okay…"
Usagi sighed and scrunched her eyes closed even tighter, rolling over onto her stomach. Why am I so tired? She raised her arm to her pillow, and her fingers brushed against a hard object. "What the…?" She raised her head and pried open her eyes, taking in the small golden object lying at her fingertips.
Her eyes sprang open and she drowsily sat up, grasping the brooch in her hands and turning it over. "It…wasn't a dream?"
"I told you that you weren't dreaming, but would you listen to me? No, of course not! What did I do to get such a stubborn charge?"
Usagi turned towards the cat resting at the foot of her bed with wide eyes. "You really can talk? That's amazing! Are you some kind of robot?"
"Certainly not! I am as real as you are! I am your guardian, sent here to protect and guide you!"
"Why?"
"Why? Because you're Sailor Moon!"
Usagi's face fell, and she cradled her forgotten pillow tightly against her chest. "That's right, I am…but…..I don't want to be Sailor Moon. All I want is to be a normal girl! Can't I have that, just once?"
"Your destiny is anything but normal, Usagi."
"But why? What did I do to deserve this?"
"Usagi, you—"
"Why couldn't you have followed somebody else home, Luna? I just want to be normal! Do you hear me? Normal! Is that so much to ask for? I only got one day of normality. Just one. It was heaven. I loved it. I want to have that feeling with me always."
"I'm sorry, Usagi. I truly am."
"Are you?"
Luna looked at the small girl huddled on her bed, a teary look on her face, and sighed wearily. This girl make act like a maturing young woman at times, but she was truly still a child, already frustrated with the hand life dealt her. "I am sorry, Usagi. If I had any choice in the matter, I would choose someone who wanted this, not someone whose life it wrecked."
"As obscure as that just sounded…I believe you. I do. I just…..I don't want this!"
"I know, Usagi…I know."
"Usagi, I'm not writing you any excuses if you miss school!"
Usagi glanced over at the clock and her eyes widened. "Oh my god, I'm going to be so late! Why didn't you wake me up earlier!?"
"I did!"
Usagi sprang up from her bed, sending the forgotten pillow flying and tore into her closet, pulling on her uniform and running downstairs, grabbing her lunch and book bag, calling goodbye to her mother, and flying out the door. She ran to school, not paying attention to where she was going, and made it to the school without running into everyone. She flew into her classroom and sank down into her chair, breathing heavily.
"You look like you just ran a marathon, Usagi!"
"I did!"
"Want some water?"
"Do you mind?"
"Not at all."
Usagi smiled gratefully and wearily took Yuni's bottled water, taking a big swig before handing it back to her. "Thanks so much!"
"You're welcome.BM6 /
The Cherry Project-Part Two
By Bonnie-Chan
Email: hunniebunny@aol.com
Web page: http://www.geocities.com/sailor_moon_rose/
Today is February 11, 2002
Welcome back! Here's part four...now we're getting somewhere!
Welcome to Day Four of the 2002 Winter Olympics! I've always loved the Olympics, haven't you? Anyways, to memorialize this historic event, I am releasing a chapter of this story every single day for the next 13 days. By the Closing Ceremonies on February 24th, this story will be ending as well.
Special thanks to Sailor Eeyore…..she's my new beta reader!! You're doing a wonderful job, thanks soooooo much!
Also thanks to my wonderful aim buddy Steph! You've been a wonderful help, and I treasure you as a friend! Never lose those silly smiles! ^_^
Well, on with the story!
___________________________
Held By the Wings of an Angel
The Cherry Project: Part Two
By Bonnie-Chan
___________________________
"So, what do you say, Chieri?" Yuni smiled reassuringly at her best friend, a girl with pale blond hair. "It sounds like it will be fun."
Chieri's shocked expression faded, and a grin appeared on her face as she turned from her friend to the boy with white-blond hair standing before her. "You really want me to skate at the school festival?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Okay, I'm in!"
Kouichi grinned enthusiastically and heartily shook Chieri's hand. "Wonderful! Leave the planning to me, I'll make this the best show ever!"
Yuni grinned at Chieri. "I'll make your skating dress, Chieri! It will be the cutest dress ever!"
Miss Haruna looked sharply at her students and her smile melted into a frown. "Wait a minute…an actual skating exhibition? I thought you just meant a presentation about skating! We don't even have a place where you can skate here! Besides, you're transfer students, you can't just—"
Tsuzuki turned his head and smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Haruna-sensei. It's not just us planning this. President Chieri is involved now, too. As for the rink? Leave it to us."
Hiroshi nodded. "You can trust us, honest." He smiled in amusement. "We won't even have to worry about music copyrights—I'll make a bunch of original pieces just for the exhibition!"
The class began to murmur excitedly and started calling out their encouragements and enthusiasm for a skating exhibition.
"Well, then, how can I say no? The whole class is behind you. Go ahead and begin preparations, you have my blessing."
Usagi grinned from her seat at the front of the room and squealed, "This is such a cool idea! This will be the greatest project ever!"
Tsuzuki's head swiveled to where Usagi sat and his eyes widened. He gave her a puzzled glance before turning to face Kouichi and nodding in agreement as his friend proclaimed, "We begin The Cherry Project!"
***********************
Tsuzuki sat atop a small wall outside the school with Hiroshi and Kouichi.
Hiroshi jotted a few notes down on a small notepad before proclaiming, "The first stage is clear now, Tsuzuki! We only have to make her skate like a pro now. As soon as the exhibition is over, you can become a pair!"
"No, Hiroshi, we shouldn't rush this. The exhibition will show her what a competition will be like-without the pressure. You saw her the other day. She has so much raw talent. After she skates in the exhibition, the skating bug will get to her, and she'll want more. It's already in her blood! Let's focus on now instead of later."
"Tsuzuki, what the hell are you doing at my school?"
He looked up to see a livid blond, her odangoed head bobbing as she came to a stop in front of the wall.
"Usagi, hi!"
"Don't "hi" me, Tsuzuki. Why are you here—and why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, I didn't know I would wind up in your class…it was as much a shock for me as it was for you, honest."
"That doesn't answer why you're here…coordinating an ice skating exhibition no less!"
"Well, I—"
"We ran into Asuka Chieri at an ice skating rink on Sunday, and decided that she was the one who could be Tsuzuki's partner."
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm. So we decided to be as close to her as possible and slowly mold her to be Tsuzuki's partner. The festival seemed like a perfect time to test her abilities."
"Kouichi, lower your voice! Do you want the whole school to know?"
"Wow. Well…congratulations, Tsuzuki. Didn't I tell you that you would find her?"
"Yes, but—"
"No buts." She smiled innocently and quickly changed the subject. "The whole school is talking about the exhibition already. If something goes wrong, we're going to look like fools!"
"Nothing will go wrong, I promise." He grinned lopsidedly before cocking his head at her. "So, how does it feel to be a normal girl?"
"Wonderful! I'm loving every minute of it! I even hung out at the arcade yesterday afternoon! Today I get to hang out with my best friend Naru at her mother's jewelry store!" She grinned excitedly. "Speaking of which, I bet she's looking for me right now! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" She flashed another smile and sped off, hurrying away to meet her friend.
***********************
Usagi tossed and turned in her bed, mumbling incoherently in her sleep. A pain in her arm caused her to groggily wake up, and she drowsily looked down to see her new cat using her arm as a scratching post. "Kitty, that isn't nice…let me sleep, I'm tired. You should sleep too, it is bedtime after all…"
"Wake up, Usagi! I've never met a lazier girl in my life!"
Hr eyes widened and she eyed the small, violet-black cat before a light dawned in her eyes. "Oh, I get it, I'm still asleep! But why do I feel so tired?"
"Because this isn't a dream."
"You ditz! Now, get out of bed, you have a job to do!"
"What kind of job?"
"You have to save the world!"
"If I had known you would turn out to be a psycho kitty, I wouldn't have convinced mom to let you stay here! How can I save the world?"
"You're a superhero!"
"Yeah, right. And Shingo's Batman."
"It's true!" The cat leaped indignantly into the air and did a back flip, producing a golden brooch.
"Wow, I didn't know you were a gymnast! So am I…well, I was. Maybe I'll train you for the Kitty Olympics, at least one of us can still do what we love…"
"Take this brooch."
"A gift? Wow, I was eying up the jewelry at Naru's all afternoon? How did you know I wanted something new? What a nice kitty!"
"My name is Luna."
"Luna…what a pretty name."
"Take this brooch and yell, Moon Prism Power, Makeup!"
Usagi took the brooch and turned it over in her hands before looking down at the small cat by her feet. "Moon Prism Power Makeup? What does that—oh!"
A shocked look crossed her face as a burst of rosy pink light enveloped her, stripping her of her pajamas. Glittery pink ribbons appeared, dancing tantalizingly around her nude body and molding a crisp new uniform to her torso.
As Usagi's feet touched the ground, she looked into the mirror in amazement. Her balls of hair were adorned with two red, gem-like circles. A golden tiara lay perched on her forehead. A red choker hung around her neck, and a pair of prim white gloves graced her arms. A white bodysuit hugged her body, and a short blue skirt flared out well above her knees. To cap it all off, her feet were enclosed in a pair of tall, flexible red boots.
As Usagi turned towards the cat, she absently noted that her ears, neck and feet were all adorned with golden crescent moons. "Wow, I look just like Sailor V! This is so cool!"
"Stop playing around, Usagi!"
A high-pitched scream filled the room, and a girl screamed, "Help, my mother is trying to kill me!"
"That was Naru!"
"The red jewels in your hair are supersonic tracking devices. It's kind of like the bat symbol, it lets you know when someone is in trouble."
"Way cool!"
"Don't just stand there talking about how cool your new identity is, go save her!"
"Because I'm a superhero!"
"Right!"
"If my dad catches me in such a short skirt, I'll be grounded for at least a year!" She giggled giddily. "Thank goodness this is only a dream!"
"That's why you're going to go out the window!"
"The window!?"
"That's right! Now hurry!"
Usagi reluctantly peered out of her window before jumping after the cat, heading to the OSA-P Jewelry Store.
Once there, she saw a hideous youma trying to kill her best friend.
"Let Naru go!"
The youma turned her ugly head and glared at Usagi. "Who are you?"
"Who am I? Well, I uh…" she looked outside, where a full moon illuminated the sky, and the answer came to her from deep within."
"I am Sailor Moon! The champion of love and justice!"
"And I should care because…?"
"Because…I will punish you?"
"A little girl like you? Highly doubtful!"
"I will!"
The youma clapped her hands, and a hoard of zombie people rose to their feet, heading towards Usagi. "Ah! Don't come near me!" She banged into a counter and fell to her knees. "I don't like this dream anymo-or-ore!!!" She began to wail, causing the people to fall back to the floor.
"Stop that insipid wailing!"
"Sailor Moon! Finish her off with your tiara!"
Usagi looked up to see a tall man in a black tuxedo, his face hidden by a white mask, his hair hidden by a black top hat.
"Who are you?"
"You may call me…Tuxedo Kamen."
"Tuxedo Kamen?" She sighed dreamily, hearts and visions of infatuation dancing in her sapphire eyes.
"Finish her off, now!"
"Ri-Right!" She raised her hand to her forehead, but the tiara wouldn't budge. "How do I…oh! Moon Tiara Magic!" The tiara sprang to life in her hand, and she threw it like a frisbee, sending it hurling towards the youma.
The tiara sliced through her, causing her to scream in agony and dissipate into dust.
Usagi fell to her knees, breathing heavily. "What a weird dream!" She looked down at the cat that now sat at her heels. "Can I go home now?"
"Yes, you did a good job tonight, Sailor Moon."
"I did, didn't I? And that guy sure was cute…too bad he's only a figment of my imagination!" She wearily headed back to her bedroom, where she detransformed and crawled into bed. "Goodnight, Kitty."
"The name's Luna!"
"Right…Luna." She yawned and was overtaken once more by the world of dreams, still believing the night to be merely a figment of her overblown imagination.
***********************
Chieri rolled over in her bed as loud voices called to her from outside.
"Cherry, wake up! You're going to be late!"
She slowly got out of bed and walked to her bedroom window. "Tsuzuki, Yuni…? What are you doing here? I'm so tired, let me sleep some more, it's six a.m.!"
Kouichi shook his head teasingly. "Sorry, Cherry, from now on, we're going to go jogging every morning at six."
"Surely not every day!"
"Why not? It's a normal time for exercise. Guess you're not into any extracurriculars…"
"I am! I just do them after school, like any sane person."
"That reminds me…we have your sports data test."
"My…what?"
He grinned and waved an official-looking piece of paper in front of the window. "Apart from flexibility, your muscle strength and cardiorespiratory function are weak. They must have approved your level of fitness thinking it was merely for the festival. That's no good for our president. We're being thorough in what we do. Now, the foundation is running."
"You're such a tyrant!"
"Hurry up and get down here! You're awake now!"
Chieri hurriedly got ready, and within minutes was downstairs with the others.
Hiroshi skated by her, grabbing her arm, and pulling her along with him.
"Hiroshi, you're cheating! Why are you the only one allowed to roller skate?"
"Because I'm special, of course."
Tsuzuki pulled up beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Keep trying, Cherry, you're doing fine. Just follow me, okay?"
"Okay…"
"We're in the middle of the park now, right?"
"Right…"
"That means we'll be back to your house in a mere three kilometers!"
"That's too far!"
"We've only just begun." He handed her a pair of roller skates. "Put these on."
"These are roller skates? Why do they look so weird?"
"They're what speed skaters use. They're all the rage in America. They give you the feel of skating, so you don't need to be on the ice to skate! This will help you practice and get better."
"Oh…well, I'll try them, Tsuzuki…but only because you said so."
"I'm glad you trust me enough to listen to my advice."
"Well, you are an expert at skating…of course I should trust you!"
"Of course."
***********************
Usagi groggily opened her eyes and glared at her blaring alarm clock, rolling back over into bed and squeezing her eyes shut.
"Usagi, it's time to get up!"
"Just five more minutes, mom…I'm so tired…"
"Usagi, please, you're used to getting up much earlier than this, what's the problem?"
"I dunno…I'm just so tired…..I'll be up in five minutes, promise."
"Okay…"
Usagi sighed and scrunched her eyes closed even tighter, rolling over onto her stomach. Why am I so tired? She raised her arm to her pillow, and her fingers brushed against a hard object. "What the…?" She raised her head and pried open her eyes, taking in the small golden object lying at her fingertips.
Her eyes sprang open and she drowsily sat up, grasping the brooch in her hands and turning it over. "It…wasn't a dream?"
"I told you that you weren't dreaming, but would you listen to me? No, of course not! What did I do to get such a stubborn charge?"
Usagi turned towards the cat resting at the foot of her bed with wide eyes. "You really can talk? That's amazing! Are you some kind of robot?"
"Certainly not! I am as real as you are! I am your guardian, sent here to protect and guide you!"
"Why?"
"Why? Because you're Sailor Moon!"
Usagi's face fell, and she cradled her forgotten pillow tightly against her chest. "That's right, I am…but…..I don't want to be Sailor Moon. All I want is to be a normal girl! Can't I have that, just once?"
"Your destiny is anything but normal, Usagi."
"But why? What did I do to deserve this?"
"Usagi, you—"
"Why couldn't you have followed somebody else home, Luna? I just want to be normal! Do you hear me? Normal! Is that so much to ask for? I only got one day of normality. Just one. It was heaven. I loved it. I want to have that feeling with me always."
"I'm sorry, Usagi. I truly am."
"Are you?"
Luna looked at the small girl huddled on her bed, a teary look on her face, and sighed wearily. This girl make act like a maturing young woman at times, but she was truly still a child, already frustrated with the hand life dealt her. "I am sorry, Usagi. If I had any choice in the matter, I would choose someone who wanted this, not someone whose life it wrecked."
"As obscure as that just sounded…I believe you. I do. I just…..I don't want this!"
"I know, Usagi…I know."
"Usagi, I'm not writing you any excuses if you miss school!"
Usagi glanced over at the clock and her eyes widened. "Oh my god, I'm going to be so late! Why didn't you wake me up earlier!?"
"I did!"
Usagi sprang up from her bed, sending the forgotten pillow flying and tore into her closet, pulling on her uniform and running downstairs, grabbing her lunch and book bag, calling goodbye to her mother, and flying out the door. She ran to school, not paying attention to where she was going, and made it to the school without running into everyone. She flew into her classroom and sank down into her chair, breathing heavily.
"You look like you just ran a marathon, Usagi!"
"I did!"
"Want some water?"
"Do you mind?"
"Not at all."
Usagi smiled gratefully and wearily took Yuni's bottled water, taking a big swig before handing it back to her. "Thanks so much!"
"You're welcome.BM6 /