Disclaimer: Sailormoon and all its characters do not belong to me. Any
resemblance to any other story is coincidental and not intentional.
This story happened after the senshi defeated Beryl and slightly deviates from the original version.
Chapter 2: Fading
Usagi ran out of the arcade and towards the park, sniffing all the way. She still had an hour before she was due back home and decided to go to her favourite bench. Situated in one of the many rose gardens, Usagi found the spot one-day during a youma fight. It always calmed her down when she was upset or tired after an energy-draining senshi battle.
As soon as Usagi entered the rose garden, the scent of the sweet flowers filled her senses and started to cheer her up. She sat down on the centre bench.
"Why me?" Usagi asked herself, "All I wanted was to be a normal girl and have a normal life. Why do everyone constantly criticise me?"
She thought about it for a moment, hugging her knees with her hands while balancing precariously on the skinny bench. Her long hair was getting wet with the dew collecting on the rose buses behind her.
"Maybe I can change. maybe I can change how the world sees me. Not as a clumsy, stupid girl. I can start by staying up later at night to study and walking a little bit slower. Get a few more alarm clocks." Usagi pondered, "If I change, people won't tease me anymore, Ms. Haruna won't get angry or give me detention and Mamoru will stop calling me Odango Atama."
The mist started to descend on the twilight evening when Usagi, still in deep thought, realised she would be late getting home.
"Oh no! Mom is going to kill me!!! There goes my decision to change!" She leapt off the bench and ran towards home.
***
Mamoru slowly walked home, kicking random stones along the way.
"Why was Usagi crying today? It's not like she hasn't heard all those comments before. She knows it's the truth about her", Mamoru thought. However, no matter how many times Mamoru said it, he still felt that something was amiss. Something he had overlooked in the midst of teasing his Odango Atama.
Who was she anyway? Why was Usagi dominating the majority of his thoughts? It was not like she was beautiful or anything. Although she always did light up a room when she entered it, or made him smile whenever he thought of her.
"Dammit!" growled Mamoru, "I didn't do anything wrong! Why is she tormenting me this way?"
A small voice popped into his head and whispered, "Maybe your feelings are deeper than the one of enemies. Maybe you want her to reciprocate those same feelings for you. Maybe you're scared."
"Shut up!" Mamoru covered both his ears with his hands, as if trying to block out the insistent voice. "I don't need your advice"
"Maybe you do, Mamoru, but you just don't want to admit it. Think about it." The small voice suddenly faded out just like it suddenly appeared.
Mamoru looked up and saw he was at his apartment building. How did he get here? He could not remember the route he took to get home. With one final shake of his head, Mamoru headed inside, away from the growing mist.
***
When Usagi arrived home, her mother was waiting for her at the door.
"Usagi!! What are you doing? Why are you so late?!?!" Ikuko shouted at Usagi. "You know the rules, Usagi, you know the time we expect you to be back."
"Sorry, mama," Usagi apologised, "I was at the park and."
"You should not go there by yourself at night, Usagi. You'll never know what might happen to a young girl alone in a deserted place."
"Sorry, mama," Usagi apologised again, "I just needed some time alone to."
"I don't care. Just as long as you promise me you won't go there be yourself at night again, Usagi. Promise?"
"Yes, mama, I promise. Ahh.Ahh.choo!!" sneezed Usagi.
"Look at you! Your hair is dripping wet, Usagi! Get upstairs and dry off before coming to dinner! You're going to catch a cold if you continue like this!" warned Usagi's mother.
"Yes, mama." Usagi hung her head as she went upstairs to her room. As she went up, she met her brother Shingo on the stairs.
"Hey Odango," Shingo greeted his dripping sister.
Usagi wearily replied, "Hi Shingo."
"Aren't you going to scold me for calling you Odango?" a confused Shingo asked as he stopped and stared at Usagi.
"No, I'm too tired. See you at the dinner table." Usagi trudged up to her room.
When she arrived there, she immediately untied her hair from its pigtails. Damp from her foray in the park, her hair was limp and lifeless. It would take Usagi some time to dry. She wished she didn't have such long hair, but whenever she cut it short, her hair would grow back immediately, reaching the current length within weeks. Usagi sighed, knowing she will be scolded again for being late to dinner when she goes back downstairs.
Usagi sat down at her vanity table, getting her hair dryer out of the drawer. She started to dry her hair while brushing out the many knots in it. Usagi looked at her reflection in the mirror.
"Why is my hair so long? Why must it take me ages to dry it?" Usagi thought, "There must be some way to get it dry soon. I have to do it fast before mama gets even more angry." She sighed.
It took over half an hour to get her hair fully dried and after doing so, Usagi finally changed out of her slightly clammy and rumpled clothes. She went downstairs; ready to face the wrath of being even later to dinner.
"I'm not doing a very good job of changing my ways" Usagi thought as she carefully ran down the stairs, hoping not to trip at the last minute.
***
Mamoru sat on his couch, after eating another dinner alone. He never noticed the loneliness before but was now feeling it immensely. He stared into the fire, its flames dancing and spitting. Being alone was always something he known he would always be and had accepted a long time ago, but he now realised how much Usagi had affected him.
"Especially today." Mamoru thought, "When she turned towards me with her nose red and eyes slightly swollen, my heart stopped for a second."
"Maybe you have the same influence on her as she does on you." The little voice from before came back. "Maybe she has faith in your opinions."
"Can it be.?" Mamoru wondered. "Can Usagi really be influenced by what I say?"
"Of course she is. You saw her today," the voice replied. "It wasn't a pretty sight, she might have done something drastic."
"No!" A startled Mamoru stood up and immediately went to get his jacket. "She mustn't' do something extreme! What if she decides she can't handle it anymore? What if she decides to run away? What if she.?" Mamoru paused.
"What if she dies?" Mamoru's heart stopped beating like it had this afternoon. He slouched back, leaning against the wall. "She can't die! Not before I tell her how I feel about her!!"
"And how do you feel about her?" the voice in his head asked. "How do you feel?"
"How.how do I feel about Odango?" Mamoru stuttered. "I don't know how I feel." He slid down the wall, landing on the floor with his knees up.
"What does she do to you?
"Odango?" smiled Mamoru wistfully. "She makes me smile when I thought I'd forgotten how. She makes me laugh. She.oh God!!!" He dropped his head between his knees and whispered, "She completes me.Oh Usako"
"Go to her, tell her. Go to her before." the voice faded out.
"Yes!" Mamoru stood up again. "I will go to her."
***
Running out of his apartment building, Mamoru realised that it would be faster if he changed into Tuxedo Mask. He hadn't transformed in a while, Sailormoon had not called on him lately. He quickly searched the surrounding area for a deserted place and transformed. Mamoru climbed onto his motorcycle and rode off towards Usagi's home.
***
When Mamoru arrived, he saw the light on in most of the rooms. His heart began to beat faster and faster. His breath became shorter as he neared the Tsukino's front gate.
Instead of knocking on the door, Mamoru decided to avoid the intense cross- examination he knew he would receive from Usagi's parents if he did. He climbed up the tree next to Usagi's open window and saw there was no one in the room. Still in his Tuxedo Mask uniform, Mamoru sat down on the branch and waited for his Usako.
***
What will happen next? Will Usagi see Tuxedo Mask in her tree? What will they say to each other? NEXT CHAPTER: FAILING
This story happened after the senshi defeated Beryl and slightly deviates from the original version.
Chapter 2: Fading
Usagi ran out of the arcade and towards the park, sniffing all the way. She still had an hour before she was due back home and decided to go to her favourite bench. Situated in one of the many rose gardens, Usagi found the spot one-day during a youma fight. It always calmed her down when she was upset or tired after an energy-draining senshi battle.
As soon as Usagi entered the rose garden, the scent of the sweet flowers filled her senses and started to cheer her up. She sat down on the centre bench.
"Why me?" Usagi asked herself, "All I wanted was to be a normal girl and have a normal life. Why do everyone constantly criticise me?"
She thought about it for a moment, hugging her knees with her hands while balancing precariously on the skinny bench. Her long hair was getting wet with the dew collecting on the rose buses behind her.
"Maybe I can change. maybe I can change how the world sees me. Not as a clumsy, stupid girl. I can start by staying up later at night to study and walking a little bit slower. Get a few more alarm clocks." Usagi pondered, "If I change, people won't tease me anymore, Ms. Haruna won't get angry or give me detention and Mamoru will stop calling me Odango Atama."
The mist started to descend on the twilight evening when Usagi, still in deep thought, realised she would be late getting home.
"Oh no! Mom is going to kill me!!! There goes my decision to change!" She leapt off the bench and ran towards home.
***
Mamoru slowly walked home, kicking random stones along the way.
"Why was Usagi crying today? It's not like she hasn't heard all those comments before. She knows it's the truth about her", Mamoru thought. However, no matter how many times Mamoru said it, he still felt that something was amiss. Something he had overlooked in the midst of teasing his Odango Atama.
Who was she anyway? Why was Usagi dominating the majority of his thoughts? It was not like she was beautiful or anything. Although she always did light up a room when she entered it, or made him smile whenever he thought of her.
"Dammit!" growled Mamoru, "I didn't do anything wrong! Why is she tormenting me this way?"
A small voice popped into his head and whispered, "Maybe your feelings are deeper than the one of enemies. Maybe you want her to reciprocate those same feelings for you. Maybe you're scared."
"Shut up!" Mamoru covered both his ears with his hands, as if trying to block out the insistent voice. "I don't need your advice"
"Maybe you do, Mamoru, but you just don't want to admit it. Think about it." The small voice suddenly faded out just like it suddenly appeared.
Mamoru looked up and saw he was at his apartment building. How did he get here? He could not remember the route he took to get home. With one final shake of his head, Mamoru headed inside, away from the growing mist.
***
When Usagi arrived home, her mother was waiting for her at the door.
"Usagi!! What are you doing? Why are you so late?!?!" Ikuko shouted at Usagi. "You know the rules, Usagi, you know the time we expect you to be back."
"Sorry, mama," Usagi apologised, "I was at the park and."
"You should not go there by yourself at night, Usagi. You'll never know what might happen to a young girl alone in a deserted place."
"Sorry, mama," Usagi apologised again, "I just needed some time alone to."
"I don't care. Just as long as you promise me you won't go there be yourself at night again, Usagi. Promise?"
"Yes, mama, I promise. Ahh.Ahh.choo!!" sneezed Usagi.
"Look at you! Your hair is dripping wet, Usagi! Get upstairs and dry off before coming to dinner! You're going to catch a cold if you continue like this!" warned Usagi's mother.
"Yes, mama." Usagi hung her head as she went upstairs to her room. As she went up, she met her brother Shingo on the stairs.
"Hey Odango," Shingo greeted his dripping sister.
Usagi wearily replied, "Hi Shingo."
"Aren't you going to scold me for calling you Odango?" a confused Shingo asked as he stopped and stared at Usagi.
"No, I'm too tired. See you at the dinner table." Usagi trudged up to her room.
When she arrived there, she immediately untied her hair from its pigtails. Damp from her foray in the park, her hair was limp and lifeless. It would take Usagi some time to dry. She wished she didn't have such long hair, but whenever she cut it short, her hair would grow back immediately, reaching the current length within weeks. Usagi sighed, knowing she will be scolded again for being late to dinner when she goes back downstairs.
Usagi sat down at her vanity table, getting her hair dryer out of the drawer. She started to dry her hair while brushing out the many knots in it. Usagi looked at her reflection in the mirror.
"Why is my hair so long? Why must it take me ages to dry it?" Usagi thought, "There must be some way to get it dry soon. I have to do it fast before mama gets even more angry." She sighed.
It took over half an hour to get her hair fully dried and after doing so, Usagi finally changed out of her slightly clammy and rumpled clothes. She went downstairs; ready to face the wrath of being even later to dinner.
"I'm not doing a very good job of changing my ways" Usagi thought as she carefully ran down the stairs, hoping not to trip at the last minute.
***
Mamoru sat on his couch, after eating another dinner alone. He never noticed the loneliness before but was now feeling it immensely. He stared into the fire, its flames dancing and spitting. Being alone was always something he known he would always be and had accepted a long time ago, but he now realised how much Usagi had affected him.
"Especially today." Mamoru thought, "When she turned towards me with her nose red and eyes slightly swollen, my heart stopped for a second."
"Maybe you have the same influence on her as she does on you." The little voice from before came back. "Maybe she has faith in your opinions."
"Can it be.?" Mamoru wondered. "Can Usagi really be influenced by what I say?"
"Of course she is. You saw her today," the voice replied. "It wasn't a pretty sight, she might have done something drastic."
"No!" A startled Mamoru stood up and immediately went to get his jacket. "She mustn't' do something extreme! What if she decides she can't handle it anymore? What if she decides to run away? What if she.?" Mamoru paused.
"What if she dies?" Mamoru's heart stopped beating like it had this afternoon. He slouched back, leaning against the wall. "She can't die! Not before I tell her how I feel about her!!"
"And how do you feel about her?" the voice in his head asked. "How do you feel?"
"How.how do I feel about Odango?" Mamoru stuttered. "I don't know how I feel." He slid down the wall, landing on the floor with his knees up.
"What does she do to you?
"Odango?" smiled Mamoru wistfully. "She makes me smile when I thought I'd forgotten how. She makes me laugh. She.oh God!!!" He dropped his head between his knees and whispered, "She completes me.Oh Usako"
"Go to her, tell her. Go to her before." the voice faded out.
"Yes!" Mamoru stood up again. "I will go to her."
***
Running out of his apartment building, Mamoru realised that it would be faster if he changed into Tuxedo Mask. He hadn't transformed in a while, Sailormoon had not called on him lately. He quickly searched the surrounding area for a deserted place and transformed. Mamoru climbed onto his motorcycle and rode off towards Usagi's home.
***
When Mamoru arrived, he saw the light on in most of the rooms. His heart began to beat faster and faster. His breath became shorter as he neared the Tsukino's front gate.
Instead of knocking on the door, Mamoru decided to avoid the intense cross- examination he knew he would receive from Usagi's parents if he did. He climbed up the tree next to Usagi's open window and saw there was no one in the room. Still in his Tuxedo Mask uniform, Mamoru sat down on the branch and waited for his Usako.
***
What will happen next? Will Usagi see Tuxedo Mask in her tree? What will they say to each other? NEXT CHAPTER: FAILING