Disclaimer: Yes, I had owned GW and SM before, but that's no reason to believe that I still do! I own neither GW nor SM. Currently.

Editors: Thank you a lot, a lot, a lot for supporting me and helping me. You guys are great! UsagiAsiaMaxwell and Serenity-Moon a.k.a. Lady Artemis. AutumnHime, sorry to hear that your computer is so ... incompatible? ^^''' S'okay. DevilsDarling, SerenityMoon, where are you guys? Lol. Okay, I understand. I need a break from my writing too. ^^''' And I have this uncanny ability to not improve. ^^'''

…………………

All residents of the mansion seemed to obtain a new degree of admiration for her and awed stares trailed her when she walked by. Definitely something she could get used to.

But as always, Hiiro was the rebel, though perhaps not without a cause. Hiiro was not somebody to make an enemy of and though she wasn't sure how intensely his feelings of bitterness ran for her, she was sure of one thing: it wasn't something she wanted to get used to. Sleepless nights, gasping at every shadow that moved, and nightmares were not in her agenda.

A conciliatory action was in order … but what? Hiiro certainly wasn't somebody to go for bribes. She would know. Regardless of his habitually ruthless actions, he was bent on being fair, another peculiarity she hadn't premeditated. So yes, netting in his Gundam and then break dancing with it wasn't the cleverest thing she'd ever done in her life.

And what she planned on doing next wasn't either.

…………………..

"No news," he broadcasted before the question was even asked.

"No good news," Shingo added resentfully.

"Since when did you become a cynic?" Minako mocked and then shied away from the riled glance intended for her. "Jeez, jeez, just trying to lighten the mood!"

"Yes, Minako has all your best interests at heart," Hotaru defended. Then, grinning impishly added, "She just doesn't know how to show it yet."

"Hotaru!"

The silky-haired girl batted her violet eyes innocently. "Don't you think it's correct, Mina-chan?"

Shingo forced a smile onto his face and blinked away tears. "Thanks for the entertainment, but you really don't have to work to lighten the mood." He strode out of the room without another word.

"Were you acting, Hota-chan?" Mina asked numbly, staring after her male cousin.

"Yes. Weren't you?"

The red-bowed blonde giggled timidly. "No?"

…………..

"Art! Where are you going now?" she yelled at his back.

"I think I saw it!"

"What is this, the thousandth time? Give it up for today, okay?" she pleaded, looking down at her soiled and sweaty clothes.

"Since when did you become so selfish?" came the vague snarl.

Wide lavender eyes blinked and then blinked again. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly. "I'm her mentor, not you! This is my job!" she huffed.

"Well I'm sorry if I care about her too," he bit out sharply, suddenly in front of her, casting her in his shadow. She gulped and looked down.

"Luna?"

"Yes?" she responded meekly, still staring at his feet.

"You're standing on it," he said, not unkindly.

........................

"Mako-chan! You're doing it again?!" Reeni whined, letting her head fall in defeat.

An emerald gaze flashed up at her before the brunette threw herself over the sketchy doodles. "Whoops! You weren't supposed to see that," she chuckled cautiously.

"Well, aren't we a genius?" the tall, slightly pink-haired teen retorted and let go of a long breath.

"What's this one about?" Despite Makoto's lack of true activity when she plotted her own alternate endings, they were quite entertaining. And more than once, she had seen Usagi ask the brunette what they were about, something that she herself envied beyond words. To her, Usagi was the epitome of an artist, a writer, and, most importantly, a person. Hence the similar hairstyle.

"Hiiro's going to self-destruct."

Reeni eyed her as if she were a moron. "Good luck showing it to Usagi," she stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

The tall girl frowned. "Why? Don't you think she'll like it?"

"Remember, Mako? Usagi is trying to keep this light, and that does not include adding suicide to it!"

The frown left her face and was replaced by a dreamy smile. "Well I think it's quite heroic!"

"You and your crushes, Mako." The Usagi fanatic rolled her eyes vividly before bursting out in a fit of laughter.

......................

"What do you want?" was the cross reply she got when she knocked on his door.

She opened her mouth furiously, about to counter before rethinking what needed to be done. She settled for closing it sharply and letting a smile melt over her face.

"I'm here to compromise," she stated sweetly.

There was something wrong here. The Usagi he had somehow come to know did not just let a remark like his go. But this conversation is bound to be anything but ordinary...

"I'm listening."

"Since I'm not so bad at piloting a Gundam-"

He interrupted her with a snort. "If you want to gloat, save it for later," he sniped, turning and walking back into his room, letting her stand at the doorway. She tailed him.

"I was saying," she tried again frustratedly.

"I heard you."

Ignoring his statement, she continued. "I was saying that since I'm not so bad at piloting a Gundam, I'm challenging you." Oh yes, definitely not smart. But at least a challenge was something the held the slightest chance of gaining Hiiro's consent.

"Smart move," he quipped, smirking at her. The girl had wandered into his territory? Let her embarrass herself.

Again, she looked through his remark. "And if you win-"

"When I win," he corrected, disregarding her irritated look.

"If you win, I will never bother you again."

"Tempting."

"But! If I win-"

He interrupted with another snort, noting with a look of amusement as fire and lightening flashed dangerously in her orbs of blue but then contained themselves.

"If I win-"

This time the person who interrupted was not Hiiro. Duo surged in through the door with an expression of utter horror adorning his features. "Usagi! Hiiro! I pushed Quatre too far!" he gasped desperately.

"Duo!" the usually saintly voice was choked and stretched into a discordant bark.

The braided pilot's face spasmed in a look of utter terror that even Wufei hadn't achieved. With that, he made like a madman out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Wait a second. Hiiro and Usagi in one room? He tripped and slid to a stop on his side. Clambering back up, he pondered, wide-eyed, at the thought. What the-

"Duo!" Again came the far more than peeved cry for revenge.

He started straining again to gain momentum, thoughts flying out of his head with the wind his running gave birth to.

Back in the room, silence had settled in as both listened intently to the chaos outside, Hiiro with a sadistic grin and Usagi with a baffled look. She had never written this scene...

At last, realization dawned on her. Mako-chan, you have a twisted, twisted mind.

"So?" he prompted when the footsteps died away.

"Oh, yes! If I win, then," she broke off and giggled uncertainly, "you won't kill me."

"Unless you bother me again," he improved.

"Unless I bother you again."

A protracted pause followed before Hiiro moved his head in a decisive manner.

"Deal."

From down the hall came a hysterical howl of, "Hiiro! Usagi! Why aren't you guys helping me?!" followed by an unnatural cackle of glory.

...........................

Well then, dull as this chapter is, it's really important. It sets the stage. The climax is coming next chapter and then everything else will be in the denouement. What the heck!? you ask? There hasn't even been any romance yet! My thoughts exactly.

I know I'm pushing this ... I'll try my best to add more tidbits in and stall the climax but ... it's not working so far. Please help me with ideas! Because the plot as I have roughly imagined is not realistic. Even I don't feel that the relationship between Usagi and Anonymous Pilot is for real.