Hello everyone and welcome back! Thank you thank you for your reviews! They make me so very happy! Okay now a few of you asked about the pairings. I do not reveal the couples in my stories. Actually it's a small pet peeve of mine to see summaries telling you every pairing in the story so that you aren't the least bit surprised. Oh and surprised you might be. (I think all of my pairings for this story are good and even if you want to argue with that, I'm sorry.) My other pet peeves include people not able to paragraph (Does that drive anyone else to the brink of insanity?) and of course overly used fan-senshi. (We could pave the world in Sailor Earths.) But you don't care that much about my pet peeves so I'll let you on to the story.
(Side note: Teresa and me were discussing the couples in the summary thing and she said she would sit there and put up fake couples like Rei x Seiya or Nephlite x Usagi.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon but I do own the original storyline as used here.
Warning: Mild swearing, more Yaten being an ass, (look mild swearing already.) and some very odd dreams.
Second Chances
Chapter Three
"Don't count on me,
To let you know when,
Don't count on me,
I'll do it again,
Don't count on me,
Is the point your missing,
Don't count on me,
Cause I'm not listening!
-Fat Lip by Sum 41
"You went where with Kou Seiya?" Minako leaned in across the lunch table with wide eyes. Makoto and Rei were also looking at Usagi like she was some sort of new being that they had never seen before. "You failed to mention this before now?"
"I didn't think it was that big of a deal." Usagi shrugged before taking a bite into her sandwich.
"Hello, USAGI! Kou Seiya is so popular! You're going to be his girlfriend and everything." Minako sighed dreamily.
"I thought Usagi said that they were just friends." Makoto pointed out bringing a slightly irate look from Minako.
"Oh geez, don't you guys no anything?" Minako asked airily and went on before Rei could say anything in reply. "Seiya obviously likes her! It's the same with all boys."
"When did you become such an expert at boys?" Rei raised an eyebrow at the blonde that suggested she was a little peeved at Minako.
"I don't really like Seiya like that." Usagi chimed in before sighing slightly. Maybe there was a reason she had been holding back telling her friends.
"What do you mean?" Minako asked looking a little horrified at the fact that Usagi did not like the popular boy.
"Maybe Usagi is still in a daze over her dashing hero." Rei commented and Usagi's face went bright red.
"Chiba Mamoru?" Minako scoffed slightly. "I mean he's a little…odd wouldn't you say?"
"He seemed nice but he's always with that Hotaru girl. Aren't they dating?" Makoto guessed with a slightly apologetic face for Usagi.
"No their not! Hotaru told me-" Usagi was cut off by Minako.
"This is ridiculous!" Minako threw her hands up in the air. Then she gestured in two different directions. "I mean just look at the two guys! Look at Seiya and then look at Mamoru!" Everyone first turned to a table where three boys and one girl were sitting. The Kous had seemed to adopt the quiet Meioh Kakyuu. They were all laughing before Yaten said something and was swiftly hit in the back of the head by Seiya. Then they looked at Mamoru who was as usual sitting at one of the small tables meant for only a few people with Hotaru. They were discussing something while sipping hot tea, looking very philosophical until Mamoru said something and Hotaru sprayed out tea on the table before collapsing in laughter.
"I'd say their both nuts." Rei said before taking a drink of water.
"Oh don't listen to Rei, Usagi." Minako waved a hand as if trying to ward off the raven-haired girl. "I think Seiya is the choice for you!" Minako then tried to go for one of Usagi's cookies. Usagi leapt to her feet in sudden inspiration.
"You stole my cookie! Now I will punish you!" Usagi announced before trying to grab the cookie from Minako. Rei laughed but suddenly something popped into her head.
"A pretty sailor-suited soldier, Sailor Moon!"
The words echoed slightly in Rei's head and she sat there a little dazed. She had no idea what had happened. What the heck was that? I'm losing it.
"Hello Usagi." Hotaru's voice interrupted as she walked by the table with Mamoru.
"Hello." Mamoru stopped walking and was now staring at them. Usagi and Minako were in an almost full-fledged wrestling match over the cookie, Makoto was cheering them on jokingly, and Rei was staring off into space like a zombie. Everyone quickly composed themselves.
"Hi Hotaru! Hi Mamoru!" Usagi greeted them cheerfully. "You guys finished with lunch?"
"Yeah." Mamoru answered feeling a little stupid. "I don't believe I've met your friends."
"I'm Aino Minako." Minako announced grandly.
"I am Hino Rei." Rei introduced herself.
"I'd be Kino Makoto." Makoto said gruffly, which she had a habit of doing when she met new people.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Tomoe Hotaru." Hotaru smiled kindly at them all. Mamoru had a slightly goofy look on his face and Hotaru nudged him slightly.
"Oh yes…um…I'm Chiba Mamoru." Hotaru giggled slightly into one of her hands as Mamoru looked slightly embarrassed. That was until a certain group came by. Seiya bumped into Mamoru and turned to him, looking down at him as if he wanted to hit him.
"Watch where you're going." Seiya told him rather coldly, before noticing Usagi. Seiya's face instantly brightened.
"Hello Usagi!" Seiya waved at her. Usagi waved back brightly.
"Hello Usagi!" Yaten mimicked quietly in a slightly girlier imitation of Seiya's voice. Taiki sighed loudly and Kakyuu was for some reason trying to look very proper.
"Let's go." Seiya said giving a very dirty look to Yaten before giving Mamoru an extremely cold look. Mamoru wondered why Seiya seemed to dislike him. He figured it was because many students treated Hotaru and Mamoru like dirt. Something told him otherwise though.
"Oh Usagi, I love you so much!" A few minutes after they had left the cafeteria Yaten was still doing in imitation of Seiya. Then he switched Usagi. "Sorry, Mamoru isn't as much of a dork as you."
"Yaten, how would you feel if something like that happened to you? Would you want Seiya or Taiki to make fun of you?" Kakyuu asked the silver-haired boy voice her tone was calm yet delicately commanding.
"Ha! Like that would happen!" Yaten's incredulous face irked Seiya to the point of wanting to hit him again. He held back however.
"Shut up Yaten!" Seiya barked at his friend. "Sheesh, Kakyuu you make it seem like a losing battle or something. It's not like Usagi and Mamoru are actually going out." Kakyuu's eyes went to the ground and she seemed a little lost in thought. Her face seemed very sad though.
"Are you alright, Kakyuu?" Taiki was bending his head slightly to make sure she was okay.
"I was just thinking, that's all." Kakyuu's faraway tone made it sound as if she was remembering something. Something that had happened long ago. Which made Seiya remember that he had a very odd dream the night before. He saw that princess again and others, that were like him.
"I had a weird dream last night." Taiki stated the very thing that Seiya was going to say.
"Really? That's weird, so did I." Seiya told them all. Yaten rolled his eyes at the two, the look plainly saying, "Only losers have weird dreams."
"Oh? Mine was about this princess…" Taiki trailed off his voice sounded as if he was trying to remember every detail of this princess. "She was…"
"Mine was about a princess too!" Seiya exclaimed. Kakyuu's eyes had lit up slightly and a small smile was tugging at her lips.
"Really?" Taiki raised his eyebrow. "There were two others-"
"And we were fighting someone!" Seiya finished excitedly. Taiki's expression was of almost pure disbelief.
"Named…named…oh, I can't remember." Taiki trailed off, his shoulders slumping in a slight disappointment.
"Galaxia." The word popped out of Yaten's mouth without any warning. In fact from the look on Yaten's face, it was if Yaten hadn't meant to say anything at all.
"Galaxia?" Seiya questioned the silver-haired boy.
"I don't know who it is! I was just thinking!" Yaten started to defend himself as if Seiya and Taiki were ganging up on him.
"Did you have the dream too?" Taiki asked getting out a notebook from his bag. "I think I should hear both accounts of the dream and compare the similarities. There might be something to this…"
"Oh great, I've just become a science fair project." Yaten threw his hands in the air.
"You had the dream too? Why didn't you say anything before?" Seiya questioned him, getting so close to his face that Yaten had to take a step back.
"Gee, I wonder why? It isn't because you two idiots would make a big deal about it, that's for sure." Yaten told them sarcastically.
"This is all very interesting." Kakyuu piped up, looking about three hundred times happier then she had in days. It struck Seiya as a little odd. Then again Kakyuu was a little odd.
Usagi was walking out of the classroom when someone ran up behind her.
"Usagi!" Hotaru's voice called out to the blonde girl. "Can I walk home with you?" Usagi turned to see the dark-haired girl, her purple eyes pleading slightly with her.
"Of course!" Usagi exclaimed.
"Thanks, I was going to walk home alone because Mamoru is tutoring someone." Hotaru explained walking alongside Usagi out of the school building.
"I don't live that far away. Do you want to have so tea at my house?" Usagi asked.
"Sure, that would be great." Hotaru's small smile made Usagi feel happy. I wonder why no one likes Hotaru and Mamoru? They're nice people but they're treated like lepers! It isn't right!
"Hotaru, have you ever been over to a friend's house before?" The question popped out of Usagi's mouth. "I mean, it's just that…"
"Oh, no. Mamoru and me grew up in an orphanage. We never had any other friends. Not before you." Hotaru's bittersweet look made Usagi look up at the girl and for a second Usagi thought she saw Hotaru wearing something else. It slipped away before she could grasp what she had seen.
"I didn't mean to be rude or anything." Usagi's voice had an apologetic tone.
"Don't worry about it. Of course your curious about things like that." Hotaru's reply waved away any guilty feelings that Usagi had. They walked for a few more minutes in silence before Usagi stopped in front of her house.
"This is where I live!" Usagi announced and lead Hotaru inside. The sight of Usagi's mother greeted them. Usagi's mother was very pretty with her silver hair and her pale eyes. Hotaru thought she looked like a lady that you read about in fantasy novels. The lady image was slightly disintegrated as Usagi's mother was wearing a slightly plain dress and an apron.
"Hello Usagi!" Usagi's mother greeted her daughter before noticing Hotaru. "Oh, and who is this?"
"This is Tomoe Hotaru. She's a friend from school." Usagi explained before sticking her nose in the air and sniffing. "Did you make lemon pie?"
"Yep! Save some for your father…" Usagi's mother warned the blonde girl. "Oh my! Look how rude I'm being to your friend. Hotaru was it? You may call me Serenity. All of Usagi's friends do."
"Hello Serenity." Hotaru shook the woman's hand before Usagi grabbed her arm and ran into the small dining room.
"Come on Hotaru, my mother's lemon pie is the best!" Usagi sat down across from Hotaru and gave her a generous portion, not quite as generous as the one she gave herself of course, causing Hotaru to giggle.
"Wow!" Hotaru exclaimed after taking a bite. "This is good!"
"I told you so!" Usagi beamed with pride as if she herself had made the pie.
"Maybe I'll hire your mom to cook in me and Mamoru's apartment." Hotaru joked.
"Is it true then?" Usagi's eyes practically bugged out of her head.
"Is what true?" The slight confusion in Hotaru's tone made Usagi want to hit herself on the forehead.
"I heard that you are super rich!" Usagi exclaimed. Hotaru's face went a little red.
"Erm…kinda…" Hotaru trailed off, never had she really had to talk about her financial status with anyone other then Mamoru and they barely talked about the financial situation at all.
"So what did you think about that test today?" Usagi wrinkled her nose. She had sensed Hotaru's discomfort and decided to change the subject. "I think Miss Meioh is so hard on us sometimes!"
"It was a little difficult." Hotaru agreed before remembering why she wanted to talk to Usagi. "Um, Usagi?"
"What?" Usagi asked, her large blue eyes blinking several times.
"How come you haven't really talked to Mamoru?" Hotaru asked, curiosity burning inside her.
"Well, I don't know if he…well…" Usagi's face kept getting redder and redder as she tried to explain her answer to Hotaru.
"What do you want to know about him?" Hotaru leaned in slightly from across the table.
"Well…I mean…do you think he would like someone like me?" Usagi finally got out, the sheepish look on her face made Hotaru giggle.
"Well, Mamoru's never had a girlfriend so I wouldn't know what his type is." Hotaru said trying hard to think if there was anything he had said or done that would be of any help.
"What should I do?" Usagi asked her face completely vulnerable. Hotaru really hoped Usagi and Mamoru would end up together. There was something about it that seemed so right.
"Go talk to him! You two have barely talked." Hotaru suggested right away. "Mamoru is actually a very approachable person."
"You're right!" Usagi agreed standing to her feet and looking triumphant. "I'll talk to him! But first, I'm gonna eat the rest of my cake."
Hotaru couldn't help but start laughing until tears came out of the corners of her eyes. Usagi was a very sweet person but Hotaru thought Usagi's stomach might be the head of the operation.
Hotaru yawned as she went over to her nightstand. She was calmly brushing her hair when she looked over at her clock. It was a very strange clock with no numbers on it. Just symbols. It played a very haunting melody when she wound up the small key. Unfortunately Hotaru never knew when exactly she had gotten the strange clock, it has always been among her possessions. But something was off about it. Hotaru stared at it before it dawned on her.
The hands of the clock had always both pointed straight up at the crescent moon. One hand had moved. The long hand had gone to the next symbol. Hotaru's eyes were wide and her open mouth went terribly dry. She grabbed the clock and rushed out into the living room where Mamoru was watching TV.
"Mamoru!" Hotaru ran up to him, thrusting the clock right in his face. Mamoru leaned back in surprise.
"What?" Mamoru looked from her to the clock frantically.
"It moved!" Hotaru shook the clock in his face. "The long hand is always pointing at the moon with the little hand and now it's moved!"
"Are you sure? It just moved? Maybe it's always pointed this way?" Mamoru hadn't exactly studied all of Hotaru's things and was beginning to think that Hotaru was probably just tired.
"Of course I'm sure!" Hotaru grasped the long hand and tried to move it. "See I can't move it!"
"Okay, take a deep breath." Mamoru took the clock from her and scanned over it. "Well, it doesn't look like anything is broken. Maybe your just tired?"
"Oh nevermind!" Hotaru took the clock and Mamoru recognized the look on her face as anger. Mamoru grabbed her arm.
"Hey, come on Hotaru. Don't be mad." Mamoru pleaded with the violet-eyed girl.
"I'm not mad." Hotaru insisted, looking away from him.
"Look, if you say it moved, then I believe you." Mamoru affirmed. Hotaru looked at him and smiled pleasantly.
"I wonder why it did?" Hotaru said outloud, wandering out of the room. The clock had moved and in her heart she knew it was a sign. A sign that everything would very soon change. What these changes were she did not know. She hoped it was for the best.
Whew. This chapter was a little un-eventful I mean other then flashbacks. AH! Oh don't go anywhere chapter four is very eventful and might have some revelations.
Will Usagi talk to Mamoru? Will they hit it off? Or will Mamoru be like first season Mamoru? Will Yaten ever stop being a prick? Will Seiya get his girl? Or will he not, much like Sailor Stars? Will Kakyuu ever stop being sad? Will anyone know why she's sad? Will Setsuna ever come more into the story? Will Ami ever come? Will the Shittenou (Four Generals) make any appearances? Will Hotaru ever run out of money? Will clocks stop moving on their own? Will the clock reveal anything? Will anyone explain how Hotaru actually got that clock? Will Mamoru ever believe that Hotaru is not going crazy? Not to mention Motoki! Stay down and stay brown!
Chapter Three Akugis!
Take One!
Seiya: Wow we all had the same dream?
Taiki: I wonder what that's about?
Kakyuu: WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK? YOU WERE ALL GENDER-CHANGING SOLDIERS IN A PAST LIFE! GEEZ!
All Starlights: O.0
Take Two!
Usagi: Hello Mamoru!
Darien: Hello Meatball Head!
Usagi: NOOOOOOO! NOT DUB-MAMORU! (Rose comes out of nowhere and plants itself between Usagi and Mamoru.)
Mamoru: (Up on table) I will protect Usagi from everyone! Even my dub alter ego!
Darien: Yeah, well I brought company! (All dub-inners show up)
Mina: You're totally bugging!
Usagi, non-dub inners, and Mamoru: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Stay tuned!