Konnichi wa minna! I want to thank Lavender Ana for her wonderful review. I hope there are some others out there reading this!
Disclaimer: I am not the proud owner of Sailor Moon.
And now on with the story…
As he made his way towards his small apartment near campus, Mamoru could not help feeling a little on edge. Starting with almost being late for his first class, his day had just not gone well. Although his next few classes did go better than the torture that was Professor Mason's class, he could not seem to focus on anything, either Japan and his Usako or the strange encounter with the wavy-haired student from earlier running through his head.
Why he could not get the other young man out of his thoughts was completely beyond him. Somehow he recognized the brown-haired man. With his track record, Mamoru always took extra care to pay attention to the people he felt he recognized from somewhere. He just couldn't figure out where he recognized his fellow classmate from.
Completely lost in his thoughts, Mamoru did not even see the strangely-clad woman standing in front of him until it was almost too late. With a jump that exceeded any normal human's range, she lunged towards him, sword unsheathed, her momentum only slowing when her target was able to clumsily dodge her attack.
Slash after slash, Mamoru was beginning to doubt he could ever escape enough to transform. It took all of his concentration just to stay alive. Never before had he been so happy for all of his years of training for battle as Tuxedo Kamen.
If he hadn't been so preoccupied, he might have noticed her unnaturally shaded lilac hair piled meticulously on top of her head. He may even have noted the strange sort of silvery-blue metallic armor she wore which seemed to bend and flex much easier than any metal should be able to. Before his mind was even able to halfway register either of these observations, Mamoru found himself cornered with the beautifully dangerous woman's sword at his throat.
"I see you have gotten rusty over the years, letting me get the better of you. No matter. It makes my position easier. Give the golden crystal to me and I may spare your life, Prince Endymion," the woman authoritatively commanded.
Confusion clouded over him, wondering who this woman was and how she knew his alternate identity. What made her think the golden crystal was in his possession?
Deciding to play dumb, hoping it would buy him some time, Mamoru stammered out, "Who are you? What makes you think I am this prince you speak of?"
Grinning menacingly, she pushed the sword against his throat. "Don't play around with me. You can't tell me you've forgotten your betrothed. I most certainly have not forgotten you, or your betrayal of my kingdom with that moon princess."
"Betrothed?" he asked incredulously, not quite able to get past the concept.
"You really don't remember!?" the girl exclaimed. "More's the pity. I was so hoping that I could exact my revenge on you with your memories of our last encounter." Sighing, she said, "I suppose I should introduce myself to you then before I kill you."
"I am Ceara (pronounced sierra), the next in line to the throne of Atlantis," she said while taking a theatrical bow and managing to hold her sword just against his throat. "I am here to exact my kingdom's revenge upon the Golden Kingdom, starting with its heir."
*****************************************************************************
Strolling through the trees with the sun shining down on him, Nick felt having to attend an afternoon class was sheer madness. Whoever came up with the idea that students should have to attend classes on completely gorgeous days like this one was completely crazy. Of course, he might never go to class if he acted on every excuse not to go. He was a law student, but that did not make it any easier for him to sit in a room listening to his professor talk while the day was so beautiful.
Thinking about it would not change anything, and so he turned his train of though elsewhere. He had almost felt drawn to this small wooded area of campus ever since his first day at Harvard. Stretched out beneath a large oak tree, it was easy for Nick to get lost in thought. He could forget the whole world while he was in his own little piece of the woods.
Of course, forgetting the world for a while did not make it disappear. Knowing he only had but 20 minutes until his next torture session, he savored each breath of fresh air. Glancing at his watch, he grimaced and slowly got up. No sense being late for class if he was going to have to go anyway.
Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground, his hands on temples trying to alleviate the searing pain. Endymion's in trouble! The overwhelming sense of panic he felt was something he could not qualm.
Nick suddenly shot up in a run towards the Campus Side apartments. He did not know who this Endymion was, but he somehow knew the best direction in which to find him. He just hoped that he wasn't too late.
