zizi's note: Enter Minako and Makoto. I thought it would be interesting to have
them in and see where it went. Just for the kicks.
DISCLAIMER for sailor moon
*********back to Usagi's POV as originally intended.***********
"I hate when you say you don't understand....I need a place for my head...."
--Linkin Park--
"...who's gonna have your back when it's all done?"
--shaggy--
^*^*^*^*^*^*/
NVR ment 2 B mun/
by zizi luna/
Chapter 4: My first 'B'/
PG 13 *explicit language*/
"How could you?"
Slamming doors, breaking glass.
That couldn't be helped.
Screaming voices, streaming tears.
It was second nature.
"Don't you even love mom anymore? Don't you even care about what *we* think?"
And again, it couldn't be helped.
"Excuse me, young lady, but this is my happiness we're talking about not yours!"
Because my house was built that way.
"I'm gonna get another job, Sammy. Maybe we could move out."
"That's a silly idea. You got too much to do."
"I know but still..."
Sam and I sat in my room, darkness our closest friend, silence choking our whispers.
"You broke mom's favorite crystals."
"Which ones?"
"The ones that look like moons and stars."
Whispers, always calm after the storm, always quiet.
I couldn't help it. My voice shook so much.
"Are you still a super hero? Do you still fight bad guys at night?"
My locket was gone, my good side with it. Diamond offered money, Sam and I fed on it.
We couldn't help it. Dad didn't make enough anymore.
"I can't be good anymore, Sam. Good doesn't pay and what doesn't pay, doesn't matter to us
right now. I shouldn't have told you in the first place. Luna will be so mad if she found
out."
"But good is always right."
"Yeah, I know. We'll figure something out eventually. Something that will make things right
again."
Tear after tear, my life was blurred.
*^*^*^*^*^*/
"Almond topped butterscotch-cream flavored milkshake please."
Motoki smiled. "Always custom made for my favorite customer and just for today, it's on
the house."
I sipped on my milkshake gleefully as I marveled at my first "B" of the semester written
so beautifully on top of my exam.
"Seems like you're making improvement," Motoki said as he cleaned the counter tops. "Soon
enough you'll be making A's all the time."
"And so I will--I hope," I said.
My day, as pleasing and satisfactory as it was, wouldn't end that way, as I wished it to.
At that moment, a tall white blonde guy walked in, wide pale blue eyes searching the
perimeter, and a shocking white suit loosely fitting his lanky appearance.
"Usagi!" He said happily. "I knew I would find you here."
"What do you want?" I asked, my happy mood turning sour at once.
"Well," he said slowly, sitting next to me in one graceful motion, "Luna's been wondering
where you put that locket of yours. We've found that princess and a possible candidate for
the fourth scout, so I gotta have it by today. She said you quit, is that right?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"We need that locket or else--"
"--or else what, Artemis? I never heard of no protector of good blackmailing anyone
before."
Artemis pulled out his wallet and slapped down a wad of money next to my test score.
"There, is that enough? Or do you want more?"
I looked at the money nonchalantly sipping on the dregs of my drink. Offering a price on
such a good day like this wasn't something to pass up, not even for me. Artemis must have
been my blessing from heaven at that moment. "Buy me an ice cream."
Artemis was silent for a moment, I guess speculating at my motives. "Okay. Is that all?"
"No, actually--" From his wallet, I took all of bills except for two and dumped out all
his change onto the counter. "There. I think that's enough."
I moved away from the counter with all the money to the nearest Sailor V game there was
and started on my Sailor V gaming obsession. Pow pow punch! Kick, stab, keeyah! This day
couldn't have been better. Losing brought no worries, money now was in the bag.
"Um, Usagi?"
"Now what?"
"Where's the locket?"
"I don't have it."
I could feel Artemis's everlasting patience wearing down. "The purpose of giving you the
money was so that you could give me the locket."
"Oh, really? I thought you were just happy I got a 'B' on my test and the money was to
celebrate."
Something pricked the back of my neck, a smooth cool metal object and I froze instantly.
"I hate to do this but I really need this locket now. No more games, Usagi. If you're not
going to help us at least tell me where it is."
"Um, Artemis, you're not acting your usual self," I laughed nervously watching my Sailor V
character die at the hands of the Black Hand. "It was an accident--"
The cool object pressed more firmly against my neck and I nearly panicked wondering if
the person was after all the nice and docile Artemis, the guy who never complained or ever
showed any signs of anger, the guy who believed there was a bit of good in everyone and
believed I could be someone other than the slacker I was.
Then I saw him. He walked in with his casual appearance, high school uniform on, and school
bag in hand. He ordered his cup of coffee, sipped it with so much patience, and unfolded
his newspaper with so easily, so cool in his appearance.
Artemis's words did not reach me, the metal against my neck turned warm, and I watched
Chiba Mamoru stand up a moment later, threatening to leave.
My day wasn't bad at all. A whole lot of good things happened in this mist of bad. This
Chiba Mamoru would be my savior today and I wouldn't let him get away this time.
"There he is! That's him!" I shouted.
Confused, Artemis let his guard down giving me enough time to twist his arm back and push
him to the ground.
"Hey you!"
Mamoru turned around, his cup of coffee in hand. I dashed towards him at full speed,
Artemis close behind. So close, in fact, that as I tried to stop right in front of Mamoru,
Artemis rammed me into him and we all fell to the ground, the coffee flying past me and
onto Artemis's face.
I drew myself up, inches from Mamoru's face and now sitting on the ground.
"You-you have my locket!"
Suddenly, I felt anxious and somehow, vulnerable. Mamoru's cool expression reflected in
his eyes and his composure was full at ease. It unnerved me.
"You were careless," he said finally. "That locket is not a toy, it's an irreplaceable
treasure. You were never meant to have it."
His voice was understanding, hushed to a whisper but it was marked with disappointment;
something I didn't want to take anymore.
"But I need--"
"There's no excuse. I'll keep it from now on and I'll give it to the right person. Anyways,
it was mine to begin with."
In this moment, I finally noticed the position we were in: we were on the floor, Mamoru
partly sitting and me, hovering above him and my legs in between his, my face even closer
than before.
"Hey, no making out the floor, please! We got little children watching, you know!" Motoki
yelled at us.
I jumped up to my feet completely embarrassed but Mamoru didn't seem to notice or care what
he said. He only saw the other blonde tornado coming straight at him.
"Oh, Mamoru! Are you okay?" asked the blonde girl. " I saw *everything* and--Artemis? What
happened to your lovely suit? Coffee, you say? Oh my, this is terrible. Oh, I know it won't
come off so I'll buy you a new one. Mamoru, you sure are you okay? You seemed dazed all of
a sudden....."
And on and on.....
....until she got to me.
"Who're you? Oh, you're that girl Luna told me about. So where is it? You know what?,
never mind that dumb thing, why don't you be my assistant? God knows I need another one.
You can start right now and I'll fill you in. Here, this is my schedule."
The girl gave me a small pale yellow computer planner and a ink-free pen.
"This is my only hour free and can you believe my other assistant just ditched on me? Oh, I
know it's a terrible loss but you look like a lively young thing so it's okay, right? Okay,
at four, I have to meet with my agent--write that down--and at five, I have one hour to
do homework. Then, I can memorize my movie script at six for the Sailor V movie and at
eight, I can memorize the new lines for that show--hey, I told you to write that down!!!"
I looked at her blankly as did Artemis and Mamoru.
"What?" she said reproachfully. "It's Monday, what do you except? Two hours of free-time
or something? I'm on a roll."
I handed her the computer and the pen. "My name is Usagi, not 'that girl', and to let you
know, I'm no longer working for you guys--that is, Artemis and Luna--and I wouldn't be
able to anyway, I'm just too busy nowadays."
The girl's giddy and happy face, the twinkling eyes shining so bright and wide, clouded
into a blue so dark it was black as was her expression. She shoved the planner back at
me and preceded her lecture.
"If *I* can make time for this part time job, then *you* can make time too," she said.
"Now, since you don't have that thingie, or whatever Luna's talking about, then you're
now my new assistant, no questions asked. Don't worry, I actually pay for my services and
a very good sum at that so no complaints! My life is hectic as it is and I don't want any
bullshit from anyone."
"Well, I obviously have a life besides you," I said. " I don't even know you and you're
asking me to--"
I stopped as she lifted a thick wad of money in front of me. "If this is not enough, then
I can arrange that later on --that is, if you become my assistant."
I eyed her and the money, and back to her and the money again before I finally decided to
snatch it away. "Well," I said timidly, "can I at least know your name?"
The girl laughed, her ill humor dissipating. "Oh, how rude of me. The name's Minako Aino,
Sailor V superstar!"
Minako did her 'V' for victory sign the same time, a girl in baggy pants and ponytail came
in. The girl had that gansta look to her and I somehow envisioned a tattoo here and there
concealed under her clothes. Upon seeing her, Minako's attention averted towards her
and she went to talk to the girl immediately.
I looked around to find that Mamoru had somehow sneaked away during the conversation and
concluding that there was no reason for chasing him around on this beautiful day, I walked
merrily to the arcade games with a new stash of cash.
"You wait a second," Minako called out now with a silent Artemis at hand and the unhappy
gangsta girl in the other. "You're still working for me until eight (unless something comes
up) so I suggest you finish that game right now and go to the mall with me. We have exactly
twenty minutes to find ten perfect outfits for my guest here, Makoto, and transform her
into a beauty queen. Oh yeah, and get Artemis a new suit. Chop chop!"
"And what's with the makeover?" I asked.
"The only way Makoto's working alongside with us, is if she's dressed up for it properly,"
Minako said. " And I stand by my theory that in order to look good, you must feel good."
"Isn't it 'in order to feel good, you must look good'?" I asked.
"Yeah, whatever."
Makoto pulled away from Minako's grasp. "You know what? This fucking bullshit is all
screwed up. Not even for pay, man 'n I don't need no fancy clothes to get me all feeling
up. I'm fine with my shit."
Artemis cleared his throat. "Well, when it comes to Minako, it's not a matter of choice
so I suggest you be refining on those words there. Until then, stay quiet."
"Don't be telling me what to do," Makoto shot back. "I'm not the one with coffee stains all
over my fucking face and *white* suit."
"Now, now there," Minako said before Artemis took on defense. "Let's be nice for today. Too
many things to do to be fighting like cats and dogs."
I'm here for the pay, I thought. It will be over soon.
True, Minako was the most superficial person on the planet and true, Makoto was quiet
unless it was to make some vulgar comment, which in turn, made Artemis cringe at
every word. And true to everything that made them strange and an unlikely crew parading
down the mall in order to make over the tomboyish (and unwilling) Makoto.
It was all strange but somehow I enjoyed their company. In some way or another,
they could even be considered kind of cool.
But there was no way I could be their friend. I held too many secrets and knowing them
would make my job so much harder.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
I sat down on a bench in an empty park. It was dark. There was a new moon. Clouds concealed
the stars. And I was alone. Waiting. I fiddled my fingers. I snuggled in my coat. Just
waiting. He would come soon. I just wait. Minutes, hours.
Two figures appeared down the sidewalk. Two tall men: one with silver hair and diamond
sleeves, the other dark hair and black shades.
"Nice to see you're here," Diamond said as he sat beside me. "I got something for you to
do but it's a little harder than usual. You'll be an actress this time on the job. Isn't
that wonderful? Sort of like that girl you look like. What's her name--Meera, Mina? Yeah,
it's Minako. Come to think of it, you look like her twin."
I smiled and waited. It would be a while before he got to the point.
"Your name is Serena Shields. You're married to Darien Shields --which is, of course, a
close friend and my business manager." Diamond gestured towards the guy and I gasped as I
found Mamoru standing in front of me.
"Him?!"
I broke my vow of silence standing up in a sudden rage and destroying the silence of a dark
night under a new moon.
Diamond just blinked, motioning me to sit back down. "More is to be told and it's only told
to have it done right and truthfully. Many nights will come when I'll need the young
Shields couple --all for the sake of business."
Yeah, and I'm in it too.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
I guess that's a cliffhanger and I guess you have to wait a looooong while before the next
chapter comes up. Got lucky school's still not all that hard yet but don't expect miracles
though. Gonna be working on other fiction (FFX) so yeah.
gotta luv me,
zizi luna