The Shards of a Fairy Tale
by Jewel (Knowsall5@hotmail.com)
A Sailor Moon fanfiction.
------------------------------------

Standard disclaimer applies; Sailor Moon and its characters were created by Naoko Takeuchi.

See important Author's Notes at the bottom...

:
Part Three (III)

"No," Usagi whispered. "It's not possible!"

But it was . . . those beautiful blue eyes that held so much concern were the same eyes that daily held teasing and cruelty. Somehow gathering strength she really didn't have and wouldn't until she had a long uninterrupted sleep, Usagi threw herself out of Chiba Mamoru's arms.

"NO," she repeated louder, as if by saying it with more conviction it would be true. The other Senshi moved forward, ready to catch Usagi if she fainted again, but also ready to leap at Mamoru if he intended harm. "It *can't* be!"

Usagi didn't allow them to comfort her though, she moved back, distancing herself from Luna, the Senshi and Mamoru. Shaking her head again, and with contempt contorting her features, Usagi turned and ran from the warehouse.

The Senshi were about to run after her, but Mamoru was a lot quicker. Usagi had maybe a second head start on him before he was running after her.

"Don't go after her," commanded Luna. "She needs to work this out on her own."

And all of the Senshi looked at her, disbelief clearly displayed on their faces. "You can't be serious," Makoto flared. "Usagi *hates* Mamoru! And she's weak! There's no possible way she's going to be able-"

"I'm not letting Usagi face this on her own," Rei interrupted, her eyes also expressing a loathing it had that afternoon.

"She'll face worse than this in the months to come," Luna said coldly, ignoring the Senshi's outbursts. "Usagi needs to confront Tuxedo Mask and see for herself what we've all been telling her this past week."

"But who says she'll come out of the encounter disliking him the way you do?" Ami asked cooly, surprising Luna. "Or at least the way you want her to?"

*

Usagi ran blindly, barely aware that there was someone running after her. But after five minutes of a harsh run and being in the weakened state she was in, Usagi was soon forced to stop running. She leaned against the wall of the department store she'd stopped in front of and struggled to breathe normally.

Within seconds of stopping Mamoru appeared in front of her. And Usagi resisted slapping him when she saw he wasn't even out of breath. "Just keep away from me," she said in a small voice, fighting to keep from collapsing. "I can't deal with this right now."

"Agreed," Mamoru said simply. "You're too weak, you need to go home and-"

"We are not having this conversation!" Usagi said, her voice rising.

"I'm only looking out for your well-being," Mamoru replied, his voice taking on that smug, better-than-you quality it always possessed when he criticized her.

Usagi didn't know how she managed it, but she laughed. And even to her it didn't sound like her usual bubbly laugh. This laugh sounded bitter and jagged. "You and my well-being, wow . . . I've never thought I'd live to see the day those terms met in the same sentence."

"I'm serious, you're hurt and you could die-"

"What the Hell do you care? Suddenly I'm Sailor Moon and I need more consideration that pathetic Usagi? Is that it?"

"You're disoriented from the exertion of power, so I'll let that slide. But I do care-"

"No you don't. You don't care about anyone or anything. I see it . . . I see what Rei and Luna have been trying to make me see. Tuxedo Mask is only in it for the Princess. Figures, because that's all the care Chiba Mamoru could give."

"You're babbling and incoherent."

Usagi moved away from the wall and began walking. "Fine then, whatever."

Mamoru easily caught up with her and walked by her side. "I don't know what you're problem is right now, or what it is with me, but you could die, so just listen to me. Tell me where you live and I'll take you there."

Usagi spun to face him so quickly it almost made him dizzy. "How could you *not* know what my problem is? All you've ever *done* is list my problems!"

"You're right," Mamoru said shortly. "We shouldn't have this conversation now."

"I hate you, you know." Usagi said, standing still. "I never thought I could hate, but I do. I hate Luna and I hate the Dark Kingdom and I hate math class. But right now I hate you more than all three of those evils combined! - "

"Fine then," Mamoru said coldly, turning back to face her. "Let's have the conversation now."

" - I thought I hated Luna for forcing this life on me," Usagi continued over him. "And I thought I hated the Dark Kingdom for forcing me to kill. And for making me want to kill. Because that's what I wanted to do, you know. When I arrived at the fight an hour ago, and I saw Ami and Mako, I didn't give a damn whether or not the Yoma may have been human. I just wanted to kill it. I didn't want to take out my magic wand and make it all human again . . . I wanted to use my Tiara to gut it." Usagi smiled, and cringed inside because she knew it wasn't a sweet smile. "I wanted to make it suffer for hurting my friends. But do you know something, Mamoru?"

Mamoru shook his head, dazed by what Usagi was saying. This wasn't her . . . this wasn't the girl he knew, and it wasn't Sailor Moon either.

"Right now, Mamoru, I still have that raging feeling in my blood that makes me want to gut you as well. Can you imagine that? Perfect Chiba Mamoru, with the perfect face and body, the perfect grades and perfect ice block . . . Can you even imagine someone hating you? And hating you in the same way they hate an evil, deformed monster?

"Because that's how I hate you. I despise that you can 'tease' and mock and criticize me every day and then dare to claim that you have my well-being in mind!" Not waiting for any kind of a reply, Usagi began running again . . . and this time Mamoru didn't follow her.

*

"Usagi! Usagi, wait for us, damnit!" Rei yelled from behind her.

Usagi stopped running and looked back. The Senshi were all running to catch up to her. Tuxedo Mask -- Chiba Mamoru -- was nowhere in sight. Usagi blinked back useless tears. Her head hurt and she felt like she'd collapse at any moment, but she wanted to get as far away from the scene as possible.

The Senshi caught up with Usagi just in time to see her swoon. "Mako, help me pick her up," Rei commanded, grabbing Usagi's shoulders before they hit the ground.

"We're not too far from her house," Ami panted, leaning over to plant her hands against her legs. "Usagi should try out for the school's track team, that girl can run!"

Makoto snorted. "It's all the running she does to get to school in the morning."

"Well right now we need to make sure she's in good enough condition to go to school tomorrow." Rei looked down at her friend. "She can be so dense sometimes," Rei whispered. "She shouldn't have wasted her energy like that…"

*

Fog - fog so thick it was difficult to see anything beyond your nose - surrounded Usagi in her dream. Distantly a voice came through the mist. It called for someone, but Usagi could barely hear the name.

"Serenity! Where are you?!"

"Here!" A second replied, and it baffled Usagi to realize she had responded. "Endymion!" She called, and the name echoed back to her.

Turning in the fog, moving in circles, Usagi felt, rather than saw, her fuku get caught in a tangle of bushes.

Then the fog began to recind and Usagi felt herself falling out of the dream.

:*:

"Endymion," Usagi moaned softly as someone shook her awake.

Luna frowned but continued anyway to shake Usagi awake with her forepaws. "Wake up! C'mon, Usagi, you have to go to school."

"School?" Usagi asked sleepily. "I can't go to school now . . . I feel like I died five times last night."

"No doubt you came close to it, but nonetheless, you have to go. What will you tell your mother, 'I almost killed myself restoring the Senshi'?"

"Yes," Usagi mumbled, burrying her head in her pillow.

Luna's frown deepened. "I realize you're not up to going to school, but really, Usagi . . ."

"What if I fall to my death in the middle of the street?"

"Keep Makoto close at hand."

Usagi pulled her head away from her pillow and glared at Luna. "You're cold, you know that? And here I thought female dogs - not female cats - were the bit-"

Luna glared disapprovingly back at Usagi, "Don't finish that sentence."

:*:

As luck would have it, Ami and Makoto both showed up at Usagi's house the moment Usagi was pushed out of the door by her mother.

"How are you feeling?" they both asked at the same time.

"Like I was on the losing side of one of Mako's fights," Usagi replied with a wry smile.

"You lost a lot of energy last night," Ami said, biting her lip worriedly. "Are you sure you're up to going to school today?"

"If I'd known what I did meant me losing my energy, I might not have done it. I didn't really know how it would work... even in theory. I guess I'm just lucky I'm not dead."

"It was pretty smart of you to figure out you could do that."

Usagi shrugged. "I didn't know I could. I didn't even have more than a vague idea. I just saw you and I was so distraught and . . ." she let her sentence trail off and sighed. "I don't know. I just panicked and this idea popped up in my head. Not really a thought, if you know what I mean."

Makoto nodded. "I think I do. It was kind of like when I used my powers for the first time. I didn't really know what to do, but this pressing urge was building up and you were in trouble and suddenly I knew what to do."

"It was like that with me, too," Ami added. "But you haven't answered my question, Usagi. Are you sure you're ok to go to school?"

"Honestly? No. But Luna is bent on it, and my mom doesn't know anything about last night, so short of a fever she wasn't going to keep me home."

"Sucks," Makoto said.

"Yep."

"Usagi?"

"Yea?"

"Do you remember anything about last night after you transfered your energy?" Ami asked gently.

Usagi stopped walking for a moment. "If by that you mean, do I remember Chiba Mamoru is Tuxedo Kamen, then yes. I also remember everything I said to him after he chased me. And..."

"And what, Usagi?"

"Nevermind, I don't want to talk about it."

Ami and Makoto nodded in understandment. Ami gave Usagi a brief hug. "I'm glad you feel better today."

Makoto threw an arm around Usagi's shoulders. "And all you have to do is say the word and I'll make him sorry his parents ever procreated."

Usagi smiled weakly. "Thanks, guys, really. It means a lot to me. But I just want to forget that Prince Charming is really Prince Revolting. Nothing will make me happier than never seeing him again." Usagi made a face suddenly. "Unless my math teacher falls down a well."

The girls walked the rest of the way to school making jokes about math and the various ways Usagi's math teacher could disappear. Since classes wouldn't begin for another five or so minutes, the girls stood outside and chatted idly some more until the bell did ring. Then the girls parted ways and went to their separate classes.

When Usagi entered her classroom, she felt noticably bettter. Her eyes now stayed open with no great effort and her legs didn't feel as though they'd collapse from under her. As she sat down, she also took notice of an excited buzz around the classroom. Naru slid into the seat next to Usagi and leaned over to the blonde.

"There's a new girl in school," Naru said, her eyes shinning with excitement. "That's the third new girl this year!"

Usagi nodded as though she was interested and asked, "What're her vitals?"

"That's the best part, Usagi! She's Aino Minako!"

"That name sounds familiar." Usagi frowned, trying to remember where she had heard that name before.

Naru rolled her eyes. "Really, Usagi, you must be sick or something. Aino Minako is the actress who played Sailor V in the movie! And she did the voice for the cartoon!"

"Oh. Yea, I remember now. What's she doing here?"

"No one really knows." Naru shrugged, "I guess it's because of the new movie. It's being animated here so she has to do the voice and stuff here too."

"Which class is she going to be in?"

"I don't know!" Naru's tone became even more excited, "It's probably going to be our class though. The other two classes got Ami and Makoto. So-"

Naru didn't get to finish her sentence because the teacher entered the class room. Behind Miss Haruna was short, pretty, blonde girl. There was a big red blow decorating her long hair, which was left open.

"She kinda looks like you, Usagi," Naru whispered.

"Class, I would like to introduce Aino Minako. She's joining just from the UK, though she was born in Japan. Although I'm sure you all know by now who she is, I'll let her tell you a bit about herself anyway."

Minako flashed a big, bright smile at the class. "Hi, everyone. I'm Aino Minako. Despite what you've heard, or what you might think, I've a very average girl and would like to be treated like one."

"Well class has been delayed considerably long enough now. Minako, take a seat over by the window, behind the girl in blonde pigtails. And, Usagi, please wait until the morning break to greet our new student. Now everyone take out your math homework, and the students in the third row, put the homework on the board."

Contrary to what Miss Haruna expected, as she glanced from her desk to Usagi, it was Naru who leaned over to Minako. "Hi, Minako, I'm Osaka Naru. I know you'll hear this a million times before the mid-morning break, but if you need a tour guide, I'd be happy to show you around."

"Naru," Miss Haruna said, half heartedly, "Please turn around and take out your homework."

Despite Naru's offer and discreet glances, however, Minako appeared much more interested in the blonde sitting next to her. The blonde who hadn't even looked at her. When the bell rang to signal the 15 minute morning break, Minako turned her back to the rest of the class and extended a hand to Usagi.

"Hi, I'm Minako. You look sad."

Usagi, who'd been staring straight ahead at the black board, was startled. She turned to the cheery girl and took her hand. "I'm Tsukino Usagi," she all but mumbled. "And I'm not sad, I'm sleepy."

Minako blinked a couple of times, taken back by Usagi's rudeness. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry, I hadn't realized. I'll-- I'lll leave you to take your nap." Not even bothering to correct Minako's opinion of her, Usagi placed her head on her desk and proceeded to promptly fall asleep.

When lunch time came, Usagi stumbled out of the classroom half awake to meet Makoto and Ami in the school yard. She was surprised to see Minako and Naru sitting with them. "Usagi!" Naru yelled over to her. "Are you sure you're not sick? I've never seen you take this long getting out of class to lunch."

Usagi grunted in reply and sank into the grass next to Mako, who immediately handed a bowl full of sweets over to her. "Thanks, Mako," Usagi said, sounding slightly cheerful as she began to eat.

"I knew you'd need to sugar," Mako replied, winking.

As the girls ate, Naru and Makoto bombarded Minako with questions about England and acting. Ami listened along politely, occasionally asking aquestion of her own. Only Usagi remained silent. When lunch ended the girls parted ways again, and Minako looked at Usagi with growing concern. Something was wrong, and it couldn't possibly bode well for the misson.

At the end of the school day, all Usagi really wanted was to collapse into bed and stay there until she died. So when Naru asked her to come along to Crown Aracade with Minako and some other girls in the class, Usagi was very tempted to use her sleep deprivation as an excuse to avoid going by the arcade. But the way Usagi figured it, she couldn't hide forever. And there was no way she was going to let Chiba Mamoru win. The arcade was where she and her friends hung out. That jerk would just have to find a bridge to fall off.
*end of part 3*

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
- This part didn't have any action because I needed to establish the basic point of the story: Usagi isn't about to swoon in Mamoru's sexy arms. But stay tuned, because the next part is very instrumental in the plot. Sailor Venus arrives on scene and some new twists take turn.
- Oh, and I live on feedback, so don't be shy, give a review. Or drop me a line at Knowsall5@hotmail.com

~Jewel~
Knowsall5@hotmail.com

[April 7th, 2004]