Well, it happened. I finally got my first out-and-out flame! From an Annoymous person, no less, said person stated:

IMABITCH:
THIS STORY IS STUPID!

Well, first of all I really commend this person on their clever name. It really does do you justice. I really love how the only comment you made is about how my fic is "stupid", but you left no reason stating WHY exactly you think it is. Plus, you were so brave to leave a flame without even using your own username./sarcasm You said it yourself in your name, not me. Out of the numerous people who like or even love this fic, you are the only one who said they hated it. You didn't even bother to say why. So I don't know if you're just jealous, or a close-minded little jerk, but please keep out of my story if you don't like it, OK? The Back button isn't hard to use.

Now that that is said, I leave you to read the next chapter of More Important Than A Secret!


Everything inside of him was crystal, and oh-so-brittle. Cracking around the edges, with smooth but jagged darts snapping across the surface. His emotions boiled, tumbling like a massive storm that constantly threatened to break. To his credit, however, he kept his face completely blank. Scooping up all of his shock and horror and guilt and betrayal and burying it deeply inside until he was alone. Covering it with glass and pressing down, down so hard that it began to break. And in the last few seconds, he ran for his apartment like wolves were on his heels. Slammed the door; a delightful barrier between him and the reality, and slumped to the ground moaning faintly.

Chiba Mamoru was never positive for how long he crouched there, breathing sharply but faintly. His midnight eyes were shut firmly; his fingernails digging into his palms so painfully that little crescent marks of blood began to appear. He struggled to compose himself and failed, gasping for air. That one piece of information...... so shamelessly spattered across the news front everywhere; like it meant nothing but was just a juicy tidbit to be gossiped and slandered about, had nearly given him a heart attack.

He rose to his feet on shaky legs and walked towards his bedroom, stripping as he went. When he was fully naked authoress pauses to beat the fangirls back with a stick, he entered his bathroom and turned the water on as hot as he could bear. He was sweaty from his race across the city; and he felt relieved as the steaming liquid splattered across his skin. It stung, and his formerly lightly tanned skin began to redden, but it seemed to burn away all the confusion.

Usagi was Sailor Moon. Usagi was Sailor Moon. Tsukino Usagi, the klutzy little ninth grade he loved to tease, was Sailor Moon. Odango Atama, who ate far more than a skinny girl should be allowed and who wailed at the drop of a hat, was Sailor Moon. It was mind-boggling. But in an incredibly strange and demented way, it also made sense.

Usagi and Sailor Moon looked amazingly similar; with the same sun-kissed golden locks pinned into the same hairstyle, and identical azure silver eyes that sparkled in the moonlight. Their personalities were similar as well; both lacked confidence and lost track of what they were supposed to be doing easily; not to mention both were of a rather peaceful nature (although with the way Usagi retaliated to a tease early in the morning, sometimes you'd never realize that). 'Duh! Mamoru thought in the next breath with impatience, rolling his eyes. 'Of course they look alike, idiot, they're the SAME PERSON!'

A sigh tumbled from his lips as he turned the shower off. He exited and dried himself off, then dressed in a pair of casual jeans, a black t-shirt and his favorite green jacket before wandering out onto the balcony. He gazed out over the city as the sun set and lowered his head so that his hair tumbled into his eyes. Everything was different now. The fact that Usagi was Sailor Moon changed it all, although he wasn't sure how.

He rested his hands on the railing and thought about the princess. The one who haunted his dreams, who always begged him to find the ginzuishou that would set them free. She had been silent lately; voiceless; only her dark silhouette allowing him to tell that she was there. Had she known what was to happen?

He sighed and lifted his head, staring up at the sky. Sailor Moon was no longer a mystery. Now she would only be a little girl trying to protect herself. And her family. And her friends. He paused, considered his options, then turned on his heel. Sailor Moon considered Tuxedo Kamen to be her protector. Usagi considered Mamoru her tormentor. Maybe he wasn't so helpless, after all.


plunk

She dropped one of the tear-dropped shaped balls into the bowl.

plunk

Her eyes were shadowed, fixated carefully on the ceramic azure bowl.

plunk

The emerald band holding her hair back snapped, unused to her position, and her lightly curled spille freely around her shoulders.

plunk plunk plunk plunk plunk

Kino Makoto sighed as she tucked one strand of her hair behind her ear. Unhappily, she picked up the remaining chocolate chips and dumped them all into the batter at once, instead of the previous one-at-a-time she had been doing. For some reason she had never been able to figure out, Makoto always turned to baking when she was upset or angry. It helped work her frustrations out in a way that didn't involve hurting other people. This time, however, cooking wasn't working.

Makoto gave up. Muttering to herself, she wrapped a filmy piece of Plastic Wrap across the top of the bowl and placed it in the fridge. She would finish the cookies some other time, when her world wasn't falling apart.

Having washed the dishes, Makoto wandered into her living room and gazed out the window. Her emeraldine eyes were absent as one finger continued to curl relentlessly around a lock of chocolate hair. It was all over, wasn't it. The laughter, the friendship. The shared secret, the sweet, dancing smile across the room from a blonde-haired teen who acted more like a little girl. The knowledge that she was part of something magical, wonderful, sacred.

And who cared if the others insisted they saw the responsiblity as hindersome, or annoying, or painful, or irritating? She knew it was a lie. Rose-scented lips curved into a grim smile. Anything that allowed them to spend time with her, with the bunny, was worth it. With the one person who had opened her arms to them with a beamingly cheerful smile and welcomed them into her grasp, dumping more love and friendship into their arms than they could hold.

When she was a very little girl, she had had loving parents. But then her parents had died, and for a longer time there had been no one. She had been lonely and afraid, and had learned the art of fighting to protect herself. Being a senshi had changed that. Slowly, Makoto had begun to learn that living didn't always have to mean survival. Sometimes it did, but once in a while it meant only holding onto your those that you loved.

She blew out her breath in a sigh and glanced at the time. It was late, but not late enough that any teenager would be in bed. She sat down in a chair at the kitchen table and picked up the phone, dialing Shinosaki's number. It would feel good to talk to someone who had known her for a long time.


Rayne StarDust - Hey! I NEVER said you weren't allowed to review my other fics. By all means, review on! I'm glad I put Shingo in, too. I myself know how annoying siblings can be, but I also know how nice it can be to have them around. Sometimes. And that IS true. A lot of teenagers at my school can't keep quiet about anything, so something as enormous as Usagi's identity they would never keep silent about!

bubblegumb1 - Um, no. Sorry, this is not going to be a long story. It was never designed to be. This fic has one more chapter and one epilogue to go, and then it is finished.

Chibes - Her father's reaction will most likely be next chapter, along with two other people's. Shingo's girlfriend is named Mika, at least in the dubbed. I don't think there will be time for them to discover who Tuxedo Kamen is. As for royalties, there won't be time enough for that with the ending planned.

MoonPrincess568 - Here is Mamoru. I forgot that doing a first season story would mean having HIM in it, too.

koosei - Do I look like I care that you needed to leave? The point is, you left!

Conscience Fairy - Thanks.


Thank you for reading. Please leave a review.