A/N: I've been itching to continue this story for forever…and I'm having a bit of writer's block with STC, so I decided to whip up a little bit of this…It's not much, but it keeps me from feeling lazy. (sheepish grin). But don't worry, I WILL have a new chapter of STC out soon.

Disclaimer:

Short skirts and funky hair;

Motoki, Yaten, Jadeite, Dare –

The fact that none of them belong to me

makes me feel much misery.


"Can't you speed it up at all, Sailor Moon?" shouted Sailor Mars impatiently over her shoulder.

The blonde who was the focus of the Fire Senshi's rage barely had the breath to reply. "I'm…trying, Mars!" she gasped out, clenching her jaw against the pain that throbbed in her leg. She had barely been able to walk to school that morning, much less make her daily detour to the arcade after detention. And now she found herself sprinting the two miles to the park!

"Really, Sailor Moon, can't you move any faster?" called Mercury.

"I'm trying," Sailor Moon repeated, half shouting, half crying. Sweat was breaking out on her neck and forehead.

Finally, they reached the park. It was a dark night; the moonlight that usually shone on the water during youma attacks was absent.

"Okay, where is the Big Ugly?" whispered Mars, prowling about in her high heels.

Mercury clicked quietly away on her computer for a few minutes as they waited for Sailor Moon to catch up. "Right over…there." Flipping her laptop closed decisively, the blue-haired Scout pointed towards the playground.

"Man, I could really use some wings right now," grunted Sailor Moon as her two fellow Senshi broke into another run towards the hulking shapes of the swingsets. "Guys! Wait up!" Her shout echoed in the quiet stillness. She cringed.

"Sailor Moon! Behind you!" Mars' voice rang out.

Sailor Moon spun on her ankle, and immediately regretted it. Not only did pain shoot up her leg like a knife, but the movement also positioned her directly under the rope of slobber streaming steadily from the youma's lip.

"Oh, darn it," she breathed.

"MERCURY SHINING AQUA ILLUSION!"

Mist sprayed all around her, freezing the stalagmite of drool, much to Sailor Moon's relief. This relief was short-lived however, because Mercury's mist had no other effect on the youma.

"My mithhtress wanthh to thhee you, Thhailor Moon!" lisped the monster, sending globules of spit in all direction. As the spit made contact with her skirt and bow, it began to hiss and burn through the material. Sailor Moon squeaked and hobbled backwards as the youma advanced forward. "Thhe hathh thhome buthhiness to dithcuthh with you."

"A little help here, guys?" Sailor Moon shrieked as her shoulder blades collided with a tree trunk. The youma had cornered her, and that rope of acidic drool was beginning to thaw.

"MARS FIREBALL!"

The youma was thrown backwards, colliding with a tree. The blood from its burns hissed against the tree's bark, and a truly foul stench – like cough medicine mixed with rotten eggs – filled the air.

Sailor Moon heaved a grateful sigh and stepped forward, hand lifting to her tiara. Then, without warning, her foot caught in a root, and she pitched face-first into the dirt.

"Ow…" Sailor Moon breathed pitifully through her clenched jaw, blinking back tears at the agony rippling through her leg. Oh, God, it hurts… She struggled to push herself up to her feet. Dust the youma, then you can go home… She finally made it to a standing position, swaying slightly.

"What are you waiting for?" called Mercury anxiously, landing a few feet away. "Dust it!"

"Sailor Moon! Come ON!" Sailor Mars raged, shoving her blonde leader roughly. The shorter Senshi stumbled back against the tree trunk. "We haven't got all night!"

"Hey!" A black shadow landed between the two Senshi, moving protectively in front of Sailor Moon. Mars and Mercury stared in shock and amazement at the dangerously glinting eyes and hatless black hair. "Lay off! Haven't you seen her leg?"

"Ix-nay on the eg-lay," hissed Sailor Moon to her masked protector, limping forward. She closed her eyes shakily and reached up to her forehead again. "Moon… Tiara…Magic."

The unusually dim disc of light wobbled towards the immobile youma, just glancing off the black mark on its forehead before clattering to the ground. Sailor Moon put a hand to her forehead, hiding her face and turning away from Tuxedo Mask. Without the glamour of the tiara, he would be able to see her as she truly was – Bunny Tsukino, weak, helpless, stupid fourteen-year-old.

It was as though last night's situation was being relived in reverse – Tuxedo Mask watched her a moment before walking away and bending down to pick up her fallen tiara. While he was thus distracted, Mars sidled over to stand in front of Sailor Moon. One of Tuxedo Mask's eyebrows twitched, but other than that, he gave no indication of having noticed the defensive position. He stopped a few feet away from them, gingerly balancing the tiara in his hand.

"May I have a word with Sailor Moon, please?" he asked.

"I need my tiara," came Sailor Moon's muffled voice from behind Mars.

Mars thrust a hand out to Tuxedo Mask. "Give it here."

Tuxedo Mask shrugged and dropped the golden headpiece in Mars' gloved hand.

"ITAI!" The scream echoed outwards in the stillness of the night, like a ripple in water. Sailor Mars dropped Moon's tiara like a hot coal. "It burned me!"

A small smile curved Tuxedo Mask's lips as he bent once more to retieve the golden weapon, which was still glowing faintly with the dregs of power left from dusting the youma. "Sailor Moon."

Still turned away, Sailor Moon blindly reached out and took her tiara from him. She felt deeply mortified as she fit the headpiece back onto her forehead and turned to Tuxedo Mask. Her face was about as red as one of his roses.

"What did you need?" Her voice was raspy, strained.

Tuxedo Mask glanced at the two Senshi hovering a little too close for his liking – especially Mars. "Uh – could you give us a little space, please?"

"Anything you wanna say to the Mea – the Moon Brain, I mean, you can say to us." Mars folded her arms defiantly across her chest.

"Well, aren't you nosy." Tuxedo Mask's lips quirked upwards.

"Why, you little – " Mars began to sputter, flames jumping from her fingertips, but before she could even begin her attack words, Tuxedo Mask had scooped up Sailor Moon and bounded into the treetops out of sight.


A/N: Hmm. Would you look at that? A cliffhanger. How interesting. ; )