Part II of II

RECAP

"The princess is…"

"One of you," Sailor Star vaguely announced, quickly leaping away and followed closely behind by Tuxedo Kamen.

"One of us?" Sailor Mercury slowly pondered.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Jupiter demanded.

"Well, we have to figure out which one of us has the best leadership skills, is the most graceful, and, of course, the prettiest in order to determine who the princess is. Which naturally would be me," Sailor Mars concluded, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Jeez! Would you get over yourself, pyro! Your ego is as big as Mamoru's! And that's saying something," Sailor Moon said.

Suddenly Sailor Mars burst into laughter. "What? Do you think you could actually be the Moon Princess? You can't even walk two steps without falling flat on your rear!"

"I didn't say that!" huffed Moon indignantly. "Besides, I know I'm not princess-material!"

The other scouts, with the exception of Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus, continued to debate how to figure out which had the qualities most befitting of a princess. Venus, who had been silent up till this point, leaned over towards her comrade Sailor Moon.

"Don't give up hope yet, Usagi-chan!"

Before Sailor Moon could reply, Sailor Venus leapt away, which decidedly the other scouts began to embark on their own journeys home.

Later that night, while Usagi was alone to herself, she pondered over Minako's cryptic message: "Don't give up hope." Was that meant to mean that there was a slim possibility she, the Klutz Queen, could possibly be the Moon Princess? Did Minako know something about the princess that none of the other scouts were privy to? And what about the new scout that arrived just in the nick of time today? She seemed to have a romantic, if not authoritive position over Tuxedo Kamen. Were they an item? Could Fate be so cruel as to take both the men she loved from her all in the same day? It was true she loved both Tuxedo Kamen and Mamo-chan with equal fierceness. While Mamo-chan would go out of his way to make fun of her, Tuxedo Kamen would go out of his way to rescue her. It didn't make sense! Loving two men at the same time. "And now they are both taken from me all in the course of a day," Usagi silently mused with a heavy heart before slowly drifting to sleep.

"Usa! Get up and get ready for school!" her mother shouted from down the stairs.

"Just five more minutes mom! I'm beat!" Usagi wailed back. Suddenly a ten year old boy with sandy blonde hair appeared in her doorway.

"You will get beaten if you don't get up this instant!" he threatened.

"Shingo!" Usagi screamed throwing the closest object (her clock) at him. "Get out this instant!"

Narrowly missing the clock, Shingo pretends to wail. "Aw! Poor wittle Odango atama not getting enough bweauty sweep?"

WHAP!

"Ow! Mom, Usagi hit me really hard and it's gonna leave a mark!" Shingo wailed (this time for real).

"And you deserved it dweeb!" Usagi retaliated.

"Shingo! Get down here and eat your breakfast!" their mother warned. "And you too Usagi!"

After surviving her morning rituals at a speed recognized by a normal human, Usagi happily skipped to school. Fate of course, however, decided to intervene sending her crashing into one Chiba Mamoru (aka Mamo-chan).

"Mamoru-baka, are you okay," Usagi asked concern lacing her voice. Mamoru lay sprawled underneath her.

"Sorry Odango," he says standing up. "That was entirely my fault."

Deciding to be daring, Usagi asked, "Were you standing on the corner waiting for me?"

Faintly blushing, and having gone unnoticed by Usagi, he hastily replied 'no.' "Actually I was waiting for Lina-chan. I promised I would walk with her to school today."

"Oh," Usagi sighed, feeling foolish for asking a question such as that.

"Why are you jealous?" Mamoru taunted.

"As if!" Usagi shrieked.

"Well," Mamoru started leaning in towards her. "Whether you are or not, maybe I should let you know that I am completely single."

"Well let me tell you something-" Usagi started but was cut off by Mamoru putting his finger to her lip.

Bending down and kissing her cheek, he softly whispered, "See you after detention Usako."

Holding her cheek in a tender manner, Usagi walked to school completely in a daze. She was so far gone, she failed to notice the strange looks her teacher and fellow classmates gave her.

After her shock wore off, the rest of the day went by rather uneventful. Having no detention, she was allowed to leave with the regular mass of students and headed to the arcade. Once she got there however, she got the shock of her life. For there sitting on a stool in the arcade were Lina and Mamo-chan, lip locking. In that instance her heart shattered in a million pieces and her only thought was to run, far away.

Running blindly she ran right smack dab into a brick wall (aka a human body). Not even thinking to apologize, Usagi turned to run, but a pair of strong arms held her in place.

"Usagi, what's wrong? Why are you crying," a soft male voice asks.

Looking up into a pair of startling blues eyes, her eyes fill with tears once more. "Mamoru? What are you doing here?"

"I could say the same for you. You're not normally this early to the arcade," Mamoru observed, still speaking softly.

"I didn't have detention today," she sniffled. "I thought you were at the arcade?"

"No," he replied lightly. "I was just on my way there."

Pausing, he lifts up on her chin. "You never answered my previous question. Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying," she replies, wiping the 'tears' from her eyes. Terminating that portion of the conversation, she asks, "You weren't just in the arcade kissing Lina?"

Suddenly Mamoru bursts out laughing. "Oh my God! Odango you are too cute! Lina is like my sister!"

Realizing her mistake, Usagi's face turns red. "I'm sorry, I just thought-"

"She's in love with my brother, Tai!" Mamoru explains. His face then takes on a more serious expression. "Did what I say earlier mean nothing to you, Usako?"

"Mamoru, why do you call me Usako? Doesn't it mean 'your rabbit?" Usagi innocently asks.

"Do you not want me to call you that? I just figured it would be a cuter pet name than Odango Atama. Besides, what else would you call the person you were in love with?" Mamoru winks.

Usagi's face pales and her lips slightly part. "You like me?"

Cupping her face with his hands, he leans forward. "I would say it's more like love," he whispers, kissing her. It was light and feathery at first, before he slowly pulled away. By now Usagi had closed her eyes. Mamoru decided her face of pure bliss, was the one he liked the most.

"Mamo-chan," she murmurs.

"What did you say?" Mamoru asks fingers trembling from joy.

"You asked what I would call the person I was in love with," she flirts. "Mamo-chan."

Taking the hint, Mamoru kisses her again. This kiss however leaves the last one in the dust. It is filled with all the passion of a man kissing the woman of his dreams.

"See I told you she was in love with him," whispers a short girl with chin length hair. "She just needed to realize it."

"Are you sure we're not related?" asks her companion.

"Positive. Why?"

"Because we both have a knack for match-making," the blonde haired girl answers. "And they don't call me the goddess of love for nothing."

"MINAKO!"

Well, Ladies and Gents (do guys really read these things?) technically, there it is. I promised it would be a two-parter, which it was, but I realized after I had typed this that I needed to add about the Sailor Star and Moon Princess bit. So, this story will have an epilogue to clear up any and all confusion. Don't forget to review and read my other stories too. (I have a new one up)

Much Love,

LINA