"The stranger and the lost locket"

"Otosan?" a toddler Usagi called out while running in a wooded area alone, she turned from side to side, feeling lonelier and scarier. "Otosan?" she said again in a much lower voice... until a pair of male hands came out from behind her and slipped under her arms then lifted her up into the air saying, "BOO!" Usagi screamed at first but then laughed loudly. "I found you little rabbit," the man said as he lowered her down onto his lap, Usagi couldn't see the face of the man due to the sun shining over his head. "Did you think that I abandoned you?" he said looking down at her. "Otosan," she said in a little angry voice. "Oh, I will never be away from you ever," he said then pinched her cheek as an attempt to cheer her up. "Ahh! Otosan!" Usagi said in a laughing voice as she playfully pushed his hand away from her face. "Oh, my little rabbit, I have something for you but you give this to the one you love that is when you are older of course," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out her star locket "Aww, it's beautiful" she said looking at it.

19 year old, Usagi quickly opened her eyes and sat up on the bed panting slowly "Hey, what's wrong?" Mamoru said laying next to her in a tank and looking at her, Usagi rubbed her eyes then gave a sigh. She was about to answer his question when the phone rang next to Usagi, Mamoru groaned as he as looked at the alarm clock next to his side of the bed, saying "4:30 am" Usagi switched on the lights then answered the phone as she slide her legs onto the edge of the bed "Hello?".

At the Tokyo hospital Rei was in the lobby covered in tiny sparkles that itched worst than mosquito bites, trying to hold a pay phone with one hand and holding her gown closed with the other. "Usagi, it's Rei," she whispered while scratching every area that itched and glancing at Yuuchirou who was standing to watch out for the nurse. "Rei, do you know what time it is? And why are you wh-" Usagi was cut off by Rei "Usagi I don't want to waste time, Yuuchirou and I are at the hospital," Rei said quickly while still whispering. "Why are you guys at the hospital?" Usagi asked. But again Rei cut her off. "Usagi! Listen, this is important, now your star locket, where is it?" Rei asked. "My locket?" Usagi replied then was taken back to the battle against Mamoru when he was turned against her and the Senshi. Mamoru touched the locket then he was back to normal in an instant. "USAGI!" Rei shouted in a whispered tone. "I am losing time here, the nurse will catch us any minute," she insisted more nervously. "Sorry, I-I don't know where it is... I lost it in our first battle with Beryl," Usagi explained. "Why are you asking?" Usagi asked while still on the phone. "Be-" Rei was about to explain but was cut off by the yelling nurse that Usagi heard in the back-ground "Miss Hino, I told you, no phone calls!" Rei was now arguing in Japanese with the nurse while Usagi repeats her name. "Usagi listen their was this old homeless guy that has it! I saw-" Rei tried to explain but the nurse kept interrupting her and trying to take the phone out of her hands. "Miss Hino! I am going to have you strapped to your bed if you don't put the phone down!" the nurse ordered. "Look, this call is really important!" Rei said in a loud and firm voice. "Well, not anymore," she answered then cut Rei's call off. "I can't believe you-" Rei said in a much more angry voice as the nurse took the phone from her hand then dragged her by the arm "Hey! I am 19 years-" Rei was about to protest but was cut off by the nurse again. "I don't care, Miss Hino you are a patient, you can make private calls at home tomorrow," the nurse explained as she walked her down the hall. While walking down the hall she began to argue with Yuuchirou about his late alertness all the way to both their rooms.

"Rei? Rei?" Usagi repeated until she got a hang-up tone. "What happened to Rei?" Mamoru asked as Usagi hung up the phone. "I don't know, she didn't have time to explain that part," she said in a concern voice. "But she mentioned about my star locket," she added. "How did you lose the locket?" Mamoru asked as he slid to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. "I don't know," she replied suddenly she recalled the event that caused her to lose the locket. All she saw was Mamoru falling onto his knees, saying, "Thank you," and "I'm free," then he took a blow for Usagi from Beryl. "Then you passed out and I didn't even think about my locket, only about facing Beryl," Usagi explained. "Do you recall anything after you passed out?" Usagi asked as the couple made their way to their dining room, Mamoru tried hard to think about that time in his life. "All I remember is looking at your face... then I was gone and I woke up in the hospital bed with a head injury that was later explained to me that I had a bike accident," Mamoru explained almost everything that he could recalled. "Then I saw you, and I didn't know you... again" he added then sat back on his seat. They remained silent until Mamoru spoke out, "Wait, you woke up from a dream a while ago... what did you dream of?" he asked with his arms on the table across from her, Usagi didn't want to lie to Mamoru. She remained silent until Mamoru sensed she wasn't ready to reveal what was bothering her. "Hey, don't worry, you don't have to talk now," he said with a hand on hers and a smile on his face. "It is late anyways and plus we will see Rei and Yuuchirou in the mourning," he yawned as they walked to their bedroom holding hands. "Thanks Mamo-chan," Usagi said as they both settled into bed. The couple were sleeping in the dark for about 5 seconds until the alarm clock rang at 5:00 am which indicated that Usagi has her first day at college and Mamoru had work. They sat up on the bed looking like hell. "Well, it was 4:30 when Rei called," Usagi said slummy. "Yeah," Mamoru agreed. "Thanks, Rei," they both said together.

After they got out of bed, showered then made quick breakfast. Usagi went down ahead to the parking garage to open up the gate to theirs, as Usagi raised the gate open she saw someone laying on the sidewalk all cured up like a ball covered with newspaper. Usagi approached to get a closer look at who was on the ground. "Excuse me?" Usagi asked looking down at the man trying to warm up under the newspaper. "Excuse me, sir?" she tried again with a hand gently stroking on his shoulder. "Ugh?" he groaned then turned over to see Usagi's face. "Excuse me, I am so sorry but your in the way of Mamoru's motorcycle and we don't want to run-" Usagi hesitated when the newspaper that covered the man's face was blown off by the wind, she was touched by the gentleness in his eyes. "--you over," she finally finished. Raion finally was awake enough to realize Usagi was standing over him, he gasped in shock "I am sorry to wake you sir," Usagi said with a smile on her face. The homeless man was too stunned to say anything or respond, all he saw was an illusion of a Chibi Usagi asking him politely to move from where he was laying. "Sir? Sir?" Usagi repeated until finally he got back his senses. "Uh...Yes of course I, uh, I'm sorry," he said as he got onto his feet, Usagi was struck by pity when she noticed his worn out clothes. "It's alright, I am sorry I woke you up," she said still smiling. "Well, it would have been a painful wake up call if you didn't wake me now," the man replied. Usagi laughed at his joke and he was amazed at her laughter, he soon joined her as he laughed himself. "Yes, you're right," she said while still laughing, suddenly when their laughter died down they stared at one another. "Uh, would you like some breakfast?" Usagi offered. "Oh uh" was the only answer he could say.

"Usa-ko! Ready to go?" Mamoru called from the motorcycle where he was standing in the garage. "Yeah, can you buy this man some breakfast first?" Usagi asked looking back at him. "Oh and what is-" Usagi was about to asked as she turned her attention back to the homeless man, who wasn't there. "–your name?" she finished as she turned her head from side to side. "Who were you talking to?" Mamoru asked standing next to her. "You didn't see him?" Usagi asked looking up at him. "No, not even where he went," he answered. While the couple were standing in front of their garage looking for the man they didn't sense that he was hiding across the street in the sewers. "I am sorry, little Rabbit, but you're much safer when I am not near by," he said quietly in a sad voice, for his heart longed to hold her in his arms.

Mamoru pulled to the side walk that faced the courtyard of Usagi's university that she was attending. "Got your schedule?" Mamoru asked. "Hai!" she replied cheerfully.

"Your books?"

"Hai."

"Your lunch?"

"Hai."

"Then I guess you're all set," he said while taking off his helmet. "Wait, not until I get my good luck kiss," Usagi insisted, Mamoru sighed happily but before they were about to lean in for a kiss. "Usagi, Mamoru!" the girls come running up to the couple cheerfully, Usagi and Mamoru were shocked to see Rei running up to them after only recently speaking with her the other night."Rei, what happen to you last night?" Usagi asked as she was about to give Rei a hug but she held her back. "It's a long story I'll tell you all about it later but in the mean time. It's about time, Rei was saying that you were still going to be late for our first class," Makoto said while holding her bag over her shoulder. "Glad to show you guys that I have grown up," Usagi said as she sponged around in front of her friends, suddenly she bumped into someone who was trying to walk passed her with a cup of coffee in his hand. Usagi turned to see a very angry man in his late fifties holding a briefcase in one hand and an empty cup, the stain on his white shirt explained to Usagi why he was angry... somewhat. "Oh, I am sorry sir," Usagi said as she tried wiping the stain with her hand. "That word has no power in removing stains... You little tart," he answered in a vile voice with angry in his eyes.