Chibimamoru: Small Lady's Little Brother

Chapter 1 – Shadow of Darkness

One early Saturday morning as the first rays of sun lit up the darkened sky, a pair of red eyes shot open. The old springs of a metal bed creaked as the hazy form of an orphan boy sat up in the dark. A devilish smirk crossed the face of nine-year-old troublemaker, Thomas Jamison, nick-named Tommy. A single hand run backwards through his messy reddish-brown mop of hair pushed unruly bangs out of his face. Throwing his thin blanket off to the side, Tommy shifted in the bed swinging his thin legs off the side of the mattress as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.

Sliding out of the bed as silently as possible, Tommy knelt down beside his bed pulling open one of the two small clothes drawers beneath. A simple black shirt with a circle of fire on the front suited him just fine as he pulled it on over his patched jeans from the night before. Black socks and a pair of well-worn new-balance sneakers made him ready to face another dull day of suckers and little brats he felt it his duty to torment day and night.

One certain child, however, he paid extra-special attention to. Slithering past the beds of his fellow nine to twelve-year-old roommates, Tommy slipped out the door shutting it silently behind him. A memorized trip threw the hallway, down the stairwell from the third floor to the second, and silently through the second door on the right, brought him face-to-face with twenty-four three-to-five year old brats.

Smirking knowingly, Tommy made his way to the far end of the room to the little bed on the right. 'Empty as usual.' He noted with a roll of his eyes. Turning, he spotted his prey curled up in the window seat with his stupid-looking cathead toy. Red eyes looked silently down upon the sleeping five-year-old. It had been just over two years ago that the hyperactive though somewhat shy three-year-old had found himself a bed in Nephrite Hills Orphanage. He was by far not the only child who had lost his family in the Nemesis Attack, but still…

There was something different about this seemingly normal orphan child. Behind those innocent azure-colored blue eyes was a power the child himself had probably yet to realize. He had no idea the power he held locked inside of him, but Tommy knew. Tommy had felt it on more than one occasion. When his pain seemed at its worst or in those rare times when his anger overcame his fear, Tommy felt it. It was an energy…or a power…that slowly began to build up inside him. What was that power? If only there was some way for him to harness a power like that, perhaps . . . perhaps he could use that power . . . for his own benefit . . . perhaps . . .

(end of scene)

It was 8:45 on a Saturday morning. While the other royal children played outside in the Northern Garden, Princess "Small Lady" Serenity stood out on her private balcony… watching them. The once cute though manipulative six-year-old "rabbit" had grown from an eight-year-old "maiden" with a golden dream mirror to a lonely and isolated nine-year-old princess with a seed of darkness that always managed to separate her from her peers. Pink rabbit ears drooped as the Small Lady secretly watched Prince Triston of Jupiter and Prince Damien of Mars' mock swordfight "to the death" that was currently being held in the garden below. Princess Lita of Jupiter giggled cheering for her brother, while the young noble girls – mostly children of the Knights and Guards – cheered for whichever prince they currently had a crush on.

Prince Damien, the son of Sailor Mars and General Daverin, was a daring eleven-year-old with unruly midnight hair and sole-reading purple orbs eyes that never failed to voice their silent challenge. The Martian Prince gripped his sword tightly smirking slightly as he forced his Jupitarian friend to take a step back. "What's the matter, Triston-kun?" Damien mocked of his friend. "I do hope you are looking forward to a soon-to-be untimely death."

Prince Triston, the son of Sailor Jupiter and General Triston, laughed in response. "Of course I am, Damien-kun. Yours!" The deep hazel eyes of the tall Jupitarian prince danced with excitement as the mock-battle began to heat up. Soft brown hair fell nonchalantly into his face only to the brushed back by a tanned twelve-year-old hand. "Get ready to finish this!!"

The sugary princess sighed dejectedly as the heated voices and cheers of battle and of childish play rung mockingly in her young ears. It just wasn't fair. Twentieth century Usagi was always surrounded by friends and family, and Mamoru…everyone loved Mamoru, but not her – not Small Lady. With Sweet Serenity and Romantic Endymion as her parents, why was the sugary princess such an outcast? Was there something wrong with her? Was Damien right about the "shadow of darkness"? 'I'm not bad. I know I'm not. Damien no baka doesn't know what he is talking about. Some day he'll pay for making me so miserable.'

As this last thought crossed her mind, a shadow of darkness glazed over her eyes. Deep inside her, someone laughed at the child's feeble attempts to be 'good'. 'I'm evil.' She thought with a smirk. 'So you're evil. And someday kid, I'm going to show you just how much fun revenge can be.'

(end of scene)

"Come on, A.B. Ms. Carol says we gotta go outside now." Twenty-three three to five-year-olds pushed and shoved their way out the back doors of the orphanage. Wrapping his two little arms around his cathead shaped friend, the little azure-eyed orphan followed his class out into the play yard. The "play yard" at Nephrite Hills Orphanage was a small clearing between the back of the large brick building and the woods beyond. A swing-set with 4 swings, an old rusted jungle gym, a sea-saw, various rideable trucks, bikes, and cars, and a pair of sandboxes transformed the clearing into a play yard safe and fit for orphans.

'There he is.' Tommy thought watching as the little azure-eyed boy made his way slowly down the back steps of the orphanage one by one. He watched as the child made his way over to an open sandbox. Plopping himself down side cute little four-year-old girl, he began on what was supposed to be a sandcastle. Although, how any kid with such amazing power could amuse himself creating what was in essence a pile of dirt was beyond Tommy's comprehension.

'All that power going to waste.' Snorting in disgust, Tommy turned around leaning back against the large Cherry Blossom tree that served as his hiding place from the stooges, otherwise known as his teachers. His left hand went into his right palm as he popped his knuckles one by one. As appealing as the idea of tormenting the little brat was at that moment, a certain appointment in the woods behind the orphanage was calling his name. His right hand went into his left palm as he popped the remaining five knuckles. 'One of these days kid . . . one of these days . . .'

And then there was darkness. Five-year-old Mamo-chan looked up wide-eyed from his castle building expedition as a cold chill ran down his back. There was darkness on the wind. It fell out from the woods surrounding the azure-eyed picture of innocence like a thick blanket. With his castle forgotten, Mamo reached out two tiny arms for the comfort of his mechanical best friend. "A.B."

Darkness. Do you feel the darkness, A.B.? Mamo stood up. His cute four-year-old classmate looked up with large imploring eyes as her building partner got to his feet. A step up onto the slightly raised side of the sandbox put Mamo-chan just a couple of inches above the rest of his classmates. Curious azure-colored eyes wandered the expanse of the playground searching for the source of the darkness.

(change from past to present tense)

Something bad is going to happen. Slowly, this knowledge sinks deep into the child's mind. Something bad is going to happen. Do you feel the darkness, A.B.? Do you feel it? Thick darkness encircles the child and his companion tugging at them – pulling them in the direction of the dark forest and beyond. "A.B." The little child whimpers hiding his face behind the protective ball that is his life-long companion.

A shadowy figure of a man stands in the shadows of the forest. Red eyes glare at the orphans, at the children's innocent games, at the powerful yet hopelessly innocent azure-eyed child. Red eyes meet azure eyes. Red eyes narrow dangerously. Azure eyes stare innocently. The blanket grows thicker separating the child from his peers. A.B., are you still here? Don't go away, A.B. Don't leave like Onee-san did. Something bad is going to happen.

A hand waves to the young child calling him away from the orphanage. The darkness grows thicker pulling at him. Azure-colored eyes grow wide with fear as the child unwillfully wanders away from his classmates. The teachers are looking the other way. He stops next to a tall Cherry Blossom tree turning to stare at the older boy with a dazed but frightened look on his face. A.B. falls to the ground as the child's arms become limp at his sides. Tommy smirks at the child as he leads him by the hand back into the dark shadows of the forest.

The pair stops in front of the shadowy figure. Frightened blue eyes starred dazed into the blood red eyes of a shadowy stranger. Don't leave me, A.B.! A single tear slips slowly down the child's face, then another, and another. He is crying silently. A.B., help me! The shadowy man smiles crookedly patting him on the head. Tommy laughs joyously as he tightens his grip on the child's hand. A.B., help me! The shadowy man takes a tight grip on his other hand. I don't wanna go with them. Tears slip down the child's young face. The dark pair turns disappearing into the forest – taking the child with them. Help me!! Mamo follows silently and without a fight, while A.B. lies lifelessly on the ground where he was dropped.