A.N: Finally! A new chapter! I grieved over this one so much – because, lemme tell you guys a little secret beckons everyone in close so she can whisper in your ears I suck at writing battle scenes. I'm too lazy to dream up cool youmas – although come to think of it, the ones of the show aren't all that creative, either. gasps, and slaps self Naughty Sword-chan! How could you speak such sacrilege? Sweatdrop Yeah, I'm acting kinda weird right now…I only got five hours of sleep last night cause I was up reading fanfic. starry-eyed
Anyways, I'm sorry this chapter took me so long. My mom had to go to ER to get her appendix removed, and I had to watch my two little sisters, so I was kinda stressed – to put it mildly!
Um, before you start reading – I only thought it fair of me, since you guys took all that time to review me, that I thank you for the reviews! So here, look for your name, and then move on to Chapter Four of Subject to Change!
Princess-serena: Yes, CLIFFY! I love your enthusiasm! You use capital letters like me!
Rockfreak2003: I always love your reviews. You're always so curious!
Starlit Warrior: Cool name – kinda makes me think of armor with star gel inside it (I'm just bizarre that way) – ooh, it could, like, deflect stuff…wow…new story idea…starry eyes Thanks!
Starsketch: Another cool name. (I love anything with star in it)
Sirenic Griffin: Congrats on your big word! Hey, wouldn't it be ironic if "humorous" showed up on your SAT test? LOL!
Real Sugar Baby: Thanks for the advice! (I love it when readers actually tell me something to change, that's the whole point of reviews, right?) I'm gonna work on more action, less chatting. Heheheh…that's the first time anything I've written has been described as "sexy"….YES! It's like crossing a milestone in my career! dances around in glee
oOtHeReSeOo: Whoah. Do you ever get tired of typing all that when you register on Complicated capitals! Domo arigatou for the reviews!
Revolutionnaire Rouge: Another awesome name…like Onigiri! Your concern touched my heart, Giri-chan. wipes away a tear But no Cow Liver Loser is gonna bring ME down! whips out Eight-sword FOR NAN-CHAN! charges
Yunyin: I love the new perspective, too – I love reading first season fics where Usa and Mamo-san don't know each other's alter egos yet…hey, have you read any of Princess Destiny's fics? If you like this, I promise you'll LOVE hers!
Selphie108: No! I love Ami and Rei, they're awesome…I didn't mean for them to seem like such idiots in this fic; my humor just came out kind of twisted. wince Sorry about that. I'm working on it. Anyway…I agree with your comment about Serena and Darien! They're totally cute together! And Darien's hot by himself! I guess Usa is, too, but I'm a girl, and I don't really swing that way, so, um, yeah…
Cosmoprincesslight18: Another mouthful! Thank you – I promise to update soon!
Vixen519: Wow…you're scary. Just kidding! I admire you…I hit guys where it hurts, too – in the ego! Just ask Revolutionnaire Rouge, she's witnessed quite a couple of my attacks… Those boys get the point, though, don't they – especially if you're wearing stiletto heels! (If you'll excuse the pun…LOL)
The Scouts are here now…though they won't be an integral part of the story, I think. Jupiter might show up, I'm not entirely sure yet. grins
Princess Seren: Stop! You're making me blush... ; )
Insanechildfanfic: Ooh…can I have your name? Thanks for the review!
Icy Frost and Blue Angel: I…think…I'm…in love….with…your reviews! MORE, please! LOL
Animix-chix: Why, thank you. I promise to write as much as I can as fast as I can…darn homework keeps getting in the way…thanks for the pyro advice, I need all I can get.
Moonangel0905: Yeah, I noticed my story was kinda rushed, too. I really need to slow down and savor the suspense! Merci beaucoup for your review!
feudaltera: Thank you! I'm gonna try and fix Ami and Rei, I promise!
Nanie-san: Poor Motoki. He's so oblivious, isn't he? But we love him anyway – just not as much as we love Darien! I'm glad you liked my Ewok reference. Which is more annoying, an Ewok or Jar Jar Binks? (My apologies to anyone who actually likes those characters…please don't hate me!)
Nekoinhanyou: Thank you. I find your name quite interesting. How'd you come up with it? Is it an acronym for something? A lot of readers agreed with your request to change Bunny's name, so I changed it, and it does fit the story better. Thanks!
Rakusa: Motoki's ignorance really is hilarious is you think about it – after all, he's got what, three of the Sailor Senshi drooling after him, and he never even suspects anything about their identities or their crushes! He is truly a blonde (and a male), that's for sure. Usa may be sanest, but if she keeps hanging out with Darien and the Scouts, she's definitely gonna end up in a leather chair in some psychiatrist's office! Usagi, save yourself while you can!
Anime enthusiast: Okay…but only because you said please. grin
Princess Fire: I will do my best, Hi-hime. salute
OceanicGoddess: AWESOME! His shoes still have the hole – that is so COOL! Man, I've got some gutsy readers… Why'd you do it to him? Was he being a real jerk, or was he…covertly flirting with you? giggle Gimme details, girl!
Newfie Child: OMG, THNK U SO MCH! I PROMISE TO UPD8 SOON!
Ffgirlmoonie: yes, cliffhangers are torture, aren't they? At least I add new chapters, though…I hate when I'm reading a discontinued story that's like five years old, and it ends on a cliffhanger! breaks into sobs Like some of Princess Destiny's wonderful fics! Or Draegyn's! WAAAAAAHHHHH! (now I sound like Serena…)
eternalsailorcosmo: Yeah, Bunny in high heels is slightly frightening…but not as scary as Darien in them!
meg-of-the-moon: Ah, Meg-san, Meg-san. I, too, wish that I could walk in stilettos. I'm way too clumsy – my friends always tease me because I somehow find ways to trip over flat cement. I'm jealous of you, though – you have a baka to use the stilettos on. I want a baka to use high heels on, too! sniff, sniff Oh, well, someday Daniel Radcliffe will come around. giggle As always, thank you, Meg-chan! Luffles you too! Here's some French for you – J'adore Sailor Moon (I love Sailor Moon!)
Serenity-hime: Whoah. Okay, I was reading your bio last time I was on and girl, you DO sound just like Bunny. Wow. That's creepy – not! It's so COOL! Call me if you and your Endy ever need a Sailor Jupiter, eh? (well…except for that I'm really short, too…my friends can talk right over my head when they hold a conversation…so embarrassing! blush Oh, well, my Geometry teacher says that short people live longer. Of course, he's Japanese and only a couple of inches taller than me, so maybe he's biased…grin) As always, thank you SO MUCH for your reviews and suggestions. (Your steaks are delicious…teeheehee) I'm gonna look for that OCD movie, cause I NEED it!
Disclaimer: My psychiatrist says that I don't own Sailor Moon, but I don't believe her.
Subject to Change
"Mars! Quit trying to set the ink cartridges on fire, and haul your butt over here!" Sailor Moon shrieked, ducking behind a stack of Gateways to avoid the stream of staples the youma was emitting from one of her arms. "NOW!"
"You want me to burn those meatballs of yours, Odango Atama?" Mars snapped. Nevertheless, she dropped the smoldering container and went to Serena's aid. "MARS FIREBALL CHARGE!" The staples melted in midair and splashed in a silvery puddle on the linoleum floor, smoking slightly. Mars planted her fists on her hips. "There. Are you happy NOW?"
"Thanks, Pyro," Sailor Moon gritted out, peeking around the Gateway boxes. She quickly retreated again as a swivel chair sailed through the air mere inches from her head. Mars dove down to join her.
Sailor Moon twisted around, trying to find the third Senshi without presenting herself as a target to the youma. "Mercury? Where are you?"
"And what's taking so long to find the stupid youma's weak spot, darn it!" added Mars viciously, glaring through a crack in the boxes at the youma. Her eyes suddenly glazed over as they landed on some items a couple aisles over. "Hmm, what do we have here? Flame-retardant mousepads? We'll just see about that!" Sailor Mars began to slither across the dusty linoleum towards the computer accessories aisle, paying no attention whatsoever to the youma a few feet away.
Sailor Moon groaned and pounded her head against the Gateway boxes, knowing that when Rei's inner pyro took over, there was no stopping her… "Darn, darn, darn, darn, darn – oops."
This last word she uttered as her head-pounding caused the tower of Gateway boxes to topple over. The youma's eyes – fashioned to look like CPU power buttons – met hers. Sailor Moon squeaked.
"MERCURYYYYYYYYYY" Sailor Moon squealed as she raced down the fax machine aisle, the youma hot on her heels. "WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUUUU?"
She turned the corner and dashed into the next aisle, only to see her blue-haired friend standing in front of the scientific calculators and muttering agitatedly to herself.
"MERCURY!" With a colossal sigh of relief, Sailor Moon snagged the girl by her sailor collar and dragged her down the aisle. The bluenette let out a shriek and began to thrash wildly.
"What are you doing? Let GO! I have to finish pressing the buttons!" she howled, digging the heels of her boots into the linoleum and heaving herself free of Sailor Moon's grasp. "The TI-89 might explode if I don't press the Cosine button!"
Sailor Moon watched in shock as Sailor Mercury zipped out of sight, back towards the calculators. Her lower lip trembled.
She had been so thrilled to hear that the youma was attacking an office store – somewhere OTHER than the park! But this was fifty times WORSE! Mars was preying on defenseless mouse pads, and Mercury was defusing calculators! And Darien Shields had detention! With HER! Had the whole world gone MAD?
"Ah-hah! There you are, Sailor Brat!"
Sailor Moon spun, blue eyes wide. She was backed into a corner – between the copy machines and the filing cabinets. The youma zoomed towards her – instead of legs, it had a wheels like a swivel chair – and whipped something huge and bulky out of its briefcase.
"Well, aren't you in a bind?" cackled the youma, brandishing the object in her hand. Sailor Moon blanched as she realized what it was – one of those heavy duty four-inch binders! That thing could KILL her! Or at least put a serious dent on her forehead!
The youma laughed at her own pun, bringing her other arm – the staple-shooting one – up to bear on Sailor Moon. "Oh, I really should have gone into the comedian business! I put myself in stitches – and how about I put you in staples?" She hurled the binder at Sailor Moon and opened fire simultaneously.
Sailor Moon trembled, eyes darted around. Time seemed to slow. Involuntarily, her eyes went to the clock hanging on the wall near the front of the store. Go figure this would be the one time he didn't show up to save her butt –
"You can show up any time now, Tuxedo Mask!" she muttered shakily under her breath, eyes fastening onto the binder and staple hurtling straight towards her. Sailor Moon squeezed her eyes shut, and –
"Aw, I'm not that late, am I?"
Her eyes popped open as the teasing voice entered her ears and arms closed around her. "Tuxedo Mask…" she whispered, twisting in his arms to see his eyes. Her heart pounded; he wore a silly grin, and she did, too; she could feel herself melting – She tore her eyes away from his lips resolutely. "What took you so long?"
His grin didn't fade, and neither did hers, though she turned her face away to hide it from him. She dimly saw that they had landed on top of one of the tall shelves – she could see Mercury frantically punching buttons, and the youma struggling to yank the rose from between her wheels, and over at the far side of the store, she could see a plume of smoke curling up from one of the aisles. It seemed that those mousepads weren't so flame-retardant after all.
Sailor Moon glanced back at Tuxedo Mask, determined to hear him answer. His eyes sparkled.
"I can't have you taking my rescues for granted, now, can I? Then where would all the suspense be?"
"I'll show you the suspense!" exclaimed Sailor Moon, a little angrily, grabbing his hand and placing it near her collarbone. "There's the suspense! Can you feel my heart? It's going a thousand miles a minute – I thought I was a goner back there!"
"You really think I would have let you get hurt?" An emotion flashed across his face, too quickly for her to identify it. Almost before it appeared, it was gone, and his eyes twinkled teasingly at her once more through the mask. "Don't you trust me, Sailor Moon?"
His hand fell from her heart to her hand, his warmth seeping through the material of his glove and hers. She couldn't breathe.
"Now, Sailor Moon." His words tickled her ear.
She nodded without tearing her eyes from his and removed her tiara, feeling as though she were suspended in some spell. Her fingers moved mechanically, tossed the tiara towards the spot she had last seen the youma. Still, without taking her eyes from his.
She dimly heard a screech, abruptly cut off. Warmth reappeared on her brow, but she barely noticed it; it was in no way comparable to the warmth of his hand.
"Marvelous." His bangs brushed hers. "You don't need me at all, see?"
There, Tuxedo Mask, you are wrong. Her lips curved whimsically, sealing those words away and replacing them with different ones."Yes, but where would the fun be without you?"
"Exactly." The laughter escaping his lips ruffled her hair and melted her insides. Her forehead brushed his, and she smiled goofily up at him. He mirrored her expression.
They stood like that for a moment, sinking into the dream-like wonder of the moment. Not thinking about the Senshi, or the Dark Kingdom, or the world, because none of it mattered. He was here, and she was here, and they were together…
He disentangled his hand from hers, but her fingers were not left empty.
Bumping his forehead against hers one last time, Tuxedo Mask leapt down from the shelf and vanished from the store.
Sailor Moon lifted the red rose to brush its silky petals across her lips and watched him go.
It felt familiar.
"I must say, Serena, I am very disappointed in you girls' progress." Luna raised a disapproving eyebrow at Serena while the blonde shed her school uniform with a yawn. "We have only just been able to keep the Negaverse at bay, and we're nowhere near to finding either the Princess or the Silver Crystal."
Serena stepped into her warmest pair of pajamas – the red ones with little plates of spaghetti spattering the material (it had been her Christmas gift from Rei – go figure) and yawned again, crossing over to her bed. "Don't get all mad at me, Luna. The other girls haven't done anything either."
"Serena!" gasped Luna in shock. "How could you speak about your fellow Senshi like that!"
"Well, I'm sick of being the only one you chew out," replied Serena matter-of-factly as she slid into bed. "I'm the one who always dusts the youmas – Rei's always too busy setting stuff on fire, and Ami –" Serena scratched her head. "Well, Ami does weird stuff, too, I just haven't figured out exactly what it is yet. But I dusted that youma today all by myself!" Well, with a little help from Tuxedo Mask, but somehow I don't think Luna would like hearing that. "How about a little more credit and a little less blame?"
Luna sniffed, lifting her chin imperiously as she settled under the blankets beside Serena. "I'll give you credit when you start giving me results – YOWL!" She screeched suddenly and sprang up out of the bed and the spreading wet spot. "What was that for?"
"Oops." Serena giggled innocently, setting an empty glass on her nightstand. "Did I spill my water on you? So sorry." She turned over and curled up on the opposite side of the bed, away from the wet spot where she had dumped the water on top of her cat. "Night, Luna."
The black cat only hissed in reply, but Serena was already floating off into Elysion.
"Whoah." Darien flopped down on his bed, still clad in his tuxedo, cape and all. He grinned up at the dark ceiling, feeling an inane happiness sweeping through him. Sailor Moon's smiling face swam into focus in his mind, and he closed his eyes to better enjoy the image. Her smile could light up all Tokyo, he was sure – if it could light up the deep recesses of his heart the way it had managed to do just ten minutes ago, heck, it was capable of lighting up all of Japan!
He heaved a content sigh that turned into a muffled laugh, and pulled out his rose to power back down into his school uniform, still slightly damp from where Serena had pegged him with an ice cube before. Nothing could dampen his spirits, though, and he drifted off to sleep in his uniform, images of a pretty-suited soldier dancing through his head.
A/N: So? bounces excitedly up and down in chair What did you think? I know it's short, but I put romance in, real ROMANCE! Well, kind of. I'm still proud of myself. YAY!
So…some chemistry between the Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, hmm? How will this affect Serena and Darien's relationship? Well…..you'll just have to read on and find out! (I know, I'm evil.) Remember, miina-san – LONG JUICY reviews! Pretty please with a cherry on top! Actually, no, make that a strawberry! Or a hot tamale if you're flaming, but whatever! (Wow, exclamation points!) How were Mars and Mercury? Gimme suggestions!