AN: Well, day 2 chapter 2 :). I don't like being able to see the hit counts for stories. 222 hits and 2 reviews? No wonder so many authors beg for reviews /shrugs/. Oh well, I won't beg for reviews because they aren't what I write for. They just make me happy and sometimes help me improve. So thank you to cosmoscrystal96 and Akamery -- you made me smile! I stated in my profile that I would update this story with a chapter a day until all 8 chapters are posted. Then I will post the first chapter of the sequel and hopefully have even more written and ready to go. But, I have other stories to post up as well, so my once daily uploading of something should continue through January. Just an FYI /grin/. 12-26-06 PS: This chapter has two of my favorite lines I've ever written in it.
As soon as Usagi was out of Mamoru's sight, she found herself another isolated place to call the girls. She knew that they were worried about her and she was sorry for that. As she spoke to Rei, she could hear suspicion and concern giving the miko's voice an even harder edge than usual. She promised to explain later, at 6 PM, at the jinja. Rei and Ami agreed to meet there. Now she just had to go home and explain to her parents that she would be out again tonight.
Usagi sighed. She felt like her entire life was becoming a lie and it was no surprise to her that it was already coming unraveled. That Tuxedo Kamen had found out her identity and, most likely, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars's as well, was actually not all that tragic. It would have been much worse if the person had been someone who didn't have his own secrets to hide. Yet, Usagi couldn't help feeling guilty about all the lies, to her parents, to her friends, even to herself.
The worst part about being discovered was that it would be yet more proof she didn't know what she was doing. Mars and Mercury seemed to have instincts governing their behavior on the battlefield. She usually stood there in shock or ran around wailing until someone, usually Tuxedo Kamen, told her what to do. Sure, there were times when she was strong and dependable. But they were as few and far between as the times she didn't get detention. It all added up to a great deal of stress on the young girl. She knew Luna and Rei would yell, and she really hated being yelled at!
After all, she grew up in a very well-to-do family, able to afford a house in Tokyo when many of the richest people had to settle for apartments. Her parents were loving and protective. Perhaps they spoiled her a bit. As a child, they'd almost never raised their voices at her. But the older she'd gotten, the clumsier she'd become. She could never seem to get enough sleep and her grades were abysmal. Luna yelled a lot, as did Rei, which discomfited the flighty blonde.
Usagi paused outside the gate to her house, shaking off the gloomy thoughts. She'd have to hurry to make it back to Hikawa, she realized. Putting on a bright face, she breezed in, shouting out her return to her mother.
"Usagi! You're late!" her mother scolded lightly. When was Usagi never late? She was learning to deal with it. "I'll be ready with dinner soon. We're having tempura and shrimp udon."
Usagi's stomach growled approvingly, but Usagi sighed. Just her luck. "Sounds great Mom, but I have a study session tonight at Rei's."
Her mother frowned. "But, I thought you went to one last night."
Usagi nodded, "Yes, but we're having another, to prepare for a big math test." At least there really was a math test coming up, Usagi thought thankfully. The only lie there was that she wouldn't be studying.
Ikuko sighed, "Alright, I'll keep some for you if you want a snack when you get home. Try not to be too late, Usagi. And be careful."
Usagi nodded, then flew upstairs to change and leave some of her textbooks behind. Of course, she'd need her blasted ten-pound math book. Double-checking to make sure she had Mamoru's phone number, she blew out of the house like a whirlwind, tossing out a "Be back soon!" to her bewildered family.
The bus had been a little late and Usagi was forced to run up the million steps to Hikawa Jinja. Oh well, she shrugged, as her stomach protested its empty state, at least this would help burn a few calories. She made it to the top just as the clock struck 6 PM. Rei was already standing at the door, obviously having anticipated Usagi's tardiness. She seemed a bit disappointed.
Rei and Ami had decided to get ramen ordered in, so while they waited for the deliveryman, the three girls set out their textbooks and papers, just in case Grandpa peeked in. Luna was curled up in the corner. From her position, she studied Usagi's face. She felt a nameless fear settle in. Whatever had happened to Usagi today was still stamped on the girl's face. Chagrin, shame, embarrassment, unhappiness, maybe even a little bit of excitement. Luna couldn't figure it out.
Only once the ramen had arrived and the girls were devouring it before it could cool did Usagi begin to explain. "I . . . We have a problem, minna." Her look took in Luna as well, so Luna approached. "When Ami called me and told me there was a battle on, I slipped into the first alley to transform. But I wasn't alone."
Luna's jaw was gaping. "Someone knows your true identity?" she howled. Ami and Rei looked similarly stunned.
Usagi nodded miserably. "There was nothing I could do. He came in after me and I was already transforming."
The change in Luna was almost funny. Every strand of fur on her little body was standing straight up. Her eyes seemed to go as red as a youma's and those dangerous little claws were fully extended. When she spoke, it was through an angry snarl. "Some man saw you transforming? I'll claw his eyes out!"
Ami was poleaxed by Luna's vicious attitude. She was even more surprised by Rei, who had stood up, eyes promising vengeance. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan. The Sailor Senshi will teach that peeping tom a lesson or two. Who was it?" When Usagi didn't answer right away, the fiery miko leaned forward, invading the small blonde's space. "Don't protect the hentai, Usagi! Who was it!"
Ami and Usagi exchanged a glance. Ami was angry as well, but she was figuring out the logistics of calming down Luna and Rei first, then hunting down the pervert who had seen their leader naked.
Usagi held out her hands. "It's not like that!" she insisted. Ami couldn't think why Usagi would be protecting the guy from the righteous wrath of the senshi. "He didn't follow me into the alley. He came in by accident."
"Sure he did." Rei sneered. "Usagi-chan, you're so naïve. Your dad would beat this guy to a bloody pulp if he knew. And since we can't tell your dad, I'll do it."
"But Rei," Usagi wailed, "you don't understand!"
Ami placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Did he hurt you, Usagi-chan?"
Luna hissed and Rei began to mutter death threats.
Hurt her? Usagi looked at Ami in confusion. Mamoru had held her, but he hadn't made her stay. Or tried to do much more than talk to her. She shivered a little as she remembered the way she'd felt when he'd said her name. Ami watched Usagi's eyes go dreamy for a moment and began to worry. Luckily, Rei and Luna were now so busy talking to each other about the best way to deal with the hentai creep that they didn't notice.
Usagi cleared her throat. "Okay, minna. Hush and listen." Three heads swung at her in surprise. Usagi was filled with determination. "First of all, you can quit planning to kill anyone. The man that saw me transform was Tuxedo Kamen-sama."
There was a collective, "Ahhhh!" as three minds suddenly understood just why Usagi was so mad at him during the fight today. Tuxedo Kamen knew who she was!
Rei's eyes narrowed again. "You revealed your identity to Tuxedo Kamen! And you flashed him!" Her voice became shrill. "You idiot! You ditz!" She punctuated her insults with her seat cushion, whapping Usagi in the head.
Ami was no less thrilled. "If Tuxedo Kamen-sama knows who you are, then surely he has guessed who we are." Her quiet words chilled the group.
Luna added ice to their fear. "Worse than that, since we do not know for certain if he is on our side or what his purpose is. So far, he has aided us in battle. But there is no guarantee that he is on our side any more than that he is not on Beryl's."
The girls were quiet, until Usagi piped up. "Well, why don't we ask him?" Although Rei and Ami both sent her incredulous looks, she continued. "What I haven't been able to tell you yet is that he came into the alley to transform as well. I know who he is, too."
Rei worked out the ramifications of this quicker than all of the others. "You saw Tuxedo Kamen naked?" her voice dropped to a whisper. Usagi turned an extremely deep shade of red. Ami's pinkened as well, the thought of seeing any man naked, even the drawings in her anatomy books, made her embarrassed.
"Well, um, sort of." Usagi replied, mumbling.
Luna didn't know if she should scold or cry. Her charge was sneaking about alleys looking at naked superheroes? She shook her head, trying to keep the facts straight. "So, this is neither Usagi's fault, nor Tuxedo Kamen's?" she repeated.
"You saw Tuxedo Kamen naked!" Rei kept whispering, awe and shock and maybe even a twinge of jealousy all coloring her new mantra's tone.
Usagi was desperately trying to ignore Rei. "Yes, Luna, it's not my fault. And it's not his." She bit her lip. "Though I was really angry at him." She put her hands over her face and wailed. "I yelled at Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" But as soon as the wail had left her mouth, she remembered anew just whose face lurked under the mask and she felt less upset about the fact that she had yelled. "Now that he knows who I am, he'll never like me." she finished miserably.
Ami's curiosity was peaked and she leaned forward eagerly. "But, who is he?"
Usagi swiped at the tears she now had running down her face. "Hmm? Oh. Well, I don't know if I should . . . you see, he wants to have a meeting, tonight." she looked at Luna hard. "With all of us."
"All of you?" Luna echoed. "No, they must not reveal their identities!"
"But, Luna, chances are, if he knows Usagi-chan, or if he finds out more about her, he either already knows who we are or will find out easily enough. If any one of our identities is revealed, all of ours will be."
Luna lowered her head, her ears bent back to show her distaste for this. "I can't believe we've barely started on our search for the princess and the Crystal and already our cover is blown."
Usagi began to cry. "I'm sorry, Luna!"
Rei shook her head, for once deciding against adding to the blonde's guilt. "If he wants a meeting, we can meet him in the park, in our fuku. We can proceed from there." She had already decided she wasn't going to tell Luna that Tuxedo Kamen had called her by her real name. It could have just been a lucky guess, anyway.
Like magic, Usagi's eyes dried. "Good idea, Rei-chan!"
Ami nodded. "It seems like the best choice. The park will be neutral ground. It won't allow any leaps of intuition to our identities." She exchanged a meaningful glance with Rei, indicating she had decided to keep that fact a secret, for now.
Usagi nodded. "Okay, I'll call him." She slipped from the outer room into Rei's inner room. Pulling out the crumpled paper, she hastily dialed Mamoru's number. When he answered, she spoke quickly and protected his identity. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she whispered breathily. "They've agreed to meet you, tonight at the park." He replied, then hung up.
The three girls and the cat quickly arranged the room to look like they had fallen asleep. Then they slipped out and away from the jinja, only transforming once they had neared the park. The full moon shone down on them, and Usagi took a moment to admire the rabbit in the moon. A soft rustling in the bushes caught their attention, and the senshi turned to face Tuxedo Kamen. Yet, the nomenclature was only part correct, for he had removed his hat and mask.
"Mamoru-san!"