"Usagi! You need to get up!"
Usagi shot up in bed, panicked. What time was it? Looking at her clock it read 7:40. Wait, that was earlier than she usually got up…wait! She was supposed to walk to school with Haruka and Michiru today! She had to hurry! Usagi rushed out of bed, running back and forth trying to get dressed and ready as quickly as she could. Usagi rushed down the stairs and looked at her mother for a second,
"Mom! Why didn't you wake me up earlier!"
Usagi's mother sighed,
"Usagi, you need to learn how to get up on your own. Especially if you make plans to walk to school with friends in the morning."
Usagi looked at her mom with an annoyed stare, all while brushing her teeth.
"But, Mom! I can't help it, I just sleep in! It's not like I do it on purpose!" Usagi whined as soon as she finished brushing her teeth.
The doorbell rang, and Usagi realized even though she had woken up earlier she still had no time to eat breakfast. Oh well there was nothing she could do about it.
"Usagi! Don't forget your lunch!" Usagi's mother spoke, holding out her lunch for Usagi to take.
Usagi quickly grabbed her lunch and made her way to the door, and quickly opened it.
"Good morning Usagi," Michiru smiled at her standing in the doorway.
_
Usagi walked along the path, trailing slightly behind Haruka and Michiru. Usagi looked around as they walked, looking for nothing in particular.
As she looked around she saw a spot of black on the road. Usagi squinted, unsure of what she was looking at. Wait, was that a cat? Usagi watched it closely, and indeed it was a cat as she saw its ears.
"Usagi, what are you looking at?" Haruka asked, looking at her curiously.
Usagi pointed towards the cat,
"There's a cat over there I was trying to see what it was."
Haruka and Michiru looked over at the cat,
"It looks like it's uncomfortable." Michiru noted,
Usagi tilted her head, trying to see what Michiru was talking about, and sure enough the cat was desperately clawing at its forehead. Usagi didn't think that was normal for cats.
Slowly, Usagi made her way over to the cat so she wouldn't scare it.
"Oh! There's bandages on its forehead." Usagi exclaimed,
Bending down, Usagi picked up that cat and carefully removed the bandages.
Usagi blinked, noticing a strange marking on the cat's forehead. The mark looked like the moon.
"Usagi…maybe you should put the cat down…" Michiru spoke, a frown on her face.
Usagi nodded, and she placed the cat down watching as it walked away.
The moon…why would a cat have a marking of the moon?
_
Michiru frowned, as soon as she had seen that marking she'd known who that cat was. The cat's name was Luna and was one of Queen Serenity's advisors.
Michiru glanced at Haruka who shared her expression. Please let the cat leave Usagi alone. Michiru did not want Usagi to remember the past. The past of their fallen kingdom on the moon.
Maybe, just maybe it would be fine. Usagi was the Princess, surely the cat would know better than to get her involved with anything. To put her in danger. Surely one of the Queen's only advisor's would know to keep the Princess from danger. Yet Michiru could not help feel a sense of dread as the cat walked away.
_
Usagi sat in class head down and the day was almost over, finally. Usagi let her mind wander, and she thought back to this morning after the cat had left. It had been strangely quiet after that neither Michiru or Haruka said a word once the small animal had left. Maybe they had something on their minds? The teacher started speaking, Usagi noted but she wasn't paying attention to any of it. It all went in one ear and out the other, something about tests maybe? Usagi hoped not.
_
Usagi stared down at her grade, of course they got exam grades back today. Why? Why her? Why today? On her paper was a thirty seven written in big red marker. Mom was going to be mad at her, wasn't she?
"Usagi!" Her friend, Naru called her name as she walked over holding her test in hand.
Usagi didn't say anything, not really wanting to talk after seeing her grade. Instead she merely glanced at Naru.
Naru seemed a bit put off by this and spoke,
"You got a bad grade again didn't you?"
Usagi didn't get to reply as Umino butted in as he always did,
"Of course she did! This is Usagi we're talking about! I didn't get the grade I wanted either because I didn't study." Umino said, showing off his exam which had a ninety five written on it.
Usagi wanted to scream, Umino always gets the best grades no matter what! Why does he have to brag about it every single time. Usagi watched Naru as she sighed,
"I didn't get the grade I wanted either, I should have studied more."
Naru's paper had eighty five written on it. Seriously, what was with everybody and showing off their scores? At least she knew unlike Umino, Naru didn't mean anything by it.
"Oh! By the way, Usagi! My parents are having a huge sale on Jewelry! Would you like to come check it out?"
A sale? Usagi's eyes sparkled, that sounded amazing. However she was already on thin ice with her last test score. So there was no way she could get anything. Going only to look didn't sound very enticing.
"I'll pass Naru, maybe next time."
Naru blinked,
"But Usagi, this might never happen again. My mom doesn't really do sales, and such."
That was true. Now that Usagi thought about it, this was the first time she could think of a jewelry sale ever happening…at the store run by Naru's parents at least. Wasn't their brand super expensive and exclusive?
"Naru, don't you think it's weird that the sale's even happening?"
Usagi watched Naru as she stopped and thought for a second,
"Well it's a little weird, but I'm sure Mama knows what she's doing."
Usagi nodded, surely that was true. But still Usagi felt a cloud of doubt and worry building in her chest.
_
Usagi sat in her bedroom and sighed, as expected mom was furious about her grade. So as a result she'd been told she had to study, and was not allowed to do anything or go anywhere until she studied properly. Well originally her mom had locked her out, but she had been let back inside to keep her from disturbing the neighbors.
Even worse, Michiru had called earlier and her mother told her that she was unable to do anything due to her bad exam grade. How embarrassing is that? Why did her mom have to mention the grade? She could have just said she was unavailable!
Usagi groaned, and placed her head on the desk. How was she supposed to study when her mother embarrassed her like that?
Scratch
Huh, what was that sound? It better not be Shingo messing with her!
Usagi made her way to the door and opened it. She expected to see Shingo, but nobody was there.
Usagi shrugged, and closed the door going back to her desk.
Scratch
Scratch
Ugh! There it was again! Just what was that noise?
Scratch
Scratch
Scratch
Scratch
Usagi looked to her left, maybe the noise was coming from her window? Sure enough when she walked over to her bed in order to look outside, and sure enough there on the window still sat that cat, from this morning.
What? Why was it here?
Usagi stared at the cat, and it stared right back as it continued scratching at the window. Was it trying to get in?
Usagi sighed, and saw no harm in letting the poor thing in. Leaning over, Usagi unlocking, and opening the window. As soon as this was done, the cat walked in, and sat on her bed.
"Took you long enough," The cat spoke.
It spoke. A cat spoke
Usagi jumped back in alarm. The cat was speaking to her…she must be dreaming.
"Well anyway, I'm Luna and I have been searching for you, Usagi."
Usagi stared,
"Am I dreaming?"
Luna spared Usagi a glance,
"No you're not. Anyway, I have something for you."
Usagi blinked,
"Something for me…" Usagi said as she watched the cat pull a brooch out of thin air. With that all logic had already gone out the window, as Usagi was memorized by the brooch.
Picking it up, Usagi smiled,
"Wow! How pretty!"
Luna appeared to pay no mind to Usagi and continued,
"Listen, you have been chosen as a Senshi, and you have a mission to find allies and our Princess."
Usagi blinked, a Senshi, and a Princess. Why does that sound so familiar? Usagi watched as the brooch started to glow.
"Luna? Why is the brooch glowing?"
Luna did not answer her question,
"Usagi, now raise your hand in the air and say: Moon Prism Power Make Up!"
Usagi looked at Luna confused, but still raised her hand and shouted,
"Moon Prism Power Make Up!"
A bright light encompassed the room, Usagi couldn't see anything. As the light faded Usagi noted she felt different, stronger.
Looking in the mirror Usagi noticed she now wore a sailor suit with a skirt that was admittedly very short. She wore red glasses, a tiara on her forehead, and glass crystals lay on her hair buns.
Usagi didn't have time to speak as she quickly heard the sound of someone screaming ringing in her ears.
Wait, that was Naru's voice…why could she hear it? Why was her friend screaming? She needed to do something!
Usagi was confused, and her confusion grew as she saw an image of an ugly looking woman holding Naru by the neck.
Immediately Usagi pulled the glasses off her face, and the image faded.
"What…" Usagi breathed, unable to comprehend what was happening,
"Do you believe me now?" Luna spoke, rather calmly
Usagi took a breath,
"I don't understand what's going on, but Naru's in danger! I have to save her!"
_
"Get your hands off Naru this instant! You disgusting hag!" Usagi yelled as she slammed open the doors to the store.
The disgusting hag quickly turned from Naru, dropping her on the ground.
"Who are you?" It demanded,
"I'm…uhh…umm…I…" Usagi faltered realizing she had no name for herself, and she continued to falter until Luna meowed, head looking towards the moon.
Usagi felt inspired as she spoke,
"I am the pretty guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon!"
The creature snarled, and raised her arm in the air,
"Sailor Moon? I've never heard of such a person! Come my minions who have sacrificed their life energy for our master! Come and destroy that girl!"
Usagi blinked at the monster, staring in confusion.
What? What was she doing? Who was she talking to?
Suddenly Usagi slipped and fell to the ground, scraping her knee. Thanks to this Usagi miraculously managed to dodge being hit in the back of head by a broken wine bottle.
Usagi however did not notice that nor the crowd of citizens under the control of this creature who were trying to kill her. Instead, she was focused on the scrape on her knee, which was bleeding.
"I'm bleeding? You mean this wasn't a dream? OW it hurts!"
Luna jumped up and exclaimed,
"What are you doing, Usagi? You have to fight!"
Usagi ignored Luna,
"Why are such horrible things happening in front of me?" Usagi whined voice wavering, tears in her eyes.
The tears in Usagi's eyes fell, and she screamed as she cried,
"I can't take this anymore! I'm going home!"
Supersonic waves were released from the crystals in her hair as Usagi cried. Though this was unnoticed by Usagi herself.
Windows shattered, and the foul creature and it's hands on its ears.
"Supersonic waves? Ugh!" The creature spoke, unable to move.
Usagi cried, and cried until a voice broke through her tears,
"Stop crying Sailor Moon! Now's your chance!"
Luna seeing her chance shouted at Usagi,
"Usagi! Shout these words! Moon Tiara Boomerang!"
Usagi nodded still teary eyed,
"Moon Tiara Boomerang!" Usagi's tiara glowed, and somehow emerged in front of Usagi.
The tiara shot forward towards the creature, and sped through the foul being turning it to dust.
"It turned to dust?" Usagi muttered, still very confused.
"I didn't find the Legendary Silver Crystal…but I did see something interesting" a voice started, and Usagi turned.
Usagi turned, and saw a man a in tuxedo and a mask,
"My name is Tuxedo Mask, and I'll remember you Sailor Moon." With those words Tuxedo Mask disappeared into the night.
Usagi watched him go, and was left confused as the man seemed so familiar to her. Usagi must have stood there in the night for a while, trying to make sense of everything she had witnessed.
_
The next morning Michiru looked at the newspaper with a frown on her face. Sailor Moon appeared and saved a girl and her mother from mysterious forces, the newspaper said. It had to be Usagi. Who else could it be?
Michiru placed the newspaper on the table and turned towards Haruka,
"Have you read this?"
Haruka only looked at her curiously,
"No I haven't…why?" Haruka spoke as she bent down to pick up the newspaper.
"It seems as though that cat has brought our princess into a bit of trouble last night." Michiru spoke, annoyed.
Haruka dropped the paper back on the table and sighed,
"Seems like it."
_
Meanwhile Usagi sat at her desk at school with her head down, exhausted. No doubt wishing last night was nothing but a dream.