Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters.
---
--
-
--
---
A Mysterious Lady
Hidden amongst the tall bed of roses of a large flower garden there stood a small incense burner. On the outside it seemed simple and perfectly ordinary. One glance and anyone would have assumed that it was just an old forgotten object. It had a silvery lining and a bronze coloring that was almost beginning to rust. But concealed beneath its boring exterior there laid a strength, a power that was beginning to wake. Sealed within it was a beautiful woman with knowing eyes the color of lavender, and fiery red hair that was looped into a bow-like style. The woman stirred. The light of hope approaches. It is almost time.
---
Mamoru Chiba was heading home when he decided to stop by the garden to check out the flowers. Roses had always soothed him, ever since he was a small child, and he definitely needed relaxing after the day he's had.
He'd just finished a tiring day of school and decided to call Usagi's house to see if she wanted to go out, but her mother picked up and said she'd already left to meet Seiya. Mamoru's been very busy lately and had hardly spent any time with his girlfriend before he had to leave for America, and it was bad-luck she'd chosen now to go out with that cheeky boy. Two more weeks before I leave. I'm really going to miss her. He gazed at the blooming roses and reached out to touch them when his hand grazed a rough object. Suddenly a beam of crimson light appeared and a woman with hair the intensity of fire materialized before him. She's beautiful, he thought before he could stop himself.
The woman looked around seeming slightly disoriented, then abruptly fainted into Mamoru's arms.
When she came to – a few seconds later – the woman opened her eyes to find that she was being held in the strong arms of a very handsome man, which promptly caused a light blush to appear on her delicate features.
She regarded him closely. This man himself is not the light of hope, yet he's managed to unleash me from that burner. The light has surely reached this one.
"The light of hope. You smell of it," she tilted her head at him. "You've seen it. You know it. You've touched it."
"Umm… I think you're a little out of it. Do you need to lie down?"
This man is strange. A woman appears out of nowhere in front of him, chattering on about a light of hope, and he doesn't even seem fazed. Perhaps there's more to this man than good looks, she thought with a small smile, and then she shook her head.
"No I'm fine. Sorry about that," she said, stepping away.
"Okay. Then would you mind telling me how you just magically appeared after I touched that thing?" He nodded at the incense burner. "Are you some sort of genie?"
She laughed.
"No I'm not a genie. Do they exist?"
"Well, then are you evil? Because if you are, I'm sorry but I'll have to get rid of you."
Well this is getting interesting, she grinned at his calm bluntness.
"Oh? And how do you intend to do that? Are you going to smile and blind me with your gorgeous teeth? Or perhaps kiss me so I go weak in the knees." He rolled his eyes but could not quench the sudden redness that crept into his face. "Oh I know! You'll throw one of these roses at my heart," she chuckled.
He smiled at that one.
"Something like that," he grinned mysteriously. "Now just answer the question."
"Ah, but if I were evil, why would I tell you? Would you so easily believe me if I said I weren't? And if I were evil and I told you I was, and you tried to challenge me, then I'd have to kill you. And why would I want to kill such a good-looking man like yourself?" His cheeks flushed deeper. "So do you really want me to answer that question?" she smiled sweetly.
"You don't need to answer it. I already know," he said frankly.
"Is that so? How could you tell?"
"You're not evil. I can see it in your eyes."
Interesting, is that this man's power? That he can read a person's character?
"Good. Then I don't need to tell you."
"You are peculiar though."
She touched her hand to her chest, feigning indignation.
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, you did just materialize out of that burner, and then you talk to me as if it were any other day. What kind of normal person does that?"
"You're one to talk. A beautifully enchanting woman appears to you from a bed of roses and you talk to her as if it was any other day and she was any other person. What kind of normal person does that, hmm?" she countered triumphantly.
That earned her a smile.
"So are you going to tell me, or do I need to ask?"
"Tell you what?"
"Who you are, and what you're doing here. We both know you aren't exactly from here, so there'd be no use trying to tell me that you're just a normal girl who pulls a genie everyday as if it were your regular daily routine. People from earth don't generally do that you know."
"Okay," she conceded, "you look trustworthy, and maybe you could help me. I'm looking for the light of hope; only the power of its light should have been able to free me." This caused Mamoru's eyes to widen, and to suddenly inspect his hands, as if expecting some divine light to explode through them. "No silly, it isn't you. But its power shines in you. I feel it in you, and it's strong." She regarded him for a moment. "I want to get to know you."
"I have a girlfriend," he said awkwardly, shaking his head.
"Is she the jealous type?" she asked, unable to veil the disappointment that etched her voice at hearing he was taken.
He considered it then answered firmly, "She was, but she's grown. We've both grown. We trust each other."
"Then have coffee with me. There's nothing wrong with that is there?" she inquired innocently.
He paused.
"Alright, you seem nice enough. And there are still some questions I want you to answer."
"Great. What's your name anyways?"
"Mamoru. And yours?"
"I am Kakyuu."
"Alright, then let's go."
---
"SEIYA!" After Usagi and Seiya finally finished their do-NOT/do-TOO argument, he'd managed to convince her to forgive him for being late by offering to buy her an ice cream cone. On their way to the ice cream store, Usagi's accident-proneness kicked in as she walked straight into the path of a speeding bicyclist. Seiya, gallant as he was, quickly pushed her out of the way, with the fortunate – in his opinion anyway – consequence of falling on top of her.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"I…" her face turned red and she looked breathless.
"Dumpling?" he asked in surprise, wondering if she's suddenly changed her mind about him.
"… Can't breathe," she wheezed.
"Oh," he said sheepishly, rolling over beside her.
"Why'd you take so long to get off of me?" she asked irately.
"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it," he grinned at her sudden blush. "I like that shade of pink on you."
Then he stood.
"For your information, I did not enjoy it," she sniffed, taking the hand he offered to help her up.
"I always have to save you Dumpling, and you're never grateful," he sighed exaggeratedly.
"That's because I never asked to be saved," was her retort.
"But if I hadn't saved you, we wouldn't have met. You're lucky."
"How's that?"
"Because now you have a cool, good looking guy like me as a friend," he said as if it were obvious.
"What a joy," she said dryly.
He looked at her then.
"I'm that much of a nuisance to you Dumpling?" he asked, revealing a heavy sadness in those expressive pools of royal blue that were his eyes.
He turned away.
Hearing the pain in his voice, and seeing it reflected in his eyes, Usagi knew she'd hurt him, and instantly regretted it. All he's done is been nice to me, and this is how I repay him.
"Seiya?" she asked softly.
He looked at her uneasily, unsure of what insult she'd throw at him now.
"Yes Dumpling?"
"Thanks," she said, and at his stunned look, threw her arms around him in a warm hug, whispering quietly in his ear, "I'll never hurt you again."
Oh Dumpling, you have no idea, he thought hopelessly. The knowledge that she'd never be with him hurting him more than her words ever could.
---
--
-
okay, so i wrote out chibi chibi. sue me lol.