A dim pulse throbbed in the dark. Deep reds stained the ground, and with the throbbing grew a wild and untamed laughter. Looking down, hands covered in blood. They were his own.

Blue lips… not his- but her's… The laughter grew louder. Something like ice took form in his chest. What was this? Usako- why wasn't she moving? Why was she so cold? A thin cord like guitar string tightened around her neck as she lay beside him. The cord tightened and beads of blood formed along the string and melted into the red of her choker.

The moon.

His eyes ripped open and that was the first thing he saw was the full moon. He was in a cold sweat and desperately trying to catch his breath. Mamoru was familiar with night terrors. And some days it was harder to figure out what was worth fretting over and what was indeed just a nightmare.

He rose from his bed, feeling a great weight in the back of his head. He briefly considered calling Usagi. It was just a dream. But somehow dreams like that shook him deep. But he needed to be strong. If he began to worry, then so would Usagi. He made his way to the kitchen, fetching himself a glass of water and stealing a glance at the clock. It read 3:47 in the morning.

With his glass of water in hand he took a seat at the kitchen table. He ran his fingers through his thick dark hair and took a sip. The image still burned in his mind. His precious Usako. He couldn't shake it.

After debating with himself, he decided a run would be beneficial. He slipped on some jogging clothes and made his way out the door. It was quiet and the streets were empty. He could hear crickets in the distance.

The run was indeed helping clear his mind as he focused on his pacing and breathing. Things slowly faded to the back of his mind as his paces became even and erythematic. When the sun started to show itself- he realized there was no point now in going back to bed.

He began to wonder how long he had been out. As he lifted his arm to check the time, something stopped him in his tracks and landed him flat on his backside. After the initial shock wore off, he looked up to see what hit him. A few feet from him a woman with warm red hair sat rubbing her backside.

"Wow. I'm sorry about that!" He stood, holding a hand out for the woman sitting across from him. "I didn't mean to knock you down like that." She took his hand, her copper colored eyes catching the first ray of dawn.

"It's okay…" She stated as she rose to here feet. "Maybe you shouldn't be running and checking your watch at the same time." She suggested bluntly.

He laughed a sheepishly. "Yeah, probably not my wisest decision." He admitted. "Again, I'm really sorry about that." He bent to pick up her bag from the ground and handed it to her. She took it and settled its strap comfortably on her shoulder.

Something in her sharp copper eyes was a bit off. Or 'bimyou'- if you will. He shifted his weight, feeling a bit uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. She almost looked expectant of something. What that was- he was unsure. Her eyes scanned him from top to bottom a few times. "Ah, can I help you?" He asked, hoping to get to the bottom of what it was she wanted.

"Hm." Was all she said before turning on her heal and walking the opposite direction.

Something about that encounter was totally unsettling. He had no idea how he was meant to act in a situation as that. What a strange woman. She almost seemed like she was foreign, but her face was clearly Japanese. And what little she did say was so fluent he couldn't doubt it. As soon as she had left the air felt calmer. It was as if he had been in an EMS field. He brushed it off and returned to his run.

By the time he got back home, it was nearly six thirty in the morning. He sighed, taking a step out onto the balcony of his apartment. He slowly swallowed down the rest of his water from when he'd woken earlier. He pushed himself to go back to sleep by this point. He had no prior commitments today, and now he felt calm enough that he could actually sleep.

The next time he woke, it was to the sound of his doorbell. He lifted his groggy head from the arm of the couch. The doorbell persisted, and he trudged to the door. Upon opening the door, he was pleasantly surprised to find Usagi was the source of the noise. "Usako…" He smiled stepping aside.

"Good morning Mamo!" She greeted happily as she stepped inside to remove her shoes. "Sorry to just drop by unannounced." She grinned childishly. Once the door was shut, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She stopped her usual talkative chatter, a bit taken aback by his tight and desperate embrace.

He was glad to see her. Seeing her in her usual happy energetic state wiped away the anxiety of last night's dream. He remained like that, just squeezing her.

"Mamo? Is everything okay?" She was concerned. It wasn't the usual type of hug they shared.

"I'm just fine, Usako." He breathed in her ear, causing her to shiver as she hugged him back. "I'm just glad to see you." His low voice almost tickled her ear drums as he spoke softly in her ear. She could tell he was worried about something. Or perhaps relieved? Maybe somewhere between the two? She pressed her arms against his back harder as if assuring him she was there for him.

After a moment passed the two slowly slid out of each other's arms. "You look so tired…"

"A little." He smiled to reassure her that everything was fine. "I'll go put on some tea." She nodded, following him to the kitchen and watching as he set a kettle of water on to boil.

She sat at the kitchen table, chin propped on her palm. Usagi follow him with her eyes. She still bore some concern for the gorgeous man before her. He tended to keep a strong face in front of her. But she cherished the moments when he let her see that soft and sad tender side of him.

After everything was set up, he came to sit with Usagi at the table. Noting the look on her face, he took her idle hand in his and gave it a soft kiss. "Usako, what are you doing here so early anyways?" He had stolen a glance at the clock, and it was not even eight yet. It was rare to see her up and about before 10 on a weekend.

"I guess I just was having a rough time sleeping last night…" She admitted. Now that he really looked, she did look tired, and a bit unnerved on top of that. "The girls started talking about how…" She paused, biting her lip to keep from letting herself slip into tears. "How it's been so peaceful lately- and- and it probably won't l-last long." Her voice quivered, betraying her nonchalant act.

Mamoru squeezed her hand in hope of reassuring her. However he suddenly felt something heavy form in the pit of his stomach. The dream- the girls talking- as if they all subconsciously sensed a threat awakening.

"Usako, try not to let it get to you so much…" He started. The tea kettle began to scream. He got up and began to pour the drinks. However she couldn't help but worry. Some part of her sensed it too, although she didn't know it. The two left the kitchen to sit at the couch. "It's our responsibility to this planet."

His words did little to ease her discomfort however, and she found herself simply tracing the rim of her cup as she listened. "Our lives are happy now, yes- but you and I both know as long as we are together the future will be safe and we will always have each other. ChibiUsa is a testament to that." He took an uneasy sip of his drink before setting it on the coffee table.

She set her drink down as well; quickly losing interest in it. His voice was calm and mellow but she still sensed doubt in him. This only brought her closer to tears.

"I somehow feel as if you don't believe that yourself." She muttered. "We have the potential to change the future every day… We've done it before." She pointed out. She felt her eyes burn with the first spilling of tears. "I'm just so scared that things will go back to the way they were, Mamo!" She sobbed deeply whilst burying her face into his chest. "I like things the way they are now!" She clenched the fabric of his shirt in her hands as gobs of diamond-like liquid streamed down her cheeks. "I can't do it…" Her voice was pleading and desperate, and it broke his heart to see her cry like this. It was so genuine and raw that it hurt him.

He wrapped his arms around her, stroking the top of her head and he let her cry. "Usako… Just stay with me and everything will be alright." He whispered in her ear. They remained there like that until her crying ceased.

By this time, he had a sizable wet spot on the front of his shirt. Usagi pulled away, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes, and managing a soft laugh with an apology, both for the shirt and her sudden waterworks. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, assuring her not to worry about it.

The rest of the day was spent together with a pizza and some TV. They lazily lounged around his apartment, occasionally they would slip into a nap here or there, and neither of them spoke of the subject again the rest of the day.