Ta da! Another villian-free chapter of SMD. But I pormise there will be pleanty of evil next chapter. You just wait. So as always enjoy. And R&R please! :D

~SXS

Mamoru Leaving? Seiya's Feelings? Usagi Thinks About Destiny

The clock said it was 7:30 when I woke the next day. I knew I had to meet Mamoru at 12:00, so I started to get ready. Even after I was all done and ready, it was still only 8:15. I wonder if Naru-chan is awake yet...

As I dialed the phone number I wondered if she would even want to talk to me after I hadn't really talked to her for such a long time. The phone rang once. The phone rang twice. The phone rang three times. I hung up figuring that the family was all still asleep. I would try to call her again later.

Instead of moping around my house until it was time to see Mamoru, I decided that I would aimlessly walk into town. It was an easy way to distract myself from what was going on in my life. As I walked, I realized that my feet were leading me to the arcade.

"Hey, Usagi! Great to see you," Motoki greeted me. "Gonna try and beat your high score?"

"Nah, I think I'll try and set a high score on a different game this time." There was one other game that I used to play wih Minako all the time. It was a racing game for two, but I had no one to play with. "Hey, Motoki-kun, are you doing anything right now?"

"Actually, I was just about to take my break. Why?"

"Would you like to race against me?" He smiled and said he would. I payed for the game and we both sat down in the 'drivers' seats' next to each other. The game was fast-paced and it got hard to turn at the right moment sometimes. I wound up losing the first time.

"Don't worry, Usagi. You'll get the hang of it. Why don't you try practice mode? I have to get back to work now but tomorrow on my break I'll race you again." Motoki went back behind the counter and started to clean off the glass.

Until 11:45, I stayed in the aracde practicing my dirving. I was starting to get the hang of it, but I knew I had to leave. I was very reluctant to go, though. When I was playing the games, I was almost cut off from the real world. I didn't have to worry about my problems. Stepping through the doors of the arcade was like stepping into a safehaven. That was something I needed at this point.

I said goodbye to Motoki and made my way to the park. Mamoru was sitting on a bench near the entrance. "Usako!" he called when he saw me. I ran over to him and he gave me a kiss. "Your on time." He sounded surprised.

"I was up early today." I didn't want to mention my dreams about the fear of my destiny or fate.

"Anyway, Usako, I wanted to tell you something. It's hard for me to say, but I have to." He fidgeted a little, probably trying to think of the right words. "Ok," he finally said. "Usako...I'm going to America for a semester."

I lost it again.

My eyes were blurry with tears so I couldn't see where I was going. It was a repeat of the other day, only this time Mamoru was chasing after me. I ran like I never had before. Why would I want to be comforted by him when he was the cause of the problem?

I guess running when you can't see is a bad idea. I was running so fast and so hard that I ran right into someone and knocked the both of us over. "Sorry," I mumbled as I tried to get up and keep running but the person wrapped their arms around me.

"It's ok. Shh, shh. Everything's ok." The voice was one that I recognized and I had a flashback to a blackout in a dance club a few years back. The person stroked my hair and held me tight. The footsteps that were following me caught up and came to a stop in front of us. "I had a feeling this would happen," my comforter said to the footsteps.

"Usako, please. It's only for the fall semester. My education is important. Please understand," Mamoru begged.

"You think it's that easy?" I whispered into Seiya's shirt. "You think that I can just let you go with a smile, especially now? I understand, Mamoru, that you have to study but you can't do it here? " My body racked with sobs and Seiya rubbed my back.

"I think you should go," Seiya said in an icy tone. I heard Mamoru begin to protest. I couldn't see what was going on, but I could tell that Seiya was giving him some sort of look. Mamoru's footsteps faded into the distance.

Seiya stood the both of us up and we walked over to a bench. I was still crying, but not as hard. He sat me on his lap and held me while I cried. I'm not sure how much time passed but eventually, I stopped.

"Feel a little better?" Seiya asked.

"No. I just can't cry anymore." I attempted a smile but failed. "Why does it seem like my life is going downhill?"

"There are always going to be times when things seem at their worst. You just have to keep on going and everything will turn around. The future that you saw, both futures that you saw, aren't set in stone. They can always be changed." That dazzling smile of his made me feel better.

"Thank you so much, Seiya. You've always been there for me. You're the best friend I ever had." At this, Seiya's expression fell for a moment, then he quickly pushed it away and replaced it with another smile. I could see the flicker of pain still in his eyes. "What did I say?"

"Odango..." he started very queitly after a moment. "I have to ask you something. Something really important. And before you answer, I need you to think about what I'm asking and think about your answer. Really think. Can you do that?" I thought that he was acting weird but I nodded.

Seiya looked at me with those deep blue eyes and I found I was almost incapacitated. His cheeks turned pink. "Odango, do you love me?"

It struck me at first as a question that he already knew the answer to. "Of course I do, Seiya."

"No, no! Not like that. Gosh, you think by now you would have realized!" He hung his head in defeat. That was when I really started to think about the question he was asking.

All those memories of when we first met flooded back into my mind. When we spent his day off together, when he stayed over my house to protect me, when we tried to see each other even though we were forbidden, when we said goodbye backstage at the final concert. One particular moment stood out; saying goodbye on the rooftop.

Seiya stood across from me. Kakkyu Princess was next to him and Taiki and Yaten were next to her. "Odango, I'm glad you got your boyfriend back," Seiya said and smiled.

"It's because of you, Seiya," I said. "It's because of you, Seiya, that I was able to hang on." A light blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Odango...I'll never forget you," he said to me.

"Yes! We'll be friends forever!"

Yaten and Taiki started laughing. Seiya put a hand to his forehead. "Oh, come on!"

I asked everyone what was going on, but they just said I'd never understand. Why was everyone laughing? Why wouldn't I understand?

Then, the other day at Crown's popped into my head. "Odango, do you know what it's like to love someone but know that they don't love you the same way?" It was all adding up. Even the song that he said I wouldn't understand.

"Seiya...You...Do you...Are you in love with me?"

Seiya's face turned extremely red. "You didn't know before?"

"So all this time that you were hanging around me, it was because you loved me?"

"Well, not at first." He looked up at the sky and the blush refused to leave his face. He smiled at his memories. "At first when I met you I was attracted to your shine. It was so much brighter than any other I had ever encountered, even Kakkyu Princess." The red on his cheeks got darker and darker. "But as we spent more and more time together, I really did fall for you."

It all hit me at once. I had known all along that Seiya loved me, I just wouldn't admit it to myself. Because that would just make it easier for me to love him too...

"Seiya, I have to go." I got up from the bench and ran away.

Seiya stared after me, looking crestfallen. I hated to make him feel like I didn't care, but I wasn't sure if I did. Before I did anything, I needed to figure out how I felt.

When I finally made it home, I ran up to my room again and I just thought. I spoke to no one about what had gone on between Seiya and I that afternoon and I highly doubted that I would tell anyone.

New thoughts pushed their way into my head and I let them. I didn't want to push away anything that might give me an answer. So the thoughts flowed, but nothing was helping. This went on for a while and I soon realized that it was 3:00. Then the phone rang.

I was scared to pick it up because of who it might be. Either it was Mamoru, Seiya or one of the girls. I could talk to one of the girls but Mamoru and Seiya I couldn't at the moment.

The answering machine picked up and I screened the call. "Usagi, it's Naru. I saw that you tried to call me earlier and I was just trying to get back to you. Give me a call when you're available." Then she hung up.

Naru calling back was a surprise. Maybe I should call her back right now. She was always good to talk to. I picked up the phone and dialed her number. She picked up on the second ring. "Moshi moshi?"
"Naru-chan!"

"Usagi? Wow! It's so good to hear your voice! How have you been?" Maybe my non-senshi friends didn't hate me after all. They just missed me.

"I've been...ok. How about you?"

"I've been just fine, but I've missed hanging out with you."

"We should go somewhere together right now! What do you say?"

"I'd love to! How about we meet at Crown's?"

"Sure! I can't wait to catch up! See you there!"

"Bye!"

The two of us hung up. I actually smiled genuinely at the thought of seeing my old friend. I ran right out the door and went straight to Crown's. Naru and I met at the door with a huge hug.

"You haven't changed a bit, Usagi." That was true, but Naru had changed. She no longer wore a bow in her hair and it had grown longer, to the middle of her back. It looked like she flat ironed it to get the wave out.

"You look pretty, Naru-chan."
"Thanks." She smiled. "Shall we go in?" We went into the cafe arm in arm and sat at a table. "So what have you been doing lately, Usagi? Face any really tough-" Naru stopped mid-sentence and covered her mouth.

"What do you mean? What were you going to say?" I asked.

"N-nothing. What have you been doing? That's all."

"Well," Fighting evil people, hanging around with aliens, losing my powers, the usual. "...going to school I guess. How about you?"

"Yeah, I've been going to school too. Actually, I'm thinking of doing something in the law enforcement area in the future." I asked her why. "Well, I was inspired by a great hero. She saved me a few times and even though I may not be able to do what she can, I still want to bring justice to the world my own way." I knew she was talking about Sailor Moon. Naru was the first person I saved as Sailor Moon and it wouldn't be the last time I saved her either.

"That's so cool."

We talked about everything that had gone on in our lives since we had last seen each other. Of course, she had more to tell because I couldn't reveal to her anything that had gone on in my senshi life.

"Usagi, you seem troubled. What is it?" she asked after a time. Naru knew me too well, even if we hadn't spoken in a long while.

"Well, I'm sort of having guy trouble..." I sighed and put my chin on the table. Naru put her hands together and rested her chin on them, indicating for me to continue. "Well, see, I have my Mamo-chan, right? You remember him?" She nodded. "Well, I've always loved Mamo-chan. We're going to be together forever. Then there's Seiya..."

"Seiya, as in Seiya Kou of the Three Lights?" Naru's eyes went wide. Obviously, she was a fan. I nodded.

"When they first transferred to our school, Seiya and I became very close. We told each other everything and we hung around together all the time. At that time, Mamo-chan was studying in America." Or so we had thought, but I didn't add that. "Then at the end of the school year, Seiya...moved away and Mamo-chan came back.

"But now that the Three Lights have come back, I've found out that Seiya is in love with me too. He asked me if I loved him too, but the truth is I don't know. I love Mamo-chan. That's obvious. But when it comes to Seiya, it's almost like there's a wall in my mind, blocking off something. Sure, I love him as a friend, but if there is anything else I can't tell. That stupid wall is there."

"Usagi, you really have a problem on your hands, and I think I know what you should do." I looked up at her and she smiled. "You need to break down that wall and see if there really is more than just feelings of friendship behind it for Seiya. If there is, and if you feel that it's more prominent than your love for Mamoru, you should go for him!"

This was just what I wanted to do, but I couldn't. If I found out that I loved Seiya more than Mamoru, I'd want to leave my destined relationship. That was why there was a wall, to block off my true feelings and preserve the future I was supposed to have. But Naru couldn't understand that because she didn't know of my future.

"Naru-chan...It's too complicated to explain. I can't just leave Mamo-chan. There's a really important reason why we HAVE to stay together."

"Are you in an arranged marriage?"

"Something like that...but it's much more complicated than that." Naru looked at me, her eyes sincere.

"Usagi...does it have anything to do with the fact that you're Sailor Moon?" My jaw dropped and my eyes went wide with shock. How and when did she find that out? Should I play dumb or should I tell her the truth? "I know you're really her. I've known for a while now. You're never both in the same place at the same time, all of the sudden you were always busy, plus the fact that you would run off and two seconds later she would show up. Besides, who else would have that hairstyle?" She had me there.

"Alright, fine. I am Sailor Moon. And yes, my guy troubles are related to that fact. You remember my cousin, Chibiusa? Well she's actually my daughter from the future. Mamo-chan and I get married and have her. And we rule a kingdom together, but that's a long story to go into. The bottom line is that I can't just abandon my destiny. If I do, Chibiusa won't ever be born and the future will be terribly altered."

"Does Seiya know that you're Sailor Moon?"

"Hehehe...You're gonna be freaked out when I tell you this. The Three Lights are actually the Sailor Starlights," I explained. "They can transform into girls." Now it was Naru's turn to be shocked. "They came from another planet looking for their lost princess. That's why they became idols. Once they found her, and once the world was at peace, they went back to their home planet. They came back because they wanted to be with us."

"Oh my God. I'll never look at them the same way again. What about all your other friends?"

"They're all Sailor senshi too." I told her who each one was and that Mamoru was Tuxedo Kamen. "It's a tough life sometimes, but someone's gotta do it."

"Wow, Usagi, this is amazing. So if you don't end up with Mamoru, the whole future is destroyed."

"Well, not destroyed. More like altered. I'm not sure if Seiya can be the king of the world, and Chibiusa wouldn't exist. I can't do that to her. Besides, that might alter the present timeline. After all, Chibiusa's helped us when we sometimes needed it most. If she was never born, she would never come to the past and she would never be Chibi Moon. Anything she would have done would disappear and we might not even be here today."

"I never knew how much depended on one little girl. It's like that old saying, 'If you kill a butterfly in the past, it could change the future.'"

"So I can't do anything."

"You know, Usagi, just because you and Mamoru don't have Chibiusa doesn't mean she won't exist. I mean, you and Seiya can have a kid, name her Chibiusa, and then send her to the past. Nothing will change."

"Possibly, but I still don't know yet. I'm unsure of my feelings right now."

Naru glanced at her watch. The clock on the far wall said that two hours had passed. "Usagi, I should go." She got up and walked over to me. "It was good to talk to you. We should hang out more." I stood up to hug her goodbye. When we pulled away, she put a hand on my shoulder. "Do what your heart tells you. It seems like you've been bound to destiny for too long. See you around...Sailor Moon," she added quietly. Then she winked and ran out of the restaraunt.

I followed after her but she was gone by the time I got outside. It started to rain so I ran home, feebly trying to cover my head. Luna was waiting for me in the doorway.

"Usagi-chan, where have you been? You never told me when you would be back from your date with Mamoru-san. It's been hours. Where were you?" I explained everything that had happened that day. Luna's face changed periodically from part to part of my story. "Goodness...this was some day for you."

"Luna, what should I do?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. She looked as though she were trying to say something in the best way possible.

"Usagi-chan," she finally said. "You need to do what Naru says. Do what your heart tells you." My eyes went wide at what she was suggesting. "You have done so well since we first met. Back then, you were just a young girl, hardly fit to be a senshi. But look at you now! You've grown so much in so many ways. You've earned the right to get something that you really want. If that's to not be with Mamoru-san anymore, well...I think that you should dump him and run into Seiya-kun's arms."

"Luna..."

"Usagi-chan, you've worked hard to let everyone have what they want. Now it's your turn."

"Oh Luna! Thank you! But what about everyone else?" I remembered how they had been after we found out that the Three Lights were the Starlights, especially the Outer Senshi.

"That we'll have to figure out when the time comes."

That night, in the same recurring dream, when I found myself in front of the mirrors of destiny, they weren't mounted in stone anymore. They were trying to stand up without their frames, but were swaying back and forth. When I screamed, a new door opened and a soft red light came from inside. I ran to safety.

--

I said that I would meet Mamoru in the airport to see him off the day he was leaving. I was going to do something then; something that would be painful for both of us. I just hoped he would understand.

Oooo, a cliffie. Gomen, minna, but I had to. I mean, it's not a huge cliffhanger, and this week is gonna go by like lightning (with Christmas and all). Find out what happens in the next chapter. Here's your preview:

Usagi meets Mamoru at the airport and performs a difficult task. Then later, the Outer senshi say they haven't heard from Setsuna in a while. Where could she be? And Shinju and Shichigatsu think they have found where the talisman truly is...All this and more in Talisman Falls into the Wrong Hands; the Senshi's Date with Death coming to you next week. And remember, destiny is not written in stone.