...
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man.
I hear the voices when I'm dreaming, I can hear them say:
Carry on my wayward son,
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more!
"USAGI!" Usagi heard the shout, but in her drowsy state she could not register just to whom that shout belonged. Usagi's eyes opened slightly to see that she was in her bed, and through her dreamy state, Usagi pushed herself up with her hands to peer over the top of her end table and to her alarm clock hoping to get a few more- A piercing scream escaped her lips as the red numbers glared back at her.
"I'm late!" She flew up out of the bed, and frantically began to change into her uniform. From the kitchen her mother could hear the thumps and shouts that were commonplace in the morning, and she casually held the lunch bag out into the hallway. Usagi slide down the stairwell with a painful cry, and as she lunged forward off of the ground she grabbed the bag with ease.
The most graceful klutz in Japan.
"THAANK YOOUU!" Usagi slammed through the front door and rushed out onto the sidewalk. "My teacher is going to kill me!" She whined. "How do they expect a young girl like me to get up this early?" She demanded with a few dramatic tears in her eyes. "It's just crazy!"
"Kitty-chan!" The chorus of laughter caught Usagi off guard, and despite her better judgement, Usagi glanced around for the cause. A horde of children were crowded together happily in a nearby parking lot, hunched over in a circle that they clearly did not want invaded. Occasionally their heads would lift and their eyes would glance nervously towards the street. Usagi stopped running unsure of why... the scene just felt familiar to her... And whatever they were up to had to be no good!
"Hey!" She called out towards the children. The boys looked up at her with sharp gasps that were followed but a unified shout.
"Run away!" The boys dispersed as she approached the scene quickly.
"You boys better-" She stopped in her rant as she took notice of their poor victim laying on the ground. Usagi crouched beside it and as the cat mewed softly, Usagi lifted it up. Turning her head back to the direction the boys had ran, she yelled after them. "THIS IS NOT HOW YOU TREAT ANIMALS!" Usagi sighed and looked back down at the cat with an apologetic smile. "Children are little monsters, aren't they?" Usagi chuckled. Her eyes fell upon the band-aid over the cat's forehead and Usagi froze at the sight of it. "Did they do that to you?" She asked as her hand reached up to the band aid. The cat's red eyes stared at her intently as her fingers brushed the edge of the band-aid. Usagi inhaled as her stomach flip-flopped all of a sudden, and her heart beat violently inside her chest. Everything about this felt familiar to her. "It's as if..." She began peeling the band aid off slowly. Her heart felt as if it were going to explode in anticipation, but she couldn't bring herself to pull it off faster! The band-aid separated from the cat's forehead, and Usagi held her breath as she caught the first glimpse of what lay underneath. Underneath it lay...
Nothing.
Usagi's heart began to slow, and she deflated in disappointment.
"Oh..." The disappointment vanished as Usagi chided herself internally for being so foolish, of course there was nothing underneath! What had she suspected?! At least the cat wasn't hurt! The cat mewed and jumped from her hands as she released it. It didn't even glance her way as it stormed off. Usagi continued to kneel, bandage in hand as she watched it go off, her eyes revealing her slight confusion at the lingering disappointment.
In the distance a bell chimed.
"OH NO!" Usagi shot upwards with a scream. "Now I really am late!" She darted off towards the school, readily forgetting the encounter. Nor did the cat think anything of her, it only continued to walk away. Avoiding any more children it saw.
"And what did you get on your test, Usagi-chan?" Usagi continued to examine her paper sadly narrowed eyes, and with her lips pressed painfully together. Mama was going to kill her... "Usagi-chan?" Usagi's best friend, Naru, repeated again in concern. College Entrance Exams were coming up, and Usagi's school work had not improved any as they approached closer and closer to the dreaded tests.
Usagi looked up at her friend with big, teary, blue eyes. Naru sighed, Usagi seemed to be hopeless.
"Worse than the last test?" Naru ventured nervously. Usagi's face flushed red, and she crumpled up the test in defiance, her tears replaced with anger.
"Grrrrrrrrrr! I hate tests!" She declared throwing the paper over her head, and began to storm off, but a voice called out to her.
"Hey! Lump Head! Are you trying to give me lumps too?" Usagi cowered as she turned around to see a man in a green blazer and sunglasses taking off the crumpled test from his head.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"
"30%?" The man said in a shocked voice cutting off her apology as he accidentally took notice of the red markings all over the paper. Usagi's mouth and eyes opened wide in horror as a strangled, shocked, yelp escaped her. "You better start studying harder, Ms. Lump Head." The man advised lowering the test. "Or you'll never get into a good college."
"That's what I keep saying!" Naru declared, and Usagi gave her a stern glare before walking angrily back to the man.
"Give me that!" She grabbed the test away from him forcefully. "That's none of your business!" She turned to walk away again, but then she turned back to defend herself. "And they're called Dangos, not lumps! Dangos!" She said emphasizing the term. "It's a hairstyle!" The man smiled, and Usagi paused as she caught his eye, her already red-angry face flushing as her heart fluttered unexpectedly.
"Okay, Odango Atama." He laughed as he turned to walk away. Usagi opened her mouth to yell at him again, but she had lost her voice. A few seconds later her voice returned in the form of a low growl.
"Why that- That-" She grumbled once more before turning to catch up with Naru. "How rude! Calling me that when he doesn't even know me!" Usagi fumed bitterly. Naru glanced back at the man as he walked away from them.
"Who knows..." She mused, and then smiled at her friend. "Maybe it was a chance encounter!" She joked. Usagi looked back towards the man as well. Her mind told her: "No way!", but her quickly beating heart contradicted that statement.
"No," She said finally; listening to her head. "I don't think so." She turned around, and lifted her chin high into the air with her stubborn defiance taking over as she made her declaration loudly enough to turn a few heads their way. "Never in a million years!"
Mamoru watched looking back at the eccentric girl for a moment as she stormed away. An involuntary smile plastered itself onto his face as he finally went on. It was weird... He was certain that they had bumped into each other before. She just seemed so familiar. But for the life of him, he could not recall just where he had seen her. Her hair was so unique that he was sure he should have recognized her, but he had forgotten things before, things more important than just some girl. His heart tried to tell him something as he walked, but he couldn't make out just what it was. Shaking the strange feeling aside, he entered The Crown Arcade. There was something more important to worry about than whatever it was.
"Motoki!" Motoki looked up from his paper work for a moment, but then quickly returned to writing something down. Mamoru approached the counter slowly, unsure of how to proceed. He had thought that perhaps all of this had been just an oversight, but his best friend's apprehensive expression told him that all of this had been intentional. Mamoru breathed in deeply trying to gather his courage to go faster and get the problem solved.
"Motoki Onii-san!" Mamoru stopped mid-step and turned his head to watch the one who had called out approach the counter. A girl with part of her blonde hair tied back in a big red bow stopped expectantly in front of him. Motoki brightened up at the sight of her despite the girl's grave face, and Mamoru found that he too felt happy to see her for some reason.
"What is it Minako-chan?" Motoki asked helpfully. Mamoru watched Motoki talk to the girl for a minute, grateful that he did not have to speak up yet, and Motoki seemed pleased by the distraction as well. She was only a distraction though, and when she walked away with her issue resolved, something minor about the older Sailor V game, Mamoru still had to bring up the issue that was between them. "That's Minako-chan." Motoki said as they watched her walk out the front door. "She comes around often nowadays, a bit of a loner, but a nice girl." The two men simply stared at the door where Minako had just stood, both unwilling to speak, but Mamoru found his voice first.
"You didn't send in your RSVP for the banquet." It was all he said, but it was all that needed to be said. Motoki sighed and began to fiddle with his pencil as he leaned over the counter.
"I know." Mamoru stood still for a moment waiting for an explanation, but his friend did not speak again.
"Why not?" Mamaoru had known Motoki for a long time, Mamoru even considered him his best friend, but he still did not understand his friend's actions. Motoki dropped the pencil, and looked up at Mamoru.
"Don't you realize what she is doing to you?" Mamoru didn't answer him but only crossed his arms as Motoki continued to speak. "You're a completely different person when you are with her. I can always tell when you have spoken with her. You become darker and bitter, not at all like yourself. You become someone I don't even know. Someone angry." Mamoru shook his head.
"We have had this argument before; nothing is going to change." He said not going on any further. He knew what Motoki thought about her but he was still his best friend, and a best friends should at least try to get along with each others' girlfriends, or in this case, fiancé.
"You left from here one night to break up with her and came back the next day engaged! Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you?" Motoki reasoned as he sat up. Mamoru looked down to the floor still not answering, and this only confirmed Motoki's suspicions. "You still have doubts." Mamoru sighed.
"I don't even know what I'm thinking anymore." He said honestly. "Everything is just in a jumbled mess. All I know is, that when I'm with her, I can't break away." The two men stayed silent for a moment.
"Just tell me one thing," Motoki started again, "do you really love her?" Mamoru looked back to the door where he had entered from as if perhaps the answer lay somewhere just outside the arcade. Somewhere out in the streets he had just walked. Perhaps something he had just barely missed...
"If it isn't love... then what is it?" Mamoru asked, truly wanting to know.
"If it was love you would know it." Mamoru met his friends eyes in surprise, but then grew serious once more.
"I'm marrying her, and that is final." Mamoru said a little more harshly than he had intended to. Motoki continued to look him in the eyes, refusing to back down, and Mamoru thought he noticed a bit of pity in his gaze.
"Okay," Motoki said finally after a moment's standoff. "I'll come to the banquet, I'll be your best man if you really want to go through with this." He paused. "Just as long as you know that this is what you really want. That this is right!"
"I'm going through with it, and nothing is going to change that." Mamoru said with an edge of finality. Motoki leaned back down over his work with a sigh.
"Just as long as you know what you're getting yourself into." He mumbled sadly, because... he suspected Mamoru really didn't know.
"Thank you." Mamoru breathed and Motoki glanced upwards to see his face filled with relief. "She and her father have practically invited the entire country! I didn't know what I would have done without someone I actually knew being there." Mamoru admitted. Motoki smiled a bit.
"I doubt my being there is going to save you from anything..." Mamoru sighed and his head tilted to the side in defeat.
"You're right."
"A ball?!" Usagi and her mother poured over the piece of paper once more. Kenji laughed as he watched the two females react to the invitation. Shingo only rolled his eyes.
"Well, they're calling it a banquet, but yes, its a ball, and it is going to be the event of the season." Kenji said. Ikuko looked away from the piece of paper.
"And how did you come to get your hands on this?!" She said indicating the invitation in Usagi's hand. Kenji stood up and took Ikuko by the hands and began to move her around the room in a dance.
"It comes with my writing assignment." He said as he spun her, "and guess who is coming with me?" He asked and Ikuko gasped.
"Its for two?!" Ikuko let go of him and rushed back to Usagi who was rereading the invitation one more time.
"For reporters and their families." Usagi read aloud. "ITS FOR ALL OF US?" Usagi's voice rang out and Ikuko ripped the invitation out of her hand to read it eagerly. Usagi fell into a dreamy state as she thought about herself in an elegant ball gown and surrounded by a bunch of handsome men. "Maybe I'll meet my very own prince!" Usagi exploded with excitement. "A ball! A ball!" She spun around the room happily as she thought about it. A harsh voice broke through her excitement.
"Usagi at a ball? As if!" Usagi shot Shingo a nasty look, and opened her mouth to shout at him but her mothers voice came with an even harder blow.
"And then there is that little matter of a certain test score..." Ikuko's voice was deep and full of rising anger as she remembered Usagi's last test. Usagi looked at her mother with pleading eyes.
"Noo! Please!" Usagi wailed. "I promise I'll get better grades! Please!" A repeat of earlier in the day threatened to occur as Ikuko remembered her previous anger and a fierce fire began to blaze in her eyes once more. Kenji laughed and shook his head.
"Give her one more break." He said taking the invitation in his hands and looked at it. "Its not everyday one gets invited to a mascaraed ball, especially one of this caliber. She won't ever get another chance like this." Ikuko sighed as Usagi looked at her with big, round eyes. "Its a ball fit for royalty."
"Alright, just one night." Usagi jumped into the air with her fist held high. Her childlike personality breaking out completely from the seventeen year old girl's control.
"Yes!"
Just the outside of the mansion left Usagi speechless with amazement. "Its more like a castle!" Usagi and Shingo followed close behind their parents as they gawked at their surroundings. There were countless sculptures and a million flowers all around her, and Usagi felt completely overwhelmed by it all. She had felt elegant in her ball gown, but her white and pink dress paled in comparison to those around her.
Usagi's dress wasn't anything shabby, but it did not compare to the millionaires that surrounded her and she felt silly. It was a pearl white dress with and light pink underskirt. The fabric was a soft and it flowed with Usagi's every motion. As Usagi moved she felt like she might take off into the sky and the feeling was completed by a simple mask of white feathers. Her hair was up in her usual dangos, her mother had tried to convince her to put her hair up differently, but with each new style Usagi had let her hair back down in frustration. Usagi's hands had moved with ease as she twirled her hair in her two trademark buns and the two silky streams of hair fell around her neck and body. Usagi felt right in with her hair like this, it was her, and having her hair in any other way felt strange to her.
Inside the mansion was even more extravagant than the outside. Usagi couldn't even begin to take it all in and the grand ball room that they entered took Usagi's remaining breath away and she looked to the top of the high ceiling and did not want to think about how they got all of the paintings and gold on the ceiling and walls. Usagi saw her parents speaking to her and Shingo, but both of them were too dazed to understand them. Usagi only got the few words about "food" and "dancing" and "don't get into trouble." The two adults stepped onto the dance floor, and Ikuko looked a bit out of her realm in contrast to her husband who seemed to at least know what he was doing. As they began their dance though, they were lost in the crowd of people. Usagi leaned back against the wall out of the way as she watched the people dancing around her. Shingo finally broke out of his daze and turned to Usagi.
"I'm going to get something to eat." He said, "I'll be right back." Usagi watched him go and she was left alone in the giant room full of people. There were people talking, laughing and dancing, where as Usagi did not even know how to begin. She could follow Shingo to the food, which was very tempting, or she could... sit here all alone. Usagi felt a pang in her heart as she watched the couples dance beautifully around the room, and none of them seemed to be stubbing each others' toes. Usagi sighed as she supported herself against the wall.
"They are all so graceful," She sighed aloud and she imagined herself dancing gracefully around the room with her own masked man. She sighed again and looked down at her own clumsy feet and knew that the actual experience would be a disaster. She looked back up to the crowd of people. She lifted herself off of the wall and was about to begin her walk to the food area when his deep blue eyes caught her in their mesmerizing trap.
A man stood across the sea of people and Usagi was sure that he was staring directly at her. She watched him for a moment unsure of what she should do as his deep blue eyes watched her. Her heart skipped a beat when he finally took a step towards her. Usagi's heart beat wildly as he approached her and she tried to calm herself and reminded herself that she didn't know if she was the one he was looking at, but in truth there wasn't any room for doubt as his deep ocean-like eyes pulled her in. His deep blue eyes gazed at her from underneath his white mask as he continued to approach her and Usagi felt as if she might drown in them right then and there.
The man was in front of her after what had seemed like an eternity, but Usagi couldn't exactly remember all that had happened, his eyes had hypnotized her entirely. Usagi felt a funny feeling inside her, and she felt an intense longing and ache in her heart. It was as if all of this had happened a long time ago, and that Usagi's heart remembered it even if her mind did not.
As if in a dream the man bowed to her and then offered her his hand. "A pretty maiden such as you should not be left to be a simple wall flower." The man declared; his voice was confident but it was also warming. Usagi's face burned red as she lifted her own hand to accept his offer. Her hand hovered a few inches above his and she paused.
"I can't dance." She warned, but the man only smiled as he grabbed her hand. Usagi's body tingled with delight and a memory pricked at the back of her mind.
"I'll make sure you are kept safe." He pulled her in closer and Usagi felt as if she might exploded with either delight or nerves, but as his hands began to guide her to the dance floor, she felt at peace with being beside him.
"Its as if I belong here." Usagi let the thought overtake her for a moment and as she looked up to his face she felt even more sure that it was true. She was suppose to ne here, since the very beginning of time... He held her gently but firmly, as if he too did not want to let her go. Usagi let him lead her in a dance that she had never thought it was possible for her to do. He let go of one of her hands and she let herself be moved by the music around them. The dress that had once made her feel as if she could fly away flowed as she danced and she felt as if they were dancing in the air.
Coming close to him once more, Usagi lost all track of time and of her surroundings. She only let herself be guided by this unknown man who made her feel so safe and secure. Everything around them fell away and Usagi stared back into the masked man's familiar eyes. His eyes seemed to engulf her and the sight of them along with his smile made Usagi feel a bit dizzy as she tried to remember something. The memory remained at the farthest reaches of her mind and she could not grab hold of it.
"Have we met before?" The man's voice broke through Usagi's thoughts, "Perhaps at another ball?" Usagi slowly shook her head at this possibility. She had never been to an event like this before, but then again, his mere presence engulfed Usagi with the sense of nostalgia. The man frowned at Usagi's answer. "I wonder then..." Usagi wondered too, but she did not seem to be able to speak up.
The song they had been dancing to finally found its ending and the dancers stopped and clapped for the orchestra quickly before beginning the next ballad. Usagi let go of the man's hand, but he grabbed hold of it once more.
"No," His voice was gentle and Usagi thought she detected a pleading tone in its depths. "Can't I have this next dance?" Usagi felt her face flush red and then she allowed herself to be pulled back into his lead.
"Of coarse." She finally found her voice as they began to dance around once more. Slowly, Usagi let her guard down and she let herself lean closer to him. Usagi felt the warmth of his body grow closer and Usagi resisted the urge to lay her head on his chest. The longer they held each other close the more Usagi felt herself leaning her head towards his chest, and the more that she longed to hear the beat of his strong heart.
Usagi had almost lost her battle of wills when the song ended once more and the dance partners parted from each other. Usagi did not let go of his hand this time and waited with an intense desire to hear him ask for her dance once more.
She was very disappointed.
A redheaded woman in a deep midnight blue dress and black mask stepped up beside Usagi and the man. Her hands wrapped around the man's arm and she looked at Usagi with cold, piercing eyes. Usagi felt as if the woman's red eyes bored into her soul, and if looks could have struck Usagi dead... this one would have.
"Its time for the announcement." The woman's gaze diverted away from Usagi and she looked up to the man's eyes. The man looked at her and then bowed slightly to Usagi.
"I'm sorry, but you must excuse me." The man rose and began to follow the woman towards the front of the room. Usagi watched him go, and she felt the presence of someone next to her.
"Usagi?" She looked to her right to see that her parents standing next to her. "Who was that?" Her father seemed agitated by his daughter's ballroom dancing with a strange man. Before Usagi could answer, an elderly man was standing on top of a balcony demanding their full attention.
"Please everyone!" The room quickly fell silent as the man spoke, and Kenji whispered something about this man being the master of the mansion, Yoruno Ryu. "I am so glad that all of you could come tonight, be it friend or reporter, to celebrate one of the happiest moments of my life." He turned to his left and motioned for two people to step forward. Time slowed and the world grew hazy as Usagi recognized her dance partner and woman from minutes earlier. "May I introduce to you, my daughter, Kimi, and her fiancé!"
Whatever he said next was lost to Usagi. The world spun around her into a blur and Usagi fought back a few tears.
"Ahh," her father's voice reached her through her embarrassment. "He was just being courteous towards you. I was a bit concerned." His words only served to cause Usagi a more intense feeling of hurt as the pain stabbed through her heart. She had honestly thought that a connection had been made between them as they danced. When she had first felt his hand touch hers, it was as if something had jolted awake within her, a torrent of memories and experiences waiting to happen. It had felt like fate being decided.
"True love doesn't happen like this!" A small voice told Usagi this but her heart still felt the pang of longing. Usagi turned to her mother.
"I don't feel good." Her face was bright red and she did feel a bit dizzy and weak, "Can I go home?" Her mother frowned.
"We just got here." She argued but then her hand touched Usagi's forehead. "You do feel warm." Ikuko shot her husband a concerned glance and he bit his lip.
"Why don't you take her home, you can come back later if you want." Ikuko nodded in agreement.
"Alright," Usagi let herself be lead away by her mother who regarded her with a worried look.
"That's what you get for spinning around like a fool!" Shingo appeared beside them, but Usagi was too stunned to bicker back.
As the clapping of the crowd died down, Mamoru felt himself being dragged away from the ballroom by his now quiet fiancé. Though she did not speak up, Mamoru knew that inside her raged a fiery anger and he began to prepare his defense, but what was his defense? The moment his eyes caught a glimpse of that white swan amidst the crowd of dancers, he had felt something inside him stir. An unknown feeling had consumed him and as her eyes caught hold of his own... his feet had moved forward involuntarily. The mere sight of her filled him with a feeling that he could not explain: the urge to protect her, and to simply be with her.
Kimi hung onto his arm, and Mamoru resisted the desire to look around the room for the other woman. Kimi lead them out of the mansion and onto one of the balconies over looking the gardens.
"Who was that?" Kimi's voice was deep and Mamoru could hear the anger at the edge of her voice.
"I don't know," He was telling the truth, but in his heart he was not entirely convinced of that. "I just felt sorry for her, she was sitting all alone." That was not completely true, but something about the woman had made him feel that she was never meant to be alone, but always surrounded by loving friends. Kimi's lips pressed together and she seemed to be thinking. She did not seem convinced either, but she smiled up at him.
"Okay," Mamoru felt a sense of relief at her suddenly cheerful reaction. Her hand reached up to his chest and it lay over his heart. "I trust you." The touch of her hand grew colder and Mamoru's heart felt a bit uneasy. Her light brown eyes looked up into his and he did not like the gleam in them.
"Why am I so drawn to Kimi?" They didn't have anything in common with each other, and Mamoru was not impressed with her looks or her money, but something kept him close to Kimi, and kept him from leaving her side. Was this what love was? The inability to leave someone even when you knew that you should? The image of the woman in feathers flashed in his mind for a fleeting second.
"Why don't we go back inside?" Kimi suggested. Mamoru looked back into the ballroom, but he found himself not wanting to re-enter.
"I think I should just go home." He didn't want to face the many reporters, and more importantly, he didn't want to face the woman once more. And in his heart, he just wanted to get away from Kimi for awhile, but he knew that he would be hopelessly drawn back here again in the morning. Kimi nodded slowly.
"Alright." She then smiled and leaned in closer towards him; he knew what she wanted. "Are you sure you want to go home alone?" Mamoru grabbed hold of her hands and slowly removed them from his chest.
"I'm sure." A flame flared in Kimi's eyes and he leaned down and kissed her. "I'm just tired, that's all, and besides," He let go of her. "I promised your father we wouldn't." It was only an excuse to keep her away, just for a bit longer, but he knew that one day he would have to give in.
"Such a man of your word." Her voice was angry and a bit sarcastic as she pulled her hand down off of his chest harshly, but she did not pursue the subject any more. Mamoru offered her a smile even though he only wanted to leave and he kissed her again.
"Soon we'll always be together." The words escaped his lips even though he had not even been thinking them. In truth, he wanted to say that they would never be together, but he never seemed to be able to break away. Kimi's expression finally lightened and she nodded.
"Yes, always." She agreed and Kimi let Mamoru leave, but as he left his thoughts still lingered on the lonely swan.
Kimi watched as Mamoru left the mansion, and as soon as he was out of sight her smile vanished. Kimi looked back to the crowd of dancers, but she did not see her rival in the crowd.
"That had to be her," Kimi had waited with a sense of dread and delight for her to appear, and now she had. Kimi searched in angst for the woman, but she seemed to have disappeared completely. Kimi let an angry growl escape her throat and she wished that she had kept an eye on her. "The little witch will not steal him away again!" She looked back at the garden towards the street where Mamoru would be walking down towards his apartment.
"Endymion-sama will only ever be mine!" Kimi brushed back a bit of her red hair and let out a heavy breath as she tried to contain herself. "He will be mine," She said aloud as she looked at the moon, daring it to get in her way. "and there is nothing that pathetic Moon Princess can do about it." With that Kimi turned to rejoin the ball, but the Queen of The Night had no plans on participating in it. No, Queen Beryl had much more pressing matters to attend too.
Usagi let her hair fall around her and she fell onto her bed exhausted. The night had been long and full of sweeping emotions. Usagi shut her eyes, but found it difficult to drift off to sleep. Her mind was busy thinking about the man, but Usagi only wished to forget him. Nothing would ever come of the encounter and Usagi would be better off to just let the feelings die. They wouldn't leave her though and Usagi was forced to open her eyes once more as she realized that she would not be able to sleep.
The light of the full moon brightened her entire room and it had contributed to Usagi's sleeping troubles. She lifted herself up and began to close her curtains. Halfway done she stopped as she looked up at the soft glowing moon. The Moon's soft light filled her with a new wave of sorrow and she supported herself on the window sill as she looked up at the moon.
"A soft glowing pearl," Usagi spoke the words aloud as they came to her. "all alone in the sky: taken away from its ocean, never to be with it again." This analogy caused her eyes to fill up with tears, but she didn't know why this was causing her pain. She buried her head in her arms and she began to cry. "What is wrong with me?"
Usagi knew all of this was silly, but she could not stop her tears. She shouldn't feel this way about some silly man she didn't even know, and most certainly she shouldn't be crying over The Moon! She didn't understand any of this.
"Please," Usagi cried not knowing what she was pleading for. Usagi felt an ache in her heart as she thought of the man once more. "Please," Usagi fell back onto her bed with the moon still lighting up her entire room, and she cried herself to sleep.
"Mamo-chan..." The woman's voice was soft and sweet, "Find me, Mamo-chan..." The voice was terribly sad, and Mamoru knew he had heard it before, a long time ago. Through the fog, Mamoru saw the silhouette of a woman at the top of a staircase and she was looking at the bright full moon that lay before them. Her head began to look over her shoulder towards him, but her face was covered in shadows.
"Find The Silver Crystal, and all will be right again." Mamoru reached out his hand towards her but her name was hidden within his memories. "Mamo-chan..." Her voice was full of desperate emotion and as he watched her, a crystal tear fell from her eye. "Please..."
The tear struck the ground and a bright light engulfed them.
Mamoru slowly opened his eyes as he tried to keep the vision of the woman in his mind, but still her face was covered in shadows. He sat up in his bed as the memory of the dream replayed in his head.
"Silver Crystal?" The name seemed familiar to him, but he could not remember where he had heard it before. His whole room was bright enough to see everything and Mamoru looked out to the night sky. The full moon's light illuminated the entire room and as he stared up at the moon, a sense of determination filled his heart.
Mamoru put his feet on the ground and he got up out of his bed, he would not be able to sleep again that night, not with the memory of her pleading so vibrant in his ears. As his feet hit the ground they touched something soft. Mamoru looked down to see the crumpled tuxedo and mask on the ground. He leaned down and picked them up and as he stared at them, an idea began to take shape. He held the mask in his hands and then he looked back up at the moon.
He would find the Silver Crystal, no matter what, he would find it.
Notes: Yoruno Kimi = Empress of The Night
At least I think. I know Kimiko means "Empress Child" ("ko" being child) and "yoru no" would be "of the night." I know "kogo" is empress as well, but I chose Kimi. I was only trying to be consistent in the fact that everyone's name in Sailor Moon has a weird pun meaning.