Notes: Episode 15, "Usagi is Frantic! Rei's First Date". Or, "The one where Rei and Mamoru start dating."
Episode 15
Usagi needed a new plan.
The old one involving Umino could never be allowed to happen again. Even now, hours later, here in her room, she could hear Rei and Mamoru's snickers, see their identical expressions of intense amusement at her expense.
They were both such jerks! They were clearly made for each other, they DESERVED each other!
When they went out again she knew her brain would burst from her skull and smack them both, then her ghost would rise from her horrible brainless corpse and also smack them, and then haunt them for the rest of their dating days until they both saw how terrible this whole thing was and agreed to never speak to each other for the rest of their lives.
And there WOULD be an "again" because Rei had given Mamoru her phone number. Rather than laugh in her face and walk away like any sane person would do, he'd written it down! Usagi had watched, utterly failing to cause the paper to burst into flames just by staring at it really hard, as he tucked the number into his wallet. HIS WALLET! He might as well have tattooed it on his arm!
How could Rei go out with HIM? He was mean and had a big mouth and was always popping in from nowhere to mess up otherwise wonderful days!
How could Mamoru go out with HER? She was mean and had a big mouth and was so infuriating, couldn't he see how infuriating she was?
Not to mention their ages! She was in middle school! He was in college!
What were they thinking?!
It was clear they weren't thinking at all. If they weren't thinking, there was no telling what kind of horrible THINGS they'd get into. Usagi didn't care about HIM, she absolutely did not. He was a big stupidhead as proven by the fact that he was GOING OUT WITH REI.
But Rei was her friend (kinda) and Usagi owed it to her (sort of) to watch out for her. And anyway Rei's attention should be on their very important mission! Rei should be HERE, with Usagi, trying to find the other Senshi and the Princess! Dividing her attention like this was completely irresponsible!
They'd already proven they couldn't be trusted with this dating thing. So Usagi would just have to keep a close eye on them. Very close. It was for the good of the world, really.
How though? She'd already tried the Disguise Pen; Luna was watching her like a hawk about that. Really, what was the point of being able to look like anyone if you couldn't use it to spy on your friend's dates? Being a superhero was SO hard.
So another plan was needed, another disguise. She needed to move through the world silent and undetected, so she could know at every moment what Rei and Mamoru were doing, and then do everything within her power to make it stop.
The answer was clear.
Usagi needed to become a ninja.
... ... ...
How long had it been? How many months? Her mother couldn't have found it, could she?
Usagi was on her hands and knees, only half-visible in her closet. Chibi-Usa watched with a mix of amusement and disgust as Usagi threw item after item over her shoulder, muttering all the while.
A sandal sailed over Chibi-Usa's head. She watched it without comment.
Usagi dug further in the closet. No corner could be left unsearched. This was CRITICAL. Mamo-chan was already settling in at Rei's. Usagi knew how nice it was at the shrine. What if he got comfortable? What if it was more than a few days?
She froze, her hand half-buried in a pile of undistinguishable mess.
Oh god, what if it was FOREVER?
Usagi's mind flooded with images.
Mamoru hanging his many solar system pictures in his room at the shrine.
Rei sweeping, until Mamoru appeared and offered to take over. Rei smiling in her gratitude.
Rei wearing her miko robes, and looking way more gorgeous than she had any right looking.
Mamoru and Rei getting up early to share tea and watch the sunrise.
Rei and Mamoru, laughing at some kind of inside shrine joke.
Mamoru and Rei, leaving Usagi out.
Rei and Mamoru, leaving Usagi.
Panic clawed at her, but there wasn't time to give in to it now. She just needed the outfit. Everything would be okay if she could find it.
She thrust her hands into another pile and was tearing it apart when she saw a flash of red.
Yes. Oh yes, there it was.
Usagi sat back on her heels and inspected it critically.
"What's that?" Chibi-Usa asked, but Usagi was too deep in thought to answer.
She'd never gotten the chance to finish it, and then destiny had made the whole thing irrelevant anyway. It was nearly done, though, much closer to done than she'd dared hope.
She could finish this in an hour. Two, tops.
Perfect.
Rei and Mamoru thought they could just go off and live their lives without Usagi, huh?
The answer was clear.
Usagi needed to become a ninja.