The opulent embassy of the Kingdom of D glittered like a jewel in the Tokyo night, its windows ablaze with light and laughter. Towering columns cast long shadows under the moonlight. Marble shone and sparkled as if created from shattered mirrors. Tuxedo Mask moved silently through the throngs of elegantly dressed guests, his black tuxedo and mask blending in perfectly with the revelers.
Yet his heart still thumped beneath his calm exterior. A desperate anticipation infused every step, every breath, every moment. He'd been awaiting this moment since he first learned the Kingdom of D was revealing its secret treasure. Tonight, he might finally grasp the key to unlocking his past—the Legendary Silver Crystal.
The secret treasure called to him like a siren's song, promising answers to the questions that plagued him for so long. He tried to keep the dreams from his mind, the vivid glimpses, the soul-agonizing desperation. Even now, he could almost feel her presence, her soft voice echoing endlessly through his mind:
"Find the Legendary Silver Crystal."
Frantically, he tried to banish the memory of her fading form, slipping away just beyond his reach. If he allowed himself to remember that anguish, he might not make it until tomorrow. He clenched his fist, the guilt and sorrow threatening to overwhelm him.
No, he couldn't, wouldn't, let her down again. The crystal had to be here.
Thankfully, the Kingdom of D had made it easy. They hosted a masquerade ball. A glamorous party behind masks. Tuxedo Mask scanned the room, his eyes sharp. The swirl of colorful gowns and glittering masks flowed like the ocean. Lights twinkled above, making jewels sparkle.
He moved from group to group, his ears straining to identify any whisper, any hint of his quarry. Then a flash of gold caught his eye.
He turned, and his breath caught in his throat. His pulse quickened, a warmth spreading through his chest. There, amidst the sea of revelers, stood Usagi. She was resplendent in a flowing pink gown, delicate white flowers accenting the color. Her golden hair cascaded down her back like a river of sunlight.
Everything froze.
The way the light caught her delicate features. The way her eyes sparkled with a mixture of curiosity and mischief. How her hair moved. How the crowd seemed to rotate around her.
For a heart-stopping moment, she was the princess from his dreams.
Time stopped as he gazed at her, his mind reeling. Could it be possible?
No. He dismissed the thought. It was impossible. He and the dream princess shared something deeper than just coincidental meetings and a fleeting attraction. Everything told him he shared a past with the princess, a connection that spanned lifetimes.
Usagi was just a girl. A clumsy, bright-eyed girl who had only recently tumbled into his life.
Yet, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He was supposed to be searching for the Silver Crystal, but all he could do was watch her. With each passing moment, his heart twisted into that now-familiar conflict. Loyalty to the dream princess warred with his growing feelings for Usagi—feelings that had only intensified since discovering she was Sailor Moon.
An overwhelming urge to protect her surged through him. In this crowded ballroom, filled with strangers and potential threats, he longed to shield her, to keep her safe. But he knew she was stronger than she appeared—she was Sailor Moon, after all.
"They'll be unveiling the treasure soon."
"I've heard the princess of D is interesting."
"Doesn't matter if she has warts and a leer. She's the first princess of the Diamond Kingdom, the world's largest producer of gemstones."
He snapped to attention, chastising himself for becoming distracted. He couldn't afford to let this opportunity pass, not when he was so close to finding the crystal. But even as he turned away, Usagi's presence drew him back. Like a moth helplessly drawn to her brilliant flame.
He'd turn away only to find himself watching her again. Her presence was magnetic, drawing his attention no matter how hard he tried to resist. The task he'd set out to accomplish—the search for the Silver Crystal—faded into the background as if it were an afterthought, a mere shadow in the presence of her light.
Every time she moved, he orbited her.
Watching as she navigated the crowded ballroom, her pink gown swirling.
"She looks just like Usagi." Her name made him freeze. He glanced at the man and could see the resemblance. "I wonder if my daughter will grow up to be as pretty as her."
Tuxedo Mask memorized his face. As Usagi's father, he'd protect him for her sake. Turning away, he focused on her again. She edged across the room, looking at everything but where she was going. A smile edged across his lips. Typical.
Then the inevitable. Usagi bumped into a lady with a champagne flute. The golden liquid sloshed over the rim, darkening the front of her dress.
"Excuse me, darling," the woman said, barely giving Usagi a second glance before moving away.
Usagi frowned and examined her dress. "Awww, are you serious?"
Clumsy as always, yet charming.
"Handkerchief. Handkerchief. Handkerchief"
She shuffled about and something white fluttered to the floor. Without thinking, Tuxedo Mask moved swiftly through the crowd, scooping it up before anyone could notice. A handkerchief. The sea of people faded as he examined it. He ran a gloved thumb across the delicate embroidery. A small rabbit face, stitched in soft pink and red thread, adorned one corner.
It was so perfectly… her.
Glancing up, she slowly faded into the throng, replaced by the anonymous and unimportant. Still, he held onto her handkerchief. Was it a gift from her mother? A pang of sadness washed over him. He no longer had anything from his parents. Nothing but a single photograph remained of them. Not even their faces lingered in his mind.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the melancholy. Letting out a breath, he tried to focus on the true task of the evening.
"I've heard the princess is actually quite shy."
"Really? Why was she chosen to present their national treasure?"
"Bad luck, I guess."
While he perked up at the mention of the treasure, a strange sensation passed across his chest. Sadness. It was sharp and all-encompassing, pressing on the edges of his mind. He didn't know why, but the handkerchief, the thought of her innocence, left him feeling anxious, unsettled.
He had to see her. See her smile.
Listening to the thrum of the vibrations. Following the pull of the tightness in his chest, he moved towards the balcony. Yet, he hesitated. What was he doing? He was supposed to be searching for the Legendary Silver Crystal, not chasing after a girl.
Even if she was Sailor Moon.
"What about the princess?"
Her pleading eyes were a reminder of his mission. But as he looked at Usagi, bathed in moonlight and looking achingly sad, he felt a pull stronger than any duty or promise. Still, he hesitated. Two paths tore at him. The path to his unknown past. The path towards her.
Stepping out into the cool night air, he glanced up at the moon. The first quarter moon shone in the blue-gray sky, glistening for all to admire.
The moonbeams slid across the marble balcony, begging him to follow. So he did.
There she was, standing alone under the moonlight, her eyes closed, expression sad. A sight that felt so wrong, so out of place, it made his heart ache. She should never look sad, never feel anything but joy.
Before he realized what he was doing, he approached.
"My pretty princess."
Her eyes shot open. The moonbeams found them instantly, making the blue sparkle so brilliantly it nearly blinded him.
"Would you honor me with a dance?"
"Tuxedo Mask!"
In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the crystal, not his mission, not even the princess in his dreams. All he wanted was to see Usagi smile again.
"At this exact moment, I was hoping to meet you again."
Then she looked up at him, and the world stilled, and the bustling commotion of the ballroom vanished. Somehow, her eyes glistened even more brilliantly. Her smile shone more radiant. The moonbeams glittered more resplendent.
"The same for me."
As she placed her hand in his, a jolt of something primal passed between them. Tuxedo Mask led her back into the ballroom, the sea of guests parting before them as if by magic. The music flowed through the air like a dream.
With one hand on her waist and the other clasping hers, he began to lead. Usagi stumbled at first, her usual clumsiness making an appearance. But as they moved together, she found her rhythm. They fell in step with him as natural as breathing.
The world beyond the two of them ceased to exist. There was no crowd, no more crystals, or dreams. There were no more forgotten memories or hidden pasts. There was only Usagi and the way she felt in his arms.
They moved as one, seamlessly, as if they'd been dancing together for a lifetime.
"I didn't know you could dance," she murmured, looking up at him with wonder in her eyes.
He smiled, surprised at himself. "Neither did I."
He looked at her, mesmerized by the way her eyes sparkled. Her innocence, her warmth, her lighthearted nature—all the things that had drawn him to her from the beginning—shone during this moment. For the first time he could remember, everything felt right. As if every moment in his life had led him to this point, to this dance, to her.
This is where he belonged, with her in his arms.
The light seemed to worship her. Gliding across the smooth planes of her skin. Flowing across the edges of her shoulders. Rolling across the curve of her cheek. And it made him jealous. How lucky those bands of light were. They could touch her freely, dance across her without thought or punishment.
A time would come when his fingertips would know every inch of her.
"Usagi!"
The spell was broken.
Tuxedo Mask startled, ashamed and embarrassed by his thoughts and actions.
Unable to speak, he twisted away from her and vanished into the crowd. He fled, weaving through the innocent with a desperate urgency. He needed to get away, to clear his head, to forget how she felt. Finding a secluded corner, he leaned against a cool marble pillar, his breath coming in short gasps. Clutching his chest, he begged his heart to calm its frantic race. What happened? How had he lost control so completely?
He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to calm himself. But all he could see was Usagi's face, bathed in light. All he could feel was the supreme warmth that coated his soul. All he could imagine was a future with her.
"Pull yourself together." He clenched his fists.
Something had changed, irrevocably. And he wasn't sure he could ever go back.
Finally, he managed to get his breathing under control. The frantic beating of his heart began to slow. His thoughts slowly untangling themselves from the web of emotions that had ensnared him. Back in control of himself, he stood, straightening his jacket.
"No more distractions."
But before he took a step, a sinister chill ran down his spine. The earth's vibrations yelled out, screaming in terror and fear as a sudden, oppressive aura filled the air, sharp and dark, like the first crack of thunder before a deadly storm.
As if darkness itself had seeped into the atmosphere. Every sense screamed danger. But only one thought filled his mind.
"Usagi!"
Without hesitation, he sprinted around the edge of the building, only to skid to a stop. Something tickled his senses and peering inside a window, he saw what. The guests were all slumped on the floor, bodies piled where they'd fallen.
Was Usagi among them?
His eyes darted about, searching for a flash of pink, a glimpse of golden hair. As he circled the building, a bone-chilling laugh echoed through the night. At the far end, he saw her—the Princess of D. Except not. Something was terribly wrong. A dark, writhing shadow had enveloped her, twisting her features into a grotesque mask.
"Princess D!" He knew that voice. "Get a hold of yourself!
It was Usagi.
"The Legendary Silver Crystal will be mine!" the possessed princess shrieked, her voice distorted and inhuman.
Usagi darted forward, and his blood ran cold. There was no way that she could deal with this level of evil. Not as Usagi, maybe not even as Sailor Moon. But he was too far away, unable to help. Running faster than he thought possible, he closed the distance.
She moved closer, reaching for the princess.
"Let go of me!" the princess yelled.
It all happened so fast, yet every movement stretched into forever. With a twist, the possessed princess shrugged Usagi's grip, sending her toppling over the edge of the balcony. Pink billowed around her like wings. Gold glimmered like sunlight. White flashed like death.
"NO!" Usagi yelled as she vanished over the edge.
Somehow, he made it. His fingers wrapped around her wrist, stopping her fall. The weight of her nearly pulled him forward, but he braced his legs against the balcony. He stretched further, muscles straining, the force almost dragging him over the edge with her. But he resisted. His teeth clenched as he fought to hold on, his grip on the cold stone railing the only thing keeping them both from plummeting.
They hung there, suspended in a horrifying limbo, her life literally in his hands. One slip and this life would end.