yume no naka futari de ita yo ne dare yori mo chikazuite ano toki no anata ni okuru wa ima ai wo todoketai We were together in a dream, weren't we? We were closer than anybody else I'll give you back then My love now ~romanzation and translation from Heart Moving -ending song for first season Sailormoon Which I like but everyone else in the entire world hates. I’m proud of this. ‘Did you just tell me to fut the shuck up?’ ~ELHS Author’s notes: By the way, I’m writing Mamoru as his manga character. Even though the whole ‘saving Luna’ thing happened in the anime. . All that changes is his entire character -_-, and his age. He’s 17 ok? My age.(!) Because I can’t make him as vulnerable as a 20 year old. That’s all. Luna, in the manga and Japanese anime, is not an 80 year-old British woman like DiC made her to be. She’s young, barely a kitten, and her voice is as youthful as Usagi’s. She has a very strong sense of duty, but sometimes doesn’t know what she’s doing. When she doesn’t, though, she’s good at ‘winging it’ so it looks like she does. That’s it minna-san! Over and out. Walking the Thin Line Part two “I can’t believe she made me apologize!” Usagi was still flush with righteous indignation; even two hours later, sprawled on the floor in Rei’s temple, an unread manga issue sitting in front of her. Ami sighed, tilting her head thoughtfully, “I don’t know Usagi. I mean, if he did save Luna, then perhaps your reaction was a bit inappropriate.” “Whose side are you on anyway?!” “Well, I know whose side *I’m* on!” Rei answered smartly. ‘Why do I have the feeling I’m not going to like the answer?’ Usagi sighed. But since Rei was waiting for it, Usagi asked, “Whose side, Rei-chan?” “Why, the cute guy’s, of course!” “HE IS NO--” Rei smirked, “Usagi, I know you hate the man, but surely you aren’t *blind*!” Ami decided to cut if off before it went any further. Besides, she was curious about something. “Usagi-chan, why do you hate Mamoru-san so much?” “What’s there not to hate?” She answered flippantly, ignoring the little voice in her head that insisted on nagging her with the image of fierce blue eyes, soft hands... and the furious, hurt look on his face when she screamed at him for only trying to help her. “What isn’t there to like?” Rei sighed, leaning for a second on her broom handle. The words were barely out of her mouth before Usagi was screaming, “Shut up, Rei-baka! You don’t even know him!” “Do you?!” “Well...” ‘somehow I feel like I should. Like I should be the one to know all his secrets, and protect him from his fears. Talk him to sleep so he won’t have nightmares. Have him hold me when I cry. I feel like no one else should have that right...’ Usagi blinked in surprise at the maturity and comprehension so unusual in her thoughts. ‘Now where did that come from?! I don’t feel that way...do I?’ “Name three things.” Ami suddenly piped up. “Nani?” Both girls asked, surprised. “Usagi-chan, name three things you hate about him.” “Well he’s... a jerk. He’s mean. He’s always in a bad mood, he never apologizes for anything. He’s much too uptight and sensitive. He needs to lighten up. I don’t think he smiles a lot. He seems to have so much pain...” Usagi’s voice had become less and less harsh as her speech went on, she realized her heart was twisting a little in her chest and she couldn’t figure out why. Rei rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh. Oh, yeah, you re-eally hate this guy. That means he’s mine, right?” “Urusai!!” “Rei, Usagi! Stop it!” Ami tried to raise her voice, wondering where the heck Luna had to go off to, and what she expected the girls to do without her here. Besides teasing Usagi about her denial of the obvious attraction between her and her handsome rival, the meeting could get stale pretty quickly. Especially with all this fighting. “Anyway, why are you so upset that you had to say you were sorry to him? I mean, I’d be psyched to have an excuse to talk to him...” Rei was just drifting off into a dreamy state when Usagi answered. “Because! I actually admitted defeat. Now, he’s gonna be all stuck up about it and tease me-” “He teases you anyway.” Ami pointed out. “But now he has the upper-hand in our...you know...our...” “Love-hate relationship.” Ami braced herself of the barrage. Usagi nodded, “Yeah, our—WHAT?!” And here it came. “AMI NO HIDOI!! You are supposed to smart, how could you... I do not...I mean, feel that way about...” ‘Do I? Do I?!’ “I have to go find Luna.” With that, Usagi fled the temple. As she walked swiftly away, book bag hugged to her chest, she realized she probably had not left the premises in the most subtle way that could be imagined. But she didn’t care. She didn’t care. Ami was wrong. There was nothing between her and Mamoru. She couldn’t care about him that way! She was a senshi, wasn’t that enough?! Did her heart have to betray her by falling for someone she knew she could never possibly have? ‘He’s so… So what, Usagi? You gonna finish that thought? A week ago you would have finished that sentence with a word so vile you couldn’t say it out loud and now… now you want to what? Go home and daydream about his lips and his hands and the way he looked at you?’ Usagi shut her eyes in frustration and kicked a stone down the sidewalk. ‘I do NOT need this.’ “Love-hate relationship...” Rei said thoughtfully, watching her friend run down the steps of the shrine. “You might be on to something there, my friend.” Ami looked at Rei curiously, “I thought you were interested in Mamoru- san?” “Oh I am. He’s hot, Ami, I’m sure you don’t notice these things, what with studying and all-” here Ami raised her eyebrows but Rei failed to notice. The Priestess’ voice got a little quieter, her hazel eyes lowered to the floor for a moment. “I would be very, very interested in him. But what you pointed out is true. Usagi cares about him more then she’ll say.” Silence for a second. Ami was hesitant, but she did finally speak her mind, matching Rei’s quiet tone. “I think he may feel that way for her, too.” Rei nodded. “I know.” “Rei-chan?” She looked up, “Hai?” “Can you name three things about Mamoru-san that made you like him? Besides his looks?” A moment. Then, “Iie, I can’t.” Ami nodded. Rei smiled, it didn’t quite reach her eyes, but it was a smile nonetheless. “I see your point, then, Mizuno-sama” here she mock-bowed and Ami swatted at her, giggling. “Now, how do we get them together?” “Nani?” “Well, they like each other, right? Then it should be easy. All w-” Ami shook her head. “No, I think it’s best we let destiny run it’s course. They’ll figure it out soon enough, you can’t ignore feelings like that for long.” Rei looked about ready to protest again, so Ami decided to use a more persuasive argument. “Isn’t it fun to watch them in action, though? Why would you want to end those infamous squabbles before their time?” Rei laughed, “You’re right. It would be amazingly great entertainment, if only they weren’t so obviously mentally ripping each others’ clothes off. I swear, Ami-chan-” “Rei no eechi!” Ami lowered her voice, “Can imagine what Usagi would do if she heard you talk like that?!” Rei shrugged, “Blush a lot? She knows it’s true. But you are right. I can’t help but have this feeling someone is already working on those two.” Rei’s psychic moment passed after a second and she looked around the temple for a moment before saying, “By the way, Ami-chan, where did Luna say she was going this evening, anyway?” ~~ ‘You can wake up anytime now,’ Luna thought, staring at Mamoru through the glass doors of his balcony. She had been out there for almost two hours already, it was starting to get dark. Luckily, the day had been warm, but the small cat had a feeling it would start to get cold really soon, and it’d be very nice if the man would just *wake up* from where he was napping on the bed, and just *see* her and maybe let her in where it was *warm*. ‘Who sleeps in the middle of the afternoon anyway? I mean, besides Usagi... jeeze, he’s just as bad! Wake up!!’ He looked as if he may be having a nightmare. Luna wondered for a second if his sleep was often disturbed by bad dreams, that would explain the tired look she had seen in his eyes a few times. The look that seemed to go away when Usagi was around. ‘Which reminds me’, Luna thought, ‘I have to get home before she worries. Let’s hurry this a long a tad.’ She meowed as loud as she could, once. Twice. Scratched at the glass a little. Meowed again. Mamoru was, apparently, a really light sleeper. And he startled awake almost immediately and eyed the cat outside with a suspicious, if glassy, expression. ‘Let me in!’ Luna mentally screamed. Blinking a few times, he stumbled to the door and slid it open. Luna immediately jumped onto the vacated bed and sat up regally, her tail curled around her front paws. Mamoru’s sharp eyes were looking at the balcony critically, and back at Luna, again, narrowing a bit. Not saying anything he met her gaze for a few moments, with eyes so shrewd Luna couldn’t help but wonder how Usagi managed to stare at him for a few minutes without looking away. Even Luna felt she couldn’t handle his challenging gaze too much longer, even though she carried the small fame for staring that came with her species. Sweatdropping a little, Luna decided to break the ice. “Hello Chiba Mamoru.” She said in a voice so regal it was easy to imagine the Egyptians worshipping those like her. When Usagi first heard Luna speak, she screamed in terror. Ami was surprised but inquisitive. Rei was instantly on guard. Mamoru, however, just looked vaguely perplexed. Luna watched him pick a small bottle of aspirin near his bed and squint at the expiration date. His eyebrows knitted together for a moment, then he turned to Luna with the air of someone all-to-used to abnormal situations. “Can I help you?” he asked. Luna was at a loss. What was she going to say? ‘So, Mamoru-san, are in love with my owner? Or what?’ Luna swallowed. “Thank you for saving my life.” “You’re welcome.” A pause. “You can speak.” He said needlessly, spreading his hands as if he expected a detailed explanation, and his face said he would force it out of her if she refused. ‘Sorry, buster, not this time.’ “Perhaps you are dreaming.” Mamoru shook his head. “I know dreams,” he said quietly. “This is not a dream.” Luna raised one feline eyebrow, “Are you saying, Mamoru-san, that someone as schooled and knowledgeable as you believes in talking animals?” “Stranger things have happened. Many of them to me.” He answered dryly, the weary look back in his eyes. “Chiba Mamoru,” Luna was glad she had taken pains to find out his last* name. It sounded much more formal to call him by his full name, and she was just so proud of the ‘all-knowing’ tone of voice she had practiced just for him. “Hai, Luna-neko-san?” Was that *amusement* Luna heard in his voice? Indeed, he seemed to have accepted Luna’s explanation of this being dream. In fact, he had, the only disturbing thought going through his mind was ‘Great, now I’m dreaming of her *cat*, too’. If any wonder at the manifestation of his subconscious into Usagi’s cat talking to him remained in his mind, he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he allowed himself to relax a little. Hell, it wasn’t every day you got to converse with a member of the animal kingdom, right? “Why did you walk away from Usagi today?” His silence was louder then if he had screamed at her. He leaned back on his bed, putting his hands behind his head. Studying the ceiling he answered, “It’s none of your business.” “But if you are dreaming, aren’t I only in your mind?” “How does one know if they are truly dreaming or truly awake?” He answered. ‘Great,’ Luna thought, ‘who does he think he is, Confucius? He seems determined not to answer me at any rate. I’d better just plant the seeds I came to.’ “Well, easy for you to say, you don’t have to deal with her hurt feelings whenever a certain rude sempai offends her.” Amusement again. “Someone’s been rude to her? Think I could take him?” Luna felt slightly miffed at not being taken seriously. “I was *talking* abo—” “I know.” He sighed again, shutting his eyes for a moment. “I don’t really believe someone as insignificant as I am has the power to ruin that girl’s day. I don’t think anything short of an international disaster could ruin Odango Atama’s day.” Luna felt herself become defensive on behalf of the young girl she knew had faced more danger and pain then most people. “There is a lot about Tsukino Usagi you don’t know, Chiba Mamoru.” Surprised he looked into Luna’s eyes, for once the humor gone from his features. “Like what?” he whispered. The tired look was gone from his eyes. Instead of answering, Luna jumped back out onto his balcony. She turned back to him, “Find out, then, if you want to know so much.” “Wait!” he reached out for her but she stopped, poised on the edge of his balcony rail, out of his view. With a sigh, Mamoru fell back down onto his bed, staring at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression on his face. ‘I almost wish that wasn’t a dream,’ he thought, shutting his eyes. ‘That she really did put that much importance into what I think. If she did, I would be so much more careful about what I said to her, and how I said it. Everyday it would be my mission just to make sure she knows exactly how delightful she really is. To me and to everyone else. To the world...’ As he slowly drifted off to sleep, Luna crept back into the room and watched him, a sympathetic look in her eyes. When he shivered as the air from the balcony grew colder, Luna pulled a blanket over him as best she could. Then, she laid down on the pillow on his floor and watched over him. He was having another nightmare. The last thought that went through Luna’s head as she fell asleep was that if Usagi were here to watch over him, Mamoru might never have such horrible dreams again. Meanwhile, half a city away, a small blonde girl, (who at the moment unbeknownst to her was the focus of both a small cat’s and a young man’s thoughts) was furiously searching for her pet. And when Luna couldn’t be found, after crying hysterically until Ami called and managed to calm her down, Usagi decided she was very, very angry. And she wasn’t sure why, except that anger was a better feeling then confusion and heartache, which she had been feeling since the meeting at Rei’s temple. So she fell asleep angry at Luna for making her apologize, bringing all her feelings for Mamoru to the surface, and then leaving her *alone* to deal with them. And she was also very angry at Mamoru, simply for the comfort of feeling angry at him. And when people fall asleep angry, they stay angry the next day. And when Usagi is angry bad things happen. Regrettable things... and some not so regrettable. The sun rose over Tokyo the next morning, bearing first witness to what was maybe the strangest of all ‘fateful days’. End part two And there I leave you all. * I say ‘last name’ very loosely here. Because although in English we consider our family name to be our ‘last name’, in Japan we all know they introduce and refer to themselves with the family name first, given name last. But since the term ‘last name’ works better, I just left it there. We all figured it out. QUIZ: How did Luna get up onto Mamoru’s balcony, about 10 stories up? (Answer: Magic. It may useful to know this is also the explanation for the answers to most trigonometry proofs, and every single applied physics problem out there. It also explains how TVs and radios work. You may want to keep this in mind).