“Look at the dancing cucumber. Dance, cucumber, dance! Dancing cucumber, dancing cucumber, dancing cucumber... look at the tomato. Isn’t it sad? The tomato wishes he could dance like the cucumber. But the tomato can’t dance.” ~Veggie Tales “Sometimes there is so much beauty in the world that it just fills my heart up, and I fill like it will burst, like a balloon.” ~American Beauty. Author’s notes: Sorry it’s been awhile... wait, you didn’t notice did you? I’ll get cracking on the next...maybe two or three more parts soon, I promise! Disclaimer: So I think MK is A really nice friend. I think Like this because Over IMs Really late at night Mk helped me Out with this Obvious story. Isn’t she Nice? Isn’t She really great? Now ‘ Thank her! My Idea Needed Expert help, so I turned to her! Part 5, recap: The moonlight shone has he reached up to remove his mask, the wind fluttered his hair for a moment, not breaking his intense concentration on where the blonde had just left. Shaking his head, he murmured, “Luna.” Leaping to the ground, Tuxedo Kamen ran off into the night with one thought floating to the surface of his mind. “I *knew* it was no dream.” Walking the Thin Line Part Six Of course not. How could he have fallen for it? Luna was no more a dream than his battles with Sailormoon, and the cat truly did talk. But why did she want to know about his Princess? And what, exactly, was Sailormoon’s strange, talking, guidance-giving cat doing being Odango Atama’s pet? ‘Is Usa mixed up in this all, too?’ Tuxedo Kamen thought absently, ‘who next? Motoki?’ He allowed a small, bitter laugh at his own life to escape his lips before he deftly leapt from the tree and began to follow the sound of Sailormoon’s chipper voice. ‘*Someone* has far too much energy for this late at night.’ He thought, shaking his head. Then again, he was one to talk. Through Mamoru’s whole life, the nighttime was when he could truly come alive. It was when the moonlight seemed to liquefy and pour into his veins making him come alive. A legal, potent high that would always rule his midnight hours. Yet tonight he felt tired, more emotionally drained than anything else. There was something at the back of his mind, something he wanted badly, but to dwell on it would make him dizzy and perplexed. Instead, he focused on getting the answers from Luna, and so he followed the pair through the moonlit Tokyo city streets. Keeping up with wasn’t too hard, they weren’t moving too quickly and Tuxedo Kamen was pretty good, (if he did say so himself) at things like leaping tall buildings in a single bound. And so, from rooftop, to street lamp, to dark ally, he was never more than twenty feet away from the odango-haired superhero and her small black companion. However, when the two reached the ever-so familiar video arcade, Luna turned to Sailormoon and said something Tuxedo Kamen couldn’t catch. With a smile and nod, the short-skirted girl ran off and disappeared into the shadows. It was a strange feeling, debating with himself. Mamoru hardly ever had to do that, usually it was easy: black and white, you know what you want or you don’t. Tonight he found himself wanting badly to follow Sailormoon, and leave Luna behind. But the motive behind his reasoning was something he didn’t want to ponder so he pushed it out of his mind, and regretfully watched Sailormoon fade into the shadows. Luna entered the arcade. Since there was no way to enter the small place without being spotted, all Tuxedo Kamen could do was watch from the roof of the arcade, until Luna come out again. Not wondering how she got in the locked and barred video center, chalking it up to Odango’s endearing little ‘magic’ explanation, he just continued to stalk the feline, nearly matching Luna’s catlike movements with his own. Luna walked to a quiet, residential area far removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday downtown Tokyo, and walked up to one of the spacious, split- level homes on the block. There were less hiding places in this area, and Tuxedo Kamen was truly counting his lucky stars that he hadn’t been spotted yet, when Luna suddenly scaled a huge tree and shimmied up to an open window. “Of course, you fool,” he whispered out loud to himself, bitterness filling up in his chest, “she went home. Where else would she go?” Leaning against the tree, he balled his fists, “To bring you to a place where you could question her freely? To suddenly explain everything you needed to know? To lead you, like, *directly* to the princess?! Baka!” Angry at his own weakness and frustration, it was all he could do not to scream out loud to the stars. But that would wake up Odango-atama, wouldn’t it? Above and beyond the feeling of hopelessness enveloping him, his heart gave a little twist. He looked up through the forming tears in his eyes at the window Luna had just crawled into. The light was off but the dim glow of a nightlight still burned, and he could just barely see Luna moving around in the small bedroom. She had some questions to answer. Things he needed to know, for Usagi’s sake as well. ‘I hope you are a deep sleeper, Usagi-chan,’ he thought, setting his lips in a straight line. Determinedly, he climbed the tree with large strides and jumped onto the window ledge with an almost unnatural grace. Leaning his head on his arm, he took just a moment to take in the sight before him. ‘God, Usa is a slob.’ The room’s floor was a collage of paper and stuffed animals and throw pillows and clothing. In the dull light of the night, all the colors faded into shades of gray, but he could tell it was a bright and colorful place during the day. Colorful like her, so much like her. Mamoru forced himself not to think of his own apartment, decorated in shades of gray even at high noon. And how he could use some color in his life. Instead, he watched Usagi. She was sprawled out, taking up the full length of the bed, one pillow and half her blankets spilled out onto the floor, along with about three feet of loose blonde hair. He had never seen her with her hair down before... for some reason it didn’t make her look as dramatically different as he thought it might. Although the waves of platinum and gold fell in soft, looping waves nearly half her body length in all directions, her bangs fluttering gently with each deep breath, he couldn’t help thinking she was still just silly little Odango atama. And she was so beautiful. He couldn’t help it, he had to admit it to himself. ‘You always thought she was beautiful.’ Granted. But he had known many beautiful girls before and he had never... so what had made him... Why couldn’t he finish his thought? ‘Because it scares you. She scares you. Look at this tiny little figure, fast asleep, helpless, and she frightens you worse than a million youma.’ All these thoughts had raced through his mind in less than a few seconds, all it took for him to tear his eyes away from the sleeping girl. Sighing, he watched Luna curl up at Usagi’s feet and fall asleep. ‘Some guardian cat.’ He said, shaking his head. For a moment all was still, as Mamoru debated his options. Waking up Luna could risk waking up Usagi, and he didn’t want to explain himself if she did. In his Tuxedo Kamen get-up, he could also be easily mistaken for a thief or prowler. And if he did wake up Luna and keep Usagi asleep....well, then what? Luna didn’t know Tuxedo Kamen and Chiba Mamoru were one in the same, hell, *he* didn’t even know it until recently. However, he did need to talk to her. After a moment, Tuxedo Kamen slipped into the room. Searching around Usagi’s desk for a bit, he found a piece of paper and a pen on her floor. (He smiled as he noted her homework textbooks look as if they had never been opened and were covered a thin layer of dust.) Quickly, in his trademark decisive scrawl, he wrote ‘Luna-neko-chan, I know. Meet me, you know where, tomorrow. The balcony will be open. I know where you live, so show up or I will come and get you.’ He signed it, ‘C.M.’ Folding it carefully, he placed it in Luna’s collar. Hopefully, she would find it tomorrow and assume Mamoru had somehow managed to put it in there sometime during the day. For some reason, Mamoru had no doubt Luna could read. For a moment, Tuxedo Kamen felt a rush of excitement for the answers he would receive from Luna. Perhaps he could finally receive some information about who Sailormoon really was. They could exchange information that could maybe even help him finally find his princess. And yet... why didn’t he feel as wonderful as he thought he should? For some reason the idea of seeing or talking to Odango Atama, Usagi-chan... Usako, seemed a million times more exciting to him. Next to him, Usagi’s face was locked in a grimace, and she was tossing and turning with an evident nightmare, more blankets falling the floor as she murmured and shivered in the cold night air from the window. Gently, Tuxedo Kamen pulled her blankets over her, and smoothed her hair back from her face. For a moment her eyelids stilled and her lashes stopped fluttering. With a sigh, a small smile appeared to hover over her lips. He didn’t even realize he had bent to kiss her cheek until his lips actually brushed her smooth skin. ‘She is dangerous,’ he thought, watching the innocent sleeper and her angelic expression, ‘so very dangerous. To everything you’ve waited so long for.’ He told himself. ‘And, god help me, I don’t even care.’ With that disturbing thought in his mind, Tuxedo Kamen slid out of the window and back into the tree. Leaping the roof-tops he was home in no time. It was very late when Chiba Mamoru finally fell asleep, after a long time of staring at his dull white ceiling but somehow only seeing sky-blue eyes. It was really a shame he got such little sleep, because people can do strange things when a little overtired, a little stressed, a little in love. And a combination of all three? The poor man had no idea what sort of day awaited him with the rising of the sun over Tokyo bay. ~~~~~~~~~ The sun was just too damn bright. The sky was the most saccharine shade of light baby blue, and the blithe laughter of the children in the street below grated on Mamoru’s nerves. Even the stupid bird calls from the park below were making him sulk. The breeze was unnaturally warm for this time of year, and somehow the sent of flowers wafted up to his balcony instead of the usual hint of car exhaust. It was the perfect day for taking a walk with friends, or just jogging through the city waving at people, or going on a picnic with a date. Mamoru hated days like this. His scowl deepened as he crossed his arms and waited for Luna to appear on the balcony. It was getting to be late morning and he didn’t want to waste his entire Saturday waiting on some cat’s beck and call. He should have put a time on the note, but nooooo he had to be all cryptic and concise. Blue eyes rolled heaven-ward for a moment, ‘Another minute and I’m leaving.’ Of course, it was just then that Luna made her entrance. She silently leaped onto the balcony and just looked at him for a moment. “Don’t dare tell me I’m dreaming.” Mamoru told her. Silence for a moment. “Please, come in.” he motioned toward the house and Luna walked in almost warily. He followed, closing the balcony door. For a long while in the living area, they just stared at each other. Mamoru felt in his angry mood, he could probably stare Luna down easily, or at least play her game until she tired of it. Which she finally did. With a sigh, Luna said, “What do you know, Mamoru-kun?” “Are we on such familiar terms?” he asked coldly, “Luna-san? You who lied to me, and played me, and tried to manipulate me?” Luna looked as if she might be loosing some of her composure, but she hid it rather well. “What do you mean?” Mamoru sighed, still not giving up the tough act. “Sailormoon. What are you to her?” “I could ask you the same thing.” He was silent. “I don’t know how you know and I won’t tell you anything. Sailormoon’s secrets are just that, and for a reason.” He smiled slightly, suddenly and smoothly changing gears. “I’m afraid I haven’t been a very good host. Would you like something to drink? I’m sorry I don’t have any milk, but I have water. I assume cats don’t drink cola or green tea...” ~~~~~ Luna, the tiny black cat who could silently slink with the shadows, was, admittedly, slightly better at sneaking through the city while following someone than Usagi was. Especially since the rather accident-prone blonde had enough trouble walking through the crowded, hazardous city walkways without trying to keep her presence a secret. Somehow, though, although puddles were stepped in, and people were tripped over, and walls were ran into, Usagi managed to follow Luna to a large apartment complex without her cat noticing. Removing her rather ridiculous ‘spy-outfit’ of dark sunglasses and a black scarf over her hair, Usagi squinted up at the balcony Luna had jumped onto. Hands on her hips, and pouting, she wondered what possessed her to actually rise early (for her) on a Saturday and see where her cat was going to. Silently she kept her eye on the door in which Luna had disappeared and counted upwards. Ten stories up, near the park...who the heck lived there? ‘I’m surprised you know a big word like ‘paranoid’, but for your information I live on the tenth story. And my door was locked, so explain that?’ Chiba Mamoru. Of course. Usagi blinked for a moment, Luna must be trying to get information on the Princess. Pretending to study her nails nonchalantly, Usagi waited near the bus stop outside the sliding doors to the apartments, wondering what to do. When a middle-aged business man buzzed himself into the main lobby, Usagi quickly took initiative and slipped in behind him before the door closed. Giving the doorman a ten-million yen smile in response to his questioning look, she walked right onto the elevator and confidently pushed the button for floor ‘10’. What the heck, she wanted to talk to him anyway. “So what I’m asking for is an honest exchange of information.” Luna said, watching Mamoru sip his tea thoughtfully. “You want to know about the Princess, but what can you tell me in return?” There was a moment’s pause. “Well, everything *I* know about her of course.” “I was under the impression that you didn’t know very much at all.” He gave her a sidelong glance. Luna kept her poker-face. He was going to make this hard, wasn’t he? Luna realized this was just the sort of careful, diplomatic bargaining she was supposed to be an expert at. They were sparring with words, and every move was as balanced and considered as in a chess game. All she needed was to place her words correctly, concentrate, with no distractions... There was a sharp knock on the door. Mamoru jumped a little, and gave Luna a surprised look. She gave as close to a shrug as a cat can, as if to say, ‘I wasn’t expecting anyone.’ Whoever it was knocked again, this time louder and the knock somehow sounded irritated. Luna thought Mamoru looked pretty irate himself as he stalked to the door and opened it as if he was planning to give hell to the person on the other side. But he froze the second the door was opened. “I’ve come to get my cat,” Usagi’s familiar voice washed over Luna’s ears like a splash of ice water. With a groan Luna covered her face with her paws. ‘Natch.’ Usagi noticed the frozen look of panic on his face when Mamoru saw who it was on the other side of the door. For a second his discomfort threatened to spread to her, but she firmly held herself against it. This was her chance to make up for chickening out the last time they had run into each other. She offered him the same blinding smile that had bewitched the doorman. Of course, it had a splendid effect on Mamoru, as well. “I’m here to pick up Luna,” she repeated, slowly. Mamoru blinked her a little dazedly, and then nodded, backing up so she could enter the apartment. Cheerfully winking at Luna as she took off her shoes in the doorway, Usagi continued to chatter. “Did you know yours is the only door on this floor that doesn’t have a name plate? That’s how I knew it had to be yours, but that’s so anti-social of you...” Usagi glanced at the doorway, which was devoid of any guest slippers. “Don’t get visitors much do you, Mamo-chan?” He blanched at the nickname, the dazed look still in his eyes as he watched her walk to the sofa in her stocking feet and hug Luna. “Silly kitty.” She said, with mock-reproach. Luna glared at her. Usagi then gave Mamoru another sweet look, “Could I have some water too, please?” Luna watched Mamoru, apparently in utter rapture, walk zombie-like to the refrigerator. To her horror, Usagi jumped up too, joining him at the door. “Oh, you have soda! Can I have some of that instead, please?” “Of course.” Mamoru wondered if he should ask how she knew where he lived, unless Luna told her... glancing at her as he poured the soda, he wondered if she was aware Luna could speak. He decided not to risk it. Feeling his gaze, Usagi looked up at him and their eyes met. Shaking, Mamoru put down the bottle before he spilled cola all over his kitchen floor. Still locked in her gaze, Mamoru felt something tugging at his memory. Those blue eyes... the odango hair-style... the incessant, birdlike chattering. “Fighter for justice...” he murmured suddenly, the soda forgotten as he reached out to brush a wayward blonde curl away from her face. Usagi’s eyes widened a little but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she focused intently on him, looking almost afraid to breathe. Before Mamoru could pull his hand away, she reached up and wrapped her fingers around his. He swallowed nervously. “I-” Usagi began, thinking for a moment about what she was going to say. Mamoru was giving her his full attention, eyes not leaving hers, head bent forward to catch what she had to say. Luna frowned. The energy between the two was amazing, poignant, and heart breaking. What was Usagi-chan thinking?! Tsukino Usagi was the famous Bishoujo senshi Sailormoon, Guardian of the Moon Princess and leader of the Sailor Senshi. She did not have the precedent to be flirting with the man who dreamt of the princess. ‘And what rationalism did you have, to bring them together?’ Luna asked herself, angrily, ‘and why do I still, somehow, believe it was the right thing to do?’ “Are you going to finish your sentence, Odango atama?” he whispered to her, a ghost of a smile fluttering around his mouth. “That’s not my name...” she responded, knee-jerk reaction, frowning at him but not really angry. “I know your name,” he said, lowering his lips to hers, so close she could feel his breath on her face, “Usako.” It was just a second before their lips touched that Luna made her presence known, meowing loudly from her new position on the kitchen counter. To her surprise they didn’t jump away from each other in panic. Instead Mamoru slowly lowered his hand back to his side and Usagi grabbed her glass of soda and took a sip. “Thanks for the cola, Mamo-chan,” she said, “Sorry Luna’s getting restless.” He nodded, slowly, remembering the real reason he wanted to talk to Luna, and how it didn’t really matter to him anymore. “We need to talk, though.” He said, solemnly, not meeting her eyes. Usagi nodded, staring at the bubbles drifting to the surface of her drink. Sure, it would have been nice to just spend the afternoon kissing him and save the serious conversation for, say, *never*, but he was right. They needed to talk. But what was she going to say? ‘Gee, Mamo-chan, I know I haven’t known you that long or anything, but I’m completely head-over-heels in love with you. And I’m not sure how, but I know you feel the same way about me. But I’m also secretly a superhero in disguise. You must have noticed that I look like Sailormoon. I also have this...thing I don’t understand with Tuxedo Kamen. And my talking cat seems to think you dream about our Moon Princess, so she’ll be pressing you for information a lot. So, what do you say about us having a serious relationship? Hey! Come back here!!’ She sighed. She wanted to be with him always. But how could that work? There was a whole part of her life he could never understand. Usagi met his eyes and shrugged a little. “Well, what were you...going to say before?” he asked, leading the way back to his sofa. She sat down, tucking her legs under her and gnawing on her lower lip. “I was just going to apologize, for treating you so badly when I saw you yesterday morning. I shouldn’t have been mean. I just...didn’t know what to say.” Usagi shrugged, “Besides I was really late.” Mamoru smiled at her, and Usagi realized he had a really amazing smile, when he used it. “And I’m sorry I called you Odango atama. Both yesterday and a minute ago.” She blushed. “It’s ok.” A moment of silence. He was watching her closely, she could feel it, even though she was staring at her hands. “I, um... guess apologizing to you isn’t that bad.” Mamoru grinned suddenly, “Yeah, well, I don’t mind when you get really mad at me, either.” With shock, she looked at his mischievous expression and turned deep red at the reminder of what happened at the arcade. “I thought it would shut you up,” she muttered. “That’s so flattering,” he laughed. He had a really nice laugh, too. Usagi figured it was probably even more rare then his smile. She resolved to make him smile more, if she ended up with him. After all, making people happy was one of the few things she could pride herself on being good at. Luna watched the couple impatiently. She was sick of feeling as if she didn’t exist, she *was* after all, here for a reason. Luna also wasn’t too happy with the inquisitive look on Mamoru’s face whenever he watched Usagi. She knew he was mentally comparing Usagi to Sailormoon, and Luna felt nervous it would only be a matter of time before he figured it out. That also left another strange question in her mind: how did he know as much about Sailormoon as he did? How did he know about Luna? ‘What a strange, mysterious, unsettling person.’ Luna thought, watching Mamoru has he laughed and joked with Usagi. She had seen him go from cold-eyed questioner, to friendly host, to lovesick idiot in the space of about ten minutes at most. And now he was acting differently altogether, in what Luna had an unsettling feeling, was closest to his true self. With Usagi. Luna shook her head. Chiba Mamoru belonged to the moon princess, she knew that, it was fact, it was certain. Yet from what she knew of the young man, it seemed so much better that he be with Usagi. A fierce battle raged war in Luna chest and, frankly, she really didn’t feel like dealing with it. She had half a mind to just leave, the balcony was closed but she could probably open it. Just then Usagi blushed again, and murmured something ruefully that made Mamoru grin slyly and reach for her hand, bringing it slowly to his lips. ‘Oh, well, I’m not leaving them alone together, either!’ she thought, mentally throwing her arms in the air. Usagi blushed a little when Mamoru laughed at her reason for kissing him. She shrugged a little. “Yeah, well, it obviously didn’t work too well, did it?” She couldn’t say she disliked the smile spreading on his face, but it sure freaked her out a little. “I’m pretty sure I shut up for a while there, Usako,” he took her hand gently, as she watched him nervously. It was moment before he gently pressed his lips to her knuckle. He was teasing, that was obvious. But still, his eyes on her suddenly made her heart pound. This was about when Luna decided she’d had enough, evidently. Luna jumped on Usagi’s lap and gave her a look that clearly said, ‘Get me out of here, now, or this sofa’s gonna be nothing but shreds and stuffing.’ It was especially punctuated by Luna flexing her claws threateningly at her owner. “Um...yikes, well, I think Luna wants to go home now.” Luna gave Mamoru a hard look, meant to remind him of why Luna was here, and what he had so obviously wanted to find out. Mamoru stood up, the closed expression back on his face, a strange mixture of emotions floated through his eyes. “I...guess I’ll go now, then.” Usagi said at the door. Reality was beginning rear it’s ugly head. ‘Now what?’ she thought, realizing they were both watching each other warily. “So...” Usagi extended her hand, smiling uncertainly. “Friends?” she asked, again biting at her lip nervously. He carefully took her hand in his, “Ok, Oda— Usagi-chan. I’ll see you around the arcade sometime I’m sure.” So that was his answer. ‘I’ll see you around’?! What was that all about? And if he wasn’t going to call her Usako, he might as well have the decency to stick with ‘Odango atama.’ ‘Usagi-chan’ was what her parents, classmates and friends called her. *Everyone* called her Usagi-chan....she didn’t want him to be everyone. Frowning, she faced him defiantly, little chin raised in the air. “Of course, Mamoru-kun. I guess I will see you then.” She then turned and walked away, carrying her shoes in her hand until she was safely in the hallway and his door was closed. ‘Baka!’ she thought angrily, not sure if she meant Luna or Mamoru or herself. With tears in her eyes she shoved her feet into her shoes and hurried out of the building. She and Luna didn’t talk to each other the entire way home. Mamoru watched them leave, silently from his balcony, his eyes the frozen ice-shards that hadn’t been seen in his face for a long while. And night fell, Saturday turned into Sunday, Sunday into Monday, and Monday faded into Tuesday. And Tuesday had almost melted into Wednesday when the urgent scream echoed through the night outside Mizuno Ami’s apartment. The alert came. And the Sailor Senshi came running...and Tuxedo Kamen watched attentively. And so Wednesday began just as the youma fell and it was Wednesday’s moon that witnessed the next hour’s scene. Wednesday... the day the Greeks named after the mischievous Hermes, the god of tricksters and thieves and those who hide their face from the world. And Wednesday, perhaps a fateful day, or perhaps it was just this one day in the endless parade of nights and mornings all over the world, that was marked with meaning. ‘Either way,’ Luna thought back, ‘this was a night to remember.’ End part six I was born on a Wednesday...or maybe it was a Thursday... I don’t remember. X.X ~Antigone