**DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon and other characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Cartoon Network, etc. None of these characters belong to me. **

Author's Notes: Hehe, here it is. This is my big fight scene, and I'm quite proud of it. So for all of you action fans out there, I hope you like it! Enjoy, minna-chan!

Rating: PG

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"Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart."

~ Proverb ~

Silver Eyes 

by: The Silver Princess

They stood arrayed before the youma, their brightly colored fukus contrasting to the dark youma. Usagi remained motionless in her seat, watching the opponents with apprehension, waiting to see how the fight would fall. The youma was small for its kind, man-shaped, and brawny; rather like a tall bodybuilder, and its skin was black and crackly like burnt cardboard, veined with scorching red. The features of its face were obscured by a sheet of fire that seemed to serve as its eyes.

The senshi moved first, spreading out to encircle and flank the youma. Usagi noticed a flicker of annoyance and concern in Tuxedo Kamen's eyes when he noted Usagi at her desk. She started before her mind supplied the logical reason. Of course, fear for innocent bystanders—and as Odango Atama, she would be doubly likely to panic and ruin everything. Usagi carefully adjusted herself so that she appeared petrified with terror. Her blue eyes widened, and her chin trembled with repressed sobs. When Jupiter, lightning wreathing her head like a crown, moved to engage the youma, Usagi slipped from her seat and crept to the back of the room, pressing her back to the wall. Worrying her friends would only hinder their efforts in the battle.

Bright waves of magic filled the room. Neptune sent a wave of power into Uranus's Space Sword, energizing it with the power of two senshi. Uranus ran forward and swung, twirled and jabbed.

"Uranus, down!"

The sandy-haired senshi backrolled away barely missing Venus's golden whip as it lashed forward to wrap around the youma. It howled as it found its arms pinned to its sides. In quick succession came a series of attacks, followed by a barrage of steel-tipped roses.

The whip finally gave under the youma's struggles, crackling back into Venus's hold.

What the youma lacked in size, it seemed to make up for in durability. Despite the bombardment of attacks from so many, it was unfazed, though the fireball that was it face roared in anger.

Its meaty arms opened wide and then punched forward. Flames licked over its palms and then spread, shooting forward.

"Everyone, duck!" Pluto cried.

The senshi dropped to the floor, intending that the fire should rush over them, leaving them unhurt.

Usagi could only watch and cry out as the raging fire spread, widened until it reached from floor to ceiling. They would be incinerated! Her gut twisted, and her limbs nearly moved of their own accord. They would all die!

But the flames stopped just in front of them then flickered around, spreading. It raced throughout the room, enclosing the senshi within walls of impenetrable flame. They were trapped.

Booming laughter emanated from the youma, who was clearly delighted to have finally bested the mighty senshi.

Usagi stepped forward, hesitated, her stomach roiling with uncertainty.

Over the roar of the fire, she could hear the senshi massing their attacks to break through the walls but to no avail. Even Pluto's commanding voice failed to yield the tiniest gap.

Usagi gasped as the fires suddenly seemed to disappear. They had broken free, she exulted for a moment. Matte, no, she frowned. The senshi were making no movement to renew the battle; they were still caged, warily watching the youma who had trapped them. The flames had merely turned transparent. The youma began to swagger, pacing before the senshi, and taunting them. He particularly enjoyed goading Mars who nursed an angry red burn on her arm.

"Fight fire with fire? You're just a candleflame!"

She shrieked in fury and moved to throw herself at the youma, only to be restrained by Venus.

Usagi wished futilely that she hadn't come to school. Then perhaps she could have shown up in disguise to help.

"You'll never win," Tuxedo Kamen's calm, certain voice informed the youma.

Usagi was breathing hard, struggling within herself. They were the senshi; surely, they would free themselves. Any moment now.

"You bastard! There won't even be enough of you to make dust!" Uranus threatened.

Usagi clenched her hands. Why weren't they free yet? They could defeat a mere youma any day. She took another hesitant step forward. Everything was very vague and confused; she could scarcely understand the words they were shouting at each other. They wouldn't give in this easily. She stared at them, not really seeing anything for a moment, torn within herself.

"Enough! You bore me! My master will be pleased to be rid of you!" the youma growled. It raised its arms, and its fiery face began to spread over its head, dancing down its shoulders, racing to engulf its arms. It was powering up to deliver its killing attack.

The blood drained from Usagi's face as the youma suddenly came it to razor-sharp focus. The fire flickered over its head like brilliant red hair. Terror washed over her as her mind superimposed the image of Shingo's killer and that first youma over the one standing before her. Everything from mind faded except for the fact that it was going to kill the senshi. Nothing else mattered.

"IIIIIEEE!" she screamed as her body leapt into action, charging straight towards it. "I won't let you kill any more people that I love!"

She ducked her head down below the level of the fire that consumed its upper body. Her shoulder hit it at waist level, and she wrapped her arms tightly around its body, tackling it to the ground.

"Usagi-chan!" She could vaguely hear the senshi shouting her name, begging her to run. "She'll be killed! She'll be killed!" one of them was screaming. "Get out of here, Odango!"

The youma grabbed her by the forearms, igniting the sleeves of her shirt, and tossed her against the firewall.

Flames burned against her, singeing the back of her neck. She dove away from the fire and ripped her shirt from her body before the flames could light fire to her sports bra or her skin. Nothing mattered to her but stopping the youma that threatened those ones she loved. She rolled to her feet, and in the back of her mind, she wished she had not worn a skirt that day.

Muscles rippled beneath the skin of her abdomen in taut anticipation. She darted forward, ducking and bobbing to keep the youma off guard. Its flames receded as it flexed in preparation. Her mind settled into calmness, clearheaded focus. Within this tiny room, against this one opponent, it was like returning to a martial arts class. She bared her teeth in a cruel smile. She knew how to do this in her sleep. This youma would not hurt her loved ones while she was there. Her breathing evened out as her body shifted comfortably into fighting mode.

Usagi swung her foot up high, her heel catching it in the chin. It recoiled as she fell backwards, taken aback by the lack of give in its hard jaw. She twisted into a back flip, landing neatly.

It came after her now, angry that she had scored a hit. She skillfully blocked punch after punch, jab after jab. She managed to check the worst of the attack, but it did land some powerfully painful punches and it was driving her backwards. If she didn't do something, it would drive her into the firewall again. Its fist came at her again. This time she sidestepped, grabbed its arm, and used its momentum to send it stumbling past her. It skidded to a stop and turned to face her. But she was no longer there. Her leg swung around like a whip, her foot jarring into its ribcage. It staggered sideways and then answered with a roundhouse kick. She countered with a jab to the kidneys.

They broke apart, circling. Her feet glided over the floor, barely making a whisper. The voices of the senshi were quiet now, discussing, but she shuffled the noise to the back of her mind. The pains of the hits the youma had landed throbbed from far away; the hurts were unimportant right now, and she had no attention to give them. The youma crouched down and then rolled forward, intending to knock her from her feet. She jumped over it as it rolled at her and then pivoted to face it. Shimmata, her back was to the wall of flames again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could Haruna-sensei's desk, stacked high with papers, staplers, and other school supplies. Her eyes lit up.

The youma charged, its arms flying. Usagi blocked the flurry of attacks, desperately seeking an opening. There! She ducked beneath its arm and then shot out her leg like a piston. Her foot collided with its spine, and it toppled over forward. Not much time, but enough. She spun, keeping her foot high, and then brought it down, smashing into the paper cutter.

Wood splintered with crack, trapping her foot. She swore, and the floor shook as the youma righted itself and thundered towards her unprotected side.

She bent her knees and then sprang, agilely cartwheeling over the desk. The youma's fingers grazed against her upper back. She swept her leg sideways, carrying the broken paper cutter with her foot.

She shrieked suddenly as the youma caught hold of her pigtail and yanked. She flicked her foot, and her hand caught hold of the paper cutter's handle. She wrenched it from its weakened bolts and then with one smooth movement sliced upward through her hair. The youma was left holding a long clump of golden hair.

She was armed now. She slashed the air with her makeshift blade, getting a feel for its balance.

The desk was between them now. They circled again.

Crash!

The youma bellowed, barreling its way through the desk to reach her. She jumped forward, kicking her legs at it while it was hampered by the twisted wood and metal.

A thick hand reached up and grabbed Usagi's thigh, plucking her from the air like a bug and flinging against the wall with horrible strength. Her breath escaped her lungs as she coughed. Her ribs ached.

Then the youma was on top of her, snatching the improvised blade from her hand. She struggled but its weight was too much. She was pinned helplessly. Flames licked at her face, scorching her hair. The blade pressed against her neck, the metal hot and burning. She wheezed as she tried to twist away from the blade that was about to break her skin.

Roaring laughter thundered in her ears as a burst of heated breath blasted at her face.

Usagi winced and cried out. Tears streamed from her eyes as she whimpered. She was good at playing her part—she had been playacting for so long now. The youma laughed again, completely duped by her pretense. She freed her arm from it, and then formed a circle. Her hand collided with its wrist, knocking the blade from its hand. It skittered away across the floor.

Distracted by the loss of its weapon, it shifted its weight as though to move to reclaim it. Bringing all her strength to the fore, she attacked with a quick jolt between its knees. Lightning quick, she nimbly twisted, and then she had the youma pinned below her.

It bucked angrily, nearly tossing her off like a ragdoll. She clung tenaciously, fighting to keep it incapacitated. Finally, she elbowed it and even before its head finished snapping back, she had backflipped away.

Hands, feet, hands, feet.

She flipped her way towards the abandoned blade as the youma ran after her lithe form, its fists swinging, just missing her belly. Her hand closed on the handle of the blade and she came out of her flips, bringing the blade up to meet the youma a second later.

Usagi sidestepped and spun, holding her blade out to slash at the youma as she came around.

There was a sudden freezing, a sudden silence, as her weapon met with resistance before sinking into flesh. The youma stared uncomprehendingly at its half-severed neck. No one spoke.

Usagi's eyes narrowed furiously. "That's for trying to kill people I love," she spat. She yanked the blade from the neck and then hacked at it again. Her blade dug deeper into the neck. With a furious yell, she repeated her attack, and then the youma's head parted from it s body and thudded down against the floor. The youma's body collapsed weakly.

Usagi kicked the head away, unsure if it somehow could be reattached. Breathing hard and sweating from her match, she dropped the impromptu weapon. It clattered to the floor as she backed away. The sheen of sweat glistening over her skin was beginning to chill her now that the flames caging the senshi had dissolved. She shivered and then groaned: her injuries that she had ignored were now screaming with agony. She was going to be a massive bruise tomorrow. She carefully lowered herself to the floor, leaning against the wall. She had never defeated a youma by herself like that without any help. Her chest heaved as she her heart rate slowly subsided.

She closed her eyes, the protectiveness and battle-calm that had sustained her dissipating leaving only shakiness.

She noted a flash of brightness from behind her eyelids. One of the senshi must have incinerated the body to ensure that it was no longer a threat.

After a few seconds, she felt well enough, her trained muscles already resiliently ready for her next series of exertions. She shook her head; she had worked herself harder than this during her workouts.

For a moment, she caught herself thinking that she must get to her motorcycle and head home before she remembered where she was…and how she was dressed. She froze—the senshi had just seen Odango Atama, the daytime identity she had cultivated so diligently, defeat a youma single-handedly. The masquerade was over; her disguise was ruined.

Usagi opened her eyes to find them all staring at her.

A/N: Yeah! I love that scene! I hope you guys liked it also. I know some of you wanted her to remain secret, but stories take on a life of their own and I've had this revelation of her identity in mind for a while.

Well, you all are just going to tear your hair out at the cliffhanger, ne? Gomen nasai because it'll be quite awhile before the next installment is out; school is starting again. Well, review, review—motivate me to write faster! Aren't I horrible, blackmailing you like this? *Shrug* Ja ne, minna-chan!