Usagi sat by the lake thinking. It was amazing to her that she had managed to keep so much from everyone for so long. No one suspected she was anything but a cheerful loving ditz. And unfortunately she wouldn't have it any other way right now.
She sighed as she looked into the reflection in the water. Reflected to her eyes was a short, blond, very sad teenager. Since Minako showed up things had become much easier for her. She now had found all four of the inner princesses, and the outers shouldn't be anything she had to worry about for some time.
Looking again at her face she started thinking out loud, "I wonder who my parents were?" Standing Usagi started dancing around the small clearing she was in. She could vaguely remember dancing with her real mother, Kenji and Ikuko, while good people, Usagi knew were not her real parents, she had been adopted when she was four years old. The Tsukino's thought Usagi didn't remember the orphanage or the fire her family had died in, so they pretended she was theirs from birth, and Usagi didn't mind. It gave her another illusion to hide in.
Halting her dance Usagi sighed, it was eight o clock time to run to school as if hair were on fire, it was time for her daily fight with mamoru, and it was time to once again become the klutzy ditz she was beginning to loathe. Grabbing her bag she rumpled her blouse and began running and shouting.
"RUNNING LATE, OUTTA MY WAY PEOPLE!!!!" Shouting this she ran around the people crowding the sidewalks and dodging the occasional flying object that she knocked out of some poor pedestrians' arms. Look ahead she could see Mamoru standing directly in her path, and just like always she pretended she didn't see him and collided full force, loosing her bag and her balance.
"Hey Odango Atama!" Mamoru growled, "Wake up, will ya!"
"Shut Mamoru-baka! I don't have time for you today, I'm gonna be late again!" Usagi interrupted his usual string of complaints, finally tired of the old game.
Standing and dusting herself off she looked over at Mamoru, also standing, "Sorry Mamoru-kun!" And with that she took off at full speed, thinking as she ran.
'Good going Usa, just ruin everything! Why don't you just blow everything!' Usagi frowned as this thought entered her mind, 'What if I do just drop all of the pretenses? What if I let everyone know I'm smart and capable?' Usagi shook her head as she ran into the classroom 'but I can't' Usagi sighed as she entered the classroom 'but then I would be betraying him, and her.'
Sliding into her seat Usagi resolved to keep up the illusion, "Gomen Haruna Sensi. . ." Usagi muttered, blushing. 'I hate this!'
Haruna looked over at the blushing teen, "That's detention Usagi, see you after school."
Nodding Usagi opened her textbook and prepared to appear as if she were sleeping, in actuality she was listening to every word the teacher was saying and filing it away in her mind. Serena jumped, just as she was supposed to, when Haruna yelled at her for sleeping in class, "USAGI TSUKINO!! That's another hour onto your detention!"
Usagi sighed and nodded at Haruna, and slumped further into her seat as her classmates laughed at her 'stupidity'.
The end of the day finally came and Usagi told Makoto and Ami she would meet them at Rei's. "Don't worry guys! It's only an hour and a half with Haruna Sensi!" She said in her normal perky voice.
"OK Usagi-chan we'll see you at the meeting!" Makoto said happily, grabbing Ami and heading out of the school building.
Sighing Usagi headed into the classroom. "Hello Haruna-chan." Usagi sighed, walking into the classroom. The instructor looked up at Usagi as she entered the room.
"Hello Usa-chan. You're test scores came in today." The woman said happily, handing the papers to Usagi, who looked the results over, a smile forming on her face.
"Haru-chan!!! These scores are wonderful! I'm not going to have to worry about a high school at all!"
"So are you going to tell your family?" Haruna asked neutrally.
"Iie! I can't!" Usagi exclaimed. "Haru-chan no one can know about these scores, or anything else. As far as anyone else is concerned I am a hopeless ditz, and I want it to stay that way."
Nodding her friend/teacher sighed. "Usa I don't understand you. You outscore people like Mizuno Ami without even trying! Aren't you proud of that?"
"Very, it's just that. . . I already explained to you, I'll tell them when I have to, but right now is definitely not that time."
"Alright then, nothing more about it today, do you have the essay I assigned you yesterday?"
Nodding Usagi reached into her backpack and pulled out a twenty-page essay. "Here ya are Haru-chan."
Smiling the teacher took the paper, "Usa-chan, can I enter your paper from last week in a writing contest? I'll put a different name on it if you like, but I think it could win."
Knowing it was a bad idea Usagi nodded, "Alright Haru-chan, put the name, ummm, Setti Son.
Nodding Haruna pulled out the essay in question and penned the name onto the card she had clipped to the paper. "Thanks Usa-chan, hey in honor of your test scores how about we take tomorrow off?"
Thinking briefly Usagi nodded, "Alright, I'll be in class on time then. Do we have anything else to do today then?"
"Not that I know of, so why don't you take your papers, and go see your friends?" Haruna Sakurada smiled, ushering Usagi out of the room.
"Alright," Usagi said happily, "Ja-ne Haruna Sensi!" She called out, exiting the room.
Walking to the Hikawa Jinja, Usagi couldn't help but forget to be klutzy, thinking about her test results she automatically sidestepped Mamoru when he appeared in her path, furthermore she forgot to be rude to him, "Gomen nasi." She said pleasantly, continuing on her way, leaving a very stunned Mamoru Chiba behind her.
*Mamoru
Mamoru braced his-self as he watched his Odango heading straight for him, looking particularly happy today. He opened his eyes in shock when instead of running into him she sidestepped him and apologized for the near collision. Feeling slightly cheated he scowled at her retreating figure. Turning around he walked into the Crown Arcade and stormed over to his usual seat.
Noticing Mamoru's bad moon Motoki walked over to his friend, "What's up Mamoru? You look angry."
"Usagi just now, she didn't run into me!" Mamoru muttered.
Smiling Motoki looked at his best friend, "And why would that upset you Mamoru?" He asked all too innocently.
Scowling at his friend Mamoru stood and walked out of the arcade, walking in the direction of the park.
Usagi*
Usagi reached the temple, not surprised to hear the voices of the other girls already in the building. What did surprise her was the way the girls were talking:
"She got detention again Rei, calm down." That was Ami.
"It's not like she ever shows up on time anyways Rei, I don't know what has you so angry." That was Makoto
"She is supposed to be our leader, not some little ditz that can't even protect herself, let alone the masses of Japan!" Rei growled. "When she gets here I want to call a vote of no confidence!"
Shocked Usagi stifled back some tears, but she kept listening.
"Rei, she's a good leader, so what if she's late or a little cowardly, her heart's in the right place!" And of course that was Minako coming to her defense.
"It doesn't matter if her heart's in the right place if she gets us killed with her stupidity!" Rei said angrily, "In that last battle did you happen to notice, Minako, that Ami and Makoto ended up unconscious before that Moon Brain showed up?"
Having heard enough Usagi turned and ran from the shrine, not noticing the girls that peeked around the corner of the doorway and watched her run away, Minako turned to the cat sitting in the center of the room, "Luna are you sure that was a good idea?"
"Minako we have tried everything else to get that girl to shape up and start acting like a leader, maybe a scare like this is what she needs, I don't know what else to do." Sighing the cat stood and walked to the doorway, "I'm going to head home girls, I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow."
Nodding the girls watched as Luna walked in the direction of Usagi's house.
"Girls, I don't know is Luna is in the right this time, I think we really hurt Usagi this time." Rei murmured. Agreeing, the girls dispersed, silently agreeing to find Usagi and explain things before she became too hurt.
Usagi*
Entering the park Usagi didn't know what to do, so she headed for her clearing with her pond. By the time she reached it tears were running in a steady stream down her face. Sitting on the edge of the pond she cried her heart out.
"Why won't you let me be myself!? " She silently demanded of her Prince and Lady. "Why can't I be smart, or graceful or a leader . . .what will this prove!" She demanded, pounding her fist on the ground as tears continued to course down her face.
"I can't do this anymore!" Usagi cried, curling up and sobbing into her knees. "Who am I!? Dammitt!"
Unknown to Usagi, Mamoru Chiba was sitting ten feet away from her, watching silently.
Chapter 2
Mamoru*
He sat watching the girl cry her heart out, whatever had happened to his Odango Atama had been bad. His ray of sunshine was dying and nobody noticed. Everyone assumed that Usagi was cheerful and dense, and here Mamoru saw that she was actually more like him then he would ever like to admit.
Knowing he had to do something he got up and crossed over to the girl by the pond.
"Usagi?" He asked gently.
"Please go away." She whispered. "Just pretend you can't see me and go away."
Mamoru looked at the girl, essentially broken, on the ground. Shaking his head he picked her up and started to carry her out of the park, grabbing her bag on the way up.
"Mamoru, where are you taking me, please put me down," Usagi whispered halfheartedly.
"We're going to my apartment, and you are going to talk to me." He said with a great deal of firmness in his voice. He felt Usagi curl into his body as he finished speaking, taking that as agreement he cut through the park.
Walking down the street with Usagi in his arms Mamoru got some strange looks, and he could imagine how odd he looked, but it was only when Usagi reacted to the sight of one of her friends did he do anything in reaction.
Mamoru saw Makoto walking towards him and Usagi with a scowl on her face when Usagi finally gave a sign she was still alive.
"Please Mamoru, I can't . . . I don't want to deal with Mako-chan, I don't want to see any of them. . . please let me go. . .please." Usagi begged into his jacket.
"Don't worry Usagi, we'll avoid her." He murmured into her hair comfortingly as he gripped the teenager tighter in his arms and took off at a full run down the street towards his rapidly approaching apartment building.
Makoto saw Mamoru, and what looked like it could be Usagi for a moment before, after whispering something Usagi's ear he took of at full tilt.
Knowing she wouldn't be able to keep up Makoto turn and ran towards the temple to let the girls know she found Usagi.
Mamoru reached the apartment without further incident, or reaction from Usagi. Looking down he realized that his little blond bundle had fallen asleep, or passed out. Setting her on the couch in his living room he went into the kitchen to make some cocoa.
Usagi*
She woke to the smell of cooking chocolate, and even that didn't perk her up. Looking around the room she occupied she noted it's classical decoration, it was very simple, and extremely inpersonal. She looked up just as Mamoru entered the room, carrying two cups of cocoa in his hands.
"Mamoru, thank you." She whispered, taking one of the cups when he sat down next to her. "How long were you in the clearing?"
She sighed as she looked into the reflection in the water. Reflected to her eyes was a short, blond, very sad teenager. Since Minako showed up things had become much easier for her. She now had found all four of the inner princesses, and the outers shouldn't be anything she had to worry about for some time.
Looking again at her face she started thinking out loud, "I wonder who my parents were?" Standing Usagi started dancing around the small clearing she was in. She could vaguely remember dancing with her real mother, Kenji and Ikuko, while good people, Usagi knew were not her real parents, she had been adopted when she was four years old. The Tsukino's thought Usagi didn't remember the orphanage or the fire her family had died in, so they pretended she was theirs from birth, and Usagi didn't mind. It gave her another illusion to hide in.
Halting her dance Usagi sighed, it was eight o clock time to run to school as if hair were on fire, it was time for her daily fight with mamoru, and it was time to once again become the klutzy ditz she was beginning to loathe. Grabbing her bag she rumpled her blouse and began running and shouting.
"RUNNING LATE, OUTTA MY WAY PEOPLE!!!!" Shouting this she ran around the people crowding the sidewalks and dodging the occasional flying object that she knocked out of some poor pedestrians' arms. Look ahead she could see Mamoru standing directly in her path, and just like always she pretended she didn't see him and collided full force, loosing her bag and her balance.
"Hey Odango Atama!" Mamoru growled, "Wake up, will ya!"
"Shut Mamoru-baka! I don't have time for you today, I'm gonna be late again!" Usagi interrupted his usual string of complaints, finally tired of the old game.
Standing and dusting herself off she looked over at Mamoru, also standing, "Sorry Mamoru-kun!" And with that she took off at full speed, thinking as she ran.
'Good going Usa, just ruin everything! Why don't you just blow everything!' Usagi frowned as this thought entered her mind, 'What if I do just drop all of the pretenses? What if I let everyone know I'm smart and capable?' Usagi shook her head as she ran into the classroom 'but I can't' Usagi sighed as she entered the classroom 'but then I would be betraying him, and her.'
Sliding into her seat Usagi resolved to keep up the illusion, "Gomen Haruna Sensi. . ." Usagi muttered, blushing. 'I hate this!'
Haruna looked over at the blushing teen, "That's detention Usagi, see you after school."
Nodding Usagi opened her textbook and prepared to appear as if she were sleeping, in actuality she was listening to every word the teacher was saying and filing it away in her mind. Serena jumped, just as she was supposed to, when Haruna yelled at her for sleeping in class, "USAGI TSUKINO!! That's another hour onto your detention!"
Usagi sighed and nodded at Haruna, and slumped further into her seat as her classmates laughed at her 'stupidity'.
The end of the day finally came and Usagi told Makoto and Ami she would meet them at Rei's. "Don't worry guys! It's only an hour and a half with Haruna Sensi!" She said in her normal perky voice.
"OK Usagi-chan we'll see you at the meeting!" Makoto said happily, grabbing Ami and heading out of the school building.
Sighing Usagi headed into the classroom. "Hello Haruna-chan." Usagi sighed, walking into the classroom. The instructor looked up at Usagi as she entered the room.
"Hello Usa-chan. You're test scores came in today." The woman said happily, handing the papers to Usagi, who looked the results over, a smile forming on her face.
"Haru-chan!!! These scores are wonderful! I'm not going to have to worry about a high school at all!"
"So are you going to tell your family?" Haruna asked neutrally.
"Iie! I can't!" Usagi exclaimed. "Haru-chan no one can know about these scores, or anything else. As far as anyone else is concerned I am a hopeless ditz, and I want it to stay that way."
Nodding her friend/teacher sighed. "Usa I don't understand you. You outscore people like Mizuno Ami without even trying! Aren't you proud of that?"
"Very, it's just that. . . I already explained to you, I'll tell them when I have to, but right now is definitely not that time."
"Alright then, nothing more about it today, do you have the essay I assigned you yesterday?"
Nodding Usagi reached into her backpack and pulled out a twenty-page essay. "Here ya are Haru-chan."
Smiling the teacher took the paper, "Usa-chan, can I enter your paper from last week in a writing contest? I'll put a different name on it if you like, but I think it could win."
Knowing it was a bad idea Usagi nodded, "Alright Haru-chan, put the name, ummm, Setti Son.
Nodding Haruna pulled out the essay in question and penned the name onto the card she had clipped to the paper. "Thanks Usa-chan, hey in honor of your test scores how about we take tomorrow off?"
Thinking briefly Usagi nodded, "Alright, I'll be in class on time then. Do we have anything else to do today then?"
"Not that I know of, so why don't you take your papers, and go see your friends?" Haruna Sakurada smiled, ushering Usagi out of the room.
"Alright," Usagi said happily, "Ja-ne Haruna Sensi!" She called out, exiting the room.
Walking to the Hikawa Jinja, Usagi couldn't help but forget to be klutzy, thinking about her test results she automatically sidestepped Mamoru when he appeared in her path, furthermore she forgot to be rude to him, "Gomen nasi." She said pleasantly, continuing on her way, leaving a very stunned Mamoru Chiba behind her.
*Mamoru
Mamoru braced his-self as he watched his Odango heading straight for him, looking particularly happy today. He opened his eyes in shock when instead of running into him she sidestepped him and apologized for the near collision. Feeling slightly cheated he scowled at her retreating figure. Turning around he walked into the Crown Arcade and stormed over to his usual seat.
Noticing Mamoru's bad moon Motoki walked over to his friend, "What's up Mamoru? You look angry."
"Usagi just now, she didn't run into me!" Mamoru muttered.
Smiling Motoki looked at his best friend, "And why would that upset you Mamoru?" He asked all too innocently.
Scowling at his friend Mamoru stood and walked out of the arcade, walking in the direction of the park.
Usagi*
Usagi reached the temple, not surprised to hear the voices of the other girls already in the building. What did surprise her was the way the girls were talking:
"She got detention again Rei, calm down." That was Ami.
"It's not like she ever shows up on time anyways Rei, I don't know what has you so angry." That was Makoto
"She is supposed to be our leader, not some little ditz that can't even protect herself, let alone the masses of Japan!" Rei growled. "When she gets here I want to call a vote of no confidence!"
Shocked Usagi stifled back some tears, but she kept listening.
"Rei, she's a good leader, so what if she's late or a little cowardly, her heart's in the right place!" And of course that was Minako coming to her defense.
"It doesn't matter if her heart's in the right place if she gets us killed with her stupidity!" Rei said angrily, "In that last battle did you happen to notice, Minako, that Ami and Makoto ended up unconscious before that Moon Brain showed up?"
Having heard enough Usagi turned and ran from the shrine, not noticing the girls that peeked around the corner of the doorway and watched her run away, Minako turned to the cat sitting in the center of the room, "Luna are you sure that was a good idea?"
"Minako we have tried everything else to get that girl to shape up and start acting like a leader, maybe a scare like this is what she needs, I don't know what else to do." Sighing the cat stood and walked to the doorway, "I'm going to head home girls, I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow."
Nodding the girls watched as Luna walked in the direction of Usagi's house.
"Girls, I don't know is Luna is in the right this time, I think we really hurt Usagi this time." Rei murmured. Agreeing, the girls dispersed, silently agreeing to find Usagi and explain things before she became too hurt.
Usagi*
Entering the park Usagi didn't know what to do, so she headed for her clearing with her pond. By the time she reached it tears were running in a steady stream down her face. Sitting on the edge of the pond she cried her heart out.
"Why won't you let me be myself!? " She silently demanded of her Prince and Lady. "Why can't I be smart, or graceful or a leader . . .what will this prove!" She demanded, pounding her fist on the ground as tears continued to course down her face.
"I can't do this anymore!" Usagi cried, curling up and sobbing into her knees. "Who am I!? Dammitt!"
Unknown to Usagi, Mamoru Chiba was sitting ten feet away from her, watching silently.
Chapter 2
Mamoru*
He sat watching the girl cry her heart out, whatever had happened to his Odango Atama had been bad. His ray of sunshine was dying and nobody noticed. Everyone assumed that Usagi was cheerful and dense, and here Mamoru saw that she was actually more like him then he would ever like to admit.
Knowing he had to do something he got up and crossed over to the girl by the pond.
"Usagi?" He asked gently.
"Please go away." She whispered. "Just pretend you can't see me and go away."
Mamoru looked at the girl, essentially broken, on the ground. Shaking his head he picked her up and started to carry her out of the park, grabbing her bag on the way up.
"Mamoru, where are you taking me, please put me down," Usagi whispered halfheartedly.
"We're going to my apartment, and you are going to talk to me." He said with a great deal of firmness in his voice. He felt Usagi curl into his body as he finished speaking, taking that as agreement he cut through the park.
Walking down the street with Usagi in his arms Mamoru got some strange looks, and he could imagine how odd he looked, but it was only when Usagi reacted to the sight of one of her friends did he do anything in reaction.
Mamoru saw Makoto walking towards him and Usagi with a scowl on her face when Usagi finally gave a sign she was still alive.
"Please Mamoru, I can't . . . I don't want to deal with Mako-chan, I don't want to see any of them. . . please let me go. . .please." Usagi begged into his jacket.
"Don't worry Usagi, we'll avoid her." He murmured into her hair comfortingly as he gripped the teenager tighter in his arms and took off at a full run down the street towards his rapidly approaching apartment building.
Makoto saw Mamoru, and what looked like it could be Usagi for a moment before, after whispering something Usagi's ear he took of at full tilt.
Knowing she wouldn't be able to keep up Makoto turn and ran towards the temple to let the girls know she found Usagi.
Mamoru reached the apartment without further incident, or reaction from Usagi. Looking down he realized that his little blond bundle had fallen asleep, or passed out. Setting her on the couch in his living room he went into the kitchen to make some cocoa.
Usagi*
She woke to the smell of cooking chocolate, and even that didn't perk her up. Looking around the room she occupied she noted it's classical decoration, it was very simple, and extremely inpersonal. She looked up just as Mamoru entered the room, carrying two cups of cocoa in his hands.
"Mamoru, thank you." She whispered, taking one of the cups when he sat down next to her. "How long were you in the clearing?"