Okay, and here we have yet another songfic. =) My second one. I guess I should warn you that the song I used, "Thursday's Child" belongs to David Bowie, who is, in my humble opinion, the greatest singer who's ever lived...not to mention that he's absolutely gorgeous for being 52 years old... But I digress... What I'm really trying to say is, his music is somewhat...unique. =) It can be interpreted many different ways, much like poetry. To me, this song fits in (nearly) perfectly with what I'm trying to say in the story. However, to another reader, they might be going the entire time "HUH?!? What the HELL does THAT mean?!?" Well, try to see this story from Mamo-chan's point of view. Or even better, Prince Endymion, as though he's kind of hovering over the scene watching... Anyhow, if the song doesn't make sense to you, don't come bawling to me about it, because, as I said, lyrics like this can be interpreted in many ways depending on one's viewpoint, and there are no two viewpoints exactly the same, (unless one happens to share a brain, of course...). Who knows? Maybe nobody will get the song part...but I do hope that the STORY will be enjoyable, at any rate. Speaking of which, I'm trying something new. I'm actually using the Japanese names in this story, and even throwing in some words and such in there. So if I mess anything up or unknowingly insult somebody, please forgive this deprived American girl in advance. =) Well, disclaimers. Sailormoon and the Senshi aren't mine. Neither is Mamoru. Neither is David Bowie, but I sure wish he was. ;-) I make no money off of this. If I did, I would not be working an extra part-time job on weekends that I can't stand. I don't put myself through mindless torture for nothing, you know... Well, on with the story! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Thursday's Child" rated PG(13) by Stormlight ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All of my life I've tried so hard doing my best with what I had. Nothing much happened all the same. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ They'd lost another one. Zoicite faded from view, laughing hysterically, with a glowing Rainbow Crystal clutched in his fist. "Thanks for the help, Sailormoon," he sneered mockingly as he vanished. "I couldn't have gotten this without it!" Sailormoon flushed with anger and humiliation, knowing that, once again, it WAS her fault that the Enemy had gotten away with the prize. She winced as a sharp lance of pain stabbed through her arm, which was stained deep red; the wound payment enough for her failure. In truth, had Tuxedo Kamen not arrived and pushed her out of the way, the bolt that pierced her arm might have pierced her heart, instead. She grimaced and clutched her arm, turning slowly to face Tuxedo Kamen. Her arm hurt like the dickens, but one glance at his face told her she would be getting little sympathy from him. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself THIS time?!" he snapped, striding toward her threateningly and fixing her with a glare that could melt rock. Behind her, the Senshi bristled protectively, prepared to take it out of his hide if he dared to hurt her. He ignored them. "We just lost ANOTHER crystal! And there's only one more left to find!" he ranted. Sailormoon hung her head and fought back tears. "Gomen nasai," she replied in a whisper. "I'm sorry, minna. I'm such a fool." The Senshi looked at each other uncertainly; usually Sailormoon defended herself against him with righteous anger, but at the moment it looked to them as though she was trying not to cry. Surprisingly, it was Sailormars who stepped forward, her brow furrowed. "Are you okay, Sailormoon?" she asked gently. Sailormoon sniffed and swiped at her eyes. "Yeah, fine," she replied with false enthusiasm. "I...uh...I just want to get home and bandage this arm and sleep. These night fights really take it out of a girl. I-I'll talk to you all later, okay?" She managed a small smile, before turning and walking wearily away, her head bowed and her shoulders hunched. As soon as she was out of sight, the Senshi all turned on Tuxedo Kamen furiously. "What's the big idea, you baka?! Couldn't you see she was hurt?!" Sailorjupiter snapped, whacking him upside the head and knocking his hat askew. "OW!" he yelled. "Hey, stop that! I didn't say anything she didn't deserve to hear!" "You're always too mean to her!" Sailorvenus jumped in, shaking a finger in his face. "It wasn't her fault she lost the crystal! Zoicite attacked her!" "If she was watching what she was doing, he never would have touched her in the first place!" he yelled back. "If it weren't for my intervention, she'd be dead! Where would we be then? We NEED her! We can't find the crystals or defeat the Enemy without her!" The other Senshi fell silent in the face of this grave truth. All except Mars. "How can you be so cold?!" she yelled. "Sailormoon almost died, and all your worried about is your precious CRYSTALS?!" Tuxedo Kamen looked surprised, then mad. "You baka! Don't be stupid! Of COURSE I care about her more than that! But she's gotta learn to take responsibility for her actions! I can't keep covering for her all the time! What if I'm not there when she needs me? What will she do then?" "That's what WE'RE here for!" Jupiter snapped, clenching her fists. "We're her friends, and she's OUR responsibility! And frankly, I don't trust YOU any further than I can throw you!" A soft tap on her shoulder, and Sailormercury whispered in her ear, "Um...Jupiter-chan, you're pretty strong, you know. You can throw him pretty far..." Jupiter sweatdropped. "Well...you know what I mean!" she huffed. Tuxedo Kamen glared at all of them. "Frankly, it's none of your concern what I do!" he snapped. "I'm not asking you to trust me, and I could care less whether you do or not! And if I choose to help Sailormoon, that's MY decision!" They started to protest, but he turned with a violent swirl of his cloak and vanished into the night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Something about me stood apart; A whisper of hope that seemed to fail. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He was mad. Mad enough to spit nails. He was also scared, although he would be the last to admit it. He bounded silently from roof to roof, searching for a familiar pair of jeweled odangos in the darkness, as scenes of the fight flashed through his memory. He had only just managed to deflect that bolt meant for Sailormoon before it killed her, and it had been too close a call. He'd been late; he'd only just arrived when he saw the energy streaking toward her from behind. She would have never even known what hit her, and if he'd been even three seconds later... **The little fool!** he snarled silently. **She has no idea how close she came to dying tonight! How could she be so careless?! We almost lost her! *I* almost lost her...** Then he saw her, just ahead, walking slowly and silently as she clutched her arm. He leaped down from the roof he stood on, landing silently before her and making her squeal and jump back in surprise. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she gasped, her hand coming up to clutch at her fuku. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" She glared up at him with righteous indignation. He didn't reply. His mouth was turned down in a frown, and she could almost FEEL the glare he was throwing at her through the shield of his mask. She took a nervous step back, pondering on whether or not to run, but then realized that he'd most likely only chase her down and carry her off again. He'd done it before, after all. She sighed, rubbing her temple wearily, and her shoulders seemed to slump. "All right," she whispered. "Go ahead. Yell your lungs out. Tell me how worthless I am. You'd probably be right. I lost your precious Rainbow Crystal, after all. I'm nothing but a klutzy, stupid girl... " He simply stared at her, feeling the sudden urge to defend her from herself. How could she say those things?! Then he frowned. That wasn't right! He wanted to be mad at her! HE was the one who was supposed to be chewing HER out! He pictured again the near-tragedy during the fight, the terror he'd felt at almost losing her, and his anger came back full-force. Much better. "You almost got yourself killed tonight!" he suddenly yelled, causing her to take another step backward. "If I hadn't been there to help you..." "I'm well aware of that," she replied wryly. "I have a rather painful reminder..." She touched her wounded arm. "Do you think this is a JOKE?!" he yelled, reaching out to clutch her arms, causing her to whimper in pain. He winced, looking at her apologetically as he released her wounded arm. "Don't you get it? I almost WASN'T there! If I had come any later, you'd be DEAD! If you get yourself killed, the world is pretty much doomed! Whether anyone likes it or not, you're our only hope to keep the Enemy from taking over!" Sailormoon froze, her face pale and her eyes dark and turbulent as she stared up at him. "And it must be a great comfort to you, to know that I'm on the job," she replied harshly. "Tell me, do you sleep well at night, knowing that your life is in my hands? Do you walk down the street, secure in the knowledge that clumsy, stupid Sailormoon is the savior of Earth?" The sarcasm was heavy on her tongue. He blinked. "N-nani?" She looked away, but not before he saw a tear glimmering in the corner of her eye. "I know what you think of me," she half-whispered, her voice emotionless. "I know that I'm nothing more than a little fool in your eyes; that the world would be better off without me. And maybe you're right. Maybe the Senshi and yourself would have much better luck without me there to mess everything up all the time. Who says I'm the only one who can defeat the Enemy? Just because I carry the Moon Wand, that doesn't make me a leader. It doesn't make me powerful. It just puts me in a position over the other Senshi that, frankly, I don't deserve to have." "That...that's not..." he stammered, stunned at her words, but she wasn't finished yet. "Look, do everyone a favor, okay?" she continued relentlessly, turning back to him, and he was dismayed to see the tears shimmering in her eyes. "The next time you see I'm about to die...let me. Don't risk your life trying to save one that isn't worth saving. I couldn't bear it, if you or any of the Senshi died because of my foolishness. It would tear my heart to shreds. Next time...just let me die..." Before he could utter another reply, she turned and vanished into the night, leaving him to stand there in stunned silence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maybe I'm born right out of my time, breaking my life in two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mamoru opened the door to his apartment, wearily flipping on a light and collapsing onto the couch, rubbing slender fingers wearily over his face. Sailormoon's words echoed in his mind over and over again; she had practically begged him to let her die, to kill her! That shook him more than he wanted to admit, that she thought herself worthless. That she assumed HE thought she was worthless! How could she not realize that he considered her to be the bravest, strongest young woman he'd ever met? Her courage and compassion for anyone who needed her help, no matter how undeserving, always astounded him. She was so afraid, always so small and alone against the monsters the Enemy set against her, and yet she always pushed aside her fear to do what she knew was right, and for that he was proud of her. He was so proud of her that he thought his heart would burst with pride, and all he wanted to do was to wrap her in his arms and protect her against the darkness she faced every day. Nobody with such innocence as what shone in her eyes should have to face such evil. It just wasn't right. Of course...for each praise he gave her on her accomplishments, he always seemed to be adding a hundred criticisms about her shortcomings. And she had a great many of them, he had to admit, the least of them being that she WAS a horrible klutz, not to mention a crybaby. He'd been especially hard on her lately, since the appearance of the Rainbow Crystals. He sighed and pulled two glowing crystals from his pocket. Two crystals. Two out of seven, and the Enemy had four more, with only one more to find. He felt a twinge of guilt when he thought of the betrayal in Sailormoon's eyes when he'd taken the two crystals from her...the crystals SHE had rightly won. But they were important to him, and she had known from the very beginning that the crystals were what he was after all along! They were the keys to discovering who he was, and to freeing the princess that haunted his dreams every night, as she begged him to. **Still, is even the princess worth losing the little friendship you have with Sailormoon?** his heart asked mockingly. **She is but a dream, and Sailormoon is as real as you are...** Mamoru winced, not wanting to listen to the logic, but not having any choice. **And what about Tsukino Usagi?** the nasty little voice continued. **You care for her as well, don't you? She is a light in your dark and lonely existence.** Indeed, he could see her in his mind as clearly as if she was standing before him; her glowing blue eyes, that glorious hair, her sweet smile and perfect features. She was always there, right when he was feeling his lowest. It was as though she knew just when he needed her the most to distract him from whatever dark thoughts haunted him that day, and it sometimes scared him that she was so perceptive of his feelings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Throw me tomorrow now that I've really got a chance. Throw me tomorrow. Everything's falling into place ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Even though they fought like cats and dogs, she always had a smile ready for him that would light up his very soul and make his heart dance...at least until he opened his mouth and insulted her. Then that smile would turn into a frown that still managed to make her look beautiful, and she'd fight back like a wildcat before storming away with tears shimmering in her blue eyes. Then his elation would turn into fear, wondering if perhaps this time he'd pushed things too far. That maybe this time, when she told him she never wanted to speak to him again, she'd really mean it, and this fear would pretty much set a dark cloud to hovering over him the rest of the day. But she never stayed mad. Not ever, and the next time he'd see her, there would be that beautiful smile, lighting her face and making her eyes glow as she called out a greeting to him. "Hey, Mamoru-kun! I got a seventy-five on my test today..." And she'd wait for his response with an almost expectant look on her face, sometimes causing him to wonder if maybe she actually enjoyed their little arguments... Mamoru groaned and covered his head with a pillow; the little demon in his mind was nearly dancing with glee. It just wasn't fair! All his life, he'd avoided love and all its problems like the plague, and now that it had finally caught up with him, not only was he in love-or very close to it, anyway-he found himself being in love with, not one, but THREE different girls! He smiled a bitter, ironic smile. His princess, Sailormoon, and sweet Usagi-chan. Three girls who were so different and yet so much alike that they might have been the same person. Whoever would have thought him capable? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Throw me tomorrow. Seeing my past to let it go. Throw me tomorrow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So now the question was...what was he going to do about all this? He had to choose. He couldn't keep on like he was. Somebody was going to get hurt, and he was tired of being the one doing the hurting. He had to choose between them, but it was so hard, for he cared for all of them equally, even the dream princess, who was nothing more than a shadow to him. Well, the best thing he could hope for was time and patience, and hopefully things would work out for themselves. As for now, he felt his top priority was to make amends to Sailormoon, though he had no idea how he was going to go about doing that. Her words had frightened him; he felt she might try something foolish. If she felt that people would be better off without her, she most likely wouldn't hesitate to do something about it. She was the kind of person who would put the feelings other people before her own well-being, and while that was a trait he admired tremendously-perhaps because it was so lacking in his own heart-it was also, he felt, a weakness on her part. She cared too much. He had no idea how he would go about finding her. He knew next to nothing about her, after all, save that he shared an exceptional bond with her that allowed him to feel when she was in trouble, when he became Tuxedo Kamen to protect her. He sighed in frustration. As much as he wanted it to, the bond did not work when she wasn't in danger. He had no way of following it to wherever she was now, so he would just have to bide his time until the Enemy attacked again. Which could be anywhere from the next few minutes to the next few weeks, he knew, although with only one more Rainbow Crystal left to find, he doubted they would wait that long to get to it. In the meantime, he was determined to use his time to think up some way to prove to Sailormoon that he cared about her a whole lot more than she believed he did. He needed to prove to her that he trusted her, that he believed in her and that the encouragement he gave her was not simply empty words. He needed to ease her mind, if not his own. There was one way he knew for sure to do that, but it would mean opening his heart and leaving himself vulnerable for hurt, which was something he feared more than anything. He needed to think it over carefully, he told himself. For all the good it would do him. Despite his hesitation, he knew that he'd already pretty much made up his mind. Now all he had to do was find the right time to carry out his plan. If the Enemy had any say in the matter, it wouldn't be long at all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Only for you I don't forget that I was Thursday's child. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next attack came three days later at three o'clock in the morning, only fifteen minutes after Mamoru had gone to bed, having spent most of the night studying for his classes. The urge came on him forcefully, driving away exhaustion in a rush of adrenaline. He leaped from bed and conjured a rose, hurling it away from him as light enveloped his body, and when it faded Tuxedo Kamen stood there. He threw open the balcony door and leaped out into the night, moonlight bathing his features in a soft glow. The attack was close; he could hear the sound of battle immediately, coming from the park below his apartment building, and bursts of colored light flashed through the trees. How convenient. He landed in the shadows, preferring to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible, and assessed the situation. The poor soul whose body had carried the seventh Rainbow Crystal was mindlessly attacking the Senshi. Sailormoon was right up there in the middle of it, eyes closed as she waved the Moon Wand and chanted her incantation while her Senshi fought to protect her. The wand glowed, sending out light and magic that enveloped the monster, who screamed and clawed at the air as it fought to escape. But it did little good, and the darkness was banished, leaving the one possessed by it whole again, if not a little worse for wear. The Senshi cheered and slapped each other high-fives as Sailormoon held up the final Rainbow Crystal in victory. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Monday Tuesday Wednesday born I was Monday Tuesday Wednesday born I was ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zoicite suddenly appeared, looking around with shock and dismay written across his face, before his eyes lit on the glowing crystal and a look of cunning flashed through his eyes. Tuxedo Kamen felt foreboding fill his heart even as Zoicite suddenly launched himself at Sailormoon. Sensing the danger, the Senshi turned at the last moment to see the general hurtling at her, and barely had time to release a shriek before he had caught her and held her, gripping her arms with one hand and grabbing her throat with the other one. "Stay back!" Zoicite snarled, tightening his grip. "If any of you take another step...SHE DIES!" Cries of dismay and fury rose from the Senshi, but they didn't dare attack lest Zoicite carry out his threat. Tuxedo Kamen stood frozen not three feet away, trembling with suppressed fury. "Let her go," he growled. "Release Sailormoon now!" "Or you'll do what?" Zoicite sneered, and a wicked-looking blade of black energy appeared in his hand, which he moved to Sailormoon's chest. "Even your roses or their power will not be fast enough to stop this from impaling her! You know what I want, and I suggest you give them to me...before I lose patience and she dies." He moved the knife threateningly. "Wait!" Tuxedo Kamen cried. "Don't hurt her. Let her go...and I'll give you the crystals." "NO! If you give him the crystals the Enemy wins! You'll never find the princess! Don't be foolish! Forget about me!" Sailormoon cried. Zoicite tightened his grip threateningly, making her whimper. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sometimes I cried my heart to sleep, sniffling days and lonesome nights. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Stop!" Tuxedo Kamen yelled, holding out his fist. He opened his palm, revealing two glowing crystals. "These are what you want. Let her go, and they're yours." Zoicite eyed the crystals greedily. "Give them to me, and I'll release her." "Let her go first," Tuxedo Kamen demanded. Zoicite laughed cruelly. "You're hardly in a position to be making demands," he sneered. "Give me the crystals!" "You want them?" Tuxedo Kamen asked coldly. He drew back his fist. "GO GET THEM!" And he hurled the crystals into the air, out over the lake. "NO!" Zoicite screamed, roughly shoving Sailormoon away from him and diving after them. Tuxedo Kamen caught the Senshi before she hit the ground, then turned to see Zoicite levitating the crystals out of the lake, to join the other five in his hand. He laughed loudly. "Fools!" he yelled. "The five of you might have overpowered me with the loss of a mere one! But now, because of your sentimental idiocy, WE have WON!" Still laughing, he vanished from sight in a whirl of rose petals...taking all seven of the Rainbow Crystals with him. "Zoicite!" Sailormoon screamed, beating the ground with her fists as tears streaked her face. She turned on Tuxedo Kamen furiously. "Why did you do that?!" she yelled. "Why did you save me?! Now Zoicite has the crystals!" He regarded her with pounding heart and stoic face. "Letting you die would not solve anything," he replied quietly. "At least we'd still have the crystals! At least you'd be able to get the last one before Zoicite did! Now he has ALL of them!" He winced. "Do you really think I'd get those crystals at the cost of your LIFE?!" he snarled, gripping her arms. "How heartless do you think I am?!" She blinked, opening her mouth to reply, but in one instant he'd pulled her into his arms and was embracing her so fiercely that she felt her ribs creaking. "T-Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she gasped. "N-nani...?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sometimes my courage fell to my past. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I almost lost you again," he whispered in her ear, and she felt his arms begin to tremble around her. "If you think I could stand back and allow that monster to kill you...then you don't know me very well at all. I'd sooner take my own life than allow that to happen." Sailormoon felt her cheeks grow warm, and she glanced helplessly at her Senshi. Tuxedo Kamen was acting a little strangely... "Uh...a little help here...?" she mouthed. But before they could move, Tuxedo Kamen lifted his head and fixed them with a grim stare. "Later," he told them. "You may talk with her later. I want to speak with her now. Please..." Mars, Mercury and Jupiter started to protest, but a hand on each of their arms by Venus stilled their protests. "Let them talk," she said quietly, for once looking completely serious. "An important event is soon to come to pass." Her eyes were dark, and seemed almost vacant. The Senshi were gripped with a sudden feeling that it was not their Venus that had just spoken...but someone much older and wiser. As though Fate itself was speaking. Slowly, Mars nodded her head and stepped away, and the other Senshi followed her lead. After all, who were they to interfere with Fate? To Sailormoon's horror, all four Senshi turned and began to walk away, leaving her alone with Tuxedo Kamen, who had still not released her. "Hey! Where are you going?!" she yelped. "Aren't you gonna help me out here?!" "Why, Sailormoon, I'm surprised at you! You're a big girl now! You've destroyed countless youma sent by the Enemy, after all. I'm sure you can handle Tuxedo Kamen-sama all by yourself," Mars called back over her shoulder before disappearing into the night. Her malicious laughter drifted back to them, making Sailormoon cringe slightly. **Those traitors! When I get my hands on them, I'm gonna...** Her silent ranting was interrupted when Tuxedo Kaman let her go and stepped back, staring down at her through the white mask. "Sailormoon..." he hesitated, and for the first time she could remember, he seemed...uncertain. "Sailormoon, there's something I need to say to you..." **Here it comes...** she thought, sighing and stepping back, hanging her head as she waited for him to explode at her, as he did every other time they were together. "Gomen nasai." She blinked, certain that she couldn't have heard him right. "N-nani?" "Gomen nasai," he repeated. "I'm sorry, Sailormoon, for everything I've said to you that made you feel worthless and stupid. I'm ashamed of myself. You're NOT worthless! I don't see you that way at all, and I hate myself for making you think I did. The truth is, I'm proud of you. I'm so proud of you, and I admire everything about you. You're the most courageous person I've ever known. You're so caring and giving of everyone. You have so much love to share, and...and when you asked that I let you die...that other night...it felt as though you were asking me to cut out my own heart. I could never let you die. I would NEVER allow that to happen! "B-but...the crystals..." she stammered, her eyes slowly filling with tears. "Now the...the Enemy has them...and it's my fault..." "I don't CARE about the crystals!" he exploded, clenching his fists as he stared intently into her eyes. "The Enemy can HAVE the crystals, for all I care, as long as I know you're safe! When I saw Zoicite threatening you like that...I realized that nothing was more important to me than keeping you safe. Even the crystals!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lucky old sun is in my sky. Nothing prepared me for your smile, lighting the darkness of my soul. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Tuxedo Kamen..." she breathed. Was he really saying these things to her? All this time, when he'd made it so obviously clear that the crystals were what mattered the most to him...and now...he was telling her that he didn't care? As confusing as it was...she couldn't help but feel a faint stirring of hope. His hands slowly came up to hold her face gently, and she could feel the steady, gentle gaze he cast at her through his mask. "I want you to trust me," he told her softly. "I want you to know that you can trust me, no matter what, and that I trust YOU with my life. There's one way I know to prove that to you, and I'm going to prove it now." And with those words, to her complete shock, he reached up and began to remove his mask. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Innocence in your arms. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "WAIT!" He paused, the mask held slightly away from his face so that one deep blue eye could be seen peering at her above the rim. An eye that seemed hauntingly familiar to her. Could it be? Could her deep-hidden suspicion as to his identity have any truth to it? If that was so...then she knew her life would change. She would never be able to look at him the same way. She would never be able to forget that it was the man she loved under that mask. The one man that she, as Tsukino Usagi, could never hope to have. The truth could shatter her hopes into pieces, and she would never be whole again, because she knew that should he discover who SHE truly was, he would reject her as surely as the moon rose. "D-don't do it," she stammered, trying to hear her own voice over the roar of her heart as it filled her ears. "Don't take off your mask. You...you don't need to prove anything to me! I trust you! I've ALWAYS trusted you, even though I never understood why. But...but I've always known that you would never hurt me." He stared at her, his eyes dark with some unknown emotion. "Arigatou, Sailormoon," he whispered. "But your words only make me all the more determined to prove myself worthy of your trust...of your love..." And the hand holding the mask fell away...to reveal the pale face of Chiba Mamoru. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Throw me tomorrow. Now that I really stand a chance throw me tomorrow. Everything's falling into place. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sailormoon felt a shattering. She stood staring up at him, her eyes wide and dark with emotion. So she'd been right. It WAS her love's face beneath that mask, the one man she'd fallen for the moment she met him, and the one she had known she'd never be able to have. Tuxedo Kamen, although he was a super hero, was still more attainable to her than the cool, collected university student that so went out of his way to torment her. But now that she knew for certain that they were one and the same...she felt every last shred of hope that one or the other of them might care for her--if only as Sailormoon-- crumble into dust. "Mamoru-kun," she murmured, her eyes taking on a sudden sheen of sadness that left him confused. "It's...you. I...hardly know what to say..." He frowned, his hand coming up to lift her chin so that she was looking at him. "You...you know who I am?" he asked. "Where have we met before? How do you know my name?" Her eyes went wide as she realized her slip; he noticed her sudden nervousness. Of course Sailormoon shouldn't know Mamoru. They'd never met in that way, because he was always Tuxedo Kamen, fighting at her side. Which meant...as impossible as it was to believe...he knew her in his normal life. His hand came up once again to stroke her hair, unconsciously brushing her jeweled odangos. **Odangos...Odango Atama...** He gasped softly, his eyes widening for the barest moment before a mask of calm slipped over his face. **Is it possible?** he wondered. **Could she possibly be...?** He stared at her, intently studying her face, the curve of her cheek, the shape of her marvelous eyes, the tilt of her nose...the way her lips relaxed slightly into a pout when she wasn't smiling or laughing, just like Usagi-chan's...and that hair. How could he have possibly not noticed that hair before? It was exactly the same. The same smooth, golden mass of silk, done in the same style, flowing like water down her back. There couldn't be TWO such hairstyles in one city! **It's her. I just KNOW it is,** he thought, with a mix of elation and despair. Elation, because two of his loves were one and the same...which meant that he'd not have to choose between them; despair, because he knew that Usagi did not and would never love him the way he loved her. Not that he blamed her for it... Sailormoon, for her part, was beginning to fidget nervously beneath the intense gaze Mamoru fixed on her. He was trying to figure her out, she knew, and the last thing she wanted was for him to discover who she was. She wouldn't be able to bear the disappointment and disgust she'd see in his eyes when he realized that his heroine was nothing more than fourteen-year-old, klutzy, ditzy Tsukino Usagi. "I...thank you...for trusting me enough to show me who you are," she stammered, discreetly trying to remove herself from his grasp on her shoulders. "It means a great deal to me...and I won't tell anyone, I promise. I...have to go now, though. I have to get some sleep before..." She trailed off and shrugged, looking away from him. **No! You can't leave!** he thought, panicked. **Not until you know...I have to tell you how I feel! About BOTH of you!** Because he knew that he'd never be able to gather his courage like this again, and he would hate himself for allowing this opportunity to slip by him. Maybe Usagi-chan didn't love Chiba Mamoru, but he knew that she cared a great deal about him as Tuxedo Kamen, and knowing that she loved at least part of him was enough to grant him courage to tell her. She didn't know that he'd figured out who she was yet. There would be time enough in the future, now, for Mamoru to woo her as Usagi, and he intended to do just that. But perhaps... A slight smile curled his lips. He could use this opportunity to help things along a little... "Before you go, I was wondering if you could help me out with a little dilemma?" he asked calmly. "Nani?" She looked at him, startled and suspicious, and his smile widened slightly. "Well...you see, there's this girl I know. She's...well, she's the most amazing person I've ever met...besides you, of course. In fact, she's so much like you, now that I think about it, that it almost scares me." He watched as a mixture of sadness and hope dawned in her eyes as she listened to his words. "The thing is...I don't know the first thing about talking to girls about things like this. I've...never been in love before, you see...but I think...that I care for this girl a great deal." Sailormoon lowered her eyes. "I-I'm happy for you, Mamoru-kun," she told him quietly. "But why ask ME for help? Why not ask Sailorvenus? She's the Senshi of Love, after all." Well, she had him there... "I...um...well, she's not here, and you are," he stammered. "Please, can't you give me some kind of advice on how to tell her how I feel? You have such a good heart...and I'm sure guys are fawning over you all the time..." At this, she blushed becomingly. "I thought...maybe you could tell me...how YOU would want someone to tell you they loved you..." She abruptly pulled away and turned so that her back was facing him, her head bowed. "Thanks for thinking me wise enough to advise you in matters of love--no matter how mistaken you are--but I...REALLY don't think I'm the one to talk about stuff like this with you..." Her voice trembled slightly, and he winced. **Baka! You're hurting her!** he scolded himself, even though a part of him elated that she hurt, if only because it meant she was jealous of this unknown person. But the rest of him felt guilty. **Just come out and say it!** "Well..." He hesitated. "Can I at least tell you her name? Maybe you know her...and you could...I don't know...put in a good word for me or something. Waddaya say?" he asked. Her shoulders seemed to slump even more, and one hand came up to rub at her temple. "Fine," she said wearily. "Who is this wonderful girl you're so helplessly in love with?" Her voice was incredibly bitter, and his heart leaped. She really WAS jealous! Which meant... "Her name...is Tsukino Usagi," he replied softly. She froze, the hand at her temple stilling. Slowly, her head rose and her hand dropped to her side. She half turned, then stopped, but he could see her chest was heaving as her breath quickened. Her eyes were very wide, and her parted lips were trembling. "D-did you just say...Tsukino Usagi?" she repeated weakly, her voice shaking slightly. "Hai," he replied softly. "That's exactly what I said." His lips twitched as he fought a smile. "Why? Do you know her?" She swallowed and turned to face him fully. "Y-you could say that..." she stammered. "At least...I think I do...but we can NOT be thinking of the same Usagi. I mean...she's...and YOU'RE..." "She spends a lot of time at the Crown Center arcade. She's fourteen years old, she loves to eat, she cries a lot, she's a little clumsy, but that's okay, because that's a part of who she is. She has beautiful blue eyes, perfect features, a slender body. She has hair like spun silk, long and golden, and I've always wanted to bury my hands in it, I admit. She wears it up in two buns on her head...just like you do. I call her Odango Atama, which drives her nuts. But...what I REALLY want to call her...is Usako..." Sailormoon's eyes closed, but not before a diamond-bright tear slipped from between long lashes and slid a glimmering trail down her cheek. "U-usako?" He nodded, smiling gently, and she smiled hesitantly back. "Do you...really care for her that much?" When he nodded again, she shook her head. "But why? There's nothing special about m...about her..." "Oh, but there is," he told her seriously. "Everything about her is special to me. I've been alone all my life, but since I met her, she's always been there to take away my loneliness. She's everything I always dreamed about...she's all I've ever wanted. And I have no idea how to tell her this without scaring her away from me for good. Maybe that's why I tease her so much, because the less I show her how I really feel, the less likely I'll frighten her away." "Y-you don't have to worry about scaring her away anymore, Mamoru-san," she breathed, gazing up at him through shining eyes. "I know for a fact that she'd never run from you. I know that she feels the exact same way, only she's been scared, too." His heart was pounding so hard he thought it would fly right through his chest. "How do you know that?" he asked softly. She gazed at him for another moment, before a brilliant smile lit her face and her hand came up to clutch the broach nestled in the bow of her fuku. "Because I AM Usagi." And in a flash of light and swirling ribbons, she stood before him, dressed in pink flannel pajamas with ribbons in her hair. He'd known who she was...but seeing her transform was still a bit of a shock. He stared at her for a moment, his mouth slightly agape as she shifted nervously, a pink blush staining her cheeks. She shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Um...surprise?" "Usagi-chan..." he breathed, lifting his hands to caress her face before drawing her into his arms. "It's really you. I hadn't dared hope..." He buried his face against her neck, holding her tightly. "You have no idea...how long I've wanted to hold you..." he murmured against her neck, his warm breath sending shivers racing up and down her back. "As long as I've wanted to hold you?" she questioned with a slight giggle, hugging him tightly as more tears slipped from her eyes. "Longer," he replied. "Since time began I've been waiting for you..." He raised his head to look at her, and she met his gaze with eyes that were filled with love. Thoughts of the princess flashed through his mind, but he roughly shoved them aside. The princess was no longer important to him, at least not at the moment. At the moment...it was only Usako... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Throw me tomorrow. Seeing my past to let it go. Throw me tomorrow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He slowly lowered his head, wanting so badly to kiss her, and yet giving her plenty of opportunity to pull away should she be afraid. She was so innocent, she might not be ready for such a step forward... His heart delighted when she made no move to pull back, rather closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. Their lips met, and time seemed to stand still. All they knew was the feeling of being in each other's arms, of sharing each other's breath as their love carried them away. When they finally pulled away--only doing so for the need of breath, mind you--Usagi flashed him a sly smile. "Does this mean...no more 'Odango Atama'?" she asked impishly. He stared at her for a moment, before letting loose a small laugh as he held her close again. "Not if you don't want me to," he replied, still smiling. "Although...I kind of like that nickname." She snuggled against him. "I like Usako better," she whispered, closing her eyes and listening to his heartbeat, "...Mamo-chan." A slow smile touched his lips. "Mamo-chan, huh?" he asked, his voice warm and soft. She looked embarrassed, but he quickly ended her uncertainty with another soft kiss that made her melt. "I like it," he assured her softly, then grinned. "A whole lot better than 'baka', at any rate." She giggled. "Why did we fight so much, Mamo-chan?" she asked. "I mean...we should have done this AGES ago! I KNEW that there was something about you I liked! I feel as though I've known you forever, as though you're a part of me that's always been missing, and now I can't help feeling...complete. I wish...I hadn't been so afraid..." "I feel...exactly the same. But you had every right to be afraid, Usako," he replied seriously. "I was a complete idiot..." She smiled up at him, silence her only answer. When he shot her a look, her grin widened. "What?" she asked teasingly. "If you're expecting me to disagree with that, think again. You WERE an idiot!" She laughed outright at the expression on his face. "But I loved you, anyway." He gazed into her eyes. "You love me?" he asked. She blushed and looked away. "I...I couldn't help myself. Something about you...called out to me..." She smiled. "Rei-chan and Makoto-chan thought I was crazy, and even Ami-chan could never figure out why I always went back for more abuse, although Mianko-chan always seemed supportive. But...I just felt that...if I could just somehow break through that ice around your heart, and show you that someone cared for you, things would be okay..." He took her face in his hands, gazing at her tenderly. "You did just that, Usako," he murmured. "You broke through my ice, and you taught me what it is to truly love someone. Aishiteru. I have always, always loved you..." And he lowered his head to claim her lips in another kiss that sent them both into ecstasy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Only for you I don't regret that I was Thursday's child. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Without warning, a brilliant flash of light flared around them, engulfing them completely, and when it did, unfamiliar images suddenly began to pour into them of a life long past that neither of them had remembered...until now. They floated in midair, holding each other's hands with closed eyes. Their clothes dissolved away into ribbons, only to reform seconds later as a flowing gown of white and gold silk for Usagi; a suit of black armor and a cape for Mamoru. Then the glow began to fade. Their eyes opened, dazed and blank, until they looked at each other. Then suddenly, the dazed expressions were gone. "You!" Usagi gasped, reaching up to touch him. "I...I know you!" She stared at him incredulously, uncertainty filling her gaze. "I've met you...before...haven't I? You-you're...Prince Endymion!" "Yes," he breathed. "I remember. Oh, Usako! I finally remember...you're the Moon Princess! MY Moon Princess, the one I've dreamed about for so many years! Serenity!" He cupped her face in his palms, gazing into her eyes with such a rapt expression that her cheeks heated with embarrassment. She shook her head. "N-no, there is some mistake," she stammered. "I can NOT be the princess! The princess is supposed to be graceful and...and beautiful and brave...and I am none of those things..." "Oh, beloved," he murmured, pulling her into his arms again. "You are ALL of those things. You are the most beautiful person I've ever known. I'm not surprised that you're the princess. It makes me glad in my heart, because now I don't need to choose. Usako, Sailormoon, Princess Serenity. You're all the same. I've loved all of you...and it was YOU I've loved, all along. But, Usako...even if you WEREN'T the princess...as important as she is to me...I've loved you far more. If I'd had to choose...it would have been you over her, any day." At his tender words, a single tear slipped from her eye as she smiled up at him. Then, to both of their surprise, the tear suddenly began to glow, lifting from her cheek to hover in midair before them, and with a brilliant flash of light, seven brightly glowing crystals materialized from nowhere to circle slowly around the shining tear. "The Rainbow Crystals?!" Usako-Serenity gasped. "Where did they come from?!" Mamoru-Endymion didn't answer; his attention was on the crystals which were, for some odd reason, vanishing into the glowing tear. As soon as the last one was gone, the tear flashed and then began to transform, and in its place there now hovered a single, spherical crystal that shone with silver light. "The Ginzuishou!" they exclaimed together. Endymion looked at his princess; her eyes held that dazed, faraway look again as she slowly reached out to cup the Ginzuishou within her hands. It flashed once more, and then the glow died until it lay dormant in her hands. She blinked, as if waking from a dream, and looked up at him with something akin to wonder on her face. "I AM the princess!" she breathed. "These memories I have...this crystal..." She shook her head. "We were looking for the Moon Princess...and she was right here...inside of me...all along..." And she giggled, somewhat hysterically, as she suddenly transformed back to Usagi, her power spent. "What's wrong?" Endymion asked softly as he turned back to Tuxedo Kamen, and then to Mamoru. "You seem so..." "What will they think?" she whispered. "I...you have to admit, that I'm NOT exactly what one would picture as a princess. What will the Senshi say? What if...they hate me for being the princess, when I'm so unworthy of it? Venus...I was so sure she was the princess..." "You're Senshi would NEVER hate you!" he replied vehemently. "They love you as you are, just as I do. They'll be thrilled for you." She smiled slightly. "I hope you're right." Then she chuckled wickedly. "Boy, I cannot WAIT to see the expression on Rei's face when I tell her what's happened! She'll absolutely die!" Her expression sobered as she glanced at the Ginzuishou laying in her hand. "But what about this? I mean...the Enemy can't be very happy right about now--although I'd pay anything to have seen the look on Zoicite's face when the crystals up and disappeared on him." She let loose another malicious laugh. "They'll be after me soon enough, I suppose." "And I'll be there to protect you," Mamoru replied softly. "Now that I've found you, I don't intend to give you up so easily. Worry about the Enemy another day. For now it's just us...and you're the only thing that matters to me. Aishiteru, Usako. I love ONLY you." "Aishiteru, Mamo-chan," she replied softly, and as she melted into his arms again, she knew that, for better or for worse, no matter what happened in the future, she would stay in her prince's arms forever. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday born. I was Thursday's child. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~End~~