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                          The Longest Day Ever
                           by Lady Aishiteru
                                Chapter 3
                     He's Not REALLY Crazy, You Know
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Disclaimer: I know you are, but what am I?
REAL Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, or Groundhog's Day. There. 
Everything's peachy now.
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I whistled as I walked over to the Arcade, not really caring that I 
had seen all of this so many times before that Tokyo on Valentine's 
Day was permanently tattooed in my memory. I knew precisely when the 
skinny lady and her fat dog would walk by, when the fat, floppy jogger 
would go by, when the old man would buy a dozen roses with baby's 
breath in the bouquet.

And I knew exactly when Usagi would come barreling down the sidewalk. 
I smiled at what I was going to do, something I had wanted to do since 
the 13th. You know, back when yesterday came before today, and after 
today was tomorrow. As it was, I knew that she wouldn't remember it 
tomorrow.

Just as Usagi was about to crash into me and her things fly a million 
directions across the pavement, I caught her in my arms, inhaling her 
lilac scent.

"Mmph," she said against my coat. "Mme goo!" she said, struggling a 
bit.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Usagi," I whispered into her ear.

At this, she shot her head straight up so she was looking into my 
eyes, confusion registering in the sky blue orbs.

"You....you called me Usagi!" she stammered.

'She is so cute when she's confused,' I thought. "Well, that is your 
name, isn't it?" I said, amused.

"Hai, but you never call me that!"

"And I've never done this either," I said, closing the distance 
between our faces.

Now I was going to give her a granny kiss. Just a quick, chaste peck 
on the lips, I swear. But once I tatsed her strawberry lip gloss I 
forgot myself, the world consisting of only me, the angel I held in my
arms, and the fruity tang of her mouth,

As soon as I pulled back a bit, she smacked me clear across my face, 
stinging my cheek.

"ECCHI!" she screeched. "How DARE you!"

"Oh come on," I said, smiling my best megawatt charmer. "It's not like
you didn't like it," I finished, my warm breath tickling her neck. 

This made her even more flustered. "THAT'S NOT THE POINT! You....just 
don't go kissing people you hate like that!"

"Hate? I could never hate you, Odango," I said. Then I walked away. I 
don't know which hurt more....my cheek or my heart. I guess it's a 
tie.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Author's POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A solitary, ageless woman watched the scene between Endymion and 
Selenity, or rather their past selves, from the time gate, the mists 
swirling around her feet.

Sailor Pluto shook her head, smiling wryly. "Well, at least he's not 
jumping off of builings this time," she said. She wondered idly how 
many more Valentine's Day repeats it would take for Mamoru to get it 
right.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Mamoru's POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


I was getting so good at my subjects at Azabu that I was beginning to 
think that I could teach them myself. I was bored, at Azabu High, of 
all places, supposedly the most intellectually challenging school in 
Japan. Only the best of the best need apply here.

Furuhata Tasuki, the guidance counselor, must have noticed my apathy 
as I walked towards my locker, my shoulders slumped. "Hey, Mamoru, 
can we chat for a minute?"

"Sure," I said. 

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked as we entered Mr. Furuhata's 
office.

"No," he said. "In fact, your test scores are all up. Your grades 
today are impressive, even for you, Chiba-san."

"They ought to be," I said. "I've taken the same tests five times 
already."

"What?" he asked. "That's impossible!"

"Nope," I said. "I'm stuck in a time loop."

"A what?"

"A time loop. This day keeps repeating itself. I've smashed my alarm 
clock, pierced it through with a rose, taken a swan dive off a twelve 
story building, and the next day I wake up without so much as a 
scratch on me! I've beaten up a ridiculous heart shaped youma, but it 
doesn't matter! The damn thing keeps coming back! It all comes back! 
All of it! THIS DAY WILL NEVER END!" I moaned.

Mr. Furuhata looked at me with raised eyebrows. "So you're in a... 
time...loop?"

I nodded my head.

"And...you beat up youmas?"

I nodded again.

"You seem to be under a lot of pressure, Chiba-san. This part of the 
semester is particularly difficult for a lot of people. Perhaps you 
need a break."

"Yeah...that's it. A break," I said, laughing. "Pack me up and ship me
off to Tahiti."

"That's not...quite what I had in mind," he said, picking up the 
phone. "Hello, Tokyo Hospital?"

Three hours later, I was escorted to the little room with padded 
walls, where I sat on the bed, clad in my Azabu uniform and a strait 
jacket. I felt Sailor Moon's panic through our psychic link at one 
point in the night, but it didn't matter. I was no use to her, or 
anyone, like this. 

Miserable, I laid down and drifted off to sleep. I *HATE* hospitals.
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"Ohayo, minna! Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you have someone to snuggle
up against, because it's going to be cold outside!" 

I rolled over in bed, pleased that I had the use of my arms once again,
pleased that I wasn't even stiff from the forced confinement. 'OK, 
let's try NOT to get yourself landed in the looney bin today, Chiba,' 
I thought, splashing cold water on my face.