Author's Note: I rate this fanfic a PG, the villains belong to me, Chihiro Kannuki belongs to me, and Princess defintely belongs to me too. Sailormoon on the other hand, belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, not me, so don't come after me with a knife.
"Why don't you stay here at my place for now, Princess?" Kannuki suggested. He had made it a habit to call Usagi by her title now, and that was her assumed name when she was around other people.
"It's not much," Kannuki said, "but I think that it will do."
Kannuki's condo was decorated in gold, silver and black. The furniture was black leather and glass. He had a minibar, a spacious suite, and two guest rooms. Outside of the suite, there was a balcony with a bubbly sauna. There was also a grand staircase leading to the bedrooms and a den.
Usagi was in awe.
"Not much?!" Usagi breathed. "This is gorgeous! Forget condo! How about a mini mansion?" Kannuki chuckled.
"It's really not that nice Princess," Kannuki explained, "you should really see Mamoru-san's place! Now that man has expensive taste! Of course, I think--" Kannuki abruptly stopped talking when Usagi looked away with pain in her face.
"I'm so sorry Princess Serenity," Kannuki said apologized, "I completely forgot. . ."
"It's okay Kannuki," Usagi said sadly, trying not to cry, "it's not your fault." Silence. "I know what Mamo-chan's place looks like because I was the one who helped him decorate it." Usagi turned away and walked upstairs. Kannuki stared after her, not knowing what to do. He followed her up the stairs.
"Princess," Kannuki said softly, "you can't keep doing this to yourself."
"Doing what?" Usagi said with false brightness.
"Torturing yourself with the past," Kannuki said gently, "telling yourself that you're okay when you're really not. The pain won't go away just because we choose to ignore it."
"I don't care Kannuki!" Usagi said loudly. "It'll be there no matter what, so who cares if I choose to ignore it?! Mamo-chan stopped believing in our love, Kannuki. He chose to believe that I was dead." Silence. "He chose to give up. Not me." Kannuki decided to stop trying to talk to Usagi. She was too hurt to really pay attention to him anyway, so he decided to focus on more important matters at hand.
"Princess," Kannuki began, "you must meet Mamoru-san tomorrow." He had expected a fight from Usagi, but she surprised him.
"All right," Usagi said softly, "it is best not to delay it anymore. I will go see Mamo-chan, but on one condition," Pause. "I will not see him as Tsukino Usagi." she said firmly.
"But how--"
"I don't care how you do it, Kannuki, but that is final. If I'm seeing him as myself then I'd rather not go at all!" Usagi turned away angrily.
"Okay! Okay!" Kannuki said quickly. Usagi smiled smugly when she sensed victory. Her smile quickly faded though, when she heard Kannuki's next words.
"I have a plan anyway." Silence. "Tomorrow we will introduce you to the staff as co-owner of Kashi Corporations!" Kannuki announced grandly.
"WHAT?!"
The next morning, Kannuki was observing Usagi's appearance.
"Very good," Kannuki said approvingly. "Mamoru-san will never recgonize you!"
Kannuki was right. Instead of the usual meatballs, Usagi had put up her hair into a bun with the end hanging out. Fashionable yet casual and business-like. She had a white silk blouse on with a black skirt. A black jacket and black high heels matched the outfit. Long silver earrings hung from her ears, and she had on sunglasses, covering her crystal blue eyes.
"I can't believe I'm letting you do this," Usagi grumbled. "I didn't even pass computer class and you want me to help you operate a business?! You're out of your mind."
"Look," Kannuki argued, "you'll just be there to look pretty! Don't worry about it, Princess! I promise you that you won't have to move a muscle!"
"Don't worry?!" Usagi shrieked. "How can I not be worried?! I didn't even get to finish high school! I spent five years trapped in a stupid vortex, and then I get spit back out to find out that my friends have turned on me! How can I not be worried?!"
"Calm down, Usagi-chan!" Kannuki said anxiously. "You might just self-destruct if you don't start breathing soon." Usagi glared at him.
"I'm okay now, thank you very much!" Pause. "Now let's get this freak show on the road," Usagi muttered, "might as well see what kind of disaster it'll turn out to be."
"Now now," Kannuki admonished, "we need some spirit!"
"Yipee."
"Mamoru-san," Kannuki said, "meet one of our new members! She will be helping me out around the office now." Kannuki grinned wickedly. "Don't get too feisty on me Chiba, she is your boss now." Mamoru rolled his eyes at Kannuki. He walked up to Usagi and offered his hand.
"Hi," Mamoru said to Usagi, "it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Chiba Mamoru." Usagi gingerly shooked his hand and quickly snatched it back.
"I go by Princess," Usagi said quietly.
"Princess," Mamoru said softly. "I can see why." Usagi slowly looked into Mamoru's eyes. Mamoru was shocked by the strong attraction he felt to Princess.
Wow, Mamoru thought to himself, she's a knockout! She has the exact same eyes as Usako did. . .
Mamo-chan, Usagi thought to herself sadly, if only you really knew who I was. But even if you did, it wouldn't matter now, would it? You no longer believe in me -- nor do you believe in our love.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Chiba Mamoru," Usagi said more harshly than she intended to, "this business isn't made for wimps and brown-nosers."
Mamoru was speechless for a good ten seconds, and Kannuki made a show out of looking at his shoes. The room was so quiet that someone could have dropped a pin and it would have made a sound like a ton of bricks.
Usagi smiled grimly.
"Sorry," Usagi said with forced cheerfulness, "I was just playing with you, Mr. Chiba. I had no idea you were going to take it so seriously. My bad." Pause. "Well Kannuki, we've bothered Mr. Chiba far too long now, why don't you show me my office?"
"Yeah, sure," Kannuki said hesitantly. An idea suddenly hit him.
Why don't I just ditch Princess with Mamoru? Kannuki thought. At least then I won't be in the middle of their little fights and all. Besides, I think it would do Princess a lot of good to talk to Mamoru in private.
"Hey!" Kannuki said brightly. "I'm sure Mamoru-san would love to show the new boss around!" Usagi shot Kannuki a murderous look.
"I'm sure Mr. Chiba has a lot more important things to do," Usagi said sweetly.
"Please," Mamoru said, "call me Mamoru. Mr. Chiba is just so formal. Besides, I would be honored to show you around!"
"Okay, if you insist," Usagi said weakly.
"I do." Mamoru said softly. "I most definitely do." Usagi gasped as she felt a ripple of awareness run down her spine. Judging by the look on Mamoru's face, Usagi was sure that he felt it too.
This shouldn't be happening!! Usagi screamed in her head. How can I still act like I'm 15 years old?!? I know that Mamo-chan doesn't love me, I know! Wait a second! I just called him Mamo-chan! No! No! No!
As Usagi fought against her emotions, Mamoru was also having a similar battle inside his head.
Get over it Chiba! Mamoru ordered himself. Even though Usako's gone now, you still love her! You can't be so easily attracted to another woman! Good grief, she's your boss now! Employees do not get mixed up with their employers, and vice versa. Besides, Princess is nothing like Usako. She's sophisticated, confident, and she didn't trip over her own feet. Did you see how she walked in? It was like she was floating on air. Arrggh!!! She's the exact opposite of Usako, and I like it! Because even though Usako and her are like night and day, I can't help but imagine that Neo-Queen Serenity will be exactly like Princess. Just stop thinking about it, Chiba!!!
"So," Mamoru managed, "what would you like to see first?"
"How about your office?" Usagi regretted saying the words even as they came out.
Maybe seeing his office will bring me closer to reality, Usagi mused. At least then I know that he's moved on without me. It would be so much easier to hate him then.
"Sure," Mamoru said easily. "I have to warn you though, it's nothing special. I had to decorate it myself without my girlfriend's help, and I have the worst taste imaginable."
"Your girlfriend? I wasn't aware that you were dating, Mamoru." Usagi deliberately emphasized his name.
"Not anymore," Mamoru said sadly. "She left me five years ago."
"Left you?! As in she walked away, or was she really taken from you against her will?" Mamoru looked at Usagi in amazement.
"How did you know?"
"Lucky guess?" Usagi suggested casually. Usagi quickly switched topics. "Well, let's go see that office of yours!"
"Yeah," Mamoru said, noticing Princess' reluctance to talk about the subject.
I wonder why she won't talk about it? Mamoru thought wonderingly. Oh well, she probably doesn't feel comfortable talking about it with me because she thinks it'll cause me pain. Wow, she's understanding as well as beautiful, Mamoru thought admiringly.
"Well, it's this way," Mamoru led Usagi toward the elevators. As they stepped through the doors, Mamoru was hit by another memory of him and Usagi together.
"Oh Mamo-chan!" Usagi gushed. "This building will be so great when it's finished!"
"Yeah," Mamoru agreed, "but the construction will still take a few more years. It's design is a lot more complex than a regular commercial building, so the workers will have to put in much more hard work than usual."
"But when it's finally all done, you'll have a great place to work in!" Usagi said excitedly. "Nothing but the best for you, Mamo-chan!" Mamoru smiled at Usagi.
"Thank you Usako," Mamoru said tenderly. "You don't know how much strength you give me by standing by me."
"I'll always stand by you, Mamo-chan," Usagi said softly, "no matter what." Pause. "Because I know that you would do the same for me too."
"Usako, I would do anything for you," Mamoru promised.
"I know," Usako whispered.
"Whenever I'm with you, I can forget the problems of the world. You make me feel special Usako, because you chose me when you could have had so many other guys." Mamoru looked at the ground momentarily. "Ever since I was little, I've always wanted a big house, but even if I don't have that, it's okay. I imagined a great desk inside, but if I don't have that either, it's okay. Finally, I saw a shiny sports car in the garage, but even if I don't have that, it doesn't matter. What matters the most is that you're in that house waiting for me when I come home from work. What matters to me is that I wake up everyday to find you next to me, and when I need a friend to talk to, you're always there. That's what matters most to me, Usako. Not a great big house, or an oak desk, or even a sports car. You, Usako. You're the one that matters the most."
"Mamo-chan," Usako breathed, "does this mean that you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" Mamoru laughed, even though his throat felt like sandpaper.
"Yes, yes, I think it does," Mamoru said softly. "I know that we're still young, but I also know that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together." Pause. "Past, present and future."
"Oh Mamo-chan!" Usako cried joyously. She threw her arms around Mamoru's neck. He hugged her back tightly. "I love you so much!"
"I love you too, Usako," Mamoru breathed into her hair. "I'll never leave you. You won't leave me either, will you?"
"Never, Mamo-chan!" Usagi vowed. "I would never leave you!" Usagi leaned in for a kiss, and in that moment, Mamoru couldn't have been happier.
We're together, Mamoru thought, that's all that matters now.
Mamoru placed his hand on the wall of the elevator and leaned his forward against it. He fought hard to control the pain the memory had caused him.
"Mamoru-san?" Princess asked worriedly. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," Mamoru said stiffly, "I just had a little trouble catching my breath, that's all."
"Do you need a doctor or anything?"
"No, that's okay. I'll be fine in a little while." Mamoru looked up when he heard the elevator make a noise. "Besides, we're here now. Come on, my office is this way." As the doors opened, Mamoru walked out, leaving Princess to slowly follow him.
Mamo-chan, Usagi thought sadly. I wished that you could see me as I really am. You're so important to me, and yet I know that we can never go back to where we use to be.
"Here's my office!" Mamoru said with forced cheerfulness.
"It's perfect," Usagi breathed, not noticing Mamoru's stiffness. Even though Usagi had not been around to help Mamoru decorate his office, he had followed the decoration exactly like his home. It was almost as if Mamoru did this for her.
Usagi wandered over to his desk, running her hands over the smooth maplewood. She then noticed the gold-framed picture sitting near the edge of the desk.
It was a picture of her.
Usagi picked it up, remembering the day that it was taken on. She had been wearing her favorite light pink dress, with a long white sash tied around the waist. She had tied pink and white ribbons around her meatballs, and had on the silver earrings that Mamoru had given her. She was wearing many bracelets on both arms, and her chin was resting on her fists.
Tears filled Usagi's eyes, for she remembered that this was Mamoru's favorite picture. It was taken shortly before Chibi Usa had dropped out of the sky.
"Is this your girlfriend?" Princess asked casually.
"Yeah," Mamoru said tenderly, momentarily forgetting his pain. "Isn't she beautiful? A day doesn't pass by that I don't remember her." He took the picture out of Princess' hands and set it back down. He seemed to forget Princess' presence as he stared at the picture, remembering all the happy times he and Usagi had shared together.
"Your office is really nice," Princess said suddenly.
"What?" Mamoru was brought back to reality by Princess' voice. "Uh, yeah. Thanks. I'm glad you like it."
Usagi was a little hurt that Mamoru was treating her like she was invisible, but then her anger quickly faded when she realized that Mamoru was paying more attention to her picture.
He doesn't really care about Princess! Usagi though excitedly. To him, she's just another co-worker. Just another person he will have to work with. Oh Mamo-chan! I knew that you still loved me! I knew it!
"So Princess," Mamoru asked, "would you like to go out to lunch with me?"
"What?!" Usagi was shocked.
"Well, I just thought you might want a friendly person to pass the time with, and since you're new and everything, I realized that I'm the only person for you to eat with. Kannuki has a lunch meeting today, so he won't be able to meet with you."
"But Kannuki didn't say anything about a lunch meeting," Usagi said hesitantly.
"That's because he was just scheduled for one this morning. He wouldn't have called you just to tell you that anyway."
Yes he would have! Usagi thought angrily. That's because I'm living at his place, Chiba Mamoru!
"But I thought that you would have rather ate with your girlfriend," Princess said casually, nodding to the picture.
"Well, yeah, but I thought I could keep you company. If it makes you feel a little better, I kind of prefer to actually talk to a real person today, instead of just a picture."
Because when I'm by myself, Mamoru thought, I see Usako throwing herself at Wise Man into a vortex, sacrificing herself for people who had hurt her, and for people who didn't care. I wasn't worthy enough to have Usako destroy herself for me, and yet she did it with all of her heart.
"Sure Mamoru-san," Princess agreed, "I think having lunch together would be great. We might as well go now. It's almost noon."
"Okay," Mamoru said, relieved that he wasn't going to spend another day moping by himself.
Princess suddenly turned around and faced Mamoru. Once again, Mamoru was struck with his attraction to her.
"Thank you Mamoru-san, for showing me a part of your past. Perhaps one day I will trust you enough to show you a piece of my past also." Princess walked out of the office, leaving Mamoru standing in his office to contemplate over her words.
"There's something really familiar about Princess," Mamoru said to himself. "It's almost as if I know her from somewhere else. But where?"
"There's something about that girl," Inertia said, after she had observed Usagi from the morning, and until she had disappeared into the office with Mamoru.
"Her actions mimick Princess Serenity's exactly! But yet, a strong power radiates from her." A slow smile spread on Inertia's beautiful face.
"If she isn't Princess Serenity, then she must be one of the powerful guardians who protect Serenity. I'll finish her off, and then I'll be able to lure the others! With them gone, Princess Serenity will be helpless, and then no one will be able to stop Princess Iniquity from fulfilling her revenge!" She laughed in wicked delight.
"You will be mine, Princess Serenity!"
That's the end of part five. Sorry it took me so long to write it. I've been busy with work and other stuff, so I haven't had time to work on it. This chapter was slow compared to the others, because I wanted to focus on Princess and Mamoru's relationship. Mamoru's in a bind now, since he still loves Usagi, but he's now attracted to Princess, who's really Usagi in disguise. Don't you just love these little twists that everyone always puts in love stories, just so the reader stays intrigued? Are you intrigued? If you are, then that's good. I have done my job. Well, stay tuned for chapter six!
