Mamoru and Usagi and the other Sailor Moon characters mentioned in this story don't belong to me. But since Mamoru is a favorite of mine I wanted to write a love story from his point of view. This is it. I hope you like it. (I used a bit of Japanese to give the story some flavor. I hope everything is understood. If not, e-mail me. ^_^)
By Kirei (lasairiona12@yahoo.com)
"Usagi! NO!!!" Chiba Mamoru shouted, and suddenly found himself sitting bolt upright in his bed. Covered in sweat and shivering uncontrollably, he tried to calm his racing heart, one hand clenched to his chest. It had seemed so real. For the past week he'd been dreaming of Usagi. He dreamed about her all the time, really. But these latest dreams were different. She was always running away from him. He would call and call her name but she never turned around. Then he'd wake up.
This time it had gone farther. In his dream Mamoru tried to run after her to find out what was wrong. It had been that slow, terrible, nightmare running where no matter how hard he tried he barely moved. And Usagi, who in real life was far more likely to chase Mamoru than flee from him, just kept running. He could still see it as clear as waking life. She ran out onto the crosswalk. Saw the city bus. And froze.
"Oh, God. Usagi." It wasn't real. But it felt real to him. One trembling hand reached for the phone beside his bed. He had to hear her voice, to see if she was alright.
"Moshi, moshi," Usagi answered, but it sounded more like 'msh-msh'. Tremendous relief washed over Mamoru leaving him unable to speak. "Hello? I'm hanging up now."
"Usa-ko."
"Mamo-chan? Is something wrong? If its the Black Moon-"
"Everthing's okay," Mamoru interrupted. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"Somethings bothering you." Usagi stiffled a yawn before adding, "You wanna talk about it?"
Hesitating, Mamoru glanced at the alarm clock on this night stand. He hadn't realized how late it was.
"It's nothing. Don't worry, Usa-ko. Just go back to sleep, okay?" A soft snore was his only answer.
"Oyasumi nasai, Odango Atama," Mamoru whispered. And laying down again with the phone on his pillow, he listened to her quiet breathing until sunrise.
In bio-chemistry class Mamoru got a rude awakening when Miss Shizuka whacked his desk with a ruler. "Sleeping in class is not tolerated, Chiba-san."
"Sumimasen, Shizuka-sensei. I didn't sleep very well last night."
His teacher grumbled but moved on. Mamoru was an exemplary student so she'd overlook this one little slip-up. "Okay mina-san, let's open our books to Chapter 12 and review for the test on Thursday."
The teacher's voice became a dull drone as Mamoru tuned her out completely, his thoughts drifting back to Usagi as they had all morning. Was his dream only a dream or was it something more? And why would she run away from him? He still had two classes left after this one but he couldn't concentrated on anything his teachers said. So really there was no point in staying. I can always copy notes from somebody, he argued to himself. As the clock struck noon, Mamoru grabbed his jacket and books and dashed for the door. He could make it to Juuban Middle School in time to see Usagi at lunch.
Mamoru was in no danger of falling asleep in class today for two reasons. The main one was that he decided to skip them all. Watching Usagi occupied all his time. After last nights nightmare that he'd woken from screaming, he knew. The dream was more than a dream. It was a foreshadowing.
That dream was the other reason why he wouldn't be dozing off anytime soon. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw it, heard, felt it. The oncoming bus. The sickening sound of metal meeting flesh. The sudden, unimaginable emptiness in his soul. After that dream he understood how his princess had felt in that other life long ago. After Beryl had killed Endymion, Princess Serena had taken her own life. Now Mamoru lived for Usagi. He lived to protect her, love her and give his life for her. If she died, he'd have nothing. No reason to continue.
The lunch bell rang and hundreds of uniformed students streamed out of the school into the commons. Mamoru had stationed himself near a huge, spreading oak at the far end of the field where he could watch without being seen. He had no trouble spying his Usa-ko. She came out of the school bouncing like a rabbit.
Of course lunchtime was her favorite part of the school day. He watched with amusement as Ami and Makoto tried in vain to keep Usagi from snatching a bite or two from their lunches. She was such a silly little thing, so young and foolish and carefree. And Mamoru loved her. He would NOT let anything happen to her.
Lunch ended and the twin odangos disappeared back into the school but Mamoru stayed, waiting and watching. And everytime a city bus passed by he shuddered.
As classes at Juuban Middle School let out for the day, Mamoru had a moment of panic. He'd seen Makoto and Ami leave together. But where was Usagi? He was about to chase after the pair to ask where Usagi was, when he saw her. She was running toward the crosswalk, just like in his dream, toward Ami and Makoto who had just crossed the street.
"Usa-ko!" he shouted, running after her, his heart racing. To his surprise she stopped and turned to meet him.
"Mamo-chan! Have you come to walk me home from school again today? That's two days in a row. Chibi-Usa'll be soooo jealous!" Usagi gigled as he took her school bag and offered her his arm. She hadn't seen the look of relief on his face or the look of confusion that followed it. They crossed the street in safety to where Ami and Makoto were waiting for them.
Was that it? Was there nothing more to it? Mamoru smiled ruefully. He'd let himself get all worked up over a meaningless dream.
Mamoru tossed and turned in his sleep, his dreams unfocused, shifting from one scene to the next until suddenly he found her. Usagi was standing outside the Crown Arcade, crying. Mamoru's dream-self tried to pull her close and ask her what was wrong. She spun away from his touch. "Mamo-chan, just leave me alone!" she shouted as she took off running down the sidewalk.
Mamoru suddenly realized that this was the same dream as before. "Usagi, wait! Stop!" he shouted, running after her. But she didn't stop. Just like the two nights before, she ran out onto the crosswalk rubbing tears from her eyes. Too late to avoid it, she saw the oncoming bus. Too late to save her, Mamoru collapsed on the pavement beside her crumpled body. Horns honked, people shouted, sirens blared in the distance. Mamoru heard nothing but Usagi's voice as she whispered, "Wo ai ni. I love you," and died in his arms.
He awoke in tears, the pillow he clung to was wet with them. "Usa-ko," he sobbed. "Why did you run away?" As he got up he noticed the clock. It said 1:00 a.m. Something clicked. It was 3:00 a.m. the first time he woke from this nightmare. And 2:00 a.m. the night after that. 3 - 2 - 1. A countdown. Whatever was going to happen, Mamoru thought, as he started getting dressed, it will happen today.
After three miserable, almost totally sleepless nights, Mamoru's fatigue was finally starting to show.
He was even too tired to argue when Usagi asked him to buy her a sundae at the crown Restaurant after school that day. It was right next to the arcade, and that little detail of the dream kept coming back to him. Usagi crying outside the arcade. The only way to avoid it that Mamoru could think of was to keep Usagi happy. Double fudge sundaes made Usagi VERY happy. But when Rei and Minako came walking in with Chibi-Usa in tow, Usagi's happy glow dimmed a bit.
Mamoru never knew quite what to do with his two girls, other than watch with mixed amusement and resignation. Usagi started by grabbing Mamoru's arm and snuggling close, practically daring Chibi-Usa to come between them. The pink-haired, little girl took the challenge by leaping into Mamoru's lap and sort-of accidently-on-purpose squished Usagi's fingers in the process.
"Itai!" Usagi pulled her arm away from Mamoru to suck on her bruised fingers. "That hurt, you little-"
Chibi-Usa didn't seem to notice. "Where were you, Mamo-chan?" she was asking. "We've been looking all over for you."
"You have?" he replied as he shifted her on his lap so he could put his free arm around Usagi. "I've been here all the time. Where were you looking?"
"We were both off of school this afternoon," said Minako. "So we picked up Chibi-Usa and went to visit you at your school. We were going to surprise you but . . ."
Rei jumped in. "But you weren't in class and your teachers said you were out all day yesterday too. They said you were sick so . . ."
"So," Chibi-Usa continued. "So we went to your apartment but you weren't there either so we came here and here you are!"
"So here I am. I, well. I wasn't feeling well yesterday and I just thought I'd take off today, too. To be sure I didn't have something more serious." The lie sounded nice and plausible until the girls started poking holes in it.
"Well, you must have been really sick to miss that important bio-chemistry test today. Miss Shizuka wasn't very happy about that, " said Rei.
"And didn't you walk Usagi home today? And yesterday? And the day before that? You should've been sick in bed," added Minako.
"Yeah, you look terrible, Mamo-chan," Chibi-Usa stated matter-of-factly. "Aren't you afraid you'll give Usagi your germs?"
"Well, I uh." Sudden sweat drops formed as Mamoru grinned sheepishly at the girls. He reached back to scratch his head, stalling for an excuse, when he felt a tug on his arm.
"Mamo-chan," Usagi said softly. "When I asked how school was today you said . . . You said it went well."
"I didn't want to worry you," Mamoru said with absolute sincerity.
The smile he gave her was meant to reassure her. And it did. Usagi smiled back broadly and hugged him close. "I don't mind Mamo-chan's germs," she said pointedly to Chibi-Usa.
"Well maybe he should mind yours!" Little sparks seemed to flash from the eyes of his two girls. Mamoru knew a fight was imminant. But Rei and Minako were cooking something else up.
"I bet I know why Mamoru hasn't been in school," Rei started.
"You mean?" Minako played along.
"Yes! I bet he's seeing another blonde odango on the side."
Minako and Rei laughted at the look on Usagi's face. "That's not funny, you guys. Mamo-chan would never even look at another girl."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Minako teased. "I bet he's looked once or twice at his teacher, Miss Shizuka. She's very pretty, isn't she, Mamoru?"
"Well-"
"But it couldn't be her that he's seeing, Mina-chan. Mamoru's been missing from school for nearly three days! The question is, where has he been? Or more importantly, who has he been with?"
"Well, Mamoru?"
"Yes, well?"
Even Chibi-Usa was giving Mamoru that expectant look. What could he say? That he'd been following Usagi for the past 48 hours? Usagi was waiting just as patiently for an explantion as the others. He had to reassure her. "There is no other odango atama but my Usagi."
"Then where have you been?"
"This is silly. I told you. I've been out sick."
"I don't buy it," said Rei. "You should be 'in' sick. At home in bed. But you're not. So where were you really?" Rei and Minako were enjoying the chance to tease their friend's boyfriend.
"Mamo-chan?"
"Yes, Usa-ko?"
"You were with another girl, weren't you?"
"Of course not!"
"If you weren't, you'd tell us where you were and what you've been doing. And you've already lied to me once." Usagi was getting upset. Mamoru wanted to tell her, but how could he explain the dream. He didn't know how to start and never got the chance to try. Usagi ran out the door.
Mamoru turned to Rei and Minako with such a hurt expression that they were stunned into silence. "You don't know what you've done," he said softly. Setting Chibi-Usa on the seat beside him, he stood up slowly and headed for the door, knowing that what came next would be his nightmare carried into real life. He had to find away to change it. He couldn't loose her.
This must be what a condemned man feels like walking to his own execution, thought Mamoru as he stepped out onto the Tokyo sidewalk. It seemed as if everything he'd done to try to prevent the dream from happening had only brought it closer to reality. Now time was slipping away from him and he felt powerless to stop it.
He found Usagi, as he knew he would, leaning against the front window of the Crown Arcade and crying softly. But unlike his most recent dream he did not reach out to her. He knew that would only send her running. Instead he stopped a few feet away and waited until she looked up, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Usa-ko," he began. "How could you think anyone could ever take your place?"
"I just. I worry sometimes. I'm still just a kid, you know. And you're so handsome and wonderful. There's lots of girls who'd love to have you."
"But my heart belongs to you," Mamoru responded.
He could see the love in Usagi's eyes, mixed with uncertainty and insecurity. He reached for her to pull her into his embrace but she steeped away.
"What's wrong, Usa-ko? Don't you believe me?"
"I suppose I do," she replied with a hint of a smile on her face. "But really, Mamo-chan. You can't expect me to make up with you until you tell me what you've been doing the past couple days. I know you weren't sick."
There is was again. She he tell her about the dream. But how could he tell her she'd died in his arms last night.
Now she was getting angry. "Chiba Mamoru! If you don't tell me the truth I'll never speak to you again!"
"I will." Mamoru reached for her hand but she pulled away.
"I've had enough of your stalling, Mamo-chan. Call me at home when you think of a really good excuse!" With that, Usagi slipped away from his grasp and ran.
"No! Matte!" Mamoru called after her. No, he'd been so close. Running with all the speed of a man possessed, he chased her down the sidewalk. It can't end like this, he thought. I won't let it end like this.
The crosswalk loomed ahead but Mamoru couldn't close the distance between them fast enough. She was out onto the street before she noticed the bus and froze.
Mamoru just kept running. Still three steps away he leapt toward her. He struck her at midwaist and sent them both flying as the bus roared past, it's horn blaring. Brakes screeched and metal crunched against metal as Mamoru tumbled across the street with Usagi tucked protectively in his arms. One car creeched to a halt, it's front wheel stopped inches from Mamoru's head. He felt battered, bruised and exhausted. But none of that mattered. Usagi was in his arms, and very much alive.
"Daijobu ka?" she asked, concerned more for him than for herself.
"It's finally over," was his answer.
"Over? What do you mean? Did you know this was going to happen?"
Mamoru nodded solemly as the two stood up shakely and moved to the sidewalk. Crowds of onlookers parted around them but Mamoru didn't even notice. He spoke as if they were alone in the universe. "I dreamed this would happen, Usa-ko. But in my dream I was always to late to save you. I was afraid to tell you about it. So I've been skipping classes to keep an eye on you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you."
"Oh Mamo-chan. I'm sorry I ever doubted you."
Mamoru held Usagi close, kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. "I love you, Tsukino Usagi. Never doubt it," he whispered into her hair as he held her tight, feeling complete again. "We were meant to be together."
=====
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