Hi, minna-chan! Here's Chapter 1 of TCD. Not too many revisions in this time around, but there are a few. Please e-mail me and let me know what you think! sailor_moon89@hotmail.com I'd like to send a *BIG HUG* to my buddy, Andree-Anne, who's not feeling too well this week. Hope you'll be on your feet soon, hon! *more hugs* I'd also like to send a big thank you to Angela, without whom my grammar would look like something out of a five year old's diary. *hugs Angela* I've got a new fic coming out sometime soon...maybe in a week or so. It's called "Crash and Burn," and I'm trying to make the plot quite different from your usual fanfiction. It's about my favorite character, Mamoru...but the rest is a secret! ^^ You can probably find it soon at my new website. Please sign up for my mailing list to hear about new chapters: http://www.geocities.com/moonlit_eclipse Happy reading! ~Aimee-chan >^..^< *denotes word emphasis* @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Jesus Christ, Revelation 22:12 @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- The Coldest December By Aimee Chapter One "Echoes of laughter, Dancing in distant corridors, With the tears of hearts undone. Dreams we chase after, Give us the key to any door, We are what we become." ~Michael W. Smith So I like to day-dream. What's wrong with that? Dreaming of a romantic midnight meeting with Tuxedo Kamen is far more entertaining than...well, geometry, for example. But as luck would have it, Tuxedo Kamen wasn't anywhere in sight as I sat in my wretched geometry class, and the test that loomed up in front of me wasn't getting any easier. I sighed, my thoughts elsewhere, as usual. "Miss Tsukino?" said a voice in the distance. "Miss Tsukino, I am speaking to you, young lady." "Hmmm?" I asked dreamily, bringing my eyes into focus. There in front of me was my geometry teacher, wearing that evil smirk of hers. I swear, that woman thinks that she's some omnipotent force in the universe. I cleared my throat, dragging my mind from its drifting thoughts, and pretended to be working on problem #4. "Um... yes, Mrs. Tutty? Is there a problem?" "There certainly is, young lady," she said, pointing accusingly at the clock. "You're not even halfway done with the test, and class is nearly over. What exactly have you been doing the entire hour? Daydreaming again?" I swallowed hard, trying my best to ignore the snickering of my classmates. I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment. "Gomen, Mrs. Tutty," I said in a small voice, my eyes downcast. "I'll get to work now." My nasty teacher pursed her lips, a gesture which caused her to somewhat resemble a drowned rat. "I'm giving you two hours of after-school detention. You and I are going to have a long talk, Miss Tsukino." Giggles filled the air, joined a few moments later with the sounding of the bell. Class was over, as was the geometry test that I hadn't finished. I blinked back tears as I stood to my feet to turn in my work. Ami stood outside my classroom door, waiting for me to join her for lunch. "Hey, Usagi-chan!" she said in her sweet, quiet voice. "How did your test go?" I bit my lip, glancing at the Advanced Multivarient Calculus book Ami held protectively in her arms. "I don't want to talk about it." She frowned, brushing a strand of dark hair from her eyes. "The tutoring didn't help at all?" "Ami, please... " I said firmly, but there was no harshness in my voice. She glanced at me speculatively for a moment, but to my relief, she smiled, linked arms with me and began leading the way towards the school cafeteria. "Come on," she grinned. "Makoto brought sushi and rice for us for lunch. Doesn't that sound wonderful?" I smiled at my friend's attempts to cheer me up with the prospect of food. Needless to say... it worked. "Let's go!" I wore a halfhearted smile throughout lunch, watching Ami and Makoto as they joked and laughed. Truly, I had the best friends in the world. They looked out for me and were always there to lend a shoulder to cry on. But still...there was something missing. Something inside of me that didn't feel complete. Deep inside of me, there was an ache...a yearning for something more...something that my friends, as much as I loved them, couldn't give me. Not even my daydreams provided relief. But what was missing? @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- "Right angles...pyramids...proofs...they're all part of geometry, Usagi. And therefore, they're all part of our life." "You know, when I was your age, I thought to myself, 'Why do I need to learn all of this? I'll never use it in the real world!' Little did I know I'd be in the glorious position I am now. If you're smart, Usagi, you'll pull your grades up. You could be a teacher like me one day." "And furthermore...geometry will enable you to appreciate the full glory of shapes. I can't pretend to understand why you don't relish them..." "Uh, Mrs. Tutty?" I thankfully interrupted. "The two hours are up..." She scowled, irritated that I had disturbed her glorification of spheres and cubes. Not only did I dislike the woman, I was now convinced that somewhere between college and the present, she had completely lost her mind. "You can go...but I want to see some improvement, young lady." "Yes, ma'am." I ran. @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- Free from the wretched prison compound my beloved mother called 'school,' I thankfully escaped to the energetic streets of Tokyo. I loved this city. Everything about it was full of life and energy; it's no wonder the NegaVerse had taken such an interest in it. Wandering around aimlessly, I observed countless people as they scurried here and there. I wondered what kind of lives they led and why they were in such a hurry. My attention turned to the beautiful scene that Tokyo's seasonal preparations made. Decorations for the coming New Year's Eve celebration donned various buildings and light-posts, making everything bright and exciting. Lights of every color glittered in the sky, which was quickly dimming with the setting of the sun. It was early December, and the bitter cold caused me to shiver in my thin school uniform. It had yet to snow, but the weatherman had predicted several inches later in the week. I continued my shivering as I skipped down the streets of my beautiful city, happily anticipating those first precious flakes of delicate white ice. My face turned upward towards the clouds, and I smiled. Something was in the air today. Change. I couldn't explain it... Lost in my thoughts, I accidentally bumped into something large and warm and was promptly knocked to the ground. "Gomen! Gomen!" I cried apologetically to the person before me, slightly embarrassed. "We have to quit meeting like this, Odango Atama," said a familiar voice. I glanced up and groaned. "Are you ignoring me, Odango?" my archenemy inquired. "Of course I'm not ignoring you," I snapped, halfheartedly accepting the hand he offered out to help me to my feet. "And quit calling me that. Do you even know what my real name is?" He smiled--that annoying little smile that's both insulting and aggravating. Oooo, that man makes me seethe... "I'll call you whatever I like, little girl," he said, rubbing in the fact that I was vertically challenged. Darn the man! Highly insulted, I stood on my tippy-toes, closing in the gap of height between us (not by much, mind you, but enough to make me feel better about myself). I poked a finger dangerously close to his left eye and growled all the insults I could think of at him. "You are undoubtedly the most conceited, haughty, condescending, arrogant, unthoughtful, stuck-up, egotistical JERK!!!" "Say it a little louder, Odango. I don't think they heard you in London." "Oooooo!" I stormed off, completely exasperated by the now-laughing Chiba Mamoru. You don't know Mamoru, do you, dear readers? Well, take a moment to rejoice over your ignorance. His favorite past-times include organizing his day- planner and thinking of new insulting names for my hair. Did you catch the Odango Atama remark? Hey, quit laughing! That's not funny! I do have to admit, however, that Mamoru (though seriously lacking in charm) is extremely attractive--dark hair, blue eyes, exceptional body (not that I was looking). You must understand how disheartening it is to know that the *only* good- looking man in Tokyo who actually takes time out of his day to talk to me only does so to test out his new put-downs. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate irony? @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- "Rei, if you keep making that awful face, it's going to get stuck that way," I said uncomfortably, backing away from the red-faced nightmare that was approaching me menacingly. "You're two hours late...two hours, Usagi!" Rei repeated, infuriated. "Where have you been? The senshi meeting ended half an hour ago." "I had detention," I explained, shrugging innocently. "Why didn't you tell one of the girls?" she asked, the steam billowing out of her ears making lovely designs of condensation on the windows of the Cherry Hill Temple. "Neither Ami or Makoto knew anything about detention." "Gomen, Rei" I sighed, sick and tired of apologizing to everyone I interacted with. My gaze fell to the ground, and I silently kicked at the floor. "All I ask is that you call next time," Rei said, her voice calmer. "We were worried about you." I nodded, growing uncomfortable as I felt her eyes on me. "Are you sure you're okay, Usagi? Is something bothering you?" "I'll be fine, Rei." My voice was small, my thoughts elsewhere. She continued to watch me with concerned eyes. "You know I'm here if you ever need to talk, right?" "I know." Before Rei could respond, our conversation was interrupted by the piercing sound of both our senshi communicators going off simultaneously. Rei got to hers first. "Mars here... what's up?" "I think we might have a problem. There's an eight-foot-tall ugly thing with far too many arms roaming around the Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens," said a familiar voice. I fumbled for my communicator and switched it on. My gaze fell upon the clear blue eyes of Minako, our newest senshi. "Has the youma attacked yet?" I asked, fingering my transformation locket in anticipation of the fight that was soon to follow. "Not yet, but it--" She was cut off by the sounds of screaming in the distance. "Hurry up, guys! I'll try to hold it off until you get here!" The communication link went dead, and Rei and I exchanged a mutual glance of apprehension before we raced from the Cherry Hill Temple toward the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- "Ew ew ew ew ew!" I squealed, frantically trying to rid myself of the yellow-green slime that was now staining my right glove. The youma was having a grand old time throwing the disgusting goo with its six arms. The thing was enormous, and it easily towered over my small frame. Its skin was sleek and extremely oily, enabling it to move with incredible speed. Needless to say, I was having quite a time trying to catch it with my tiara. Moreover, the silhouetted form of Zoycite in the distance wasn't exactly helping my concentration. He watched the battle in angered silence. "I'll try to distract the youma!" said a voice off to my right. "Shabon Spray!" Pea-soup fog is an understatement...I couldn't see a damn thing. "Crescent Beam!" Venus' attack consisted of a laser of intense light and heat. Still, even though the beam moved at the speed of light, the youma managed to dodge it. "It's so fast," I marveled, watching in complete awe as the oily monster escaped attack after attack with ease. "This will slow him down...Surpreme Thunder!" Another attack went flying through the air in a great show of light. Electricity crackled in the air, burning up the fog and making me shiver with fear. I absolutely *hate* it when Jupiter does that. She should know by now that I'm scared to death of lightning. Looking around frantically through the dissipating fog, I caught sight of the youma behind a few trees to my left. Though it had tried to dodge Jupiter's attack, she had wisely caused her lightning to hit a wide area, insuring that the youma would be hit. Electricity shot through its body, making it jolt violently and fall to the ground. Its skin began to smoke, and the oily substance covering its body looked as if it had almost caught on fire. Leave it to Mars to finish the job. "Fire Soul!" "Mars, no!" Mercury cried, typing frantically on her hand-held computer. "It's covered in an extremely flammable mat--" Too late, dear Mercury. Much too late. The poor monster practically spontaneously combusted--even I felt sorry for it. Flames shot into the sky that would impress any Hollywood Special Effects Team. The flammable substance that covered the youma's body splattered on the grass and trees surrounding the smoldering mass, as well as on myself and the other senshi. I watched in horror as a burning tree branch fell right into a puddle of it near my feet. "Oh shi... " I didn't have time to finish my colorful choice of words, for the puddle burst into flames. My fear was that I was next. It was about that time that I began flying. Yes, you heard me right--flying. I hit the ground hard, and someone began beating my fuku skirt furiously. I forced my eyes open. "Tuxedo Kamen..." I breathed, my words choked by the suffocating smell of smoke. Once he was convinced that my skirt was no longer on fire, his gaze met mine. His breath was ragged, and his eyes held much fear in them. I heard sounds of fire-truck sirens in the distance. "Minna..." I managed, my words labored. "Are they...okay?" He ignored my question and picked me up from where I lay. I squealed and wrapped my arms tightly around him when I saw the flames that surrounded us. He leapt and dodged through the burning bushes and trees with ease and brought me to safety. I slipped from his arms and ran to my friends, who had made it to safety as well. I hugged them tightly, relieved that they were all right. We watched as firetrucks pulled up to the blaze. "Great job, Pyro," Jupiter scolded. "You almost got us killed!" "Look, Ion-girl," Mars countered. "Your little electric storm could have set it on fire, too! Did you think about that?" I ignored the girls' fighting and turned toward Tuxedo Kamen to find that he had disappeared. I wasn't surprised to see that he had made a silent exit. He always did. I felt Mercury put her arm around my shoulder. "Are you all right, Sailor Moon?" "I'll be fine," I said emptily. "Is Zoycite gone?" Mercury glanced around the smoke-filled sky. "I suppose he left when the youma was destroyed--just like Tuxedo Kamen." "He didn't say one word to me, Mercury," I said, almost in tears. "How can he be so cold?" I stared wistfully after him for a few moments, trying to hold back the questions in my heart. "Sailor Moon," she began slowly. "Have you considered the possibility that Tuxedo Kamen might not be on our side?" I turned to face my friend in shock. "But... but that's impossible! I mean, why would he save my life if he was our enemy?" "I don't know," she answered quietly. "But we need to be careful, all right? We can't trust just anyone. We have too many enemies." I nodded thoughtfully as her words sunk in. No matter how logical her argument was, I was still completely astonished at the possibility. Tuxedo Kamen, an enemy? It was about that time that it began to rain. @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- Of all the nights for a NegaVerse attack. It was dark, dreary--you name it. To make matters worse, it was pouring down rain like a monsoon with nothing better to do. Needless to say, after the youma was scorched (poor little youma), I was anxious to get home and out of my wet fuku. I had wished more than once that my Sailor Moon costume was a bit more comfortable... say sweat-pants and bunny slippers. Yes, I could do some serious damage to the NegaVerse with that getup-- I was certain. But all my wishing and hoping was for naught, for every time I chanted the transformation words--*BAM*--I was in a fuku. I'll bet anything that a man designed this outfit... I detransformed quickly as I ran, trying to dodge between the raindrops--perhaps I shouldn't have had that second donut at breakfast because my attempt at not getting wet wasn't working very well. As I ran, my thoughts turned to the man who had rescued me only twenty minutes earlier. Tuxedo Kamen couldn't be my enemy, could he? Surely Mercury was just being paranoid. Never mind the fact that she was a genius, and her reasoning skills were off the charts. She could be wrong... I swallowed hard, blinking back tears, considering Mercury's argument once again. Why didn't Tuxedo Kamen ever talk to me? Why didn't he ever make his intentions known? Couldn't he even take a moment for me--Sailor Moon? Was I that unimportant to him? I quit running abruptly and slowed to a leisurely walk. I was going to take my time, unlike Tuxedo Kamen. Rain drenched me, but I was already soaking wet, so why bother? I turned my face to the sky and smiled as the rain washed over me. I turned my imagination loose... I began thinking of my mysterious masked man, wondering what he would think of his Sailor Moon dancing around in the rain. I imagined him laughing happily, something which the real Tuxedo Kamen would never do. Perhaps then, he would offer me his cape to keep me warm and dry from the rain, and then I would-- I cried out loud. Pain and shock shot through my body so fast I nearly stumbled to the ground. Perhaps I did stumble, but I never felt it. I felt hands on me...rough hands. They clamped down over my wrists tightly, bruising the delicate skin there. I was shoved against a wall and held there tightly. I willed my eyes to focus on my attacker and saw a ragged looking man, his face sneering down at mine. The hand clamped over my mouth kept my screams from being heard. He was tall, and his face was bone thin. A jagged scar marred his left cheek, as did a dark bruise under his eye. Lightning flashed in the distance, lighting up his dull eyes. It was obvious the man was highly intoxicated. "My my, what's a pretty girl like you doing out here? You could get hurt..." His foul breath fanned my face, smelling of alcohol and smoke. "Got any money, sweetheart?" he rasped. I shook my head back and forth furiously, and the man scowled at me. "Is that right, angel? Well, I guess you'll have to provide me some entertainment then." Then, to my eternal disgust, the man began to touch me. A dirty hand slid up my shirt, and my knees nearly buckled out from under me in fright. His free hand pressed against my mouth, muffling the horrified scream I let out. I was completely and utterly terrified. But the nightmare wasn't ending, and I quickly grew frantic. Somewhere, The Almighty must have heard my prayer, for He sent a miracle. Although, I really don't think The Almighty would have approved of his colorful choice of words... "Get your damn hands off of her..." My attacker turned his attention away from me to look into the darkness of the alley he had pulled me into. I took the opportunity and bit the hand that was over my mouth for all I was worth. The man cursed, backed away, and struck me hard across the face. I hit the ground unwittingly, knowing for the first time what it was like to be hit by a man. My head was dazed, and my cheek ached. I felt my pulse pounding in my lower lip, which was now bleeding. Completely disoriented, I began to cry. I heard the sounds of a fight nearby but was entirely too upset and frightened to look up. Someone hit the ground, however...and stayed there. "Are you all right?" said a voice. A very familiar voice. There, in front of me, stood Tuxedo Kamen. I blinked a few times, unsure if he was real. Near his feet was my attacker, unconscious. "Are you okay?" he repeated, taking a step near me. I drew back like a frightened animal. I don't know why I did so. Even without knowledge of his intentions toward the senshi, I knew from my experience as Sailor Moon that he wouldn't hurt me, but I was so scared that I wasn't thinking correctly. He noted my frantic reaction to his approach and backed off. "It's all right. I won't hurt you. Do you know who I am?" I nodded, the trembling of my body causing it to be a shaky nod. I couldn't keep my body still-- it shivered like it had a mind of its own. The fact that I was wet from the still-pouring rain didn't help matters. Tuxedo Kamen cautiously approached me, and this time I didn't protest. Slowly, he knelt before me. I wished over and over that I could quit shaking. There I was--alone with the man of my dreams. Strange, but I liked my daydreams much better than this. I looked at the ground, unable to meet his concerned gaze, and cried. I couldn't help it, and the fact that I felt ashamed of my tears caused them to fall harder. I felt a weight on my shoulders and realized he had placed his cape over me. It was warm and comforting, and it shielded me from the rain. I nuzzled down in it, trying to hide from reality. "T-thank you," I managed to say, but my teeth were chattering so badly, I doubt if he understood me. His answer confirmed he did comprehend, however. "You're welcome. I'm sorry I was late," he said, pressing a handkerchief to my bleeding lip. "Please forgive me." "You weren't late," I whispered. He shook his head but didn't respond. He spoke again only after a few moments of silence. "Come on--I'll see that you get home safely." I stood up shakily and cast a weary look at my attacker. Gazing upon the crumpled form on the ground, I began to get frightened again. "Come on," Tuxedo Kamen beckoned me once more. Practically whimpering, I stepped over the unconscious form and followed the tall man, telling him in a small voice where I lived. How strange it felt to be walking beside the man who so often graced my dreams. My little legs had a hard time keeping up with his long ones, especially with his heavy cape wrapped around me. He seemed to notice my struggle and slowed his pace a bit. He turned to me as we walked. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing outside so late alone?" I faltered. I didn't know how to answer. I couldn't exactly tell the man that I was Sailor Moon. "I...um...was looking for my cat." "Your cat?" "Hai," I affirmed. "She ran away, and I was um...looking for her." "I see," he answered, no particular emotion in his tone. "Well, Usagi, I have a favor to ask of you." "A favor?" I echoed, completely unnerved. "The favor is that you never *ever* leave your house again so late at night unaccompanied." He turned to me, ocean-blue eyes burning into my own...there was something hidden in their depths... an enigma . I felt as though he could see straight through me. "Are we agreed?" "All right..." I answered softly, still in awe of the man before me. "But just to be sure," he said. "I'll be watching." I blinked, and he was gone. @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- Not really a cliffhanger, but I guess that's a good thing, ne? ^_~ Angela drew me a picture to go along with this chapter! Thank you sweety! I'm love it! *hugs* You can see it here: http://www.geocities.com/moonlit_eclipse/pictures/tcd.jpg Yes, as many of you might be suspecting, I'm harboring a little bitterness towards my high school geometry teacher. ^^;; That class was evil! *EVIL*, I say! Mrs. Tutty is designed after my old teacher. So Mrs. Luke, where ever you are...this is for you: *sticks her tongue out* Nah nah nah nah! Oh, and for the few of you who asked me last time, the Shinjuku Gyoen National Gardens is an actual place in Japan! I actually did a bit of research for this story! Aren't you proud of me? Well, even if you aren't, pretend, okay? ^^;; Join the Moonlit Eclipse mailing list! You'll hear about new chapters! http://www.geocities.com/moonlit_eclipse/ ~Aimee-chan