Title: Only In Your Dreams Part: 1 Author: Aura EMail: Serene_@Hotmail.com Hello again! May I just say that Sailor Moon fans are the best in the world? The welcome I have recieved here has been so friendly and warm that I am *so* impressed... warm fuzzy feeling...:) You guys helped me get over my scaredness at being a newbie, and I am eternally (no pun, no pun!) grateful- I've seen what they do to newbie fans of other shows! So without further ado, here is the first real part of my fanfic. Not too much action here, but never fear- part two is FULL of it! I love you all and I pledge to be from here on out the biggest feedback giver there is to compensate for all you wonderful people out there! Forgotten something? I knew I would! This stuff, well the parts that I didn't make up, aren't mine (boo hoo!) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * he wind whistled softly through the tree branches on a gorgeous, if slightly warm, day in Tokyo's largest park. Children laughing, couples arm in arm, harried parents chasing their errant toddlers formed a picture of complete normality and tolerant good humor. Everything radiated happiness, save for a lone dark figure leaning against a tree, removed from the scene and contemplatively silent. < Why did I come here? This place always makes me feel more alone. I *knew* better > Mamoru Chiba admonished himself. Well, at least the pounding headache he'd had since yesterday had let up a little. A result of nearly being crushed by a hyperactive blonde junior high student. < Crazy girl. She was so enthusiastic she couldn't even see straight. I pity whoever that "Mamo" character is... having a tornado for a friend > He massaged his temples gingerly with one hand and recalled the events that had led to the splitting pain in his head. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mamoru was walking to his morning class to ? College, idly flipping through a biology text. He had nearly reached the corner, having magically avoided obstacles like parking meters, poles, bicycles, people... while concentrating on his book, when a girl's head perked up on the other side of the street, unnoticed. His mind barely registered a blonde streak aimed at him before he was barreled over by a shoulder height banshee who emitted a piercing wail that made him wince in agony. "MAAAAMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOO, you're ALLLLIIIIIIIIIIVVVVEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" All Mamoru could see were a few stars and chirping birdies flying 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, while his ears rang as if his eardrums had been blown out... which they probably had, he decided. He blinked to clear the stars from his field of view. Standing up quickly, he pulled the clinging girl from around his neck and held her out at arms length. "Who are you? What are you DOING?!" he yelled, then winced- he hadn't meant to sound that harsh, although she probably deserved it. Her eyes went round and her mouth parted and trembled slightly. Shock flashed across her small face and she softly said "Mamo?" She was obviously confused, and a little more gently he told her "I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for someone else." The look of disbelief on the girl's face was so comical that he had a hard time refraining from chuckling. But all humor vanished when the girl's face fell, perilously close to tears "You don't... Mamo... just like them... don't you...?" and then, barely audible "Remember me?" Mamoru felt a wave of pity for this small, forlorn girl with such big, sad, endlessly blue eyes, and then his wall of indifference came crashing back down. "You've made me late now. Don't DO that to people. My name is Mamoru Chiba and I don't appreciate being run over." he said stiffly. And he picked up his book and walked away, his steps clicking on the pavement. But behind him he thought he heard a muffled whimper... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mamoru sighed. He had been late to biology and Professor ? had been angry, assigning everyone a huge paper due on Monday... his weekend was shot. < Not that you've got a hot date or anything, Chiba > he told himself. He knew he tired of girls quickly, and after a while he had stopped making the effort of going out at all. It was futile- he just didn't feel anything... he never had. < Not that that stops THEM > his mind muttered < I am alone. Why can't they see that? They don't want *me*, they just want anyone- so silly and desperate > Leaving the tree, he walked down a shady, secluded path that he knew led to a charming little lake surrounded by willow trees. < I don't know why no one ever goes there. It's like it soesn't exist. I've never even seen anyone there > Arriving at the lake, he began to make his way around it, feeling more alone than ever. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Usagi looked up at the sound of crunching leaves. It sounded suspiciously like footsteps. "But no one ever comes here" she said to herself. This was *her* secret lake, and *her* willow tree with the vines that parted for a view of the small lake, and *her*... who dared come here and disturb her musings? The footsteps, wandering and aimless, grew closer, so she reluctantly got up and peered through the leaves to see who disturbed her peace. "Oh NO!" she whispered in horror, Mamoru was headed right for her willow- and he was *close*! She could see his inward- turned blue eyes clearly from where she stood, paralyzed. Her mind raced for a way to escape. < I can't face him now, not after yesterday! > She thought frantically. Her mind raced in circles, thinking for a way to escape. She looked around. She didn't have much time... if she ran out, the willows would move and give her away... he was almost there! Her gaze fell on the trunk of the willow. < Aha! I'll just come down after he passes through > and she scrambled up the tree trunk to perch on one of the limbs. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mamoru was lost in thought as he walked through the hanging willows and into the beautiful haven within. < Such strange dreams lately. I wish I could remember more of them. > Dreams of a mysterious woman whose golden hair flowed nearly to the ground but whose face would never turn towards him, though he saw her glittering tears fall unchecked to the ground had plagued him for the past few nights. Always he tried to reach her, but was rooted to the spot, and if either of them spoke, the words eluded and teased him now. He sighed and nearly passed out of the small clearing when his shoe knocked something that rang out with a hollow metallic note. Jolting out of his reverie, he looked down to see a golden star shaped piece of jewelry attached to a chain. < Who could have dropped something like that *here*? > he wondered as he stooped to pick the glittering charm up and examine it. Suddenly a small squeak and soft scratching sounds came from the willow. Flecks of bark showered around him, landing softly in his hair < Damn squirrels > He saw an indentation in the side of the star and was about to attempt to pry the locket open when even more bark fell to the ground. That was all the warning he got before he heard an alarmed "eeep!" and the hollow crack of breaking wood, then pain. Lots of pain. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Usagi moaned softly and struggled to open her eyes. That had been one of her most painful falls yet... she couldn?t believe she had klutzed out so bad that she was in this much pain, had she fallen head first onto the cement or a wall, or what? Prying open her eyelids, the first thing she saw was green. Her whole field of vision was green. Green, and... musky smelling? That *definitely* wasn?t right. Then she remembered- the tree, the pretty butterfly, reaching, reaching, reaching, falling... and then she remembered on whom she must have fallen. < nonononononononononono! This ISN'T happening to me! > She felt like crawling in a hole and hiding for the rest of her life. Never had she done anything this horrible or humiliating in her mind, and then it occured to her that she might have hurt Mamoru by falling on him from so high up. Horror and fear suddenly filled her: what if he was hurt badly? She'd never forgive herself. Then Usagi felt the surface on which comprised her whole world at the moment shake, and a rumbling sound invaded her head. < Spasms? I must have hurt him terribly!! > "Oh No! Mamo-chan, please be alright!" Usagi's head shot up with a horrified expression on her face - to meet the marine gaze of a highly amused, laughing, Mamoru. She didn't quite know how to react: half of her wanted to throw her arms around him and squeeze him until he loved her again, but the more rational side urged her to be cautious. < Rational side? since when have I posessed a rational side? > she wondered, but no matter, Mamoru was laughing and unhurt and that was all the excuse she needed to join in and laugh with him. "I'm fine, little devil, but *you* seem to have a destructive streak that I can't get rid of" he chuckled as she moved away with a quick, hasty motion, then winced as the headache returned, full-force. The look on her face was amusing him to no end, and for some reason he couldn't quite pinpoint, he wasn't even angry. The absurdity of being squashed not once, but *twice* by this particular girl had sent his bad mood spinning off into oblivion. < So crazy girl returns, eh? > suddenly in a playful mood, he teased her "so what were you doing all the way up in that tree, on a Saturday afternoon, all alone? Don't you have better things to do? like getting those meatballs on top of your head looked at- I think they're starting to sag over!" He watched in amusement as her face turned from disbelieving to scared to furious. "MEATBALLS! How *dare* you say my hair looks like meatballs? And what are YOU doing here all alone on a weekend? No girlfriend?" But he only looked away, suddenly serious, to stare at the lake, once again remembering his dream < What does she want from me? So sad and lost... I'd do anything to help her > Usagi was puzzled by his sudden change in attitude. He was once again the stranger who didn't know or want to know her. But he looked so sad and lost... she'd do anything to take that away from him. Slowly and uncertainly she approach him from behind and placed a small hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me about it..." Music, the air was filled with music. Mamoru felt himself surrounded by melody, and he looked at where the locket lay still in his hand to see that it had opened of it's own accord and was playing a beautiful song while a cresent moon lazily circled the center. He was surprised at the comfort the girl's words offered. He didn't open up easily or often, but for some reason, this girl inspired trust, practically radiated good will. "I..." Usagi looked up hopefully as Mamo-chan's head began to turn in her direction, when an ear-piercing scream split the air from the direction of the children's play ground. Trouble. Again. All those children... she figured that Mamoru would be safe here, and she saw that his eyes were riveted towards the direction of the scream also. "Stay here, no matter what happens." She commanded him, with a deadly serious look in her eyes, and without another word ran out of the willow's haven at full speed. Mamoru was slightly surprised and insulted at being ordered around like that, but he wasn't about to let that careless girl go running off into whatever danger to get herself killed. He dropped the locket in his green jacket's pocket and ran after the foolish Odango Atama before she got a chance to do something *really* dangerous. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What do you think? I know I messed up big time in the prologue. I started out using DiC names, but then I decided that I wanted to use the real names. I went and changed all of Darien's, but I forgot to change Serena into Usagi before I sent it in, and five minutes later I realized what I'd done and whacked my head against a wall to teach myself a lesson. I'm sending in a revision next week. I've given up eating and am now living on feedback, so if you want me to stay alive to write more, you should probably tell me if this sucked too much! (just kidding!) :) Till next time! -Aura