The Early Moon Chronicles
by Michaela Wills
Shelli982@aol.com

Story 1 - 'Touch of Destiny'
or 'A Younger Sailor Moon'


Two girls played in the park, happily running in wide circles around the trees and across the paved paths. They darted into and around lovers strolling through the gardens, wrecking havoc on a game of baseball taking place in an open area, disrupting the pleasant idleness of lounging families along the lake's edge and shrieking in high pitched eight-year-old voices all the while. In a final all-or-nothing shot, the brunette pitched herself at the darting blond, knocking the other girl to the ground with her in a tumbling heap as they rolled down the hillside towards the docks.

They laid there, breathing heavily from their good ten minute jolt around the entire park, laughing as they did so. After a moment of rest, the brunette leaned over the scant centimeters between them and poked the other strongly in the ribs.

"You're It, Usa-chan!" She announced, a grin spreading across her face from one ear to the other. Usagi's Cheshire grin matching her friends' perfectly.

"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh yeah?!" She sat up, trying to be intimidating towards her slightly taller friend.
"Yeah!" Naru matched the action.
"Oh yeah?!?!?" She cried again, pushing her friend into the dirt and tickling her with all her might. Naru laughed, unable to control the spasms that wracked her body from Usagi's tickling. "Say 'Give' Naru-chan!, say 'Give'." Usagi insisted, making sure her friend continued to squirm.

"G-G-Give!! I give, I give!" Naru panted loudly as her blond companion finally ended her assault. They stayed like that for a few more moments, vaguely aware of the dimming light as the sun began to hasten it's descent to the earth. Naru flashed Usagi a brilliant smile suddenly.

"But that doesn't mean that you're not still It!" Naru flung herself to her feet, running easily again as Usagi stumbled to her feet in trying to catch her friend.

"Ohhh . . . Get back here you! You're gonna pay for that!" And off the girls ran, continuing the havoc they created as before.

It was good and dark by the time Naru made a wrong turn, nearly running into her pursuer, who took the opportunity to tag her friend easily. Both laughed, collapsing to the ground, now thoroughly exhausted. Laying back, they stared at the patterns of trees, night sky and appearing stars.

"Hey, Naru-chan. I think we better start going to your house. It's getting really late."

Naru sat up, looking around her in a state of semi-perplexity. Her face suddenly brightened as she stood, turning to Usagi and pulling the blond to her feet. "Okay, I think it's this way!" They started off, Naru in the slight lead as Usagi followed her blindly through the park. They reached an exit to the park, and without a second thought crept into the darkness of the streets.

Usagi continued to follow her friend, but she began to feel dread creeping into her. She looked at her friend in concern. Naru's brow was knit in heavy concentration, studying the fork in the streets before them. "Naru-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"This doesn't look familiar. Are you sure this is the way home?"

Naru looked up at the street sign and finding the name completely unfamiliar began to cry. It was a rather desperate move for the usually rash Naru. She'd concealed her fear until now, and with their obvious disorientation pointed out, she could no longer stand not having a childish fit.
"I'm sorry, Usa-chan! I got us lost, I-I don't know where to go! It's dark, I've never walked home in just the dark before! I-I-I . . ."

Usagi took her friend in a supportive hug, wanting to cry herself. Her lower lip trembled at the thought of being lost and the desire to plunk herself onto the pavement with Naru at her side was nearly overwhelming. But then how would they get home? One of them had to remain calm, and unlike normal, it wasn't going to be Naru. Something deep inside Usagi began to creep to the surface, fighting the years of unconscious repression to keep this other part of her away. It rose slowly, Making it's way past the personality she'd built to keep this one at bay, as something not-so-foreign to her took control.

"Hey, It's okay, Naru-chan. We'll get home, don't worry. I promise we'll get home."

Naru sniffed nodding as Usagi looked around her for a place to start. Peaking down each street, she tried to find something that would be of use to them. When she finally looked back down the street they stood on in the direction which they had come, she found her point. "Come on, what we need is right here." she said, pulling her friend to the front of a large building as the other people on the street ignored the children thoroughly.

"There." She said, pointing to the map of Tokyo that hung in the middle of the tourist center window. "Let's see if we can find somewhere to start." She mused as the two girls studied the map in renewed hopes.

"Straight through two blocks, left for two, right one, another left. Straight through two blocks, left for two, right one, left. . ." Usagi muttered over to herself as they began to walk from the tourist center. "And that should put us on the same street as the Video Arcade, and we know the way home from there." Naru chirped to her friend as they made their way towards the first left. Slowly, their normal pleasing chatter returned, as Usagi's occasional mutterings changed to fit the streets that passed them by.

Finally the pair reached the Video Arcade. Staring at the sign before them, they began to jump in delight, holding hands and skipping in circles as they did so. Squealing in delight, they began to run for the street that would lead to the O-SAP Jewelry Store. It was now a race, and Usagi, being in the practice of running, was the faster of the two. Even though she tripped and stumbled along the way now, having repressed that other part of her again, she was turning the corners of the streets marginally ahead of the panting brunette who followed.

She screeched to a dead halt on the last of the consecutively vacant avenues they passed, nearly falling as she stared at what blocked her from the last corner to the O-SAP Jewelry Store. The menacing creature, clothed in a dark raincoat of sorts began to lumber towards Usagi as Naru slammed into her. They stared for a moment at the night-covered monster who began to come towards them. In a flash of realization, Usagi noticed it's quickened pace and apparent targets. Them.

Usagi didn't know who this was, a burglar, maybe. Or a kidnapper!? All of her childhood horror tales surfaced to the top of her head, along with that long hidden part that was finally being let room to breathe. It began to speak take control in her panic. *It's after you! Naru-chan too, you have to get her out of here and to safety! She's your friend, you can't let it hurt her!*

Hearing the pleas in her mind, she began to act, turning around and pushing Naru ahead. "GO! RUN, NARU-CHAN, RUN!!!!" She screeched, pushing Naru back around the corner whence they came and giving her friend a start. She was so busy making sure that Naru was getting a good head start as she ran with all her might, that she was unaware of the figure looming over her. Naru happened to glance over her shoulder as she took off and noting the creature standing over her friend, began to double-back, screaming at the blond.

"USAGI!!!!!" It was then, hearing Naru's cry, feeling the strain, seeing her run back, and finally feeling the presence behind her that caused Usagi to turn around in one of those terrible slow motion moments that strikes mortal terror into the heart. A scream of untouchable fear erupted from Usagi, the dark shadow looming overhead, the darkness wrapping it, concealing a face. The darkness, the blinding blackness that concealed it's head covered her in a thick blanket. The moment slowing as terror overtook her, giving it's victim the tiniest taste of her future, as dozens of horrible, unseen and yet unnamed evils that she would someday face took the place of that blackness, deepening her terror.

The hooded figure reached out to her, grasping her fear-frozen wrist, as her other hand moved up to push aside the hood . . . and uncover one of the terrifying faces that Usagi had seen flash through her mind. Her fright thawed her slightly, reviving motion as Usagi now struggled against the tough grip that kept her from running in fear. The figure finally uncloaked itself, smiling on the young girl.

"Hey, Usagi-chan, it's just me." Usagi slowly looked up from the cowering position she'd taken, face covered by her free hand to see Naru's mother standing over her holding her wrist. Naru had also stopped running and stood a few meters away, staring at her mother as Usagi did. And in that one moment, the mood of ominous bleakness lifted and the night was once again comforting.

Naru and Usagi sat in Naru's room, both on her bed with an extensive collection of magna and stickers spread in the space between them. "Well, I like these ones, even if you don't."

Usagi looked over at the card of stickers that Naru held. She made a face at them, "No, I don't like those. You can have them if you do."

Naru smiled widely, "Thanks. If you want those, I don't mind you keeping them." she answered, gesturing at the selection of cards Usagi held. "I think that's a fair trade, don't you?"

Usagi smiled with a nod. Turning back to the stickers in her hand, her eyes fell across single silver one. She allowed the others to drop away as she stared at it. It was horizontal rectangle with rounded corners and a metallic silver background. Yet what stunned her was a beautiful castle, pretty as a picture book and white as snow with warm gray trim falling across it and tall rose red towers, trimmed in gray. It didn't look familiar, but reminded her of a castle that appeared in her minds' eye immediately after seeing the castle fully. They were totally different, but both elegant and proud. Yet seeing the first triggered her dream castle to pop into her mind.

She blinked at it and fell into a state of deep thought. She couldn't explain what had happened to her earlier. She was rarely ever . . . composed . . . rational . . . observant . . . mindful . . . in control. And yet that very evening she'd been all that and more. She'd become what she knew she could be but never tried to make herself into, because she didn't care to be it. *But why?* She thought idly, *Why don't I want that? I felt . . . right, like that. Graceful, mindful, confident and composed. I'm never like that any other time. But I don't want to be like that. I want to in some ways, but everything else screams at me not to. But why don't I want that? I felt right, it felt right . . .*

~Because,~ answered some part deep inside her, ~Because you are not that yet, you will be, have faith. But that is not who you are now. Someday, your desire to be THAT Tsukino Usagi will make you into her, but that's not now. Be patient. She is part of you, and one day, you will embrace her as yourself.~

*I don't understand . . .*
~You will, someday, you will. But for now, be you and enjoy every minute as Tsukino Usagi. Live, Usagi, live . . .~

And with that, she could no longer speak to that part of her. "Usa-chan . . . hello, Usa-chan? Are you okay in there?" Naru had crawled over the stickers and magna, and poised on all fours she'd lifted a hand, waving it before her friend's blank eyes. Usagi began to blink, bring herself back from the odd conversation within herself. Shaking her head, wondering if she was honestly okay she slowly answered.

"Yeah, Naru-chan, I'm fine . . . just thinking." Naru looked at her, her brows furrowing in concern as she'd done so many times before when Usagi did or said something uncharacteristic. She quickly raised a hand to Usagi's face, feeling her forehead and cheeks for any signs of unnatural warmth.

"Are you SURE?! You were 'just thinking' Usa-chan? I don't know about this . . ." She paused for a moment, sitting back on her heels, oblivious to the magna underneath her. "Maybe I should get a thermometer, or you should go home . . . you thinking . . . maybe you have some rare disease . . ." Naru pondered in a thoughtful pose before Usagi hit her shoulder roughly, causing the girl to lose her balance and land not-so-gracefully on the floor.

"HEY!?! I'm not that bad!" This night had been weird enough by Usagi's current standards and she wasn't going to let her friend get away with that comment, especially since she was supposed to sleep over tonight. And if there was one thing that Usagi REALLY enjoyed, it was a whole night without her brother snoring in the next room!

She was pouting with her arms crossed, but she wouldn't stay like that for long. All Naru needed to do was yank on one of the bunny-slipper encased feet and Usagi came tumbling to the floor without a touch of the dignity she'd been attempting to portray a moment before. It didn't take long before these two giggling girls were sprawled across the floor in a huge tickle-war . . . which quickly escalated to a pillow fight when Usagi tried to fend off her brown haired friend with her treasured pillow. It took the screaming of one thoroughly agitated mother to cease the flying of pillows, which left the two girls downstairs before the living room television watching 24 hour cartoons in sleeping bags.

"Usa-chan?" Naru asked, sitting upright in her bag.
"Hmm?" Usagi responded, still looking at the television.
"Were you scared today? On the way home?" she asked quietly, causing Usagi to look away from the screen, eyes wide as saucers at her friend, whose own eyes had the signs of soon to come tears showing through.
" . . . yes. I was, but it's not your fault, Naru-chan. You just didn't want me to worry, It's okay, we're both fine!" She said, starting slowly, then quickly accelerating through the rest.

Naru gave her a soft smile, almost amused at the way Usagi rushed.
"Thank you, I-I didn't want you to be hurt, thanks for understanding." Usagi smiled in return.

"That's what friends do right? I'll be there for you and you'll be there for me!" Naru had to smile at this, but her expression returned to her semi-serious worried one after a moment.

"I didn't really know where I was going from the beginning and I should have told you." She said quietly, her dropping a little. A silent moment passed between them, only the droning of the TV as interference. Naru's head snapped up eyes meeting Usagi's happily again, her voice a little more chipper now. "Let's make a promise, right now. Best friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other. Let's promise that we'll never keep secrets from each other, from now until death."

She extended her pinkie to Usagi, the Pinkie Promise, the most sacred of all childhood bondages. Time seemed to halt as that voice screamed at her all over again. ~Usagi . . . you can't keep that promise! There will be things you can't tell Naru!~
*Why? She's my best friend, I can and will tell her everything.* ~Now, perhaps, but not forever. Usagi, you can't make this promise without KNOWING you'll have to break it . . .~
*Leave me alone.*
Usagi cringed inside, the voice nagged, pulling at her . . . she knew it was right. But she couldn't not promise . . .
"Okay."

Pinkie locked into pinkie, the made their promises.
"I promise that I will never keep any secrets from you, Usa-chan."
"And I promise that I will never keep any secrets from you, Naru-chan."
*As long as you ask me to tell you. If you don't ask, I many not tell you everything, just parts.*
~Good save, but she can't hear that admission.~
Yet hidden behind the folds of her sleeping bag was Usagi's other hand, middle finger crossed over her pointer. No promise was fully true if your fingers were crossed. She meant every word, both the ones she said aloud and in her head. Together, together both parts made the oath she would never break. If Naru asked, she would tell, if not . . . then her friend may never know.

She smiled, putting aside the little garden shovel, sitting in the park, the same place where they had sat the night before. It was very early, but Usagi needed to do this. She checked the hole in the ground, the box she had just fitting it. She closed the soil over the box without another thought. This was for Naru-chan. She may not have been able to keep her verbal promise, but she would keep her oath. For in that box was a slip of thin rice paper, containing her oath in her neatest handwriting. She would keep it, she had to, in order to make up for her lie. Hopefully, that nagging feeling would be wrong but . . .

She stood up. It was impossible to believe there had been a hole there two minutes ago. No one would know her oath was there but her. Her own little ritual, as sacred as a Pinkie Promise. She had no way of knowing the many times she would dig up that box to add another slip of paper with yet another oath written upon it over the coming years. And yet she'd keep every single one. True to her oath, her heart's words.

She turned from the spot and began walking home, unaware of the light sounds carried on the air, only the soft, touching tune of Destiny that played in her heart. A tune she'd heard before so very long ago and would someday hear again.

@->--