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*

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	"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

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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.

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	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

    Source: geocities.com/im_a_good_girl_uk_2000