Chapter 3
    I lifted the steaming pan with the chicken soup off the stove in our kitchen. I've been sweating in there, cooking that damned chicken for a whole hour. I know I could have just put a cup in the microwave, but for some unknown reason I... um. I'll just tell him that it's 'microwaved'!.. Yeah, right!
    Enough. I guess Grandpa's still lying unconscious, because he saw me actually COOKING...
    I filled the bowl and entered my room.
    Brad was sitting on the floor, leaning his back at my bed.
    "Hey, why did you get off the bed?!" I said, trying to sound angry.
    "I feel better."
    "No, you're still sick! Eat this soup!"
    He accepted the bowl and looked at it thoughtfully. "You cooked it by yourself?"
    "Yeah, I..." NO, I'll tell him that I didn't! "No, I didn't - I cooked it, yeah."
    WHAT AM I SAYING!!!?
    Something flared in his eyes. "Thanks," he said softly. "No girl ever cooked anything to me. They would just dissolve fast soups and that's it..."
    Good thing I told him I... Darn!
    He sipped and took a small bite of the chicken. "It's good. Especially the chicken."
    The chicken that I'd bought two years ago...
    But instead of smirking, I found myself smiling...
    He moved a bit, making room for me. But I could freely sit on the bed to not be close to him...
    I sat down on the floor.
    WHAT IS IT WITH ME????
    A small voice inside my head grinned: "You're falling in love, girl!"
    Shut up!..
    "What?" Brad asked.
    "Nothing. Talking to myself."
    "Oh."
    We sat like that for some time.
    "So, you still can't remember anything?" I asked, continuing the conversation we'd had before. "Not even who are you, who are the Priests, how many are of you out there, who's that Great Kami?"
    "Who's that?"
    "So you don't."
    "Anything... I mean, nothing."
    "Yeah..." I hung my head. "She didn't have to kick your soul out..."
    "Who?"
    "You don't remember ANYTHING??" I cried tearfully. "Not even the horses?"
    He smiled. "No, I do. I do remember the horses... and you. By the way, I wanted to tell you that you have to go and clean them up tomorrow at five a.m., you know."
    Grrrr!!!
    "No, I didn't mean that." He laughed. "But, really, what do we do about those courses?"
    "Don't even think about it! You aren't going anywhere! The Priests or whatever will kill you! You'll stay here! Not one single step out of the gate! We have a free room! Or I can fire Yuuichirou... No, that's too cruel..."
    Oii, darn, what am I TALKING about!! I'm going to let a GUY live at my house!?..
    "Well, thanks, yeah, but... I'm an exchange student," he said. "I have to go to lectures."
    My mind went working like crazy. I mean, I have to save him!
    'For whom?' asked a tiny, sarcastic voice in my head.
    For myself, of course!
    'Ah-ha!'
    No, I've GOT to suffocate that conscience. Period.
    "Oh, no problem! I can go and talk with the professors and everything so that you'll be home schooled!"
    "You're a smart girl." He eyed me, smiling.
    I found myself smiling. Too. In return. Like an idiot...
    I cut myself off and told him to sip his soup.
    But he wouldn't take his eyes off me. Even while sipping. And they were so... you know, warm... No, not warm - HOT! Like, +30 degrees in Celsius. Um.
    I cleared my throat and felt my heart beating so hard that I was afraid it'll pop out of my chest.
    He choked and placed the soup on the floor, eyes on me.
    I felt uncomfortable, just sitting there! I mean, if I'd were in his arms, kis - ahem! Ahem!! What am I THINKING!?? He's a GUY!!..
    I looked at him.
    A very cute guy, in fact.
    BOY! How I wish he will give me my first kiss!..
    But I wouldn't tell him! That's against my nature to tell people what I'm really thinking!
    But you don't have to TELL!..
    Right! You can just ACT, girl!
    UGH!!
    He leaned in one inch.
    Against my nature, I leaned in two inches.
    Then we sort of jump-started, and our lips met in the middle.
    Wooo... So it's THAT!!.. Ahhh... Ohhhh...
    I decided to hurl away all my consciences, feelings, brains, minds, natures and just enjoy...
    The door was flung open.
    Usagi's over-happy voice burst into the room: "Hey, Rei! What's up!?.. Oohhh, woooo!!.. I see!!!"
    The other girls'... ahem, SQUEALS joined Usagi's:
    "Woooo!!"
    "Eeeeeeee!!!"
    "Ahhhhhh!?.."
    "Oh, my dear!.."
    Next second I jerked my hands off Brad's neck, ripped his off my waist, and leaped across the room.
    Usagi giggled. "So! What's up, Rei? You asked us to come and see... Haha."
    "Yeah, we saw!" Minako poked in cheerfully.
    "Yeah, yeah! Listen, do you sell permanent tickets?" Makoto grinned.
    I saw a part of Ami's blushing forehead; the rest was buried into some anatomy book.
    I coughed a few times, straightened out my hairdo, and marched up to the girls. Then, escaping Brad's eyes, I waved around: "These are my... ahem, FRIENDS. The other Sailors. And that's our..." I pointed at Usagi. "Er, leader."
    Brad narrowed his eyes. "Ah-ha. I see. You're the main chicken, right?"
    "I'm NOT a chicken!!" Usagi protested.
    Oh, oh!!! Wait!!
    My eyes widened as I threw myself into his arms: "YOU REMEMBER!!!!!"
    "Well, something," he said. "Blurred." And kissed me on a cheek.
    "Hey, what was that for!" I pulled away.
    He pulled me back. "Any problems?"
    "Uhh..."
    Well, actually, there WEREN'T... but my (darned) nature was still protesting.
    Then Ami's pale face came near mine and said in a tiny, croaking voice: "Why did you tell him that we are the Sailor Senshi???.."
    I tried to break free, but Brad wouldn't let me go. So I, um, gave up. Pretending that his strong and gentle arms weren't around me, that I'm alone, that he's not there... I mean, HERE, I gestured for the girls to take a seat. "Here comes the story!" I announced.
    Minako happily plopped down. "Along with tickets?" she grinned.
    ARGGG...

    I opened the door, and we stepped out to the verandah to good-bye around. Brad was staying, of course... (GRINS!)
    And this moment Makoto got this idea, to open her mouth (which I wanted to break out the second she let out whatever she was saying): "So, and where Brad will be sleeping??"
    The girls put on the clown grins.
    "Uh," said Brad.
    "Oh, no problem! I'll give him the sleeping bag and everything in the meditation room!" I replied hastily.
    Makoto frowned. "Why? It's so cold out there! And besides, your bed is big enough for - "
    Minako nudged her.
    I broke my fang...
    " - Oh, yeah, yeah! I meant... uh... Your ROOM is big enough!"
    "Don't you worry." Brad came to my rescue. "I'm used to camping. And besides... love heats things up, you know?" He smiled at me.
    The girls turned red.
    I turned vermilion.
    Usagi started down the stairs. "Well, we gotta go..."
    "...and leave you two alone!" supplied Minako, following her.
    Then Usagi saw the mob of customers buying the charms from Yuuichirou. Her jaw dropped down, teeth cracked up and everything, and she yelped hysterically: "THAT MAN'S STARING AT ME!!!!!!!"
    "Where??? Where???? Who??"
    "THERE!!!"
    Usagi's trembling finger pointed at the crowd.
    I checked my nails, grimly remarking, "You know, they all are staring at you now."
    "AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!"
    The girls snatched up Usagi by her tails and yanked back into my room before anybody thought that I've got an insane in my house.
    Brad walked in after us. "Well... umm..." He was looking at Usagi, who was rumbling terribly. "I've just thought this over... Uh... You have a very..."
    Go, Brad, go! Find some dirty word!!..
    "...you have a very original... hairstyle."
    Usagi suspiciously glanced up at him: "So what?"
    "You see... Uh... It's very... um... very... remarkable... and..."
    Makoto lost her patience: "You mean if somebody sees her buns and tails, he'll not forget it!"
    "Yeah, right!"
    "And?" Usagi's suspense grew.
    "JUST CUT THOSE TAILS OFF!!" I screeched.
    She tearfully clung to her buns: "NO! Leave my hair alone! I've never cut it!!"
    "Not even trimming?" Minako asked with a lively interest.
    "No!"
    "But you'll get recognized! You have to change your hairdo!" Makoto insisted.
    "Yeah!" everyone chimed in.
    Usagi sniffed her nose.
    Ami thoughtfully stared up at the ceiling.
    We followed her stare. Actually, the ceiling lamp was just as white as the ceiling... Clean and all... Oh, no, in that corner a spider made its web. I'll have to wash it off tomorrow...
    "You know, girls..." Ami began. "If Usagi-chan may get recognizable... then we are under the same circumstances!"
    "You mean..." drawled Minako.
    "She means that it'd be better if you all would change your hairstyles," Brad explained.
    "Uh," Minako said.
    "I won't cut my hair," I instantly declared. "I'll wear it braided or in a bun."
    Minako took a strand of her hair. "I won't cut mine, too. I can make layers or highlight it..."
    "Then why do *I* have to cut mine!!!?" Usagi wailed.
    "Because it's down to the floor!" I spat out.
    "Not yet!!" Usagi sprang up. Her tails were within... like, two inches before the floor level.
    I was wondering how come she didn't get tangled up in them...
    Ami started blinking worriedly: "But what about my own hair! It is already short!"
    Brad smirked: "And who told you that changing hairstyles means cutting?"
    "It's not?"
    Minako patted Ami's shoulder. "Oh, don't worry! We'll find some cute hairdo for ya! Something that will go with your appearance! Like..."
    "Like..." said Makoto.
    "Like..." said Usagi.
    "Like..." said Brad.
    "...nothing," I finished.
    After an awkward pause, Makoto switched back to the topic. "What do you think about me shaving my hair off? Like, bald?"
    "NOT THAT!!!!!!" everybody screamed.

    Usagi along with the girls were walking down the shrine's steps... Her tails were being trailed by the wind... She sure has to cut them!
    Tails... Hey, tails!! White tails!!!! Who here has white tails?!??
    The idea struck me like the shrine's bell.
    I ripped out of Brad's embrace, slid into a pair of sandals, and rushed after the girls: "FOLLOW ME!!!!"
    "Where?????" Usagi cried.
    "To your cousin!!"

Usagi
7:38 p.m.
    We stormed into my living room, where Poochi-something was sitting on my couch with her white dumb cat on her lap, watching Discovery Channel on TV, innocent as a mouse who had stolen a piece of cheese a.k.a. my boyfriend.
    We all flew at her, and Rei got right to the business - i.e. snatched Poochi's turtleneck color and yelled at the top of her lungs: "CONFESS WHO ARE YOU!!!"
    Poochi gazed up at her with big round blue eyes. "Pardon?" she whispered.
    "SILVER SAILOR OR SILVER PRIEST!!? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU EXACTLY??!"
    A long pause. During which Poochi's nails grabbed King Kong's fur, and the cat meowed.
    "You know, girls," Poochi said timidly. "About three weeks ago, out of the nearby district's asylum, fled five insanes. Girls, to be exact. You're not them, by any chance?"
    "No, it's not her," said Luna, getting out from the under the low table and giving a dirty look to Artemis, who was perched in Dad's arm chair, casting goo-goo sights at King Kong.
    "Yeah!" Artemis tore his eyeballs off King Kong. "If she would be, then we'd know right away. We'd feel it. By the way, who are they? I mean, Silver Priest, or Sailor, or whatever? And why you decided she's her?"
    "Oh, yeah!" Rei exclaimed. "We forgot that we've got to tell you!"
    They went up to my room to talk.
    I was left one-on-one with Poochi. Or Ouch. Or whatever.
    She nervously picked up King Kong and began stroking the cat's back with a jerking hand: "Come on, kitty, you're here... I'm here... We're here... Everything's okay..." She raised the cat and smooched its nose. "Don't worry, pussy cat, we're not going mad!"
    I decided to take a walk.

Index
TO BE CONTINUED... maybe. I have the whole concept of Part 4, but since I have not received any feedback regarding Silver Moon®, I see no use in the continuation of my story; if I will get at least three readers' feedbacks, then I will continue. Thank you.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

By May K. Lunnaya

Based on the characters created by the author and Naoko Takeuchi.

This is a work of fiction. The characters*, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* - BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILOR MOON, characters, names, and all related incidia are trademarks of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd., TOEI Anime Co., TV Asahi, DiC & © February 1992.

* - BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILOR SILVER MOON, new characters, new names, and all related incidia are trademarks of May K. Lunnaya.

Copyright © May, 2000 by May K. Lunnaya. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

With comments and/or for information, contact May K. Lunnaya at sergek@co.ru. The author would greatly appreciate if the readers would mention the site where they had read this manuscript.