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The Way
By Sailor Jes

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Interlude

I don't own Sailor Moon but I do own this story!

E-mail me if you'd like to use it. Explanations for things marked with one * can be found at the end of this fanfic.

Part 2 of "The Way" should be coming out in a month!!

Don't forget to write!!

Jessi

- - -

"War is like love, it always finds a way."
-Bertolt Brecht

- - -

It's funny, huh?

What's funny?

You know, us.

Huh?

Gosh, Mamo-chan, sometimes I think you're stuck in your own little world!

What, Usa? I really have no idea what you're talking about!

Geez! Us, you baka!! How we became such good friends.

Oh! Well why didn't you just say so in the first place! Yeah, I know. I can hardly believe it myself sometimes. Especially considering how I loathed you...how we loathed each other. We went from one extreme to the other.

I think that's the part that always amazes me the most. How two enemies can become best friends...hey, remember the time when we first talked?

You mean without yelling or name-calling?

Yeah. It was at that party after Graduation. I said to you-

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Usa, I don't think they understand.

Who?

*Them.* The people staring at the screen.

Oh, yeah! They don't know, do they?

Nope.

And we can't exactly start on the next chapter if we haven't even turned the page.

How poetic.

Thanks. Well, I guess I should start at the beginning.

That seems to be the most logical place.

Shut up! Okay...the night of the party, the first time we talked...

The music blared inside the house. The lights were dim and nearly everybody in our graduating class was there dancing, chatting, eating, having a good time. I remember I was conversing with a groups of five or six on the leather sofa in the living room. Mako-chan was sitting right beside me. Ami-chan had gone to get a drink but ended up talking to this boy, Urawa-kun. Minako-chan was, well, who knows? Ms. Social Butterfly was floating everywhere. A pounding headache had crept behind my eyes and the noise wasn't helping it at all.

"I'm going to get some fresh air for a while," I said, excusing myself.

"You want me to go with you?" asked Mako-chan.

"Nah, I'm okay," I replied.

I brushed past clumps of kids as I made my way to the backyard. "Congratulations, Usagi-chan," said a few people. Of course, I smiled and thanked them but I still felt awkward and guilty. They didn't know about the Achievement Award. I didn't deserve their praise. Even though I had given you the Award, I was raking in all the distinction. It just felt wrong.

So anyways, I finally made it to the backyard where about a dozen people were snacking on chips and laughing about something. Inhaling the warm night air, I rubbed my throbbing temples and sat down on one of the lawn chairs.

"You okay?" I heard someone ask.

I looked up and there you were. Nodding, I replied "Yeah."

"Mind if I sit?"

"No, go right ahead." I scooted over to make room for you.

"So, are you having fun?" you ask.

"Yeah," I say. "But, I'd be enjoying myself a lot more if I didn't have this headache."

You take a sip of your drink. "Well, at least you have the whole summer to relax."

"Thank God for that. I can't wait to hit the beach, go shopping, eat out, go to the park! I just love summer!"

You laugh. "You know, you sound like you're seven instead of seventeen."

"Hey!" I reply. "Eighteen on June 30th! Only two weeks!"

"Beat ya. Nineteen in a month and a half."

I smirk. "You're not winning by much, you know."

"But I'm still winning."

Then, a girl in our class came over. "Hey, Usagi-chan, congratulations on the Award. I thought either one of you would get it. You're both so smart."

"Thanks," we both reply.

"See you around," she says, walking off.

When she leaves, we both sit in awkward silence. The tension is so thick it could have been cut with a butcher's knife.

"I feel bad," I say.

You look at me. "Why?"

"Well, you know, receiving all the praise from this dumb Award. I wish I had never gotten it."

"You shouldn't feel bad. We know the truth, right? And that's all that matters. Everyone else is in the dark. The joke's on them."

"I know...but it still feels...wrong. I just want to scream 'Hey, everybody! I didn't earn it! I don't deserve it!'"

You smile. "Please, don't go doing that!"

"And why not?" I question.

"Because how would it look if Chiba Mamoru, sworn nemesis to Tsukino Usagi, was suddenly showing common courtesy to her! I think our fellow classmates would be crushed!"

I laughed. Then we began discussing people in school and how nosy or gossipy they were. We came to the conclusion that a lot of our former problems we completely blown out of proportion thanks to our friends at school.

"They saw us as a video game," I pointed out. "Controlling the action but never experiencing the results."

We rambled on about a lot of things that night. College, career goals, hobbies. You know what I found out? That we still had absolutely nothing in common. You enjoyed being alone while the idea of utter silence for more than five minutes made my skin crawl. You had known since you were eight that you wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to be anything and everything all at the same time. Before I knew it, my headache was gone and over a hour had passed. From across the yard, I could feel whispering eyes on us. They all wanted to know what words were passing between supposed enemies.

"Usagi-chan, here you are!" cried Minako-chan, bouncing outside. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Hey, Mamoru-san. So, what are you guys doing out here, hmm?"

She said it in that tone that implied only one thing. Our faces turned beet red.

"Just talking!" I said.

"Oh, I see. Anyways, Usagi-chan we're leaving now. You comin'?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec."

Turning to walk back inside, she waved to us and then disappeared.

"Well, I gotta go. It's been nice talking to you," I say.

"Yeah, it has," you reply, standing. "Have a nice summer."

"You too. I'll see you when school starts. 'Bye!"

I wave and walk into the house. You stood there for a second marveling at my charm and wit and intelligence and beauty and-

Wait a second! I did not!

I know. I was just making sure that you were still paying attention, though.

Ha ha, very funny. I'll take it from here. I never really expected to talk to you anymore that summer but...

I noticed that June 30th was approaching on the calendar. Your birthday, as I remembered from our conversation. I hadn't planned on getting you anything or even calling or sending you a card because I barely knew you and had only talked to you once. But I was in a card shop looking for a plain black journal when I saw this card that just screamed Odango. As if it had been custom made for you. It had this boy bunny arguing with a girl bunny but finally at then end they were smiling and being friendly. Inside it said "Hoppy Birthday." It was a great card and I just felt so compelled to get it, so I did. I signed my name in it, stuck the card in the pink envelope, mailed it, and soon after, completely forgot about it.

It was a Saturday afternoon when you called. I had just gotten in the door from jogging and I caught the phone at the last minute.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey," I heard a feminine voice say on the other end of the line. And, since I didn't get very many calls from girls, I immediately assumed it was somebody trying to sell me insurance or offer me a loan. I put the chill into my voice.

"Yes, who's calling?"

"Mamoru, it's me, Usagi."

Well, I could have fallen on the floor. What the heck were you calling me for?

"Oh, hi. What's up?"

"Nothing...I was calling to thank you for the card. It was sweet of you to think of me."

Card? Huh? Then it dawned on me. Duh, stupid, the birthday card you sent her.

"Oh! It was no problem. Happy Birthday."

"Thanks. I wasn't expecting you to remember my birthday. But, I'm glad you did. It was a great card. Really funny."

"I'm glad you liked it."

Then, one of those terrible phone-silences, the worst quiet known to man.

"Uh, Mamoru, I was also calling because, well, every Sunday we all get together at Mako-chan's place and have lunch."

"Who's 'we?'" I ask.

"Oh! Well, it's just Ami-chan, Minako-chan, Mako-chan, and me. But tomorrow is, you know, a little birthday celebration, a small thing really, and I was wondering if you'd like to come?"

I nearly dropped the receiver and remained speechless. What am I going to say? Were you doing this to reciprocate the card? Or because you wanted to? Did I really want to spend my Sunday afternoon with Odango? Would that be that spelling disaster?

"Hello?" you ask.

Like the genius I am, I reply: "Uh..."

"Oh, you don't have to come. I was just thinking..." you trail off.

"No! No, of course I want to come. Uh...what time?"

"We always get there around noon but you can meet me at my house at 11:30 and we can walk together."

"Uh, Ok, sure sounds great. I'll be at your house at 11:30 then."

"Ok, cool. See you then."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye."

I hang up the phone in dazed wonderment. Whoa. If I had been told one month ago that I would be celebrating your birthday with you I would have never believed it. Wow.

I think I shared your feelings, as well. I hung up the phone and couldn't believe what I just done. I hoped the others wouldn't be mad at me. I guess I was just overwhelmed when I received your card, that's all. I hadn't expected anything like that. When I opened it, I stared at your signature for about five minutes wondering if I were going crazy, thinking maybe you had sent it to the wrong address. But, no, right there on the envelope in small kanji it said "Tsukino Usagi." And then I felt deeply flattered. Someone who I barely knew sending me a birthday card. Emotion overpowered me and next thing I knew I had hung up the phone and you were coming over tomorrow. Geez, what had I done???

So, the next day, at ll:30 sharp I hear the doorbell ring. At bullet-train speed, I bolt down the stairs, call goodbye to my mom, and slam the door.

"Hi. Come on, let's go," I said.

"Can't I say 'hi' to your parents first?" you asked.

"Uh...they're busy. Maybe some other time." Okay, so I lied. But I really did not want you to greet my parents just then because they would get suspicions and I didn't want my mom to get all starry-eyed or my dad to go berserk over nothing. Mako-chan's place is a good twenty-minute walk from my house. The first five minutes were consumed with small talk. And then...silence. Horrible, awful, brain-wracking silence. However, once we got into the Juuban shopping district, my eyes fell upon this great sundress in a store window. It was love at first sight and I knew I would shoot myself if I didn't try it on.

"Can we go in here for a sec?" I ask.

"Uh...ok. I guess," you reply. "Might I ask what for?"

But I don't answer because I know how it is with boys and shopping. So I simply grab your sleeve and the next thing we know, we're in the store.

"Usagi, what are we doing in here?" you scold in a sharp whisper.

Still not responding, I pluck the dress from the rack and whirl into the fitting room.

"What! I can't believe this! I didn't come with you to go shopping!" I hear you muttering.

I poke my head through the curtain. "Quiet you. Here...go look for the matching jewelry."

You roll your eyes and grumble something as you saunter off. I try on the dress and I think it looks great but I have a bias and need a second opinion.

"Psst! Mamoru, get over here!" I call.

You return with a terribly bored look on your face, jewelry-less of course, and I say: "I need another opinion."

I step out of the dressing room and wait for your reaction. Arms folded across your chest, you stand there inspecting me. Then:

"I don't like it."

"What!" I say. "Why?"

"Green and yellow aren't your colors, I guess. I don't know. It just doesn't seem Odango-like. Could you hurry it up a bit? It's twelve right now. Your friends are going to be angry."

I stand there in disbelief. You were supposed to say it looked wonderful. Perfect. Marvelous. Now I can't get it because it has a stigma of disapproval. It will forever be the dress that isn't "Odango-like."

"Fine," I say storming back into the dressing room. I reemerge with a scowl on my face. "Let's go."

You trail behind. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong everything's fine. See?" I say, smiling saccharinely.

"What's wrong? Was it because you couldn't get the dress?" you ask.

"Couldn't? Ha! Because it didn't meet your standards of perfection! Because I looked like a hideous monster in it!"

Usa! Stop making me look like the bad guy!

Hey, I'm just telling it like it is.

No, you're not. Everybody out there probably thinks I'm a big baby. Let me take over now, okay?

Okay, okay.

So, anyways, at least the last few minutes journeying to Mako-chan's house weren't spent in utter silence. We walked the whole way arguing about the technical jargon of the dress incident. Finally, as we got to Mako's door we reached a consensus that the dress looked great but that I thought you should spend your money on other things. You pressed the bell and we heard footsteps. Then the door swung open.

"Usagi!! You finally...made...it..." the words trailed out of Mako-chan's lips when she saw me. She stared at me like I had a tumor growing out of my forehead. "Hi, Mamoru-san. What are you doing here?"

You laughed and scratched your head. "Oh, hee hee, did I forget to mention that I invited Mamoru over?"

Wow. I didn't know it was humanly possible to feel this dumb. I just stood there feeling like a fish out of water. But, Mako-chan smiled and replied chirpily:

"Well, it's no problem! I made plenty of food and I always love having more company. Come on in!"

"You didn't tell her I was coming?" I whispered in your ear, as we followed Makoto in.

"I forgot."

Well, we walked into the living room and the jaws of Ami and Minako hit the floor.

"Hi, minna*!" you sing.

"Hey, Usagi-chan..." Minako asks. She stares at me queerly. Then in an obvious whisper, she asks: "Why's he here?"

"Long story. I'll tell you later," you mumble back.

"Usagi-chan, you're late, again," Ami said.

You giggled. "Sorry about that."

I rolled my eyes. "She took me hostage on a shopping spree."

You folded your arms over your chest indignantly and remarked: "I did *not* take you hostage and it was *not* a shopping spree. I tried on *one* outfit! And then you said it looked atrocious!"

"I did not say it looked atrocious! I just didn't like it on you. I didn't suit you!" I said defending myself.

Meanwhile, I saw the faces of your friends. Minako was smiling broadly like she were watching this all on a movie, Makoto was shaking her head and she laid out napkins, and Ami was simply gawking at this whole spectacle, mouth totally agape. Well, we both started fighting again.

"Okay, you two," said Makoto. "Quit it. This is supposed to be fun, remember. Lunch is ready and, Usagi-chan, I think you'll love it."

You clapped and jumped up and down like an eager child awaiting a brightly-wrapped present. Makoto disappeared into the kitchen and reemerged with a huge platter of every kind of sushi imaginable. Then, she brought out bowls of salad and soup. Overjoyed, you were practically drooling over the food.

Hey! I was not!

Oh, yes you were! You should have seen yourself! Can I finish?

Whatever, keep on lying to them.

Anyways, so we ate (you a lot more than a normal eighteen year-old should. Actually, more than a normal person should), and had cake, and watched movies. I admit, I felt a little awkward being the only male in a room full of girls. Especially, since the movies were all romantic comedies! Not exactly what I would call fun. But, in spite of myself, I had a good time watching you giggle with your friends and act like a toddler. Really, I never realized how immature you could be!

Thank you for that interesting comment, Mamo-chan. Now I'll tell the rest minus all of the lies!

I have said nothing but the truth! I swear it!

Okay, suuuurrrreeee, whatever you say.

So, that's how you became a regular at Mako-chan's Sunday lunches. I admit my friends liked you a lot. Okay, I'll admit it, I even liked you a lot. You were a cool person to be with. Things grew from Sunday lunches to Tuesdays at the park to watch the baseball games, to Wednesdays at the Crown for two for one milkshakes, and then Friday nights at the movie theater to catch the latest flick. Pretty soon, we were really good friends even though we clashed on just about everything, which always provided for stimulating conversation: from such trivial things like the amount of butter in the popcorn (lots of it for me, none for you) to more meaningful discussions like our favorite poets (I like Shakespeare with his lyrical, romantic words and you like Issa with his spare haikus).

But there was something natural that sprouted from our friendship that hadn't in my friendships with my girl friends. It's like I got a whole different perspective on things. You were brutally honest with me when I dragged you to stores (which saved me heaps of cash). We could laugh at different things together that Ami-chan, Mako-chan, and Minako-chan wouldn't understand. We could talk to each other about relationships. (Actually, I did most of the talking on this matter, usually pondering the appearance (or lack thereof) of Mr. Right. You just offered your insight.) But, I think the most refreshing thing about our friendship, the thing that separated it from any other, was the silence. Stillness was bearable, even welcome when we were together. Sometimes, I would go to your apartment on hot July nights and we would sit on your balcony overlooking the city for hours, never saying one word. Only listening to passing cars and crickets and the breeze. I think those times were some of the most meaningful of my life.
So when August 3 came rolling around, I wanted to show you just how much I appreciated everything...
...Yes, how could I forget? The summer was drawing to a close. School would be starting in less than a month. And I was turning nineteen. I thought I was so old. I never mentioned anything to you about my birthday because I didn't want it to be a big deal. Somehow, you must have seen it on the calendar in my kitchen. How did you know anyways?

A great magician never reveals her secrets.

Yeah, okay, sure. So anyways, I had just gotten off of work and I was dog tired. I trudged up the stairs of my apartment and shuffled down the hall. Taking out my key, I slipped it into the keyhole and opened the door to my apartment. The hall light was off which I thought unusual since I always left it on for when I got home. I threw my keys onto the table in the foyer and then flipped on the lights to the hall and living room.

"SURPRISE!!!!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. There, in my living room, was about three-quarters of my graduating class, complete with party hats and streamers and balloons. You stood in front of everybody, a huge grin plastered across your face, probably laughing at the astonished expression on mine. Then, everyone burst into an off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday." Afterwards, everybody clapped and some of my guy friends slapped me on the back and shook my hand. I was part mortified, part angry, and part overjoyously delighted. A birthday party! With all of my friends. Cake, decorations, food, music, fun. All for me. I wondered whose I idea it was. I figured it was you, but I couldn't ask you since you got lost in the crowd. Someone started the music and then I was swept up into everything and forgot about finding you.

Well, the entire night, I hardly got a moment to myself. God, I never knew I could've crammed so many people into my tiny apartment. And I grew a tad nauseous just thinking about the mess I would have to clean up afterwards. But, in general, I had a great time. Only until people started leaving did I actually get to talk to you. You were cleaning up bowls of chips and stray cups and throwing them in a huge trash bag. You wore a silly party hat on your head with shiny, colorful streamers coming out of the top and you were still humming a song that had played over an hour ago.

"This was your doing, wasn't it?" I asked.

You paused and looked at me, a tired smile on your face. "Who else who it be?"

"Why'd you do it?"

"Well, you've been a great friend to me these couple of months and I thought you deserved an evening of fun!" you said cheerfully. "God, you'll never believe how shocked our classmates-err, ex-classmates-were when *I* called to invite them. I've never heard so many people ask me if I was feeling okay!"

"Yeah, I'm sure they couldn't believe that my arch-rival would, three months later, be throwing me a surprise party." I smiled and then gazed around the room. "You know, it's been so long since I had a birthday party."

"Yeah? Why?" you asked

My face became serious. "Well...after my parents...you know...I guess nobody ever cared enough."

You looked up at me then and smiled. Just smiled. But your calm eyes spoke a thousand lines. I understood more in that silence than I had in any profound discussions.

"Usagi-chan!" called Ami, from in the kitchen. "Do you want to save the rest of this cake?"

"Do you want it?" you asked.

I nodded. "Sure. A little sugar around the house never did anyone harm."

"Now, you wouldn't say that if you were on a diet," you joked.

"Which I'm not. But, after what you ate tonight, a diet might sound good for you," I kidded back.

You threw a balled up napkin at me. "Hey! That's rude! Maybe I don't wanna give you my present now!"

Present?!?

"Present?!?" I said.

"Yeah, that's right," you replied. You began walking into my room and I followed you.

"Why'd you get my a present? You gave me a party!"

You shrugged. "You need it," you said, reaching into a corner and pulling out a large flat square wrapped in colored paper. Then, you pushed it into my hands. "Open it."

I smiled and hesitated. Then, I ripped off the multicolored paper. It was a painting. There were lots of soft colors: greens, blues, purples, blended together perfectly like you were staring at a reflection in a lake. It was hypnotic and amazingly beautiful. I recognized the artist's hand right away.

"A Kai'oh..." I breathed. They were rare, since Kai'oh Michiru, one of my favorite Japanese painters, finished about one every six months.

You smiled. "Don't get too excited. I could only afford a print."

"No...I love it. Thanks."

"You have to hang it up out there," you said, indicating towards the living room. "I'm putting some color into your bland existence."

I stared from it to you in silence. Color...You certainly were. I didn't show it then, but I was deeply touched. I couldn't believe that someone would show enough interest in me to do something so nice. I had forgotten that people really *do* care sometimes.

"Thanks, Usagi," I said.

"You're welcome," you replied. "Now, if you really want to show your thanks, you can come help clean up."

"Clean up? But it's my birthday!" I protested.

"I don't care! Come on. Let's go!"

And then the moment was over and we were bickering like always. But I never did forget that night...

Now for the best part!

What best part?

How we got our nicknames...

Oh, right. Yeah, that's pretty funny. You tell it.
Alright, don't mind if I do.

So, it was Tuesday at the park watching the Juuban Jukurensha* cream the Ueno Usagi. (Yes, I realize that was my name and that I probably was in for it.) So, there we were sitting in the bleachers as always, cheering on our favorite team. Actually, I was eating ice cream and you were simply reclining on the bleacher in back of you. We never really "cheered" but we always showed up to give our support. The score was like 10-2 in Juuban's favor but the Ueno team's fans just wouldn't give up! They were cheering and screaming so loud you would have thought this were the World Series.

"Ughh!" I groaned. "Can they be quiet! They're distracting our players."

You peered at them through your dark shades and rolled your eyes. "I know. How annoying."

They had a few different cheers and when they got tired of one they would move on to the other. So, it was like the sixth inning and suddenly they burst out with this horrible chant: uuuuuuusssssssaaaaaaa, Uuuuuuuussssssaaaaaa, Uuuuuuussssssaaaaaaa-GI!!!

"Ughhhh! Will you shut up!" I shouted to those obnoxious fans. But no one heard in the commotion. I turned to you and you were laughing hysterically. "What?" I asked. "What's so funny."

"Uuussssaaaaa, Uuuuusssaaaa, Uuuuuusssaaaa-GI!!!" you repeated, and then you cracked up. "That's how I should call you! That would really get your attention! Uuuusssaaaa..."

I guess you thought you were really funny, because the whole game whenever you wanted my attention, you would whine Uuuuusssaaaa in that terrible voice. It was growing annoying. Extrememly annoying. Finally, after the millionth Uuuuusssaaa, I sprang from the bleachers and began striding away.

"Uuuuusssaaaaa, wait!" I heard. Then your laughter as you ran to catch up with me.

"You're not funny!" I shouted.

"Aww, Usa, come on! Stop being such a baby!"

"Usagi! Not Usa!" I scolded.

"Well at least I didn't say Uuuusssssaaaaa!" you protested, grinning ear to ear.

"What if I called you some embarassing, ridiculous name, huh? Like...like..."

"Like what?" you egged on.

"Like Mamoru-chan! Or, better yet, Mamo-chan!"

The goofy smile on your face dropped and you raised an eyebrow. "Uuuusssaaa, don't call me thaaaaaatttt," you whined.

"Ok, whatever you say *Mamo-chan!*"

"Mamo-chan? That really is the dumbest name! Do I look like a five-year-old to you?" you argued.

"I don't know, Mamo-chan? It all depends on whether I look like an 'Usa' to you!"

"You do...Usa," you retorted.

"Fine then...Mamo-chan!"

So we walked the rest of the way home teasing each other about our kid names. I thought that after that day that that would be it for those nicknames. But, the next day at the Crown, when the waitress came to take our order, you asked me:

"Usa, you know what you want yet?" You said it without any scorn or mocking in it that I barely noticed the dropping of the "-gi." And, so I guess that's how those nicknames came to be. Ami-chan, Mako-chan, and Minako-chan thought we were crazy when they first heard us using them. They teased us a lot and I even saw that look on Minako-chan's face when she witnessed us calling each other by our pet names.

(Mamo-chan doesn't know this but afterwards, she pulled me aside and asked me when we had started becoming so friendly that we called each other by pet names. I told her that they weren't pet names, simply inside jokes. But she just nodded, smiled, and walked away. God! I hate it when she does that!)

The names stuck and they're like second nature now. We never even call each other by our real names anymore. Yeah, our nicknames might be a tad goofy, but we like them, so that's all that matters. Ne, Mamo-chan?

You got it, Usa. So that brings us to now, the day before college starts! God, I'm nervous.

Nervous?

Yeah, I'm scared out of my mind. The future seems to be looming over my shoulder. It can be so frightening. I guess it's like running around a corner, not knowing if you'll slam into someone running in the opposite way.

Yeah, but, Mamo-chan, don't you think that's what makes life interesting? Taking everything one moment at a time. Never knowing. I love the spontaneity! I love that your life can change completely in one second!

It can change for the worse...

But, it can change for the better, too! Where do you think we'll be in four years? Do you think things will be very different?

I don't know, Usa. The only thing that can tell us for sure is Time.

And Luck! Gosh, Mamo-chan, I can hardly wait! Tomorrow's gonna be a great day!


Stay tuned for Part 2...Usagi and Mamoru go to college! (Now things will really start heating up!)

- - -

Author's Notes

*minna=everyone
*Jukurensha=expert