The Moon and the Shadow

Chapter 1: The Meeting

Usagi grinned into her mirror. She posed to one side and twirled a strand of her blond hair around her finger. "KAWAII!" she cried, and plopped into her bed. She ran a hand unto the small of her neck and pulled the necklace to see the ring on it. It was silver flecked with small glittering gems. She found it right outside their lawn on one of the days her mom locked her out of the house. Now, it was hers to keep. She sat up and slipped the ring off her necklace to examine it. "I wonder what will happen if I slip this on." As soon as the ring fit perfectly on her finger, there was a burst of light and in an instant she was gone.

She ran and ran. She was in an unfamiliar place and what's more, darkness filled the whole place. "Hello! I am Usagi Tsukino! I'm lost! Please help me!" she shouted on top of her voice. It did not cross her mind that she might attract unwanted strangers. The darkness pressed on her on both sides. Usagi sank to the floor and cried.

"Lost, milady?" A man appeared before her. He was drabbed in a cloak but Usagi could see his face. His eyes were silver and blue and his long hair was chestnut brown. He was tall and well-built and not to mention, quite handsome. Usagi balked under his stare. She was not sure what to say to this stranger.

"Yes, I am. I lost my friends but I'm sure they are looking for me right now." She said that to give the idea that she was not alone and to hinder any evil intent on her. It wasn't a complete lie though, she reasoned to herself. She was sure her friends will find her soon.

The man nodded and held out a hand to help her up. Usagi gingerly accepted it.

"If that's the case, how about a drink?" he cocked his head to the side. Usagi saw a bar from where he was pointing. It was empty but full. Everything was so queer. She merely nodded. "Sure."

"What do you want?" the man casually asked as he seated himself on one of the stools on the bar. He watched Usagi sit beside him. He found her quite pretty. Her long blond hair was tied in two mounds on her head. She had blue eyes, only darker than himself. She had a great figure and fair skin. But from what he can see, she was obviously a young girl.

"Um," she peered at the drinks but could not figure anything out. "Just water I guess." she answered to keep on the safe side. The man nodded and walked behind the counter to get the drinks. He handed her a bottle of water and held up his own bottle of alcohol. "I'll have vodka," he grinned. "I'm Jess by the way."

She smiled also and it showed her innocence. "Thanks” She gladly took the bottle of water and drank from it. She thought how nice of him to call her milady. No one ever called her that, even Mamuro. "By the way, I am Usagi . . .”

He bowed slightly before sitting himself ".. pleasure to meet you Usagi... are you alright now..?" he sat beside her, pulling his hood down, his dark brown hair falling to his shoulders in a ponytail

"Yeah, I am." the stranger looked actually nice, he reminded her of nephrite without the evilness. "You said, you were lost too . . . how did that happen?"

He shook his head " . I was sitting in a tavern drinking then I looked around noticing it got really quiet all of a sudden and I was here . . is this place abandoned..? it seems so empty...” he watched her carefully, not wishing to scare her

"That's strange indeed. No one is here. Except us." She paused and looked around. There was a small window high above in one wall where moonlight passes through. "This is too much of a coincidence, isn't it? What could be the reason . . .?”

He shook his head "... I don’t know... I don’t even know where this is...” he looked back to her after following her gaze. his dark blue and silver eyes running over her once again. he was oddly attracted to her

"I don't know either," she shrugged. "It could be destiny, or just plain coincidence. I'd like to think this is destiny. That you're here to help me . . ." she glanced at him, wondering why her dark blue and silver eyes seemed very interested in her

He smiled " . yea... every lady needs a guardian right..?" he smiles and winks slightly, pouring a glass of vodka for himself "... either that or some one to cling to"

"Yeah, I guess. . ." she lay thoughtful for a while.”except that I'm not exactly a lady, I'm barely 16."