Thank you to EC2k for the wonderful inspiration on where to look next for the rights - 
kanpie!"^o^" and arigato!  Thank you everyone else for writing me!  

Disclaimer:  I know you are all waiting for the big plan.  So I won't hold you up with long 
ramblings on how this plan is _so_ ingenious that even Ami would never have thought of 
it. . .
But I will fill you in with the background info on how the plan first came to me.  
It turns out Luna and Artemis did end up being useful for something 
  
Now, my parents don't know that Luna and Artemis can talk   
Anyway, Luna overheard a conversation - that I gather wasn't supposed to get back to me.  
The 'rents were talking about how they didn't like my Sailor Moon obsession <*gasp*  I 
can't believe anyone could feel that way either, minna!> and that it was about time to do 
something about it!  
So that's what made me think that just *maybe* my parents found the rights to Sailor 
Moon in my room (cause I swear they were in there somewhere) and kidnapped them 
from my possession.  
So, I begin by dressing all in black - gotta be stealthy here - and wear black socks instead 
of shoes.  I creep over to my parents room, and slowly reach over to open the door when 
SPLAT!  I slip on the polished floors and fall on my face.  I think all this time with Usagi 
has rubbed off on me.  Anyway I check to make sure no one is coming - no one is, seeing 
as no one else is home - and then get up, enter the Parents' Room and begin my search.  I 
find:
1) some folded laundry - ooh! I was looking for that dress. . .
2) a box of old photographs - I can't believe I actually wore all those different shades of 
neon colors in the eightys - Will I ever live this down?
3) a pile of early, unwrapped Christmas presents for little old me 
So, maybe I didn't find the rights to Sailor Moon.  Just not yet, right minna?
So, Naoko-chan owns Sailor Moon.
For now.
Now on to the next chapter!

Wordlist:
kanpie is cheers
arigato is thanks
hime is princess
Daijabu ka? is Are you ok?
Daijabu.  is I'm okay
onegai is please (when asking for something)
tasukete is help me
odango atama is dumpling head
Chotto chigaimasu means- no (when disagreeing, less emphatic than plain old 
chigaimasu)

Title: Crossing Paths
Chapter 11:  Swords and CDs
Author: Yuubou-san
E-mail: yuubou_san@yahoo.com
Rating: G


	Mamoru was in better spirits after going back to martial arts.  Soon after his first 
time there, he found Motoki's e-mail reply, which basically assured him that Usagi had 
forgiven him, and was probably more worried over his recent behavior than upset over 
the past.  Of course, he still thought she was dead. . .

	A new challenge was just what he needed, he decided.  He worked with fervor at 
the Metallic Dragon, and soon his form was as perfect as it had been, all those years ago.  
Soon he visited the school nearly every day, whether to practice with Beryl, Ephius, 
Obert, Gedde, or Gunther  or just to simply hang 
out and talk.  He was getting to be better friends with all of them, and he respected their 
skills greatly.

	One day, he dropped by to see that Kaijin Beryl was in a practice room alone.  The 
door was slid slightly open, and he was angled so that he could see her movements 
completely.  She held a long sword, and was standing in a strong stance, one foot in front 
of the other.  She was deathly still; her face grave in concentration.  After a few moments, 
she began to move with the sword, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but always graceful.  
She wove it and her body back and forth to a silent song, slithering and sliding her body 
like a snake, occasionally shooting the sword out in attack.

	It was mesmerizing to him - beautiful, in a pristine cold deadly way.

	The way her body flowed from place to place like water - sometimes a trickle of 
movement, sometimes a gush of power.  

	Finally, the dance ended and her movements ceased.  Her purple leotard and black 
sweatpants were slightly damp from sweat, and she waited a bit to catch her breath.  The 
control needed for such a work out was great indeed, and any clumsy movement could 
mean death or dismemberment, both knew.

	Once composed, she looked up.

	And met his eyes.  She seemed startled at first to see that someone had been 
watching, and then smiled tentatively.

	"Gomen for watching," he told her in his deep voice "but I just couldn't help it - it 
was breath taking."  Her smile grew wider.

	"Would you like to learn?"  She posed the question innocently.

	However, it caught him off guard.  He pondered for a moment, picturing himself 
handling a sword with the skill of a samurai, protecting his hime.  He smiled widely and 
agreed.

	"Hai."

*~*~*~*~*~*

	

	Usagi looked at the test paper in her hand.

	"100% ^_~"

	She smiled.  She couldn't wait to tell Seiya, and thank him for the help he had 
been giving her.  It had been weeks since they first met, and he really was good at 
explaining things to her, kind of like the way Ami used to help her.

	The test paper reminded her of a time long ago, when she had gotten her first one 
hundred on a test, when she couldn't wait to show it to Mamoru.

	Mamoru. . .

	She hadn't seen him around in a while.   she shook her head.  She was missing him more 
than she'd like to admit.  She didn't think of him as Mamoru-baka any more, no, more like 
Mamo-chan.  She blushed at the nickname.

	Usagi looked up and noticed that she had arrived at the quad.  She quickly walked 
to Greys, Seiya's dorm building.  She slipped inside the door when another freshman was 
leaving, deciding to surprise him.

	Knock, knock, knock - thump - OUCH!   
Seiya opened the door at the noise.

	"Usagi-chan, daijabu ka?"

	"Daijabu.  Uhh, Seiya-kun?"

	"Hai, Usagi-chan?"

	"Onegai, tasukete.  I don't think I can walk very well."

	"Oh, uhh, sure.  Seiya grabbed her bag (from its resting place on her foot) and 
slung it over one shoulder, and then offered his other shoulder as a crutch.  He helped her 
inside to the couch in the living room.

	"I'll get a bag of ice for that," he told her quickly before jogging over to a 
minifridge and doing just what he'd promised.

	"Arigato. . . But actually, I came here for a much nicer reason."

	"Oh, Usagi-chan?  What would that be?"  He gave her a raised eyebrow, and she 
giggled slightly at his comical expression.

	 "You know that huge test you helped me study for?  The one I was sure I'd fail?  
Well, I got the test paper back today, and. . ." she drew out her breath, building 
anticipation.

	"AND? Usagi - come on, don't tease me!"

	She giggled again and then handed him the paper.  

	"Sugoi!  Usagi-chan, you are so smart - I'm so proud of you!"

	Usagi blushed at the praise, and looked down.  "Chotto chigaimasu.  You're too 
kind, Seiya-kun."

	"Nonsense," he replied cockily, bringing out another smile in her.  "This calls for 
celebration - for both of us, in fact.  I have good news too!"

	"Oh???  Good news?  Tell me!" Usagi gave him a pouting look.  "Onegai?" 

	"I don't know if I should. . ."

	"Come on!  Now you're the one who's teasing me!"

	"The Three Lights got a record deal!  We're going to be famous, Usagi-chan!"  He 
reached over to the nearby bookshelf, and took a CD from it.  As he gave her the CD, he 
said, "Here's an advanced copy."  He gave her a wink.  "So now, all we have to do is think 
of how to celebrate, ne?"

	"Hmm.  We could go for ice cream?"    

	"Yeah. . ."  Seiya seemed to become somewhat nervous.  Usagi gave her friend a 
questioning look.  "I was actually thinking that maybe you'd come to this party, function 
thing with me.  The Three Lights were invited, and its pretty elite - maybe we'll even meet 
some celebrities there."

	"Celebrities?" Usagi asked with stars in her eyes.    "Yes Seiya!  I would love to go!"

	His nervousness faded and he smiled.  "Good.  So it's a date."

*~*~*~*~*~*

	When she got home, she took out the CD Seiya had given her, and decided to 
listen to it.  She had listened to some of the Three Lights songs after she had found out 
Seiya was in the band, and she had definitely liked them.  She began to listen to the music 
as she took out the leaflet from the side, to see if the words were written down some 
where.

	To her surprise, she found that the Three Lights had autographed it for her, and 
Seiya had written a little message just for her.

	 Usagi thought with a smile.

	After quickly reading it, the smile melted and tears welled up in her eyes.

	Seiya had written,

Odango Atama,
	Hope you like the new album.  I think you'll really like number six.   Usagi-chan, 
you've been a great friend to me.  Never lose touch.
                             ~Seiya

	She got stuck on the very first word.  It reminded her of . . .

	"Mamoru. . ." Usagi whimpered as the tears trailed down her face.  "I miss you. . 
."

*~*~*~*~*~*

	Beryl studied Mamoru's movements, her eyes catching every single controlled 
action.  He held his sword comfortably, and swung it at ghosts with an ease as if he had 
been doing so a thousand years.  She watched the monitor for a while in silence, and then 
turned it off and began to speak with the four men in the room.

	"He's doing quite well, ne?  And to think that you doubted me, Kunzite."

	Gunther sputtered at the accusation.  "I never doubted you, Sensai;  I doubted him.  
Yes, his skill is great, but where is his loyalty?  It seems to still lie with that girl, even 
though he believes her to be dead.  If he finds out what really goes on here, and refuses to 
be a part of it, we have done nothing but create ourselves an enemy - and not only that, 
but train one, too."

	Beryl raised an eyebrow.  "I see your frustrations, Kunzite, but I disagree with 
you.  This man is worth the chance - he can make us a lot of money."

	Jadeite looked at Beryl intently.  "Are you sure that's the reason you want him 
with us?"

	Beryl narrowed her eyes.  She was beginning to get angry.  "It's the main reason," 
she uttered firmly.  "Don't question me so blatantly, Jadeite.  I'm not stupid- I know what 
I'm doing."  She paused for a moment to let her words sink in, then continued, "We have 
to do something about the Tsukino girl.  She's becoming too much of a liability."

	Nephrite spoke up.  "How do you propose to eliminate the problem, Sensai?  Her 
marks seem too good to get her kicked out from school.  If we kill her, she may make the 
news, and then Chiba will definitely hear about it."

	"She won't make the news if no one knows she's dead.  Zoisite - take over her e-
mail immediately.  Screen everything that goes in and out of her mailbox.  Make it seem 
like that she wants to stay in the US to her friends and family.  We'll make her a runaway.  
It should be easy enough to plant the indications.  We simply have to bid our time and 
then strike when the iron's hot.  It'll be fairly simple to fake a note saying goodbye, and 
pack her things up.  This'll be a piece of cake compared to what we're used to."

	"That plan takes care of the Rabbit, but what about Chiba?  His loyalty is still in 
question. . ."
	
	Beryl cut him off, narrowing her eyes.  "Chiba won't be a problem by the time I'm 
through with him.  We're becoming closer every day.  I've made men stronger than him 
fall for me.  Soon Usagi will be nothing more than another sob story of his past, while I 
will be his bright future.  Trust me."  She smile crookedly, though a menacing expression 
still graced her eyes.

	"Now, tell me about our next job.  It's at some big celebrity party, huh?  Maybe 
Chiba can come along for this one. . ."

     @     @
  / /   ^_^   \ \

AN:Ohh, I see a showdown in the future!  Hehehe!
Oh, and by the way - e-mail is my friend, so make me feel ~good~ and drop me a note, 
onegai?

    Source: geocities.com/im_a_good_girl_uk_2000