Sailor Moon 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sailor Moon...none of it...none at all!! I only use the characters for my own devious storylines heh :D ;)  
**AN: **This is kind of a drabble written from the theme 'Red String of Destiny', for LiveJournal's Usa/Mamo- A Love like no Other. I couldn't resist...the plot bunnies called... :)- oh and btw. the actual idea of the 'Red String' maybe a bit inaccurate but i used artistic license.

_Red String of Destiny_

Chapter One.

The night was cool and calm, a breeze ticking the trees playfully tugged at the strands of her blond hair. Usagi sighed, as she looked out on the starry night, from under her lashes; the bright off white sphere of the moon winking prettily down at her. Inside, her friends reclined, relaxed in a tangle of limbs and hair; Ami and Rei had already fallen asleep and leaving Makoto and Mina to watch the edgy romantic and the infamous pyro had pulled out of her collection.

It had been a study night at the temple, by Ami's request, but by at least ten, Pyjamas and pillows overrun, all pretence of study and she had gladly relinquished her books and pens in favour of popcorn. Not even a youma could spoil this sense of peace, emanating from that room. She started as a tall, slight figure stepped up beside her, long brown hair, loose about her shoulders set off green eyes, now darkened with worry.

"You okay girl?" the smaller girl nodded back.

"Yeah, I'm fine Makoto…honestly" she said at the brown haired Senshi's incredulous look. She felt someone brush her side and saw the identical corn gold of her own hair reflected in the light.

"you can tell us you know?" she said simply "dreams are nothing if you don't at least follow them", the heroine stared at one of her best friends for a few moments before following her gaze outside.

"I know Mina…thank you" she whispered. At her silent stare her two friends shared a look and instinctively wrapped both their arms around their leader and friend. Usagi started, taken by surprise, but smiled, and wrapped her arms around her friends. Presently they left her, joining the other two on the floor. Within minutes they were asleep.

It must have been an hour at most, when she felt rather than saw the presence at her side.

"Rei…do you believe in true love?" she asked almost fearfully. The dark haired senshi's eyes widened in surprise momentarily, caught off-guard by the question she blushed deeply before answering.

"No…" wide blue eyes met her own. "…not, always" she amended "But then…I don't know…I guess, everyone's got someone out there for them, what else can it be. We've only got to wait for the right time" she said meaningfully.

"But…what If that time never comes?" Rei looked at her inquisitively " it may be now, it may be in fifty years…but there_ is_ someone out there for you Usagi, I can feel it" The blond girl looked at her gratefully before looking away and out into the night, she felt an arm clasp her gently round the shoulders before withdrawing; leaving her alone.

'_But what about those dreams? The voices that always taunted her- always telling her she would forever be aloe? And what if… What if she never found someone? What if-_' she blinked back tears and tried to swallow a lump that suddenly appeared in her throat –'_What if she spent her whole life alone?'_

"You'll never be alone Usagi" came a voice suddenly as if reading her thoughts. Usagi turned to find a tousled haired Ami watching her earnestly. The others were already fast asleep, the video had stopped and a fuzzy grey and white screen reflected back at them.

"Ami?" she asked confused.

"Usagi…you'll never be alone. You have us, you have your family. You have the ability to make, anyone smile even on their darkest days, even when _they_ feel alone. Just your presence is enough to make someone instantly want to- " the blue haired genius blushed lightly " -love you whole heartedly, to want to protect you with their very lives…like Rei said, someone is out there for you…just you wait"

"Oh Ami" Usagi said before wrapping the other girl in a warm hug. "You had better get some sleep though, tomorrow's going to be a long day" Usagi nodded emphatically, a bright smile slowly developing on her face. She suddenly remembered that tomorrow she and the girls had planned a long day out at the newly opened theme park. A whole day of rides, laughter, fun, food and simply being with her friends, what more could she asked for. "Just, give me a minute okay?" she asked, Ami nodded and went over to the group, pulling out her sleeping bag she snuggled down inside and went to sleep. Usagi sighed, watching her friends sleep peacefully for a few moments before looking back out the sky; she sighed.

"Maybe they're right" she whispered to herself looking up at the moon. "but-" she stopped, something red flashed in the corner of her eye. She blinked and looked, but nothing was there. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully she was about to brush it off before it twinkled directly in her line of vision. She watched it. A red string, glinting in the light, she blinked again, thinking it just a trick of the light. But as she looked closer she saw it was real. She reached out to touch it and nearly recoiled as she suddenly felt a tingling sensation emanating from her chest.

She looked down, and sure enough, the red string was there, dancing in the light – straight from her heart. She frowned reaching out to tug on it when it suddenly jerked lightly forwards sending a shiver through her. On the back of that came a feeling of immense sadness and longing. Usagi felt tears come to her eyes almost immediately, like the sense of loneliness that she felt so deeply before- this feeling echoed it, only stronger – as if there was nothing there at all. The string tugged again, and Usagi nearly fell from the feeling, by now struggling to keep tears at bay from the feelings that were soon overwhelming, it felt as if there was a great pressure on her heart and she struggled to breathe.

Suddenly something seemed to shift slightly, the pressure eased off her heart and she found she coule breath easier, taking deep gulps of air she soon looked round making sure the others were still asleep before leaping neatly out of the window and taking off into the night, following the now fading string.


	2. Chapter 2

Red String of Destiny..._(disclaimer on first chapter)  
_

_Chapter two_

She didn't even have time to register as the world sped past. All she knew was that she now, undeniably had to follow the string.

She didn't even pause as she noticed she entered Juuban park running until she stopped once the string came to a thicket of brambles and hedge, she frowned. In theory she could use her broach and transform, thereby effortlessly jumping over the hedge on one go; but something made her suddenly cautious; _Who knew what was going on?, better yet; __who knew what could be on the otherside of that hedge'? _She had dealt with enough youma to know. _'but..._' her mind argued; '_who in their right mind would climb through a hedge in their pyjamas?!?' _She shivered in voluntarily, the thought bringing with it that bunny pyjamas and unslippered feet, was hardly suitable to be running through Juuban at this time of night. Yet what could she do? Ignoring the string was not an opition; just look at what happened last time, and still the string tugged her forward. With a frown she looked around, ferverently hoping that something would 'pop out' at her and help; she nearly cried for joy when a few moments later she noticed that the hedge broke off not two feet from where she stood.  
Making her way towards the gap she followed the line of brambles, the thorny plants tugging at her clothes and hair; never once nicking her skin. She had to stoop a few times as the brambles created an overhang, perhaps even shorter than her 4'11 inches. But the string still tugged along.  
Presently the brambles thinned and she found she could stand. She stared down, the red string a bright beacon from her to a shadowing hulking figure quietly crouched by a block of stone. Usagi hesitated before venturing forwards, _'what if this was a ploy by the Negaverse?_ It didn't feel that way, but how was she know? She felt for her broach in her subspace pocket while reasoning that she should turn back, but the string, more impatient this time sent a sharper tug on her heart; leaving her breathless. She had no choice- not if she wanted to remain standing.

She edged forwards almost yelping as the under soles of her bare feet found the sharpness of a twig. It didn't seem to have worked somehow because a moment later she found herself stumbling back as the dark figure surged upwards into the light. Her breath caught as she caught sight of familiar dark hair reflected in the moonlight's pure light. '_It couldn't be!_' but sure enough there it was, the red string dancing prettily in the night. She stepped backwards Mamoru Chiba looked down at her, his blue eyes darkened to cobalt irises seemingly looking past her and boring into own her simultaneously.

"Usagi?" the question and dullness in his voice didn't suit him and it made the girl shiver.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, Usagi blinked and looked down at her toes shrugging slightly, '_how could she explain she was lead here by a mysterious string!- he's more than likely laugh in her face and call her 'Odango'. _But before she could further her musings; she felt his presence shift and he once more knelt by the stone. She saw a bunch of red roses spread over the ground just in front of him. They were open roses, their petals blood red in full bloom. Usagi stared at them for a moment mesmerised by the colour, they seemed so… _familiar_. She drew her attention back to Mamoru as he shifted. He stood staring at the stone for a moment as still as the thing itself, his whole demeanour seemed to suggest an open invitation to stand next to him, and Usagi found herself accepting it; moving towards him until she stood at his shoulder; and looked down at the…tombstone! – An involuntary gasp met her lips. Mamoru stiffened slightly next to her.

She read the deeply etched words '_CHIBA, Yoshihiro & Akiko; beloved parents… May the angels guide them to their rest_' she looked between the stone to Mamoru's face, hidden in shadow. The anguish seemed to roll off him waves, till it seemed to bounce off her physically and yet, she could do nothing but stare up at him a multitude of feelings crossing her heart and mind. Suddenly, and without realising; paying no heed to the string; Usagi impulsively wrapped both arms round the tall figure and hugged him tightly.

It took a while for Chiba Mamoru to wade himself out of the deep pit that he had gotten himself into that night. First and foremost he had awakened after another one of _those_ dreams, only to be overwhelmed by the seemingly unending feeling of loss and loneliness that seemed to hit him every year at the same moment, creating; what felt like a deep hole where his heart was meant to be. He instinctively knew where to go, and taking his long jacket; had materialised some long stemmed red roses out of no where and took off to the site of his parents' graves. As he walked out and down the roads; he watched the silent city through unseeing eyes, his feet taking him to the place that had become as familiar to him as his own name _'if that's what it was_' he thought almost bitterly. It was then the darkness, nestling a place in his heart, had descended and seeking refuge, he had allowed himself to be pulled under.

It was a while later, much later and into the night that he dimly remembered hearing a noise and a scuffling before, none other than Tsukino Usagi stood before him, shoe-less and clad only in pyjamas. He hadn't even blinked, well and truly lost in his ever-long mourning; the blackness of his heart seemingly turning the whole world around him, grey. A while after that he remembered dimly, for the first time in a long time, a warmth permeate his consciousness. It seemed to build at his middle until, ever so slowly it spread all the way through him. Shifting his head slightly, he looked down to see a pair of familiar Odango's nestled closely to his chest. The arms of whom arms firmly ensconced around his middle. It shook him slightly to realise that, in the bitter biting January wind, where the wind tore into even him bitingly; the warmth was coming from her. He stared incredulously at her for a moment, mouth agape as they simply stood there.

"Odango?" he whispered softly, and a pair of overly bright blue eyes gazed up at him.

"what are you doing here?" she blanched for a moment, then said truthfully.

"Something pulled me here I guess" she said and rested her head back on his chest. Staring at her he nodded. Out of everything he had ever done or _seen_ in his life, that was as good a reason as ever. He felt a smile tug at his lips, a true smile on today of all days. She had come here, goodness knew why, but out of everything she had done, she had given him comfort, unflinchingly, ungrudgingly, _'even though_' he mused _'she must be cold'_. He stared at the top of her head intently of a moment before shifting and drew his arms out of her embrace. She looked up at him startled and slightly embarrassed, but didn't meet his gaze. He didn't think he could have met her gaze either, but as his heart slowly bridged the hole the darkness left, he felt strangely lighter and he knew it had something or all to do with the small, very cold blond girl standing in front of him.

"For what it's worth Odango…thank you" he said softly he said and as her eyes widened drew her into a warmer embrace, tucking his jacket round her in the process. She stilled for a moment, before he felt her arms slowly draw round his middle underneath his jacket; Mamoru felt himself sighing inwardly with relief.

For a long time they would stand like that, until at least the sun rose. With the new day they would return to their old ways, their old 'friendship' but for now, they could at least stand in each other's embrace; one not noticing, the other forgetting the thin red string that drove them together, uniting their fate and bringing about their destinies.


End file.
