"Uh, Chiba, where are you going?" a classmate said, pulling on Mamoru's arm and looking at him with an expression that clearly said, 'are you crazy?' with expletives implied.

Mamoru opened his mouth to answer and realized he had amassed an audience. All eyes of his study group were frantically glancing between the Daimon, which was raging around outside the library windows, and Mamoru, who had stood up and made an excuse to leave, and all present were clearly questioning his sanity.

"I should call the emergency line," he supplied, turning again just as another explosion from the creature shattered the library's floor-to-ceiling window. There was a chorus of screams as glass shattered toward them, and Mamoru felt the hot sting of blood on his cheek. Someone pulled him back down behind a table, where the others were huddled.

"No way, man, we are staying here," another classmate said, and there were some fretful nods of agreement.

"I—"

"You freaking move toward that window again, Chiba, I swear to god," a friend of his snapped, fire in her eyes. "Don't be a guy about this, jeeze."

He was about to retort when a female voice rose above the din: "Stop right there!" Mamoru was jostled as everyone leaned forward and around the table to see what was happening, while also trying to maintain a level of protection from the havoc. Sailor Moon stood within view, the usual righteous anger on her pretty face.

"See?" the same friend from before hissed in Mamoru's ear, "it's being handled."

"How dare you interrupt the study of people who had nothing better to do than hang out in the library on a Sunday?!" Sailor Moon continued. Mamoru rolled his eyes despite himself. "I am the sailor-suited beautiful solider, Sailor Moon!" She continued, "And in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

Excited murmurs behind him turned to moans of concern as the pigtailed senshi tumbled from the bench where she'd been perched, just barely avoiding a deadly blast. Luckily, she wasn't there alone.

"Burning Mandala!"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

The senshi rounded; Venus pulled Sailor Moon up by her arm and Mercury flipped up her googles. "Now, Sailor Moon!" she called out.

Sailor Moon struggled to her feet, spun her weapon out in front of her and—with a scream of "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"—a flash of pink and gold light filled the onlookers' vision. Once it cleared, the Daimon was gone, the pure heart returned to the poor victim of the day (after being checked and rejected by the elusive Sailors Uranus and Neptune).

Then, everything settled down and peace reigned.

For about three seconds.

"Sailor Moon!" Students were climbing back from behind desks and tables, blinking through the shattered glass to the scene outside.

Then the flashbulbs started, raining like lightning on the young senshi.

"Who brings cameras to a university library?" Mamoru muttered.

A girl beside him was rummaging through her purse with an anguished expression, "I know! Of all the days to leave mine at home!" she cried.

Sailor Venus posed a little for the crowd, while Sailor Mars and Mercury tried to push her away. Sailor Moon was surveying the damage with worried eyes that flashed relief when she met Mamoru's eyes. Then her gaze fell to the blood on his face and she ran forward, blurting out, "Oh my gosh, are you okay?!" Then she caught herself and stopped, adding a lame, "Everyone?" to the end of her sentence.

Behind her, Mars facepalmed.

Everyone gave hesitant nods, as various people stood up, started collecting their things, checking bruises and cuts and seeming to come up okay.

"You're bleeding," Sailor Moon said to Mamoru, brows furrowed beneath the tiara.

"It's nothing," he said, wishing she'd wait to fuss over him until they didn't have an audience and she wasn't cloaked in her superhero garb—a semi-celebrity surrounded by a dozen or so college students suddenly turned amateur paparazzi. Hoping to distract her a little, he channeled his Tuxedo Kamen voice, (or as close as he dared,) remarking, "Everyone is okay, thanks to you." The cut under his eye stung when he smiled, but he did so anyway. "You were amazing as ever, Sailor Moon."

"Oooh, a fan," a perky voice next to him said, giggling a little. "Me too," she added, shoulders hunched at Sailor Moon.

"Chiba, I wouldn't've pegged you for a Sailor Moon fanboy," another classmate added.

"But you are, right?" Sailor Moon turned back to Mamoru, widening her eyes in way that had to be anatomically impossible.

"Of course," Mamoru found himself saying. And instantly regretting it when a brilliant and, he noticed with a sinking feeling in his chest, mischievous smile bloomed across her features.

"C'mon Sailor Moon, let's go!" Sailor Mars called, annoyance lacing her voice.

"Okay!" Usagi called over her shoulder. Then, quick as a flash, she leaned in and kissed Mamoru on the cheek. Well, actually, her lips landed just to the left of his, and he couldn't help the hitch in his breath, anymore than he could the dozen flashbulbs all going off at the same time.

"Always nice to meet a fan," she said, sweetly. Then she turned and, in flash of ribbons and boot-clicks, was gone. And the murmurs around him turned to a dull roar.

"Oh man," a friend of his said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You know that's gonna make the tabloids, right?"

Mamoru couldn't help groaning.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" another classmate said —the girl who'd been mourning leaving her camera at home. "Dude, she's gonna kill you!"

"Yeah," Mamoru said, gritting his teeth and putting his hand on his forehead. "Sometimes I really think she is."

So, I would like to finish this. And I will, someday. But I've been sitting on this beginning part for so so long (months) so I decided I might as well post it! Maybe it'll help me get inspired to finish it.