As we all know, the Sailor Moon fandom is full of stories that start with the canon Usagi/Mamoru 'test paper' first meeting scene. However, the R movie shows the possibility of Usagi and Mamoru meeting much earlier in their lives as children. That one small detail influenced this series. This collection of shorts has been designed with the 'infinite universe theory' in mind, and offers 50 different ways Usagi and Mamoru could have met in another life, in the canon timeline without knowing it, or in a parallel universe. These are all snippets of intros that I have thought of over the last few years but have never really managed to write a story around them, so perhaps they'll help inspire some of you.

The first scene in this series, The Run In, I believe is the second most typical cliché way of meeting (after the test paper), which seems to have infiltrated the SM universe and has become common fanon. But anywho, this is my take on it… I wanted to show the simplicity of them somewhat trying to avoid one another. Enjoy!

Title: In Another Life
Author: Crystal Saturn
Rated: K
Scene: 1- The Run In
Word Count: 919

. . .

It was the first day of Mamoru's final year of high school. As he casually strolled towards school, he sighed and stretched in contentment, turning the page of his book with one finger as he held it easily in the palm of his hand. He praised himself for changing his route to school this morning. Although it added another five minutes to his daily commute, the change of scenery as he cut through the park was well worth it.

Just as he turned the last corner before his school, he felt a petite body ram into his chest. He watched, almost in slow motion as she bounced off him, stumbling backwards with a startled yelp. Instinctively, he dropped his book and reached out to steady her as she fell. One of his hands successfully wrapped around her lean wrist, whilst the other, with a mind of its own, received a handful of her left breast. Thankfully she was far too flustered and apologetic to realise.

"I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention-" She began to repeatedly bow low to the ground, her long golden locks sprawled about her. Mamoru's eyes quickly scanned over her form, making sure that she hadn't noticed his indiscretion. He noticed her uniform as belonging to Juuban Municipal Junior High, which wasn't too far from where he lived. Satisfied that she was more concerned about spouting her own apologies of her carelessness, Mamoru breathed a sigh of relief.

"Watch where you're going next time, Dumpling Head." He grumbled back, hoping to cover up the fact that he was almost just as flustered as she was, and that he was probably the one at fault for reading and walking at the same time.

"Dumpling Head?" Usagi's head snapped upwards as her light blue eyes burned a glare into his forehead. Mamoru simply walked around the petite blonde and entered the gates of his school.

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Odango?" He called out over his shoulder, watching with mirth as the panicked look returned to her face and she sprinted across the road.

It was the second day of Mamoru's final year of high school. As he casually strolled towards school, he sighed and stretched in contentment, turning the page of his book with one finger as he held it easily in the palm of his hand. Turning the last corner before his school, he felt the small form of a school girl running late, smack straight into his chest. This time, he let her fall to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention-" She began to apologise with her head bowed down to the ground, her long golden locks sprawled about her.

"What did I say about watching where you were going, huh, Dumpling Head?" Mamoru reached down to pick up the book that she had knocked out of his hands.

"You, again?" Usagi groaned as she slowly managed to get back on to her feet, one hand absentmindedly rubbing her newly bruised rear. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Your hair looks like two dango dumplings." Mamoru explained as he sidestepped the infuriated school girl, entering the gates of his school.

"No they don't!" Usagi yelled at his retreating form.

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Odango?" Mamoru called out over his shoulder, watching with satisfaction as the flustered look returned to her face and she sprinted across the road.

Their accidental run in had occurred four days straight now, and although it was somewhat painful to have her knuckles smack into his ribs every morning, there was something about the way Usagi glared at him, with such spirit and a hint of playfulness, that made him feel somewhat happy to see her. By the fifth morning though, Mamoru was fully aware that another high impact collision with Usagi would probably fracture a rib.

Nearing the last corner before his school, Mamoru took two steps to the left to avoid the speeding blonde.

Smack.

The speed at which she was running and the force at which she had run into him today was enough to send the two sprawling to the ground.

"Really, Odango? I even moved out of the way for you and you still manage to run into me." Mamoru groaned as he felt the full weight of her body, collapsed over his.

"I moved out of the way to avoid you." Usagi slowly peeled herself up off of Mamoru's body and picked up her bento.

"Look, Dumpling Head, if you're really that attracted to me, then just ask me on a date. I don't respond well to girls throwing their bodies at me." Mamoru hopped back up onto his feet and began to brush the dirt off his slacks. Gathering his things, he noticed the apparent embarrassment and frustration on the school girl's face.

"I took two steps to the right to avoid running into you today. How was I supposed to know you were going to do the same?" Usagi brushed the dust off her uniform and looked about for her book bag. "And I've told you already, my name is Usagi. U-sa-gi."

"Whatever, O-dan-go." Mamoru handed the agitated girl her book bag before side stepping her and walking into the grounds of his school. She seethed for a moment before realising that once again, he was keeping her late.

"Why can't I seem to get away from that guy?" Usagi screeched in frustration as she sprinted towards her school.

/End

. . .

So there you go, the first of 50 shorts. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll update with a chapter of Summer Rain soon, but I've been working on these on the side for a while now and have completed a few of them, so I thought I'd start uploading =) They're much shorter than a typical story chapter, so hopefully these little "awws" will tie many of you over between Summer Rain chaps. Many of these shorts are original ideas, but if they trigger inspiration for a story for you, then by all means, feel free to use them =)

Crystal Saturn