Subject: [SM][fanfic] Shieldsman [teaser?]
From: Christopher Angel
Date: 9/3/1997, 1:38 AM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

OK, this is a fic idea that's been running around my head for a while, and
now that I'm finishing up Siblings, and Reckonings going nowhere fast, and
Oh! My Brother's in pre-reader hell....I decided to start new fic.

Anyway, it's a Sailor Moon S, during the Mimete period (after the grail
shows up, before Mimete dies).  I decided it would be fun to expand of her
operations, and maybe toss in a fic there, change the way things go.

YES, it's a new character fic.  YES, there is romance, but not quite in the
way you might expect...or the way it appears.  It's probably going to have
a Ranma influence.  (Sorry, 1 guy, 4 girls just...well..appeals to me).

A little more info: Kaneda (the new character - I needed a name that had
something to do with red/crimson) is NOT more powerful than the Senshi.  In
fact, he has zero, zilch, NO offensive abilities.  He's tough as all hell,
though, in fact, he's a human shield.  (Hence the name...)

Tell me what you think...should I continue?  Or should I bury it in the
"bad ideas that should have never seen the light of the FFML" pile?

BTW, thanks to Phillip Masters and Sean Gaffney for the advice they gave
me.

**************

Mamoru shouted himself awake, and looked in confusion at his room for a
moment.  *The same damn dream,* he cursed.  *A man, in a red uniform, with
a shield.*  He held his head as he tried to remember more.  *It was the
Silver Millenium, I know it.*  He looked out the window at the moonlight
streaming into his window.  *He was my friend, I think.  But why do I
remember him with such sadness?*

Mamoru got out of bed and went to his washroom.  He stared at his
reflection in the mirror and splashed some water on his face.  *I had
better talk to Luna about this.*  He returned to his bed and the restless
sleep it offered him.

***

In another room, a tall, slender man with strawberry hair twisted in his
sleep.  He suddenly awoke, his eyes blank with some supressed emotion. 
After a few minutes, his eyes cleared and he sat on the edge of the bed. 
He looked out his window, to see the moonlight leave shadows on the trees
below.  As he watched, tears began to fall from his eyes.

***

"Usagi-chan, you're late," Rei scolded.  "Again."  Usagi stuck her tongue
out at Rei and sat down, her face showing a great deal of worry.

The Inner Senshi sat in a small restaurant.  Each one had a soda or some
other drink in front of them.  Ami looked up from her book and smiled at
Usagi.  "Don't worry, Mamoru's late too."  Usagi's face darkened further at
that.  Worried now herself, Ami asked "Usagi-chan, what's wrong?"

"Mamo-chan's been all tired and wiped out lately," she said despondently. 
"And he won't tell me what's wrong no matter how I ask."  She was silent
for a moment, and her eyes began to brim with tears.  "He keeps on having
these wierd dreams too, but he won't tell me about them."  With that, Usagi
broke down and cried.  

While Ami and Makoto tried to comfort her, Minako looked over at Rei. 
"Another warning from the future?" she mused.  "Or is someone coming back?"

Rei looked over at the tearful Usagi, and fought the urge to snap at her. 
"She's useless like this.  I hope Mamoru gets better soon."  She couldn't
help the uneasy feeling she felt, though.

***

Luna listened silently as Mamoru told her about his dreams.  Artemis
watched Luna as he listened, and caught the look of sorrow that passed
through her eyes for a moment.  As he finished, Luna was silent for a long
time.  "It does sound familiar," she finally said.  "If you have any more
dreams tell me about them."

Mamoru nodded and went to meet up with Usagi and the others.  Artimis
padded up to Luna.

"You know who he's talking about, don't you?" he asked her.  Luna sighed.

"Yes," she admitted, her voice a whisper.  "He's refering to a man called
the Crimson Shieldsman.  Oh Serenity, how could you?  Didn't he suffer
enough the first time?"  The black cat seemed ready to sob.

Artemis walked up and rubbed his chin on her shoulder.  "Tell me, Luna."

"The Shieldsmen were intended to work with the Senshi.  To protect them
while they fought, and to bodyguard them in and out of battle.  Each one
died in the Silver Millenium, protecting their Senshi.  All except for
Crimson.  He was...in love with Mars, who he was sworn to protect.  She
never let him work with her, and he lived until the very end."  Luna
suddenly wished cats could cry.  "It's not fair, Artemis."

"What's not fair?" he asked, and walked around her to look in her eyes.

Luna shook her head.  "Crimson was a joker.  An irreverant prankster, who
delighted in making people laugh, a wonderful man.  But he loved Mars, and
she never returned his affection."  She paused.  "If I let him awaken,
he'll remember his love for Mars.  He shouldn't have to suffer again,
Artemis.  He shouldn't have to remember a love for a woman who thought of
him as an irritant and an annoyance."

Artemis thought about what Luna said.  "Maybe she wanted him to have a
second chance," he finally said.  "A chance to do the duty he was never
able to fuffil the first time."  As an afterthought, he added.  "A chance
to have his love returned."

Luna sighed, and rubbed Artemis's face with her own.  "I hope so, Artemis. 
I really do."

***

Mamoru walked to the restaurant he was supposed to meet the girls at.  He
grimaced as his head began to throb and he lost balance.  *One decent
night's rest, that's all I ask.*  He resigned himself to hitting the
ground, but a pair of strong hands caught him.

"Hey, are you OK?"  Mamoru felt himself hoisted up and set against a nearby
wall.  "You want me to get you a doctor?"

"No, thank you," Mamoru replied wearily.  "I'm just tired."  He looked up
to thank his rescuer.  The man was almost as tall as him, and had a similar
build.  He had an open, smiling face that was etched with concern.  He had
dark brown eyes and short strawberry blonde hair. 

"You sure?" The man asked.

"Yes, I have to meet someone.  Thank you for your concern."  He moved to
walk on, but stumbled again.  Once again, he was caught by the man.  He
looked over to see the man smiling at him.

"Tell you what, I'll give you a hand."  Mamoru smiled his thanks, and
leaned on the man as he walked.  "I'm Kaneda Iwasaki."

"Mamoru Chiba."  Kaneda stopped and looked at him with no little awe.

"THE Mamoru Chiba?  The guy who got the perfect score on the physics
mid-term?" he asked.  "Oh wow, I'm in the presence of greatness," he joked,
and then explained to a confused Mamoru.  "I'm in your physics class at
Azabu."  He looked over at Mamoru with a sort of predatory grin.  "I don't
suppose I could borrow your test?  I need something to study for the
make-up exam the prof's having for all of us who failed."

"I don't remember seeing you there," Mamoru said as they walked.

Kaneda looked embarrased.  "Yeah, well, I kind of skip a lot.  Physics is
one not my favorite courses and all, I'm taking it because I have to. 
Stupid performing arts curriculum at my college requires us to take a few
courses at Azabu."  Mamoru gave him a look of sympathy.

"So what are you majoring in?"

"Music," Kaneda said, a little too proudly.  "Mostly the vocal arts, but I
know some piano and do some drama too."  They walked on for a moment in
silence.  "So who's so important you're going out like this to meet them?"
he asked.  He looked over at Mamoru, and grinned at the slight blush. 
"Girlfriend," he chuckled.  "Smart man."

***

"Where IS he?" Usagi complained, her previous bout of tears transformed
into irritation.  "He's late!"  The other girls laughed.  "What's so
funny?" she demanded.

"You," Rei snickered, "of all people, complaing about someone being late."

Usagi began to sniffle again.  "Why are you all being so-"

"Excuse me?"  The girls looked up to see Mamoru being held up by another
hunk of a man.  "Does this belong to one of you?"

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi yelped, and helped him sit down.  The man looked on in
amusement.

"Well that answers THAT question."  His eyes passed over Usagi, Ami, and
the now dreamy-eyed Makoto.  "Not one, but five," he said admiringly. 
"Very smart man."

"Please, join us," Mamoru said. "I'll buy you a soda."  Kaneda made to
refuse, but caught the look in Makoto's and Minako's faces and quickly
agreed.

"Merely the opportunity to meet such visions of loveliness is repayment
enought for me," Kaneda said chivalrously as he sat down beside Mamoru.  At
the girl's started glances, he looked sideways at Mamoru.  "Too much?" 
Mamoru smiled slightly and nodded, and Kaneda sighed.  "Oh well, it sounded
good at the time."

Mamoru performed the introductions, and Kaneda resisted his natural flirt
reaction, selling for simple greeting, until he locked eyes with Rei. 
"T-the p-pleasure is mine," he stuttered, and blushed.  "Have I seen you
somewhere before?"

Rei snorted.  "Well that's an original pick up line," she mocked.

Kaneda's eyes flashed, and he got a slightly evil smirk on his face.  "A
dagger to the heart!" he began dramatically.  "You misunderstand fair, Rei,
for if I was romantically inclinced, I would expouse upon your hair, which
is like silken darkness, as well as your eyes, which are pools of beauty I
could lose my soul in."  Rei and the other girls were looking at him
wide-eyed, completely taken in by his words.  He suddenly grinned, and
slipped out of flowery-speech mode. "See?  If I had been hitting on you,
I'd have talked like that."

Mamoru attempted to stifle the laughter that was rising up in him, and
thankfully succeeded.  "That wasn't very nice," he scolded half-heartedly,
and chuckled as Kaneda grinned at him.

"All's fair in love, war, and witty banter," he quoted, and then returned
to the subject at hand.  "As I was saying, Rei, you do remind me of
someone."  Kaneda gazed at her for a moment, and sighed deeply.  "Ah, well,
I guess I'll never know."  He stood, and nodded to Mamoru.  "If you'll
excuse me, I'd better get going.  Get some rest, OK?  I'm going need that
physics test if I'm going to pass."  He shot a grin at the girls.  "Ladies,
it's been a pleasure."  He turned and quickly walked out of the restaurant.

"He's gorgeous," Ami sighed after he left.

Matoko got dreamy-eyed again.  "He reminds you of your old boyfriend,"
Minako said for her, and giggled as Matoko blushed.

"If it's male and has legs it reminds her of her old boyfriend," Usagi
taunted.  "Right Rei?"  She shot a look at the oher girl, who was staring
after Kaneda and ignoring the others entirely.  "Rei?"

Rei shook her head slightly.  "I know I've met him before," she said to no
one in particular, then looked up quickly at the others, who were watching
her intently.  "What?"

Minako leaned over to murmer in Ami's ear.  "Rei's in love."  Ami smiled
and giggled a bit.

"I am not!" Rei protested as the other four girls giggled.

***

Outside the restaurant, Kaneda leaned against a wall.  "What the hell was
that, Kaneda?" he berated himself.  "Hitting on junior high girls? 
Besides, they don't even look like her."  He stood up straight, and felt
something leaning against his leg.  Looking down, he noticed a white cat
with a strange crescent mark on it's forehead.  He kneeled down and patted
it.  "Hey fella, aren't you friendly."  The cat meowed softly.

Kaneda patted the cat for a moment more, and blinked in suprise as he felt
tears coming to his eyes.  "Damnit, not now!" he growled, and wiped the
tears away.  "She doesn't even LOOK like her!"  He stopped patting the cat,
and stood up.  "If she even exists."

As Kaneda walked away, Luna walked up to Artemis.  "It's him, isn't it?"
Artemis said.

"Yes," Luna said softly.  "And he's awakening anyway."

Artemis looked back at her.  "It's going to happen whether we try to stop
it or not, Luna."  He thought for a moment.  "Maybe we should talk to the
others about this."

Luna shook her head.  "Mamoru and Usagi only.  I think they'd understand
better than the others."

***

Usagi and Mamoru sat in the park, and looked down at the little black cat. 
"What is it, Luna?  Usagi asked.  "Why didn't you want the others here?" 
Mamoru told her of the dreams he had been having lately, and Usagi's eyes
widened.  

"I know who the man you saw in your dreams was, Mamoru," Luna said softly. 
"He was known as the Crimson Shieldsman."  Mamoru's eyes sparked with
recognition, as memories flooded back to him.  "And I know who he is in
this life, and so do you."

"Kaneda," Mamoru breathed in a tortured voice.  "I remember now."  He
looked down at the cat, the pain he felt in his face and voice.  Usagi held
on to his arm tightly.  "Can we stop him from awakening?"

Luna shook her head, and Usagi looked at him in suprise.  "Mamo-chan, I
thought he was your friend!  Why don't you want him to awaken?"

Mamoru told her about Crimson and his relationship with Sailor Mars.  As he
finished his tale, Usagi was in tears.  "You see, Usagi-chan?  I don't want
him to awaken BECAUSE he was my friend."  He held on to the sobbing girl,
fighting the tears that threatened to come to his eyes.  "I only hope in
this one case, history doesn't repeat itself."

"I'll go now and awaken him," Luna said as she turned away.

"No," Mamoru said, stopping her.  "We'll do it."  He smiled wryly down at
the small cat.  "He was my friend, I'm going to give him every advantage I
can."