Author's notes:

Hello everyone! I am fresh to writing fan fiction for this (very old!) fandom, and super excited to do so. I have been writing this story for quite some time, and enjoying it more than I have any other fan fiction I have ever written. I intend on uploading the chapters I have written across a few days, and then gradually completing the remainder as I am able. Your support is greatly appreciated!

I wanted to go through some notes beforehand, so please read them before you leap on in.

Important information –

1. This is to be a Seiya/Usagi fan fiction. I will not specify whether it is male/female or female/female relationships, but that is the main pairing in this story.

2. This is based on the anime, with some homage to the manga.

3. I am overlooking certain facts that were either stated or implied in the anime—I will mention these as they come up relevant to the chapters (in either the notes or within the chapter itself). The primary ones that come to mind are Chibi Chibi ceasing to exist after Sailor Galaxia was freed from Chaos and Princess Kakyuu not knowing about the Starlights ability to change genders prior to their escape to Earth, but there are probably a heap more—please ask if you're unsure, I will have covered off on it (you should see all the notes in my notebook for this fic, it's unbelievable…!).

4. I need to say this now because someone will pick up on it—there is some minor flirting and relationship-building between Haruka and Usagi, but it does not overshadow the main pairing and is done for a specific purpose. Trust me on this one.

5. I may also make music recommendations for some chapters, as I am extremely inspired by music I listen to. Please have a listen if I leave a suggestion.

Language & naming information –

1. There will be no honourifics—I'll simply butcher it if I try and I'd rather not!

2. Some Japanese language will be used for effect (or where an equivalent English word doesn't exist), including –

- Odango
- Senshi
- Chibi
- Setsuna-mama, Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa
- Fuku
- Usako (which, technically, should be 'Usa-ko', as the 'ko' is an honourific, however I am choosing to convert it into a nickname and remove the hyphen)

3. Some names have been altered to provide extra identity, including –

- Chibiusa – Rini
- Chibi Chibi – will remain the same initially, but she will be named properly later

…I think that's it. Thanks for reading, please enjoy and review!


Prologue

She had always been a deep sleeper, a deep dreamer. She had always found quick solace in the crystalline walls of her chamber, the smooth silk of her linen, and the wispy tone of her mother's lullabies.

She had always fallen easy, and slept soundly, but nothing about these past nights had been sound.

She felt as though her world was beginning to tip, careening her backward into a dizzying, sickening spell. She saw the room begin to morph, the walls begin to shrink, and the usually quiet halls of her quarters begin to speak in muffled voices.

Her nightmare wasn't at all contained to her dreams; instead, it began the moment she quietened her mind.

She would see shadows move in the half-light, the phases of the moon transition in seconds before her eyes, and sometimes, when she allowed her eyes to close for just a moment, she could feel the gentle stroke of a hand over her hair.

Sometimes, she felt pain, like her limbs were being torn and her insides were trying to escape from their rightful place within.

What is this?

On the third day, when the sun threw its rainbow reflection through the window of her sparkling home, she tossed her petite legs over the edge of her bed and never quite reached the floor. Instead, the sharp edges of her reality blurred and the marble rushed up to greet her, but arms caught her. Familiar, soft arms. Familiar blue eyes.

It was then she knew that her nightmare had penetrated the daylight and bled into her world.


Far across time, on the night when three Starlights and their princess began their shooting journey home, another shadowed figure moved amongst the darkness.

She hushed her bright aura and willed her form to blend into the depth of the night, moving seamlessly across the apartment floor. A breeze blew in through the open window and she drank the oxygen greedily, feeling it electrify every inch of her body. I had forgotten.

A woman lay before her, olive limbs tangled amongst the sheets. She ran her fingers through her hair, barely feeling the soft strands against her skin.

"I am sorry, Setsuna," she whispered, gently touching a single finger to her forehead. The symbol of her foreign guardian planet flickered beneath her touch, and the beautiful Garnet Orb appeared in the palm of her outstretched hand. "This is the only way."

The levitating sphere glowed fiercely, and she felt her white-hot power shoot through her muscles until her fingers suddenly stretched taut, shattering the red orb into nothingness.

The sleeping warrior gasped and lurched forward, awake in a cold sweat, but by the time she came to, the figure had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but shimmering red dust.


I can no longer sense the future.

A few short steps down the hallway, an aqua-haired woman stared down into the murky grey of the oval mirror sitting between her legs. The reflection swirled and spun darkly, and a feeling of dread swept her dainty form.

"Michi?"

A figure stirred beside her, turning to gently grasp her shaking wrists. Deep green eyes narrowed as she too stared into the obscure deadness of her mirror. "What does it mean?"

Michiru shook her head. "I don't know."


I can no longer sense the future.

Some nights, when sleep wouldn't come easy and the hum of her elders was just a little too loud, Rei Hino would meditate in front of the hot flames of her fire pit, allowing the warmth to seep into her bloodstream and calm her mind. When alone in this sacred space, alone with her quiet mind, premonitions of the future would flash before her—too fast to scrutinise, but long enough to leave a lasting mark.

Not tonight.

The fire burned steadily, red flames forming and falling perfectly. They gave away nothing, and she knew something was wrong.


I can no longer sense the future.

"Setsuna-mama."

The young girl bunched her nightgown tighter in her hands as she slipped into her adoptive-mother's bedroom, looking over to the striking senshi's huddled form. The usually strong, stoic woman held her head in her hands, her long emerald hair caught about her sweat-covered body as though she had awoken from the most frightening of nightmares.

Garnet eyes looked over to the young girl and she smiled. "Hotaru, what is it?"

"Perhaps that is what I should be asking you," the adolescent said softly, climbing onto her bed and folding into her embrace.

"It's nothing," Setsuna murmured into her hair. "You must tell me, now."

She ducked her head, nuzzling into familiar warmth. "The universe opened up to me and I saw nothing but sky," she said quietly. "No stars, no planets, no moon. Just blackness."

She felt Setsuna stiffen slightly. "Perhaps it was only a dream."

"No, it wasn't," she replied, drawing back to look her in the eye. "The future…I can't sense it. Not any more."

Setsuna let out a long, shaken sigh. "Neither can I."


"Helios…Helios…"

He floated in the tranquil waters of Elysion, gazing up to the sun-kissed sky above, forever caught in a summery dawn. His timeless home was filled with nothing but the sounds of nature at daybreak—the whistle of the birds in their nests, the rustle of the willows by the lake, the trickle of the waterfall nearby. Like every other moment of his unending existence in this mystical land, he wondered how long have I been here?

"Helios…"

The voice spoke softly to him, familiar and safe, and he closed his eyes, immersed in the silken water surrounding his body. He felt the golden horn atop his head begin to glow, radiating power that could only reflect the most beautiful of dreams.

Is this a dream of my own?

The warm liquid enveloped him, slipping his body beneath the surface into a suspended underworld; a place where there was no need to breathe, or guard, or even wish. He hung weightless in the strange, peaceful realm, as the crystal horn rippled power from him in gentle, beating waves.

I cannot dream.

The tiny teardrop gem upon his forehead promptly began to tingle, and the brilliant power of the Golden Crystal faded away, overtaken by red darkness. Searing heat emanated from the gemstone and he clutched his head in his hands. Finally, when the blinding pain had subsided, Helios opened his eyes to find his golden home gone, and in its place, a vast expanse of black space.

"Helios, it is time to awaken."


Usagi no longer knew how many times she had endured this dream.

The Moon Kingdom lay devastated before her, frozen in the airless night. She felt the cool granite beneath her bare feet; listened to the deafening silence of the ghost empire; watched as the stillness overtook the dim land. The loneliness and solitude suffocated her—she craved life, not this shattered past.

"I am not," she found herself whispering as her tears hit the stony ground. "I am not."

Bright light suddenly engulfed the kingdom, and the ruins began to quake and shift, giving way to glorious crystal. The sun bounced its rays against the magnificent towers, and she knew that she was no longer on the Moon. A breeze graced her naked body, heady with the scent of fresh spring. There was grass beneath her feet, children laughing, people smiling—so much life—but it did nothing to quell her anxiety.

She felt her chest clench, a sob wracking her ribs. "I am not."

In the giant tower above, two silhouettes appeared—a little girl with pig-tailed hair like rabbit's ears, and a man wearing a long cape, grasping a royal sceptre. Rini, Mamoru…

The tightness in her chest coiled, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I am not," she said, her body shaking. The twisted pain between her breasts radiated through her shoulder blades and burst forth in the form of a set of beautiful white wings. "I am not!"

Serenity…