A/N: So the only reason this came to be is that I was at work and saw a picture of Usagi as an astronaut on Facebook. And plot bunny abounds. I've got most of the fic finished as it were, deciding to not post until it was complete or near so.
It is unashamedly AU divergence. And Mamoru/ Usagi centric.
Astronaut is kinda Latin for Star Sailor fyi.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything but this plot.
1.
The full moon shown bright on that night. Like a calling; like his dreams of that beautiful princess asking, begging him to find her, to find the crystal. Its rays shown over the city of Tokyo, blessing all under its silver beauty. And to his continued astonishment, something in his soul answered that call.
Chiba Mamoru remembered waking up in the middle of the park, a monster slowly turning to dust. The air through his ebony hair cool and crisp signaling the middle of spring, despite the top hat sitting snug against his head. He remembered the first feel of his expensive tuxedo, the material soft, but like iron against youma attacks. His cane he could imagine a sword, strong and powerful to vanquish his enemies. And the soft golden feel of an almost familiar energy coursing through his veins and at his utmost disposal. Golden attacks blew up youma with frightening ease.
At almost eighteen years of age, he would have never dreamed an orphan like himself would be a super hero. But here he stood, an avenger for his people and planet against a foe he knew nothing about. Nothing but a soft, faint whisper telling him that he must defeat the darkness.
Thinking back on that first night, he wondered what he knew then would help him now. Shaking his head, adjusted his white domino mask and leaped over a rooftop watching all the normal people. He saw a blonde, pig-tailed girl rushing along the sidewalks to get home, her auburn haired friend yelling her name as she went the opposite way. He wondered if he'd ever be normal again.
But he knew his nights were not for wondering about normality, but if he would ever get allies. His senses pinged a monster three blocks away and he mentally groaned, his body and mind tired after his heavy school load. How he got sleep was a mystery for him.
"This should be it for the night," he murmured it like a benediction. Two attacks in one night was pushing it for the Dark Kingdom. But, despite the fatigue in his bones, he knew he had to continue on. More people will die if I don't. He clenched his teeth and jumped over rooftops to see his query.
Dashing against the youma after the energy of a young woman, he called out his Smoking Bomber attack and was nearly scared out of wits when a call of Oak Evolution joined his attack and dusted the persistent demon.
Stunned, he stared as a woman in green and pink… sailor fuku stepped out of the darkness. She looked young, a tiara of gold and green adorning her forehead and an electric lightening rod sticking up from the center stone. Amazonian height and sporting a slim, but muscled body and a high-tail, the woman froze and held out her hands in the universal please-calm-down-I'm-here-to-help symbol. A black cat with a crescent moon marking on her forehead popped out behind her.
"We mean you no harm, Tuxedo Kamen-sama." The black cat spoke delicately as she daintily paused in front of her lone charge.
He eyed them from behind his white domino mask. "A cat... is talking to me."
The cat rolled her eyes and stared up at the woman, who giggled slightly. "Don't worry, Tuxedo Kamen-sama. I did the same thing."
He started at the sound of his name, his eyes narrowing behind his mask, "You know me?"
"Yes. My name is Sailor Jupiter and Luna here," the Amazonian gestured to the cat, "has been watching you since before she came to me."
There was a slight powered silence as he got used to that. "So," he drawled the word, "You are here to help me?"
"Yes," the cat said succinctly. "You seek to protect the people?"
"And defeat the darkness. And find the princess."
"You know Princess Serenity?" Luna's eyes were wide.
"Err..." he coughed. Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything... "Yeah, she tells me to find her."
"Anything else?" The black feline's voice was demanding. He hesitated before shaking his head. He had to keep some secrets until he was sure of his new… allies. Luna managed to look disappointed, despite the feline face. "We seek her too. We are her protectors, Jupiter and the others when we find them."
Tuxedo had already turned around to go when he heard 'others.' He paused and turned his head towards Sailor Jupiter and the talking cat. "When you do find them," he said, his voice grave but sure and oddly authoritative, "make sure they protect the people. They are the real victims here."
Weeks passed and he and Sailor Jupiter found a camaraderie between them. He found that she was an orphan, like himself but a few years younger. They would meet up in the park of Juuban- Azuban and discuss strategy to attack the Shintennou, or the Four Kings of the Dark Kingdom, but they weren't quite successful.
He landed and was faintly surprised to see Sailor Jupiter and a woman in blue. Like, her entire form was encased in some form of blue. From her dark blue locks, to her visor that had disappeared as she saw him and her fuku as well. Jupiter grinned and waived him over. "Hey, Tuxedo Kamen-sama, this is Sailor Mercury. We found her today when she was attacked at her school, which happens to be mine."
Mercury held out her hand. "Nice to meet you. I've heard much about you and Jupiter's exploits and the progress you've made against the Dark Kingdom."
Blinking, he nodded and shook her hand, noting that her grip was firm and businesslike, "Ah yeah, nice to meet you too, Sailor Mercury." He paused to gather his wits. "So... what can you do for us?"
Mercury and Jupiter laughed. "I have access to the Mercury main computer and the Moon main computer as well. They both seem to be running after all these years and I can pull up information," she held up her hand to her ear and pressed an earring and the visor with complicated writing came back up. A compact computer with her name showed up in her hand as well. "See? I can tell you that the last battle we had against the Dark Kingdom and what they seem to be looking for. I can also tell you..."
Three days later, Mercury and Jupiter arrived along with a woman in crimson and violet and super inky black long hair. His awareness of her was matched only by her own. As soon as he was sighted, she went right up to him and held out her hand. "Sailor Mars. Please to meet you, Tuxedo Kamen-sama." He found Mars was extremely tied to spiritual pressure and where the Dark Kingdom would strike next.
She also had one hell of a temper.
Mamoru continued to yawn as he slowly made his way up to Crown Fruit Parlor to visit his friend Motoki, whom he hadn't seen in a few days. As he sat down, his blond friend came up to him behind the counter and gave Mamoru a small grin.
"Hey, Mamoru, hadn't seen you in at least a week except for school. How ya been?"
"Motoki. Busy, as per usual. Exams got me going and I haven't been well."
As he made small talk with his best friend, his sensitive hearing picked up a conversation between three girls. "I dreamt about her again." A dark-haired girl in the grey and red uniform of a catholic private school said lowly.
"About the princess?" The girl in brown and white asked, her brows pulled low. He sat up a little straighter at the mention of a princess.
The dark-haired girl nodded. "Yeah, she said we're close. But that getting the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou had to take second place until we could defeat the Dark Kingdom." He nearly choked on his coffee. Somebody else knew of it?
"Protect him. Protect the people." A girl with short blue-black hair murmured.
"She told you too?" The dark haired girl eyed her friend, who blushed slightly at the intense stare.
"Y-yes. In a dream." Ah, a timid one.
"Ami-chan, you should have told me." The dark-haired girl shook her head.
"Rei-chan..."
"Hey, Motoki, give me a second would you?" Mamoru murmured and stood up off his bar chair to make his way over to the girls. He gave a silent sigh as he realized he recognized the black haired girl known as Rei. The girl with the ponytail he realized he knew as well. Her countenance was unmistakable. So that meant that Ami must be…
"Uh... sure…"
Standing over the girls, he cast a dark shadow. Blinking they all looked up at him.
"Ano, can we help you?" Ami ventured, her fingers adjusting her glasses on her head.
Huffing in dry amusement, he pulled up another chair to their table and cornered them. "Hino Rei. I should have known. You and your miko powers are well known at my school. People come to you for prayer on exams and advice."
"Do we know you?" Ami asked. He leaned closer and put his hand into his jacket to pull out a rose and he flashed half of his domino mask.
The brown haired girl gasped. "T-tuxedo Kamen-sama?"
"Chiba Mamoru, at your service. I caught Mars and Mercury's names, you are?"
"Kino Makoto."
For a while, they all stared at each other and tried valiantly to ignore an excited meatball-headed blonde who was madly playing the Sailor V game.
Tsukino Usagi was a young woman that Mamoru did not want to think about right now. He'd literally ran into the girl a few months ago and hadn't forgotten about her. Her scent, her softness and her warmth were forever ingrained into his memory. She seemed to frequent wherever he went, so he got to observe her and found her a sweet, if slightly ditzy and clumsy individual. She did everything she could for her friends, was there for them no matter what and he admired her for that. To his face, however, she seemed to be nothing but irritated at him. Her sweetness disappeared and she became a banshee, hell-bent on torturing him back. He supposed he deserved it, as whatever he planned to say to her evaporated and he had to tease the young woman to get that look on her face.
Mamoru inwardly sighed. His strange attraction and carefully planned run-ins with the sweet, but klutzy woman were about to come to an abrupt end due to a final battle with the Dark Kingdom coming up soon. It physically pained him when he thought about possibly not seeing the bright young woman again, but he didn't want her hurt.
"Mamoru-san, I can't believe you are Tuxedo Kamen-sama." Ami said lowly, her blue eyes narrowed on the man as his eyes flickered toward Tsukino. She was a math and English tutor to Tsukino in passing and saw how the young man treated her and knew otherwise that he was a very much a gentleman, almost royalty like towards other peers. So, it didn't make any sense to her why that look of agony would come upon his face when he stared at the bubbly blonde.
"Yeahhh, you learn something new every day." Mako's voice as low as well as she stared at the dark-haired man in obvious shock. She'd known Tuxedo Kamen-sama the longest and was surprised as she saw the man often reading in the park.
Their heads meeting in the middle of the table, Mamoru said quickly, his attention flickering between the girls and Tsukino, "We need to meet in the park at night in a few days. That will give us a chance to really prepare for the final assault on the Dark Kingdom."
Rei gave a decisive nod. "Yeah, the time has to be now."
Mamoru decided to go with a hunch in his gut. "Maybe they might have a lead to the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou that she tells me to find."
All three girls gave him a strange look before Rei spoke again, "She speaks to you too?"
"Yeah, for a few years now. At first it was just her looking at me, then she started to ask me to find her and then find the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou."
"Company." Makoto hissed, her eyes flickering towards Tsukino who was coming up behind them, a dejected look on her face.
"Three days at midnight, everybody." Ami managed and then turned to give Tsukino a small smile. "Hi Tsukino-san."
"Ano, hi, Mizuno-san." The blonde girl gave a small glare to Mamoru. "Chiba-baka."
"Odango-atama." He gave a small smirk as he could see her start to fume before she got her emotions under control. Her cheeks flushed and her blue eyes brightened. Man, he thought, I'm going to miss that.
Giving a dainty sniff, she turned back to Ami. "I am ready for my cram sessions, Mizuno-san."
Ami nodded warmly and scooted off the bench. Makoto and Rei sighed, and not wanting to be near the now wired Mamoru, bowed in his direction and then waived goodbye as they exited Crown Parlor. The bluenette waived back and walked herself and Tsukino over to another desk to help maximize the learning capabilities. Ami had found that, despite her abysmal English and Math scores, Usagi had untapped potential in her in the math and especially the sciences department. She learned it lighting quick.
Mamoru, still in his chair, stared almost hungrily at the young blonde as her head was bent toward his books. There was something about this woman that he felt that he knew her. A poke in his side whipped his head around to meet the knowing blue eyes of a blonde haired woman. A bright red bow had tied up her hair behind her head and allowed for some wispy bangs to frame her beautiful face.
Sliding across from him, she folded her arms around her bag and smiled knowingly at him.
"What?" He asked defensively. What a weird girl...
"Ahhh, young love. It's amazing what it feels like, eh, Tuxedo Kamen-sama?"
He froze when a white cat with a golden crescent mark popped its head out of her bag with an expelled breath and glared up at the blonde. "Who are you?" Mamoru hissed lowly.
"I am an Idol! You should know who I am!" He stared almost dully at the young blonde before she sighed and collapsed in a chair beside him. Poking him again, she said, "My name is Aino Minako. Or you can call me Sailor Venus, the guardian of Love!" She smiled brightly at him, her blue eyes twinkling at his ire.
He blinked. Gaping, he pointed at her. "When... Why are you here? Now?"
The smile vanished off her face. The white cat spoke quickly, "If you are referring to the other Sailor Soldiers meeting us, it isn't yet time. Next battle, you will need us, I feel." When Mamoru didn't say a word, the cat sighed. "My name is Artemis. I am Luna's counterpart."
Mamoru sighed and rubbed his eyes before standing up and gathering his bag. He had a splitting headache and exams to think about. "We are going after the Dark Kingdom in three days. Meet us at the Fountain in Juuban Park at midnight. That is when we will hopefully finish things."
Sneaking into the Dark Kingdom's headquarters in the Arctic wasn't as hard as expected. Getting there was the pain in the ass. Something called the Sailor Teleport brought forth by Sailor Venus as she arrived seemed to be the only way they were able to get there. With his power, they were able to make it complete and arrived just as the sun was setting in the Arctic circle.
As to getting inside the fortress, and it was indeed a fortress with crumbling walls and made of pulsating dark marble, Tuxedo Kamen was stumped at first. They waited around for a while as they attempted to figure out something that would prevent the dark powers inside from finding them. Just when all hope was lost, the Earth seemed to have responded to his call and blanketed them just as they decided to move thorough the cold halls.
It also had directed him through the halls to two places deep inside the main part of the fortress. One room he knew held the main powers of the Dark Kingdom. The other room the Earth had urged him to go towards, he knew was the barracks. His power found the Four Generals milling about and cried out for them. Something in him recognized the four men and knew that if anything good would happen today, it would be that he could also save those men.
Turning around despite that same something screaming at him to help them, he found the dark door to a power that he knew was behind everything.
"Ahhh... So it's you again, then? You think you can defeat me, the Great Queen Metallia?"
The Sailor Soldiers skidded in behind him and gasped. Sailor Venus had joined them before they left and already had proved her worth. "We'll defeat you, Queen Metallia! And save our Princess and this world!"
"I think not." A blast of dark energy sped towards them.
And as if some unknown entity came unbidden from inside of him, he held up his cane- no, his sword- and a bright golden light flashed towards the Dark Queen. It seemed as if an ocean of hidden powers came up from the depths of Mamoru's soul and dark armor encased him from neck to foot.
Beryl and the Four Generals came rushing into the room. "Endymion!" Her broken voice cried out as the bright light started to assault her. The generals were slammed down onto one knee the power cleansing them until broken memories knocked them out.
"Endymion!" A woman screaming for him, her hair the color of pale moonlight.
"My prince Endymion!" Three men, two with blonde and a dark-haired man kneeling before him.
"Endy, you idiot." A silver haired man rubbing the back of his own head, his expression exasperated.
Mamoru shook his head as visions and memories bombarded his head. I am Endymion, Prince of the Earth. My power comes from the Earth. I died thousands of years ago and was reborn on Earth to find- His head started to throb as his memories flowed through his mind, broken as they were. I must reclaim all my power to save Earth from any future threats. All viability of any livable planets in the system was destroyed by the Dark Kingdom.
Beryl and Metallia had tried to kill him and everything on Earth.
"The moon people are wicked, my lord. They will try to kill us. That - has bewitched you." Beryl's voice was static in his brain.
"Endymion... please..." His eyes flickered to the burning forms of Metallia and of Beryl.
"Endymion, I love you."
"You... you tried to kill me and now, under her wicked power, you try to kill everyone on this planet." His voice thundered throughout the cavern, the explosion of power nearly deafening the Sailor Soldiers who were barely awake and standing under their own influxes of memories. They had made their way over to the generals, attempting to protect each. A quick influx of memories into his mind, ensured that each woman would protect them.
They had been in love in the past. Venus and Kunzite- the leaders. Zoicite and Mercury- The brains. Nephrite and Jupiter- the powerhouses. Mars and Jadeite- the advisors.
Flipping his brain as Beryl screamed, he stated, "We pass judgment on you as the to-be crowned King of the Earth. You are to be put to death for treason against your own people and for helping this miscreant known as Metallia. She brings nothing but pain to each planet that she goes to."
Beryl begged for mercy as Metallia screamed anew in agony. "Please, my lord, spare me!"
"Beryl," he chided, no mercy in his voice and actions, "Death is your only reward here and forever more." His hand stretched up and glowed a frightening golden color that engulfed the entire cavern.
"Mamoru-san!"
He jerked awake and sat up straight as Luna's voice came from beside him. He looked down and saw that he was still encased in his armor from the Silver Millennium. "Luna... where... where are we?" He was completely lost. "Last I remember, we were facing against Queen Metallia and this power..."
"Hino Shrine, Mamoru-san." Luna shook her head, her ears flickering every which way in her excitement. "You, the Sailor Soldiers and the Four Heavenly Kings appeared here in golden light. We had to have the generals carry you." Climbing up his body, Luna sat on his lap. "I can't believe it. I never thought this day would come. You are Prince of the Earth! We never thought we'd find you!"
"Mamoru-san!"
"Chiba-san!"
"Endymion-sama?"
Makoto, Minako and Rei, along with Kunzite and Zoicite came near tumbling into the room. He gave them all a faint smile at their relieved looks. "Everyone... I'm glad to hear you are okay."
Rei lumbered over to sit down beside Mamoru, relief clear in her finely boned features. "We weren't sure you were going to be okay. You've been sleeping for almost three days." She gave a small laugh at the expression on his face.
"Three days?"
"That power must have wiped you out, Mamoru-san."
"Power?" He looked down at his hands and noticed the Golden Crystal. Its power pulsed through his bloodstream once and then his armor bled away until he was in his comfortable purple night shirt and dark sweatpants that he'd been in before he'd transformed. "That power." He looked up to see all four of his Generals kneeling beside him. He hadn't noticed when Nephrite and Jadeite had joined in the room along with Ami. "It's mine by birthright."
Nephrite nodded, his dark chestnut hair falling haphazardly across his broad shoulders. "Yes, Endymion-sama."
"You are the rightful king. Once your succession ceremony is ripe when we get to Elysian, that is." Jadeite murmured.
There was a lull in their conversation. They were all sitting around Mamoru's pallet when Zoicite blurted, "We're sorry, my lord!"
Mamoru blinked. "Zoi- "
"We are, my lord. We should have never been taken by the Dark Kingdom." Kunzite softly said, shoulder to shoulder with his comrade.
Mamoru sighed and scrubbed his hands through his inky locks. He absently noted he needed a shower. "It's alright." He looked at all the people surrounding him. "It's alright." He repeated. "When the Metallia, Beryl and the rest of the Dark Kingdom attacked, there was nothing we could have done."
Rei sighed. "What's done, is done. He's right, you know. It's long, gone history."
Mako nodded decisively. "We must focus on finding Princess Serenity."
Mamoru's heart panged and a vison of himself lying in the lap of a laughing silver haired woman, her features still frustratingly in shadow. He could feel her warmth, the softness of her fingertips as she brushed them over his lips.
"She is our number one priority." Luna said from Mamoru's lap.
Artemis had crawled up beside her, now a fellow guardian of the reincarnated Prince. "Finding the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou will be easier with her," the white feline stated, his conviction strong.
The thought of the Silver Crystal pained all of them, their failure at not finding their princess absolute. Mamoru sighed, "All right. We'll need to get a game plan."
"The Princess won't find herself."
Usagi sighed as she watched the dark-haired man go. Clearly his backside view was just as good as the front-side. "Mou. Chiba-senpai will never notice me. It's been a year since we met and he still calls me Odango-atama." Usagi knew that harboring such a deep crush on the elder man was foolish but something about him drew her to him like a moth to a flame.
"Okay, Tsukino-san, we have a lot to talk about and not much time, I know you have a curfew because of that last math test." Mizuno-san seemed to be on point today, she mused. But she had her goal! If she could at least get up to a B in math class and keep it at that, she could take the advanced science courses after she passed her entrance exams to high school.
She knew what she wanted, ever since she was a little girl. She wanted to go to space, that final frontier of human kind. The warm silver glow of their only neighboring celestial body had called to her too, had almost felt like home, but she knew that there was no chance of getting to the moon as there hadn't been any plans of travel to it again. So she decided that space would be the next best step.
When she googled information on the moon and all the astral bodies, she found there were whole fields dedicated to their study. Astrophysics had an instant appeal to her, even if it had a lot to do with math.
"Hrm, maybe I can minor in some sort of planetary sciences too." The blonde mused as she walked home an hour and a half later. Her brain ached, but she knew she had to study if she wanted her dreams.
Opening up her door, Shingo stuck his tongue out at her as she passed inside.
"Welcome home, Usagi-chan!"
"Tadaima, mama!" She called down to her mother. "I got in a lot of studying and I'm almost done with my homework, so I'm going to go finish it."
Down below, Ikuko blinked. "I wonder if she's sick." Louder, she called, "Are you okay, Usagi-chan?"
"Yeahhhhh! I just want to finish my homework! I really understood what sensei was talking about!"
Ikuko eyed Shingo who was nearly staring bug-eyed up the stairs. "Maybe she is okay? Maybe my little Usagi-chan is finally growing up!"
Shinji snorted. "I doubt it."
Ikuko hummed, somehow knowing, how all mothers do, that her baby girl was serious.
And Usagi proved it.
On her next math test, she realized that meeting with Mizuno-san was the best thing she could have done. Gaping up at the test scores, she was silent as was the rest of the class.
"Usagi-chan… you made a B on your test..." Her friend Naru's voice was awed. Usagi was fifth in the class with this test when typically, was dead-last.
"Naru-chan... I studied really hard. I'm tired of being last." Usagi's voice was quiet as she stared at her test score. Her eyes met Mizuno-san's who's glinted with pride. She gave a blinding grin.
Her goal was in reach!
She didn't see Mizuno-san or Mamoru-senpai for five days. When she did see them, her heart gave a little pitter-patter at the sight of Mamoru. He looked extra yummy somehow and she had no clue why. His hair was just a bit darker today than normal... and his eyes were as blue as the ocean. He looked distracted, four men in moneyed clothing surrounding him and poking at him.
His eyes met hers and a glint appeared. Ambling over and passing her at the Crown Parlor, he gave her a low, "Odango-atama."
Her brows pulled low and she rode hard on her temper. How she hated that nickname! "Chiba-baka." It was said equally as low.
"Still failing math tests?"
"I see you're still a jerk, even if you look sick." She muttered before speaking over his growl, "Actually, I passed my last math test with an 87 thank you very much." She dug into her bag before pulling out a pop test that had 90 scrawled on the front. "And a 90 percent on my last pop test yesterday. So no, I'm not failing math tests at all."
"Congratulations are in order then." A beautiful smile flitted across his mouth before it disappeared.
She was temporarily dumbstruck, "Ah... yeah... It's thanks to Mizuno-san that I can understand it in the first place."
"Glad to hear it. Ja ne, Tsukino-san." He waved and walked over to his group of friends.
She sighed, "Ja ne, Chiba-senpai."
Throughout the years, she didn't see much of Chiba-senpai or his group of friends. They seemed to be tired and busy most of the time.
A huge influx of information on the Sailor Soldiers and the Earthly Guardians however jumped to an all-time high. Random pictures, of course with faces blurred out, popped up on screens and on newspapers and magazines. Nobody could identify their faces with technology or through memory as they seemed to have some sort of weird technology that prevented it.
Usagi swore that she was saved by the dreamy Tuxedo Kamen one night after being attacked by something looking for her energy. The blue haired...woman stated that she'd get him back for his treachery against the "Dark Moon."
She was so sleepy that night after being attacked that she knew it would most likely be a dream, but she couldn't forget his warmth and his strength. His soft, but deep voice would carry her throughout her nights as he spoke to a little girl who looked awfully familiar but only known as Small Lady.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama..."
There was a pregnant pause. "It's alright, Small Lady." She could practically feel the smile in his voice as he spoke. "She will be fine. As will all the others."
"Do you know her?"
His fingers were warm through his soft gloves as he brushed back her bangs. "In passing."
Of course, now I have a klutz attack after seeing him again.
It had been an abnormal long time since she's seen the man, and to her he couldn't have looked more devastating. His ebony hair was unruly and he looked as if he'd maybe been working out. His face was just a little more chiseled than normal, accenting his cheekbones and good bone structure. His white academy shirt with its red tie clung to his chest as he entered the Crown Fruit Parlor with a little... pink haired girl in tow.
He looked up from speaking to the child and his eyes widened minutely before he gave Usagi a small smile. "Hey, Tsukino-san."
She jolted, not expecting him to even notice her. Was also totally expecting to hear Odango-atama from him... "Um, hi, Chiba-senpai." She motioned to the little girl who was silent and clung to her hand. "Who is this little one?"
"I'm Chiba Chibi-usa." She gave a glance towards Chiba-senpai when Usagi's mouth dropped. "He's my cousin."
She blinked at the little girl. "I thought Chiba-senpai was an orphan?"
"Oh, I am. I had an uncle I never knew about until blood tests were done on her after her own parents died in an accident." He shrugged good-naturedly. "I'm just glad that she's here." Chiba-senpai's hand ruffled through the girl's cone shaped buns and her fluffy pigtails. "Anyway, Tsukino-san, it was good to see you."
"Yeah..." He walked past her where she saw his group of friends waiting. They were obviously paired off already. I'm not surprised. "Ja ne, Chiba-senpai."
Minako gave Mamoru a low laugh as Kunzite's arm swung around her shoulders. "Somebody has it baaaad." They had all see the quick smile and dark look the man had given the bubbly blonde. She could see that Tsukino had it equally as bad as a small flush had overcome her porcelain features. Their bodies had arched toward each other as they spoke, further igniting the intuition of his friends.
Mamoru sighed and glared at the soldier of love. He moved over a chair and swung up his daughter into it and scooted over into another to sit beside the little girl. "Yeah, but it's not my destiny to be with her." Putting his elbows on the table, he raked his fingers through his already rumpled hair. "As much as I find her attractive, finding my princess comes first."
The soldiers and generals just looked at each other. He shook his head and turned to observe the newly named Chibi-usa. It was hard for him to believe that Small Lady had come from him and her mother the future queen. But she had a lot of his mannerisms in the way she moved. And his eyes. Her face and the majority of her personality he had no clue, but knew it had to come from her mother. His princess that he desperately wanted to find. Pluto had a lot of explaining to do when Small Lady went home.
"So," Kunzite murmured, eyeing the girl. "Chibi-usa, huh?"
"Yep. My mommy and daddy call me that when I'm not in trouble." She gave a small giggle that felt familiar.
"Well, it would be awkward to call you Small Lady here." Mako mused, her hand under her chin as she studied the bubbly blonde who had made her way over to the Sailor V Game.
The little girl had game thundering down from the sky, right on top of Mamoru and his generals as they were meeting in the park. Each had regained a civilian identity that Mamoru realized he'd recognized them all.
Kunzite was actually Russian, from Moscow and had immigrated to Japan with his parents ten years ago. He was the heir of a large advertising company. His father went sheet white when he showed up at the doorstep after he'd been saved and told his parents the last thing he remembered was the day he went missing.
Jadeite was an orphan, much like Mamoru, but there had been a missing person's report on him three years ago by his landlord a few days after he'd been kidnapped. The police were excited to see him back and to let him know of an inheritance that would mature for him on his eighteenth year, which would be the following year.
Nephrite was a little older than them all in this life, and currently in line to be an owner of a large banking corporation handed to him by his father, who'd passed away the year before and had never stopped looking for him. They'd all went to the cemetery with Neph and were there when the man collapsed in front of the gravestone. Mamoru knew the sound of his friend's weeping would forever haunt them all.
Zoicite was the son of a prominent doctor and eugenics researcher and currently going to school for nearly the same thing. He hadn't lost any of his scholarships when he'd went missing and his parents burst into tears when they saw him. His mother actually knew Ami's and both were thrilled when they'd met at a doctor's conference to find that their children were dating.
When the small girl dropped on top of him, they had been speaking of the past and of their futures with their girls when Luna-P had dropped on Nephrite's head. It had winded him, but at the eyes that had gotten larger and she looked as if she might cry, he quickly wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her tight, a strange emotion flitting through his heart.
A quick hiccup from the girl before she pushed herself off him and demanded the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou from him. He gave her a faint laugh and said if he had it, he'd give it to her.
"Who are you?" Kunzite demanded.
"Small Lady."
They all looked confused at the name. "What kind of name is that?" Jadeite grumped, very much like it fiery counterpart.
"A princess name!" She stood and grabbed at the floating ball behind her that looked like Luna. "If you don't have it, then I have to find the one who does!"
Grabbing at her arm, Mamoru turned the girl to him and did a demand himself. "You know who has it?"
The little girl had fairly wilted. "I don't know. I have to find it. I have to save my mama."
"Your mother?" Small Lady looked as if she wouldn't answer him. "Please, we wish to know."
"Neo-Queen Serenity."
Kunzite's eyes narrowed. "What century are you from?"
Small Lady's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"
"We don't have a Queen here by that name. Only Queen Serenity we know of died thousands of years ago." Zoicite patiently explained.
Small Lady looked down and belatedly, Mamoru noted the cones that made her pigtails look like rabbit ears. "The 30th century." She looked up quickly, her eyes watering, and he realized that Small Lady couldn't be more than eight years old. "Please, I need to find the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou to save my mama. I can't find hers, it went missing and I'm all alone and my papa can't be with me as he's sick too."
A lightbulb went off in Mamoru's head. "I'm your papa." He murmured, dumbstruck and a slight flush on his cheeks.
A small furrow appeared on the girl's cheeks. "My papa wears white. And a mask."
"A mask like this?" He pulled out his domino mask and she gasped, her little fingers grabbing the mask to hold to her chest.
"Small Lady," Nephrite asked, "what is your papa's name?"
Eye to eye with Mamoru, she said quietly, "Endymion."
"I knew it," Mamoru murmured, his fingers trailing on the cheek of his daughter.
Chibi-usa hummed beside him and rocked her legs back and forth under the table as she enjoyed the chocolate milkshake that Motoki had given her. He sighed and rubbed her back as she looked up under her lashed at him. "Well then, Chibi-usa, anything else, you'd like to tell us?"
School kicked in hard for every one that was still in it. Mamoru found he couldn't call Usagi Odango anymore as she had drastically improved her studying. She still cram-schooled with Ami twice a week on math, but, as the genius reported, led the sciences for their school. Eventually, the sessions did stop all together but during classes and only for math.
Usagi noted that Mamoru and his friends disappeared again for a few days then came back a little down and tired. The little girl, was nowhere in sight. She asked, of course the last time she seen him, and his eyes dark had explained that the state had taken her back as she had some family on her mother's side that were better equipped to take care of her, but that she would visit.
She felt bad for her crush to lose his only family member, but knew that there was nothing that she could do. Sighing at the morose look on his face as she left, Usagi sat in Crown Parlor two days later and opened up her high school letters to see that she'd been accepted into Public school. Her friend Naru was also into public school along with Mizuno-san and her group of friends, barring the dark-haired girl.
She sighed, moping over her stupidity. Public school was the last on her list, but the way she was in early school dampened her chances. A majority of the ones in Minato-ku did not recruit from high school any more or were strictly boys' schools. Keio Girls had declined her due to her early grades already, and so public school she went. She had done a drastic improvement over the course of a year or so on her grades to catapult her into the top 30 of her class instead of the bottom 50. But, she figured if public school was fine for Mizuno-san's intellect, then it would be fine for hers!
Motoki gave Usagi a kind smile, understanding the plight of a junior high school student. Giving him a wan smile, she started to dig into her sandwich and brought out a few of her books that needed to be finished before the summer started. "It'll be okay, Usagi-chan. Just do better in high school and you can get into the college that you want, no problem."
Usagi sighed and nodded once. "Yeah, that's what people keep telling me, but I figure it might have been easier if I had gotten into the high school that would make my transcript better."
"Mamoru and I are at Azabu High and we still need to keep our grades up if we want to pursue what we want. Just because we're in that private school doesn't guarantee our success," Motoki chided, offering the pig-tailed girl another milkshake.
"I wish Azabu wasn't just boys only."
"You and I both."
Year 1 of High School
That little girl was back.
Usagi eyed the bubbly pink-haired girl and was happy to see the content look on Mamoru-senpai's face. She'd been gone for almost two months and Mamoru's mood seemed to plummet, even with the entry of three new girls to his montage of friends. The tall butch blonde (that she thought was a very attractive man at first) and her girlfriend with the fabulous aqua waves were the famous Tenoh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru, the racecar driver and violinist respectively.
Haruka had actually befriended Usagi as she made her study and spy trips to the Crown. Being called koneko by such a nice and well known person made Usagi feel like she deserved a pat on the back. She even got car rides from Haruka and a bike ride if she was running extremely late. Michiru was equally as nice and helped Usagi on her homework when she needed it. Usagi had taken up swimming lessons in her spare time and Michiru had offered the use of her private swimming pool in case she needed any extra time to practice.
The third woman had long violet-green hair and mocha skin. Meioh Setsuna was a serious, studious woman who was in the sciences at the illustrious Mugen Academy. Setsuna was a quiet, studious woman of the sciences and helped Usagi reform her knowledge and cement the fact that Astrophysics and Planetary sciences was her destiny. Usagi had been let in to the academy a few times by Setsuna for tutoring. Needless to say, she'd been shocked when she saw Haruka and Michiru in Mugen Academy uniforms.
It seemed all three women attended Mugen academy, which wasn't even in Minato-ku.
"So, koneko, do you plan on attending here? It's one of the best academies in Japan."
Usagi gave Haruka a sunny smile as she was escorted from the building to her hot red car, "Nah, it's too far away from home. I'd never make it on time with the way I wake up!"
Michiru gave a light laugh, but Usagi could see the relieved look in her eyes. "It's probably best anyway, Usagi-chan. Mugen is good, but you can get in one better."
Usagi blushed, unused to the praise.
Why they'd frequent this particular Parlor pained poor Usagi's brain.
Year 2 of High School
Mamoru yawned as he plopped into his chair at the crown. Not at all in the mood to be mysterious, he watched the object of his obsession study in her customary booth. She had the fingers of one hand raking through a long silky pigtail as her other moued her bottom lip. She had a deep frown on her face that he couldn't pass up.
"Tsukino-san," he called and she jerked up, the impact of her blue eyes immediately on him. Swallowing with a suddenly dry throat, he ventured, "Need any help? You look confused."
A relieved look came on her face, "Yes, please, Chiba-senpai. I don't understand this Trigonometry at all."
Blinking at the thought of this once dimwitted girl doing trigonometry, he picked up his bag and scooted over beside the girl. Her scent overwhelmed him as he murmured, "I can help you."
Usagi fought to control her shiver as his low voice and heat enveloped her side. She hadn't been this close to him since they first met and he was such an ass. With his sudden busy schedule, their once a day meetings were quite rare. So she figured any help and time she could spend with him, the better.
Kunzite came strolling in to the crown with Minako and Jadeite and stopped so abruptly, that the two ran into him. Instead of complaining, as they felt tension in his muscled physique, each wrapped a neck around his tall, broad frame to gape at what they were seeing.
Minako giggled lowly and pushed Kunzite over to another table. "Looks like Mamoru-san finally had the balls to say hi." Her Love senses tingled at how close the prince of the Earth was to the blonde teenager. She could feel the tension he was using to not caress her. And Usagi was leaning into him, her body supine in the curve he was making as he fairly caged her in. Usagi didn't seem to mind and was giggling at an… explanation of the trigonometric tan and its functions?
"Sounds like Mamoru-sama is tutoring Tsukino-san her math today," Jadeite said, his voice exasperated. From what they were hearing, he'd dumbed it down enough that anybody would understand it. He sighed and met Minako's eyes. They'd had to deal with his prince's tension towards the young woman and his fate into finding and marrying his princess.
But now… he was the most relaxed they'd seen him since Chibi-usa had come back from the future. The two were sitting even closer together, that their thighs were touching and strands of her long hair were wrapped around his arm. She had a rapturous look on her face as she giggled that all three knew that the feelings between the two were very mutual. Despite holding a candle for her princess, she decided to let the two be.
Mamoru deserved a little happiness.
Two weeks had come and gone and Usagi hadn't seen Mamoru or his friends at all. On that first day after, Mamoru looked like he'd been ill, his clothes nearly hanging off his frame and his tall frame like he'd lost twenty pounds or more.
He saw her staring and gave her a crooked smile that palpitated her heart and walked past her to his customary booth with a pat on her head and nothing more.
Worried, she looked at the rest of his friends to see much of the same thing, but they looked relieved and well rested, as if a great battle had been fought and won.
Mamoru could feel worried blue eyes on his form and wished he could have explained to the girl what was going on. The feeling was gone and as he glanced up, he saw the girl leave the building in a rush. Feeling a slight warmth on his side, he looked down to see Chibi-usa nestling into his side.
"Thank you, Mamo-chan for saving Hotaru-chan."
That battle had been super rough for him. He'd had to dive into darkness with only the light of his daughter's silver crystal to guide him as he'd fought Mistress 9 and her master. Both crystals calling to his whim, he'd brought out a wave of light and destroyed both enemies.
Setsuna had taken the baby Hotaru and returned her to her father. The outers had then pledged their allegiance to him as King of the Earth.
All in all, a good battle. But still incomplete as he wished he could have sunk into his princess's arms.
Year 3 of High School
"Oh! A circus!"
"Yep! I love circuses." Naru squealed. The two of them had just finished watching an eclipse. As they were walking back towards the Crown for a milkshake, somebody stumbled into them. Usagi squeaked as she had a klutz attack and landed square on her back… right under Mamoru.
"C-Chiba-senpai!" She breathed breathlessly. He had landed square between her thighs, his greater bulk a delicious warmth that she never wanted to give up. Trying to keep her blush down, she went to move when a slight shriek came from above her. He gave her a pained smile, something she noticed immediately and rolled them both as Minako, Makoto, Ami and Rei all also tripped into a pile right were the two of them were.
"Usagi-chan! Are you okay!" Naru loomed over them worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Naru-chan." She glimpsed over at Mamoru, who still had her in his embrace, now herself between his thighs and on his chest, one hand going to his head as if he had a headache. "Chiba-senpai? Are you okay?"
"Mamo-chan!" Chibi-usa came bounding over.
"Hai, I'm alright, Tsukino-san, Chibi-usa. Just a slight headache." With surprising strength, he lifted the two of them to their feet and gave Usagi a pat on the head and grabbed Chibi-usa's hand. "I really should be asking if you are alright, Tsukino."
Usagi gave a light laugh. "I've had worse klutz falls than that."
Naru gave a sage nod, and poked Usagi in the side. "Yep, she has."
The dark haired man gave a light laugh as he wasn't surprised at the thought of his blonde and her attacks. "Alright then," he gave them both a warm, crooked smile that instantly fried Usagi's brain and near melted Naru's. With on hand still in Chibi-usa's hand, he waived with the other and turned with the other four girls who's finally gotten themselves untangled, "Ja ne, Tsukino-san, Osaka-san."
When all their backs were turned and they'd passed around the corner, Usagi turned her head and met Naru's gaze helplessly. "Usagi-chan… you're in love with Chiba-senpai… aren't you?"
Usagi laughed nervously, "Ah, eheheheh… yeah… I am."
"How long?"
Usagi sighed and played with the end of her long pigtail. "Since I met him."
The redhead could see all of their meetings that she'd been privy to. All the times the two of them seemed to bump into each other randomly.
The heated looks.
The incessant teasing.
"Usagi-chan. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, Naru-chan, so am I."
He was getting real tired of these… Amazonians. Fisheye, Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye were the most aggravating, annoying villains that he'd ever had the dubious pleasure to go against. Only with the power of Super Sailor Chibi-Moon and her Maboroshi no Ginzuishou along with his Golden Crystal did they have the power to vanquish these enemies. And then with the advent of the Amazon Quartet! He was ready to tear out his hair if he could find the energy for it.
They seemed to be looking for his Golden Crystal and with the communion between his Daughter and the High Priest Helios, they were determined to keep the entire Dead Moon and their cronies' knowledge of it under lock and key. With the High Priest's knowledge of his illness, the Earth under darkness, and as its Guardian his body reflected it to let them know exactly how bad this enemy was.
Facing this Dark Queen only made him miss his princess more. They dodged her blasts of power and her cackling that he would rule over this New Moon kingdom with her, he had finally had enough. With his friends' strength and with the Pink Ginzuishou transforming Chibi-Moon into an Eternal and with the calling of the Outer Senshi, they defeated Nehelennia and once again, brought peace to the earth.
Last year of High School
The end was in sight!
"Ugghh, Naru-chaaan."
"I know, Usagi-chan, I know." Her friend's red hair flicked up as she grinned at the bubbly blonde. They were waiting for the mail at Usagi's house, expecting an influx of university returns on whether or not she was accepted. Naru had been accepted into Tokyo University and Usagi was hoping for the same. A major in Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences was her hope. She'd increased her grades up so that she was in the top twenty percentile of her age group.
A metal sound and the mail was delivered and Usagi rushed to the box. Grabbing the whole lot of it, she brought it into the house and started tossing mail that didn't belong to her.
A letter!
Near hyperventilating, she tore open the letter and read it.
Dear Tsukino Usagi,
We are pleased to inform you that you have...
"been accepted with scholarship into Tokyo University! Naru-chan…"
Naru squealed and they jumped up and down in absolute shrieking glee.
"Mou, Usagi-chan! What's with the noise?" Ikuko bemoaned her daughter as she came into the living room from the kitchen.
"I got accepted into Tokyo University, mama! I'm going to college!"
A huge bright smile and a laugh as she hugged her daughter. "You have made me so proud, Usagi-chan!"
This time, for sure my dream will come true! I am going to space!