Usagi!
The teen laid on the floor a moment more, gathering her thoughts. She lied there, her black hair fallen around her in a simple white dress. Then, as if something struck her, "Everyone!" She yelled and sat up quickly. She thought she would see her friends, but darkness was all around her. Then, a small amount of light surrounded her and she saw her lover and friend sitting next to her. He had the same confused look as she did, "Why?"
The sounds of footsteps made her turn. A young teen, like herself only with blond hair and approached with a small, but sad smile, "As long as you have comrades that remember you, you can live. Return." The blond said and she stood to face her, "Though the Mystical Silver Crystal has been smashed to pieces… in the end, it was whole and left you with your life. Finally… the past is over."
"Princess!" She called as the blond smiled fully and disappeared. She looked around, as if the Princess was playing a game.
"Thank goodness. Hurry and go." Mamoru said as he walked up to her.
"But… Mamoru?"
"Forget about me."
"No… I can't go… I can't go back. Not after what I did, after what I promised!" She cried out and ran into the darkness.
"Usagi!" Mamoru called after her, reaching out in hopes of stopping her, but she was gone, "I have to find her…"
"Master…" Someone called from behind. Mamoru slowly turned to see the Shitennou, his old Shitennou appear. Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite were all standing and smiling at him, "You should live in the present as well, for our sakes and we want you to."
"I can't leave without her." Mamoru said, motioning where Usagi ran off.
"I don't think you can convince her on your own. The Princess said that her comrades remembered her… why not go and get them?" Jadeite said, "We'll watch over her until you return with them."
"How can we find you?" Mamoru asked.
"You all must think of Usagi, you and the other Soldiers. Once we see a spark, we can use what we have left to open a portal." Zoisite replied.
Mamoru was going to ask how they could, since technically they were all dead, but a pair of footsteps stopped him, "Princess."
"The power of the Mystical Silver Crystal will bring you all to her. I thought she would love the chance to go back, especially since she had made her friends lives easier." The Princess replied, "But her guilt keeps her here."
"How can the Mystical Silver Crystal do that?" Mamoru asked.
"Because the past is over, what lies in the Mystical Silver Crystal now is her heart and her power. What is there… will bring you safely here…"
"Please Master, go and retrieve her friends." Kunzite pleaded, "We will watch her for you so that no harm will come to her…"
Mamoru nodded and ran, though he had no idea where he was going… he just knew to run and thought of Usagi's friends. In a flash of light, he was back home, though not sure exactly where. He stopped a moment, seeing that he was wearing his old clothing, jeans and a t-shirt. Looking around, he could see four girls running towards one another and stopping. He vaguely remembered them, but memories started coming to him.
Ami was the one with the glasses and who was really smart. Minako was the famous idol and Rei was the priestess. Makoto was the tallest of them, but also was the one that struck him in the face. He smiled at the memory, but quickly ran to Usagi's friends, waving one arm to get their attention.
The ex-Senshi looked around, but finally looked to one another. Faded memories flashed around them, but mostly of Usagi. Why would they have forgotten her when they remembered one another and were good friends? They shared a look of confusion and sadness. Why would the memories of Usagi be so faint… and why meet here? They could hear someone calling and looked to see a man waving at them.
"Who's that?" Makoto asked, standing guard.
"I'm not sure, but…" Rei added, sensing something from the man.
"He seems… familiar." Ami agreed, looking to the others.
Minako thought a moment, "Mamoru. It's Mamoru, but it's like Usagi."
The others nodded in agreement, but it was Ami who started running towards him first. The rest followed quickly, all wanting to know the same thing. What had happened with Usagi and now Mamoru? If Usagi had something to do with this… why would she want to stay out of their lives when they were all best friends?
Mamoru was wondering himself what to say to them. He knew they would probably bombard him with questions, but when he finally met up with them… nothing. The girls stayed quiet, but kept looking from one another to Mamoru for a few tense moments.
"Mamoru…" Ami finally said, "Usagi…"
"Yeah, why can't we remember her clearly?" Makoto asked.
Minako and Rei kept quiet, but looked to one another until something clicked within their minds. Both started to filter through the memories that were flooding to them and neither were sure what to say.
"Mamoru." Rei finally said, "What of the Mystical Silver Crystal? If you're here…"
He explained the situation, what the Princess has told them and Usagi's reaction. When they asked where she was, he explained that the Shitennou were watching over her.
"So how do we get to her?" Ami ask, getting worried.
"We all need to think of Usagi, as best and hard as you can. Then a subspace will open and the Mystical Silver Crystal should allow us to go to her." Mamoru replied, "The Princess said that the Mystical Silver Crystal is now a part of Usagi, so it's her own will that will take us to her."
"But… why would she hide away from us?" Makoto asked, looking down.
"She still feels like this is her fault and after her promise to not use the Mystical Silver Crystal to destroy the Earth." Mamoru replied getting depressed himself, "She just ran away."
"I know how she feels." Ami said, "Let's go, she needs us now."
"Ami… you remember?" Minako asked.
Then, more memories came to the girls. Not just of Usagi's face, but of their time being Senshi. All their time together, the good and the bad. Each looked from themselves to the others, but nodded with determination. Usagi had given her life for all of them, so that all of them could have a better life. Each of them closed their eyes and thought of a great memory about Usagi.
Ami thought of the time Usagi and her first met. How she didn't care about Ami being so book smart, even scolding her friends at school. Then going around the shops with her. Rei thought of the time Usagi ran away from home and Rei let her stay at the temple for awhile. How Usagi helped out any way she could and tried to step over bounds. Makoto thought of all the times Usagi seemed so weak, but would tried her best to show the others. How she would hate if any of them were fighting one another, about her or not. Minako thought of Usagi as the fan she was. Cheering and fawning over Minako, but when it came down to it… a good person. Mamoru needed no help in thinking of Usagi for all his thoughts were about her now.
A crackling noise popped through the air, causing them to look up quickly. A small subspace was opening in front of them, slowly circling as it grew. They walked closer and waited for some sign that they could go through. It was another few intense moments before Jadeite appeared before them. The other Shitennou slowly appeared and held out their hands towards the ex-Senshi.
The girls hesitated a moment, looking to one another for assurance before holding out their hands to the Shitennou. The ex-Senshis slowly walked through the subspace as the Shitennou guided them as Mamoru followed after the teens back into the darkness. He looked to Jediete who seemed disturbed and glanced at the others. Something was wrong and he could feel the tension in the air.
Obviously the teens were noticing as well. They began to look around franticly and Makoto noticed a dim light off in the distance. She and the others raced towards it with Mamoru and the Shitennou behind them. Their unwavering silence was only causing panic amongst the others. Reaching the light, the group noticed a cage with metal bars.
"Usagi!" Ami cried, seeing her friend lying on a slab. Running closer, Ami was almost to the cage, but something yelled and slammed against the bars, "U…Usagi?"
"Usagi…" Rei breathed, "The youma?"
"It can't be. Usagi is lying right there, in the back." Makoto cried out, pointing.
"Rei, what do you sense?" Minako asked, "Can you sense anything from the youma?"
Makoto and Ami looked to Rei as she stared at the youma that had taken the form of their friend. At first she thought she could, but it was so faint. It was like a fake… like something or someone was creating the aura.
Ami looked back at the cage and between the two Usagis. She walked up to the bars and let the youma came at her again. Makoto put a hand on Ami's shoulder in case she might need some help. The youma growled at Ami and Makoto before smiling wickedly.
"Might as well leave, she doesn't want you around."
"She doesn't or you trying to stop us from helping her?" Makoto jumped in.
"Let us have Usagi back, stay here all we care." Minako added, standing next to Makoto.
Rei stood next to Ami, watching the youma carefully. Ami listened to the youma taunt her friends. Though the others were starting to get frustrated, something just didn't seem right to Ami. It was the last thing the youma said to Makoto that made Ami look at the youma differently, Usagi doesn't want to burden the world like she did before.
The times of her being a dark Senshi with Kunzite and what she had done. Ami had felt the same way after attacking Usagi, that she wasn't sure if she could come back. She looked to the sleeping Usagi and back to the youma. There was something wrong with both of them, but the others teens were more focused on the youma Usagi.
Turning to Rei who was still behind her, "Rei, you said you can't sense anything real. What is the youma Usagi… is Usagi just in hiding?"
"What do you mean, Ami?" Rei wondered, looking from Ami to the cage, "You think Usagi is hiding. Using that form to make us leave?"
"Why would she do that?" Makoto asked, walking up to them with Minako.
"She saved us. Though she… no the Princess destroyed the Earth, but Usagi used the Mystical Silver Crystal to remake the world." Minako added.
"She believes it was her fault for not stopping it in the first place." Mamoru said.
"We couldn't stop her from this… she was like this once we found her." Nephrite added, "We tried to convince her, but she wouldn't hear a word from us."
"So how are we suppose to?" Makoto wondered, looking to the others.
"Like this." Ami stated and walked to the cage. Youma Usagi immediately smiled and lunged at Ami, but Ami just grabbed and hugged her through the bars. Youma Usagi tried to squirm out of the hug, but Ami just held tighter. She smiled at the youma, but a tear slid down her cheek. Ami saw the Usagi that was once her friend and knew this was the way to get her back.
"Ami, what are you doing?" Makoto asked as she came up behind her.
"This is Usagi. The one lying is her as well, but this is the real Usagi. She has taken the burden of everything the Princess has done and is punishing herself. We need to let her know we don't hold her responsible and that what she did afterwards makes up for that." Ami looked to her friends, but mainly Minako and Rei.
They were always the more stubborn of them and knew it would take more convincing. As least, that's what Ami thought, but after a quick look to one another, the other three came up to the bars and held onto the youma as best they could. They each smiled and called out to Usagi, both verbally and through their Senshi bond.
At first there seemed to be no change in the youma as she kept struggling and mocking the teens. Ami wasn't going to stop and talked to the youma about all the good that had been and was now. The others chimed in, adding what they thought was significant that Usagi had done for their lives.
"You gave me a second chance at life, Usagi." Minako said and that was the bullet that hit the target. Ami noticed the youma's eyes flash and looked to the others. She motioned Mamoru to join them, hoping to break what was left. All five of them kept up their bombardment for minutes until Usagi finally screamed out in pain. The sleeping Usagi disappeared into the youma and turned back into the real Usagi.
The bars dissolved as Usagi fainted and fell to the floor. Mamoru gathered her in his arms and turned to the teens. The Shitennou had vanished, but he knew that they weren't far. Leading the way, Mamoru headed back to where they headed and hoped they could leave. The Shitennou were there, using what little of their power they had to keep a subspace open.
"Hurry through Master, Senshi. Before you're trapped here forever with all of us." Nephrite said, "Don't worry about us, please."
The teens looked to one another before thanking the Shitennou for all their help. Mamoru handed Usagi over to her friends so that he could talk to his old comrades. He waited until the teens were gone before turning to them. All he did was smile and nodded before going through the subspace.
The group watched it close with the Shitennou behind it as they smiled. Ami and Minako waved to them until the subspace was gone. Then their attention turned to Usagi who was still unconscious. Makoto had her on the ground, head in her lap and was lightly petting her hair. The others gathered around her, not sure what to do. Ami called out to Usagi, like she had spaced off again. Rei was a little firmer, like she had been when they were Senshi.
In the darkness, Usagi huddled with her arms wrapped around her knees which were up against her chest. Tears fell down her cheeks as the confusion swirled around her. She had caused the destruction of the earth; she couldn't stop the Princess in time and lost everything. She thought she heard whispers of her friends breaking through her despair.
Why would they want her around and after all that had happened? Everything then disappeared around her and she was left in total darkness, no noise, no images, nothing, but herself. As more tears fell, Usagi let her had sit on the top of her knees. Nothing was making sense. Then, it was if something was lifted off her shoulders.
Looking around, she saw a light in a hue of colors. Not only that, she saw other things coming towards her. A blue wave, red fire, green thunderbolt, and a yellow chain in the form of hearts. They circled around her and took away more of her doubts and gave her reassurance and helped her moved out of the darkness.
Opening her eyes, she saw all of her old friends and Mamoru above her, "Everyone?"
"Usagi!" Ami yelled and hugged her tightly. Makoto hugged them both and Rei and Minako joined after. The five of them were laughing and holding one another, just happy to have everything back the way it should be. The girls stood and helped Usagi to her feet and allowed Mamoru to step forward. Usagi's smile grew wider and the two embraced.
An hour later found the girls in their Crown hidden karaoke room. Luna and Artemis were there as well, getting filled in. Luna had been with Ami instead of Usagi, but both had played the roles of silent watchers. The group then thought about what was going to happen now. The Mystical Silver Crystal was gone for good as was their ability to transform into Senshis.
"But Queen Beryl is gone as is Queen Materia. The Shitennou are gone, but also back to their normal selves." Makoto stated.
"That doesn't mean something else won't take her place." Minako added, "Artemis is there anyone else that we need to be aware of?"
Luna and Artemis shook their little cat heads, "No, but that doesn't mean we can relax. Luna and I will keep you inform if we pick up any unusual."
Usagi was barely listening. She was smiling widely as she was letting everything sink in. Everything was how it should have been; even Minako was healthy and no longer plagued. She and Mamoru could be happy together, though they agreed to start from square one again.
Once everyone had agreed to be on alert, but go on living as they had been, Usagi jumped up and ran to the karaoke machine. She expressed her happiness and began to sing her favorite song, C'est la vie. The other ex-Senshi smile and bobbed along with the song and Ami even mouthed along.
Minako laughed and joined Usagi, something she knew Usagi would always love to do. With everything in place, the ex-Senshi felt that finally, everything was how it should be. Unfortunately, Rei knew better, but like they agreed, no acting until they were sure…