Title: Ikuko and Usagi
Genre: Family
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I no own
Note: this is a ONE-SHOT, also I didn't have this beta'd, so beware of errors
As a mother you always know what you're children are up to, even if they don't realize it. It's because your children take up after you, and you know that they'll do the exact same things that you did.
Take Usagi for example. The clumsiness she experienced until her late teens, her crybaby tendencies, the bad grades, the older boyfriend, the flakiness: all ailments that she suffers from were the same exact things that I did when I was her age. In a way my daughter was my little clone for the longest time. But I knew that one day she'd grow out of it. What I didn't realize was that she did it right before my eyes and I never noticed.
I remember the day quite well. I was hanging the futon out to dry on the upstairs balcony and I could see Usagi and her friends from my perch, they were turning the corner and heading towards the house.
Ami was dressed in various shades of blues, Rei was next to her in reds and purples. They were in the front of the group. In the back was Minako, dressed in orange and white, and next to her was Makoto dressed in green and pink. All four girls seemed as though they had their guard up, scouting the area.
I had the random thought that the four of them looked more like a royal guard rather than a group of teenage girls coming home from the mall. In the very center was Usagi, wearing the white sundress that I had bought her a few weeks ago.
It was in that moment that I realized how regal, royal, and just plain beautiful my daughter had become.
And I suppose it was the way they were dressed, or maybe the way they positioned themselves, that made everything in my mind click because it was then that I knew.
From where I stood I could sense the aura of importance surrounding the five of them. They were suddenly so much more than what everyone thought.
Now, over the years I have suspected that Usagi was up to something. I always knew when she snuck out of the house at night. I had always overheard her whispering to her cat, Luna, in hurried hushed tones. She would sometimes come downstairs in the morning, forcing a smile a bit too bright on her face. And sometimes mysterious bruises would be on her body, despite her being clumsy she's not bad enough to hurt herself like that. Too many coincidences were adding up.
I felt proud and scared and so many emotions. I rushed down the stairs and caught her in my arms as soon as she opened the door. Embracing her tightly, just like when she was a little girl.
"Mama? Are you ok? Did something happen?" Her voice was anxious, worried.
"Oh Usa-baby, I just realized just how much I love you." I pulled away from her to get a good look at her face, "My baby girl." I kissed her on the forehead.
Her friends were behind her, looking a bit awkward where they stood, and so I tackled the four of them with a hug as well. Thanking them for being such great friends to Usagi. I did it whether they liked it or not, and then invited everyone in for some cheesecake.
When historians later asked me how I felt when I found out that my daughter was Sailor Moon, later turned Neo Queen Serenity, I'll tell them this exact same story. About how it took me three years since she first became a Sailor Senshi, to finally allow myself to believe it. I'll tell them that despite being a little late with figuring it out, a mother always knewwhat their children were up to, whether they wanted to acknowledge it or not.
Fin
MoonLLotus: this is my first Sailor Moon fic, so tell me what you thought. Flames are very welcome.
Originally posted: 2/28/08