A Mother's Daughter
By: Krysia
Season: After Dark Moon
Rated: G
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine.
A young, pink-haired girl peeked around the corner. She watched as a
handsome dark-haired man looked down lovingly at the woman in his
arms. She smiled and placed her arms around his neck and stood on
tiptoes. King Endymion dipped his head to kiss his beautiful wife.
Chibi-usa observed her parents silently before sneaking out of the
royal quarters.
The princess walked slowly down one of the halls of the Crystal Palace.
The euphoria of returning home and finding her parents reunited and
well had worn off. She had found that nothing had changed, her
parents loved her and each other very much, the senshi were still very
busy….and the other children still taunted her.
Chibi-usa brushed a way-ward tear that managed to escape down her
cheek. Her pink pigtails drooped dejectedly and her shoes scuffed the
floor as if it was even too much effort to walk properly. Luna-P was
conspicuously absent as was Diana, her constant companion.
'Powerless princess!' 'She's adopted.'
The voices still managed to follow her, even as she left the children
hours ago. She stifled a sob as she thought about how the words had
become even crueler.
'If she were truly the Queen's daughter, she could have helped stop
the Dark Moon.' 'I bet this was all her fault.'
By now, the tears ran down her face freely, and Chibi-usa began to
run, trying to escape the horrible accusations that seemed to haunt
her. With her pink hair streaming behind her, she ran blindly, tears
obscuring her vision.
"It true," she sobbed. "It's all my fault."
The princess of Crystal Tokyo was so distraught that she
slipped and fell face first onto the cold marble floor. Despair
overwhelmed her as she continued to cry, no motivation to
pick herself up off the floor. Images of the destruction of
their beautiful city, the faces of the Dark Moon family
mocking Sailor Moon and the senshi, her mother encased in
crystal, her father a hologram and most horridly of all,
referring to herself as Wicked Lady and capturing Tuxedo
Kamen for herself reminded her how truly awful she was. As
a result, she did not hear anyone approach until she raised
her head from her folded arms and stared at the gold-colored
shoes inches from her face.
Chibi-usa ducked her head down, unable to face the senshi
that stood before her.
"Chibi-usa, what's wrong?" a bubbly voice floated down from
above.
She heard the woman crouch down next to her and felt her
place a friendly hand on her back.
"Nothing." She sniffed. "I just fell."
"Princess….."
At that tone, Chibi-usa raised her head to look into serious
blue eyes. Sailor Venus smiled and offered her hand to help
Chibi-usa stand up. Although she was smiling, her face was
one that Chibi-usa had seen several times, especially during
the many recent battles.
Clasping Venus' hand, Chibi-usa rose shakily to her feet,
taking in deep breaths to quell the sobs that were threatening
to resume. Cinnamon eyes looked earnestly up at the senshi,
almost desperately. "Really, I fell."
Blue eyes crinkled at the corners with sudden humor. Venus
ruffled Chibi-usa's pink hair.
"You lie as well as your mother."
Chibi-usa wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. In the
past, she took great pride any time someone said she was
like her mother. But she knew the truth. She was nothing
like her. She was selfish and thoughtless. She only cared for
herself. And she almost destroyed all those she loved trying
to prove herself to be someone she was not.
"I am not. I am nothing like her." She responded bitterly and
tried to run again.
Venus grabbed her by the arm before she could get very far.
Chibi-usa stared down at her shoes, mutinously avoiding
Venus' searching gaze.
"Come on with me to my quarters. I think we need to have a
little talk." She quickly scanned the area. "No Diana?"
The princess shook her head 'no'. Chibi-usa was marched to
the senshi's quarters. Neither spoke. Venus was obviously at
a loss at what was the matter, and Chibi-usa continued to be
recalcitrant. Venus closed the door behind them and
propelled Chibi-usa to the couch. Once she was seated,
Venus chose a near-by chair and seemed to collect her
thoughts.
"So, Chibi-usa…..are the children still picking on you?"
The sulking girl raised her head, eyes wide with surprise.
"You know they tease me?"
Venus nodded. "We've known for some time. We've watched
to make sure that no physical harm came to you, but there
was not much else we could do. If we stepped in to defend
you, that would not stop the teasing, and probably would
have made it worse. All we could do is continue to love you
and let you work it out for yourself."
Chibi-usa pondered this information for a while. She looked
Venus in the eye to determine her sincerity. Venus met her
gaze unwaveringly.
"But what are they saying now? You seem way more upset
than just being teased? What else is bothering you?"
A stricken look appeared on Chibi-usa's face before she
dropped her gaze to the stare at the floor. "I'm not sure what
you mean…" she responded evasively.
Venus rolled her eyes before continuing. "I'm sure you do."
She paused. "You wouldn't be blaming yourself for the Dark
Moon attacks, are you? Because I'm sure your parents have
told you that none of us blame you for what happened."
Chibi-usa stiffened. How was she supposed to get out of here
without spilling everything to Venus? She already said she
wasn't a good liar and she didn't have Luna-P here with her to
help.
"Um…well…sort of. I mean I shouldn't have touched the
crystal. And I shouldn't have run and hid from momma
afterwards. And I shouldn't have snuck past Puu to come to
the past…and…" Chibi-usa stopped when she heard the
blonde senshi giggle.
"I'm sorry, Chibi-usa." Venus covered her mouth with her
hand to hide the smile that was still on her lips. "It still
amazes me that you were able to get past Sailor Pluto. Not
much gets past her."
Chibi-usa smiled slightly before the corners of her mouth
drooped again. "I wish I hadn't done that. Puu is….I mean
was… my best friend." Chibi-usa drew within her thoughts,
thinking about all that she said and wondering if she shared
enough to satisfy Venus to allow her to leave.
After a few moments of silence, she slid off the couch and
bowed slightly. "Thank you Sailor Venus for talking to me. I
feel a lot better now." She turned and began to head for the
door. 'Once I'm through that door, I'm home free.'
"Wait a minute, Chibi-usa."
'Ah! Now what?' Chibi-usa wailed internally. She turned
slowly and faced the senshi, trying to not let the panic show
on her face, or the disappointment of being so close to
escaping. But she had to end this discussion here; otherwise
she knew it would get back to her parents. And that was the
last thing she wanted!
"Yes, Venus." Chibi-usa focused on keeping her voice steady.
"What did you mean when you said you were nothing like
your mother?"
Venus' gaze pinned Chibi-usa in place. Her thoughts began to
whirl alarmingly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath
and told the senshi part of the truth. "I look and act nothing
like her."
"You remind me very much of your mother. Especially when
she was younger."
"Not hardly." Chibi-usa scoffed. "She had…." Chibi-usa
pressed her lips together, obviously not intending on finishing
her sentence. She had almost slipped and confessed her
secret.
"Friends?" inquired Venus.
Chibi-usa nodded. Her fists were clenched at her sides. She
was resisting the strong urge to scream at Venus to leave her
alone. 'Just leave me alone.'
"Yes, she had lots of friends."
Venus was no longer sitting down, but instead circling her like
a vulture, preying on her in her emotionally weakened state,
waiting for her to give up, so she could pounce. Chibi-usa
resolved to remain firm. She had no intention in sharing any
more sordid details of her life.
"You know your mother and father love you very much."
Chibi-usa glanced at Venus out of the corner of her eye,
wondering about the change in tactics. She nodded in
agreement to that statement.
"Even when you were in the past, their younger selves loved
you too."
Chibi-usa paled, not liking where this line of questioning was
headed. 'I need her back in Crystal Tokyo…not in the past.'
"Yes, my momma and poppa love me very much. They
always have and always will." She answered with artificial
cheerfulness. She noticed Venus had stopped her circling and
was watching her intently again. 'I need to distract her.'
"Um…Venus?" Chibi-usa glanced around the living quarters.
"Where's Artemis?"
Sailor Venus waved the question away nonchalantly. "I'm
sure he's off with Luna somewhere, probably advising your
parents…..or maybe with Diana, since she is not with you."
Even though her stance was relaxed, she had positioned
herself between Chibi-usa and the door somehow.
Chibi-usa racked her brain to try to think of an excuse to
leave and stop all the questions. 'Didn't Venus realize it was
better to leave the past in the past? I've already hurt my
mom and dad enough.' Hearing her name, she looked at
Venus questioningly.
"I know this is a personal question. I remember you said you
were lonely when you were Wicked Lady. How come you
were lonely? You had a special relationship with Usagi and
Mamoru. Not to mention you had your parents waiting for
you in the future."
Chibi-usa's face twisted into a picture of self-loathing. "You
mean, why did I try to steal my future father from my future
mother and try to destroy the future before it even
happened?"
The angry and bitter girl turned away to avoid the pity that
Venus would offer. Only a pathetic excuse for a princess
would try to take love by force.
"You know, there are so many different types of love. When
you are young, it is hard to distinguish between the different
types. I think you recognized your father's love in Mamoru
and you grabbed on to that. You probably didn't see much of
your mother in Usagi, because you two are so much alike and
fought all the time."
"Are not." Chibi-usa muttered under her breath. Venus
ignored the comment and continued on. She approached the
girl silently from behind, until they were just a few steps
away. Venus crouched down so that she was not towering
over the little girl. She gently grabbed her by the shoulder
and turned her so she could see her face. The misery and
loneliness that reflected back broke Venus' heart.
A look of sudden comprehension dawned on Sailor Venus'
face. "Oh. I see."
Chibi-usa startled when the senshi swept her up in a big hug.
After a few moments, Venus pulled back to look at Chibi-usa.
The princess was shocked to see tears glittering in the
senshi's eyes.
"It was the love that Usagi and Mamoru had for each other
that gave them their strength. Your mother and father still
have it today. It's even stronger because of their bond, but
also because they have you to love as well. I promise you. I
promise you will all my heart that you will have a love…just
like your mom and dad have. After all, I'm the senshi of Love
and know these things. Trust me."
Chibi-usa gaped like a fish. She didn't even know how to
react. With a wink and 'V' for victory, Venus stood up and
ushered Chibi-usa to the door. "Just be patient, sweetie.
Someday you will have someone willing to move Heaven and
Earth just for you."
Chibi-usa smiled hesitantly. "Really?"
At Venus' confirming nod, Chibi-usa flung herself at Venus for
a quick hug. Before Venus could even react, the pink-hair girl
was skipping down the hall, yelling at the top of her lungs.
"Thanks! For everything!"
With a lop-sided smile, she waved good-bye to Chibi-usa as
she disappeared down the palace corridor. She leaned
against the door frame, sighing softly and ruefully shaking her
head.
"You are very much your mother's daughter."
AN: Thanks to Yume-chan for editing!
By: Krysia
Season: After Dark Moon
Rated: G
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine.
A young, pink-haired girl peeked around the corner. She watched as a
handsome dark-haired man looked down lovingly at the woman in his
arms. She smiled and placed her arms around his neck and stood on
tiptoes. King Endymion dipped his head to kiss his beautiful wife.
Chibi-usa observed her parents silently before sneaking out of the
royal quarters.
The princess walked slowly down one of the halls of the Crystal Palace.
The euphoria of returning home and finding her parents reunited and
well had worn off. She had found that nothing had changed, her
parents loved her and each other very much, the senshi were still very
busy….and the other children still taunted her.
Chibi-usa brushed a way-ward tear that managed to escape down her
cheek. Her pink pigtails drooped dejectedly and her shoes scuffed the
floor as if it was even too much effort to walk properly. Luna-P was
conspicuously absent as was Diana, her constant companion.
'Powerless princess!' 'She's adopted.'
The voices still managed to follow her, even as she left the children
hours ago. She stifled a sob as she thought about how the words had
become even crueler.
'If she were truly the Queen's daughter, she could have helped stop
the Dark Moon.' 'I bet this was all her fault.'
By now, the tears ran down her face freely, and Chibi-usa began to
run, trying to escape the horrible accusations that seemed to haunt
her. With her pink hair streaming behind her, she ran blindly, tears
obscuring her vision.
"It true," she sobbed. "It's all my fault."
The princess of Crystal Tokyo was so distraught that she
slipped and fell face first onto the cold marble floor. Despair
overwhelmed her as she continued to cry, no motivation to
pick herself up off the floor. Images of the destruction of
their beautiful city, the faces of the Dark Moon family
mocking Sailor Moon and the senshi, her mother encased in
crystal, her father a hologram and most horridly of all,
referring to herself as Wicked Lady and capturing Tuxedo
Kamen for herself reminded her how truly awful she was. As
a result, she did not hear anyone approach until she raised
her head from her folded arms and stared at the gold-colored
shoes inches from her face.
Chibi-usa ducked her head down, unable to face the senshi
that stood before her.
"Chibi-usa, what's wrong?" a bubbly voice floated down from
above.
She heard the woman crouch down next to her and felt her
place a friendly hand on her back.
"Nothing." She sniffed. "I just fell."
"Princess….."
At that tone, Chibi-usa raised her head to look into serious
blue eyes. Sailor Venus smiled and offered her hand to help
Chibi-usa stand up. Although she was smiling, her face was
one that Chibi-usa had seen several times, especially during
the many recent battles.
Clasping Venus' hand, Chibi-usa rose shakily to her feet,
taking in deep breaths to quell the sobs that were threatening
to resume. Cinnamon eyes looked earnestly up at the senshi,
almost desperately. "Really, I fell."
Blue eyes crinkled at the corners with sudden humor. Venus
ruffled Chibi-usa's pink hair.
"You lie as well as your mother."
Chibi-usa wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. In the
past, she took great pride any time someone said she was
like her mother. But she knew the truth. She was nothing
like her. She was selfish and thoughtless. She only cared for
herself. And she almost destroyed all those she loved trying
to prove herself to be someone she was not.
"I am not. I am nothing like her." She responded bitterly and
tried to run again.
Venus grabbed her by the arm before she could get very far.
Chibi-usa stared down at her shoes, mutinously avoiding
Venus' searching gaze.
"Come on with me to my quarters. I think we need to have a
little talk." She quickly scanned the area. "No Diana?"
The princess shook her head 'no'. Chibi-usa was marched to
the senshi's quarters. Neither spoke. Venus was obviously at
a loss at what was the matter, and Chibi-usa continued to be
recalcitrant. Venus closed the door behind them and
propelled Chibi-usa to the couch. Once she was seated,
Venus chose a near-by chair and seemed to collect her
thoughts.
"So, Chibi-usa…..are the children still picking on you?"
The sulking girl raised her head, eyes wide with surprise.
"You know they tease me?"
Venus nodded. "We've known for some time. We've watched
to make sure that no physical harm came to you, but there
was not much else we could do. If we stepped in to defend
you, that would not stop the teasing, and probably would
have made it worse. All we could do is continue to love you
and let you work it out for yourself."
Chibi-usa pondered this information for a while. She looked
Venus in the eye to determine her sincerity. Venus met her
gaze unwaveringly.
"But what are they saying now? You seem way more upset
than just being teased? What else is bothering you?"
A stricken look appeared on Chibi-usa's face before she
dropped her gaze to the stare at the floor. "I'm not sure what
you mean…" she responded evasively.
Venus rolled her eyes before continuing. "I'm sure you do."
She paused. "You wouldn't be blaming yourself for the Dark
Moon attacks, are you? Because I'm sure your parents have
told you that none of us blame you for what happened."
Chibi-usa stiffened. How was she supposed to get out of here
without spilling everything to Venus? She already said she
wasn't a good liar and she didn't have Luna-P here with her to
help.
"Um…well…sort of. I mean I shouldn't have touched the
crystal. And I shouldn't have run and hid from momma
afterwards. And I shouldn't have snuck past Puu to come to
the past…and…" Chibi-usa stopped when she heard the
blonde senshi giggle.
"I'm sorry, Chibi-usa." Venus covered her mouth with her
hand to hide the smile that was still on her lips. "It still
amazes me that you were able to get past Sailor Pluto. Not
much gets past her."
Chibi-usa smiled slightly before the corners of her mouth
drooped again. "I wish I hadn't done that. Puu is….I mean
was… my best friend." Chibi-usa drew within her thoughts,
thinking about all that she said and wondering if she shared
enough to satisfy Venus to allow her to leave.
After a few moments of silence, she slid off the couch and
bowed slightly. "Thank you Sailor Venus for talking to me. I
feel a lot better now." She turned and began to head for the
door. 'Once I'm through that door, I'm home free.'
"Wait a minute, Chibi-usa."
'Ah! Now what?' Chibi-usa wailed internally. She turned
slowly and faced the senshi, trying to not let the panic show
on her face, or the disappointment of being so close to
escaping. But she had to end this discussion here; otherwise
she knew it would get back to her parents. And that was the
last thing she wanted!
"Yes, Venus." Chibi-usa focused on keeping her voice steady.
"What did you mean when you said you were nothing like
your mother?"
Venus' gaze pinned Chibi-usa in place. Her thoughts began to
whirl alarmingly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath
and told the senshi part of the truth. "I look and act nothing
like her."
"You remind me very much of your mother. Especially when
she was younger."
"Not hardly." Chibi-usa scoffed. "She had…." Chibi-usa
pressed her lips together, obviously not intending on finishing
her sentence. She had almost slipped and confessed her
secret.
"Friends?" inquired Venus.
Chibi-usa nodded. Her fists were clenched at her sides. She
was resisting the strong urge to scream at Venus to leave her
alone. 'Just leave me alone.'
"Yes, she had lots of friends."
Venus was no longer sitting down, but instead circling her like
a vulture, preying on her in her emotionally weakened state,
waiting for her to give up, so she could pounce. Chibi-usa
resolved to remain firm. She had no intention in sharing any
more sordid details of her life.
"You know your mother and father love you very much."
Chibi-usa glanced at Venus out of the corner of her eye,
wondering about the change in tactics. She nodded in
agreement to that statement.
"Even when you were in the past, their younger selves loved
you too."
Chibi-usa paled, not liking where this line of questioning was
headed. 'I need her back in Crystal Tokyo…not in the past.'
"Yes, my momma and poppa love me very much. They
always have and always will." She answered with artificial
cheerfulness. She noticed Venus had stopped her circling and
was watching her intently again. 'I need to distract her.'
"Um…Venus?" Chibi-usa glanced around the living quarters.
"Where's Artemis?"
Sailor Venus waved the question away nonchalantly. "I'm
sure he's off with Luna somewhere, probably advising your
parents…..or maybe with Diana, since she is not with you."
Even though her stance was relaxed, she had positioned
herself between Chibi-usa and the door somehow.
Chibi-usa racked her brain to try to think of an excuse to
leave and stop all the questions. 'Didn't Venus realize it was
better to leave the past in the past? I've already hurt my
mom and dad enough.' Hearing her name, she looked at
Venus questioningly.
"I know this is a personal question. I remember you said you
were lonely when you were Wicked Lady. How come you
were lonely? You had a special relationship with Usagi and
Mamoru. Not to mention you had your parents waiting for
you in the future."
Chibi-usa's face twisted into a picture of self-loathing. "You
mean, why did I try to steal my future father from my future
mother and try to destroy the future before it even
happened?"
The angry and bitter girl turned away to avoid the pity that
Venus would offer. Only a pathetic excuse for a princess
would try to take love by force.
"You know, there are so many different types of love. When
you are young, it is hard to distinguish between the different
types. I think you recognized your father's love in Mamoru
and you grabbed on to that. You probably didn't see much of
your mother in Usagi, because you two are so much alike and
fought all the time."
"Are not." Chibi-usa muttered under her breath. Venus
ignored the comment and continued on. She approached the
girl silently from behind, until they were just a few steps
away. Venus crouched down so that she was not towering
over the little girl. She gently grabbed her by the shoulder
and turned her so she could see her face. The misery and
loneliness that reflected back broke Venus' heart.
A look of sudden comprehension dawned on Sailor Venus'
face. "Oh. I see."
Chibi-usa startled when the senshi swept her up in a big hug.
After a few moments, Venus pulled back to look at Chibi-usa.
The princess was shocked to see tears glittering in the
senshi's eyes.
"It was the love that Usagi and Mamoru had for each other
that gave them their strength. Your mother and father still
have it today. It's even stronger because of their bond, but
also because they have you to love as well. I promise you. I
promise you will all my heart that you will have a love…just
like your mom and dad have. After all, I'm the senshi of Love
and know these things. Trust me."
Chibi-usa gaped like a fish. She didn't even know how to
react. With a wink and 'V' for victory, Venus stood up and
ushered Chibi-usa to the door. "Just be patient, sweetie.
Someday you will have someone willing to move Heaven and
Earth just for you."
Chibi-usa smiled hesitantly. "Really?"
At Venus' confirming nod, Chibi-usa flung herself at Venus for
a quick hug. Before Venus could even react, the pink-hair girl
was skipping down the hall, yelling at the top of her lungs.
"Thanks! For everything!"
With a lop-sided smile, she waved good-bye to Chibi-usa as
she disappeared down the palace corridor. She leaned
against the door frame, sighing softly and ruefully shaking her
head.
"You are very much your mother's daughter."
AN: Thanks to Yume-chan for editing!