NOTE: I have added a page or two to this chapter. Please read the added part in order to understand what is happening in Chapter 2. Enjoy!
Chapter One: Loss of Friendship
"Cookies!" Usagi squealed in delight as she opened the cookie jar. Her parents and brother had gone over to a friend's house, and they left Usagi behind so that she could study for her upcoming math test. She was upset about being left behind, but her mom's home made cookies more than made up for it.
"Where's Sailor Moon? We need her help!"
"I don't know, Mars," Sailor Mercury replied," I tried get her on her communicator, but there was no response. We can't wait for her either, let's try combining our attacks to kill the youma."
Lita jumped back, avoiding another attack by the sword wielding youma, "Good thinking, Mercury. On three guys! One.. Two.. Three!"
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
"Mars Fire Sniper!"
The four attacks combined into a single attack and hit the youma on the chest. The youma's scream echoed as it was vaporized.
"Wow, that was a close one," said Venus.
Mars looked at her with fire in her eyes, "It wouldn't have been if our so called leader would have bothered to show. What am I saying? It still would have been! She's been screwing up even when she does show; we would've had to just cover her rear and hope she could get her attack in. For her own good, I think we should force her to quit being a sailor scout until she shows some damn maturity."
The other three went silent. They didn't want to hurt Usagi's feelings, but they wanted to protect her from her own clumsiness as well. She had been too absent minded lately to handle the responsibilities of being the leader of the sailor senshi or even those of just being a senshi even for that matter.
The usually quiet Mercury ended the awkward silence, "I believe Mars has a point. She's going to get herself hurt or worse if we don't force her to change. Our duty is to protect the Moon Princess, and, if this is what it takes, then that's what we have to do. Usagi should be temporarily relieved of her responsibilities as a sailor senshi."
"You guys are right." Lita commented.
Mina looked at everyone's face, each sincere. "Well, since we're all in agreement here, we should go talk to Sailor Moon."
The other three nodded. They walked together as a group into an alley. It started at the back of some shops in downtown Tokyo. When they emerged from the other side, there stood four gloomy girls, Amy, Rei, Lita, and Mina. From a quick glance they looked like normal school girls, but if you looked close, you could see fresh cuts and bruises accompanied with old scars that told of battles fought long ago. Now, these dedicated warriors had to do the hardest thing possible. They had to tell their best friend and leader that she was no longer allowed to help them fight the powers of evil.
Usagi was grimacing in disgust. She had her math homework spread out in front of her. She was concentrating hard, trying to solve the equation on the paper, but she just couldn't figure it out.
"Let's see now. I need to subtract the X from the left side and the right to get the negative Y alone by itself. Next, I divide each side by negative one to get the Y alone by itself. Ugh…now what do I do with the Z? Oh…I need Amy's help!" Usagi grumbled to herself.
Usagi's studying was interrupted by a knocking at the door.
"Coming!"
Usagi stood up and went to the door. She turned the knob, pulled open the door, and found her friends standing on the other side.
"Hey guys, perfect timing! Come on in. Amy, I need your help in math again, I'm stuck with this one equation. I was able to get it part way, but I forget what you told me to do. It just doesn't make any sense to…"
Rei cut her off, "Usagi, this isn't a social visit."
Usagi, stunned, turned around, "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is there was another youma attack. Usually you are just late, but this time you didn't even show. It wouldn't have mattered. You've been slacking in battle as well as training. You would've just put yourself in danger if you would've showed."
"Hey, if you guys need help, you know you have to call me on the communicator. I'm not psychic like some people, Rei." Usagi stuck out her tongue at Rei to emphasize her point.
Before the two could get into a childish fight again, Amy stepped forward, "Cut it off you two! We came here with a serious issue to discuss, arguing like children won't accomplish anything. The fact is we did call. Actually, I called you, and it wasn't just once or twice. I called at least a dozen times. How could you not here me?"
"Sorry, Amy. I was in the kitchen. My communicator must be up in my room. Sorry, it won't happen again, guys."
Mina now took control of the conversation, "Usagi, we didn't come here to just get an apology. As Rei pointed out, you've been slacking, and that's being getting you into trouble during our battles. A few times you could have died hadn't one of us arrived to save you. I'm sorry to be the one to have to say this, but we came here to demand that you to step down as a Sailor Senshi."
Usagi laughed nervously, "You're joking, right? You want me to stop being Sailor Moon?" She looked at each one, "Lita? Mina? Amy? Rei?" Each one had nodded as she called of their names.
"Usagi, it's unanimous. Please hand over your communicator. You won't need it, and we've decided to give it to Darien in case we need Tuxedo Mask's help."
Usagi ran up the stairs, tears threatening to spill. She opened her bedroom door and looked about the room. She walked to her night stand and picked up her communicator. She ran back down the steps and tossed the communicator to Mina, "Take it and get out!"
"Usagi, calm down. We're still your friends." Rei managed to stammer out.
"Get out now!" Usagi screamed, tears streaming down her face. The four girls took the hint and scrambled out the door. As the last one was out, Usagi slammed the door shut and locked it.
She wandered towards the kitchen, great sobs wrenching her body. She spotted her school books and math work littering the kitchen table. With a horrible cry, she swept her arms over the table, knocking everything to the floor. The sound attracted Luna to the kitchen. She walked in and saw Usagi on the floor crying into her arms, around her lay a disgruntled heap of her school things.
"Usagi, what's wrong?"
"They.. they.. said…" Usagi stuttered, trying to answer Luna's questions between her sobs.
"Usagi, come one. Calm down now. Take deep breaths, in and out." Luna placed her paw on Usagi's leg to help calm her down. Through Luna's suggested techniques, Usagi slowly began to calm down to where she could talk again.
"The girls came over and told me they want me to stop being a sailor scout."
"They did what?!" Luna exclaimed.
"They said I was putting myself into unnecessary danger because I'm too weak and clumsy in our battles."
"Well, they do have a point, Usagi. You've been a real slacker lately, and you need to straighten out your act before you get yourself hurt."
"So you agree with them, do you?"
"Usagi, I didn't say anything like that. I was merely suggesting that…"
Usagi cut her off, her voice raising a decibel or two, "..that I'm weak and clumsy. That I'm in no shape to be a Sailor Senshi. I know what you're 'suggesting' and I'm sick of all of you. If you are all so alike in mind, why don't you go stay with them?"
"Usagi, you don't mean it. Just calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down. I want you to get out now! Go live with Mina since all of you are so much better than me." Usagi stood up and pointed towards the door, her eyes burning holes into Luna.
"Please don't do this. You know that I love you. I would never try to hurt you. We just want to protect you from yourself."
Usagi bent over and picked up Luna. She went to the door, opened it, and set Luna on the doorstep. When Luna turned around to protest, Usagi slammed the door shut in her face.
The four girls walked down the street with their heads downcast. Their eyes studied the passing ground below them. Rei was the first to break the uncomfortable silence, "Do you think we did the right thing? I mean, she looked really hurt."
Mina looked up for the first time, "Yes, we did the right thing. We have to protect her at all costs, even if it costs us her friendship."
The other two nodded in agreement. From behind them they heard someone calling them.
"Rei! Mina! Wait you four!" The girls turned around to face the panting Luna.
Amy was the first to speak, "Luna, what are you doing out here?"
"It's Usagi. She kicked me out because I agreed with your decision."
Lita's mouth fell open, "She kicked you out? I can't believe it. She must be really mad at us right now. Maybe she'll clam down by tomorrow."
"I don't think she will, but we can hope." Luna added in her comment.
"Well, don't worry Luna. While we're waiting on Usagi to recover, you can live with me and Artemis." Mina reached down and picked Luna up.
"Thank you, Mina, I am very grateful."
It was close to 10pm, and Usagi was far from home. She had left for a walk after she kicked Luna out. She had to sort out her feelings, yet they were so wild within her. One moment she'd be giggling, then a memory would surface and she'd start sobbing uncontrollably again.
She stopped when she reached the pond in the park. Darien and her had come to this place often to watch the sunset and the twinkling stars that followed. Darien, the love of her life, had been distant lately. He had even snapped at her in the last battle. She had been a little clumsy and had become trapped by the youma. Lita's good timing saved her, but it had shaken Darien badly.
'He would have supported them,' Usagi thought, 'I know I need to start training, but I just wanted to enjoy myself a little. What's so wrong with that? What's wrong with wanting to NOT remember, even if it's only for a little while? Why are they in a rush to reopen my past and my pain?'
Without realizing it she had stood up and walked to the railing around the pond. She leaned until her arms were stretched as far as they could be, and then she lifted one of her legs up, stretching it out. Relaxing, she brought her arms and legs back in and stood up straight. One arm she shifted to be horizontal with the ground as she stood tip-toed on one foot. An old song bubbled up from the abyss of her memory…
She let go of the present. She allowed her mind to wander back, back to when things had been much easier. Back then, the pain hadn't arrived yet. She was alive, free, young, and in love. Following the steps in her memories, Usagi swayed and freely moved her body in synch with the melody from her past. It was a waltz, but she didn't dance with anyone. She danced alone, dazzling an audience with her grace with spins and impossible feats of balance. She brought a leg and hand behind her bent back to meet for a moment. She twirled and jumped, always moving her body. It ended with a curtsey, the audience of her past applauding.
Her mind slowly broke free of the memory, a smile playing on her lips, happy she had swayed the crowd. Something, however, was off. The memory of the clapping persisted even though she was back in the present. She opened her eyes wide, head darting back and forth, searching for the source of the noise.
Leaning against one of the lamp posts was a man. He looked staggering in an all black tuxedo. It made his skin glow, his eyes and hair, bright silver, jumped out at you with the beautiful contrast.
'Wait. SILVER eyes?'
Her mouth moved, daring her to speak. She couldn't, she was paralyzed. He was hot, yes, but there was something else. Something strangely familiar about him.
"I am very happy to see you haven't truly lost your touch, Serenity."
'Serenity? How did he know my true name?'
"How… how do you know me?" She twisted her head slightly to the side, confusion sweeping through her eyes, curling her lips into the smallest pout.
He chuckled, "Oh, come now. Have you honestly forgotten all about me? I'm hurt, Princess. All the hours we spent practicing and rehearsing, and now you don't remember any of it?"
His amused smile never left his face. She was getting irritated with his attitude. Of course she didn't remember. If she had, would she be asking?
"Duh! If I remembered you, I would have either greeted or killed you, depending on how the memory went." A small smirk graced her lips as she settled her lithe frame into a defensive stance.
"I mean you no harm, Serenity. Trust me, you will laugh with me once you do remember. I only came here to make you an offer, to ease your current situation."
"An offer?" she murmured, as she shifted her body weight, ready for him to charge at any moment, "and what kind of offer would that be? I hope you know you can't take me against my will."
A thunderous roar escaped his lips as he slapped his knnes, one arm wrapped around his chest in attempt to hold his frame together. "P…Prin… Princess," he struggled, gasping for breath between his lips, "if only you did remember. You'd be rolling on the floor right now."
Usagi glared at the enchanting stranger longer. She looked deep into his livid eyes. The color was so familiar. Why could she not remember? He slowly stopped laughing, all mirth escaping his eyes. Now they took on a grave look. "I know you are hurting. I heard what the inner senshi told you. I know you have been here waiting for Edmund. You have been here for a few hours, has he shown? Has he at least come to comfort his true love? You deserve better treatment, better friendship, and better understanding. If they could pull their heads out of their asses for one second, they would see the pain the past brings you. You need to get away from them for a time, to regroup within yourself. I offer you an opportunity to relearn ballet, to escape this painful present, and, if you so wish, to unlock all of your memories."
"Am I supposed to just run away with a total stranger? I don't think so."
"Serenity, listen to me. I am not asking you to live with me or anything perverted. I saw you dance; you can't deny you have talent. I am an instructor at a ballet academy in the United States. I can grant you a full ride scholarship to attend. Please believe me when I promise I do not wish you any pain. I only want to give you the chance to heal from the hurt they caused. I will not throw away your friendship as stupidly as they did."
A single tear escaped her moist eyes. Damn betraying tears. She loved her friends and she loved Darien, but it was true. They had hurt her. She couldn't even stomach the idea of seeing them right now. Time away would be good. She wouldn't have to see them everyday, ending up with her crying in a strange bathroom. She wouldn't have to fake being happy. She could just be.
"It sounds great and weird at the same time. I know I know you from somewhere. I wish I could remember if it's in a good way or not, but I just don't know. I know I am being crazy, reckless, and rash; however, I will agree to go to this academy on a few terms…"
"Anything you wish, Princess. You don't even have to tell me what they are before I give you the scholarship or before we leave. This will be whatever you wish to make of it."
"Thank you. What is your name?"
"Eos."