AU: So, this is The Queen's Mother. It's really an idea I had when I was in the 10th grade and started writing it that year. I forgot about it until i came across the first draft of the first chapter I uploaded unto my tumblr drafts. The idea is that 2nd Ice age happened and everyone wakes up about 900 years later, and Ikuko Tsukino wakes up to find her daughter, and most everyone connected to her missing. So, what's a mother to do when everyone tells you that your daughter is dead, but deep inside you know this not to be true? That's the whole premise of The Queen's Mother. This draft is way different than the original one I wrote when I was 16. I like it much better. It's funny to see how much your writing grows with you the more you do it. Now onto general rules and tips for reading this. First off, I use the English names. I know, as much as love Usako and Mamo-chan, since I watched the anime in the original english dubbed, writing it that way, while not impossible, is extremely difficult. So for one I apologize for that and hope it does not put you off of my story. Also if a character that has a Japanese name that wasn't featured in the anime appears, the name will stay Japanese. Next, For some reason in my head I thought that the English name for Ikuko Tsukino, or Usagi's mother, was Ilene Tsukino. If I missed something in the edits and I refer to her as such, I again apologize. I am my own beta, so it's hard catching my own grammar and spelling mistakes. If you find some, I'm terribly sorry. I'm not so good at grammar but I am getting better. Lastly, I combine canon from both Anime and Manga, this might even include Crystal depending on the topic. I will usual explain the my writing what is canon and what is not to get a better gist of things. If things are confusing don't hesitate to contact me. Anyway this is really a short project that I wanted to do in between my other long term one called, Origins: Nightstar for DC Comics. Like I said I wrote this chapter and three other about 3 years ago. So, this story isn't going to have 30K words like my other fic is. At most 5k words and this will be posted when I'm in the mood, since it's a side project just for fun and a creative outlet. With that I hope you enjoy the first installment of The Queen's Mother.

The Queen's Mother: The Story of Ikuko Tsukino

Chapter 1: Prelude

The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children.

~Jessica Lange

Through the years Ikuko Tsukino had always prided herself on how good of a mother she was. Her children were happy, her husband was happy. They had that perfect life that you see on those family sitcoms. Sure they had good times and bad times, but this was the life she always wanted. To her it was perfect, or at least it was. Everything changed when her eldest, her daughter Serena, had gotten into her second year of middle school. The change was slow, and at first Ikuko didn't quite realize how things were changing... At least, until it was too late.

The first change Ikuko could say she noticed was the cat. It was a fairly easy and obvious change. She had always wanted a family pet. Ikuko had entertained getting Sammy, her son, a dog for his birthday. She had entertained the idea until Serena had come home with a black cat in tow. She called her Luna and told her mother she was now hers. She didn't even ask if she could keep the cat, only rattling off about what supplies they needed for the peculiar looking cat. Yes, Peculiar. The cat had the oddest birthmark on it's forehead. A golden crescent moon that shined in contrast against the dark fur. This is where the changes all began.

The next big change was that Serena started sneaking out at night. Serena was a good kid, hated the idea of any kind of trouble. Despite her bad grades, Serena was just a typical good natured girl. It wasn't even in her personality to sneak out at night. It was odd that she would something like that. So, instead of confronting the girl Ikuko decided she would just watch. If Serena were getting into something dangerous she would intervene until then, watching and waiting would be suffice. Before she confronted Serena about it she needed to know why exactly she was sneaking out. Ikuko believed she had gotten her answer a couple weeks later when Serena again showed up on her doorstep this time it wasn't a stray cat she brought home. It was a boy. Honestly, Ikuko almost had a panic attack right then and there, but she calmed herself and smiled nicely at the young man. His name was Darien. He was 3 years older than Serena, but he was an all "A" Student, top of his class at that all boys prep school. He was extremely handsome, too. After having dinner with him, with Ken glaring daggers at him the whole time Ilene had concluded that they hadn't done anything Serena wasn't ready for, but still Ikuko talked to her daughter about the had blushed and stammered a response when Ikuko had brought it up. Revealing what Ikuko already knew to be true, and had stopped dead in her tracks when Ikuko had asked if she had been going to Darien's house when she snuck out. Serena oddly laughed it off and admitted to it. Saying that she just slept over there sometimes, and that Darien was so old fashioned he wouldn't dare try anything. The second part Ikuko knew for certain was true, but for some reason she had gotten the feeling that Serena had lied about sneaking over to Darien's house. However, what else could it be? Ikuko wrote it off.

Looking back Ikuko realized all these changes had to do with Serena. At first they were small, her group of friends changed, and grew. The sudden appearance and disappearance of their niece, who was named Serenity. Oddly enough, Ikuko hadn't been in touch with her brother for years, so him sending his daughter to her for a year and a half was something that still puzzled her, or why he would give her name so close to Serena. Then it was the injuries. Serena would sometime have cuts and bruises that she would never account for, only for them to be completely healed by the time she got home form school. Then Serena's personality. This change had to be the most gradual. She was still her flighty self, but Ikuko noticed that she wasn't as social as she used to be. She rarely talked to her old friends at school anymore, and tended to stray from them now. She had watched Serena and her circle of friends before. They acted like they had some secret, like they were so tight nit that no one could enter the group. Ikuko noticed that she saw less and less of Molly and Melvin, and more of Mina, Lita, Amy and Raye. In fact, Serena didn't even talk about them anymore. Serena lost interest in a lot of the things that she loved, like that Sailor V character. She almost stopped her weird worship of the superhero around this time. Ikuko wrote it off as Serena just growing up. Her once immature daughter was now prone to bounds of maturity that Ikuko was sure she wouldn't obtain until she was at least in college. Her once cowardly child now ran into dangers, just to help random strangers. Yes, in Ikuko's mind at the time it had to be just Serena growing up it couldn't be anything else.

All of these incidents could be explained rather easily. Children grow up and change. Ikuko knew it was natural no matter what warning bells rang off in her head. To this day, Ikuko does not have an answer for the biggest change. The missing time. Ikuko had always made sure to know, or at least try to know where her daughter was through out the day. She made sure Serena was always comfortable telling her where she was going, but Serena would lie and say Mina's when Ilene knew it was Darien's place she was going to, and other times she would say Raye's only to disappear for hours on end. One time hours turned into a full day. The first time it happened Serena was gone for a full 24 hours. She had left that morning for school, saying she was staying at Raye's, only for Ilene to call Raye's grandfather when Serena hadn't come home that morning to find that none of the girls were actually there. She almost called the cops, but Raye's grandfather ever the calm peace maker stopped her saying that the great fire gave him a vision that promised the girls safe return very soon. Not even an hour later Serena was running through the door, covered in new bruises and cuts, screaming about how hungry she was. It was almost like nothing had changed. Out of fear, Ikuko never brought up the full day Serena went missing, she even hid from Ken and Sammy. And like most secrets she eventually forgot about it.

Things got better. After Serena's first year in high school everything changed. It seemed like a calm before the storm. For a full year nothing out of the ordinary happened to Serena that Ikuko could see. With Darien off the Harvard she saw Serena home a lot more. And their niece had apparently gone back to Ikuko's brother not that Ikuko could ever get into contact with him. Things seemed almost normal again. Serena running late to school this time with Mina who would bound rapidly onto the front door being Serena's late bell before turning and running off to school Serena struggling to keep up with the athletic girl. Lita would come over to drop by a cake or some cookies not just for her friend but for the whole family. Raye always made sure that Ikuko knew about up coming festivals that Serena would just beg for some money for. And Amy would have all of the girls sitting in the Tsukino's studying for what ever big test or exam that was coming up. Mina always happy to correct the girls' english for finals. Amy trying to help Serena and Lita understand the math. Raye trying to force what ever she could for her upcoming catholic studies exam, the only class she didn't have the other girls' help with. It was normal. That's really all Ikuko could say about the whole 2nd year of high school that Serena and her friends had.

The next year things got back to being peculiar. Serena had just started talking back to other groups of people. One day she finally went to the movies with Molly and Melvin and others outside her regular group. All that changed a couple months into the new and last school year. Mina moved. She went back to England for a reason not exactly clear to Ikuko, but when she did things became rather somber. With Darien gone, as well, Serena went back to only speaking to her main group of friends. Her once loud discussions became hushed whispers. She also barely spent time at home now. Sleeping in Darien's apartment instead. It was almost as if Serena were avoiding her family. Ikuko originally thought that it was the stress of having both Darien and Mina gone. Originally. Again Serena's friend group changed. Towards the end of the year Mina moved back with four men in tow. A young french man who was an actor, A prominent Japanese business man, An American Talent/Sports Manager, and a middle Eastern freelance detective. With Serena and the girls's graduation coming up Darien returned as well. Ikuko final thought that things would return to normal only for in fact the opposite to happen. The Graduation Ceremony was attacked by some kind of monster. In the chaos Ikuko not only lost Serena but Sammy, too. What surprised Ikuko the most was that later on that night, finally forced home by law enforcement and Ken, Serena walked through the door. Minor injuries, but looking better than many who had left the Ceremony, and next to her was her brother Sammy. Ikuko didn't bother asking where wither had been or what happened to them, but when Ken did, they both gave vague and different answers before finally agreeing on one. Sammy went looking for Serena and got caught up with the battle between the monster and the Sailor scouts, they were almost killed had not Serena's friend that race car driver, Amara Tenou not been close by. As if to prove there lie true, an car horn was heard from outside. Opening the door. Amara's expensive sports car was seen, and with a wave out of the car window from she drove off. That seemed to be enough for Ken who ordered the two to get cleaned up, and head to bed.

Serena refused saying that Darien would be coming to pick her up in 10 minutes, and that she was going with him. Ikuko and Ken argued with Serena. That it would give them some piece of mind if she were to remain in the house that night. She still refused the offer to remain in the house sighting that she was an adult now, and if she wanted to stay the night at her fiancé's she could if she wanted to. Ken bit the inside of his cheek before agreeing with her most begrudgingly. She was right. Serena was 18 now they couldn't stop her from leaving. Sammy remained oddly silently only glaring at his sister for some odd reason. Serena quickly ran upstairs grabbed a backpack filled with clothes and walked out the door to meet Darien. Ikuko ignored the dread she felt in the pit of her stomach. She ignored the feeling that she had about letting her daughter walk out the door, but what could she have done. As Ikuko watched her now adult daughter leave, Ikuko lead herself to believe that the feeling of fear she felt for her daughter was actually just her motherly side upset that her daughter was now an adult. Ikuko watched from the window as Serena climbed into Darien's car and drove off. The feeling didn't vanish, it did not leave. Serena never came back the next morning.

Ikuko told the angry Ken that they should probably give them the whole weekend. After all, Serena would probably be moving in with the boy soon seeing as he was done with his foreign studies. Ken agreed again though still ranting about how he wasn't too sure about this Darien character. Though Ikuko knew that it was all really an act. Darien was everything that Ken would want for his daughter and more, but how was he supposed to let his baby girl go? So, the Tsukino parents waited. Serena didn't come home that Sunday. There was no call either. Monday morning Ikuko had been half expecting Serena to come running through the door, but it didn't happen. By the time Ken came home there was still no sign or word from Serena. Ken was not only worried, but livid. A more accurate word could be worriedly livid. He was upset that after all this time Serena didn't feel the need to call her parents. He and Ikuko got into the family car, and drove all the way to Darien's apartment complex. When they got to the door. Ken began banging on the door, loudly demanding for Serena and Darien to open the door, but there was no answer. That worried feeling Ikuko had surged with a vengeance. Ken only began to bang louder on the door, till finally a neighbor had come out to ask what was wrong.

When Ken and Ikuko explained that they were Darien's fiancée's parents, and that they were just trying to locate the two young people the young woman finally decided that it was okay to divulge information about Serena and Darien. The Neighbor, who was named Megan, explained that she was not only Darien's neighbor but a friend of his, and that he was currently not at home. Ikuko then asked about where he might be then because Serena had been with him. With a little hesitation, Megan answered that Serena had in fact gone with Darien, and when asked how long they would be gone Megan only shrugged in response. She told the worried parents that Darien hadn't said where or how long they would be gone. He only asked that she took care of his house plants and get his mail daily. Ikuko would have panicked had not Ken choose to beat her too it. He threatened to call the the police on Darien and have him charged with kidnapping. Megan looked like she immediately regretted telling the parents about Darien and Serena. Ikuko took control of the situation. She quickly talked Ken down. Explaining that there was no way Serena went anywhere against her will. They had a hard enough time trying to get her to school, there was no way she would go somewhere she didn't want to go. Ken agreed. Serena was too strong willed to ever follow through in something she didn't believe in. After much thought and hesitation, the neighbor Megan said that she had the spare key to Darien's apartment and that she would let them look inside. Ken and Ikuko agreed immediately.

Inside was empty, but the worried parents did in fact find the reason why Serena wasn't answering her phone. On the kitchen counter laid two phones. A small simple phone with a shiny pink case covered in rabbit's and a no nonsense smartphone laid side by side as if being there on purpose. They had left the phones on purpose. Megan apologized saying that if she heard from Darien or Serena she would call them. Ken and Ikuko went home and began searching. First to the Shrine. Mr. Hino did not know where his granddaughter was and when told of Serena's missing state he said he also hadn't seen Raye since the graduation. Chad had nothing to say almost as if he were hiding something. Dr. Mizuno also had nothing to add, but confirmed that Amy was also missing as well. Same with Mina. Lita was the hardest with no parents or guardians Ken went to her place of work, a restaurant, She hadn't been heard from either. So desperate the parents tracked down those other friends of the girl's. All of them from there boyfriends to that Amara girl, her Girlfriend Michelle and their adopted daughter, Hotaru were even missing. The other, an older woman, they couldn't even track down. All of them missing, like they had vanished into thin air. They went to the police only to be shot down. Just because a couple of teenagers decide to run away together since they were all of legal age there was nothing that could be done. All 14 people gone.

Distraught the parents of the missing young people ganged together, putting up posters and asking around. None of it ever amounted to anything. Eventually the equally worried Megan, Darien's neighbor, gave them the name of one person who might still be in contact with the missing group. Andrew Furuhata, a long time friends of the whole group. It was eventually decided that Dr. Mizuno would talk to young lad seeing as they didn't want to scare him off if he did know anything. Dr. Mizuno went to the Crown Arcade and came back 20 minutes later. According to the doctor, the boy at first wasn't all that fore-coming with information denying that he knew anything at all. Eventually after Dr. Mizuno begged him he told her that he did know something, and that to respect all of there privacy he would only tell them that they had all promised to come back. When? He didn't know. He apparently only knew that they had to leave and promised to return. He didn't answer when asked if they were doing anything dangerous. He had been cryptic with answers, and none of the parents were getting answers from anywhere else. Apologizing on behalf of the whole missing Group Andrew assured them that they would be home soon.

Two weeks later was a bit longer than Ikuko had expected, but Andrew Furuhata had told the truth. Serena had walked back through the door around three, may be four, in the morning rummaging through her room packing her things. Apparently, she planned to see her parents in the morning, but the need for fresh clothes was too important to wait. Luckily, it was only Ikuko who had been awake. She had a hard time sleeping through the nights that Serena were missing, and honestly didn't even hear the girl come in, though she was awake. It was the flickering of her room light, and and the silent shut of her room door that alerted Ikuko to her presence. Further inspection, Ikuko could tell that Serena had not in fact come in from the front door, but her bed room window. Here was her daughter, trying to grab clothes and leave her home, again. Ilene sighed. It was much too late for all of this, and the weekend had started meaning that Ken was off of work in the morning. The look on Serena's face was of pure guilt, as if she was surprised not only that she and gotten caught, but because of the fact that she had been away for so long. She bit her lip in anticipation for the screaming her mother was probably going to dish out onto her, instead Ikuko surprised. While Ikuko wanted to scream, yell, and cry asking her daughter where she had been for three weeks the tired look in Serena's eyes told a greater story. So instead, Ikuko decided the story could wait till tomorrow.

Ikuko very calmly and quietly asked her daughter if Darien was waiting for her outside. Just like the mother thought, he was. She then told Serena that the both of them were to stay the night in the house, even going as far as to say that Darien could sleep in Serena's room. Just as long as they stayed in the house and she knew where they were in the morning some sliver of sanity would return to her. Serena didn't look as if she wanted to agree, but the look on her mother's face left no room for argument. Ikuko thanked the heavens that her daughter had returned to her, but she had changed. Serena was once again different. There was a weariness in her eyes that wasn't suited for one so young. With a simple command to remain quiet so not to wake the rest of the family, Ikuko, left the room headed towards her own bed. She was relieved and exhausted, though sleep never did take her. At 7 in the morning without a wink of sleep, Ikuko was awake making breakfast, Ken was awake not an hour after, and 30 minutes after that so was Sammy. The news that Serena and Darien were home had surprised Ken and Sammy. Ken would have marched upstairs to wake the both of them up, but Ikuko intervened. At the time they had both gotten into the house and sleeping it was after 5, though she herself didn't have sleep she wasn't going to neglect it from the two young people upstairs. Around Eleven O'clock Ikuko could her movement upstairs, If she still knew her daughter, Ikuko swore it was Darien letting Serena sleep a little more. Sammy must have heard the light noise, too as he excused himself to leave the house, stating that he needed to see a friend. In that moment, Ikuko remembered that Sammy had a girlfriend. There was no issue, other than the fact that she was Hotaru Tomoe, and was missing along side Serena and the others. Sammy had been adamant that he hadn't known anything. Seeing no reason to let their son stay and witness what was going to happen they allowed Sammy to go. Ten minutes later Serena's blonde head stuck around the corner looking into the kitchen, no doubt Darien behind her.

Seeing her parents in the kitchen, Serena knew that it was now or never, and walked into the kitchen to await the jury's verdict. She held tight to Darien's hand. Ikuko had to hand it to her husband, though he was steaming mad he had calmly asked, both Serena and Darien to take a seat. To Ken's credit he didn't not immediately blow up at the two young people, instead calmly asking them both to sit down. That calmness didn't last for very long because when Ken demanded an explanation, and Serena refused to give one that's when the screaming match began. Ken screamed at his daughter who only screamed back, and honestly nothing was being accomplished in the least. Ikuko had to hand it to Darien it was a full 15 minutes of screaming before he could no longer take any more of the verbal abuse that Ken dished mostly onto him, but onto Serena as well. Ikuko had stepped in when the college student's knuckles turned white and his jaw clenched. Ikuko told both Serena and Darien that what her husband was trying to get them to understand was that they were worried and just because they were legal adults didn't mean that they could just up and leave when ever they wanted. Except Darien had calmly corrected her with this, because they were adults they could just up and leave when ever they wanted. Serena was no longer under any obligation other than respect to remain in tied to her family. In all honesty the words hurt Ikuko with how intelligent and well thought out they sounded. As if he were talking down to a child, and scolding them. Ken was steaming mad. Serena added that if they had a problem with the time they had been gone or her continued relationship with Darien that she would be moving out that day, and never speak to her parents again. What other choice did the parents have? Against they're better judgement they were convinced to forgo the entire incident.

That was the last time anything strange happened to Serena, or the Tsukino family. A year later, Serena and Darien married. The only thing odd was that Serena had so many bridesmaids. Other than that life was happy again. Sammy had a long term girlfriend, Ken's job was doing amazing, and life was good. Serena almost seemed like Ikuko's daughter again. And like most horrible memories, Ikuko eventually forgot the oddness associated with Serena's life after her 2 year in middle school. She calked it all up to being puberty, and Serena going through a rebellious stage. Ikuko's mind rebelling against any idea that something...Well, supernatural had happened in her daughter's was until she woke up, and everything around her had changed.

The house, while still livable, was covered in years worth of dust and plant over growth. The yard looked as if the property belonged to no one, and in the distance. Ikuko could barely see it as Sammy pointed it out to her. A tall crystal looking structure sitting there as if it had always been. Ikuko got a strange feeling in her gut. Things were never going to be the same for her family again.

Final word count: 4,338

Don't forget to follow/favorite/Review

Feedback gets me going on chapters and I'm more likely to continue this if I have some. Not really a threat but this is a pet project that I will work on when I'm in the mood to. A good mood fixer is reviews. I read them to get rid of laziness, and writers block. I loved this idea which is why I'm posting it because my fanfic ideas rarely end up on here.

Thank you for reading The Queen's Mother: The Story of Ikuko Tsukino.

Love,

~Miyu K.