It's late and I'm tired, but too much has happened for me to not write this down. I have to get it out somehow. Sometimes there are superheroes created to help protect the world, to keep it safe. You wish you could be like them, you wish you could save the world. Wishing it and actually experiencing it are two entirely different things, though. I wanted to be a Sailor Soldier, like Sailor Moon. She's pretty, she's strong, and she's saved Tokyo and the entire world many times. Her friends are amazing too – Sailor Jupiter controls the lightning. Sailor Venus has lasers. Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury have the power of fire and water. Pluto can control the sands of time, and Saturn has powers I can't even fathom. Sailors Neptune and Uranus are strong, cool, and collected. I wanted to be like them.
Things are different now. I know what it's like to look evil in the eye. I know what it's like to wonder if you'll make it out of a battle alive, and if you'll ever see your friends and family again. I know how it feels to save someone at any cost. And I know what it's like to lose hope completely, to feel like life as you knew it was destroyed… and to be pulled back from that despair and into the light again.
***
Luna had been facing a problem. It was a rather interesting problem, and one she hadn't had to worry about with Usagi for quite some time, especially since the last battle with Galaxia. She had hoped that would be the last battle, anyway. One never knew what bad guys could be lurking around the corner. However, considering Galaxia had nearly killed them all, and was quite possibly the strongest enemy they'd ever faced, Luna hoped that it was the last enemy they would have to battle. Who could be stronger than Galaxia?
"Usagi, I have something to tell you." The black cat let out a sigh. This was something she'd been debating telling Usagi for the better part of a week, and she felt now was a good a time as any to tell her what she'd found out. "I've found another Sailor Senshi."
"Are you sure, Luna?" Usagi asked. The blonde haired girl was sitting on her bed, her black cat seated next to her on the purple comforter. The two of them sat in Usagi's bedroom. Her room was typical of teenaged girls everywhere- posters of favorite singers and cute plush animals decorated the walls and bookshelves. Heaps of comic books lay on the floor, as did yesterday's dirty laundry. Homework lay neglected in a corner. Things hadn't changed much with Usagi since she first met the talking cat Luna a few years ago. "I thought there wasn't anyone else, that we had everyone."
"Well, that's what I thought too," Luna said, a sheepish look on her face. Luna was something of an intelligence source for the Sailor Soldiers- a cat could go around unnoticed in many places where a teenage girl would stand out. "But I've sensed energy that's like that of a Sailor Soldier in town, an energy that seems somewhat familiar to me. At first it felt to me like the energy I sense from Mamoru, but upon closer analysis, it has a distinctly female undercurrent." Luna looked up at Usagi. "I think there may be a Sailor Soldier of Earth that we missed." It was strange to Luna, considering the possibility of another Sailor Soldier. She'd honestly thought that her and Artemis had found them all.
"How could you miss that, Luna?" Usagi squealed in surprise. She was used to Luna knowing everything. Luna was the one who would point Usagi in the right direction when she got lost. Only rarely did Luna miss something. "We could have used her help in the battle against Galaxia! How could we have missed her then? If she's a Sailor Soldier, she should have a Star Seed, and Galaxia would have targeted her!"
"I don't know how Galaxia missed her, I honestly don't." Luna sighed. It frustrated her sometimes, when Usagi expected her to know all the answers to everything. Sometimes fighting evil didn't follow reason, and neither did the bad guys. "All I do know is that she's out there, and I must find her."
"Aren't we done with fighting, though?" Usagi sighed and flopped back on her bed. "I thought Galaxia was it, that when we defeated her, we were done fighting. Please, Luna, don't tell me there's another enemy."
"I'm not saying there is, Usagi-chan! I just want to find her, and if she's willing, help her learn about her past." Luna sighed. "I know you don't want to fight anymore. I don't want you to either – you or the rest of the girls. All I ever wanted for you, and all Queen Serenity ever wanted for you, was for you to live normal lives." Luna stood up and padded her way closer to Usagi's face, then looked down at her. "Just think, Usagi, you'll have another friend." Luna smiled, and at that, Usagi did too.
"I like making new friends," Usagi said. "I wonder if she knows how to make cookies." She giggled, and rolled on her side to face Luna. "Do you know where she is? Do you think you could find her?"
Luna thought for a moment. "I think she's in the Chiba district. I'll have to do a little more careful looking for her, but I think that's where she is."
Usagi thought for a moment. "Chiba… Luna, do you think she could be related to Mamo-chan?" she said with a giggle.
"It's entirely possible," Luna said, "but not just because of the district she lives in." Luna sighed. Usagi was always drawing silly conclusions like this. "Once I find out for sure where she lives, I'll let you know."
"Are you going to go out looking for her today, Luna?" Usagi asked. She was always a little impatient about things- another trait that irritated Luna at times.
"Yes, I guess I should," she said. She stood up and stretched out her front paws, and yawned a little bit. "It's not like I have anything pressing to do. There's no enemy to fight, so I figure a little time doing some detective work can't hurt."
"Maybe you could go get Artemis, and you two could look together, eh?" Usagi grinned goofily, and Luna rolled her eyes. Usagi was always trying to play matchmaker.
"That might actually be a good idea," Luna replied with a devious grin. "He is getting a little pudgy from all the napping he's been doing today, maybe a little exercise might do him good."
***
"Luna, this is too long of a walk!" Artemis panted as they headed towards the Chiba district, towards the southeast of Tokyo proper. Artemis was looking a little… well, out of shape. Luna laughed a little bit.
"Come on, Artemis, it's good to get out and take a good walk! Besides, you've been spending too much time napping on Minako's bed." Luna happily pranced a few paces ahead of Artemis, enjoying the new scenery. She liked being in Juuban, but she also was curious about new places. Considering she'd been in cold sleep until somewhat recently (maybe 5 years now, she wasn't sure), Earth today still seemed so different. It was hard to keep from comparing this to her life on the Moon, with Queen Serenity, the princess, and the Sailor Soldiers. It marveled her, how far the world had come since Metallia had attacked, and Queen Serenity sent everyone into the future.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't have agreed to this if you had told me we were walking. I was hoping we'd take the subway," Artemis said with a pout.
"Cats aren't allowed on the subway, silly." Luna shook her head. She had forgotten how much Artemis can complain sometimes. "Besides, it's sunny out, and warm too! It's a good day to be outside! And look, there's the Blue Leaf park. We could go in, take a little break, rest under a shady tree. Doesn't that sound nice?" She turned to Artemis and smiled at him.
"Ahh, that does sound nice." Artemis perked up at the thought of a rest. The two cats made their way into the park, looking up at the cherry trees. It was past their blossom time, but they were still pleasing to look at. Artemis took up the lead and, upon finding a particularly shady spot, he settled himself down in the cool grass. Luna caught up to him and sat next to him.
"We can't stay here too long, you know," Luna said. "We are on a mission here."
"I know, but it feels so good to lay down in the – Luna, do you feel that?" Artemis perked his head up and looked around. "We might not have to go hunting around. I think she's here."
Luna could feel it too- that same aura that she got from Mamoru, but with a female twist. She was here in the park? What a coincidence! She looked off to her left, and saw a girl, about Usagi's age, sitting under a tree and reading. She had brown hair tied up in odango, similar to Usagi's, but her hair was wavy where Usagi's was straight. She had blue eyes like Mamoru, but that could just be a coincidence. She wore glasses, and looked entirely absorbed in her book.
"That's her," Artemis whispered from behind her. "I'm sure of it. Absolutely sure."