Terrible Conditions
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Michiko-Chan
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[Insert Disclaimer HERE]
I woke up with a start. Not like how I usually would wake up, jumping forward after a nightmare. This wasn't a nightmare. Not this case. It was a feeling in my sleep. Almost like I was dizzy in my sleep. I had felt something related to this feeling once, but I wasn't asleep. It had happened twice. As a matter of fact, it was becoming quite common now. 2:30 in the morning. I peered down at my wife. She was sleeping peacefully next to me on her side, facing me. One hand was under her pillow, under her head while the other hand was placed on the mattress in front of her face. Her hair was down from her usual bun-style. Her hair, nowadays, was wavy, but still it looked golden, even as a few strands of silver began to move in, symbolizing her place at the throne. Just like her mother. Queen Serenity from the Moon Kingdom had had the silver hair. Luna had said it was a sign of maturity when the silver strands began to grow in. Soon, all of her hair would be silver, or so said Luna, and she would resemble the Silver Millennium's queen. Usagi was now Serenity, however. She was the Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo. And I was Neo-King Endymion. Her husband. She was my wife, and I couldn't be any happier with the life we had. We had a wonderful life, a beautiful daughter, and a palace looking over all of Tokyo. I bent over and placed a kiss on Serenity's temple, then slid out of the bed and walked across the floor to my closet. I put on a pair of pants and a button down shirt, then walked barefooted out of the room. I made sure to close the bedroom door behind me so there wouldn't be a draft for Serenity. Then I moved across the marble floors, passing through the hallways and ending up in a parlor room. I watched my shadow as I moved along. It jumped across the tall poles that supported the large roof. I moved behind them, and slipped out onto the long balcony that winded around the outside of the palace. Shutting the large glass door, I moved to stand on the marble flooring of the balcony edge, leaning against the railing. I stood there, watching the stars for a long time. They glowed brightly above the world, shining with the moon to light one's way at night. A breeze came from the east, ruffling my hair and my shirt, which was only half buttoned. The night, the moment was so peaceful, I just wanted to bury myself in the tranquility of it all. Thoughts of my life floated across my mind. I was happy. Serenity was happy. And our Small Lady was happy. With Tokyo at peace, everything was okay. No more evil to fight, well, for now. But Serenity and the Silver Crystal were still at danger to anyone and everyone. or anything. I began to think of when little Usagi would be able to use the Crystal. At what age, I wondered? And what about myself? What place did I have in this kingdom? Just king? Surely there was something else for me... Protect my wife and child. That seemed rational at the moment. Just take things slow, I told myself. Things will slowly climb upwards soon. Just settle into your surroundings now. It was becoming quite cold then, but I didn't mind. A chill never seemed to bother me. What would become of Serenity after Crystal Tokyo? Will Crystal Tokyo continue to live for continuous millenniums? How much longer does Tokyo have? I shook my head, and switched positions, leaning my elbows on the railing and supporting my weight through my arms. I looked at the wedding ring on my finger. Claim that I belonged to Serenity now. The ring then reminded me of life back in the 20th century. Before Serenity had married me. She was Usagi then. She still is, but that's just her life image name. She used to be Usako to me, and still is. But now she's my queen. And Chibi-Usa. that name is hardly used by any of us anymore. The Senshi refer to Usagi as "Princess". I call her Usagi, because that is her real name. Chibi-Usa had just been a nickname to tell the difference between the two Usagi girls. Then I laughed at how the two had used to fight all the time. That was quite a show, how they fought over me. if they were fighting over me. Either that, they just found competition in each other. Like Usagi and Rei- san. Not like those two fight anymore. They've refrained from fighting. Or at least when someone else is around. Frankly, I miss some of the action that used to go on. The palace is too quiet nowadays. When we first claimed the throne, there was such a hustle around the royal grounds that it was hard to think.
I almost jumped when I felt a pair of arms slip around my waist. Half- gasping, I turned my head to see Serenity there, her arms loosely around my waist, her front pressed against my back, with her head rolled forwards against my shirt. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling. I smiled back at her. When I fully turned to face her, I crossed my arms behind her back and held her to me. She was wearing her white silk nightgown with a very light pink shaded robe of silk protecting her from the cold, though it hardly did her justice. "Hi, Endy." she mumbled slightly. "Morning, my queen," I replied, kissing the top of her head. She squirmed a little. She was tired. "Usako, why are you out of bed? You should be sleeping. You've got a lot to do tomorrow," I somewhat whispered. She shifted in my arms. "Mm. I always have a lot to do. Why are you out of bed?" She opened her eyes and looked up at me. I watched her blue eyes for a moment, almost losing myself in them, then shook my head and closed my eyes, rolling my head halfway back. I peered up at the stars again. "I woke up." "No, duh," she poked my back with one of her nails. I winced and held her closer. Then I released her and moved past her to the wall. I leaned against the wall, watching her from my spot. She smiled and moved back over to me. Cuddling up next to me with my arm around her, she rested her head on my shoulder. Her left hand moved up and rested on my chest where my shirt wasn't buttoned. We remained like that for a little while. Perhaps ten minutes or so. I lost count after a while. It was only after I felt her give off an abrupt shiver that I felt she needed to go back to bed. "Serenity, go back inside. It's too cold out here. Don't worry, I'll be back in there in a little while, okay?" I rubbed her arm. She sighed and nodded, pulling away from me and walking back to the large glass doors. "Hurry up, okay?" "Sure, love." I smiled at her. She smiled back and went inside. I watched her move through the doorway, then close the door behind her. When I was sure she was gone, I moved back to the railing, leaning against it on my elbows. The breeze had died down by now, and left the stillness of the night more than noticeable. It felt a little disturbing, but I paid no mind to it, and began getting ready to go inside.
That was when the feeling came back.
I was turning around to go back inside, but that's when I felt like my mind flipped. The world spun, the ground moved from underneath my feet until I couldn't feel anything underneath me. Like I was flying. I tried to steady myself on the railing, but I couldn't reach the railing. That's when the falling sensation began to kick in. I saw everything fly past me, and a wind whipping at my back like I was falling. But it was impossible! I wasn't falling. the railing reached to my waist, so I couldn't just trip over it. Then the feeling of falling stopped, replaced by sudden stillness. A horrible stillness, like unconsciousness. Then I was falling again. I had no access to my limbs, or my mind for that matter. I was falling, and I just kept falling like the feelings from before.
But this time. I was falling for real.
The balcony of the palace seemed to get smaller and smaller as I fell further and further away from it, plummeting down the side of the Crystal Palace. The wind beat at my back. I closed my eyes and winced, waiting for that terrible moment when I would hit the ground. But when I closed my eyes. I saw something. Memories in my mind began to flash in front of me.
Usagi was there. 4 years old and handing me a rose, and I was only 8 years old. I had just met her then, and she was the first real friend I made that I could trust. She had known me almost all her life.
Usako. 14 years old and she was throwing a donut at me. I was 18 years old, and I caught the donut, then I ate it. She growled at me, then stormed away.
Sailor Moon at 15 years old when she was fighting to save me when the Dead Moon Circus minion took my Dream Mirror. I was 19.
There was myself, hanging out with the girls at the arcade, and Usako was sitting next to me, laying her head on my shoulder and smiling.
Where I died. after Galaxia took my Star Seed. I was 20.
But here I am now. living strong in a life of monarchy with my wife and child. I had protected the both of them, and now I was about to die. How did this happen? All I could feel was the wind, and that uneasy feeling in my stomach as the ground came closer and closer. I was just glad I didn't have to look at the hard ground as I collided to it. I closed my eyes tighter and formed fists. I felt the unbelievable boom pass through my body, and the soaring pain that only lasted a moment before everything turned black. I was dying now. I had expected death to be a little different from what I was experiencing at the moment. When I felt I could see somehow, I saw red flashing lights. Voices. Different voices everywhere. Several people standing around something in the crowd. A person. It was me. I was lying in the middle of a crowd, and Serenity was knelt down beside me. She was crying and holding my hand, yelling at me to wake up. It was almost like I could feel her tears. Usagi stood behind her, holding one of her various stuffed animals tightly in front of her. She wasn't crying. She was just staring, looking confused. That was like her. She never worried until she knew what was happening. Doctors ran to and from me, until they finally lifted my body on a stretcher and pulled my through the crowd. From there, I didn't see what happened. But it was different from looking through my actual eyes. I could see myself, and the dozens of people there. It was like I was floating above the crowd and watching like any other onlooker. I couldn't feel anything. I could only hear and see. No limbs, no body for that matter. The crowd slowly died away, and all that was left now was Serenity. She still sat on her knees, hugging her arms and crying. And right then, I would've given anything to hold her. Just to tell her I was alright. Just to make her fell better. She. was crying over me. She thought I was dead. And it almost looked like she was blaming herself for it. I continued watching her, trying with whatever will I had to reach out to her as little Usagi took tiny steps over to her mother and tried to look at her face. I heard her whisper, and Serenity held out her arms to her. Usagi, I'm sure, must have come to realize that I was dead, and she fell into Serenity's arms and cried into her robe. I wanted to cry, too. It broke my heart how sad they looked, and I had caused this sadness. Through the time they cried and went back inside, I began to feel something different. Like a voice was chanting inside of me, "You're not dead". My body was responding to my thoughts, wherever it was. Then I began to think: Whenever an occupant of the Crystal Palace was injured, he or she would spend their healing time in a special room inside the palace. My body would be there. And as I thought of this, everything drifted away into darkness, and I was alone again.
I don't know when it was when I awoke again. I can tell you what I felt, however. The air seemed stuffier than usual. It was dark, but objects in the room could be made out. It was warm in there, and my body was dead still. I was back in my body, but I couldn't move it. I was numb in a way. My bones ached, and my head hurt. It felt like my chest had swelled with nerves and energy. I didn't focus on my body for long. Soon, Serenity came back to mind. I was alive, and Serenity wasn't around. Those were the only two facts I could think about. I was alive. I had fallen from a tall palace wall and hit the ground with such an impact my bones should've shattered. But I was alive. Serenity. Usako, where was she? Was she okay? Did something happen while I was in a coma that had endangered Usako? I wouldn't have been able to live if so. I strained to move my limbs, but they just didn't respond to my commands. After five minutes of struggling, I finally gave up, convinced I wasn't going anywhere. My eyes were adjusting to the dark more, so I could see better. There was nothing in the room. Only this crystal bed. The sheets felt good under my back. It was then that I realized I wasn't in the same clothes as before. I was dressed in a pair of black pants and I had no shirt on. I sighed. Nowhere to go. No way to tell if everything was alright. If Usako was alright. I'm glad I didn't fall asleep again, because twenty minutes later, the door opened. A faint white light drowned out the darkness and a dark figure stood against the light. I squinted my eyes to see; my eyes did not adjust to the light right away. The flowing hair and gown gave away that it was Serenity. My wife. I smiled. I heard her gasp and rush to my side. Silk collided against each other, and ruffled against the marble floor as she lowered herself to her knees beside the bed and leaned over to peer at my face. I suppose the faint light giving into the room was enough for her, because when I smiled again to her, she smiled back, tears streaming, and leaned over to hug me. With every bit of strength I had, I lifted my arm a little and stroked her arm. She looked up at me, still crying. "Mamo-chan. What happened? How did you. Did you do it on purpose?" I almost laughed at that. I merely scoffed instead and sighed. "I don't know, Serenity. I honestly don't know what happened." I was whispering half the words. To my ears, my voice was mute, but I could tell by Serenity's expression that she could hear me. She placed a hand to my face and began crying all over again. She lifted herself and sat on the side of the bed, her legs draping over the side of the crystal. "Oh, god, Mamo-chan! I was so scared! I thought you had. died. What made you fall? Do you remember anything?" Her panic was setting in as it always did whenever I was hurt. "Don't worry, Usako. I think I've lost my memory too much to lose anymore." "How many fingers am I holding up?" She laughed while she talked, and held up three fingers in front of my face. I smirked. "Uh. eleven?" "Cute," she joked. She sat by me for a long time, trying her best to doctor me with what little medical knowledge she had. She put a cold washcloth to my forehead, then set it back on the table at the foot of the bed. She tried in every way to make the bed as comfortable as possible. She even tried to check the bandages on my arms and back. Finally I convinced her that I was just fine, and all the pain was merely in my bones, with which would die away soon. She cared so much; it warmed my heart. I never understood why this gracious creature would want anything to do with me. I was the loner, the one who never had any friends as a child, whose parents were dead, who had been made fun of by other children. and somehow, I fell into the arms of the princess in my dreams from a long time ago. She was the one who had told me to find the seven crystals that would lead to the Ginzuishou. That was how I found her true form in the first place. Why was I here? That question. had never left me alone every since the first day I stepped foot in this palace. And I thought of it on special days too, more than usual. Every anniversary, every birthday. when our Small Lady was born. That was the day that made me think more than any other, "How did I make it this far? I'm supposed to be dead!" But somehow, Usako had made everything worth living. After about twenty minutes of spending time with me, tears soaked her eyes again, though she tried to hide them. Finally breaking down again, she leaned over and kissed me. I kissed back, knowing how scared she had been for me, and still was. But with everything that was done and said in that room for the past twenty minutes, I think I had relieved her of some worry. All I could do now was wait for this pain to go away.
I suppose I fell asleep after a while. When I woke up again, Serenity was gone. The room wasn't dark anymore; a candle burned on the table. I turned my head somewhat to peer at my shadow as it danced across the wall. That teardrop of flame had the power to move my shadow. Something like that makes you think about it. I was just a teardrop of flame, small and partially useless. But when I was touched to another item, that item became a flame too, and that flame could make another flame. And so on and so forth. Plus, this small flame could become larger, and it had the power to move a shadow, to change another object's direction of light. I could move a shadow. I could move the city. Crystal Tokyo. But before I could move its whole shadow, I had to grow larger. Be a fire. How would I accomplish this, though? I couldn't just sit by my wife's side while she conducted the magic of keeping this city at peace. I fought physically. She fought magically. I did not have any regrets the fact that my wife was higher in power than me. I honestly didn't care. What I did care about was how I could do nothing to help her except swing a sword and assisting in making orders. No, I will grow larger. My respect while heighten and I will be just as powerful as Serenity some day. Right now, I just had to keep looking up and fighting. But I suppose I decided to be more optimistic at the wrong time. The sensation was sinking in again. Once more, I was falling. That dizzy feeling, like being drugged. Everything swirled around my eyes, and I grew a little nauseas. Breathing heavily, I tried my hardest to access my limbs and pull myself out of bed. Then I did fall. Out of bed, that is. In all my confusion, I had mechanically used my arms, gripped the side of the crystal framing, and pulled myself out of bed. I lay on my side, now, on the floor. My bones hurt more than ever, and my muscles strained under my skin. I had no will to get up. Laying there was no different than the bed. An image flashed through my head. Serenity and our Small Lady, their eyes closed, floating limp in the air with a background of pure light behind them. This always meant something. It meant they were in danger. Someone was hurting them. Enraged and prepared to smash in the skull of whoever dared to lay a hand on her for hurtful purposes, I summoned every inch of will and strength I had with my determination to save them and managed to pull myself up to my knees. I had no care of walking around the palace with no shirt on. Serenity and Usagi were more important that my humility. Ready to collapse again, I came up to my feet, walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the bright light of the day, now fading into an early sunset. I shielded my eyes from the painful light, then stumbled over the marble flooring to the stairs. I looked at the long flight of stairs that led up to our bedchambers. I sighed, winced, and began my ascent up the grand staircase. It almost took forever, but I managed it. I was breathing hard by the time I found the last step of the staircase. My energy was drained and my veins were pulsing so hard, my flesh seemed to seep with unthinkable heat of pulsing blood. Dropping my hands to my site, I walked the hallway a bit until I found the large doors of our room. One of the doors was cracked open some. I peeked in. It was too bright to see anything; Serenity had had the drapes of the windows pulled back to let in the light, since she was rarely allowed out of the palace due to work. Pulling up a hand, I pushed the door open. Instantly blinded again by the sudden gush of light, I rubbed my eyes and fought to see clearly. .Serenity lay on the bed, sleeping peacefully, undisturbed. Her hair was spread out underneath her body and a hand lay limp across her stomach, then other against the pillow. Her gown flailed out around her legs, and sheets on the bed hadn't been made; the bedspread seemed to make a nice, cozy little cradle for her. She seemed so angelic. Even though I was confused at what I had envisioned before, I merely walked to the bed and sat down beside her, watching her. I reached over to touch her face. She stirred a little, rolling onto her left side, facing me. Her legs curled up in front of her, twisting her gown from around her. I smiled. My wife. She meant so much to me. I'd never let anyone hurt her again. I stood from the bed and walked to the closet, still in pain. Pulling out one of my silk shirts, I slipped it on, leaving it unbuttoned, and went to join my wife. I climbed into bed beside her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her back against my chest. Kissing her shoulder, and lay my head down and slept.
I awoke at night. Supposedly around 10:00. Something had woken me up. It wasn't the pain in my body are the movements of Serenity next to me. It was the dizziness in my head. Falling in my sleep, just like before. I groaned, straining to open my eyes. Gushes of pain drove through my head like spikes. I couldn't sleep, nor could I wake up. I could feel my body responding to commands I didn't make. Like my hands forming into fists and my hard breathing. I felt something against my chest. Inside me, it felt like a barrier, not allowing me to breathe. But on the outside. it was Serenity. Somehow, my eyes finally opened with the room spinning around me. I looked down. Even though nothing stood still to my vision, Serenity was there, lying in my arms, motionless. She was smiling somewhat in her sleep, her face nuzzled into my collar. She had turned to face me in her sleep, some time back. Now her hands pressed against my bare chest and stomach. She seemed quite comfortable. Slowly, the room stopped spinning and I could see straight again as my thoughts centered on Serenity. I watched her for several moments, stroking her hair and her back. Poor wife. She always had so much to do just to attain peace throughout this kingdom. But it was worth it. As long as no one was disturbed, this planet would remain serene.
It was a few moments later that I heard the door of our room slowly creak open. I opened my eyes and peered past Serenity's head. No one was at the door. No one stood in the doorway. Shrugging, and assuming perhaps a gust from another door closing had blown the door open, I lay my head back down.
"Daddy?"
I opened my eyes again, and this time I sat halfway up. Usagi stood in the doorway. I laughed to myself. Our bed was so big that the bottom half of the doorway couldn't be seen from the side of the bed Serenity and I lay on. Rubbing Serenity's hand, I slid out of the bed and moved over to Usagi. I smiled. "What's wrong, honey?" She whimpered and rubbed her head. "My head hurts." I scoffed a little and ruffled her pink hair, kneeling down in front of her. "Do we need a surgeon?" "No!" She cried out, smiling somewhat. I laughed. Then I heard the ruffling of silk and a slight moan. I stood up and looked over at Serenity. She shifted in her sleep, mumbling something of a dream and bringing my pillow down. She gave it her "death hug", one of her hugs where she puts her arms around something or someone so tight they can't breathe or their circulation is cut off. She definitely was dreaming again. "Daddy, my head still hurts," Usagi whimpered, clutching the sides of her pajama gown. I turned back to her and knelt down in front of her. "Well, I'll see what I can do for you. Need something to drink?" She shook her head. "Well, go back to bed and I'll get Mercury-san to see about it." "No," she whispered. I watched her. "You." She pointed a finger to me. I smiled again and nodded. Kissing her forehead, just above the small crescent moon symbol, I turned her around and urged her to go back to her bedroom. "I'll be there in a minute," I called to her as she shut the door behind her. Sighing, I moved back to go back to Serenity, but somewhat stopped me. The room began to spin again. This time, I felt some kind of panging in my chest, and a throbbing in my mind. I gaped a little and stumbled backwards, gripping the footboard of the bed. I had one head-rush after another. Then I was falling again. I fell onto the floor, staring at the ceiling. White invaded my vision, then disappeared slowly, replacing the room. I breathed heavily. Then I cried out quietly as a deep hurting in my body began to take place. I gripped at my shirt, ripping at it. I heard seams snap, and I shut my eyes tightly. This feeling was once again replaced by the dizziness. Laying on the floor, gripping at my shirt still, even though that pain was gone, I watched as the bed towered over me, then fell on me, then towered and fell, towered and fell. I closed my eyes. What was going on?! Why was I feeling this? In my confusion and dizziness, I lost consciousness.
"Daddy?"
Was that. Usagi?
"Daddy, get up!"
Usagi. my daughter.
"Daddy! No, don't leave again!"
. Leave.?
"Daddy!!!"
My eyes darted open when I heard the painful cry from my daughter. I gasped and peered up at her. I was still on the floor, and she was on her knees beside me, her hands on my shoulder. Tears stung her eyes. She was almost crying. Her crimson eyes lighted up when she saw me, and she bent over and hugged me. "Daddy, don't do that again!" She sobbed into my shirt quietly. I sighed, relieved that everything was still okay. I reached up and stroked Usagi's back. My daughter then lifted herself to her feet, swiping the back of her hands across her eyes. She reached down and picked up a blue teddy bear, hugging it to her. "Daddy? What happened?" "I don't know, sweetie." I whispered, lifting myself to a sitting position. She watched me, blinking her big eyes as I stood up and watched her. The spinning had stopped, and I felt okay again. A slight tinge of heartburn bit me, but I ignored it. I smiled at Usagi. "Come on, Usagi. I'll tuck you in again." And I led her back to her bedroom. As I existed our bedchamber, I heard something. It was the faint sound of someone crying. I looked back in the room. Serenity lay peacefully asleep in the bed, still hugging that pillow. I watched her for a second, then sighed and walked to Usagi's bedroom, the small, faint sound of someone crying echoing through my head.
[Insert Disclaimer HERE]
I woke up with a start. Not like how I usually would wake up, jumping forward after a nightmare. This wasn't a nightmare. Not this case. It was a feeling in my sleep. Almost like I was dizzy in my sleep. I had felt something related to this feeling once, but I wasn't asleep. It had happened twice. As a matter of fact, it was becoming quite common now. 2:30 in the morning. I peered down at my wife. She was sleeping peacefully next to me on her side, facing me. One hand was under her pillow, under her head while the other hand was placed on the mattress in front of her face. Her hair was down from her usual bun-style. Her hair, nowadays, was wavy, but still it looked golden, even as a few strands of silver began to move in, symbolizing her place at the throne. Just like her mother. Queen Serenity from the Moon Kingdom had had the silver hair. Luna had said it was a sign of maturity when the silver strands began to grow in. Soon, all of her hair would be silver, or so said Luna, and she would resemble the Silver Millennium's queen. Usagi was now Serenity, however. She was the Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo. And I was Neo-King Endymion. Her husband. She was my wife, and I couldn't be any happier with the life we had. We had a wonderful life, a beautiful daughter, and a palace looking over all of Tokyo. I bent over and placed a kiss on Serenity's temple, then slid out of the bed and walked across the floor to my closet. I put on a pair of pants and a button down shirt, then walked barefooted out of the room. I made sure to close the bedroom door behind me so there wouldn't be a draft for Serenity. Then I moved across the marble floors, passing through the hallways and ending up in a parlor room. I watched my shadow as I moved along. It jumped across the tall poles that supported the large roof. I moved behind them, and slipped out onto the long balcony that winded around the outside of the palace. Shutting the large glass door, I moved to stand on the marble flooring of the balcony edge, leaning against the railing. I stood there, watching the stars for a long time. They glowed brightly above the world, shining with the moon to light one's way at night. A breeze came from the east, ruffling my hair and my shirt, which was only half buttoned. The night, the moment was so peaceful, I just wanted to bury myself in the tranquility of it all. Thoughts of my life floated across my mind. I was happy. Serenity was happy. And our Small Lady was happy. With Tokyo at peace, everything was okay. No more evil to fight, well, for now. But Serenity and the Silver Crystal were still at danger to anyone and everyone. or anything. I began to think of when little Usagi would be able to use the Crystal. At what age, I wondered? And what about myself? What place did I have in this kingdom? Just king? Surely there was something else for me... Protect my wife and child. That seemed rational at the moment. Just take things slow, I told myself. Things will slowly climb upwards soon. Just settle into your surroundings now. It was becoming quite cold then, but I didn't mind. A chill never seemed to bother me. What would become of Serenity after Crystal Tokyo? Will Crystal Tokyo continue to live for continuous millenniums? How much longer does Tokyo have? I shook my head, and switched positions, leaning my elbows on the railing and supporting my weight through my arms. I looked at the wedding ring on my finger. Claim that I belonged to Serenity now. The ring then reminded me of life back in the 20th century. Before Serenity had married me. She was Usagi then. She still is, but that's just her life image name. She used to be Usako to me, and still is. But now she's my queen. And Chibi-Usa. that name is hardly used by any of us anymore. The Senshi refer to Usagi as "Princess". I call her Usagi, because that is her real name. Chibi-Usa had just been a nickname to tell the difference between the two Usagi girls. Then I laughed at how the two had used to fight all the time. That was quite a show, how they fought over me. if they were fighting over me. Either that, they just found competition in each other. Like Usagi and Rei- san. Not like those two fight anymore. They've refrained from fighting. Or at least when someone else is around. Frankly, I miss some of the action that used to go on. The palace is too quiet nowadays. When we first claimed the throne, there was such a hustle around the royal grounds that it was hard to think.
I almost jumped when I felt a pair of arms slip around my waist. Half- gasping, I turned my head to see Serenity there, her arms loosely around my waist, her front pressed against my back, with her head rolled forwards against my shirt. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling. I smiled back at her. When I fully turned to face her, I crossed my arms behind her back and held her to me. She was wearing her white silk nightgown with a very light pink shaded robe of silk protecting her from the cold, though it hardly did her justice. "Hi, Endy." she mumbled slightly. "Morning, my queen," I replied, kissing the top of her head. She squirmed a little. She was tired. "Usako, why are you out of bed? You should be sleeping. You've got a lot to do tomorrow," I somewhat whispered. She shifted in my arms. "Mm. I always have a lot to do. Why are you out of bed?" She opened her eyes and looked up at me. I watched her blue eyes for a moment, almost losing myself in them, then shook my head and closed my eyes, rolling my head halfway back. I peered up at the stars again. "I woke up." "No, duh," she poked my back with one of her nails. I winced and held her closer. Then I released her and moved past her to the wall. I leaned against the wall, watching her from my spot. She smiled and moved back over to me. Cuddling up next to me with my arm around her, she rested her head on my shoulder. Her left hand moved up and rested on my chest where my shirt wasn't buttoned. We remained like that for a little while. Perhaps ten minutes or so. I lost count after a while. It was only after I felt her give off an abrupt shiver that I felt she needed to go back to bed. "Serenity, go back inside. It's too cold out here. Don't worry, I'll be back in there in a little while, okay?" I rubbed her arm. She sighed and nodded, pulling away from me and walking back to the large glass doors. "Hurry up, okay?" "Sure, love." I smiled at her. She smiled back and went inside. I watched her move through the doorway, then close the door behind her. When I was sure she was gone, I moved back to the railing, leaning against it on my elbows. The breeze had died down by now, and left the stillness of the night more than noticeable. It felt a little disturbing, but I paid no mind to it, and began getting ready to go inside.
That was when the feeling came back.
I was turning around to go back inside, but that's when I felt like my mind flipped. The world spun, the ground moved from underneath my feet until I couldn't feel anything underneath me. Like I was flying. I tried to steady myself on the railing, but I couldn't reach the railing. That's when the falling sensation began to kick in. I saw everything fly past me, and a wind whipping at my back like I was falling. But it was impossible! I wasn't falling. the railing reached to my waist, so I couldn't just trip over it. Then the feeling of falling stopped, replaced by sudden stillness. A horrible stillness, like unconsciousness. Then I was falling again. I had no access to my limbs, or my mind for that matter. I was falling, and I just kept falling like the feelings from before.
But this time. I was falling for real.
The balcony of the palace seemed to get smaller and smaller as I fell further and further away from it, plummeting down the side of the Crystal Palace. The wind beat at my back. I closed my eyes and winced, waiting for that terrible moment when I would hit the ground. But when I closed my eyes. I saw something. Memories in my mind began to flash in front of me.
Usagi was there. 4 years old and handing me a rose, and I was only 8 years old. I had just met her then, and she was the first real friend I made that I could trust. She had known me almost all her life.
Usako. 14 years old and she was throwing a donut at me. I was 18 years old, and I caught the donut, then I ate it. She growled at me, then stormed away.
Sailor Moon at 15 years old when she was fighting to save me when the Dead Moon Circus minion took my Dream Mirror. I was 19.
There was myself, hanging out with the girls at the arcade, and Usako was sitting next to me, laying her head on my shoulder and smiling.
Where I died. after Galaxia took my Star Seed. I was 20.
But here I am now. living strong in a life of monarchy with my wife and child. I had protected the both of them, and now I was about to die. How did this happen? All I could feel was the wind, and that uneasy feeling in my stomach as the ground came closer and closer. I was just glad I didn't have to look at the hard ground as I collided to it. I closed my eyes tighter and formed fists. I felt the unbelievable boom pass through my body, and the soaring pain that only lasted a moment before everything turned black. I was dying now. I had expected death to be a little different from what I was experiencing at the moment. When I felt I could see somehow, I saw red flashing lights. Voices. Different voices everywhere. Several people standing around something in the crowd. A person. It was me. I was lying in the middle of a crowd, and Serenity was knelt down beside me. She was crying and holding my hand, yelling at me to wake up. It was almost like I could feel her tears. Usagi stood behind her, holding one of her various stuffed animals tightly in front of her. She wasn't crying. She was just staring, looking confused. That was like her. She never worried until she knew what was happening. Doctors ran to and from me, until they finally lifted my body on a stretcher and pulled my through the crowd. From there, I didn't see what happened. But it was different from looking through my actual eyes. I could see myself, and the dozens of people there. It was like I was floating above the crowd and watching like any other onlooker. I couldn't feel anything. I could only hear and see. No limbs, no body for that matter. The crowd slowly died away, and all that was left now was Serenity. She still sat on her knees, hugging her arms and crying. And right then, I would've given anything to hold her. Just to tell her I was alright. Just to make her fell better. She. was crying over me. She thought I was dead. And it almost looked like she was blaming herself for it. I continued watching her, trying with whatever will I had to reach out to her as little Usagi took tiny steps over to her mother and tried to look at her face. I heard her whisper, and Serenity held out her arms to her. Usagi, I'm sure, must have come to realize that I was dead, and she fell into Serenity's arms and cried into her robe. I wanted to cry, too. It broke my heart how sad they looked, and I had caused this sadness. Through the time they cried and went back inside, I began to feel something different. Like a voice was chanting inside of me, "You're not dead". My body was responding to my thoughts, wherever it was. Then I began to think: Whenever an occupant of the Crystal Palace was injured, he or she would spend their healing time in a special room inside the palace. My body would be there. And as I thought of this, everything drifted away into darkness, and I was alone again.
I don't know when it was when I awoke again. I can tell you what I felt, however. The air seemed stuffier than usual. It was dark, but objects in the room could be made out. It was warm in there, and my body was dead still. I was back in my body, but I couldn't move it. I was numb in a way. My bones ached, and my head hurt. It felt like my chest had swelled with nerves and energy. I didn't focus on my body for long. Soon, Serenity came back to mind. I was alive, and Serenity wasn't around. Those were the only two facts I could think about. I was alive. I had fallen from a tall palace wall and hit the ground with such an impact my bones should've shattered. But I was alive. Serenity. Usako, where was she? Was she okay? Did something happen while I was in a coma that had endangered Usako? I wouldn't have been able to live if so. I strained to move my limbs, but they just didn't respond to my commands. After five minutes of struggling, I finally gave up, convinced I wasn't going anywhere. My eyes were adjusting to the dark more, so I could see better. There was nothing in the room. Only this crystal bed. The sheets felt good under my back. It was then that I realized I wasn't in the same clothes as before. I was dressed in a pair of black pants and I had no shirt on. I sighed. Nowhere to go. No way to tell if everything was alright. If Usako was alright. I'm glad I didn't fall asleep again, because twenty minutes later, the door opened. A faint white light drowned out the darkness and a dark figure stood against the light. I squinted my eyes to see; my eyes did not adjust to the light right away. The flowing hair and gown gave away that it was Serenity. My wife. I smiled. I heard her gasp and rush to my side. Silk collided against each other, and ruffled against the marble floor as she lowered herself to her knees beside the bed and leaned over to peer at my face. I suppose the faint light giving into the room was enough for her, because when I smiled again to her, she smiled back, tears streaming, and leaned over to hug me. With every bit of strength I had, I lifted my arm a little and stroked her arm. She looked up at me, still crying. "Mamo-chan. What happened? How did you. Did you do it on purpose?" I almost laughed at that. I merely scoffed instead and sighed. "I don't know, Serenity. I honestly don't know what happened." I was whispering half the words. To my ears, my voice was mute, but I could tell by Serenity's expression that she could hear me. She placed a hand to my face and began crying all over again. She lifted herself and sat on the side of the bed, her legs draping over the side of the crystal. "Oh, god, Mamo-chan! I was so scared! I thought you had. died. What made you fall? Do you remember anything?" Her panic was setting in as it always did whenever I was hurt. "Don't worry, Usako. I think I've lost my memory too much to lose anymore." "How many fingers am I holding up?" She laughed while she talked, and held up three fingers in front of my face. I smirked. "Uh. eleven?" "Cute," she joked. She sat by me for a long time, trying her best to doctor me with what little medical knowledge she had. She put a cold washcloth to my forehead, then set it back on the table at the foot of the bed. She tried in every way to make the bed as comfortable as possible. She even tried to check the bandages on my arms and back. Finally I convinced her that I was just fine, and all the pain was merely in my bones, with which would die away soon. She cared so much; it warmed my heart. I never understood why this gracious creature would want anything to do with me. I was the loner, the one who never had any friends as a child, whose parents were dead, who had been made fun of by other children. and somehow, I fell into the arms of the princess in my dreams from a long time ago. She was the one who had told me to find the seven crystals that would lead to the Ginzuishou. That was how I found her true form in the first place. Why was I here? That question. had never left me alone every since the first day I stepped foot in this palace. And I thought of it on special days too, more than usual. Every anniversary, every birthday. when our Small Lady was born. That was the day that made me think more than any other, "How did I make it this far? I'm supposed to be dead!" But somehow, Usako had made everything worth living. After about twenty minutes of spending time with me, tears soaked her eyes again, though she tried to hide them. Finally breaking down again, she leaned over and kissed me. I kissed back, knowing how scared she had been for me, and still was. But with everything that was done and said in that room for the past twenty minutes, I think I had relieved her of some worry. All I could do now was wait for this pain to go away.
I suppose I fell asleep after a while. When I woke up again, Serenity was gone. The room wasn't dark anymore; a candle burned on the table. I turned my head somewhat to peer at my shadow as it danced across the wall. That teardrop of flame had the power to move my shadow. Something like that makes you think about it. I was just a teardrop of flame, small and partially useless. But when I was touched to another item, that item became a flame too, and that flame could make another flame. And so on and so forth. Plus, this small flame could become larger, and it had the power to move a shadow, to change another object's direction of light. I could move a shadow. I could move the city. Crystal Tokyo. But before I could move its whole shadow, I had to grow larger. Be a fire. How would I accomplish this, though? I couldn't just sit by my wife's side while she conducted the magic of keeping this city at peace. I fought physically. She fought magically. I did not have any regrets the fact that my wife was higher in power than me. I honestly didn't care. What I did care about was how I could do nothing to help her except swing a sword and assisting in making orders. No, I will grow larger. My respect while heighten and I will be just as powerful as Serenity some day. Right now, I just had to keep looking up and fighting. But I suppose I decided to be more optimistic at the wrong time. The sensation was sinking in again. Once more, I was falling. That dizzy feeling, like being drugged. Everything swirled around my eyes, and I grew a little nauseas. Breathing heavily, I tried my hardest to access my limbs and pull myself out of bed. Then I did fall. Out of bed, that is. In all my confusion, I had mechanically used my arms, gripped the side of the crystal framing, and pulled myself out of bed. I lay on my side, now, on the floor. My bones hurt more than ever, and my muscles strained under my skin. I had no will to get up. Laying there was no different than the bed. An image flashed through my head. Serenity and our Small Lady, their eyes closed, floating limp in the air with a background of pure light behind them. This always meant something. It meant they were in danger. Someone was hurting them. Enraged and prepared to smash in the skull of whoever dared to lay a hand on her for hurtful purposes, I summoned every inch of will and strength I had with my determination to save them and managed to pull myself up to my knees. I had no care of walking around the palace with no shirt on. Serenity and Usagi were more important that my humility. Ready to collapse again, I came up to my feet, walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the bright light of the day, now fading into an early sunset. I shielded my eyes from the painful light, then stumbled over the marble flooring to the stairs. I looked at the long flight of stairs that led up to our bedchambers. I sighed, winced, and began my ascent up the grand staircase. It almost took forever, but I managed it. I was breathing hard by the time I found the last step of the staircase. My energy was drained and my veins were pulsing so hard, my flesh seemed to seep with unthinkable heat of pulsing blood. Dropping my hands to my site, I walked the hallway a bit until I found the large doors of our room. One of the doors was cracked open some. I peeked in. It was too bright to see anything; Serenity had had the drapes of the windows pulled back to let in the light, since she was rarely allowed out of the palace due to work. Pulling up a hand, I pushed the door open. Instantly blinded again by the sudden gush of light, I rubbed my eyes and fought to see clearly. .Serenity lay on the bed, sleeping peacefully, undisturbed. Her hair was spread out underneath her body and a hand lay limp across her stomach, then other against the pillow. Her gown flailed out around her legs, and sheets on the bed hadn't been made; the bedspread seemed to make a nice, cozy little cradle for her. She seemed so angelic. Even though I was confused at what I had envisioned before, I merely walked to the bed and sat down beside her, watching her. I reached over to touch her face. She stirred a little, rolling onto her left side, facing me. Her legs curled up in front of her, twisting her gown from around her. I smiled. My wife. She meant so much to me. I'd never let anyone hurt her again. I stood from the bed and walked to the closet, still in pain. Pulling out one of my silk shirts, I slipped it on, leaving it unbuttoned, and went to join my wife. I climbed into bed beside her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her back against my chest. Kissing her shoulder, and lay my head down and slept.
I awoke at night. Supposedly around 10:00. Something had woken me up. It wasn't the pain in my body are the movements of Serenity next to me. It was the dizziness in my head. Falling in my sleep, just like before. I groaned, straining to open my eyes. Gushes of pain drove through my head like spikes. I couldn't sleep, nor could I wake up. I could feel my body responding to commands I didn't make. Like my hands forming into fists and my hard breathing. I felt something against my chest. Inside me, it felt like a barrier, not allowing me to breathe. But on the outside. it was Serenity. Somehow, my eyes finally opened with the room spinning around me. I looked down. Even though nothing stood still to my vision, Serenity was there, lying in my arms, motionless. She was smiling somewhat in her sleep, her face nuzzled into my collar. She had turned to face me in her sleep, some time back. Now her hands pressed against my bare chest and stomach. She seemed quite comfortable. Slowly, the room stopped spinning and I could see straight again as my thoughts centered on Serenity. I watched her for several moments, stroking her hair and her back. Poor wife. She always had so much to do just to attain peace throughout this kingdom. But it was worth it. As long as no one was disturbed, this planet would remain serene.
It was a few moments later that I heard the door of our room slowly creak open. I opened my eyes and peered past Serenity's head. No one was at the door. No one stood in the doorway. Shrugging, and assuming perhaps a gust from another door closing had blown the door open, I lay my head back down.
"Daddy?"
I opened my eyes again, and this time I sat halfway up. Usagi stood in the doorway. I laughed to myself. Our bed was so big that the bottom half of the doorway couldn't be seen from the side of the bed Serenity and I lay on. Rubbing Serenity's hand, I slid out of the bed and moved over to Usagi. I smiled. "What's wrong, honey?" She whimpered and rubbed her head. "My head hurts." I scoffed a little and ruffled her pink hair, kneeling down in front of her. "Do we need a surgeon?" "No!" She cried out, smiling somewhat. I laughed. Then I heard the ruffling of silk and a slight moan. I stood up and looked over at Serenity. She shifted in her sleep, mumbling something of a dream and bringing my pillow down. She gave it her "death hug", one of her hugs where she puts her arms around something or someone so tight they can't breathe or their circulation is cut off. She definitely was dreaming again. "Daddy, my head still hurts," Usagi whimpered, clutching the sides of her pajama gown. I turned back to her and knelt down in front of her. "Well, I'll see what I can do for you. Need something to drink?" She shook her head. "Well, go back to bed and I'll get Mercury-san to see about it." "No," she whispered. I watched her. "You." She pointed a finger to me. I smiled again and nodded. Kissing her forehead, just above the small crescent moon symbol, I turned her around and urged her to go back to her bedroom. "I'll be there in a minute," I called to her as she shut the door behind her. Sighing, I moved back to go back to Serenity, but somewhat stopped me. The room began to spin again. This time, I felt some kind of panging in my chest, and a throbbing in my mind. I gaped a little and stumbled backwards, gripping the footboard of the bed. I had one head-rush after another. Then I was falling again. I fell onto the floor, staring at the ceiling. White invaded my vision, then disappeared slowly, replacing the room. I breathed heavily. Then I cried out quietly as a deep hurting in my body began to take place. I gripped at my shirt, ripping at it. I heard seams snap, and I shut my eyes tightly. This feeling was once again replaced by the dizziness. Laying on the floor, gripping at my shirt still, even though that pain was gone, I watched as the bed towered over me, then fell on me, then towered and fell, towered and fell. I closed my eyes. What was going on?! Why was I feeling this? In my confusion and dizziness, I lost consciousness.
"Daddy?"
Was that. Usagi?
"Daddy, get up!"
Usagi. my daughter.
"Daddy! No, don't leave again!"
. Leave.?
"Daddy!!!"
My eyes darted open when I heard the painful cry from my daughter. I gasped and peered up at her. I was still on the floor, and she was on her knees beside me, her hands on my shoulder. Tears stung her eyes. She was almost crying. Her crimson eyes lighted up when she saw me, and she bent over and hugged me. "Daddy, don't do that again!" She sobbed into my shirt quietly. I sighed, relieved that everything was still okay. I reached up and stroked Usagi's back. My daughter then lifted herself to her feet, swiping the back of her hands across her eyes. She reached down and picked up a blue teddy bear, hugging it to her. "Daddy? What happened?" "I don't know, sweetie." I whispered, lifting myself to a sitting position. She watched me, blinking her big eyes as I stood up and watched her. The spinning had stopped, and I felt okay again. A slight tinge of heartburn bit me, but I ignored it. I smiled at Usagi. "Come on, Usagi. I'll tuck you in again." And I led her back to her bedroom. As I existed our bedchamber, I heard something. It was the faint sound of someone crying. I looked back in the room. Serenity lay peacefully asleep in the bed, still hugging that pillow. I watched her for a second, then sighed and walked to Usagi's bedroom, the small, faint sound of someone crying echoing through my head.