A Heart Mended
By Bashfulglowfly
Chapter Two
The blackness began to fade. Usagi heard a heart thumping steadily beneath her ear and felt a calloused hand stroking her hair and a strong arm beneath her shoulders. But she knew it was not Mamoru who was holding her.
"…believe it. She attacked her own guardians!" Said one voice.
Another voice rife with irritation spoke, "Will you quit saying that. We know!"
"They betrayed her. All of them." Said a third voice.
"Oathbreakers." The chest beneath Usagi's cheek rumbled.
"Well, we could be considered to be the same." Said the second voice.
"No. We never broke our oaths to him. Never. She tortured us. Brainwashed us. We never broke faith with him…he broke faith with us."
Usagi opened her eyes.
Looking down at her was Kunzite. He smiled gently as he stroked back her hair. "Hello, Princess."
She looked to her side and saw Nephrite, Jadeite and Zoicite all smiling at her. She looked back up at Kunzite. "I thought you were dead."
Male laughter rang out. Kunzite smiled and sat her upright. "The rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated."
"But…" her voice trailed off.
Zoicite reached over and tapped her nose. "Remember, you died too. Yet you're still here."
Usagi rubbed her forehead. "I think my brain is broken."
"Don't think about what happened to us too much." Advised Nephrite. "We have bigger things to worry about now."
Zoicite took hold of her hand. His bottle green eyes gazed into hers. "I'm sorry that they broke your heart." He said solemnly.
Usagi tried to dash away the tears but they fell down her cheeks like a waterfall. Kunzite pulled her back against his chest. "I'm not in a nightmare, am I."
"No."
"I've tried so hard. I've worked and practiced and tried to become a better fighter but it just doesn't seem to click." She said mournfully.
Jadeite snorted. "That's because you never learned in the first place." The others looked at him. "Remember what we were told? Back in the Silver Millennium?"
Nephrite frowned for a second, his brown eyes staring into the past. "Oh, Princess Serenity was untrained in the skills of a Senshi."
"She never learned to fight or to lead as a Senshi." Agreed Jadeite. "And because of that, she doesn't have the ability to do it now."
"And the Senshi only learned in the training arena. Under the supervision of a Senior Senshi." Said Kunzite. "They never learned what it was like to truly go to battle. And because, they were still learning when the Silver Alliance fell, they never learned how to teach someone like Sailor Moon. Or how to integrate her into their ranks."
"LORD JADEITE!"
"USAGI!"
The Shitennou leapt to their feet. Kunzite moved Usagi to his left side, holding her close.
Running towards them were two girls, younger than Usagi. Their long, dark hair flew behind them. Running behind the two girls were a man with waist-length white hair and a woman with long curly black hair.
Jadeite gasped then held out his arms. The two girls ran into them. He held them close for a moment, then pulled back. He looked them up and down, his hands brushing over their heads, shoulders and arms. "Are you alright? She didn't get you, did she?"
The girl on the right shook her head. "No, Sailor Moon's tiara deflected her fire."
The girl on the left just shook all over. "She attacked us. Sailor Mars attacked us!"
Jadeite pulled them close, kissing the top of their heads. "I'll never let her attack you again."
The man and woman stopped before them, panting for breath. Usagi looked at the two girls then at the man and woman. "Phobos? Deimos?" She asked uncertainly. The two girls nodded. "Artemis? Luna?"
Artemis smiled as he sucked in air. "Yes. We changed to our human forms because we didn't want the others to see us."
Luna stepped forward and hugged Usagi close. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea of what was going on between Minako and Mamoru. Nor did I know what they were planning on doing to you."
"It's not your fault." Usagi looked at the two former cats. "I know you couldn't have known."
"Mercury has that computer of hers and she's using it." Said Luna. "They're coming. You need to summon the Outers."
Usagi was confused. "The Outers?"
Luna nodded. "There are other planets in this solar system, my dear, and they have their own Senshi."
"I guess I never really thought about it." Said Usagi.
"I know." Luna patted her cheek. "I never bothered to bring it up. The Outers – Sailor Pluto, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Saturn – traditionally have had different duties than the Inners. But you need them. You need them now."
"But how do I summon them, Luna?"
"You must become Princess Serenity. You won't be able to do it as Sailor Moon."
Kunzite frowned. "But she'll have to become Sailor Moon to become Princess Serenity. Mercury will detect that."
Luna bit her lip. Artemis stepped forward. "Lord Kunzite, we don't have a choice. She needs the Outers."
Usagi looked up at Kunzite, then at Jadeite who was still holding the traumatized Phobos and Deimos. She met the eyes of Nephrite and Zoicite, who nodded gravely at her. She turned to Luna and Artemis, "What do I need to do?"
Luna smiled sadly. "It's simple. Just say their names and then say 'I summon you to my side.'"
Usagi took a deep breath. "Get ready. Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" The transformation faded. Sailor Moon could hear shouting on the far side of the park. "They're coming." She pulled out her wand just in case.
Kunzite stood close to her, sword at the ready. Jadeite pushed the two girls closer to Sailor Moon and stood next to Nephrite and Zoicite, shielding Sailor Moon. Artemis stood behind them with a sword in his hand. Luna pulled Phobos and Deimos further back until they were standing close to Sailor Moon and Kunzite.
Sailor Moon took a deep breath, concentrated and transformed into Serenity. When she opened her eyes, she saw that her wand had transformed into a rod. She held it in the air and with all her might; she called "SAILOR PLUTO! SAILOR NEPTUNE! SAILOR URANUS! SAILOR SATURN! I SUMMON YOU TO MY SIDE!"
"Princess, we are here." Came a quiet voice.
Serenity looked and before her stood three women and a girl. She smiled. She knew them even if she had never met them in this lifetime. "Pluto, Neptune and Uranus, it is so good to see you again." She turned to the girl. "Saturn, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, even under these circumstances."
"What the hell is going on?" demanded Uranus.
Pluto gasped and staggered, Kunzite grabbed her elbow. "The timeline has changed…" Pluto whispered. "I don't know what happened."
Kunzite stared at her with thoughtful eyes. "This wasn't supposed to happen? Can it be fixed?"
Pluto gazed into her Orb, and then shook her head. "No." She looked at Serenity. "I'm sorry, but what is happening now cannot be changed. Ever."
Serenity took a deep breath. Her hand reached out for Kunzite's. He raised her hand and brought it to his lips and gently kissed the back of it. "We'll help you get through this." Serenity smiled. He looked at the Outers and quickly explained what was going on.
"They're here!" Shouted Jadeite.
Neptune's eyes narrowed. Her silvery voice was hard. "They dare to hunt our Princess as if she's an animal. They dare to attack her and demand that she turn over the Ginzuishou as if it is their right to have it in their possession."
A frown covered Saturn's tiny face. "I don't think so." She moved to Nephrite's side. He gave a surprised glance to see such a little girl dressed as a Senshi but he wasn't a Seer for nothing…he could feel the power emanating off her. He signaled to Zoicite and Jadeite not to say anything.
The Inner Senshi appeared before them.
