Chapter Two: Usagi and Kakyuu's decisions
Usagi took a deep breath, and knocked on Mamoru's door. After some shuffling and a few moments, it opened.
"Usako! I didn't know you were coming over..I would've cleaned.." he said, stepping aside to let her in.
"Mamo-chan..I can't do this.." Usagi said quietly.
Mamoru had a look of confusion. "Can't do what?" he asked.
"Us."
Mamoru inhaled sharply. Was she breaking up with him?
"Surely you can't mean-"
"I mean exactly what you're thinking." Usagi told him, trying to sound as mature as possible. "The truth is, the only reason we're together is because of the past and the future. I don't want a future that has been forced upon me, and I believe deep down, neither do you."
"Usako.." Mamoru said quietly, too stunned to say anything.
"Goodbye, Mamoru-san. Have a good life." Usagi said with a sad smile as she turned to walk away.
"Usagi.." he said sadly. She turned to face him.
"Whoever he is, I hope he can make you happy." Mamoru said gently, before closing his apartment door.
I hope so too..
Usagi decided to meet with the girls at Crown, as was originally planned. She wouldn't let this change of relationship status ruin her day. In fact, it made her better...
Because now it was time for her plan to get Seiya back.
Kinmoku:
Healer pounded on Fighter's door. Fighter was already late to the meeting, and she wasn't even answering her.
"Fighter, if you don't come out right this second, I'll Star Sensitive Inferno your door down!" Healer shouted angrily.
"What's going on?" Maker asked. She had wondered what was taking Healer so long to get Fighter.
"She won't answer!"
A look of horror passed Maker's face.
"I gave her a sleeping pill yesterday, she said she was having a hard time finding rest.." Maker murmured.
"FIGHTER!" Healer screamed exasperatedly yanking on the door handle, which refused to budge.
"Stand back." Maker ordered. Healer did so, and Maker took several steps back. She ran at the door with full force, knocking it clean off it's hinges. It crashed in, and the first thing they saw was Seiya, in a heap on the floor, shot glass in hand.
"Seiya!" Maker gasped, reverting to her best friend's given name as opposed to her senshi name.
Healer rushed over to Seiya, examining the bottle on the table.
"Hard liquor. This stuff's pretty strong...she's probably too drunk to get up." Healer said disdainfully looking at the mostly empty bottle.
Maker's eyes looked around for the pill she had given her leader, finding it nowhere in sight.
"Oh..god..Seiya..what have you done?" Maker said, falling to her knees next to her leader.
"What is it?" Healer asked, becoming a bit more concerned.
"She drank alcohol last night..and also took the sleeping pill.."
Slowly Healer understood what was going on, as Maker checked Seiya for a pulse.
"She's alive..just barely...her breathing is so uneven.." Maker said sadly.
Healer touched her friend's arm, to find the skin surprisingly cold.
"We can't let her do this to herself anymore." a voice said behind them. Healer and Maker turned their heads to see their princess on the verge of tears. The two lifted their leader gently placing her on her bed, pulling the covers over her.
"What can we do?" Healer said despairingly. "It's not like we can stop the thoughts that are driving her mad.."
Kakyuu smiled slightly, her vision blurred by her tears. "Healer, when she is well enough, erase her memories." Kakyuu ordered.
"Nani?" Healer practically yelled, leaping to her feat in agitation.
"You heard me. Her memories of Earth, of Princess Serenity, they are what is hurting her so. Erase her memories, so that we may have our Fighter back." Kakyuu said calmly.
"But that isn't what she wanted!" Maker protested. Kakyuu raised a hand to stop their protests. They definitely wanted their friend back to her old self..but they also knew of Fighter's last promise to Usagi.
-Flashback-
"Odango, I'll never forget you.." Seiya said, a blush appearing on his cheeks.
"Hai! We'll be friends forever!" Usagi said cheerily.
-End Flashback-
"I don't think Fighter is mentally well enough to make the decision herself, so I have made it for her as her Princess and the one she is sworn to." Kakyuu continued. Healer's fist clenched so tight that it was painful at her side. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want Fighter sad..but this just seemed so, so wrong...
Maker made a sound of obvious disgust with her Princess and stormed out, surprising Healer and Kakyuu both. Maker was always first to follow orders, and here she was blatantly walking out while her princess was speaking with them.
Kakyuu watched Maker go sadly. First, her most loyal starlight fell in love with another princess. Now, her most obedient one was walking out on their conversation. What could possibly happen next?
"Healer, will you do as I have ordered?" Kakyuu asked, voice barely a whisper.
"Hai." Healer said coldly.
"Thank you!" Kakyuu said, embracing the silver haired light, who shoved her away.
"I'm not doing this for you. I don't agree with this. I think it's wrong. I'm doing this only because I have to." Healer said angrily, storming out to join Maker. Kakyuu gasped in surprise as her last starlight showed a wrath she had never seen directed towards her before. Kakyuu glanced back towards Fighter, who looked barely alive.
"Forgive me Fighter...it is for the best.." Kakyuu said, giving Fighter's hand a reassuring squeeze before exiting the room quietly.
Earth:
"Usagi-chan!" Minako said loudly waving at Usagi who had just walked through the door.
"Hi Mina-chan!" Usagi cheered happily, scurrying over to the table and sitting down.
"What's up?" Rei asked casually sipping at her milkshake. Usagi was pleased to find that the girls had ordered her a strawberry one and she greedily took a huge sip before answering.
"I broke up with Mamoru!"
"NANI!" They chorused, all standing up at once in shock, disbelief and anger. What was she thinking!
"I realized...that I didn't truly love him, the way I should..and the same is true for him."
"It's because of Seiya, isn't it..." Rei said gently.
Usagi nodded slowly. "He taught me what true love was...it's not being with someone forever..but being with someone, and feeling like you have been together forever, even if it's only been a few minutes. It's the way I felt when everyone told me to stay away from him, but I didn't want to. That persistence..."
"Wow..Usagi..." Makoto said, amazed at Usagi's seriousness of the situation.
"And I know..no one could ever love me the way Seiya did...hopefully, Seiya still feels that way."
"Usagi..your forgetting something.." Ami said shyly.
"What is it?"
"Seiya is a Sailor Senshi of Kinmoku. Seiya is a she."
"I know that! But...if it's true love..it doesn't matter..." Usagi said, resuming her milkshake.
"Ehh?" Rei asked, blinking dumbly.
"I said, that doesn't matter. That's just a small detail. What really matters, is that she loves me unconditionally." Usagi said, finishing her milkshake and standing up.
"Usagi, where are you going?" Minako asked, somewhat concerned. Had they somehow offended her?
"I'm going to get Seiya back."
"Isn't this sudden?" Makoto asked, "After all, you and Mamoru just broke up!"
"I want to take things slowly with Seiya. That's why I'm going now. I have to be with him...her..by the end of the year, otherwise Crystal Tokyo can't happen." Usagi said determinedly.
"How do you know?" Rei demanded.
"Because, Pluto told me so..."
The girls just watched in amazement as Usagi left.
"She grew up..." Ami said quietly.
Usagi made her way home. She went straight to her room, locking the door and closing the blinds. She pulled out her communicator.
"Pluto!" she commanded. Soon, Pluto's face appeared on the screen.
"Hai, Princess?"
"Tell me how to get to Kinmoku..." Usagi pleaded. A flash of light filled her room, and Pluto stood there, although she was transparent. It was only a projection.
"I do not know for certain that you can." Pluto said gravely.
"What do you mean!" Usagi demanded.
"Well, if you got the inners with you, you could all Sailor teleport..but Kinmoku is very, very far away. Thousands and millions of times farther than you've ever teleported before." Pluto explained.
Usagi sank to the ground.
"What can I do?" Usagi asked pitifully.
"Wait.." Pluto said with a sad smile.
"Wait?" Usagi asked, tilting her head.
"If Seiya truly loves you, he will be back to check on you soon..." Pluto explained.
Usagi's face lit up. "That's right! We invited them to come back and visit someday...someday.."
"You will need to be patient.." Pluto said, holograph flickering.
"Wait! What if..Seiya doesn't come back in time! Remember Crystal Tokyo? I only have a year!" Usagi pleaded. Pluto's face darkened considerably as she thought through possible options.
"If Seiya doesn't appear in 5 months, I will send a message for you." Pluto decided. Usagi grinned brightly.
"Arrigatou, Pluto."
"It is always a pleasure to serve you, my princess.." Pluto said as she vanished, her voice echoing eerily in the room for a few brief moments. Usagi sighed happily, laying back on her bed. She reached lazily to her bedside, where she had a framed picture of Seiya. He was wearing a blue shirt and black pants, leaning lazily on his guitar. He had signed it for her shortly after they first met...
-Flashback-
"Here you go, Odango!" Seiya said, presenting her with a picture of himself.
"What's this?" Usagi asked, tilting her head.
"A picture of me, of course! I even signed it!"
"Why would I want a picture of you?" She asked innocently.
Seiya's eyebrow ticked at the unexpected insult, that Usagi her self didn't catch.
"Someday, you'll be glad I gave it to you! Promise!" He said with his signature cocky grin.
-End Flashback-
Usagi smiled. She was glad he had given it to her. Sure, once the lights had left she started collecting posted of the Three Lights and Seiya, but they were mass produced, and impersonal. This was a professional photo, unreleased. And he had signed it..
She traced the signature with his finger, smiling as she realized the 'I' was dotted with a star. She giggled softly. "Aww Seiya, that's cute!" She said to the picture. She hugged it to her, and sleep quickly came. In her dreams, she saw Seiya, in a beautiful field of flowers. The most beautiful dream she'd ever had.