Control

by: Serenity Blaim

Chapter Six...

When Minako returned she found the girls in the midst of a debate. Rei was calling for Usagi's broche, saying she couldn't trust her life to a girl who couldn't trust herself to her. Ami was more considerate saying, she probably has her reasons, let her explain! Minako smiled at the blue haired girl.

"We shouldn't be fighting about this." Matoko said quietly. "Even if she's different, she's still Usagi. She brought us together." A tear ran down her cheek, but she pushed it away angrily.

"How CAN we not? She didn't really give us a choice," Rei yelled. The stress of helping out around the Shrine and worrying about her sick grandfather, showing in her voice. It quivered and shook, and her every breath was of anger and regret. How could she have not of seen this herself? Didn't she consider Usagi to be one of her best friends?

"Aww, Rei. Isn't that a bit harsh?" Minako said mockingly. "I don't know about you guys, but Usagi did fight alone at first. Without us, it must've been tough playing two people. I know it was for me. I have a past. She must've worked on her disguise. It had to fool everyone! To protect her family, her friends. Once, I knew a cat, like Luna. His name was Artemis. He and I were partners. We were fighting a Youma, and it was a hard battle. It got a shot at me…" Minako hiccupped a little. She bit her lip, and calmed herself before continuing. "Artemis saved my life that night. There was nothing I could do… but there was so much blood. The Youma was more human than most, and went down fighting. The body was so mangled… The news was saying I was dead."

"We keep our identities a secret to save the people we love, but I didn't think I had anyone to lose. I was an orphan. No family… So when I was "dead" to the world I didn't think it'd hurt anyone. A friend I'd made, someone who knew the truth was crazy with grief. She wanted blood. She made it well known she'd known me, and what I was…" Minako took a deep breath again. The girl's faces crumpled if expecting what she was about to say, " She died. The Negaverse didn't want it known what they were, They were pleased to keep people oblivious. Of course after that they moved, and I fled. A few months later I met you guys…" Minako brought her eyes to focus on Rei's, "I can see why she may want to protect us… Them. Her FAMILY. She has so much to lose."

Blinking back tears, Rei's face returned to her previous focus, and looked to Ami, "She could've told us, and what was that bullshit you pulled earlier Ami? Did you know? Let us in on this, would ya?" Rei pleaded.

"I didn't know, none of us did, did we?" She looked at Minako pointedly who just shrugged her shoulders, Damn that girl, always perceptive. "I noticed when Matoko noticed she didn't get hit. Something was up. I mean there were hints, occasional slip- ups, but her mask was pretty tight. When she didn't react to the cooking or Rei's manga or Minako's gossip and spying, I knew something was wrong." She looked at the other girls. "You knew too, but I first thought she'd been possessed, so I checked…"

"Of course…" Matoko said. "Luna's paranoia is catching after all." They chuckled bitterly.

"But I found something weird…" Everyone waited with bated breath as Ami pulled out her computer to confirm her suspicions. "See? Here. It's a bit like Carbon dating of life forms. Usagi isn't the same as our chemical make-up. She's old, unlike us who are reincarnations of our former selves. She's still a Lunar. She's still the OLD Sailor Moon."

"Does she know?" Minako mused. Like the other girls, she knew from Luna about the Moon Kingdom, and what snippets the cat knew, but Artemis remembered more, and had often told her stories of it, and the beautiful parties, and the princess. The one they were searching for. From Artemis' description, Minako thought it might be Usagi. This just further confirmed her suspicions.

"Probably not, She was reverted to a child and probably given into the care of her parents…" Ami answered as she clicked away on her tiny computer. The girls who were standing found cushions on the ground, the anger they'd felt slipped away almost completely. They found themselves exhausted. With an unspoken consensus to find Usagi in the morning, they all tucked in to sleep.

The next morning, Motoki found himself released from the infirmary. As he made his way back to his own dorm, which he shared with a senior. His roommate was a cool guy, Motoki supposed, and Motoki usually had Saturday mornings to himself, so he was looking forward to getting to his own bed, to go back sleep. Motoki's plans for himself were quickly detoured when he found Mamoru on his doorstep. Mamoru's appearance showed he'd been out all night. His clothes, a t-shirt and sweats were dirty, his hair slick and greasy with sweat, his eyes red, and face grey. "God, man, what's up with you?" Motoki said worriedly.

"I thought you might be back in your dorm last night," said Mamoru.

"You sat here ALL night?" Motoki was shocked. "Why didn't you go to your own room?"

"Usagi's there."

"You WHAT? And you thought you'd come here for sympathy at your mistake? Well I'm sorry, but Usagi is like a sister to me. You know what... we should fight. You ass. How could you do something like that to her?" Motoki grabbed Mamoru's shirt intending to hit him. But something in Mamoru's face stopped him.

"What's happened to her? Tell me now or I really will hit you." Motoki's voice became worried.

"Nothing... yet" Mamoru's face dropped, as he thought of how he'd left her alone. "I should go back... but I don't know how!"

"Well come inside, and we'll talk about all this." Spoke Motoki, worried for both Usagi and Mamoru.

A lifetime away, Usagi opened her eyes as the harsh sunshine shone in on her. She shivered under her thin blanket. Moving slowly, she looked around surprised to find herself alone. Did he leave to get something? There was no sign of anyone but herself sleeping here... She went to the closet, and found a pile of blankets. Something urgent perhaps? Or someone. Shaking off the feelings of hurt, she spotted a gold locket sitting amid the blankets. Something sparked in her, a strong sense of Déjà Vu. She picked it up and looked at its engraving. It was the same language as her book. She opened the locket, and like a flood her head was bombarded by images and people. One face was common to all of these visions. Mamoru.

Her tears could not be contained as she relived his final moments, Her love. His life but a breath amongst the happier times. Even now... She knew she loved him. But he must've seen these memories too? He must've been repulsed, since he loves someone else. "Oh Mamoru..." Usagi whimpered to herself.

A heartbreaking feeling of betrayal and abandonment made her forget her own cautions, and she set herself to leave. To take away the trouble for everyone. They'd all be happier without her around. She put on her old clothing from the night before. It had hardened stiff and as she put them on, clumps fell off, and chafed her skin. With no time to lose, she ignored the uncomfortable fabrics and headed towards her own dorm.

At the temple, morning wasn't quite so harsh, but the scouts having awakened from their stupor. Everyone felt the urgency to find Usagi. Rei felt ill at ease, and her temper was making everyone nervous. "Hurry up. We have to find her before she gets herself into more trouble," barked Rei.

"I'm ready, let's go." spoke Minako. The streets were bare and clean of the remnants of the rain in nights past. The girls split into pairs, to find Usagi completely unaware of their true destination.

As Usagi walked in the brisk morning air, she tried to revel in the feeling of freedom she should be feeling. Her shoulders slumped in despair. She'd have leave them all behind, there was no way they would consider her the leader of anything anymore. And Mamoru... He'd never even look at her again. There was no way. A stray tear fell off her cheek. Oh, Great, now she was crying. What next? Giggling? She was getting close to hysterical.

She moved in to the campus, and Someone blocked her way. The girl was robed, and somehow expressed an ambiance of morbid despair. But for some reason, Usagi was shocked at how calm she was feeling. This girl was someone important to her. It was the same feeling she'd felt when she'd met Ami for the first time, or Rei. It was identical to the weird confidence she'd felt when she first encounted Matoko and Minako. "Who are you?" to me, she added to herself, but didn't dare speak it.

"My name is Hotaru, I'm guessing you're Usagi. Right? My roommate? Well, there are a few things I wanna get straight... You are terrible at hiding things... I came back today from visiting my parents, and I find everything one would ever need to find out your the moon princess... "

Usagi's eyes opened wide. She hadn't even considered that. The memories had been so brief and so painful, she hadn't even consider what they meant. That was the Silver Millennium. She knew deep in her core. "Hey, how do you know about the moon princess?"

"What do you think I am, daft? They sent me to look after you. " she said mysteriously.

"Who are they?" She asked, generally concerned it may have been the Negaverse, and why she would be talking to her about it, doesn't seem to make sense.

"Your Parents. " Usagi stared blankly at the girl. Her parents knew about the Moon Princess... How did they ever know that? They'd always played dumb to the bruises and sores.

"Huh?" Usagi expressed her confusion.

"Not your 'parents'," She said making quotation marks in the air as she said so. "Your real parents. From the moon."

"Huh?"

"You really know nothing of this, do you? Let's go back to the dorm. We need to talk." The robed girl took hold of her sleeve, and began leading her to the dorm.

"Usagi!" From behind them, came a chorus of voices. Minako and Matoko had seen her talking to this suspicious person.

Stopping, Hotaru looked towards the new comers; Hotaru stood at attention, ``Venus, Jupiter,`` She nodded to them. Usagi felt the hackles on them rise. "Don't worry, Usagi is safe with me."

"How did we know that, and what do you think you're doing?" Minako spoke with a strange feeling, a protective nature that always came up with Usagi. She was her best friend, she was all of the scouts best friend. "Wherever our leader goes, we go." Swinging her arm over Usagi's should, she gave the girl a squeeze.

Matoko looked hesitant, but at the need to makeup with Usagi over threw her need to be angry. "Me too." She gave Usagi a weak smile, which the girl returned with a million watt one.

Tears burned in Usagi's eyes. They weren't upset as she'd thought. She wasn't sure that the problem was gone, and she'd have to earn their trust back. She murmured her thanks, and bit her lip, showing a shyer smile she led the way to the dorm. She tidied up her side of the room, piling all the stray sheets that she assumed was her homework. Then, Usagi sat on the bed, looking askance to Hotaru who had stayed rather quiet during the entire exchange.

"Usagi, did you even read the letter?" started Hotaru expectantly.

"What letter... all that was in the package was the box and a book...." Usagi's eyes travelled to the small stack of papers. She picked up a heavy parchment type paper. It stood out against the pale white notepaper. Turning it over, she saw a seal that reminded her of the locket that she'd found at Mamoru's. Touching the seal, she felt that familiar rush, as memories were returned to her, she sighed deeply, as the moments of memories with Mamoru made more sense. When she opened her eyes again, they glowed with renewed purpose. She, the moon princess, was not letting him get away from her that easily...

"You gonna read it or not?" Minako asked eagerly. Hoping it would tell her, what she already suspected about her.

"Right..." nodded Usagi as Minako brought her out of her scheming, and she returned to the matter at hand.

"Dear Usako,

I'm sorry for the way things happened in the past, and I hope you find a new peace in the world you now belong. Darling, You are the light. You shape everything with only a sweep of your hand.

You were to form a personality so complete that no one would suspect your royal heritage. As you reached adult- hood, it is up to you whether to dispose of that mask or not. Much like the lunar pen, that by now Luna has passed on to you. Now when you were little you used to play games, and pretend you were human. You would pretend so entirely that you wouldn't let up, and even acted as you didn't know your father or I. We have an extreme confidence in your ability to pass under the radar. Despite your greatness, you were always humble.

Please follow the instruction of Hotaru. Sailor Saturn is our present to you. She's to be your guardian at Ginka, as many things are going to be happening. The spell that was placed on you, was also placed on Beryl and her minions. If it could be any other way, my Darling.... There is something you must do alone. At Ginka, we hope that you find fine education.

Love Always and Forever,

Your Mother"

Wiping a tear from her eye, she placed the letter on the bed beside her. So much placed on her, everything was spiralling out of control.