***Happy Friday, everyone! AAhhh weekend at last, I really need it this time! And to make it more enjoyable, here´s my new piece of story! Hope you like it and continue telling me about it ;-) Thanks for your great support!***
***Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its original characters***
CHAPTER 25 – REGRESSION
Somewhere uncertain
"Where… am I…?"
Usagi´s words echoed around as if she were inside a deep cave, listening only to her own thoughts. She looked around but saw anything except whiteness. A shiny pure white atmosphere that surrounded her completely.
She looked at herself but she was not there. She could not even see her own body. Again, white was the only thing to be seen. Or sensed… she wasn´t even sure she was actually really seeing anything. She remembered Galaxia explaining about teleporting only their souls. That had to be it. She could not see her body because she did not have one at the moment.
"So this is how it feels like to be a soul?" she said to herself. The feeling was so strange… she gave her mind the order to move, but of course, there was nothing there to be moved… she did not feel hot or cold, she could not sense the soft touch of clothes over her body, or the caress of the breeze on her skin… nothing. Only the echo of her voice every time she thought about something.
"And I am alone here? Where´s Seiya?"
She thought she might be alone, if she was now inside her soul. Or if she was the soul itself… or whatever. It was going to be a very long trip all by herself, she thought and felt sad. Then, she could feel the light around her reducing her shine slightly when she felt sorrow. That shocked her so much that she suddenly turned alert again, and as soon as she did, the full shine came back.
"Huh?"
She was really intrigued, and starting to get very nervous. She did not understand where she was or what was happening, and she hated that. And she was all alone…
"Seiyaaaa?" she yelled around, but got no reply.
She started feeling lonelier and lonelier, while the light around her went lower and lower.
When suddenly, she heard something, in the faintest voice possible. Less than a murmur, less than a whisper. More like a distant breeze of wind…
"….ngo…."
"What was that?" Usagi´s light brightened with hope.
And there it came again, louder this time
"…dango…"
Usagi felt heavier and heavier, and suddenly worn out. As if she was becoming unconscious.
"Odango!"
"Huh!"
She woke up with a spring.
The first thing she noticed was that she could feel the coldness of a marbled floor right below her palms. Her body was back.
She was so startled that she didn´t understand at first what her eyes were seeing. She looked around, with her sight lost, trying to order in her mind what she had in front of her.
She was in some kind of bedroom. There was a huge cozy bed to her right, with neat white silk sheets that looked so soft you instantly wished to lie down over it. It was full of identically white fluffy cushions that looked like clouds on a shiny day, and had a vaporous canopy over it, which rocked softly with the breeze coming from an open balcony on the opposite side of the room, right beside Usagi´s left side. It was night time, since she could spot the stars shining through the balcony. The floor where Usagi was sitting was of a white polished marble, sprinkled with silver veining that made it look like a jewel. The walls of the room were rounded, and Greek-style columns were placed all around them every meter or so, holding beautiful arches that grew towards the domed ceiling of the room, where a magnificent crystal lamp hung majestically down almost to a person´s height. The decoration was rich but pure and simple, it definitely looked like it was some kind of elegant palace.
"Odango!"
She heard again, which made her eyesight focus before her.
Kneeling right in front of her, there was a young man. A very handsome man, with the most fantastic voice. He was dressed strangely, with clothes she had never seen before, looking like they came from some old medieval movie. He was looking at her with a loving worried look, holding her back so she could sit up from the floor where she had been lying. When she took a closer look at his face…
"Seiya!" she yelled in pure happiness, but then hesitated "Seiya?"
He smiled, visibly relieved.
"Thank God…" he whispered. "Yes, Odango, it´s me in here!"
"SEIYAAA!" she exclaimed and jumped into his arms, pushing him so hard they almost both fell backwards to the floor.
Seiya returned the hug, so happy to see she was fine.
Usagi then started noticing more and more things. She had almost tripped when she jumped over Seiya, with… what was she wearing? She backed up a little and started examining herself. She was wearing a beautiful silky draped white dress with golden details which she recognized too well…
"What… what´s happened exactly? Where are we…? WHO are we…?!" she asked
"Mmmmmm no idea really… but if I had to guess… I think our souls have traveled into our former bodies"
"Wha… WHAT?!"
Seiya helped Usagi up, while he continued.
"Well, if I am not mistaken… I am now before Silver Millenium´s Princess Serenity itself" He said, smiling playfully while looking at Usagi´s new body, while she unwrinkled her dress with her hands softly. When she heard this comment, she blushed.
She was wearing the white dress she always wore when she transformed into Princess Serenity, which Seiya had also had the chance to see during their battle with Chaos. But some things were also different… she was a few years younger, her face more round and childish. Her skin was as white as it could possibly get, even more than her usual tone, giving her the look of an elegant but cute porcelain doll. Her hair shone more golden than ever, and the really long strands coming out of her characteristic buns went all the way to the floor, and even curled up gracefully over it. A golden crescent moon symbol shone in the center of her forehead. She looked fragile yet magical, as beautiful as the Moon itself.
Usagi touched her face, hair and dress, as if she did not believe it.
"This is…" She started "I thought we were coming to see it like in a movie! Not to actually BE a part of it!"
"Well… I guess our souls needed somewhere to stay… I suppose they cannot just remain floating around" He said, smiling. He was staying so calm even when everything around was so strange and unknown... He himself had changed a lot. He also looked slightly younger, his pitch black hair was tied in his usual style, only that his ponytail was much shorter. He was wearing dark slim pants with long black shiny boots and a royal blue long-sleeved shirt with mandarin collar, covered partially here and there by shiny metallic armor plates which protected the most important spots: his chest, his forearms,… Around his forehead, he wore the familiar starred ring they wore as Starlights, only this one was made of silver, and the star in the center was slightly bigger. Around his waist, a thick leather belt matching the boots with a star-shaped buckle, where a sword was hanging in his scabbard. He looked tremendously elegant, powerful and stunning. As sexy as he could possibly get.
Usagi blushed even deeper by taking a peek at how good he looked.
"Wha… what?" Seiya asked shyly, when he noticed. He also blushed slightly.
"Nothing!" She said, when she got caught, turning crimson red. She tried looking away and changing topics "So where are we?" She said, while walking towards the beautiful open balcony through the semitransparent floating curtains, and placing her hands on the pearl white balustrade.
"OH MY GOD!"
Seiya heard her say from outside, and without hesitating, he ran towards her. He was as stunned as her beloved when he saw the landscape before them.
No doubt they were on a palace. The most beautiful he had ever seen. Pure white, round and elegant, its gardens continued as far as the eyes could see, with magnificent water fountains and colonnades everywhere. But that was not the most shocking aspect of what they were seeing from the balcony. High above them, shining in the night sky together with the stars, they could see planet Earth.
"We´re in the Moon!" Usagi said finally, looking at the stunned Seiya excitedly. "This is the Moon Palace! We´re in the Silver Millenium!"
"W… wooow" Seiya could just reply.
Hikawa Shrine
Haruka moaned.
Her body felt heavy and her head ached as if she was suffering a hangover. She felt dense and could not think clearly. She did not remember what day it was and what had happened the night before. Had she been out with Michiru and had too many drinks? What time was it? Why had the alarm clock not gone off?
She touched around her, feeling the bed. It was definitely not her bed. It was too small and Michiru was not in it. She got nervous and opened her eyes instantly, sitting up in a second. She had to blink several times before her eyes got used to the light once again. Then, she looked around.
The window beside the bed was closed but by the light coming through its cracks she guessed it would be around midday. She was sitting in a one-person fluffy bed in a wooden tiny room full of shelves with old-looking books. There was also a comfortable leather reclining study chair over which a blanket had been left, and beside her bed, another wooden chair was being used as bedside table, where several items had been placed: a bowl full of water and a cloth, a glass of lemonade and a particularly beautiful aquamarine and golden hand mirror she knew too well.
When she saw it, she remembered.
The enemy. The battle. The poison. Michiru.
"MICHIRUUU!" she yelled like crazy, getting out of bed as she could, tripping and bumping herself into the chair and the floor before reaching the room´s closed door. Her legs felt numb, as if they had not been used for a long while.
When she finally managed to open the door, she found herself on a well-ventilated wooden floor corridor. Sunlight was flowing in through it, so intensely she had to shade her eyes with her arm to look around, because they were even hurting while getting used to so much light after being in that dark room. No doubt she was back at Rei´s shrine, but… how? And more importantly… what about the rest of them? Where was her lover, if not with her mirror?
"MICHIRUUU!" she shouted desperately again.
"Oh, my! Haruka-san!" a voice said from her back.
Haruka turned around and saw, finally, a familiar face.
"Ami…san!"
Ami ran towards her, helping her up, since she was already leaning towards the walls, her legs not yet able to fully hold her.
"What are you doing out of bed so fast! You need to take it easy!" she said, worriedly passing one of her arms over hers so she could help her back inside the room.
But Haruka resisted herself to go back in, with the few strength she had left. She was so desperate that worry tears were even forming in her eyes.
"Mi…Michiru! Where is she?! Is she…?!"
"I´m right here, my love"
That voice. That voice that made her heart race at the speed of light. That voice that meant the Universe to her. The soothing voice of the oceans. Michiru´s voice.
Haruka raised her head instantly, her eyes shining with hope and relief.
"Michiru…!" she said, in a sigh, and then half fainted.
With Ami´s help, Michiru carried Haruka back to the bed, and carefully placed her there. Haruka opened her eyes slowly again.
"Michiru…" she murmured, stretching one of her arms towards her lover. Michiru took the hand she was offering in hers. It felt soft and cool, as a sea wave.
"I´ll leave you two alone for a while…" Ami said, getting out of the room and closing the door behind her. She had even started to blush when seeing the love around her two friends. She understood perfectly how both girls felt, and she knew they needed some privacy right now. Michiru smiled as only reply.
When they were alone, she looked back at Haruka with the tenderest look. She have been truly preoccupied for her… moreover when she took so much time to heal.
"Thank God Michiru… When I woke up and saw your mirror here, and you were not with it… you never leave it too far from you… I thought… I thought…"
"Shhh… everything´s fine. I´m perfectly good. And it´s all thanks to you. You saved my life".
Haruka smiled contented with her masculine smirk.
"Don´t ever do that again" Michiru suddenly added, making Haruka´s satisfaction face change completely.
"Huh?"
"You knew you were going to die if you took that arrow out of me, and the only thing you will be getting in return is some more minutes of my life."
"But it worked, didn´t it? Those few more minutes made the difference in the end"
"But you did not know that at the time. Your life is the most valuable thing in the entire Universe. Don´t dare you sacrifice for me ever again, moreover knowing there was no hope left"
Haruka sneered.
"Of course I will do it. Every time it´s necessary. Every time you are in danger."
"Haruka…"
"I told you, I don´t want my so valuable life if I don´t share it with you. It would have been worth it to die to have those few more minutes to give you one last farewell kiss. So yes, I will do it again. And again, and again, and ag…" Haruka started annoyingly, when she was interrupted by Michiru instinctively jumping over her and kissing her passionately.
Haruka was surprised at first but reacted quickly, feeling her lover´s anguish and desire, and intensely returning the kiss while tangling her fingers on her turquoise wavy hair.
Michiru backed up a little, their noses still touching.
"Wow… that was so… unusual of you…" Haruka said, satisfied.
"Haruka… I love you so much… thank you…"
"You are my life, Michiru… We will forever be together"
Moon, Silver Millenium
"Ok, let´s order the facts…" Seiya started, trying to ease his shocked mind.
"Ok!" Usagi said, lively
"We´re in the Moon"
"Un!" Usagi hummed while nodding vigorously, which looked really cute with her dressed so elegantly.
"We´re in the past"
"Un!" she repeated, nodding again.
"And we´re together… in what I suppose is… your bedroom?"
"Emm….Un!" she agreed, and suddenly realized what that meant. She turned crimson red in an instant.
"So… we definitely met during our past lives… if I was visiting you in your bedroom in the middle of the night. I would even say we were… really intimate…" he continued teasing, when he saw her reaction. She looked like she was going to explode with redness.
"Aiii Seiyaaaaa!" She protested, turning around shyly.
Seiya chuckled contented while looking at her with loving eyes. She looked beautiful. She always did, no matter what life they were in. His feelings for the cute blonde were unchanged.
"So what should we d…do… now….." Seiya started asking, when suddenly he felt his mind fading away while he slowly lost consciousness and fell to the floor.
Usagi moved her hands to her mouth in shock, true fear in her eyes.
"Seiya! Sei….." When she was leaning to help him, the same happened to her, and she fainted on the floor right beside him.
A few seconds later, she opened her eyes again.
"MMMmmmm…. What… happened?" She said, sitting up slowly "Why are we on the floor?"
She looked at the man lying next to her, and how he was not conscious. She got worried and shook him softly, trying to wake him up.
"Oh no! Are you ok?" she whispered.
He also came to his senses. He moaned while rising his head and looked around with a lost glance, not understanding exactly.
"Wha… what happened? What are we doing on the floor?"
"I am not sure myself, I just woke up, right next to you"
He smiled at this comment.
"I remember coming here… and jumping through your balcony to meet you…"
"Yes…" she added "And when I came to greet you and we both touched, everything suddenly went dark… Have we both fainted or something? Has something happened to us?"
"Well" he continued, as cool-headed as ever "It´s still night time so it has not been for long…we are still safe. And it looks like we are undamaged… I feel somewhat different but I cannot quite explain how... But I think nothing bad happened to me. Are you ok, Serenity?"
"I am, Prince Starlight" she said, dedicating his lover a smile.
"Let´s then enjoy the rest of this too short night we have to be together…" he proposed, standing up and elegantly helping her up as well.
Serenity´s mind
Usagi woke up again, suddenly. She was back in the ethereal white surrounding, but it was somehow different. She was conscious that she was there, but at the same time she could see and feel the world around her through princess Serenity´s body, only that she could not control any of her actions. In a way, it was like the movie she had imagined the trip to the past to be, only that she was watching it from inside the main character. More like she had become the lead actress of a puppet show, and someone else was moving the threads for her.
Galaxia´s soul teleporting magic had caused two equal souls to coexist at one same Time moment with only one body to live in, so now her present life soul was sharing her past life body with her past life soul, remaining inside it as a latent being not capable of interacting, only being able to witness what was happening. It was really confusing and when trying to think about it, it made Usagi´s mind spin, so she decided not to think it over too much and just do what she had come to do: observe and learn about her past.
She thought of Seiya, and if he was now going through the same as her. She assumed he was, since they were both in the same situation. But there was really no way to be sure, they could not communicate with each other in this state. And that made her a little uneasy.
Meanwhile, Serenity continued with her life, while Usagi watched.
"So… my prince…" Serenity started, with a sweet and childish voice, while she sat on the edge of her comfortable bed "…you said before you had a surprise for me?" she said, with puppy eyes.
Prince Starlight grinned.
"I do! But…."
"Mooooooo!" she protested "What do you mean buuuuuuuuut?"
"But!" He repeated "I´m not quite sure you deserve it. Have you been a good girl?"
"Of course!"
"You sureeee?" he teased
"Yeah!"
"And what is a young lady like you doing inviting strange boys from outer space into your bedroom when you should be sleeping?"
Serenity fell silent, blushed and pouted. All in just a few seconds.
"That´s not fair!" she yelled at him
"AHHAHAAAHAAA!" he burst with laughter. He enjoyed teasing her in all lifetimes, Usagi thought to herself and smiled. She would never admit it, but she loved being teased by him… he was just too good at it.
"Here you are, here you are" he finally said, placing a cute little box with a pink lace on her soft white open palms.
"Ah!" she said excited while anxiously opening it.
The prince smiled contented. It was easy to see how much he loved her and how happy she made him. Usagi smiled too.
"Ohhh Prince Starlight! This is soooo pretty! I love it!" she said, taking a shiny golden object out of the box "What is it?"
Prince Starlight sweatdropped.
"How can you say you love it when you don´t even know what it is?!" he scolded her, while also sitting on the bed right next to her and borrowing the object from her hands.
"Because I do love it! It´s very beautiful!" she defended herself
"Ok ok… then when you know what it ACTUALLY is you´re going to be fascinated!"
"Yes!" she agreed, true excitement in her eyes.
Prince Starlight smirked at her pure and simple way of being.
"Well…" he started explaining, while he showed her the shiny golden star-shaped object he was holding "This locket is a music box"
"OOH! A muuuuuuuuusic box…!" she chorused in excitement.
"If you lift up this flap here in the center…" he explained, while following his own instructions. When he did, the object started playing a really beautiful melody.
Usagi´s heart leaped from inside Serenity´s body when she heard it. It was THAT song…, her song! That was her music box! She couldn´t believe it…
"OOOHHH" Serenity exclaimed, excited. "It´s soooo beautiful!" she added, while humming the melody and moving her head to the music.
"You like it?" he asked
"I like it so much! I have never heard a melody so pretty!"
"I composed this song for you, my princess"
Both girls were shocked. Both Usagi and Serenity. But Usagi was beyond surprise… she could not believe Seiya was the one who had composed that melody she loved so much… how was that possible?
"Prince…" Serenity said, with tears in her eyes "This is the best present anyone has ever done to me…"
Prince Starlight was touched. He was so glad she had liked his song… That song he had composed thinking of her, of how much he loved her, of how difficult everything was between them…
"Like this, you can carry it with you and remember me when I´m not by your side…" He said, closing the music box and handing it back to her, who received it carefully.
Her eyes turned tender with emotion.
"Of course I will, I will treasure it. But… I could never forget you. Not for a single second"
"Serenity…" he said, leaning his face towards hers.
"Prince Starlight…" she replied nervously, closing her eyes and blushing, dying of anticipation for the touch of his lips.
When they kissed, so softly and sweetly, Usagi´s soul inside Serenity was overwhelmed with love and joy. She could feel the love of the couple, but like they were, with their spirits so connected, she could also clearly feel Seiya in that kiss… That made her feel both relieved to know he was fine, and also more in love than ever.
The rest of the night, the young couple just lied down together in Serenity´s bed and talked and laughed for hours, kissing timidly from time to time while caressing each other. Usagi was feeling so good she could have stayed like that forever, even though she was not in her body.
The light outside the balcony started changing after a few hours. It was not exactly like Earth´s dawn, but the sky was slowly getting a lighter tone of night blue.
"I guess I should get going… it´s almost daytime" the prince said finally, while sweetly tickling Serenity´s arm up and down, who was lying just beside him, her head on his chest.
"Please… don´t go…" she whispered softly, making the Prince´s heart break.
"If they catch me here… we are both going to be in trouble… you know that…"
"I can´t live without you… so I don´t care what they do to me…"
"But I do… I´ll never forgive myself if I caused you any pain…"
"More than the pain of leaving my side? Nothing is worse than that…"
"Odango…" he scolded, playfully patting her buns. Usagi froze with astonishment. He ACTUALLY called her Odango in this lifetime as well?!
Serenity smiled when she heard him calling her with that pet name he had come up with one of the first days after they had met, after seeing the Moon´s royal family typical hairstyle, and how it resembled what they had offered them for dessert afterwards. She loved it.
"I know I know…" she said, sitting up and freeing him so he could start standing. "It´s just that I hate this situation…"
"Me too, my love." He said, giving her a quick kiss over the crescent moon on her forehead while he put his armor pieces back on. "But it´s our only possibility for the moment, you know we both have separate destinies we must live for…"
Serenity´s eyes turned sad. Then, she tightened her fists and said
"Why does destiny have to be like that? Why can something or someone tell me who I should spend my life with? I don´t want to! I hate being some princess that is supposed to do certain things and act a certain way! I just want to be me! I just want you!" She paused for a second and, a little softer, she continued "My biggest wish would be to live with you far away, some place where I am not a princess and we can just be a girl and a boy and be together forever."
Usagi´s surprise increased to its maximum possible. That was the exact same speech that she had told Seiya back in the present, in her house, the first time they had kissed.
"We could do that, Odango"
Again. He had answered the same thing he said back then. Or forward then. Or whatever… Usagi was really confused when it came to this time paradoxes.
Serenity looked at his prince, shocked by his answer.
"We could, if that is what you want" he added
"Really?"
The prince nodded.
"Of course I do! Spending the rest of my life with you is everything I could ever wish for!" she said, genuinely excited.
He smiled at her comment, but it was a sad smile.
"Are you sure?" He asked timidly "You know you have a destiny to fulfill as Princess of the Moon, and as guardian of the Silver Crystal you will eventually inherit"
"I don´t care about any of that… Prince Starlight… I just want to be with you. If that cannot happen while I´m the Princess of the Moon, then I don´t want to be such princess. They will either have to accept our relationship or find someone else to guard the Crystal."
"Serenity… you…"
"I am not lying!" she said, standing up with a really serious face that made her look so cute "That´s what I feel! You are everything to me, Prince, you mean the life to me!"
He couldn´t hold himself. He walked towards her and hugged her so tightly and by surprise that he made her blow all of her air out at once in a beautiful surprise sigh.
"Prince Starlight…" she murmured into his ear, once she took a breath.
He undid the embrace and looked deeply into her eyes, while still holding her by the shoulders. They were actually speaking with no words, just with the power of their love and by how they looked at each other… it was exactly what Usagi had always thought love to be. She was sure, both her past and present selves loved Seiya with all their heart. He was meant for her.
"Wha… what about you? What about your Kingdom? You are also a Prince…" Serenity asked timidly, not moving her eyes of his.
"My love… I´ll follow you to the ends of the world. I will never be apart from you, so much I love you. You are my everything. So if this is the only way, let it be like this"
"Prince Starlight…!" she said in a sigh, touched.
"Get ready tomorrow at around the same time. I´m taking you somewhere for a while. If you like it, we can make it our home."
"I will be waiting for you!" She said, jumping into his arms, her beautiful white dress floating gracefully around her.
The prince smiled.
"I promise you no Destiny will be able to separate us, my sweet Odango…" he whispered into her ear. And with this, they kissed goodbye and he parted through the balcony, leaving Serenity alone in her room, with a new hope for her life.
So this is how it was… Usagi thought from inside Serenity´s body. They had had the same problem before… and she had also finally chosen Seiya over her destiny. She was going to leave everything for him… and Usagi couldn´t agree more with her former self. But… why did they have to hide it? Why was Serenity not able to be with him?
"Serenity…? Are you awake?"
A faint voice was heard from the other side of the ivory white door of her room. Usagi recognized it when she heard it, since she had done so before… Her heart leaped.
"Yes, mother!" Serenity answered, running inside her room from the balcony and towards the cute dressing table beside her bed, where she acted like she had been combing her hair.
The door opened slowly, to show the most graceful figure she had ever seen. Queen Serenity really looked like an ethereal being, her long hair as white and shiny as crystal, her skin as pale as a beautiful pearl. And her expression, always so kind and calm.
"How unusual of you, my dear daughter, to be already awake and dressed up so early in the morning…" the Queen commented.
Usagi sweatdropped inside Serenity. So that was also always the same with her…
"Yes… I… woke up a while ago and decided to get ready"
"Were you perhaps unable to sleep with… anticipation?" her mother suggested with a half-smile that neither of the girls sharing body quite understood.
"Anticipation, mother?"
"Of course my dear… You do not need to hide it from me… Endymion is already here and has asked about you"
"Oh…" Serenity answered "Has he?" It was really clear for Usagi that Serenity was faking that one. She could tell how the little princess had no interest at all in that visit.
"Listen, my daughter" the Queen continued "I have noticed how he visits us a lot lately… You do not need to feel ashamed by this. Endymion is a real gentleman and the prince of our guardian planet, the Earth. I am really glad to see you two getting along together… It is very good news indeed for our Kingdom"
"Y… yes, mother" Serenity answered, not really knowing what to say.
"Please remember I am here if you ever need to talk"
"Tha… thank you" She blushed. She did not feel good lying to her mother, but there was not that much she could do for the moment. This conversation had caught her completely out of guard.
"So, come with me, Endymion´s waiting for you!"
Usagi was speechless… or she would have been if she had been able to speak right then. So Endymion had never been his soul mate but the match her mother had thought for her?! Of course it made sense, she thought now that she had some perspective to it all. The best thing that could happen to the Moon is to formally become one with the Earth, since they were their guardians and the ones with the army capable of protecting them! Her mother was so eager for the two Kingdoms to unite in one with Serenity and Endymion´s marriage that she had mistaken her daughter´s attitude and thought the love she was hiding was for the Prince of Earth, when it was absolutely not like that! It never was!