OUR BRIGHT FUTURE

Saeko Mizuno glanced at the medical report and then at Yuki still sleeping, "The blood analysis and the CT scan are OK. Your friend seems fine, except for his drowsiness. You are his friends, aren't you?" Saeko's eyes lingered on Ami, then moved to Mamoru, Usagi, Arashi, Mitsuo, Makoto, Minako, Rei, Chibiusa and finally Yoru, her eyes open wide in surprise, "You too, Oshiro-san?"

Yoru nodded, "Thanks for your help, Doc Mizuno. So, what's going on?"

Saeko shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe he is studying too much. Maybe he has pushed his body too far, not eating and sleeping properly, and this is the consequence. We should warn his parents."

Yoru shook his head, "He has no parents, Doc Mizuno. Yuki is an orphan. We are his family."

Saeko Mizuno nodded and, again, her eyes lingered on Ami, "Your friend is going to stay in Hospital for the night. I am going to check his condition until tomorrow." She turned round and walked to the door, I put him into your hands, now. Call me if you need me."

Yoru bowed, "Thanks, Doc Mizuno," his thanking followed by a general "Thanks" and a general bow when everybody in the room, except Yuki, mimicked Yoru's words and gesture.

Saeko Mizuno smiled and left the room.

"An orphan? I didn't know Yuki is an orphan." Ami stared at Yoru, "Really?" Her blue eyes moved to Rei.

Rei simply nodded, noticing that not just Ami was surprised but also Makoto, Minako, Chibiusa and Usagi, whereas Mamoru, Arashi and Mitsuo weren't surprised at all. For sure Yuki talked to the guys of his past the way he did to her, or maybe they knew of him a lot more than her, but it wasn't time any more for a pointless jealousy.

"Did his parents die in accident?" Makoto's green eyes were crossed by a shadow, "Like Mamo's parents … and like my ones?" She lowered her head and stared at the floor, averting her eyes from everybody until Arashi gently placed his arm around her shoulders and held her close, changing her sudden sadness into a warm feeling of gratitude and affection.

"No. It wasn't because of an accident." Mamoru rested his back against the wall and looked at the ceiling, "Yuki was abandoned and lived into an orphanage in Hokkaido. He has never met his parents. He doesn't know anything about them."

"Poor Yuki." Usagi walked to the bed and stared at Yuki, "But now he isn't alone anymore." She turned round and smiled at Mamoru and Makoto, "You aren't alone any more." Her long and blond pigtails wheeled around when she turned to Mamoru and Makoto, brushing against Yuki's forehead.

"He's waking up!" Chibiusa ran to the bed from the spot where she was observing everything, "Yuki is waking up!" She bent forward and rested her hands on the bed, "Yuki!"

Yuki's eyelids gently trembled and his eyes finally opened, glancing at everybody around the bed, "Hey! Don't look at me this way. I'm fine." He sat up and rubbed his eyes, "I can go back home."

Rei rested her hands on her hips, "No way! Doc Mizuno said you're going to stay here for the night." She observed his open shirt and his bare chest and belly, in her mind the memory of the time she knew every inch of his body.

Yoru placed his hand on Yuki's forehead and gently pushed him down, "Rei is right. You aren't going to leave the Hospital until tomorrow."

Yuki flopped onto the bed and had a deep sigh, "How annoying, Yoru."

Arashi pulled the sheet up and covered Yuki, smiling, "You are the annoying one, Yuki."

Mitsuo sat on the bed, "How are you?"

Yuki shook his head, "I don't know. I really don't know. Sometimes I feel like … " he closed his eyes, " … never mind."

"Like what? Please, Yuki, it could be important." Mamoru rested his hand on Yuki's shoulder and gently squeezed it.

Yuki kept his eyes closed, "I feel like if Yuki Watanabe has never existed; since the battle against Queen Beryl I keep on dreaming of Elysion and my past life. I feel like if I am sucked into the past. I feel like if Jadeite is swallowing Yuki, like Yuki is fading, like if this life doesn't exist." His voice turned softer and softer as he talked, and he finally fell asleep.

"Yuki!" Arashi scratched his hair in frustration, "He is still sleeping!"

"What does it mean?" Rei stared at Mamoru, her purple eyes looking for help into his blue eyes.

Mamoru frowned, "It's like if his memories are crashing him. I don't understand."

Chibiusa lowered her head and closed her eyes, "Sometimes people aren't overcome by situations or outside forces, defeat comes from within."

Mamoru blinked, "What?"

Chibiusa opened her eyes and stared at Mamoru, "This is what Jadeite told me, I mean … the future Jadeite. He told me that he was going to die not because of the Evil Queen - I suppose she is Queen Beryl you are talking of - but because 'defeat comes from within'. I don't know what it means, though." She sighed and shook her head, "Sorry, I don't know how to help Yuki."

Mamoru caressed Chibiusa's hair and smiled, "Thanks, Chibiusa. We're going to understand what Jadeite's words mean and help him. I guess there's a reason for you to be here. I wouldn't be surprised to know that King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity somehow have sent you here, even if we don't know why, yet."

Chibiusa grinned and her eyes sparkled. Mamoru was right: all the secrets and unsaid about the Shitennou's past were probably a way to incite her curiosity and to bring her to the 20th Century. There was a reason for her to be there, and she was happy to be useful.

"You are worried for Yuki, aren't you?" On her way home, Makoto stopped, raised her right arm and placed her hand on her biceps, smiling, "don't worry, we are going to find a way to understand what's going on and save him! If Senshi and Shitennou collaborate, everything will be fine."

Arashi had a gentle smile, "I am worried for Yuki, you're right, but I wasn't thinking of Yuki right now. I was thinking of you."

Makoto looked surprised, "Of me?"

Arashi turned serious, "Yes. The way you act as the mother of everybody, cooking for them, comfort them and staying always strong, while you still suffer because of the loss of your parents."

Makoto averted her eyes, touched of his insight.

Arashi came closer her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, his head towering over her, one of the rare men taller than her, "There's no need to stay strong with me, Mako-chan. I'm perfectly able to comfort you, if you want to."

Makoto buried her face against Arashi's chest, her heart bursting of joy. She wasn't alone any more, she had the girls, and she had Arashi.

Just her, Yoru, Mamoru, Usagi, Minako and Chibiusa in Yuki's bedroom, Rei grabbed Yuki's hand and squeezed it.

Chibiusa sat by Rei's side, on Yuki's bed, "Don't worry, Rei-chan. Yuki can't die. If he dies Jadeite won't exist in the future, and so little Yuki. But they exist, and it means that - "

"Little Yuki? Who's little Yuki?" Rei stared at Chibiusa in confusion.

Chibiusa blushed, "Uh … never mind."

Rei frowned, "Chibiusa! Talk! Now!"

Chibiusa had a nervous laugh, "Little Yuki is your son, I mean… your and Jadeite's son."

Rei blushed furiously while Usagi sniggered and Mamoru averted his eyes from Yuki and Rei, a touch of red on his cheeks.

Yuki slowly opened his eyes and stared confusingly at Rei, "Why are you looking angry, Rei? OK, I am going to stay in Hospital for the night, don't worry." He yawned.

Usagi moved near the bed and stared at Yuki, a big smile on her face, "Rei is blushing because Chibiusa just – "

"USAGI!" Rei, Mamoru and Chibiusa tried to stop her.

But Usagi couldn't be stopped, "Chibiusa revealed that you and Rei will have a son, in the future. Little Yuki."

The red on Rei's cheeks moved to Yuki's cheeks, his eyes open wide in a kaleidoscope of gray and blue.

Usagi stretched her arms behind her back and intertwined her fingers, she bent her head on her right shoulder and had a sweet smile, "This is the reason why you should fight against what's sucking you into the past, Yuki, into our tragic past, into the tragic end of Elysion and of the Silver Millennium. Just think of the future, the bright future of Crystal Tokyo, where you'll be one of the guardians of King Endymion, Mars' husband and the father of little Yuki."

Mamoru lovely smiled and rested his hand on Usagi's shoulder, nodding.

Yuki sat up and stared at Usagi, a gentle but tired smile on his face "I'll do my best to fight against this … thing … whatever it is. Thanks, Usagi."

Usagi nodded and wrapped her arms around Mamoru's waist, "Our bright future. Just think of it, Yuki."