kera69love: hopefully that's a good wow. lol
1 review, I do apricate it, I do hope everyone is enjoying this story, this might end up being longer than I predicted as I'm finding adding new ways of incorporating the past into it smoothly. Please let me know what you think going forward!
The end in the beginning ch.10
Usagi POV
It wasn't till I got five blocks easily away on a building top that he came to more and cushioned his head against his hand. "What happened?" he asked as I told him a short version as the long one would be with the girls, "Our new enemy has decided to target me as someone that needs to be eliminated to get to you…and whatever else is up her sleeve." he seems more attentive now hearing that part.
"What?" he heard me though, it was just his reaction to hearing that yet someone else wanted to have him while I was once against someone's target of elimination. "Yeah, it's why she didn't try to do anything more than knock you out. She's got the 'hots' for you." I mutter as I roll my eyes at the verbiage. He rolls his eyes now, "Great...not like I didn't have to deal with that with Beryl, or An." he mutters in irritation.
"Yeah well that's only part of it..." he looks to me with confusion, "What do you mean?" he asks as I respond, "She played chicken with the lives of everyone in there till I was forced to transform in front of them. My parents and brother included." now his eyes go wide as he sees just how much this will be effecting things going forward. "Seriously?" I nod, "I tried to avoid it, I did, but I wasn't strong enough to go up against it without being transformed." I tell him feeling disappointed in myself.
"Hey!" he grabs my arms gaining my attention as I look up to him, "You have nothing to be sorry for. You did what you had to do to protect those around you." He tells me, "I know but you know there's going to be a lot of yelling and disappointment…and that's just from the girls, what about Luna, Artemis, the outer senshi! My parents!" my freak out was beginning now as the adrenaline was wearing off.
"You didn't have a choice!" he tells me, "Yeah I did…" the selfish one, "I could have pretended to not be sailor moon and NOT help. It's why she did what she did." He looks down at me, "That just tells me you made the right call, yeah she did it to make sure you'd be exposed and we'll deal with that later, but you made the right call. Everyone is alive because of you." I tried to see things his way, but it was hard.
"Listen Usa…that fact that you took on that monster singlehandedly without being transformed and didn't get knocked out or seriously injured is not only remarkable and defies against the odds stacked against you but it's kinda hot." I know he's just trying to make me feel better and while I appreciate it now's not the time for that type of comfort when so much crap has just gone down right now.
"I thank you for trying to cheer me up but Mamoru - " he puts his hand up, "I get that this is serious but Usagi, you weren't given really a choice in the matter. I just wish she hadn't knocked me out so easily." I could see the anger welling up within him over it, "Next time you see you can give her a piece of your mind then, till then we need to get back to my parents place...they saw me transform and I might need some back up to explain things to them." he nods, "Of course." No more words are needed as we take off.
It's fifteen minutes later and as I detransform and we are safely inside, that's when my phone lights up with everyone's light blinking. It's clear the girls all want to chat now about what happened and I'm betting that my parents and Shingo will be stuck dealing with the authorities for a little while so I know I have some time to talk. I press the answer button as Rei's the first one to jump on, "Can you talk?"
I go over to Mamoru on the couch, trying to be calm, "Yeah I'm here with Mamoru." I assure them, "Okay so how is it that once Usagi defeats that monster ours disappears?" Rei asks, diving right into it. "I think this mystery woman, whoever she is did this as a divide and conquer approach. She wanted me to get exposed as Sailor Moon and well it worked." Mamoru's trying to assure me things will be okay.
I know he means well and while it's comforting, I want to be in his arms with the girls around us both. The more I talk about it the more I know I need to see the girls in person about this and not be at home. Mamoru can tell to as he nods agreeing with what I'm feeling already as he gets up as I do, "We need to have a meeting at the temple, ASAP. Not tonight, not tomorrow, but now." my nerves are feeling a tad jumpy right now.
"Good idea, we need to formulate a plan to figure out what to do next." Everyone jumps on board as Mamoru asks me, "What about your parents?" once we get towards the door. "I do need to talk to them, but I will do that once we talk to the girls. We need to figure out what to do before we tell them anything. Honestly I should have thought of that earlier." I chide myself for not thinking to do that.
"Considering all that's happened this evening I think it's okay that you were off your game." He assures me as we open the door to see my parents and Shingo coming up the steps. My father is holding my mother as she looks visibly shaken by the ordeal and Shingo still looks like he's processing things himself. I swallow…hard, as I see the expressions change frequently on my parents faces as they walk up into the house without a word to me as Mamoru and I gently walk backwards to be out of their way.
Tonight, has clearly been a tense one. It went from fun, family loving to horrific in the span of only an hour. Mother sits down on the couch as she takes a pillow and holds it. I want to go over and comfort her, but we do have to go. Last time we stayed it was for medical reasons, this time is a bit different. I can see that my father looks upset at what to do next as he stands by mom, Shingo sits down in the arm chair opposite of them.
It's not more than seconds later when my father looking stern, the anger in his features is temporarily tempered by trying to be logical about things yet I can tell the anger is simmering beneath the surface. He was trying to keep calm so he can get to the bottom of thing's yet I could tell as he looked over at me that there was mounting disappointment that I couldn't help but gulp at as he said in a calm voice, "I want to everything that you've been LYING to your family about. The truth Tuskino, Usagi."
I wince as I gulp again and feel incredibly guilty for the years long deception I've had to take upon with them. To not tell them anything as I go out at night, as I take trips and tell them it's a girl's thing, or how many times I've died and come back, or come close to it. Never able to tell them the truth about it and in some cases, being both glad I can't and wishing I could just so I could talk to my family about what I have to go through.
Not to mention for my dad to use my full name like that, means serious business as I can see how their already viewing me differently and its hurtful to see it on their faces. Gathering my will power I speak calmly, "Listen you have no idea how long I've wanted you to know about all of it, no idea, since the start really, but we…" I indicate between Mamoru and I, "Have a HUGE problem to deal with thanks to the monster…" and my own choices this evening…I add mentally to myself.
I know Mamoru doesn't want me to take blame but it's not solely on that mystery woman. I did make the choice. "And as much as I want to answer all of your questions cause I'm sure there's a LOT, it'll have to wait till later on." I want to say tonight but I don't know HOW long talking to the girls will take. That's when my fathers face shifts from me to Mamoru and I can see the full blame take its place and aimed directly at him.
He nearly stomps up towards Mamoru as he himself stays calmly in place already mentally prepared from how he looks to face off against my father in this, "This is because of you isn't it?" it felt like the evening's worth of progress that he made with them this evening unraveled in the span of seconds flat and it was my fault. Mamoru didn't even transform and somehow dad STILL insisted that he was the cause of what he felt was' wrong'.
"Ever since you came into her life things were off, I just know your responsible for it." The guilt eats up at me till I snap out, "He's not the cause of any of this." Stunning my father who looks to me. There was a slight daring look to challenge him in his own home. It's a parenting technic that most kids, most teens and even most adults would cower to facing off against their parents in their parents' home…yet I stood my ground.
It was both a bold effort and a potentially stupid maneuver if dad decided that he didn't want me to stay at home anymore. I can't help but feel bad though, he's upset at the wrong person and I need to rectify this. "This what happened tonight is cause of who WE are…" I motion between Mamoru and I before I bleakly realize they don't know about him. I could keep Mamoru and the girls out of this.
Before I can try to though I feel waves of affection and approval from Mamoru to tell them the truth about all of it, that it was all or none for us and our secret. I mentally nod hoping that they will be able to handle all of it, "Now I can't get into this right now cause we have to talk to the others first, and get it all sorted, but I promise you when I get back home we will talk about it and I will answer any questions you have." He shoots Mamoru a look till my mother gets up from the couch.
She looks more put together now as she's worked through the shock of it for the most part. I can't imagine what it would be like in her position to see her daughter transform for the first time. She looks at me with disappointment in her eyes and it breaks my heart to see it. Till this HUGE secret I've never once kept anything from my mother, "Don't think that you're going back up to your room before you tell us everything."
Her words are stern as she speaks, "Were your parents and we have the right to know everything that going on in your life, especially since your still under 18." Her words made me feel like a child again as I nod. Then she looks to Mamoru, "I feel like I know how your involved, but I won't make any assumptions. What I will do is say this, you continue to watch out for our baby girl, she's my only daughter." He nods.
"I'd never let anything happen to her." His words convince her to accept us leaving out as we head out, however we don't past the door before my father comes up and slams it shut. "No…" he starts as he looks to me. His face fully of conviction that speaks the opposite of what mother is accepting, "Your not going anywhere young lady. Till this all blows over, or longer your grounded." His voice is firm.
I know he wants me to obey but I can't not this one. Then he looks toward Mamoru, "You can get the hell out!" he shouts as he yanks the door open for him, but stops me from being able to leave. "Honey let them leave, I'm sure they have the other senshi to talk to so they can discuss matters." My mother seemed to get it as I nod in a small respect thanking her for taking our side in this as she gets up and walks to dad.
Shingo is just watching this unfold in front of him and doesn't breathe a word good or bad towards us as mom tries to placate dad. He pulls slightly away from her only to have her pull his arm back towards her, "Honey." She tries till he protests, "No this isn't something that is okay, our daughter is Sailor Moon. She's been lying to our faces for where's she been, who she's been with, the strange coincidences, the disappearing acts, the strange behavior, all of it for years, you want to let it go?!" I wince knowing the truth of this.
"Who knows what else she's been hiding from us." He shoots a glare to Mamoru who he himself looks resign and decides to snap back at my father, "She did it for your own protection Kenji." His slightly taller stature as he stood at full height was made for dad to nearly back down even though he was still fired up at me for the years of continued deception towards him, towards all of them on my secret.
"She did it because she was afraid of the enemy coming after all of you. She did it because she loves you all." His words are full of heart and truth as my father stays silent closing his eyes briefly in his anger, "Don't you back talk me boy." My dad nearly gets into his face as my mother pulls him back from a potential fight as I myself grab onto Mamoru's hand and pull the door open from dads grasp.
"We'll be back, I promise." I shout to her from the doorway. "Please be safe. Don't Kenji, your still healing." Mom tells me but admonishes him, that only makes the wires in his brain start to connect more dots as he looks at Mamoru with renewed eyes. Before much else can be figured out I say, "We'll answer anything you want when we get back." As I dart out the front door with Mamoru right behind me. Since he left his car here before we went out for dinner, we take it and drive over to the temple.
I already know its going to be a very long evening when we get there and there is going to be much to discuss. I felt for my parents I did but this needed to happen first, and I think my father needs to cool down either way. As did I. To instantly want to blame Mamoru for everything wasn't fair to him. My father was just angry and acting out from it. We would take this evening to let things simmer down and tempers to cool off.
We arrive there fifteen minutes later and head up the steps, anxiety gives me renewed strength to power through them with ease. Once were at the top I see Rei sweeping up some leaves on the ground as the other girls are waiting. We walk up to them, "Inside." I gently order as she doesn't even raise a brow at it. She knows it's something serious when I give an order. Especially I'm not one for giving them outside of being transformed.
"Did anyone see any of you transform?" I ask her as she locks the door. She shakes her head, "No were all good in that department." I look around as they nod in confirmation, it's seems as if Minako is reading that I'm worried now though, "What the hell happened out there?" I felt like she was asking not only as a friend but as my second in command right now and perhaps that's the mindset she was in.
"Simply put dinner with my parents took a wrong turn when our new enemy decided to interrupt and show her face." This had the girls concerned as we didn't know who was behind the monsters, till tonight. "Wait she was there? Who is she?" Rei asked, "Someone claiming to be a suitor of Mamoru's in the past." I explained, "She didn't go into a lot of detail but enough to showcase that she hates me with a passion." I express.
"How did this result in your worries?" Ami asks, "She got me to transform in front of everyone. The monster you guys were dealing with was a decoy so you wouldn't be able to help me." The got the girls visually concerned, "That explains why you wanted to make sure we weren't exposed." Rei mutters, "She used the divide and conquer approach." Minako states to us as Luna and Artemis pop in.
I explain to them what happened as Luna sighs, "I knew this was bound to happen at some point or another. It was only a matter of time." She seemed disappointed but tired as well. "I'm sorry Luna, Artemis, girls…I really tried to avoid transforming in front of everyone, but she bolted the doors, and wouldn't let me out the back. She kept using her powers to prevent me from avoiding doing it." I tried and felt like I failed in defending my actions.
"It's not the first time we've had to do damage control. I'm sure there's a way to do it now to." Makoto suggests as she tries to calm me down, "Question is what happened to Mamoru?" Minako asks him as he shifts around, "She threw me out of the building and knocked me out of commission. I woke up to Usagi transformed getting me out of the area while emergency services swarmed the place." He explained, "She wanted him out of the fight so it would be me stuck dealing with the fall out." I added on.
"So another girl with the hots for Mamoru." Makoto gives a mirthless chuckle as Mamoru rolls his eyes, "Yeah another fan." He grumbled as I rubbed his arm with my hand, "Which raises another question, who was this woman?" Artemis asks, business at hand as he hops up near me, "She wants Mamoru that's for certain. Oh and me dead." My voice dead pans a bit, "You should have seen her Luna…Artemis."
They both looked to me in concern, "She said I was like my mother, lying and spreading false hope." They both gasped, "That's unfathomable. Such cruel and mean words that are completely false! And about such a wonderful Queen to." Luna was definitely pissed off as she hissed at the very thought of someone trash talking my moon mother, "She sounds like she knew her." Artemis mentions as I nod, "The way she talked she even knew who Beryl was." This gets the girls attention to.
"Even indicated she didn't do a half bad job in the destruction of the past. Almost like she was glad that Beryl destroyed the moon kingdom but was disappointed that the earth kingdom was ruined to." The girls are clearly stunned as Luna starts to pace back and forth upset clearly written in her movements as Mamoru notates, "If she knew Beryl and your mother then we must have known her to."
I glance up at him, "She seemed familiar, but I couldn't place her. I couldn't remember her." I admit. "Can you describe her?" Artemis asks. I do my best to give an accurate description of her as he and Luna seem to mull it over, "She does sound like the other 'potential' doesn't she?" he asks her as I ask, "Potential?" they both look to me, "You weren't the only one that the earth royals were looking at for marriage to Endymion." Luna motions towards Mamoru who shifts closer to me.
"She came from a powerful family if I recall correctly. I think we only ever met her once since we did do visits to earth on occasion, as human of course. Not that it took long for her to find out that we were Mau. Queen Serenity was proud that she had us by her side and didn't make any bones about us being there." Artemis said as Luna seemed to recall more, "Yes now that you mention it I do recall meeting her at least once." We looked to her.
"She was very put together, calm and…" I added to her thought process, "In control." Luna looked up at me, "Yes. She had an air of dignity around her, yet she seemed rather emotionally cool and dejected." I can't help but huff a bit, "Sounds just like her." Luna continues, "While she seemed civil when she discovered that her rival, you, was of Lunarian descent she became rather…" she looked like she was trying to figure out the right word.
"Pissed? Deterred? Falling short? Unpleased that her rival was NOT of earth?" I snipped, recalling how the mystery woman reacted to my presence and everything about me. "Not the exact word but close enough." Luna summed up. "I think I do recall her." Mamoru added, seemingly recalling her. "Just barely though. We didn't meet but once that I remember." I could tell he was trying hard to remember.
"Yes well while you had met her once your parents realized that since you'd already fallen for Serenity here, and add to the fact that Queen Serenity had the offering of a peace treaty to become part of the silver millennium they decided it was in their and your best interest to have a marriage of earth and moon and to join the silver alliance." I couldn't help but say once Artemis said that, "SO Endymion's parents ALLOWED him to marry me because it was better for peace? Marrying me for them was a political move?"
Somehow that felt hurtful that they mainly picked me since I represented a goal to be had rather than the love Endymion and I shared back then, "It was one of the reasons yes but reality speaking Usagi, Endymion had already fallen in love with you and if I recall correctly protested heavily to anyone else being his wife but you." I gave a small smile and curled up into Mamoru's side, "His parents made the decision because he was ready to abdicate the throne if he couldn't marry whom he chose to." Luna added softly shocking all of us.
"Wait how was that going to be possible?" Minako asked first, "Yeah especially since Endymion was an only child." Rei added as Luna looked to them, "Endymion had already built up high regard and reputation for himself within the community. Its one of the reasons why his parents had been ready to step down once he married, they knew he was ready to accept the crown soon and wanted to ensure that the woman he picked was right for the throne."
"Endymion's father, though held a lot of favor saw that his son was rising as a king in his own right and while proud he was, worried he also was that a power hungry woman would be right there wanting to use you." Mamoru looked at Luna for that, "You were a good man in the past but when you were as Endymion, as in control, as skilled as you were, you had a good heart and your father feared that the wrong female would abuse that part of you." That's when she looked to me during this.
"Which is also why you were selected. Usagi, your selection wasn't a pure political move by far, his parents wanted the right future Queen as a daughter in law. Honestly, they had already picked you since they knew their son loved you, so did they, but out of professional courtesy to the last nobleman with a daughter of age, they saw her to." Everyone was silent on the matter for a few moments until I heard Mamoru sigh.
"If I recall correctly my parents realized that there was more political favor to gain from our marriage rather than a princess on earth, especially one who's father was clearly out to use his daughter for a possible claim to the throne, they decided to let us marry instead and use the opportunity to unite the earth and the moon, that where the peace treaty came from…sort of." He said as I wondered what this meant going forward.
That's when Rei asks, "Wait you remember something on her father?" Mamoru nods realizing he did, "I think I got the impressed she was being used by him." This makes me wonder, "Do you think she can be saved?" I ask him. He looks down at me and smiles, "You amaze me so often." I look at him a little stunned, "This woman had you backed into a corner and threw a monster at you and you still want to save her." He kisses my cheek.
"Your big heart knows no bounds…but no." before I can ask why he turned so grim about it Artemis agrees, "Unfortunately Mamoru's right." I turn to face him, "Usagi she was raised to know only the want for power and control. Its why your parents, Mamoru…" he turns his head slight to look at Mamoru, "Kami – sama rest their souls, were already planning on telling her father no to the prospect of marriage. He had already been unpopular with the counsel on earth with his ideas of repression and absolute control."
I couldn't help wonder how far down the rabbit hole she was with how she was raised. It was incredibly hard to undo all of that mental brainwashing. Especially from birth to adulthood. "The king and queen of earth felt that his ideas didn't represent what earth should be about. Especially not the highest, at that time, level of power. In fact even though it was never outright spoken, I felt that the queen and king even held fear about what MIGHT happen to themselves and their son if they allowed the marriage to happen." Artemis concluded.
I couldn't help but ask, "Did they really think they would be assassinated or something?" Artemis looked to me grimly, "They were fearful about how far the father and daughter were willing to go especially after their last visit to the kingdom. It was why they got politely kicked out." I couldn't help but widened my eyes in shock, "From what I remember the earth king and queen were incredibly nice and sweet." I recall.
"Exactly so you know it had to be something major if they were kicked out at all even if polity done so." Luna quipped. I tried to remember the details, but everything is still so fuzzy to me, "What happened?" Minako asked as I was curious to now. It's not like I was there or could recall it if I was. "Thankfully its coming back to me now." Artemis muttered, "They demanded to see the king, queen and the prince as they heard rumors of his proposal of marriage to Serenity." He looked to me then to the girls.
"He really felt that since they'd been talking with the royal couple in charge that they were a shoe in and were guaranteed to have her, his daughter, as the next one in line for queen with Endymion as her king. When the king and queen told him that his ideals were not what they had in mind for running a kingdom." This made me glad that they made the right decision. Yes it may have been politically motivated to but in this case it seems it was with good reason as her father may have been potentially tyrannical.
That's not the right person you want to have as a leader, or in the ear of a leader who can be easily swayed by them, "And that his daughter gave off a very snotty and 'better than thou' attitude that rubbed not only Endymion but even them the wrong way. It was one of the other reasons why they accepted it when Endymion asked Serenity and announced that the moon would be inviting them into the silver alliance." I do remember that part but that was about it, the events are still unfortunately a bit fuzzy.
Didn't help that while I remembered key points from our past life, I didn't remember little things or people I hardly ever met. "If I remember correctly her father not only wasn't thrilled with it but called Lunarian's blasphemous fools that believed in peace when he felt that the only true peace is what comes after war." The girls gasped at this though Rei muttered, "He's not completely wrong." We looked to her.
"What? It's a true fact, I'm not agreeing with him, but the man did raise a small point. Though usually its simply because during the war time that's going on jobs are formed to help out with the effort like making uniforms, bullets, or weapons, giving that country or world a boost to the economy system." We don't say anything as she does have a small point, "In this case though he wanted to start wars to gain power." Luna notated.
"I didn't say I agreed, just said he had a small point." Rei muttered as Artemis went on, "That's when the king and queen realized he wanted to go to war with the Lunarian's to gain the silver crystal and become the most powerful. Immortal. He didn't want peace with them cause he wanted to destroy them." I couldn't help but react as I snorted, "Typical. Its what most of our enemies have wanted from us."
Artemis nodded, "He wanted to destroy what he felt was unworthy, those who wanted peace to him were weak. So, he taught his daughter nothing but hate and tried to pawn her off as a worthy woman to marry but Endymion never fell. He actually avoided her despite her MANY attempts to see him and choose instead to spend time with Serenity. If anything her desperation drove him more quickly into Serenity's arms. Its why you probably don't remember her, you were too busy being with Serenity." He concluded.
"As much as I hate to say it, it makes sense." The girls looked to me in shock, "She did tell me that I was blasphemous. She really hated that I was from another planet which is also probably why her father hated me to." I realize thinking on it, "I mean look at the prejudices. He already hated the concepts we were bringing to the table with peace, further that along that we from the moon and NOT from earth." They grumbled.
"It's not something that I prefer to think about either but think back to talking with her, she talked down to me. She tried to make me feel insignificant. Her hatred of me wasn't purely because of me being another potential for Endymion…" I looked to him before addressing the girls again, "It was because of who I am where I come from." This got their attention, "I mean she mentioned Beryl in passing and rather than hating her to she didn't view her as a huge threat." I realize that now as I recall how she talked.
"She merely viewed her as overly ambitious and getting ahead of herself. She even managed to nearly sound like she was nearly praising Beryl for destroying the moon kingdom yet disappointed she destroyed the Terrian kingdom in her quest for power and domination and to have Endymion." Minako then speaks up, "It does actually make sense." We all look to her as she sits up from her seating position.
"Just like Usagi said she and her father obviously hate those in power that oppose their views and Serenity, Usagi here, and Queen Serenity both were in peaceful views to help out others." I nodded as she continued, "Plus throw in the factor that they were from the moon kingdom, a very well off established place full of live and living rewardingly off the silver crystal, something of immense power. The key to the universe that's capable of giving rebirth to life on a whole planet as we know it." I knew where she was headed with it.
"Minako's right, they didn't just hate me because I was a rival, she hated me more because I would someday hold the power that SHE wanted cause its what her father wanted. The power to be immortal one day and use the silver crystal for their own selfish gains. Just like any other enemy we've ever had. Its why she conversed with me as she did." I can't help but grumble then nearly laugh coming to my own conclusion.
"Funny thing is despite her obvious hatred of me, of what she could have done to me considering I wasn't transformed and she was at full power she didn't kill me as she could have. We had what in her warped brain passes for a civilized conversation." I can't help but roll my eyes at that notion, "She and her father both clearly hated what they didn't have…power. Like the power that Serenity, and Queen Serenity hold." Minako adds on.
I nod, "Exactly. I have that power over her still and she's undermining it however which way she can to get what she wants. Like Endymion and who knows what else." I sighed. "She didn't tell you what she wanted?" Luna asked, "Other than for the world to see what she deemed the 'real me' and to have Endymion back? No, she wasn't too chatty in that department. Though I doubt we've seen the last of her." I wasn't trying to be snotty but the evening hasn't been kind to me so snippy I was being a bit right now.
I amend my words a bit by adding, "I'm sure now that I've transformed in front of people she'll be waiting to strike again which is why I want to make sure you all are more careful, no one in here takes that risk in front of civilians as I did unless its dire circumstances. Or better yet, we should be in team groups to help one another out to avoid anyone else from getting exposed. I don't want any of you to have to deal with the fall out as I will more than likely be doing." I tell them as Minako voices, "Well figure it out."
I smile, "I know we'll try but I have a feeling this isn't something we can make go away. Rei I especially don't want this to fall back on you, I don't know how grandpa Hino would take to finding out your Mars." I admit partial defeat at this point as she says, "I worry about that to. He may be a scrappy old man but he's just the same as any other man his age and I always worry about his health."
We all nod knowing that as brave and skilled as her grandfather was, he was still human and could still and has been hurt before by the enemy. "Exactly, I don't know what the shock of the news would do to him." I hope it wouldn't cause any problems for him. It's one of the many reasons why I want the girls to be safe about this, it could affect not just us but those we love and care for in our lives.
It made me want to kick her ass all the more though. I just hoped to hell I was transformed next time so I could kick her ass and see what she could do while we were on more equal grounds. I'm about to say something when I notice a shadow by the door and wonder how long it's been there as I have a feeling I know who's it is. With all of us in such a deep conversation none of us noticed the short shadowy presence there.
I walk over and open the door much to Rei's confusion till she sees who's on the other side of it as he appears. Grandpa Hino looking at us all though now it's almost as if he's seeing us with new eyes. I sigh knowing that expression having just seen something similar on my parents faces. He sees my face and knows I know he's been there long enough she there are no pretenses to deny how much he's heard.
"How long?" he asks Rei as I look to her. She's about to deny it when I shake my head. She sees the expression on my face and realizes it's too late. We were so busy within the depth of the conversation that we didn't even notice the older man walking up to the door and whether intentional or not he listened in and heard it all. I didn't blame him though, apparently tonight is the night for reveals as it were.
"Grandpa…" Rei tries as he asks her, "Were you ever going to tell me?" he asks instead probably sensing that she gave up on denial at this point. She chokes up too much to say anything, one of the few times she looks vulnerable when it comes to her grandfather so he goes to hug her. None of us say anything, letting them have their little moment as Rei starts to sniffle a little, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"Grandfather." She manages to get out holding herself back a bit so she can actually speak coherent sentences, "My dead Rei, I've always suspected but I didn't really know for sure." He admits to her as a tear falls from her eyes, "I wanted to tell you so badly, but I wanted to keep you safe and we felt that it was the only way." She manages to get out as she wipes the tears away from her face.
"I'm just glad your being safe about it." He says as he looks to all of us a smile on his face as he looks on to us all with pride. It feels nice to get that look to us all, even myself. Knowing he sees us all in some way as those he cares for makes me feel happy inside as we all do care for him to, "You're a wonderful group of young women and man who do so much for us all. Thank you." I can't help but tear up now myself.
I watch grandpa Hino walk out as if he were the one with the most pride to be had. Strutting out happy as anything. Perhaps he is though, knowing that his granddaughter is a senshi and is proud of the work that she does. As happy as I am for them both to having gotten something so huge out of the way and for it to be such a proud moment where Rei can be honest with him and be accepted for her secrets that she's had to keep I can't help but feel a tad envious of her and I feel guilty for it to.
She now has a proud grandfather who merely told her to keep safe still and smiled at her and all of us with pride and I got threats of being grounded by my dad when he found out as he yelled and blame things on Mamoru. It made me want to hug grandpa Hino to, just to get a taste of that acceptance as well but it wasn't my place to do that. While I may feel a tad envious, I'm also very happy that the news was something he was happy finally got to join her on as they shared a loving warm moment together.
Rei deserved it for all that she had to go through over the years. The abandonment by her father, hardships after her mother's passing and loneliness that she faced in her childhood youth. She was to hard on herself at times and needed to be shown that she has people in her corner to so for grandpa Hino to show her that warmth I think gave her the courage to be open to him like tha tin front of us as she rarely is unless it's a special situation.
Maybe in due time my family with be as well since grandpa Hino didn't find out in the way that my family did with me, "And Usagi…" I look to him as he prepares to leave out, "Don't worry so much about me, none of you…I may be older than most, but I can still take a lot and keep on kicking to." I nod accepting that perhaps our worries were a little bit much than they should have been. After all he went up against Zoicite once and lived to tell the tale and as a human that's no easy feat to accomplish.
Once he's at the door he sees to remember something, "I almost forgot why I came out here, you haven't seen the news yet have you?" now I'm more worried, "No." we leave the little room were at as Rei leads us into the living room area where there's a t.v. once she pops it on she turns to the news station and there in front of me is the reporter that was at the restaurant, "Oh no, she was at the restaurant doing an article." I mutter.
"You might have mentioned that little gem before." Rei nearly barked at me as we watched the event happen. I narrowed my eyes at her, "Sorry but talks of the new enemy was a tad more important at the time." I snapped back as she turned up the volume. All of us are in stunned quietness as we listen and watch the footage that her camera man got of me trying to beat on the creature unsuccessfully as a civilian before I had no choice but to give up and transformed in front of everyone.
Mamoru holds me tightly to him for support and comfort, "Oh this is bad…this is so, so very bad…" I couldn't help but begin to panic and feeling anxiety run through me. Seeing myself beating on a monster in public looked all to real and very different from how it felt to do it in motion. It really felt like it had gone on for so much longer than it did when really the fight took several minutes. All I knew was right now I felt very exposed and knew our enemy got exactly what she wanted out of tonight…my exposure.