Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Sailor Moon Crystal or anything to do with Sailor Moon for that matter. All rights belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
I do however own my own OC characters and Story :-)
Prologue
It had been unexpected.
The swirling dark clouds, the roaring thunder and flash lighting striking the ground and cracking the earth like an egg. The intense heat scorching their skins followed by a snow storm leaving you no time to prepare for this outlandish weather change. The buildings collapsing all around them falling on citizens as they tried to escape with their families. The fierce winds that broke through houses, uprooted trees and blasted against the seas.
It had been unexpected.
She tried to hang onto her Princess, it was her duty, her first port of call before all else. The screaming and shouting ricocheted all around her as she ran with her fellow Senshi and Chiba Mamoru, seeking, looking for anywhere that was safe. Dodging the cracks in the ground, the dust clouds that surrounded them, she ran holding her Princess's hand.
It had been unexpected.
He was the first to go. He had to; it wasn't a difficult decision pushing his love out of the way of a collapsing wall from a shop. He tried to get up, the Senshi tried to free him but he told them to stop, save his Usako. She cried out to him, held out her hand to him. She screamed that she would save him but he knew better, none of them would survive this, only his Usako. Using his commanding tone as their future King, he commanded Venus to take his fiancé away. With a heavy heart, she obeyed.
It had been unexpected.
Uranus and Neptune battled against the oncoming chaos of people running in fear. Saturn and Pluto tried to make sure the way was clear for their Princess and Venus but then the ground shook and split wide open swallowing Neptune and Uranus. They fell inside the mouth of darkness holding each other's hands. Saturn cried as the ground parted further catching more people in its jaws.
It had been unexpected.
She swore she hadn't seen it coming. This was such a rare occurrence, the last time it had happened was the day the Silver Millennium fell and Saturn had swung her glaive down, the Time Storm wiped everything away. She said she needed to get back to the Time door but then she heard a scream, Saturn had been flung across into the raging waters. Pluto told the Inner Senshi to go without her, she had to save Saturn. Venus obeyed and carried on holding onto her Princess.
It had been unexpected.
Jupiter, Mercury and Mars ran behind Venus and their princess but they knew they weren't going to make it. They could feel it, feel the worsening conditions. The planet seemed to be shaken to its very core and the moment the skies started spitting out fire and there were large hailstones being thrown against the last of the standing buildings, the Silver Crystal reacted.
It had been unexpected.
Venus held onto her Princess waiting for tragedy to strike. She closed her eyes as the familiar warm feeling her Princess would emit surrounded her very being. Surrounded by a bright pink bubble of light, the Silver Crystal transported Venus and Usagi away along with Luna and Artemis, the rest of the Inner Senshi had already been swallowed up by the opening of the ground. It had been sudden and Usagi had no time to react. They were gone. The bright light engulfed the whole earth as it felt the Moon Princess's pain. The healing of Earth began.
It had all been unexpected.
24 months later…..
Aino Minako was walking down a busy street holding groceries. She wore tight blue jeans and an orange vest top. Her golden hair remained in its traditional style with a red bow holding some of it together. She looked straight on until she reached a corner and then she turned left. Walking down a little alley she walked right through until she came out onto another road. She crossed the quiet road and headed to a set of trendy flats. Fumbling in her pockets she pulled out a card and then swiped it downwards. Once the door had opened automatically she walked in and then going up a set of stairs she took a right and stood outside number 8. She used the card again and then pushed the door open.
Once inside she walked past her living room which contained a three-seater blue sofa, a coffee table, a bookcase and a flat screen TV. She walked into her small kitchen and started to pack her shopping away. She looked at the clock on the wall once, it was 15:00pm, she had an hour left. Taking out a frozen pizza she stuck it in the oven ready to start cooking. Sighing she filled up the fridge with her essential items and then walked back into the living room.
How much had their lives changed.
Minako walked towards the large window that led out to a little balcony and looked outside. The rejuvenating power of the Silver Crystal was truly something, it was as if the storm had never happened, but she knew better, they both did.
She could still see their faces, her friends, her comrades. The look of acceptance as they fell into their deep dark graves swallowed up by the earth. It had been more than traumatising but she had to stay strong, she didn't have the luxury of succumbing to anguish. She had a job to do, a duty to fulfil and she would fulfil it even if it killed her.
Artemis and Luna had been quiet for the first two months. Neither of them was sure the horror had happened. The Silver Crystal had restored everything so surely the Senshi and their Prince would come back running towards them. But no such thing occurred. Months went by and soon Usagi gave into despair, they were gone.
Minako had already known they weren't coming back. She couldn't feel their powers anymore, the powers that bound them as Senshi. That link had been severed and no matter how much Minako wanted to grasp after it she knew the truth, she knew the state of things now. Artemis had been the first to come out of his silence but Luna had remained quiet, a steady presence for her mourning Princess who may never become Queen now.
The first three months were the hardest for all of them. They had no homes to go to and many people were searching for their loved ones. Usagi couldn't bring everyone back, it would've been too much considering what she had already been through. Minako hadn't expected to see any of their friends or family and for the first three months, that proved to be correct.
After Five months Usagi had found Motoki, the former owner of the Crown Arcade. He looked terrible and no matter how hard Usagi tried he wouldn't speak. He couldn't form words and he looked a mess. After two weeks of persistence from Usagi, he finally told them. His whole business had been levelled to the ground and whilst some of the shops had been restored almost immediately. He said they had all seen her, this beautiful light with a woman holding an item that had healed everything. They had all also seen Sailor Venus with this woman and knew these two women had been their saviours but then they disappeared. Motoki knew he should be happy to be alive but he had lost too much. All his family, his business and worst of all, he had lost Reika.
Usagi cried, Motoki didn't know what to make of it but Minako knew, she always understood her Princess, even more so now than ever as the link between the two had grown strong and firm.
"She's just so upset for you Motoki-san, you have lost so much, we all have" Minako said speaking for Usagi. They couldn't tell him the truth; their identities had to remain a secret, possibly forever.
Six months down the line Minako had met Miyamoto Hiroki. That was the moment her life was hit by another earthquake because Hiroki was the reincarnation of her former lover, Kunzite. He had been searching for her the moment he woke up. He couldn't explain it but he said the shell that had kept his soul had cracked and released him; he couldn't feel his comrades and knew already they were not coming back. He mourned the death of his Prince blaming himself for allowing evil to control him. What could Minako tell him? Yes he had been brainwashed but that didn't lessen the damage done.
Usagi had welcomed him back as if nothing had happened. He was her only connection to Endymion and she knew how Minako felt about the leader of the Shitennou. No, she wouldn't turn him away, she couldn't.
That was only the first six months. Two years had flown by and now Usagi was twenty-three years old. They all knew Crystal Tokyo was gone, Chibiusa was gone, everything was gone. Now looking out the window Minako thought about the lives they led. It was a far cry to what they had all imagined. Cracking her knuckles, she closed her eyes and took a deep intake of breath, sometimes she would be overwhelmed by a whole host of emotions clawing at her, scratching at her heart.
They had started teaching the children at school about the Sailor Senshi. There had been no animosity towards the Senshi because they had believed to have perished in that event. Minako had to smile at that, they were teaching about her friends at school! Of course, although they taught about Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon, the public was still searching for them both. It was still very dangerous for them as the world hadn't given up its search. They wanted a leader but Usagi had made it clear to Minako that she had given up on becoming Queen; that life had never come to be and never will. She couldn't do it without Endymion. Minako had agreed so here they were, living a normal life as normal citizens in a new world.
Usagi was a Kindergarten teacher which in a way suited her just fine. Minako had gone into an organisation that provided sets for movies. Minako gave up on her dream to become a successful star the moment all her friends, the Sailor Senshi had lost out on achieving theirs. Kunzite was working for an architecture company which was in the process of producing new buildings, they had to rebuild everything and Kunzite was at the forefront of it all.
Minako didn't know what the future held for them but what she did know was this; she would stay with her princess because that was the only thing that made sense to her. Everything else only confused her. Kunzite understood and he himself had pledged that he would also look after Usagi for the sake of Endymion's memory. Plus, he saw the constant pain Usagi was in and how much she had changed. The cheery happy go-lucky girl was gone, replaced by someone who was only a shell of her former self.
"Is this it Artemis? Everything we've sacrificed, everything we have fought for, was it all for this?" Minako asked bitterly refusing to cry even though she so badly wanted to.
"I don't know Minako-chan but what I do know is this, we can't give up hope. We're alive, our Princess is alive and safe, you have done your duty as leader of the Sailor Senshi" Artemis said quietly but still in a strong voice. Minako had simply nodded. She had done what she could; she would do anything for her princess.
A/N: Hi All
So, I decided to put this story up as my next one and this focuses a little more on Minako and Usagi. Its an AU and looks at a different way of Crystal Tokyo forming. I am still in the process of actually doing this story so I am open to ideas. It all looks a little bleak now but the next chapter pushes the story forward. I decided to put this up first before my actual AU story that pairs Usagi with an OC, I am a little worried as I haven't done it before and not sure about the reaction to it. But I will add it soon. There might be similar stories out there but this is just my take.
Will update the next chapter by the weekend.
A/N 2 - Sorry, saw a mistake in this chapter.