Hi all,
I hope you had a fantastic week so far.
I became an aunt a few days ago, to a beautiful healthy baby boy, Aslan. For all the heartbreak I have been going through since last week and f*cking Middle Eastern politics, his arrival has enabled me to see some light and hope in the world.
So, I have a special thank you to a special someone. DarkenedHrt101, you've really pulled me through some roughness this past week. Between my sorrow for Iran, my crazy schedule and becoming an aunt, you really helped me gather my wits and sit my ass and write this story. Thank you, I owe you, babe:)
Now on with your amazing reviews. A special thank you to all of you who have made it possible for me to know which route I need to take as I write this story. Your predicaments and questions has allowed me to put my head in the game. Kudos to all of you.
DarkenedHrt101: You know the ending:) You know it. hahahf;HDFJKTJKHGA. (Break this code:)))) )
SailorMoon489: I hope some of your questions will be answered in this chapter. If not, always feel free to pm me or chat on Tumblr:) Thank you for reading my story:)
Serenitysweety: Well, you'll find out more about the "betrayal" all right:) Let me know your thoughts sweety. Thanks.
Syulai: Should I cut that thin thread? :D:D Nah, your amazing and I wouldn't want to have to leave you hanging by that thread. So, this chapter is to you, my friend. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
moonwrite: Well read on and find out:) Have a great day.
SailorGuardian314: Thank you for your encouraging words. I love chatting with you btw. Let me know your thoughts about this chapter:)
TropicalRemix: I kinda wish they end up together too:) To be honest, I haven't figured that out yet:D
Zanahana: I'm always so touched by how detailed you write your reviews:) Thank you so much. I loved the part with the queen too. I sort of had tears in my eyes when I was writing it. I think if you enjoyed the last chapter, you will definitely enjoy this one more:) Let me know your thoughts.
Sailormoonfan1987: Were you born in 1987? If so, we're the same age:) Anyways, let me know what you thought of this chapter.
Oloferne: The queen has spoken (literally, because queen Selene did in the last chapter:D:D) If you can't empathize with Hiro then my friend, you are in for a rollercoaster this chapter:D:D MUHAHAHAHA.
Xo: LOOL. We might even have more cliffhangers in the future:D
Thatycarter: I hope you like this chapter my friend:)
Enjoy everyone.
Golak
BTW: You can always find me on my Tumblr: goligolak :)
"Princess…"
The whisper came by her ear; so close, that it stirred the fine hair around her neck. Usagi opened her eyes and closed them against the harsh light.
"Princess…"
She tried again; she peeked one eye open first, and then the next. The air around her smelled like a forest; fresh and easy to breathe. The white light surrounding her moved like a wave; constantly dimming and lighting up.
"Where am I?" Usagi brought her hand to her temple and massaged. She didn't have a headache, but her head felt heavy. As if she'd been sick for many days, with a nasty cold and nastier fever, and now she was carrying the last bit of it.
"We're at the Golden Kingdom," Sailor Pluto said monotonic, "Elysion…"
Usagi's eyes opened wider and she sat up quickly. It was probably late afternoon here, on the terrain. The brilliance of the sun cast long and picturesque shadows over the trees and Usagi's eyes watered.
She remembered her ventures through this forest. Alone and wrapped in a thick cloak that kept her hair and face and shining moon hidden from probing eyes. She stood up on wobbly feet and looked beyond Sailor Pluto's strong stance and thought of happier memories.
She heard Serenity giggling in the distance, as she whirled around in a simple pink earthy dress, with Endymion's eyes watching her every movement. Usagi tried to look away; she didn't want her companion to see the agony on her face.
She remembered the soft kisses she'd shared with Endymion here. Her cheeks flamed as she also remembered their tongue fights as they pulled, clawed and kneaded at each other with fever, need and burning desire.
"Why are we here?" She asked without looking at Sailor Pluto.
"Before the gala, when no one was looking, Serenity...you, my dear, paid a visit to the Golden Kingdom," Sailor Pluto looked at her with searching eyes, "Why?"
Usagi thought hard. She remembered the gala faintly; the only vivid memory she had was of Sailor Uranus' smiling face and Endymion's shock stricken eyes. She tried to dig deep, but something pushed at her and she couldn't reach where she wanted.
"I don't know...I'm not sure…"
"Something happened here; something that shifted the timeline and blocked me from knowing what had happened here too," Sailor Pluto pointed her Rod to afar, "come, princess. Let us find out what broke your heart and pushed the prince over the edge."
Usagi looked up at her without moving, "How did you know…" she took a deep breath, "about my heartbreak?"
The Senshi of Time had always had a soft spot for the little blonde. For all the time she had lost with Serenity, she had vowed to be a better protector, a better friend to Usagi.
"A part of me died that day…" She reached out a hand and caressed Usagi's cheek, "the moment you clutched your heart and felt your whole world shattering around you, a piece of my soul escaped, for it had always been tied to yours."
Usagi's tears finally came and she allowed Sailor Pluto to pull her in a warm embrace.
They walked on the damp earth hand in hand, each completely enchanted by the beauty the kingdom Serenity had loved so much had to offer. Little by little, the wall of agony around Usagi's heart crumbled and she started telling Sailor Pluto all the stories and adventures she'd had on the same field. They laughed at Serenity's utter confusion when she had felt drops of rain over her face. Her fright when lighting had struck and she had yelped and cried like a little baby. Usagi didn't tell her the aftermath though; of how Endymion had engulfed her whole and had whispered reassuring nonsense in her ear. Usagi took a deep breath when she thought of how his lips felt against the back of her neck.
"You cannot be here…"
They froze midstep when they heard the gruff voice. Usagi's heartbeat escalated. She knew that voice. She had argued with that voice countless times.
"I have the right—"
"You have no right...none…"
They had thought the voice had spoken to them. But then, as they tiptoed around the big oak tree, they saw them standing a few feet away. Serenity had a thick grey cloak tight around her and Usagi could see the fine fabric of her gala dress poking from underneath. When had this happened?
Her eyes strayed to the man standing in front of Serenity. He always stood so freaking rigid, always so tense as if the weight of the world heavied on his shoulders. Usagi felt a pang of deep regret and her eyes watered once more. This man had been the closest Endymion had to a brother, and yet, Serenity never got the chance to get to know him. And now...Usagi wiped her eyes; now, it was simply too late.
Kunzite was clad in his formal silverish attire and his cape danced in the subtle breeze.
His eyes were narrowed and all Usagi could see were a slit of unspoken fire in them. Serenity had always assumed the general didn't like her; now Usagi shared the same sentiments.
"You need to leave. Right now." He told Serenity and Usagi felt Sailor Pluto shift beside her.
"I need to see him. I have something to—"
"He doesn't want to see you, princess." Kunzite cut Serenity off again and Usagi watched more confused than ever.
What had happened here?
"Kunzite, listen to me. This is important and I need to see Endymion right away." Serenity's face paled noticeably and she pursed her lips tight together and Usagi wondered if she was feeling sick right about then.
"Princess, you are not listening to me. The prince doesn't want to see you," He took a step towards Serenity, "he will lose his throne and most probably his life if he continues this poisoned relationship." He took another step forward and Usagi felt Sailor Pluto's arm clutching the rod tighter and she felt a mix of sadness and appreciation wrapping around her. Did her friend really think she could protect Serenity now? In this dreary dream, they were journeying on?
"This is not poisoned and I loath to know that you feel this way." Serenity touched her stomach and took a step back, but her voice had been rock solid and Usagi felt proud despite herself. She saw how Kunzite's eyes flickered to where Serenity rested her hand. It was only for a second, but Kunzite had always been a sneaky man, Usagi reflected. Quick in the limbs and harsh on the tongue.
"It is poisoned. If he ends up with you he will lose his place in the eyes of his people and then, will lose his will to fight against the disloyal. And we both know him, how he cares about this planet and his people. He wouldn't live through the misery." Kunzite stood tall and proud right in front of Serenity. He loomed over the fragility of the princess and Usagi felt a knot in her stomach.
Sailor Pluto took a deep, steady breath.
"And if he loses you...well, we both know how it will destroy him. I don't doubt that for a second. But…" He reached out and Usagi felt Sailor Pluto's leap beside her.
"Sailor Pluto…" She whispered loudly, "This is a dream… it is not real." She grabbed the warrior's forearm and kept her in her place, "This is done. We cannot change the past." Hadn't Setsuna said the same words to her once?
The Senshi of time stared at Usagi and for the first time since she had awakened and revealed herself, Usagi saw an ocean of tears in her eyes.
"I wish I could stop the clock," She whispered, "I wish I could—"
Kunzite's hand landed on Serenity's cheek and both women hidden behind the oak tree let out a shaky breath.
He did a once over on the princess' face and touched the crescent moon on her forehead with his thumb, "He is destined to be the greatest king of the Golden Kingdom. Even before he was born, his destiny had been written and tied to Elysion," His hand descended to Serenity's midsection and he touched her stomach over the thickness of her cloak, "If you truly love him, princess, you will let him go."
Sailor Pluto's tears finally came as she felt how Serenity's heart shattered into a million pieces.
But Usagi's eyes were glued to the general's face. Because right then, she had remembered exactly when this conversation had taken place and how she had felt as the words were out of Kunzite's lips. But this time, she didn't allow herself to fall into a pit of misery; instead, she watched the man's face closely as his hand caressed the star created in Serenity's womb; the star he knew belonged to his beloved liege.
This time, Usagi made herself think about someone else other than herself; and so, she recognized the torment beneath all that superiority in Kunzite's eyes.
And this, she thought, was what had made her crumble to her fate.
Mamoru poured a fresh cup of coffee for himself and walked back to the living room.
He hadn't turned on any lights since he had returned home; it had proved difficult, to be honest, to carry a sleeping blonde whilst doing the chores he usually did when he walked through the threshold; flick on the small lamp on the table of the genkan, leave his keys in the small bowl designated for that purpose and neatly leave his shoes in the small shoe closet.
He'd managed to take his shoes off as he'd clutched Usagi in both arms and walked further into his apartment. He knew every nook and cranny of this place, he didn't need light to show him his path.
He'd carried the blonde into his bedroom and before laying her on his bed, his legs had carried him back to his living room. It felt safer, better, to lay her on the couch.
He sat on his green loveseat and looked over Usagi. She seemed peaceful in her sleep. The fluffy grey blanket he'd covered her with was still smoothed over her and her naked feet poked out.
His fanatic heart had only just gone back to its normal beat. He'd been so scared, so confused, when mid-sentence, Usagi's eyes had rolled to the back of her head and she'd fainted forward, right into his shivering arms.
He hadn't known what to do, he'd never seen her faint like that before. And all his practices had gone straight down to hell the minute her face fell, her eyes closed and her body had gone limp.
In his panic, he had used her communicator watch to contact one of her Senshi.
"I need your help," he'd yelled, "Usagi just fainted, out of nowhere—"
"What? Where the hell are you? Why is she with you?" Rei had snapped and Mamoru had heard hurried footsteps on her end.
"We're in the Amishiro park," he'd ignored her angry remarks and cut off the communication.
Rei had arrived in a fury of hot white anger. She'd wanted to pull Usagi out of Mamoru's arms and he'd sternly refused. They had brought the sleeping blonde to a bench nearby and Rei had been able to close her eyes, summon her power and reach out to Usagi.
"She's fallen asleep and I can feel her somewhere far away…" She'd opened her eyes and caressed Usagi's hand she'd been holding, "she's not in danger. That much I know." Mamoru's soul confirmed what she had felt.
He had sent her back to the shrine, not allowing her to accompany him back to his place.
"I'll take Usagi then…" She'd stood in front of him with her hands on her hips and her beautiful raven hair bright against the backdrop of the night. It had only taken one austere look from him, as he wrapped his arms tighter against Usagi's unmoving form; Rei had gone quiet, "I'll try to figure out what happened." She'd touched Usagi's face, "don't run too far," she'd whisper to her friend, "don't go where I can't reach you." Then, she was gone.
Usagi stirred on the couch and Mamoru's hand lingered somewhere close to his mouth. The smell of coffee was damn inviting, but the littlest movements from her couldn't be avoided.
She stirred again and Mamoru left his coffee on the table.
He stood over her in the dark and watched her face. Was she dreaming? He couldn't say. But her face was smooth and unbothered.
Her lips moved and he leaned closer to hear what she was saying. She took a deep breath and furrowed. Was she having a nightmare now? Is that why she wrinkled her face?
When minutes ticked and she didn't move anymore, he turned to go back to his cold coffee. But then, her breathing became laboured and she started whimpering.
It was an instinct, he supposed, the way he rushed back to her and took hold of her shoulders and brought her close to his chest.
"Shh...it's alright," he whispered against her ear, "I've got you...it's alright."
Her hair felt damp from where her forehead rested against his chin and her whimpering intensified and she started shivering.
He wrapped her tighter in the blanket and laid her back on the couch. He pushed her further into the couch and laid beside her, face to face. His arms were tight around her and her shaky breath blew against his lips.
"It's okay...I've got you…" he whispered, again and again.
Slowly, Usagi's shivering slowed and her breathing felt normal.
Mamoru held her close. His coffee was long forgotten. The living room had gone completely dark, left for a tiny shimmer of light from his open curtains. Tokyo hummed in a distance.
He touched her face with his thumb and murmured reassuring nonsense in her ear. All the while hoping that a light would turn on and show him the path to her.
"Where are you right now?" He whispered and wished that she could hear his plea.
"What?" Sailor Pluto asked and tried to loosen Usagi's tight grip on her hand.
"I just…" Usagi looked around, "I feel like, I heard someone...calling out to me." She looked back at her companion and shook her head, "Probably my imagination."
They were back to the moon castle. Neither of them had the heart to keep watching the despair on Serenity's face, "I never knew, never understood how he felt," Usagi had whispered and Sailor Pluto didn't need to ask which "he" she was referring to; she had never seen such a rueful look on a man's face.
The castle beamed with laughter and millions of shining stars. The servants moved swiftly between this royal and that one while carrying heavy trays of all the goodness the moon had to offer. Usagi had long forgotten what those goods were.
On the far corner of the main hall, the queen stood in all her glory. Her eternal beauty and poise emitted a shadow on her surroundings, and Usagi knew that it was more than that. Unspeakable power leaked from every ounce of her, in the way she carried herself, the way she tilted her head and smiled at flatterers and suitors who fawned at her feet and wiped their drools for the power they knew she possessed.
"I always wondered what it would be like to walk these halls, side by side to the queen." Sailor Pluto whispered as Usagi gave room to a servant girl who rushed passed her; she rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. No one could see them. No one would ever know that the two of them had traveled from a distant future to witness the greatest kingdom of history crumble to ashes.
"You never did?" It was more of a statement than a question because Usagi knew that she hadn't. Serenity had never met the Senshi of Time in flesh; stories were told of her beauty and her boundless power; of how her loyalty to the queen and the realm had her guarding the door of time without a moment of rest.
Sailor Pluto's smile seemed distant, "I could have never left my post. Maybe if I did...if only I could rush to the queen's aid…" she fell silent and Usagi didn't press. There was no point in bringing up sad memories.
Something caught Usagi's eye and she went up on her tip-toes to see better. She followed the tall lean man. She narrowed her eyes. Something about the way he walked...then he tilted his head and Usagi was able to see the side of his, her face. She hadn't been mistaken. That was Sailor Uranus. She remembered the flash of memory she had, while she stood in front of Mamoru in the park; Serenity's hand around a man's arm; Sailor Uranus' arm.
"Come on," She said to Sailor Pluto and without giving her a chance, she pulled the other woman behind her.
They followed Sailor Uranus as she greeted and charmed men and women as she walked the room. A tiny smile tugged at Usagi's mouth. Somethings really never changed. How many times had she witnessed the same thing with Haruka, back in Tokyo? The way she smirked and winked at women, the way she smiled and pushed her short hair to the side; she was the epitome of raw desire. Usagi couldn't count the number of times she too, had fallen under Haruka's spell.
The Senshi of Wind glided through the mass of people towards one of the main doors in the back. There, she looked around, a little suspiciously in Usagi's eyes, and walked out of the hall.
Usagi was expecting Sailor Pluto to question her; maybe about the reason why they were following Sailor Uranus when in fact, they should be looking for Serenity. But the older woman kept her silence and Usagi found herself dreading to know what she knew. So she kept pulling her in silence.
There was a narrow hallway behind that door, one that Usagi was sure she had walked in and out of countless times. The hallway carried them to a room bare of any beauty and in the middle stood Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars and… Usagi's eyes widened. Sailor Uranus.
"Sailor Mars said that you are okay with the plan," Sailor Venus was asking. Usagi felt Sailor Pluto's handshake in her grip and for a moment, she didn't know which one of them shook harder.
"I am…" Sailor Uranus adjusted the sash around her shoulder, "but are we sure that he's going to be here?"
"Yes. I have made sure of it." Sailor Venus' shiny hair looked a little dull in this eerie room.
"Can I just say that I'm still totally against this plan. It's a fucked-up plan and it will ruin so many lives." Sailor Mars hissed without meeting the other women's eyes. Usagi heard the deep cutting hurt in her friend's voice. If she could, she would've reached out to her then.
"We have been over this again and again," Venus growled, "this is best for the princess. We have sworn to protect her well-being—"
"Even if it means destroying her mentally, her very soul?"
Sailor Pluto took a sharp inhale, but Usagi didn't pay heed. Her eyes were fixed on the trio in front of her. Her ears could only hear the conversation between them. Everything else faded away.
Sailor Uranus narrowed her eyes and looked at Mars but didn't say anything.
"Her soul is bound to the star she carries within her now. She will rise from the heartache," Sailor Venus whispered, "I would bleed out dry before I let anything happen to her." She sounded so small, so very…
"She did bleed out…" Sailor Pluto's voice sounded so far away, "I watched her cut and blast the enemy. And then, by the end, when she realized that she had failed the princess, she just laid there in her own wounds and..." Usagi wanted to vomit; please stop talking, she wanted to plead with Pluto.
"So, you want to make the prince believe that Serenity is unfaithful?" Sailor Uranus asked after a moment.
Sailor Venus looked at Mars, but the other Senshi didn't stray her eyes away from the ground.
"No," The Senshi of love said, "we want him to think that Serenity has moved on."
Rei pursed her lips together and squeezed her eyes tighter. The more she focused, the less she saw. It was driving her mad.
The holy fire didn't sizzle as much as it should've and it was worrying her. Why couldn't she see Usagi? Why couldn't she see where her princess had gone to?
When she had touched the blonde's face, sleeping soundlessly in Chiba's arms, she had only seen a flicker of silver-blonde hair in a golden setting. The image hadn't given her a fright, nor had it given her a reassurance.
"Let me in. Usagi…" she whispered; slowly; deliberately.
She hadn't told any of the others what had happened at the park. She didn't want to alert them for no reason. Maybe Usagi was only having a calling, a dream. Maybe she had only collapsed from fatigue. Any of them could've been a possibility. That, and the fact that she had allowed Chiba to take their princess home to his bachelor pad; alone and in the middle of the night. Rei could only imagine all the ways Minako and Haruka could make her life hell.
She sighed and lowered her hands. It was no use. She could try and try. But she couldn't see anything but complete darkness.
She opened her eyes and stared into the holy fire, "Damn it," she whispered to the silence of the room. From afar, she could hear grandpa Hino's loud snores.
The fire started to shake strangely, and Rei narrowed her eyes. She brought her face closer. The subtle flames flared once more and a pair of silver-blue eyes stared at Rei from between the burning blaze.
All of her senses vanished completely, as she stared, paralyzed into the fire. Her eyes closed on their own accord.
She could hear the flames sizzling and burning hot. She thought her skin might melt from the heat.
That's when she saw it.
A magnificent hall filled with magnificent ornaments and powers that could destroy a galaxy in a blink of an eye.
She stood on the side, shoulder to shoulder with Sailor Venus. Minako looked different, a little older, and a lot sadder.
She watched as Usagi...Serenity descended from a few steps with elegance, led by Sailor Uranus. The Senshi of Wind looked more dashing than ever and Serenity's hand seemed so small on her arm.
Even a few centuries apart and sitting in her small shrine in Tokyo, Rei could see the deep despair on her princess' face. She felt like crying.
She watched as Serenity made her way to the throng of people who'd bowed their heads in respect. She watched as her silver-blue eyes fixated on something, someone.
Tears streamed down Rei's face, as she saw the utter confusion and heartbreak in Serenity's eyes as she met Endymion's.
Rei opened her eyes and hugged herself tightly as a shooting pain cut through her. It's my guilt, she thought. It's the guilt.
Sailor Mars probably never saw it, but Rei had seen the heartbreak on the Prince's face as well.
Minako stirred in her sleep. She hadn't been able to sleep well for quite some time and Artemis had made it his goal to figure out what was bothering her.
"I have nightmares, that's all," It's what she said every morning when she woke up tired, grumpy and grayer than the day before.
"What kind of nightmares?" He asked every single day and she would only shake her head.
"You know. The usual."
But lately, she seemed more restless than ever.
"Where are you right now?" The cat whispered as he watched Minako's gorgeous face crease with uneasiness.
She opened her eyes and sat up, so quick, that it threw Artemis off the bed. She was gasping for air and when Artemis jumped back on the bed, he saw how her bangs had matted on her forehead. Her skin burned with heat.
"Minako-chan—"
"I just stood there…" she stared at her hands, "I just stood there and watched when she realized what had happened. What I had done."
Artemis jumped on her lap and tried to catch her eyes, "Who are you talking about?"
"I saw how she looked at him. But I never knew, never cared what it did to him too." Artemis had never seen her cry like that. He had never seen anyone cry like that before.
Minako's broken sobs didn't go beyond her closed door.
She had long learned that some tears should be shed in solitude.
Mamoru knew that he had fallen asleep.
He remembered how he had been looking at Usagi and how he was playing with the fine strands around her ear when his eyes became heavy.
Sleep, a little voice whispered in his ear. Sleep. And you might know.
In his sleep, he walked for what it seemed like hours in darkness. There was nothing there, nothing to see, nothing to hear. And he kept walking. He didn't fear, he didn't fret. He supposed his subconscious knew that this walk was necessary.
He could still feel his arms wrapped around Usagi. He could feel the heaviness of her breathing on his face. If he leaned a little forward, could he touch his nose to hers?
As he went forward, a shimmer of light started to unfold in the darkness. He could hear murmurs and humming of music in a distance.
He walked.
He felt Usagi stir under his arm and he stopped for a moment. He closed his eyes and tried to pull her closer to him. He felt a heaviness on the side of his chest. Could it be her head, resting there now?
He walked.
The more he went, the more vivid the whispers and the sound of music became. Had he heard that music before?
He could feel a little puff of air on his neck. Were her lips that close to his raging pulse?
He walked.
"Ladies and Gentlemen…" A melodic voice said, and he faltered in his steps, "Your esteem highnesses," Mamoru had heard that voice somewhere before. He knew the exact words that he would hear.
He ran. And his lips started to move on his own accord.
"May I present to you, its highness, the sole heir to Silver Millennium, Princess Serenity of the Moon…"
Mamoru surged forward and in a moment's time, he was standing in the middle of a magnificent hall; a familiar hall. He felt a heaviness on his shoulder where Usagi's head had been resting before. He looked down at himself. Had he transformed?
The sound of drums made him to look up. The mass of people around him had all turned towards a few crystal steps on the other side.
He felt nostalgic, and more than that, he felt that he was reliving something that he had tried to run away from for so long.
That's when he saw her. Silver gold and rosy cheeks and halfhearted smile. She took his breath away.
At that moment, Mamoru knew that this had been Endymion standing here. The careful border he had always drawn between himself and the lost prince was no longer there, for he knew, they shared the same soul.
Serenity...Usagi glided through the podium and for a moment, Mamoru's eyes could only see her. But then…
His hand had been tucked comfortably, lovingly, in another man's arm. A man who wasn't him.
It felt like a direct arrow to the heart, the pain he felt. It shot through him as if he'd been attacked by a youma; fuck that, as if he'd been attacked by a thousand youmas.
"The princess has found a suitor…" he heard a voice telling him, "This relationship had been doomed from the start, my liege. She has moved on; you should do the same." Was that Kunzite? Had it been him, telling Endymion those hurtful words?
Serenity's eyes were moving around and around and around and then, they finally settled on his disbelieving, crushed, dead stare.
He wanted to look at the man who walked the love of his life down the podium; and deep inside, he nurtured a feeling that Endymion had done the same thing. He had looked at the man to believe what his heart wanted to reject.
Mamoru looked at the man. "The man you saw…" He heard Usagi's voice in his head, "That was Sailor Uranus...she always wore men's clothing."
Mamoru saw the tiny familiar smirk on Sailor Uranus, Haruka's face. She always looked at him with the same level of superiority.
Mamoru now knew. He knew what Endymion had seen was not the truth that he had believed by the end. And he assumed the shooting pain he felt in his heart, spoke volumes of the sorrow the young prince had gone through.
He looked back at Serenity; her eyes were still glued on him. Mamoru focused on them. Was it just him, or did they seem bluer than he had ever remembered them?
Usagi kept her eyes on Mamoru. She knew that somewhere along the way, she was no longer standing beside Sailor Pluto, but on a podium that she had stood on many, many times before.
She watched so many emotions play on Mamoru's face and she cursed their destinies that had them relive these moments once more.
She wanted to cry. She remembered how Serenity had fought hard with her own. But this time, Usagi allowed the tears that threatened to drown her soul, to drop.
Mamoru woke with a jolt. Usagi woke with a jolt.
The apartment was still dark and eye couldn't see an eye. The only sound they could hear were their own laboured breathing. Mamoru's arm was still wrapped around Usagi and the moment he had woken up from his slumber, he clutched her tighter.
They stared at each other as waves of the pain they never thought they would relive once more crashed through them.
Usagi's sobs broke the trance Mamoru was in.
And now he could see how Endymion had always imagined what it would've been like if he hadn't turned away from Serenity, the moment he had thought her unfaithful. What would it have been like if he had only waited in her room, like every other night, and demanded an explanation.
What it would have been like to walk up to her, crush her against himself and show her how futile and childish any "moving on" would be like; for she had been born to be with him; as he had been for her.
Destiny, fate, whatever the fuck it was called, had given him another chance. He had been a blind fool to let it slip from his hands for so many months. Now, he couldn't even remember what had made him want to stay away from Usagi; the woman who shared his soul.
This time, it was he who leaned forward and captured her trembling lips with a passion of a newfound love. And she opened herself to him as if history was rewriting itself; as if centuries and lives hadn't been gone in between. As if there never had been a final glance between them, in another life. They kissed, as if they had walked through history hand in hand, never apart and always soul bound and always in love.
Their kiss grew heated and unbinding. It burned with a deliciousness neither of them had ever experienced.
Mamoru rolled her over and leaned against her soft body. He used his hand to angle her face upward; he needed to be closer to her. This, just wasn't enough.
Usagi curled her hands around the short sleeve of his shirt. All thought and care in the world had vanished the moment he had come at her with all the passion she had always yearned from him. This, was just what she always wanted.
Mamoru was drowning. He was spellbound by her smell, by her taste; the simple way she kissed him over and over again. He nudged at her bottom half and settled in between her tights. He knew where this was headed. He knew he had long lost his restraint against this. He brought his hand to the side of her chest and traced an invisible line all the way to her waist. She moaned and the hair at the nape of his neck stood up. God, he wanted her. Now. Now.
He detached his lips from hers and pushed himself up. Without breaking eye contact, in the dark, he took his shirt off.
As soon as he did, however, he saw the change in her eyes. He felt the change in her body language. She went all rigid and almost, distant. Fuck. Did she not want this as well? He could feel the heat of her body; could practically hear the drumming of her heart. So…
"We can't do this…" She sounded breathless and shaken. And Mamoru's heart stopped.
"I can't sleep with you. I...don't want to sleep with you." Each word cut a little deeper into him. What was she saying?
Usagi wiggled out from under him and stood on wobbly legs. Fuck. She could feel moisture forming between her legs. Why the fuck was she turning away from this.
"I can't do this…" she straightened her thin shirt, "not when I'm...not when I have feelings for someone else."
Yes, history had a strange way of repeating itself, Mamoru thought. If Endymion had lost Serenity to a false illusion, a lie that had cost him his life at the end, there'd been a chance that Mamoru was going to lose Usagi, all over again. But this time, it'd been him who had pushed her into another man's arms.
"Are you…" Mamoru gulped the knot of dryness, "are you in love with him?" he was still sitting on the couch, with no shirt and tousled hair. He had a mindful that he ought to put on a shirt when she had stood before him; he didn't give a damn.
The question stretched and stretched, and Usagi continued staring away from him.
Fuck.
History was a bitch when repeating itself.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or its characters. All rights are reserved for its amazing creator Naoko Takeuchi. I only own the story I tell.
