~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: Chibi-Usa is here in the beginning of the story. I have no explanation of her appearance in the story, so I'll give one right here: when all the senshi re-materialized after the battle with Galaxia, Chibi-Usa did as well. In the past. At Usagi's house. I don't know why I did this- I just did I guess. I have to keep her here right now, as much as I dislike the little brat (well, okay, I don't hate her, but ooh I like Chibi-Chibi more! She looks cute and doesn't talk! The perfect kid! *Sweatdrop* Sorry)
/.../ denotes thoughts.
Sailor Stars: Seiya and Usagi Saga
Part One: Return
By: Aurora
A normal day in the Tsukino household: the father and mother have already left for the day; the father to work and the mother to take the pink-haired Chibi-Usa to school, leaving only a pair of teens in the house. One, a boy who sits impatiently at the end of a bed trying to wake the second, a girl who refuses to wake for anything, especially high school.
Shingo looks down at his sister and mutters a choice phrase, shaking his head. Every day. Why did it have to be every day? Always the same, always late. He shakes her hard to wake her and gets a 'wha?' in response, telling him America is closer to uniting it's religion (no, I don't want a unified religion in America, it's just a comment with no real meaning. Don't get angry please ^^;) than his older sister is to waking up. "Usagi..." he mumbles, looking at his watch. "Kuso! Only fifteen minutes left!"
After grumbling for a couple minutes, he takes a deep breath and thinks /last time/ before he would just ditch her and speed off to school. "Oi, Odango Atama! Wake up!" He knew that would get her. Nobody was allowed to call her that, nobody. She bolts upright.
"Seiya!!!!" Except 'Mamo-ch'...wait. Did she just say Seiya? As in that Three Lights idol Seiya? "I told you NOT to call me that! My name is Usagi! Ooh-Sa-Gee. Huh?" Apparently, she'd waited until then to open her eyes, realizing with obvious horror that she was talking to her brother and NOT the missing idol star.
"eh...Shingo?" she asks, slightly flustered.
He is too busy thinking about the possibility that his sister could have been hooked up with THE Seiya Kou. /No way. My sister, the ditz, dating the idol star Seiya Kou? Impossible/ Seiya wasn't even around anymore. Nobody knew where the three boys disappeared too. Only that it seemed they dropped off the face of the planet. So consumed by his thoughts was he, that he didn't even hear his sisters rambling.
"What?" he asks and she sweatdrops and starts from the beginning. He rolls his eyes. "Usagi, if I wanted to listen to your inane babble I would just listen in on your mushy and disgusting one-way conversations with Mamoru-san. Could you get to the point? Like, before I'm old and gray?"
"*growl* I. Wanted. To. Know. Why. You. Woke. Me. Up."
"You really are an airhead. School."
"School?"
"Yes, school. Would you like me to spell it for you? I know it's a hard concept for you and all..." he ducks the fist flying at him. "S-C-" the fist connects "OW!" but he continues "H-O-O-" he gets slammed into a wall and falls over swirly-eyed and a huge band-aid stuck to the even bigger bump on his head. "L" he finishes weakly and then gets tossed unceremoniously out of his sisters' room. Seconds later, she reappears and huffs at him again before rushing down the stairs and out the front door.
"Sis, wait up! You could have at least THANKED me for waking you up for high school!!"
She stops dead in her tracks, allowing for the precious time he needs to catch up to his meatball-headed sister. As soon as he gets there, she grabs him by the collar of his Junior high school uniform and growls out: "Get this straight, Shingo. I will NEVER thank you for waking me up for SCHOOL, the bane of my existence." And then lets go, face becoming cheerful once more. Her brother carefully hides his surprise and mumbles out "Ooh, bane, now that's a big word for you to be using. Mamoru-san finally rubbing off on you?" She merely growls and turns the corner leading to her school without so much as a wave goodbye to her little brother. He shakes his head. She could've at least wished him luck. After all, she's already had to face the horror that is Haruna-sensei.
~*~
Lunchtime
All are sitting down at their lunch table, including Rei, as she has transferred to their school to be around to protect her princess if a Galaxia Jr. decides to show up and take over the world. (Actually, we hear it was because she was tired of being away from her friends, but hey whatever reason floats her boat, ne?) Rei has no classes with the other inner senshi, so this is the first time she sees them in the day. She looks at all of them expectantly.
"What is it, Rei?" Makoto asks. "Did you want to say something?"
Rei looks a little exasperated, but says nothing, shaking her head. *Don't you guys have something to say?* she thinks. Then, "Don't you guys have something to say?" she was always one to speak her mind.
"What are you talking about, Rei-chan?" Minako asks innocently. "I thought we were already talking." She giggles "Oh I get it! You want to go get our drinks and wanted to know what we wanted, right?"
Rei looks like she's about to explode, but then takes a deep breath and mutters, "Yes. What do you want?" Orders come from around the table and she dutifully gets up and goes to get them, muttering something under her breath.
"Whew! That was close!" Minako collapses onto the table. Usagi looks up from her confused.
"Nani? What are you talking about?"
Sweatdrops can be seen on everybody's head. Minako mutters "Our friend, the ditz, ladies and gentlemen."
"Not the brightest crayon in the box, is she?" Makoto asks, causing everyone to laugh.
"You are hopeless, Usagi-chan. Don't you remember? She was named a shinto priestess like she's always dreamed. (pretending here, I couldn't think of anything else, except Rei's birthday and I don't want to do that) We've been talking about it for the past few days...the party." Usagi face-faults at Ami's words.
"Oh, yeah. So, where we gonna hold the party?"
"At the temple." Minako states simply.
"What?! Are you crazy?!" comes from everyone at the table simultaneously.
"She lives there. She works there. Don't you think she'll notice, Minako-chan?"
"Of course not!"
"How is that?"
"Well......" she pauses dramatically. "She will have a distraction while we set it up."
"Ooh! Who?"
"Haruka-san and Michiru-san."
"What? Why?"
"Well, because Chad might tell her, so Michiru-san said we couldn't use him. So, they offered to distract her after school is out so we can get to the temple."
"Oh" Is the collective sigh of relief. Minako wasn't so dumb after all.
The day goes by and the senshi practically ignore Rei. Rei pretends not to notice because her pride won't let her admit anything is wrong with her and so she acts cheerful the whole day. After school, the senshi leave her there without even a congratulations wish. She seems about to break down into tears. Even Usagi hadn't said three words to her the whole day. Not one word. Maybe they all hated her. This thought made her even more sad, but then...
"Konnichi way, Rei-chan" Michiru's soft voice rings out.
Rei turns to them. Surely these two would understand and congratulate her.
"Rei-chan, what is it? You look as though you're about to cry." Haruka says. Rei finally seems to have reached her boiling point.
"DOESN'T ANYBODY KNOW WHAT TODAY IS?!"
"Quiet down, Rei. You are drawing attention to us."
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"
"What do you want us to say, Rei?"
"How about 'congratulations on finally attaining your dream of becoming a priestess?!" They look stunned. Haruka slaps her forehead.
"Oh, that." They both say. Rei looks hopeful. "Good for you." They both comment flatly. She sweatdrops and whines pitifully. /They don't care either/ She hangs her head in defeat. Michiru wraps her arm around Rei's shoulders and she, Haruka, and Rei start walking toward the temple. They walk up the temple steps in silence, Michiru leading Rei to the door.
"Rei, why don't we fix you a cup of warm tea, and then we'll talk with you." Rei smiles at this and nods her head as they walk in the door. Haruka turns on the lights and Rei sees all the decorations in the room and then realizes.
"SURPRISE!!!!!" Everyone yells and jumps up from their hiding places. Rei stands, stupefied for a moment before throwing her arms up and smirking, saying "I knew it all along" and making everybody face-fault.
~*~*~
Shortly after the party got started, Usagi went off into her own little world where she completely forgot she was supposed to be acting cheerful and stupid and starts thinking about a certain tall, dark, and blue-eyed visitor from another planet. /I shouldn't be thinking about this. I mean, Seiya is a GIRL. And I'm not into that/ But she was a boy while on Earth. /Being honest, it wouldn't bother me anyway. Oh, what am I thinking? But.../ Some people begin to notice of Usagi in her dream-world state, but put it down to the fact that her precious Mamo-chan has not yet arrived and so they breathe a collective sigh of relief when he walks in the Hotaru and Setsuna.
She doesn't even notice him walking up as she continues her thoughts, /what is this feeling? It's like half of my heart isn't there/ One of Usagi's friends from school, Mike (that's mee-kay; and no, I don't know if that's a real name. It's a guy tho), looks at her worriedly. "Usa-chan," as he so affectionately called her, "is something the matter?" Usagi hears this, but before she can fake a smile and say it's nothing, someone puts their arms around her from behind. "Hey, Usako" She turns in surprise, forces a smile, and hugs him, so therefore completely misses the dark looks that Mamoru and Mike exchange. /What am I going to do?/ Mamoru thinks, /I don't want to hurt you Usako, but.../ Troubled thoughts on both of their minds, they take a while to notice the stares they're getting. They both laugh nervously and then kiss quickly for the senshi's sake.
*~*~*~
"See you later, Pyro," Usagi says and laughs. "Congratulations. I'm glad one of us has finally reached their goal." She smiles sincerely.
"Thanks, Usagi," Rei manages to stutter out after having muttered a few choice phrases under her breath. Minako bumbles up to them and says:
"Have fun with Mamoru-san," she giggles, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She winks and then Mamoru, Usagi, and Chibi-Usa leave. "Right, so did anyone notice Usagi-chans...lack of enthusiasm?"
"Who didn't? She was obviously putting on a show. Both of them were." Rei says.
"Yeah, they were. It was like when you attend a funeral: even though it's obviously sad, you have to force a smile for everyone else's sake so they don't ask questions." Makoto.
"Ah, nothing satisfies that Odango brain."
"Rei!" all the girls say.
"What? She has a boyfriend, us for friends, and a normal life. And she's still not happy!"
"Well, you know, she's only been like this since the Starlights left."
"You really think she is only unhappy because they are gone?" Ami asks of Minako.
"Well, I know I'M pretty sad they're gone. I really liked Yaten." She giggles while sweatdrops appear on everyone else's heads.
"She misses Seiya."
"What, Luna? Are you sure? Cause we were only kidding."
"She was in her room alone the other night just staring out into space. I heard her murmur his name and then she went into this fit, saying she wanted him to come back, that she didn't love Mamoru, and that she didn't want her destiny... Eventually we got it down to where she was just confused over her emotions and that it was probably because a friend who had been so much a part of her life was suddenly gone... She started giggling and agreed with me...But, then when she thought I was sleeping, I could hear her crying." The girls all look sad.
"Could she have fallen in love with him?" Minako asks.
"She better not have! I gave Mamoru up for her because it was destiny." Rei says angrily, but deep inside she wished only for Usagi's happiness.
~*~*~*~
Usagi sighs as Chibi-Usa stands in the doorway watching her worriedly. This was the third night this week she'd caught her future mother just sitting on her bed and looking at the stars. /Like she's searching for something/ she thinks, then ponders that. /Or someONE/ she ponders that thought for a moment.
Usagi thinks of the last few months. She thinks of everything that had happened between her and Mamoru. Once Galaxia was defeated, she and Mamoru had tried to get back to their normal relationship. He knew next to nothing about what had happened with the Starlights and she intended to keep it that way. He would never approve of the relationship between her and Seiya. Huh...Seiya. She wondered what he was up to. She wondered if he had forgiven her for the way she treated him when they said their last good-byes.
'I'll never forget you, Odango.' 'Yes! We'll be friends forever!'
Oh, God. Again? Again she thought of THAT? /What's wrong with me? How is it that every time I have time alone I think of that? Of HIM?/ She shakes her head to clear her mind of thoughts of the boy. She knew her 'cousin' was in the room. She felt her presence. And, given the fact that 90% of the time she thought out loud, Chibi-Usa probably heard her. She turns to Chibi-Usa, but instead of reprimanding her, like she normally would, for having thoughts of anyone besides Mamoru, the little girl walked to her bed and hugged Usagi.
"Chibi...Chibi-Usa chan..." Usagi sniffles and Chibi Usa holds her a little bit tighter. Why was the little girl being so understanding? She really didn't care at the moment though. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I have everything I want..." she trails off.
"So, what's the problem then?" Luna asks from somewhere in the room.
"He's not HIM. I have everything but him." She bursts into tears at that. "Oh, man, what am I thinking? I love Mamo-chan, not Seiya. He's just a friend."
"Are you sure about that, Usagi?" Chibi-Usa asks in a timid voice, and Usagi could tell the little girl was hurt that she had just said she liked someone better than her father.
"A friend, that's all. Just a very dear friend." She gets up from her bed and walks over to her nightstand. On it rests a CD. And on the cover is a picture of Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten; Seiya in the front and the other two in the background. She absently picks it up as she mumbles to Luna and Chibi-Usa that she feels better now. She then runs her fingers across his picture and involuntarily mumbles, "Seiya..." and collapses to the ground with a new set of tears rolling down her cheeks. Luna is there within a few seconds, purring up against her young ward. Chibi-Usa also runs up and hugs her mother.
"I thought I could handle it. I thought if I just put on my happy face and went on with my relationship with Mamoru, that I could forget...but I can't. I can't just forget him. Not after everything that happened between us."
"Usagi-chan, what really did happen between you and Seiya?" Luna asks worriedly. Surely this couldn't have all stemmed from just one date where nothing happened...could it? Or from just the two of them talking together?
"Nothing" Usagi says quietly and looks down. But, Chibi-Usa caught it. The faltering in the voice. The look of guilt.
"Mama, tell us. We want to help. Don't lie. It's not like you."
She sighs heavily. "You promise you won't tell the others? Not even Mamoru?"
"We promise. Right, Luna?"
"Right."
"Not even Artemis, Luna."
"Okay." Silence. "Well?"
"I kissed him."
"WHAT?!"
"I said, I kissed him. I kissed Seiya."
"Usagi, how could you-" Chibi-Usa started to ask. Hey; this was her father she was cheating on here.
"I thought he was Mamo-chan for a minute. It was an accident. That's the only thing that happened... But, the thing is..." she trails off.
"You don't really believe that it was an accident." Luna finishes. She was a girl too. She knew.
"Well, I don't know. The more I try not to think of him, the more I do. The more I think of my destiny with Mamoru, the more I despise it." Here she throws an apologetic look at Chibi-Usa. "I'm just so confused! I know that nothing can ever become of a relationship with Seiya. We aren't meant to be...I just wish he were here."
"What, so you can go behind Mamo-chans back and kiss him again?" Chibi-Usa says. Usagi, not thinking, slaps the little girl. Not hard, but just enough to hurt the little girl.
"It was an accident! Okay? An accident! Don't you think I want to forget? Don't you think I want to move on? I do! But, I can't! after the way I treated Seiya and with the way Mamoru is treating me now..."
"The way Mamoru is treating you now?" Chibi-Usa asks, still fighting the urge to hit Usagi back.
"He's so distant. I get the feeling..." she hesitates. She knew the reason Chibi-Usa snapped earlier was because she and he were so close. So, how could she let her future daughter down now?
"You get the feeling?"
"I get the feeling he's with someone else. Like he's in love with someone else. He's been so distant lately."
"You've been no slouch in that department, Usagi-chan." Luna replies as the pink-haired girl refuses to speak to Usagi.
"I know. And you guys know the reason for mine... Don't you think his is for the same reason?"
"He would have told me," Chibi-Usa mutters.
"No, he wouldn't. You're too close to me...Look maybe he isn't. Neither am I, though, so please dear daughter, don't treat me like I'm a criminal now. Please."
"I'm not...But, being realistic here, I must say that you better get over this Seiya thing quick because he's never coming back."
"Don't you think I know that? I can't help the way I feel."
"I know you can't, but mama you have got a duty to this planet. As much as it hurts me to say this, I don't want you to be stuck in a relationship where you don't love the guy. Though, for your sake, I hope that you get over Seiya and patch things up with Mamoru soon." /Or you find Seiya again and you find your happiness together/
"She's right, Usagi-chan."
"I know."
"Follow your heart, whatever you do. No matter what, you will still be the queen," Luna adds after Chibi-Usa leaves to go to her own bedroom.
"Hmmph...I wish you were right about that, Luna." She sighs. "Well, I suppose I should just forget about it. He's galaxies away, happy on his planet. I will be happy soon. I've gotten through this many months without him, I can make it the rest of the way." She smiles, thanks cat guardian, and lays down to go to sleep.
~*~*~*
USAGI'S DREAM*****
She looks around the dark mist and sees a dark haired figure lying on a bed. The figure looks somehow familiar and so she walks slowly toward it. The long black hair is strewn all over the person, she realizes as she gets closer. She hears sobbing and also realizes the person is crying.
"Odango..." she hears the voice call out between sobs. "Seiya?" she cries in surprise. Surely he wasn't there, was he?
"Seiya??? Serenity, do I really look like Seiya to you?" a voice comes from the mist followed closely by the owner. The sobbing has stopped and the other figure disappears into the mist.
"Sailor Galaxia???" Usagi asks.
"Don't look so surprised, Serenity..." the other woman laughs.
"Galaxia, you're not...planning another attack on the earth again, are you?"
The woman laughs again. "Of course not, silly. You removed the Choas from within me..i am forever in your debt, Serenity."
"Please, call me Usagi. That is my name now. So, what ARE you doing here, then?"
"I'm here to check on you. You do not seem well."
"But, isn't this a dream?"
"Yes, but I am real. I heard your cry for help, so here I am. Now, what is it?"
"I don't really want my destiny. I don't want the future that has been shown to me."
"Your future has been shown to you?" she laughs at that.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Well, it's impossible to know the future, Usagi-san."
"What do you mean?"
"Pluto showed you your future, yes?" at her nod, "Well, the future she showed you was not entirely accurate. If it was, then she would have been killed for showing you as it is forbidden regardless the circumstances."
"I don't think I understand. Everything she showed me was false? Crystal Tokyo, Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, even Chibi-Usa?"
"No. She merely showed you part of your future...you built the rest of it yourself."
"So, that was my imagination? Then how did the others see? How about the battle with Wiseman? And what about Chibi-Usa coming back?"
"It was true, at the time. It was what you thought was your future. Crystal Tokyo is very real. You are the Queen. Chibi-Usa, well...she is your daughter just as Endymion was the king, but that can be changed. That was just what would have been given your state of mind at the time."
"Oh, so you mean that Mamo-chan and I may not actually be destined to be together?"
"Of course not! You build your own future, control your own destiny! You don't have to be guided by a flash of what you saw."
"Really? So, if I love Seiya, then..."
"You do love him?"
"I think I do."
"Well, then I wish you the best of luck...I will tell you though that your future is changing everyday. The future changes with every little action in the present. You understand?"
"So, basically what you're saying is that the moment Seiya walked into my life, my destiny changed?"
"No. What I'm saying is that maybe you just haven't realized what your true destiny is yet." Usagi is pondering these thoughts as Galaxia disappears once again into the mist. "Hey, wait! Thank you, Sailor Galaxia!"
Meanwhile, in the real world, Mamoru and Chibi-Usa stand over Usagi and look at each other. "Sailor Galaxia?" they both wonder at the same time. She wakes up and asks what they are doing there. Mamoru says they have the car wash thing and Usagi replies that she thought it was only Friday, causing the other two to look at each other strangely. "It is Friday, Usako. No school today, remember?"
"Oh." And she shoos him out of the room, grabbing Chibi-Usa before she follows.
"What is it, Usagi?"
"Did...Did you tell him?" the little red-eyed girl acquires a frown and states flatly:
"No. I leave that up to you. You said it was an accident. No sense in making him angry if that's all it was." She sighs in relief and hugs the little girl.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah...C'mon. We have some cars to wash." Usagi laughs and follows. "And no depressed thoughts today. Promise, mama?"
Usagi smiles genuinely. "I promise." and they leave the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ooookay, this is the first part of this chapter. The next part will be posted tomorrow because I got tired of typing it up. O_o I know this part was completely dialogue-driven but it was meant to be so it could explain a few things about what happened to ALL the characters and not just Usagi. The next part focuses heavily on Seiya, Taiki, Yaten, and Princess Kakyuu, and also the return of the Three Lights to the planet Earth. Anyway, thanks for reading this. C and C are always welcome. ^___^ ~Aurora
AN: Chibi-Usa is here in the beginning of the story. I have no explanation of her appearance in the story, so I'll give one right here: when all the senshi re-materialized after the battle with Galaxia, Chibi-Usa did as well. In the past. At Usagi's house. I don't know why I did this- I just did I guess. I have to keep her here right now, as much as I dislike the little brat (well, okay, I don't hate her, but ooh I like Chibi-Chibi more! She looks cute and doesn't talk! The perfect kid! *Sweatdrop* Sorry)
/.../ denotes thoughts.
Sailor Stars: Seiya and Usagi Saga
Part One: Return
By: Aurora
A normal day in the Tsukino household: the father and mother have already left for the day; the father to work and the mother to take the pink-haired Chibi-Usa to school, leaving only a pair of teens in the house. One, a boy who sits impatiently at the end of a bed trying to wake the second, a girl who refuses to wake for anything, especially high school.
Shingo looks down at his sister and mutters a choice phrase, shaking his head. Every day. Why did it have to be every day? Always the same, always late. He shakes her hard to wake her and gets a 'wha?' in response, telling him America is closer to uniting it's religion (no, I don't want a unified religion in America, it's just a comment with no real meaning. Don't get angry please ^^;) than his older sister is to waking up. "Usagi..." he mumbles, looking at his watch. "Kuso! Only fifteen minutes left!"
After grumbling for a couple minutes, he takes a deep breath and thinks /last time/ before he would just ditch her and speed off to school. "Oi, Odango Atama! Wake up!" He knew that would get her. Nobody was allowed to call her that, nobody. She bolts upright.
"Seiya!!!!" Except 'Mamo-ch'...wait. Did she just say Seiya? As in that Three Lights idol Seiya? "I told you NOT to call me that! My name is Usagi! Ooh-Sa-Gee. Huh?" Apparently, she'd waited until then to open her eyes, realizing with obvious horror that she was talking to her brother and NOT the missing idol star.
"eh...Shingo?" she asks, slightly flustered.
He is too busy thinking about the possibility that his sister could have been hooked up with THE Seiya Kou. /No way. My sister, the ditz, dating the idol star Seiya Kou? Impossible/ Seiya wasn't even around anymore. Nobody knew where the three boys disappeared too. Only that it seemed they dropped off the face of the planet. So consumed by his thoughts was he, that he didn't even hear his sisters rambling.
"What?" he asks and she sweatdrops and starts from the beginning. He rolls his eyes. "Usagi, if I wanted to listen to your inane babble I would just listen in on your mushy and disgusting one-way conversations with Mamoru-san. Could you get to the point? Like, before I'm old and gray?"
"*growl* I. Wanted. To. Know. Why. You. Woke. Me. Up."
"You really are an airhead. School."
"School?"
"Yes, school. Would you like me to spell it for you? I know it's a hard concept for you and all..." he ducks the fist flying at him. "S-C-" the fist connects "OW!" but he continues "H-O-O-" he gets slammed into a wall and falls over swirly-eyed and a huge band-aid stuck to the even bigger bump on his head. "L" he finishes weakly and then gets tossed unceremoniously out of his sisters' room. Seconds later, she reappears and huffs at him again before rushing down the stairs and out the front door.
"Sis, wait up! You could have at least THANKED me for waking you up for high school!!"
She stops dead in her tracks, allowing for the precious time he needs to catch up to his meatball-headed sister. As soon as he gets there, she grabs him by the collar of his Junior high school uniform and growls out: "Get this straight, Shingo. I will NEVER thank you for waking me up for SCHOOL, the bane of my existence." And then lets go, face becoming cheerful once more. Her brother carefully hides his surprise and mumbles out "Ooh, bane, now that's a big word for you to be using. Mamoru-san finally rubbing off on you?" She merely growls and turns the corner leading to her school without so much as a wave goodbye to her little brother. He shakes his head. She could've at least wished him luck. After all, she's already had to face the horror that is Haruna-sensei.
~*~
Lunchtime
All are sitting down at their lunch table, including Rei, as she has transferred to their school to be around to protect her princess if a Galaxia Jr. decides to show up and take over the world. (Actually, we hear it was because she was tired of being away from her friends, but hey whatever reason floats her boat, ne?) Rei has no classes with the other inner senshi, so this is the first time she sees them in the day. She looks at all of them expectantly.
"What is it, Rei?" Makoto asks. "Did you want to say something?"
Rei looks a little exasperated, but says nothing, shaking her head. *Don't you guys have something to say?* she thinks. Then, "Don't you guys have something to say?" she was always one to speak her mind.
"What are you talking about, Rei-chan?" Minako asks innocently. "I thought we were already talking." She giggles "Oh I get it! You want to go get our drinks and wanted to know what we wanted, right?"
Rei looks like she's about to explode, but then takes a deep breath and mutters, "Yes. What do you want?" Orders come from around the table and she dutifully gets up and goes to get them, muttering something under her breath.
"Whew! That was close!" Minako collapses onto the table. Usagi looks up from her confused.
"Nani? What are you talking about?"
Sweatdrops can be seen on everybody's head. Minako mutters "Our friend, the ditz, ladies and gentlemen."
"Not the brightest crayon in the box, is she?" Makoto asks, causing everyone to laugh.
"You are hopeless, Usagi-chan. Don't you remember? She was named a shinto priestess like she's always dreamed. (pretending here, I couldn't think of anything else, except Rei's birthday and I don't want to do that) We've been talking about it for the past few days...the party." Usagi face-faults at Ami's words.
"Oh, yeah. So, where we gonna hold the party?"
"At the temple." Minako states simply.
"What?! Are you crazy?!" comes from everyone at the table simultaneously.
"She lives there. She works there. Don't you think she'll notice, Minako-chan?"
"Of course not!"
"How is that?"
"Well......" she pauses dramatically. "She will have a distraction while we set it up."
"Ooh! Who?"
"Haruka-san and Michiru-san."
"What? Why?"
"Well, because Chad might tell her, so Michiru-san said we couldn't use him. So, they offered to distract her after school is out so we can get to the temple."
"Oh" Is the collective sigh of relief. Minako wasn't so dumb after all.
The day goes by and the senshi practically ignore Rei. Rei pretends not to notice because her pride won't let her admit anything is wrong with her and so she acts cheerful the whole day. After school, the senshi leave her there without even a congratulations wish. She seems about to break down into tears. Even Usagi hadn't said three words to her the whole day. Not one word. Maybe they all hated her. This thought made her even more sad, but then...
"Konnichi way, Rei-chan" Michiru's soft voice rings out.
Rei turns to them. Surely these two would understand and congratulate her.
"Rei-chan, what is it? You look as though you're about to cry." Haruka says. Rei finally seems to have reached her boiling point.
"DOESN'T ANYBODY KNOW WHAT TODAY IS?!"
"Quiet down, Rei. You are drawing attention to us."
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"
"What do you want us to say, Rei?"
"How about 'congratulations on finally attaining your dream of becoming a priestess?!" They look stunned. Haruka slaps her forehead.
"Oh, that." They both say. Rei looks hopeful. "Good for you." They both comment flatly. She sweatdrops and whines pitifully. /They don't care either/ She hangs her head in defeat. Michiru wraps her arm around Rei's shoulders and she, Haruka, and Rei start walking toward the temple. They walk up the temple steps in silence, Michiru leading Rei to the door.
"Rei, why don't we fix you a cup of warm tea, and then we'll talk with you." Rei smiles at this and nods her head as they walk in the door. Haruka turns on the lights and Rei sees all the decorations in the room and then realizes.
"SURPRISE!!!!!" Everyone yells and jumps up from their hiding places. Rei stands, stupefied for a moment before throwing her arms up and smirking, saying "I knew it all along" and making everybody face-fault.
~*~*~
Shortly after the party got started, Usagi went off into her own little world where she completely forgot she was supposed to be acting cheerful and stupid and starts thinking about a certain tall, dark, and blue-eyed visitor from another planet. /I shouldn't be thinking about this. I mean, Seiya is a GIRL. And I'm not into that/ But she was a boy while on Earth. /Being honest, it wouldn't bother me anyway. Oh, what am I thinking? But.../ Some people begin to notice of Usagi in her dream-world state, but put it down to the fact that her precious Mamo-chan has not yet arrived and so they breathe a collective sigh of relief when he walks in the Hotaru and Setsuna.
She doesn't even notice him walking up as she continues her thoughts, /what is this feeling? It's like half of my heart isn't there/ One of Usagi's friends from school, Mike (that's mee-kay; and no, I don't know if that's a real name. It's a guy tho), looks at her worriedly. "Usa-chan," as he so affectionately called her, "is something the matter?" Usagi hears this, but before she can fake a smile and say it's nothing, someone puts their arms around her from behind. "Hey, Usako" She turns in surprise, forces a smile, and hugs him, so therefore completely misses the dark looks that Mamoru and Mike exchange. /What am I going to do?/ Mamoru thinks, /I don't want to hurt you Usako, but.../ Troubled thoughts on both of their minds, they take a while to notice the stares they're getting. They both laugh nervously and then kiss quickly for the senshi's sake.
*~*~*~
"See you later, Pyro," Usagi says and laughs. "Congratulations. I'm glad one of us has finally reached their goal." She smiles sincerely.
"Thanks, Usagi," Rei manages to stutter out after having muttered a few choice phrases under her breath. Minako bumbles up to them and says:
"Have fun with Mamoru-san," she giggles, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She winks and then Mamoru, Usagi, and Chibi-Usa leave. "Right, so did anyone notice Usagi-chans...lack of enthusiasm?"
"Who didn't? She was obviously putting on a show. Both of them were." Rei says.
"Yeah, they were. It was like when you attend a funeral: even though it's obviously sad, you have to force a smile for everyone else's sake so they don't ask questions." Makoto.
"Ah, nothing satisfies that Odango brain."
"Rei!" all the girls say.
"What? She has a boyfriend, us for friends, and a normal life. And she's still not happy!"
"Well, you know, she's only been like this since the Starlights left."
"You really think she is only unhappy because they are gone?" Ami asks of Minako.
"Well, I know I'M pretty sad they're gone. I really liked Yaten." She giggles while sweatdrops appear on everyone else's heads.
"She misses Seiya."
"What, Luna? Are you sure? Cause we were only kidding."
"She was in her room alone the other night just staring out into space. I heard her murmur his name and then she went into this fit, saying she wanted him to come back, that she didn't love Mamoru, and that she didn't want her destiny... Eventually we got it down to where she was just confused over her emotions and that it was probably because a friend who had been so much a part of her life was suddenly gone... She started giggling and agreed with me...But, then when she thought I was sleeping, I could hear her crying." The girls all look sad.
"Could she have fallen in love with him?" Minako asks.
"She better not have! I gave Mamoru up for her because it was destiny." Rei says angrily, but deep inside she wished only for Usagi's happiness.
~*~*~*~
Usagi sighs as Chibi-Usa stands in the doorway watching her worriedly. This was the third night this week she'd caught her future mother just sitting on her bed and looking at the stars. /Like she's searching for something/ she thinks, then ponders that. /Or someONE/ she ponders that thought for a moment.
Usagi thinks of the last few months. She thinks of everything that had happened between her and Mamoru. Once Galaxia was defeated, she and Mamoru had tried to get back to their normal relationship. He knew next to nothing about what had happened with the Starlights and she intended to keep it that way. He would never approve of the relationship between her and Seiya. Huh...Seiya. She wondered what he was up to. She wondered if he had forgiven her for the way she treated him when they said their last good-byes.
'I'll never forget you, Odango.' 'Yes! We'll be friends forever!'
Oh, God. Again? Again she thought of THAT? /What's wrong with me? How is it that every time I have time alone I think of that? Of HIM?/ She shakes her head to clear her mind of thoughts of the boy. She knew her 'cousin' was in the room. She felt her presence. And, given the fact that 90% of the time she thought out loud, Chibi-Usa probably heard her. She turns to Chibi-Usa, but instead of reprimanding her, like she normally would, for having thoughts of anyone besides Mamoru, the little girl walked to her bed and hugged Usagi.
"Chibi...Chibi-Usa chan..." Usagi sniffles and Chibi Usa holds her a little bit tighter. Why was the little girl being so understanding? She really didn't care at the moment though. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I have everything I want..." she trails off.
"So, what's the problem then?" Luna asks from somewhere in the room.
"He's not HIM. I have everything but him." She bursts into tears at that. "Oh, man, what am I thinking? I love Mamo-chan, not Seiya. He's just a friend."
"Are you sure about that, Usagi?" Chibi-Usa asks in a timid voice, and Usagi could tell the little girl was hurt that she had just said she liked someone better than her father.
"A friend, that's all. Just a very dear friend." She gets up from her bed and walks over to her nightstand. On it rests a CD. And on the cover is a picture of Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten; Seiya in the front and the other two in the background. She absently picks it up as she mumbles to Luna and Chibi-Usa that she feels better now. She then runs her fingers across his picture and involuntarily mumbles, "Seiya..." and collapses to the ground with a new set of tears rolling down her cheeks. Luna is there within a few seconds, purring up against her young ward. Chibi-Usa also runs up and hugs her mother.
"I thought I could handle it. I thought if I just put on my happy face and went on with my relationship with Mamoru, that I could forget...but I can't. I can't just forget him. Not after everything that happened between us."
"Usagi-chan, what really did happen between you and Seiya?" Luna asks worriedly. Surely this couldn't have all stemmed from just one date where nothing happened...could it? Or from just the two of them talking together?
"Nothing" Usagi says quietly and looks down. But, Chibi-Usa caught it. The faltering in the voice. The look of guilt.
"Mama, tell us. We want to help. Don't lie. It's not like you."
She sighs heavily. "You promise you won't tell the others? Not even Mamoru?"
"We promise. Right, Luna?"
"Right."
"Not even Artemis, Luna."
"Okay." Silence. "Well?"
"I kissed him."
"WHAT?!"
"I said, I kissed him. I kissed Seiya."
"Usagi, how could you-" Chibi-Usa started to ask. Hey; this was her father she was cheating on here.
"I thought he was Mamo-chan for a minute. It was an accident. That's the only thing that happened... But, the thing is..." she trails off.
"You don't really believe that it was an accident." Luna finishes. She was a girl too. She knew.
"Well, I don't know. The more I try not to think of him, the more I do. The more I think of my destiny with Mamoru, the more I despise it." Here she throws an apologetic look at Chibi-Usa. "I'm just so confused! I know that nothing can ever become of a relationship with Seiya. We aren't meant to be...I just wish he were here."
"What, so you can go behind Mamo-chans back and kiss him again?" Chibi-Usa says. Usagi, not thinking, slaps the little girl. Not hard, but just enough to hurt the little girl.
"It was an accident! Okay? An accident! Don't you think I want to forget? Don't you think I want to move on? I do! But, I can't! after the way I treated Seiya and with the way Mamoru is treating me now..."
"The way Mamoru is treating you now?" Chibi-Usa asks, still fighting the urge to hit Usagi back.
"He's so distant. I get the feeling..." she hesitates. She knew the reason Chibi-Usa snapped earlier was because she and he were so close. So, how could she let her future daughter down now?
"You get the feeling?"
"I get the feeling he's with someone else. Like he's in love with someone else. He's been so distant lately."
"You've been no slouch in that department, Usagi-chan." Luna replies as the pink-haired girl refuses to speak to Usagi.
"I know. And you guys know the reason for mine... Don't you think his is for the same reason?"
"He would have told me," Chibi-Usa mutters.
"No, he wouldn't. You're too close to me...Look maybe he isn't. Neither am I, though, so please dear daughter, don't treat me like I'm a criminal now. Please."
"I'm not...But, being realistic here, I must say that you better get over this Seiya thing quick because he's never coming back."
"Don't you think I know that? I can't help the way I feel."
"I know you can't, but mama you have got a duty to this planet. As much as it hurts me to say this, I don't want you to be stuck in a relationship where you don't love the guy. Though, for your sake, I hope that you get over Seiya and patch things up with Mamoru soon." /Or you find Seiya again and you find your happiness together/
"She's right, Usagi-chan."
"I know."
"Follow your heart, whatever you do. No matter what, you will still be the queen," Luna adds after Chibi-Usa leaves to go to her own bedroom.
"Hmmph...I wish you were right about that, Luna." She sighs. "Well, I suppose I should just forget about it. He's galaxies away, happy on his planet. I will be happy soon. I've gotten through this many months without him, I can make it the rest of the way." She smiles, thanks cat guardian, and lays down to go to sleep.
~*~*~*
USAGI'S DREAM*****
She looks around the dark mist and sees a dark haired figure lying on a bed. The figure looks somehow familiar and so she walks slowly toward it. The long black hair is strewn all over the person, she realizes as she gets closer. She hears sobbing and also realizes the person is crying.
"Odango..." she hears the voice call out between sobs. "Seiya?" she cries in surprise. Surely he wasn't there, was he?
"Seiya??? Serenity, do I really look like Seiya to you?" a voice comes from the mist followed closely by the owner. The sobbing has stopped and the other figure disappears into the mist.
"Sailor Galaxia???" Usagi asks.
"Don't look so surprised, Serenity..." the other woman laughs.
"Galaxia, you're not...planning another attack on the earth again, are you?"
The woman laughs again. "Of course not, silly. You removed the Choas from within me..i am forever in your debt, Serenity."
"Please, call me Usagi. That is my name now. So, what ARE you doing here, then?"
"I'm here to check on you. You do not seem well."
"But, isn't this a dream?"
"Yes, but I am real. I heard your cry for help, so here I am. Now, what is it?"
"I don't really want my destiny. I don't want the future that has been shown to me."
"Your future has been shown to you?" she laughs at that.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Well, it's impossible to know the future, Usagi-san."
"What do you mean?"
"Pluto showed you your future, yes?" at her nod, "Well, the future she showed you was not entirely accurate. If it was, then she would have been killed for showing you as it is forbidden regardless the circumstances."
"I don't think I understand. Everything she showed me was false? Crystal Tokyo, Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, even Chibi-Usa?"
"No. She merely showed you part of your future...you built the rest of it yourself."
"So, that was my imagination? Then how did the others see? How about the battle with Wiseman? And what about Chibi-Usa coming back?"
"It was true, at the time. It was what you thought was your future. Crystal Tokyo is very real. You are the Queen. Chibi-Usa, well...she is your daughter just as Endymion was the king, but that can be changed. That was just what would have been given your state of mind at the time."
"Oh, so you mean that Mamo-chan and I may not actually be destined to be together?"
"Of course not! You build your own future, control your own destiny! You don't have to be guided by a flash of what you saw."
"Really? So, if I love Seiya, then..."
"You do love him?"
"I think I do."
"Well, then I wish you the best of luck...I will tell you though that your future is changing everyday. The future changes with every little action in the present. You understand?"
"So, basically what you're saying is that the moment Seiya walked into my life, my destiny changed?"
"No. What I'm saying is that maybe you just haven't realized what your true destiny is yet." Usagi is pondering these thoughts as Galaxia disappears once again into the mist. "Hey, wait! Thank you, Sailor Galaxia!"
Meanwhile, in the real world, Mamoru and Chibi-Usa stand over Usagi and look at each other. "Sailor Galaxia?" they both wonder at the same time. She wakes up and asks what they are doing there. Mamoru says they have the car wash thing and Usagi replies that she thought it was only Friday, causing the other two to look at each other strangely. "It is Friday, Usako. No school today, remember?"
"Oh." And she shoos him out of the room, grabbing Chibi-Usa before she follows.
"What is it, Usagi?"
"Did...Did you tell him?" the little red-eyed girl acquires a frown and states flatly:
"No. I leave that up to you. You said it was an accident. No sense in making him angry if that's all it was." She sighs in relief and hugs the little girl.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah...C'mon. We have some cars to wash." Usagi laughs and follows. "And no depressed thoughts today. Promise, mama?"
Usagi smiles genuinely. "I promise." and they leave the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ooookay, this is the first part of this chapter. The next part will be posted tomorrow because I got tired of typing it up. O_o I know this part was completely dialogue-driven but it was meant to be so it could explain a few things about what happened to ALL the characters and not just Usagi. The next part focuses heavily on Seiya, Taiki, Yaten, and Princess Kakyuu, and also the return of the Three Lights to the planet Earth. Anyway, thanks for reading this. C and C are always welcome. ^___^ ~Aurora