Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. For if I did, Mirai would be mine mine mine!! *sweatdrops*
Tenshi's Notes: Minna-chan, for once, I hope you're paying attention to my author's notes cos' I have something important to announce! There will be a contest! Yes yes, a contest (you can enter now Ivory-chan). More details will follow at the end of this chapter, so I hope you all will enter.
Secondly, just a few translations that might help. Megami-sama means goddess. Gomen! I didn't mean to confuse anyone, and musume means daughter. Just to help out while reading.
Thirdly, because of the prize of this contest, the next chapter will be delayed a bit. *avoids all sorts of squishy icky things being thrown at her* But as compensation, this chapter is super long, and NOT a cliffhanger.
I want to thank all my fabulous chans: Angel, BunnyS, D, Hikari (where have you gone?), Ivory, Jade, MK, and Silver. Note my new additions. *giggles* My merry band of chans keep growing!
Lastly, there has been some sort of review length war going on between Ivory-chan and Silver-chan. Silver-chan is unofficially the winner of chapter 2! *giggles* They write the best and funniest reviews. I love those girls! And to all of you, I've been really saddened by the number of reviews going down, but since my hits keep going up, I know there are those who actually read my fics out there! Please review! Unless you write yourself, you don't know how a review can totally motivate you, and make you want to write more. There's nothing more depressing than seeing a ton of hits on your fics, and NO reviews. *sigh* Anyway, with that, I hope you enjoy, and you know what you have to do to stop me from sighing!
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Goddess: Chapter 3
Trunks flew away as fast as he could, and to the human eye, it appeared as if a shooting star had flashed through the sky during the day. His arms tightened around Usagi's motionless body. She felt limp, and weak, as if the sudden power surge had drained everything she had in her. He knew that that strange tux-clad man was going to come after him and he had to get as much distance between them as possible. Hang on…just hang on. Eventually, he found a remote countryside that was mostly deserted. He managed to find an unused, slightly run-down cottage, looking like what used to be someone's summer home. He almost kicked the door down in his haste to get Usagi a place to rest, but remembered in time that this was probably going to be their hideout for a little while. Gently laying her down on a couch, he sat beside her still form, reaching out for her hand and lacing her fingers with his own. With his other hand, he brushed aside her hair. He cursed silently, wishing he could do something for her. Anything. "Please wake up, Usagi… wake up…" He whispered repeatedly, gripping her hand tight as if trying to transmit some of his strength over to her. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly, as her brows began to furrow as if in pain and confusion. He tightened his grip on her hands, and watched helplessly as she descended into her world of horror.
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Her sobs filled the room, but her cries went unnoticed, as it always did. She struggled with her bonds, trying to get free. She had known no other life but this one. Ever since she could remember, she had been in this compound, under constant vigilance. A big needle filled with a strange silvery fluid came towards her. It punctured her baby soft skin before entering her system. But no cries came from her mouth as the shot was being administered. She had long grown used to the procedures they subjected her to. She stared at the woman who had looked after her well being for as long as she had known.
"Don't stare at me that way. You know it has to be done," the older woman whispered, torn by the silent pleas in the child's eyes. It was far more powerful and effective than any amount of crying would've done.
"I wouldn't think about it if I were you, Setsuna." A voice called out in warning behind her.
"Of course not, Master. I would not dare." Setsuna said as she bowed her head in a sign of subservience.
"Good," the voice replied silkily. "I'd hate to see the consequences of you and the little brat if you did."
The young girl merely stared at the two wordlessly. The lady was nice to her sometimes. When people weren't paying attention, she would sneak some extra bread to feed her. She was so hungry sometimes, and sometimes she would feel really sick from all the weird things they gave her. Sometimes though, she felt so strong she could probably lift an elephant. She giggled at the thought. She had read about an elephant the other day. It had that weird nose that looked like a tail on its face.
"It's time for stage two, don't you think?"
A gasp escaped Setsuna's lips. "A few more weeks couldn't hurt, Master. The child…"
"The child is one of many which I will use to carry out my experiments, until such time I have a successful subject, my word is law. I have shown you too many leniencies. Now shut up, before I do something you will regret."
A large energy ball appeared out of nowhere and suddenly was flung towards the child. A high-pitched shriek emerged from the child as she struggled to loosen herself from the bonds that tied her down.
"Help me!!! HELP!!" She cried out, looking for the woman who was always so nice to her.
"Do it, Usagi… do it. It's essential you do what you were born to do," Setsuna whispered softly.
The beam of light that appeared blinded them for quite some time. The child floated high above the ground, her hair flowing in silvery streams as she gazed upon them with almost black eyes. The villainous smile that crossed its deep purple coloured lips sent shivers down Setsuna's spine.
"It finally works…"
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Trunks saw her forehead furrow in confusion as her dreams took her yet to another world.
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Free floating in space, she attempted to figure out where she was. It was a strange feeling… being weightless. Why am I here? She wondered silently, and jumped when a voice out of nowhere responded.
You know why.
Who are you? Usagi thought.
You will find out in due time.
Those damned white lights flashed again, but not before she caught a flash of platinum blonde hair.
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Usagi stirred eventually, startling Trunks' out of his weary slumber. The feel of her moving in his arms was enough to cause every nerve ending in his body to stand on alert. She snuggled deeper into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist. Trunks was confused, although frankly, he was rather liking this. If she was able to do this, she would be okay. Breathing a sigh of relief, he allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her back in his arms again as he rested his head against hers, and went to a place where one's fondest dreams always came true.
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She felt as if she was wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, and she had never felt so safe and secure in anyone's embrace. The arms that were wrapped around her body tightened in response and she inhaled, breathing in… an unfamiliar scent. Her eyes flew open as she found her nose pressed against a very muscular chest and a pair of arms that encircled her body protectively. She tilted back her head slightly, and she gasped out loud. It was that stranger.
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"Oh Trunks… Aishiteru… I've missed you so much…"
"Oh Usagi…"
Their faces became a blur to each other as they leaned in closer. Then suddenly, a noise interrupted his dream. Trunks opened his eyes grouchily and found Usagi staring at him with wide-eyed astonishment. He scrambled to his feet, flushing in embarrassment as Usagi suddenly grinned at him.
"And he blushes too…" She said mischievously, finding the concept endearing and attractive at the same time. Mamoru never blushes, she thought to herself.
He struggled to regain some semblance of control, remembering how this woman had once completely disarmed the walls around his heart. She seemed to do it with ease. She had this openness about her, an ability to trust, and faith in the people she believed in. She would never give up. It was one of the reasons why he had fallen in love with her in the first place.
"Daijoubu ka?" His eyes did a quick scan of her to make sure nothing was wrong. Her ki was strong, and pulsed with a hidden strength that would be released at the slightest trigger.
"I'm fine. Did you destroy the youma?" She asked curiously as a thought occurred to her. "You know I'm Sailor Moon?!" She shrieked incredulously, glancing at her regular clothes before clasping her hands over her mouth.
He struggled to contain his laughter but he couldn't help it. He chuckled at her reactions.
"Don't you remember, Usagi? You destroyed the youma." He responded slowly when he had finally gained control.
"I did?" She remarked, looking absolutely perplexed and adorable at the same time. "How strange… you'd think I'd remember something as big as that. I guess the rest of the senshi will be glad that I finally did something right for a change." A strange look passed her face, conveying sadness and a bit of hurt. Feelings of rage began to rise in him. What had the people in her time done to his sweet, gentle Usagi? "It hurts," she whispered as she shut her eyes in pain. "Every time they make fun of me it hurts. Every time they belittle my skills as a leader, it rips at me. Every time they talk about how bad my grades are, they tear at my confidence. Don't they understand? I never wanted this. This was not my choice." Her fists were clenched in her lap as she bit at her bottom lip to stop herself from crying. His eyes softened, sharing her pain. He wanted nothing better than to hold her in his arms, to reassure her that everything would be okay. But this was a different life, a different time. And she had no memories of… them. "I'm a cry-baby. I'm a klutz. I'm stupid."
"Usagi, your greatest gift to the world is your compassion, and your infinite ability to love no matter what. You always manage to find the light in the darkness. You constantly bring people hope and spread happiness everywhere you go. You're the most giving person I know, and each time I see you smile, you make me glad to be alive."
Usagi sat there stunned by his impassioned speech. There had been depths of emotion conveyed in those simple words, and with each sentence, he spoke fervently as if he knew her. It was there again. That sense of knowing that constantly nagged at her mind. His eyes looked at her, and there was a silent plea in them, begging her to remember something. She shook her head in confusion. Her brain felt like it was being plagued with something and she wasn't quite sure what. Suddenly, she remembered something.
"Mamo-chan!" Usagi no baka! How could you forget your boyfriend? The man you're supposed to love? Your Prince? Only you could do something as dumb as that, the voice in her head berated as she hung her head in shame. "Where'd he go?"
Trunks' eyes darkened in a mixture of anger and jealously. Usagi had obviously moved on, or had she? Was that woman who took her away from him responsible for all of this? He firmly squelched the hope growing in his heart and glared at her.
"They've done something to you," he growled. "I don't know how it is that you don't remember what happened, but you transformed. You changed."
A mischievous grin spread across her face. "I know that, silly. I transformed into Sailor Moon! I thought we already went through that."
"Iie. I meant, you transformed into somebody else altogether."
"Nani?!" She almost yelled in her confusion.
"You were somebody else for a second. Your ki… I've never felt anything like it before. It had a strange sense to it… something very powerful is hiding within you, waiting to be unleashed."
"Masaka!" She shouted at him. "You're lying! You're just trying to keep me away from Mamo-chan and my senshi!"
"I speak only the truth," he responded quietly, hurt apparent on his features, hurt that the woman he loved would doubt his word. At one point in time, this would not have existed. She would've believed in him whole-heartedly. After all, she had given him her heart.
Something within his tone caught her attention, and she stared at him, unable to explain the conflicting emotions that existed within her. What he said… would explain so much. The blackouts, the loss of memory… how she would sometimes wake up in a different place and have no recollection of getting there. At the time, the senshi and Mamoru had convinced her that she was sleepwalking. She had believed them. They had no reason to lie. Did they?
"Listen to your heart, Usagi. You've always done that. Your heart knows if I'm telling the truth."
"How could I trust a stranger?" She whispered.
Once again, the pain flared in his eyes, stabbing at him like a million needles, hurting him far more than the death of his friends ever did. Closing his eyes briefly, he thought of what life would've been like if Usagi had stayed. His surprise… she would've loved it. His project… he had been building them a new house. A house for the two of them, where they could be together in their safe haven. Opening his eyes, he returned to his normal dispassionate form. He shrugged simply before turning around to leave. Your mind may have forgotten me, but somewhere deep in your heart, I know you remember.
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Usagi watched his departing figure sadly. Unaccountably, she felt a sense of loss as she wrapped her arms around herself. What had happened? Why was all of this happening to her? Nothing made sense anymore. There had been that dream as well… it haunted her incessantly. She could never run away from it. She would always wake up screaming, drenched in sweat. Images of needles and unspeakable pain flashed through her mind as she shuddered in recollection. She would normally wake up screaming in terror but strangely enough, this time it didn't happen. She blushed suddenly as she recalled that the stranger had been holding her in his arms this time. She wondered why she felt so safe, and how she could feel so attracted to someone she had just met. She was destined to be with Mamoru. She loved him. Didn't she?
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Several lonely hours passed as Usagi stared out the window wistfully. The stranger probably wasn't returning, and she let out a deep sigh at the thought, wondering why on earth she would miss him that much. The sun was beginning the set, casting beautiful reddish-orange rays on the landscape beneath it. It was truly beautiful, but in her heart, it was always the moon she loved best. The silvery beams of light that would shine on Earth, covering it with a shimmering glow. She was the Moon Princess afterall. Sighing once again, she turned her back and leaned it against the wall, allowing herself to slide down to a sitting position. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she hugged herself hoping someone would come back for her. She was startled by the thought. She wanted the stranger to come back to save her? Why? She asked silently. Because you love him, her heart replied. She sat there stunned, and that was exactly how Trunks found her.
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Trunks had gone to the other side of the remote housing area, as far away as he could while still being able to keep an eye on her. With a deep sigh, he stared out at the ocean that stood in front of him. The gentle crash of the waves against the beach soothed his heart, and helped him calm down. A breeze came from the ocean, stirring his long lavender hair that had escaped the tie which held the rest of it back. He closed his eyes, and a familiar picture danced in his head. A young girl, with bright blue eyes, and lovely golden hair squealed at him, begging to be picked up. "Otousan!" She would call out as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He would smile at her, his musume who looked so much like his beloved wife. And Usagi would wrap her arms around him, and lean against him. His own family. It was something he had longed for all his life. The sense of belonging to someone, and always being there for them. Muttering curses he had heard his father say when he was just a kid, Trunks wondered what he had done to deserve something like this. But perhaps, it was better to have loved than to never have loved. Even as Usagi was no longer a part of his life at the moment, he remembered the joy she used to bring him, and how she was the pillar of hope and light in his world and he smiled. For that, he would always be grateful. Glancing at the setting sun, he heaved another sigh. It would be time to go back. Knowing Usagi, she was probably worried already. He caught himself at that thought. That may have been true once upon a time, but it was no longer so. With a heavy heart, he made his way back to her.
He stepped through the door and what he found confounded him. Sitting there, with a look of absolute shock on her face, her eyes were almost bugged out of her head. Concerned, he immediately went to her side.
"Usagi! Usagi!" He shook her slightly, as reality slowly sunk into her head. She looked up at his face almost dreamily and her right hand was raised up as if to touch his face before her thoughts cleared. Her hand fell back down, and she flushed slightly.
His jaw clenched as he felt the demons of jealousy once again clawing at him. "Don't worry. I know you were thinking of your boyfriend then." He got back on his feet and dropped some fruits into her lap. "It's not much but it will have to do for now. We'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. We have a while to go before they catch up," he announced tersely.
"I wonder if my senshi and Mamoru will be looking for me," she mumbled almost to herself. Trunks, with his saiyajin-hearing, narrowed his eyes at the thought. "I'm sure they will be. That's why we can't stay for long."
"Why are you doing this?" She asked, wanting to know… needing to know.
"Don't you know?" He whispered harshly. Then a cynical smile crossed his lips. "No, of course, you don't. I'm doing this for your own good. Your so-called friends have hidden motives, and they know something about you that you don't even realise yet."
"Where will you take me?" She inquired hesitantly.
"Do you trust me?"
The question fell from his lips before he could help it. Bakayero. How could you ask such a dumb question? Aren't you setting yourself up for more pain? He saw her eyes widen at his words, but what she said next shocked him to the bottom of his boots.
"Yes," she replied simply, picking up an apple and dusting it off slightly before eating it with enthusiasm.
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Contest details: Now that the villain has been introduced, there have been TWO clues that have been hidden in Usagi's dream as to who it may be. You are allowed only ONE guess as to its identity. If you guess more than once, I'll simply take the first answer you send me (Gomen for sounding like a teacher there). You can either submit it with your review (in which case leave your email address!) or email me at chibi_tenshi24@yahoo.com This contest will end on March 4. The winner(s) – those with correct answers - will receive an advanced copy of chapter four as their prize, hence the delay for chapter 4 on FF.net Good luck!!